How do these frames look? 2003 and 2004 Xtracab V6 Manuals

The '04 Tacoma - Undercoating is not necessarily a sign of a bad frame. Many folks on this forum have had great success using undercoating (Never, Never, Ever the rubber stuff though) such as POR-15 to preserve frames that already have rust. That being said, it's all about the prep work. This involves alot of labor knocking off the rust scales/flakes and getting back to the base material under it all. Basically, the only rust should be surface level when you actually apply POR-15 and great care must be taken to ensure the surface is free of grease/oil/grim before coating. Ideally it is topcoated in areas exposed to sun. The 04 looks like it had zero prep work, flakes already look like they are falling off. Rust is showing though the undercoating. The passenger side rail looks like it took a large impact as evident in your second photo of it (you can see a bend). I would suspect the inside of the frame to be much worse. I would pass on this, whoever did it put in the bare minimum.






The '03 Tacoma - It has some concerning spots (like the cab mount), but overall looks to be in better shape. It was already patched and/or reinforced in the rear (you can see an aftermarket plate welded in on the rear section by the rear axle. See my comments above regarding the undercoating. Get more details on this. Do the hammer test all over as suggested by others. IMO, This one has some potential, but you better be sure its okay and/or comfortable with the repair work.

 

Agree but would word it differently.. the first one isn't as far gone.

 

Hammer test. If they dont let you then walk away.
In Ohio I spent about a year looking for a decent Tacoma.
Saved time by looking in the bed to see if the spare was underneath or not.
Could have saved even more time just going out and buying the new one I would eventually buy.
Everything I saw around here was shot or just about shot.
A lot of them looked nice until you got down on your knees.
Just think you go out and buy a $35000 + Tacoma and in 5 or 6 years you have a parts truck unless you live somewhere they don't salt the roads.
I don't drive my 17 Tacoma in the winter.

 

1st one looks like it already has a hole in the frame above the leaf perches... just like mine. I guarantee if you take a screwdriver and poke it you'll blow right through the frame. This is exactly how my truck looked before I fixed it.

2nd ones already been "repaired"... those welds look like shit. I'd avoid both trucks

Edit: AND @Cattywampus spotted a massive hole on the inner frame rail on the 04. Good catch. These are both pretty bad...

 

They are trying to sell these at double cab prices......
I would be suspect of their miles....


These WERE $10K trucks before.....

its like lumber.......holding off.....because a $14 board....now costs $29......

 

I was originally looking for a Ranger from the same era. Unbelievable how bad they are, at least all the ones I've seen.

 

Thanks to everyone. This has been very helpful. Looks like the 2004 is for sure a no go.

If the only damaged portion of the 2003 frame is the cab support, how much would it typically cost to get a reliable repair/support. Any links to what I would need to do to preserve one of these frames through multiple winters?

Furthermore, am I crazy to even want one of these trucks in Wisconsin? It will be my daily driver year round.

 

Haha. I live in MN and wouldn't touch either. I've seem 20 crap frames for every one worth buying. It takes awhile but there are good ones out there. A lot seems to be in the La Crosse, Wisconsin area. There must have been a dealer in the area that knew how to get frames replaced. That's where my DC came from and I've got a friend who just picked up one which had a frame replaced in the same area.

 

You know the early 2000's mazda trucks are rebadged rangers....made in exact same plant.....
not sure which models...

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Mazda+B3000+Truck&form=IARSLK&first=1&tsc=ImageBasicHover

 

Hard to say. It really depends on the extent of the damage and your own standards for repair. If it is just the most apparent "angled plate", you could just fab a little piece to replace it and weld it in. Could probably be done for a couple hundred buck or a piece of steel depending on your skills. What I have found about rust repair, half the time the damage extends further than what is apparent. Replacing the entire cab mount can be done, but would cost $500+ if I had to guess because of all the parts, disassembly, and prep work involved.

 

Might consider future mechanics......everything under body u do in the future on these is gonna be a pain...
alll kinds of seizures..........i was looking at the 03's sway bar mounts....

When you look at these used....always go and look at the coil buckets for deformation.....around those top two bolts mounting upper control arm to it(inside & out).....and condition of LCA bushing bolts and camber washers....all the frame mounts in that whole area...

If truck is restored wreck.... both sides wont match up.....
Your gonna find alot of restore wreck and flood tacos put back on road at these prices......BEWARE


The beauty and the beast, the outside of these can look so good...so long.....
what a mismatch....

Maybe JDM needs to go in the frame business toooooo....

 

Whatever you see on the outside, assume it's 10x worse on the inside. Frames rust from the inside-out. That's where all the water, salt, and debris sits and can't easily be washed off and kept dry.

As for the cab mount, it's just a few pieces of steel. Any fab shop should be able to make one up fairly easily. The problem is assuming that's the only issue. FIRST step should be a much more detailed in-person inspection.

Also, as someone else already pointed out, the welds on those frame plates are, shall we say, less than ideal. Not saying I could do better, but I probably could, lol. And I'm a grinder, not a welder, lol.

You really need to find out if those plates are there to repair rust, or were installed for general reinforcement (off-roaders do that commonly to stiffen the frame). If it was to repair rust, just walk away. Be patient.

 

I would highly suggest you extend your search area to the southeastern states and the Western States. You could fly out and drive home a much better truck than either one of those, just a suggestion.

 

agreed, even if it costs more initially just think of the money that will be saved in not having to make frame repairs, fight with rusted out parts and possibly even having an unusable truck in a few years after buying one with a questionable frame

 

just trying to give him more options. I've seen pics of some of the rust belt trucks, and I wouldn't touch one with a 20 ft pole. like you said just about every nut and bolt would be a nightmare to remove. He might pay a bit more, but a rust free frame treated properly will last him years.

 

heres just one example of what you might find. granted there's no pics of the frame, but you could contact the seller and request pics.

https://memphis-tn.americanlisted.com/cars/2000-toyota-tacoma_20587285.html

 

Why not look for a truck in Arizona, California, or Texas? Even if you have to pay for shipping. No rust will be worth it!

My 2000 Tacoma with 330miles has absolutely no rust on the frame, because she spent all her life in Cali and AZ...

 

Any truck here in Tucson is super over priced. Yes, the frame will be perfect, but you'll pay the price for it. Every single one is beat to death, multiple issues, and people still want double what it was new.

 

The one thing about the AZ/NM/NV trucks that would worry me is the paint, Toyota clearcoat/paint doesn't do so great in long term heavy sun exposure. We get that here too in CA of course but not as bad temp-wise throughout the year.

My 04 spent most of its life in AZ when I got it here in CA in 2016, only had 24k miles on it. Was in showroom condition but I think the PO in AZ must have kept it garaged all the time.

Not so much showroom condition anymore lol.

 

Truck, but I’ll take paint over a rotten frame