Rusted Frame on Rare-ish Reg Cab 4wd

For everyone’s future reference. I took it to 2 different shops, both welding certified mechanics with fair rates $85/hr. Total cost for all 4 sections on each side to install was about $3k in labor. Tack on another $2k for the parts.

 

That sounds about ball park .Last one I quoted was about $ 4000.00 before the crazy price spikes.

I wonder what codes they were certified under.

 

AWS, NYSDOT, and NYCDOB

 

I thought it might be a DOT code.

Figures New York would want money for there own certifications

 

I think I would be looking at going back at the seller. Clearly was a cover-up job to get it sold to someone unsuspecting. Failing that, I would head to the deep south to look for a salvage frame. I picked up bed and doors in Orlando area of Florida that were perfect as far as rust.

 

As-Is is a difficult thing to challenge these days. As much as lemon law is concerned it would cost me more to fight it. Ultimately I was the one who made the bad buy and can only post an honest review for future car buyers and deal with the life lesson. I’m not mad I have to restore the frame, I’m just mad I spent more than I needed to! But hey, we all know this, cars tend to be a money pit. Glad it’s on something rare and not a generic ext cab (sorry ext cab owners)

 

You're dead to me know.

 

Speaking of generic ext cabs, since the single cab trucks are relatively rare, and if you cannot locate a salvage truck, can the ext cab frame be modified to work for your purpose? Wondering if that might be the only port in a storm...

 

I gotta agree It does come down to buyer Beware!

One would have to prove it was a attempt to fraud instead of just a very poorly done repair.

I think OP mentioned doing much fabrication is beyond them at the moment .

Yes an an extra cab frame can be modified to work but your getting into fabrication again you have the search to find a good extra cab frame.

 

Have you considered finding an extended cab frame and shortening it?

 

This was posted in one of the FB groups

 

I went the Safe-T-Cap route, and upgraded front leaf spring mounts. Took everything apart and blasted it, repainted and then coated. I used a rust converter from Eastwood with a tube and nozzle on the end for the internal sections. It was a lot of work, but worth it. New leaf springs, shocks, and shackles at the time.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-my-tacoma-beat-cancer-a-saga.645126/

 

If it was a person to person sale, you're SOL. Even if it were a dealer, used vehicles are sold "as-is" so even then it's hard to prove something "illegal" was actually done. Unfortunately, incompetence isn't illegal.

OP, since fabrication is a little out of your wheel house, you might consider a frame swap instead. Frame swaps, while they can be complex and time consuming, it's a little more do-able for the average joe, since most of it is just bolting/un-boltin. As long as you take your time and do your reading, it's do-able.

Honestly, frame plates/safet-t caps are just bandaid fixes. Unless you get rid of ALL the rust from the INSIDE of the frame (not likely), you're just delaying the inevitable, it will continue to rust.

 

UPDATE: The Dealership has superficially agreed to return the vehicle for a full refund. Still need to iron out the details and finalize the return, but it’s good news as I was NOT looking forward to spending my summer underneath a rust bucket.

For anyone looking to deal with a situation like mine, here’s my best advice. The first thing, you have to ask yourself “Was the issue a result of your negligence or was there an attempt to hide the issue?” If the first, sorry, out of lock. If the second, congrats, you have probable cause.

Basically, what I’ve learned in the past few months is if a vehicle is sold at a dealership and it isn’t disclosed an attempt was made to repair the frame then I have grounds to file a COMPLAINT with the State Board of Motor Vehicles. Essentially every business has a surety bond, which protects the consumer. If a company has been found breaking the rules of the Surety Bond, the consumer can file a complaint and if proven to be correct, money will be deducted and then reimbursed by the dealership along with a big slap on the wrist. HOWEVER, the consumer must ensure that they have given the dealership every opportunity to resolve the issue before filing a complaint. If you don't, your complaint will be dropped.

It's really important that people understand if this happens to you, you are not 100% screwed. It took me months before I was able to find the right information. Not sure if anyone has questions, but I figured it’d be worth posting since rotted frames are a common issue in this community!