Rust Evaluation - NBD or Swipe Left?

I’m looking for a 2G to replace my 3G. I’m considering a higher mile option to reduce the upfront cost and also remove guilt from the equation when using it for work and play. I am still feeling out what is too nice, appropriately bad, and too far gone (I spent most of my adult life west of the rockies so this iron oxide stuff…).

This one for example is very high miles but one owner and well maintained; unfortunately he says it was only driven in the south but it still looks like he got in to some road salt regularly. The rust on the welds doesn’t worry me so much as what looks to be taking hold of the body (check out the left most areas outside of the frame at the rocker) - my assumption is that has started from the inside so what is visible is the ‘nice’ side. I have seen quite a few like this in different areas of the country.

So, does this seem like it’s still solid and I am worrying about minor stuff that WoolWax will slow down; or would this be buying regret for top dollar?

 

What's the price?

At first glance I thought nbd, but on second look, I would probe the spots just forward of the spring mount. Those might be nothing, or they might be early stage cancer.

 

It’s 11 hours away so I can’t really check it out for myself. 237k, $18k.

The last one I almost went for was about the same shape, was an SR5 instead of an OR, $15,900 at a dealer, they sold it to someone else for $15,500 while I was thinking about it. It had almost as many miles and was one owner, with it looking like it was dealer maintained its whole life going by Carfax. I thought that was a decent deal. Figured I may offer this guy $16,000 to if I want to try, he did just put a lot of work in to it over the past year (probably why he’s selling) and has some aftermarket stuff I could pull and resell, albeit nothing that exciting and I would probably be lucky to get $500-600 for all of it..

 

18k seems way too high for those miles and frame/body with rust

 

The phots are insufficient to tell.
You need pictures from the middle looking out.
The the rust starts in the layered sections of the frame. Then started growing and eventually pushes the layers apart in big rust chunks.
Below is 1 of many laminated areas.

Also look at the inside of the frame next to the converters. Driver's side is usually the worst.
Next place would be along the frame in the back where it goes up nest to the exhaust pipe.

Layered section of frame.

 

This is all that needs to be said. Plus it's 11 hours away? F that noise.

Go search for a southern truck from like Texas, spend an extra $1k and a plane ticket, and thank me later when your rust free truck is still on the road years later versus this one which is halfway to cancertown.

 

It’s a very common asking price these days unfortunately, and eventually I will need to do something. I will pay a $2,000 finders fee to who can find this same condition truck for $10,000 like they claim (and you won’t take it because you’ll just turn around and list it for $17,995 ). People are paying it too, because the damn things keep selling while I wait for sellers to soften a bit.

Being so far away, I can’t move fast enough on good deals in the south/SW/PNW so I have to offer more than what the local market will bear. Would you accept an electronic deposit and pull the truck off the market for 1-2 weeks waiting for some guy to catch a flight and maybe buy it, when you’ve got locals beating down your door with cash?

 

https://grandrapids.craigslist.org/ctd/d/grand-rapids-2010-toyota-tacoma-4x4/7748765850.html

 

Uhh..I mean, thanks for the advice, but what exactly does it sound like I am trying to do here?

Price is right but looking for an OR (and probably DC), and all those little budget dealers picking these things up at auction know about frame issues, so they slather them in gunk to conceal them..

 

Sounds like you have it all figured out. Good luck!

 

Lol. Where's the rust on that?

 

X2! Now this is rust! Found this little soft spot on my old 2nd gen...

 

Missed this (mobile..) - thanks for the input! Seller has lost patience with me I think so this one in particular is probably going to be let go on to some other idiot with more money than brains.

So ignoring price, you two see nothing to get worked up about I take it?

 

I'm from the North East. That's considered rust free up here.

 

Preferably I'd ask for more pics but from what I've seen it looks not too shabby. Price still seems steep though but that's pretty much the car market right now.

 

And that's considered not bad in the Midwest too.

 

Tactics, logistics, cash flow..all squared away, been there done that for vehicles I wanted mint - way more cut and dry. But I know essentially what a new frame looks like, and what one that is so bad that it gets posted on forums to show off how horrific what’s left of it looks. The outward symptoms of “it’s probably fine for another 6-8+ years with some care” state is something I’d love some opinions on.

 

If you do get it spray it in Cosmolime or Fluid Film to keep her looking decent and apply it every year.

 

I hate it but that’s more or less the truth. I don’t think I will get more than I am already did out of this guy, but we’ll see.

I wonder if it’s as annoying selling as it is buying. I have considered contacting a few listers to ask for the hookup of whatever that is they’ve got themselves under the influence of, cause it seems pretty good and what I’d do to feel half that optimistic again..

 

137k less miles than what you were looking at. And the frame is mint compared to yours too.