Rust advice, first time Tacoma owner

Hey y'all, I'm looking at a Tacoma 2012 that spent its life in New York. What should I take from these photos of the frame in terms of rust, and does it appear to have been protected? Should I buy? Thank you.

 

The pics are good enough that I'd look at it, using a probe, ball peen hammer and a phone based bore scope to look inside the boxed areas

*I* would not buy any salt world truck w/o that in depth exam

 

Thanks...I'm in NC, it's in Davie, you're not going anywhere near there are you?
I'm going to send a mobile mechanic from LemonSquad if necessary

 

Edit- wait, you have not bought this truck?
that looks like a huge fracture in the frame...
since you are asking these questions, i recommend you run away.
frame repair is expensive, unless you can fix it completely yourself, just find a truck to buy with a good frame.

unless the rest of the truck is mint and the price is like $500, just walk away.



the easiest way is to pressure wash, brush off any loose rust, pressure wash again and then fluid film (or wool wax, etc) once a year.
(just do this and then forget about it, unless you have a bad spot that needs to be patched/welded)



if you want to make the frame look fully restored, (really not necessary to protect) you would need to

pressure wash, get under there and scrub with dish soap, wash again, spray phosphoric acid on the rust, let it soak but not dry, pressure wash again, then use a coating
this is just one method, you could remove the cab and bed from the frame and sand blast, then coat. many different ways, wire wheel, etc.

your pictures are a bit blurry, i can not tell if that is just a dirty frame or what.

IS THAT A BIG ASS SLPIT/CRACK IN YOUR FRAME
you might want to get a professional welder to look at that...

is your battery terminal corroded???

 

thanks...I'm shopping this car, it's not mine yet. I did notice the terminal, which is weird bc the interior of the car is immaculate, so it should have been taken care of better. Where do you see a crack? ugh
oh crap I see what you're talking about...

 

Sorry. Davie is 4 hrs from me, in my #1 unfavorite part of the state. I only go to that area when required by travel. Usually going thru Miami airport to go or return from somewhere.

 

the pictures are blurry, but there is a zoomed in (6th pic down) pic that looks like a crack.

you are going to want better pictures. blurry pictures are a RED FLAG

 

I wish the frame on my 2008 was that clean.

The test is to wack the rusty spots with a hammer. If it breaks through, it needs repaired. Seller might not like you beating on it

If he will let you, maybe take it to your favorite trusted mechanic for inspection. That’s not a bad idea to do on any expensive used vehicle you might buy.

If there are any rust through holes in the frame, I expect it will be expensive to repair.

Check rustbuster.com for repair parts prices.

 

Again *I* would only trust my own exam, or an exam by a known or personally referred individual. As in a friend in the area had direct experience with a trusty shop.

 

Fair enough, it's a good idea

 

yeah, the blurry ones are screenshots from a video. it DOES look like a crack, holy smokes.

 

It looks too sketchy. Having lived in a salt state for so long, damage has started...Need to visit a southern state for one, you sleep easier. I live in North Carolina, originally from the salty north...visit there often and see so many trucks and cars with too much rust. A rusty frame is the one big weak spot of our tacos. I would stay away.

 

That frame is compromised due to that separation crack and it also looks like the first attempt by Toyota to apply there rust protection that was nothing but a disaster. Any older frame that has a texture looking frame is a red flag. In those days they found out the coating actually promoted rust and now they only coat the interior of the frame.

 

That isn’t a crack, it’s a bracket for wire loom. That frame looks like it’s been painted or coated (terrible pic quality though), so I’d be scared what’s under that paint/coating.

I would just shop in the SW, fly out, and road trip a rust free truck home, then take proper care of it BEFORE rust starts

 

^^^THIS

 

If you live in the south or west, you don't buy a truck that's lived in the rust belt.

 

After a long double take, I think I was wrong and it may just be a bracket. Bad photo = bad advice.

 

Thanks, everyone, for the rapid responses and insights. good stuff

 

We're full of it. Good stuff that is.