Rust on the 95 Tacoma I just picked up

Hey guys. I picked up a 1995 Tacoma yesterday. At first it didn't seem like the rust was bad when I was looking at the truck inside the dealers building, but when I was looking at it closer in the sun I'm not so sure anymore. I was wondering if you guys had any thoughts on it. thanks!

 

If it has holes, you can either patch it up or replace the frame. If you are doubtful about it.....take it back.

 

Any better pics of the frame?

 

Pics posted so far look pretty good for a 95 actually.

Check the portion of the frame near- and just aft of the front wheels for rust holes.

 

Looks good to me. My frame looked far worse on my '04 but I wire wheeled it and soaked it with 15 cans of rust check. Looks pretty good to me now. I would just soak a quality rust proofing to everything. Rust check, Krown or Fluid Film are all premium choices

 

Looks pretty solid from the pictures. Most of that is road/trail dirt. There is slight surface rust on the frame but that is not bad at all. When the frame looks pitted and wrinkled then there is concern. My exhaust and driveshaft is rusted like yours which is normal. Give it a good power wash underneath and most of that dirt will come off.

 

looks pretty good to me. a good wire brushing/washing and paint and itl probably look good as new.

 

A good place to check for rot is in the "s" part of the frame, right behind the cab. Especially right above where the front of the leaf springs attach to the frame. Hit it with a hammer or a screwdriver right there. If it caves in or a hole appears, it's rotten, but doesn't mean the whole frame is bad. You'll have to perform this test along the whole length of the frame rails to know if it's rotten somewhere else. Depending on the extent of rot, it's possible to patch the frame and it's not that hard if you know how to weld

Actually, it might look worse than it really is. When I got mine, the frame looked really really bad at first, but it was rock solid everywhere. I cleaned it, and despite being rusty, it looks quite good and is still super solid

Before doing anything, though, wash it with a pressure washer, removing dirt will help you see your frame better

Also, these frames rot from the inside out, so if you don't return the truck, it would be wise to drill drain holes on the frame, to allow humidity and condensation out