Frame is shot! 2003 Toyota Tacoma SR5V6

To whom this may concern: Bought Truck new in Reno in March 2003. Moved to Indiana in 2012, which is when the rust started. Like an idiot I didn't Z bart and it was also left in the elements the entire time to now. Truck body is A+, engine has 164K miles.
Noticed front tires were both wearing on the inside so I took it in for rotation. Upon inspection they said frame could buckle on passenger side if lift failed and said they wouldn't attempt.
Moreover, they said hitting one bad pothole could buckle the truck.
It's in my garage.
I wondered should I post to sell for parts, trade in or outright. Should I see if Insurance would total it out. Not sure how to proceed, but time is of the essence.
Footnote: This all came to light in May when I contracted a auto body service to repair rear quarter panel and extended cab dents incurred in a parking garage in Knoxville scraping and denting from a cement pylon I wasn't able to avoid. 4K insurance claim. They should have never fixed it upon exposing the frame when removal of the bed took place! I have before and after picks to share as well as pictures of the frame. Any feedback would be appreciated!
Thanking you in advance
Jamie Wilson

 

As always it depends (on you). What is hard depends on your individual skills. What is expensive depends on your individual finances.

Path 1. I assume the insurance will not pay for repairs. Easy and probably the fastest path is to sell it for what ever you can get.

Path 2. Fix it. Should you, it depends. How much of the work can you do? Do you weld? If not, you pay people, things can get expensive and takes time. Also consider. What are the laws in your state? Is there vehicle inspection? Will a patch on the frame cause state officials heart burn.

Generally rust is like cockroaches, a little can lead to more. What does the rest of the frame look like.

Path 3. Get a sound frame and use the existing truck as a donator. Again how much of the work can you do. Relatively expensive and takes time.

 

Welcome to the Forum!!

Post all the pictures the more we see the better we can help.

Before Covid the last repair on a frame I quoted was around $3500.00 I could see any easy $1000.00 or more now. Then there is all the other parts fuel and brake lines .Fuel tank bracket Etc.

Unless you have some friends that can fabricate this can be a very expensive repair on a 20 year old Truck.

Then you have the normal 20 year old vehicle maintenance to catch up.

It will come down to your call is it cost effective to Put $6000.00 or more into this truck??

Sell as Is and put money into something in better shape.

Trade in you won`t get anything .

Good luck no matter what you decide.

 

Welcome you’re best off parting it out from the sounds of it. Insurance will tell you to kick rocks. Whatever you do on your next rig you get don’t put that zbart shit it will rust just as bad, cosmoline or woolwax are pretty much your only legit options

 

Thanks to all for the feedback, attaching pictures. I am not a mechanic so replacing 20 year old frame or having it done isn't a feasible option. I agree also that trading it in won't give me the money I feel its worth. Engine runs like a top! Feedback would again be so much appreciated!

 

If you are not putting the work into the truck, then it’s a part out truck. Selling it whole is the fastest. Selling piece by piece will get the most cash.

 

If you think that vehicle has value, the only way you're going to get it, is to part it out and hope that the sum of the sales gets you to what you feel it's worth.

That frame is toast- As a whole vehicle, it's worth whatever you'd sell the motor for alone. Whoever would consider taking that project on knows they have a huge project on their hands to rebuild the back of the frame, or do a frame swap, etc..

 

A running 150,000 mile 3.4 you might get $1500.00 a little less

Since it appears you lack friends to fix your truck or it would be getting done.

Is being able to part the truck out even a option ?

It would either make a nice project or a good parts truck for some one local.

Not being aware of your financial status is keeping this truck as a parts truck viable and finding another of the same vintage from the south an option??

Best of Luck.

 

THANK YOU everyone for this feedback... Oh my gosh. So helpful!
I need to move the truck quickly. I don't have the resources or knowledge to piece meal it. Where could I list it to target the right kind of buyer to sell the whole truck for parts?
I'm going to use Market Place, but is there anywhere else that would get good exposure?
Is 5K an unreasonable expectation?
What upsets me the most is that when I damaged it in May, and contracted the work out to be fixed, they had to have known when they started breaking it down that the truck should be totaled instead of putting 4K worth of body work into it that the insurance paid me!! Also, the only reason my insurance company didn't total it, they said, was because the air bags didn't deploy.

 

What ever someone is willing to pay. At $5000.00 I would be surprised if you get any serious buyers.

At best $2500.00 for someone needing a good drive train.

I paid $500.00 for mine but it had 250,000 and also needs a timing belt.

 

Everyone! Posted truck on Marketplace yesterday and phone blew up with interest!! Listed it for 5K and sold it in 4 hours to a young guy, son of a frame shop owner on the south end of town! He's going to fix it! I settled for 4900! He loved my Toyota! I appreciate all the guidance and feedback! Thank you!

 

Where are you in Indiana? I am in Evansville and might be interested in buying it depending on price.

 

I say buy a salvage title wreck with a clean frame and do a body swap; I'm guessing OP's truck has a clean title. The title stays with the body, and I would pay whatever it takes to fix an old Tacoma before I dropped almost $40K on a brand new one and had to finance it.

 

Tacomas never die...

They get resurrected!