Buying another Tacoma - Need Help - Rust

So I am looking at buying another Tacoma after selling mine a few years ago. The asking price is good for the market right now and he has already said he will lower it for this issue. I am going to look at the truck tomorrow and will bang around in a few spots but wanted to ask if there is anything specific I should be looking at and if this is too much rust?

Truck is a 2007 and started in Canada for 3 or 4 years. It has been in Oregon(valley not coast) since 2015 and that is where it would stay with me.

Thanks for looking and the help!

 

Wow she is in pretty good shape, keep a very good eye on the frame. Eyeball the whole thing yourself
But looks clean!

 

That's good to hear! This will be my first vehicle that has a history on the coast so no idea what is bad or not. It obviously has sign but is also 14 years old so figured I would ask.

Thanks again!

 

Pay close attention to the areas by the cats
Around the heat shields. They are a notorious spot for rust perforation.
See link below for pics.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/used-purchase-rust-concern.590747/

 

I will check that out for sure!

Thank you

 

I'd get under it and bang around with a hammer with some good force near the cats like @TnShooter said. My frame looks better than that and I still found a hole. Mine has spent it's whole life in Canada so that could be the difference

 

Take a hammer, bang around near the cats especially.


But seeing those lift spacers I’d run away already

most of Those drop bracket lifts involve cutting the front frame crossmember. So I’m sure rust around that cut is worse than the rest of the frame

 

You have to consider your environment when targeting your vehicle for annual maintenance. In salt country, as am I, (nearer to Buffalo, New York) you need to take appropriate measures, and repeatedly. My 09' looks way better than that, and i have NO rust on the frame rails. That truck has not been protected in any way, from what i see, and the neglect evident in visible areas would suggest that what you don't see will be even more advanced. How much do you want to pay for a sinking ship?

 

This is what I was thinking. Rust doesn't look too bad, but that lift . . . I think you can see in one photo where the section of frame is cut out. No going back without some serious work. Appears to have the original shocks, which are likely done for. If it's a screaming deal, might be worth the trouble, kind of depends on what you want it for.

 

I'd bring a flashlight , cardboard box / plastic to lay down on and look as best you can inside the frame drain holes. If you see massive rust flakes inside the frame rails walkaway. These frame tend to rot from the inside out. Keep us posted G.L
Rust Never Sleeps Neil Young

 

Ugh drop bracket lift. Gross.

 

Thanks for all the help! Going to go look at it in about a hour and yeah im not a huge fan of the lift. My first plan was going to be to put a smaller lift and tires on but sounds like that will be a pain. I do have a work van that I drive M-F and we also have a 2019 jeep grand cherokee so this is just a weekend camping/fishing truck. Most it will ever see is an overgrown logging road.

 

Thanks for the help guys! I would never have looked up by the cat and sure enough it had a hole already and could see some big chunks of rust where I was able to see inside the frame. I passed on it.

 

Like others have pointed out, stay away from it due to the drop bracket lift. Removing it down the road will be difficult and expensive. If this truck will mainly be a weekend offroad toy, you don't want a DB lift.

 

compare to others:
Rust Prevention/Treatment Consolidation Thread | Tacoma World