First Gen no new frame

Yeah, it’s not ideal it wasn’t serviced at a dealership but the mechanic I found in NC is familiar with Tacoma and he said everything looks good. Also with only 64k miles how much damage could have been done?
I was this close to buying a new Tacoma but they are so huge now and I just wanted a smaller truck. But buying an older vehicle comes with its challenges.

With only 64k I feel like I can get her back on a proper service schedule .

and since this thread was originally about the frame issue, my plan is to take off the bed and clean off rust and paint it.

 

What would you guys suggest to do to get inside if the frame tubes? Air blast it out? Spray some rust converter? And then coat it somehow? The issue is water and crap gets trapped inside the channel but then can’t escape?

 

Drill drain holes in box frame at front and rear. Park on incline and flush with fresh water. Reverse park and repeat flush. Let dry and use an undercoating gun with 360 wand to shoot inside with Corroseal or Eastwood rust converter. After this cures shoot inside box frame with Fluid Film or Wool Wax, Done inside.
For more information press and hold the pic to do search Google image

 

Ok. I can’t wait to start working on the truck! Now I just need to figure out how to ship it all the way here.

 

Honestly, fluid film is overkill for a soon to be CA truck,. especially if it looks like what you posted . Like I said earlier, that frame looks like it's in REALLY good condition. If anything just wash out the inside of the frame as best you can, and let it dry. Then just take a wire brush to the outside and hit it with a couple coats of paint.

I've done literally nothing to treat and/or protect my 2004 frame from the elements for its entire life and it looks like this:

slight rust in first pic from the tire rubbing. Just surface rust tho.

 

New frame looks solid

 

Carfax isn't a magic database that tells you ALL the maintenance that was done to it. It just tells you what was voluntarily reported to them.

But like you say, at 64k miles there's not a lot of time to do any damage, lol.

That said, ALL your rubber bits (cooling hoses, suspension bushings, vacuum hoses, etc...) are just as old and dry as if they had 300k miles. Your timing belt (if it's a v6) needs to be replaced as well. Factory recommends ~90k miles OR 9 years. It's rubber, and just like all the other rubber bits, the timing belt breaks down with time, not necessarily mileage.

 

How much Toyota ask you to spend out pocket for the miscellaneous parts with the frame?

 

Good point. I’ll plan on just starting from scratch and throwing some money down and elbow grease to get her good as new. I’ll start a build page once I have a name.

 

we look forward to it!

 

I coated my brother's 1st gen taco over the summer, it had a frame replacement but we wanted to ensure we get another 10 years on the new frame

 

Looks like a rust free truck, I’m in NM and I see alot of rust free desert trucks. On a side note I totally thought you use name said call girl at first glance

 

Could be both. Don't judge

 

It looks like a solid Taco and you will be happy with it. The 2WD trucks may not be as desirable as the 4WD trucks, but at least this particular truck is a prerunner and not a 5-lug.

Get it back to CA and make it your own!

 

Ha! Maybe I should change that.
Or maybe that’ll help me get responses.
Hilarious.

 

has anyone been denied a frame replacement yet?

 

If you're trying with a 1st gen now, you WILL be denied. You had 15 years from the in-service date to get it addressed, along with other requirements.

But if you're trying for a replacement now, 100% you'll be denied.

 

Could go either way but chicks don’t usually have trouble getting responses on here. It’s the best forum I’ve been on by far though

 

I’m pretty mechanically inclined. I’m a foreman electrician and also have owned and worked on a 98 Jeep XJ 4.0 4x4 (still have it). I’m not familiar with Tacomas but a lot of my friends and guys I work with are all mechanics. I love wrenching. I’m going to keep this my DD and light trail camping truck.
I think I’ll be fine adding a locker.
Anytime I need to hit the snow I’ll take my Jeep. (Is that blasphemy ?)

 

You might get bored not having to make as many repairs as your Jeep but you can use your spare time for mods. I picked up a rust prerunner and converted it to manual trans and 4wd with manual hubs. It’s a bolt on affair and wouldn’t be alot more than an air locker. It just takes a while to collect parts, but can be completed in a day or 2