Need your opinion about frame 1st gen

Hi everyone,

I would like to know what is your opinion about 1st gen Tacoma that my friend is interested to buy. A 2002, 3.4l 2x4. Low mileage and price asked 7500$ Canadian dollars. The frame never been replaced by recall and the seller said it's just surface rust. I hope to be able attach the screenshots from the videos that seller sent to me. Thank you

 

I looked at 1 picture and think I'll say pass

 

Thank you Jko1998, I appreciated your replying. I would like to see more opinions from others as well. My friend is in tight budget so he doesn’t want to invest in the risk. I own my beautiful green Tacoma pre runner 2003, frame changed by recall. All are great. There are 2 things I need to fix but not majors. EVAP purge valve and steering needs alignment.

 

You'll have more responses if you upload in .jpg, .gif, or .png format, most browsers don't read .tif files (have to download and open.)

It seems extensive and needs immediate attention, but might be worth saving. Have you done the hammer test?

 

I am not good in technology stuff with computer and pictures. Seller sent me the videos and my friend is much better than me about to do the conversation like edit video to image. I dont know if you guys can see pics. He lost his car Toyota Matrix 2007, fell asleep while driving and hit the sign post. Insurance wrote off because car value is less than repair costs. Insurance only gave him back 4900$ Canadian dollars. He wants a good truck for his needs, loaning etc..camping. Car market these days are tough. Cost living went up, car value went up. His budget is tight. He wants a good truck for a long term in his budget. Colorado or Canyon or Ranger…vs Tacoma…Tacoma is the best small truck as he wants but…frame, conditions and rust etc..We feel like 50-50. We know the Tacoma is bulletproof, body are great condition but frame ???…is very pricey if it has to replace. That’s why I posted this to see if you guys would buy at this conditon.
Should he asks seller to send to Toyota dealer to do the inspection on the frame and everything as well?

 

Tif file… hum, I am not expert with it…I have to ask my friend . So embarrassing for me with technology LOL.

 

• looking at that Frame I would jump on that for Price. Just judging by the frame.

Then of course a very close inspection and road test

In fact if it was not in Canada I would buy it

 

Even with my poor internet the picture were easy to down load

 

A Toyota inspection is going to be very expensive and take a few days to schedule

 

Bivouac, it s not about internet itself. It's the file .tif or .pft blabla name them...Some dont accept specific files which I couldnt upload. Have to convert to different file to be able to upload. This forum accept .tif...It seems not working for everyone.

 

Having done this once, I would suggest first trying to even locate and price a possible replacement frame. Figure at least another 4-5k for fixing/upgrading stuff along the way.

 

Do you have a death wish?

Cinder blocks are a very bad Idea to support anything

 

No expert here, but it looks like another rust under the undercoat issue. I would do some through chipping around on it to see the extent of the rust.

 

It was actually a lot more stable than it looks. It was a little creepy getting under it the first time, though. The Tacoma gods were with me. I reckon if they’re good enough to support all those mobile homes…

 

I had a friends son killed using them. His Parents looked to have aged 20 years His Mom was never right again

I saw another case no one around the block broke vehicle fell did a few thousand in damage to his Dads 66 Corvette

If your vehicle is 60' foot long how many blocks fail before it roles over.

Not so much you but the people your death impacts.

 

Bivouac, the passion you have for the safety of others is admirable. It was not my intention, by posting this picture, to upset anyone with such an intimate experience of cinder block failure. Might I suggest perhaps starting a thread on the proper method for decabbing a Tacoma.
TrueNorthGuy, please have your friend also consider the extra cost of some quality jackstands to his frame swap.

 

I am really sorry I said anything I will try and not do so ever again.

When one is under the eyes of OSHA for 40 plus years I must be paranoid.

 

Thank you to you all guys. Hum, to me it looks 50-50. My friend decided to get the inspection at Toyota before to buy. To be safe than sorry. Sorry about the images with tif files.

 

It was just a suggestion . . . because .tif files do not display in web browsers (without a plugin) many people are the same as you, don't know how to open it and will pass. GIMP is a free graphics program that supports almost any format, open file -> export as jpg. No big.

In addition to Bivouac's comment, not only will they charge you they may find other stuff that may not necessarily need immediate attention, if you require a second opinion you can probably get two independent mechanics to look at it for the cost of a dealer. The frame test is pretty simple, get under there with a ball peen hammer, tap tap and look for that pinging metal sound, especially around where the leafs/shocks are attached. If you hear a dull clunk you know it's rusting through.

When a member posts this they aren't picking on the owner, they are concerned for safety. There is another member here struggling with a steering rack and even fewer cinder blocks, I sincerely hope it works out, haven't heard from him. :-O

 

Unless he plans on doing this, run away

My 98s original frame looked similar. Hammer lead to holes immediately near the leaf hangers