Yet another rust story - how screwed am I?

Yes, he did but what about all the other rust everywhere else? That truck had /has rust on everything underneath.

 

Really? I'd hate to see that one! If i had a truck like that I'd just cut my losses and sell it but the OP seems to have access to facilities, and family, that can actually tackle such a job. Good for him. I hope it works or worked out well.

 

I got stuck putting a frame on that one. Wish I still had the pictures. It was hell getting the body off the frame because I had to do it all on the ground with jack stands supporting the frame

 

Kudo's to you. I did that crap when I was younger. Up until I was about 50. Rebuilt the front end on a '73 Cadillac Coupe DeVille in freezing whether under a tarp with water puddles on the ground on rough ass asphalt where a creeper didn't work. Can't do that anymore. Well, I could but it just ain't happening.

 

Lost my 96 tacoma to frame rot. Swore I wouldn’t let that happen again. So when I bought an 09...every two years I get under it, remove the spare and protective pans at the engine and trans, then I “hand paint” two coats of rust converter every place I can. Let it cure and follow that with a rustoleum oil based top coat. This how they deal with bridges and boats. I live is Pennsylvania and plow with this Taco, so salt is just an inescapable reality for me. One of the things I observed and modified that infuriates me is that Toyota directs the condensate from the A/C directly onto the frame on the passenger side. (Its like they do it on purpose). I attach a piece of rubber tubing to the condensate outlet, and with one zip tie direct the condensate to the street without first passing it thru the passenger side boxed in part of the frame as Toyota engineers had decided to do. It evens out the rust damage of both sides of the frame. My daughter has a lexus gx470, same thing....and sure enough in every toyota truck/suv i have observed much worse frame rust on the passenger side from the A/c condensate being deposited directly onto the frame.

 

i will need to scope this condensate area out on my taco, thanks
is it by the cat or drains out there? that is the worst spot i have found on mine so far that must've got trapped under the rubber undercoating

 

Comes out the firewall on the passenger side and drips down onto the frame still within the engine compartment. Well forward of the cats, but gets inside the channel and rusts from within.