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Thanks for confirming that's what I was worried about. He was asking $6000, but to be fair he just did timing belt, water pump, new suspension and wheel hubs all around, new brakes, calipers and lines too. I feel bad for him now
No, if a tech is told to work on something and they notice a different issue that will make the car SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive to fix or completely worthless they should stop the work and and notify the customer immediately. FULL STOP
Doing work on a car that you know has other damage and not notifying the customer is a garbage move and would absolutely get you fired from certain shops. It’s gross and dishonest
Yea, that was a garbage thing to do to the guy. My son once picked up a project Wrangler. It had a nice 2" lift suspension, decent 35 mud tires and a bunch of other recent mods. The owner paid a shop to do over $5K of work for those mods. The owner then went for his annual state inspection. He flunked since the frame was so rotted that the inspection tech. told him it wasn't in good enough shape to safely be raised on the lift, and wasn't safe to drive. My kid paid a bit over a grand for it.
Sort of, but good mechanics turn work away all the time. It's my opinion that only a dishonest mechanic would fix that without telling the customer and letting the customer decide what to do, at a minimum. Best case is a responsible tech would refuse all repairs on the grounds that vehicle doesn't belong on the road.
While the obvious holes are repairable with plate steel and welding, the trouble is you don't know the condition of the inside of the frame - which means someone could literally die in what would otherwise be a minor accident. The shop I work at would refuse all work on that vehicle, regardless of customer request: we would only fix it if it came back with a new frame, which of course is extremely unlikely.
Theres always a debate if frame repairs can/ should be done. Definetly going to take some work from a skilled welder. If its not yours yet (especially for that price) id pass on it.
It should not be repaired. As I mentioned in another comment the problem is you don't know the condition of the remaining frame. Even if the exterior of the frame looks okay at this point the interior of the frame could be totally rotted away and very very thin. This basically would result in somebody potentially being killed in what would otherwise be a minor accident. I would not be against a new frame, or a proper custom fabricated frame.
No, thats done for good, it will cost more to fix that than car itself, since you are in Canada when you buy a car you need to rustproof it or salt will eat it: [Rustproofing.](https://www.myusedcar.ca/should-i-rustproof-my-car/)
I've never owned a truck nor have known anyone to ever own a truck until very recently. That was part of my question lol, if I were to put 5k lbs on that hitch would it hold up? I guess I know the answer now lol
It's done. Some people try to do metal patch repairs but it's like trying to patch a sinking ship. The seller is a scumbag if he didn't show you those holes and is listing it for $6k.
Usually these rust posts are a bunch of southerners guffawing at surface rust (card carrying displaced Texan here. Rust doesn’t exist down there…)
This though…this is bad. Really, really bad.
Run, forest, run.
That frame is done. Unless you can get it for scrap value and have a way to do a frame swap without it costing you a fortune, walk away.
I’d look for what you want out of the rust belt, pay the seller to get a PPI and if looks good, fly down to pick it up.
I got way more responses than I expected, I was just born yesterday and wanted to confirm that there was no repairing this. I knew it looked bad but he tried to convince me it could be handled
You can weld thick plates around the frame as you wouldnt be commercially towing. Itd be better to replace the frame. Personally i wouldnt say its worth anyones time unless the rest of the car is perfect condition and low mileage
Former Toyota tech, I totally disagree. If you were towing over a few thousand pounds you were required by law to have trailer brakes. So, either you didn't, or your trailer brakes sucked.
Integrity is gone. The top and bottom of those beams are what gives them their load bearing strength. If they’re rusted out they’ve lost their strength
Toyota recalled the 1st gens and replaced the frames. Find one where the frame was replaced under the recall or get a truck from the southwest.
I bought a 2002 back in 2016 for and use it for towing my boat. The frame was replaced under the recall and it was really clean. The rear diff eventually needed to be replaced last year as it was original and fluid started seeping through. I bought an entire rear axel used on off a wreck in So Cal, shipped to Mass and my mechanic swapped it out. I just bough a used hitch from AZ to replace my original which was very rusty. Zero rust on those trucks from the southwest if you can find one.
Thanks for posting on /r/MechanicAdvice! This is just a reminder to review the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/about/rules/). If you are here asking about a second opinion (ie "Is the shop trying to fleece me?"), please read through CJM8515's [post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/4qblei/fyi_the_shop_isnt_likely_trying_to_rip_you_off/) and remember to please post the year/make/model of the vehicle you are working on. **If this post is about bodywork, accident damage, paint, dent/ding, questions it belongs in /r/Autobody r/AutoBodyRepair/ or /r/Diyautobody/ If you have tire questions check out https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/k9ll55/can_your_tire_be_repaired/**. If you dont have a question and you're just showing off it belongs in /r/Justrolledintotheshop Insurance/total loss questions go in r/insurance This is an automated reply *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MechanicAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Not even worth attempting to repair. Shes ready for the junkyard
Thanks for confirming that's what I was worried about. He was asking $6000, but to be fair he just did timing belt, water pump, new suspension and wheel hubs all around, new brakes, calipers and lines too. I feel bad for him now
If he paid a mechanic to do all that work and the tech never checked to see if the truck was structurally sound before had the tech is a prick.
Even if dude did it himself, how do you not see that with all that work that was done? Or how do you not at least check?
Slapping an Earl Scheib paint job on the kick it on down the road basically. “Look at the shiny new parts, not at the rotten frame”
not a mechanic but isn't that some sort of conflict of interest? like if the mechanic said anything they won't get paid (at least the full amount).
No, if a tech is told to work on something and they notice a different issue that will make the car SIGNIFICANTLY more expensive to fix or completely worthless they should stop the work and and notify the customer immediately. FULL STOP Doing work on a car that you know has other damage and not notifying the customer is a garbage move and would absolutely get you fired from certain shops. It’s gross and dishonest
that's what i thought too. thanks for confirming.
There’s also a level of liability for a certified tech to ignore a major structural failure that is a safety issue
Yea, that was a garbage thing to do to the guy. My son once picked up a project Wrangler. It had a nice 2" lift suspension, decent 35 mud tires and a bunch of other recent mods. The owner paid a shop to do over $5K of work for those mods. The owner then went for his annual state inspection. He flunked since the frame was so rotted that the inspection tech. told him it wasn't in good enough shape to safely be raised on the lift, and wasn't safe to drive. My kid paid a bit over a grand for it.
Sort of, but good mechanics turn work away all the time. It's my opinion that only a dishonest mechanic would fix that without telling the customer and letting the customer decide what to do, at a minimum. Best case is a responsible tech would refuse all repairs on the grounds that vehicle doesn't belong on the road. While the obvious holes are repairable with plate steel and welding, the trouble is you don't know the condition of the inside of the frame - which means someone could literally die in what would otherwise be a minor accident. The shop I work at would refuse all work on that vehicle, regardless of customer request: we would only fix it if it came back with a new frame, which of course is extremely unlikely.
Yeah its unfortunate for sure. I live in Canada where the rust is ridiculously bad, and thats one of the worst frames I seen
You obviously don’t watch Just Rolled Into the Shop
Don't you dare touch that thing. I love cars, that is no longer a car. Thing will split like a taco.
It is all his fault. He might be able to part it out for some cash.
Like, zoinks scoob.
Ruh roh
That's rucked raggy
It’s junk bro
Theres always a debate if frame repairs can/ should be done. Definetly going to take some work from a skilled welder. If its not yours yet (especially for that price) id pass on it.
It should not be repaired. As I mentioned in another comment the problem is you don't know the condition of the remaining frame. Even if the exterior of the frame looks okay at this point the interior of the frame could be totally rotted away and very very thin. This basically would result in somebody potentially being killed in what would otherwise be a minor accident. I would not be against a new frame, or a proper custom fabricated frame.
Yeah thats what i ment, evrything is fixable but just slaping a piece of metal over it is not going to do it.
The worst looks to be at the back. Offer him $2000 and weld some metal plates to it. $6000 is ridiculous
The best way to evaluate rust is with a pick or screwdriver in most cases. Got to get in there and poke around to see how bad it is
But not in this case where it’s made a hole
No, thats done for good, it will cost more to fix that than car itself, since you are in Canada when you buy a car you need to rustproof it or salt will eat it: [Rustproofing.](https://www.myusedcar.ca/should-i-rustproof-my-car/)
In Detroit actually, but close enough.
Yep, very common. In the northeast we see vehicles only a few years old with rust thru the body panels.
The last photo is a stretch and not needed, Come on tho who's trailer hitch doesn't look like that after leaving the ball attached for more then a day
I've never owned a truck nor have known anyone to ever own a truck until very recently. That was part of my question lol, if I were to put 5k lbs on that hitch would it hold up? I guess I know the answer now lol
Lots of good looking parts on this parts truck
It could be re-enforced with plates welded to it. But, remember. The inside of that channel is as bad or worse than the outside.
Exactly. You don't know the condition of the rest.
Didn’t Toyota have a recall for rusted out frames on this generation of sequoias and Tundras? Probably expired by now though.
Yep it's long expired :/
No bueno. El junko.
It's done. Some people try to do metal patch repairs but it's like trying to patch a sinking ship. The seller is a scumbag if he didn't show you those holes and is listing it for $6k.
Gone
Run.
Hard pass
The frame is rusted out hard pass and move on
Wasted. Keep looking.
Usually these rust posts are a bunch of southerners guffawing at surface rust (card carrying displaced Texan here. Rust doesn’t exist down there…) This though…this is bad. Really, really bad. Run, forest, run.
ask a car welder , depends what the other sides and upper sides of the frame look like is it legal in America to weld the frame btw?
Not sure about the legal question. Thing is right side frame and cross members all looked in great shape, but it's not worth it for $6k I'd guess
That frame is done. Unless you can get it for scrap value and have a way to do a frame swap without it costing you a fortune, walk away. I’d look for what you want out of the rust belt, pay the seller to get a PPI and if looks good, fly down to pick it up.
$6000 for that? They must sell some high quality crack in the Rust Belt.
It can be repaired. I do frame repair and it's possible, but it's expensive. The current frame is trash without spending thousands of dollars
You could buy this and sell the motor part it out. One deep path hole and this will split in half lol
That’s a hard pass, are you trolling for responses or, just born yesterday?!?
I got way more responses than I expected, I was just born yesterday and wanted to confirm that there was no repairing this. I knew it looked bad but he tried to convince me it could be handled
Dude there a hole in the frame lmao are you serious
thats a parts truck. frame is nothing but a ghost.
To bad he didnt have it done for free under the recall.
She gone.
You can weld thick plates around the frame as you wouldnt be commercially towing. Itd be better to replace the frame. Personally i wouldnt say its worth anyones time unless the rest of the car is perfect condition and low mileage
I'd be towing close to the limit of the truck anyway - close to 5500-6000 lbs and that's really the only reason I would use it. But I agree not worth
Little heads up tundras and sequoias similar year to that one (99-07) have poor brakes for towing much. Learned that first hand
Former Toyota tech, I totally disagree. If you were towing over a few thousand pounds you were required by law to have trailer brakes. So, either you didn't, or your trailer brakes sucked.
No im claiming that the actual vehicles brakes sucked. I work on semis n such, i know bout that. Very very underpowered truck braking system
You are wrong, it's that simple.
(unless THAT particular vehicle had a break issue)
It did, it was known for having underpowered truck brakes. 05 Tundra, a lot of people do rear disc conversions and beef up the brakes from stock
Run away from that vehicle immediately. It’s scrap.
Yeah, you have 1 option. Don't buy it. This frame is compromised and should honestly be scraped.
Integrity is gone. The top and bottom of those beams are what gives them their load bearing strength. If they’re rusted out they’ve lost their strength
Run away!! Frames rotten
Toyota recalled the 1st gens and replaced the frames. Find one where the frame was replaced under the recall or get a truck from the southwest. I bought a 2002 back in 2016 for and use it for towing my boat. The frame was replaced under the recall and it was really clean. The rear diff eventually needed to be replaced last year as it was original and fluid started seeping through. I bought an entire rear axel used on off a wreck in So Cal, shipped to Mass and my mechanic swapped it out. I just bough a used hitch from AZ to replace my original which was very rusty. Zero rust on those trucks from the southwest if you can find one.