Hello,
My buddy purchased this 1989 Toyota pickup about 1.5 years ago. This is not a "wheeling truck" or an "expedition rig," it's just a nice pickup that he uses for yard work or getting a bale of hay for the chickens. If 4wd is used, it's just to get through the Wisconsin winter.
In early winter the brake line rusted through and he took it to a shop. They told him they wouldn't touch it as "the frame was swiss cheese" and they offered him ~$500 for the scrap metal. He towed it home and it sat for the winter.
Today, being the first nice day in WI. I ventured over and took a look at the frame myself. I brought along a hammer and awl to do the wack test every few inches.
Frame is nice and solid on the outside all the way around.
On the inside there is one area (on the opposite side of the above picture that has rusted through :
On the inside of the frame, upstream, it's nice and solid as well :
In my eyes, this is hardly "swiss cheese." Sure there is a problem area, but the outside metal is completely intact.
Looking at the above pictures I'm thinking about fixing the brake lines and calling it a day. If I had a welder, I'd try my hand at putting in some supporting metal, but as it stands now, that's not an option.
I'd like to know if anyone out there has opinions on the above pictures or if there is anything I'm missing. I'm thinking there is a lot of life still in this truck.
Let me know your thoughts.
My buddy purchased this 1989 Toyota pickup about 1.5 years ago. This is not a "wheeling truck" or an "expedition rig," it's just a nice pickup that he uses for yard work or getting a bale of hay for the chickens. If 4wd is used, it's just to get through the Wisconsin winter.
In early winter the brake line rusted through and he took it to a shop. They told him they wouldn't touch it as "the frame was swiss cheese" and they offered him ~$500 for the scrap metal. He towed it home and it sat for the winter.
Today, being the first nice day in WI. I ventured over and took a look at the frame myself. I brought along a hammer and awl to do the wack test every few inches.
Frame is nice and solid on the outside all the way around.
On the inside there is one area (on the opposite side of the above picture that has rusted through :
On the inside of the frame, upstream, it's nice and solid as well :
In my eyes, this is hardly "swiss cheese." Sure there is a problem area, but the outside metal is completely intact.
Looking at the above pictures I'm thinking about fixing the brake lines and calling it a day. If I had a welder, I'd try my hand at putting in some supporting metal, but as it stands now, that's not an option.
I'd like to know if anyone out there has opinions on the above pictures or if there is anything I'm missing. I'm thinking there is a lot of life still in this truck.
Let me know your thoughts.
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