Is it OK to buy LC 100 (136000 miles) with rust in the axles?

[Thiru]

Hello all,

I am in the market for an LC 100 and I have found a 2005 LC with 136000 miles on it. It runs great and no accident so far (per Carfax) but I noticed quite a bit of rust in behind the wheels on the axles. (photos attached). What I am not sure is - how much serious these rust problems are in a LC 100 and should I buy or stay away from this vehicle.

Please advise.

Thanks a lot and your expertise advice will mean a lot to me.

Best
Thiru

 

[Emcd]

Holy crap, NO. Run don't walk away.

 

[nissanh]

I'd say the same... It is too much rust. That is outside, imagine how it looks like inside the frame.

 

[Thiru]

Holy crap, NO. Run don't walk away.

Thanks, will do so.

 

[Thiru]

I'd say the same... It is too much rust. That is outside, imagine how it looks like inside the frame.

Thanks, will look for other LC 100s in the market.

 

[Emcd]

There are a few cheap LCs on CList here in Denver. If it's a local car, it will have limited to no rust. It's worth the drive/flight to by a dry non salted car

 

[benjawi4]

There are a few cheap LCs on CList here in Denver. If it's a local car, it will have limited to no rust. It's worth the drive/flight to by a dry non salted car

I agree. If you're willing and able, wait a bit and find a rust-free truck from the south. If for whatever reason you are not willing or able to wait and find one outside of your area, I'd honestly say that rig actually looks pretty good for a MI vehicle (still quite rusty but not bad for a salt-belt rig).

 

[RKTINC]

not bad at all. Especially if that black paint is original frame paint. If it has been sprayed once and this is what came back then hard to say. It still does not look too bad. I would place new shocks on it and wire brush and rust coat it when apart. Look up under the spare for body floor rust and rear quarter body rust. The rocker panels may also be nasty under the running boards. Gas tank cover/shield etc. I have a 1996 4Runner that has never seen a garage a midwest salt that has frame weld rust like that. It is really not that bad. Hey, they rust. coat it, replace the easy parts and drive it till it dies...

RKTINC

 

[BillZ260]

i don't think it looks too bad, but I just bought one that is about 75% of that. Only had 110K miles as was cheap. Working on it has been challenging at times due to the extra corrosion but nothing critical. Most everything on these trucks is so over-built. I'd say look at the body rust too, it's going to eat all the way through before any structural members. If the body is ok, then I'd go for it if it's under market, if it's not, then wait for a clean one.

 

[Manhattan]

not bad at all.

Really? Did you look closely at those pics? Holy *$&#... I agree with earlier comments - I'd run from this one.

There are so many nice trucks in the south and south west with ZERO rust. So worth a road trip to avoid dealing with rust for the rest of truck's life.

PS: Why the &$#^ does the text keep getting smaller? This is just weird.

 

[bctlex]

OP - I think you should show more picture of other part of the car, or maybe some description of the car and the price so we can judge it better. I mean yeah the rust looked bad on that spot but how are the rest of the car? How are the maintenance history?

I think it is hard to say this is a bad deal without knowing the price and know some description of the condition of the car. If it is priced the same as rust free truck, then yeah this is not a good deal, but how about at 70% or 50% of the price? Just my 2c.

 

[n55luvr]

That surface rust doesn't look too bad. The first place you start seeing rust is at the welds, so pretty normal for a salt belt truck.

You should be checking the some critical places under the truck for rust:

- passenger side sway bar bracket mount.
- fuel tank skid plate, front skid plate
- spare tire hoist

I'd be more worried about rust on painter surfaces tho, check:

- Under lift gate near license plate lights / top lift gate handle
- corners of windshield
- rocker panels, especially in front of and behind rear wheels, behind rear wheels can be really bad.

 

[Ramathorn15]

After living in WV then moving to NM, I have vowed that I will never buy a used car anywhere except the southwest no matter what part of the country I live in.

Not only does rust cause structural issues, but if you plan to work on the car yourself, dealing with rusted bolts and fasteners is the worst. I constantly struggled with chassis bolts and had to invest in reverse drill bits, tap and die kits, and easyout bits. Now that I own a SW truck, every bolt comes out and goes in as easily as the day it was new. You cant put a price on that in my book.

Take the trip south to find a rust free one. Lots of good/knowledgeable people here that would likely be willing to do a pre-inspection for you for free or at a small cost.

 

[4Beast]

There seem to be a lot of people on here who seem to get pretty hysterical at the sight of rust, no matter how minor. Honestly, i am tempted to disregard opinions of people who live down south's opinions on the matter the same way that I would disregard a woman's opinions on jockstrap design: while they may have valid points, and are certainly entitled to their opinions, you are ultimately the one who has to live with the decision. That said, i got a rust free Cruiser from AR and immediately treated it with a heavy duty oil undercoating, as i am well aware that "rust is the only thing that can kill a land cruiser." i would say that if the gas tank cover is not rusted to pieces, that is a good start. i have no idea what kind of metal it is, but it seems to disintegrate at the sight of water/salt/air etc.

 

[Julian Stead]

What is the leak on the undertray and floor.

 

[RKTINC]

That leak is probably the engine oil residue that is left after an oil change. The skid plate looks like it was dropped to take photos and the oil has collected on the top side of the skid plate.

 

[Manhattan]

There seem to be a lot of people on here who seem to get pretty hysterical at the sight of rust, no matter how minor. Honestly, i am tempted to disregard opinions of people who live down south's opinions ...
That said, i got a rust free Cruiser from AR

"Hysterical"? I Didn't see anyone getting hysterical. So, you disregard our opinions, yet did EXACTLY what we suggested and get a SW truck. Come on dude.

I've had lots of rusty Jeeps. I've snapped bolts, busted knuckles... I've had brake parts freeze up, body mounts push through. Ever seen a bolt look like an apple core? Ya don't have to live in the frozen tundra to have had enough of rust. I'd ride my bike to AZ for a rust-free truck before I'd buy a local rust bucket.

 

[rusty_tlc]

It's all relative.
136K is barely out of the break in for a 100 series, if the price is right I'd go for it. Understanding that every repair is going to be a major project due to rusted bolt and nuts. And that you will start having cosmetic issues soon.

A rust free truck is going to cost more and take more looking. If you want one from the SW you will be making a purchase long distance which can be fraught with peril.

 

[abuck99]

All good points- but it comes down an equation of price- condition-availability. Including your patientce-timeline-budget-and ability to mitigate problem areas. Rust doesn't have to be a deal killer.

Even here in the south, a fair number of the available 100s are crusty auction rigs from up North. You really have to do some homework to find a true southern rig. And go too far south along Gulf coast, or SE Coast you encounter beach rigs that have the same problems.

So you can obsess & search for a year, probably overpay, or just buy something reasonable now that meets your standards and get busy building it and enjoy the ride.

 

[Emcd]

I grew up in Maine. Home of the rust belt. Cars had hole in them right off the show room floor. No need to get under your car with a wire brush and rust converter when you can grab a SW flight to Denver for $100 1 way. There are at least 10 good used LCs here to choose from. Or, you can spend weeks grinding, getting rust in your eyes and huffing paint fumes.