Is my '01 LC permanently retired and unsafe to drive?

[jokgga]

Hey all,

Long story short, I got a great deal on what I thought was a decent 2001 Landcruiser; however, when I took possession and looked under the body, I saw some concerning rust and wondering if this car is safe to drive and if it can be salvaged.

2001 Toyota Landcruiser
Mileage 211K
No major accidents on the Carfax.

Transmission serviced at 95K miles
Brake lines replaced/repaired at 147K miles
Stabilizer bar links replaced
Shock Absorbers replaced at 191K miles
Other than that, there definitely looks to be some welding done on the transmission crossbar, which is still rusty.

This was a private sale, so I did not get much information, other than they spent "1,800" to fix some stuff, which is probably BS.

I did take this to a Toyota service center to get it checked out and we saw the following rust areas

1.) Giant rust hole on the skid plate.
2.) Body had multiple rust holes and the rocker panels has rust that is rotting (this car does have a sun roof so wondering if there was a leakage at some point that never drained)
3.) Transmission Cross Bar looks like it has been welded but also rusty
4.) Front Sway Bar mounting bracket has some major rust
5.) Body mounts are rusted out
6.) Front hub bearing noisy
7.) Rear parking brake pivots look frozen

The Toyota service mechanic ended up writing that this is unsafe to drive. That said, I had a personal mechanic come take a look who told me that it is still drivable.

I am not looking to go on the Rubicon Trail with this vehicle but I do live in the dreaded North and just want to make sure this can survive.

Any help is appreciated

Pictures - This may be gnarly for non-Northern folks.

Rear

Side (This was my biggest concern)

Skid Plate (notice rot/broken area )

Skid Plate 2

Skid Plate 3

 

[ramangain]

An excellent comparison to "lots of rust but salvageable" is @ClassyJalopy tan rig he bought either last year or the year before (not the recent blue one). Look it up and take a peek.

 

[98whiteLC]

Looks pretty standard for us Michigan people. I say keep driving it. Check brake lines for any damage but otherwise enjoy.

 

[hickuptruck]

Run it till the frame breaks in half

It looks like they put overcoating on it to hide the full extent of the rust. You already paid your money for it, so enjoy and keep driving it.

 

[aging fleet]

I won't lie, it's rough underneath, but I don't see anything that will make it unsafe to use and enjoy. It will be a pain in the ass to work on and I'd probably refrain from investing too much into correcting the rust.

Enjoy it for what it is.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Take good look at the cab mounts it appears to be a broken one in the photo of the fuel tank skid plate, if there are multiple broken cab mounts it would be unsafe. The frame looks fine otherwise and as stated keep an eye on all the hydraulic lines.

 

[jokgga]

Thanks all... definitely looking to do some work.

Any recommendations on immediate things to work on or do to prevent any more damage?

I was thinking of replacing the skid plate to protect the fuel tank.
Using an angle grinder and maybe replacing/fix the rocker panels
Dousing the bottom undercarriage in Fluid Film
Going to look at these cab mounts to make sure its not broken.
Probably will have to replace the control arms and timing belt

@ClassyJalopy would love your opinion as I see you have some experience in this.

Can this survive another New Jersey winter in its current condition?

 

[ktmracer01]

From the pics...it looks like it can be driven. But, definitely take the advice and comments from everyone else above....body mounts, cross members, and mounts where drivetrain and suspension connect / attach.

Depending on how long you want to drive it all depends on how much time & energy you want to put in to it. You really wont know how bad it is until you start scraping away all of the rust that's been covered over.

I would not suggest fluid film at this point. I would just get it up on jack stands or on a lift and start putting in some elbow grease, working on all the connections for major components and body mounts. see how far down it takes to get to bare metal. Once you get the rust and coating removed, you can determine if mounts, brackets, and cross members need to be replaced? Once you figure that out, read up on POR15 and start coating everything that has been replaced, repaired, or down to bare metal.

Don't expect immediate results. Plan on taking your time and doing it correctly.

Skid plates are simple and easy to replace. Focus on critical components...brakes, brake lines, cross members, etc. Things that fail and have catastrophic consequences.

 

[kevin2i]

Thanks all... definitely looking to do some work.

Any recommendations on immediate things to work on or do to prevent any more damage?

I was thinking of replacing the skid plate to protect the fuel tank.
Using an angle grinder and maybe replacing/fix the rocker panels
Dousing the bottom undercarriage in Fluid Film
Going to look at these cab mounts to make sure its not broken.
Probably will have to replace the control arms and timing belt

@ClassyJalopy would love your opinion as I see you have some experience in this.

Can this survive another New Jersey winter in its current condition?

Looks like undercoat just sprayed over - a grinder with wire brush should do wonders. Then some rust remover (wear gloves) painted on, then pressure wash and wire brush again (then hit with anti-rust primer).
Bolts - warm up bolts (and nuts if you can get them) with propane torch, then WD 40. (WD40 less flammable than most penetrating sprays). Patience will prevent busted bolts. They will come out. (Wet rag to protect wires/etc nearby).

Cleaning up my 2004 now - some corrosion. I took off many of the small brackets, dumped them in a bucket of CLR for a day, Lightly brushed and they come out clean. They will rust again, so clean, dry and paint. I need to go back and paint some of the bolt heads. I think the CLR dissolves the zinc coating, so need to use some paint so rust does not appear.

Kevin.
Sway bar mount bolt —

 

[ClassyJalopy]

OK - from your pics, I would say, the right side frame rail has already been patched once! And a few body mounts in your pictures definitely look structurally compromised. My opinion is this rig is not worth spending money on to fix rust issues.

Even before we start spending time thinking about rust there are a couple of big ticket items to be aware off: Brake booster assembly (~$1000 in parts) and Timing belt (~$500 in parts). There is an easy way to test for the brake booster (turn the key on - hear the brake motor running - make sure it isn't super loud and shuts off on its own within 45 secs). Why do I mention these? Because I think this truck will succumb to rusty death in the next 5 years or so. So you need to carefully evaluate how much is it worth investing into.

Next, I would definitely get the brake lines looked at and if they need any replacing, replace them with new - those don't cost much!

For everything else it could go one of the two ways:
1) If you own a welder and have the will to deal with it, just strengthen up the body mounts and drive her without sinking much else into it. When things break fix them.
2) Dowse it heavily with Fluid Film or Cosmoline and drive it like that only just around the town and when something breaks off park it somewhere safe and start parting it out.

 

[jokgga]

Thanks all for your set of eyes on this and will definitely focus on the critical components (brake booster, timing belt, brakeline, body mounts)
The other issue I need to fix is the sunroof as it is definitely not sealed and I believe this was a big cause of the rust issues.

That's unfortunate news but I agree that there may be way too much rust / damage for me, as I do not have any welding equipment or experience.

I spent $5K on this so not hoping to get much but this was definitely meant to be a weekend / project car. I would feel like I got my moneys worth if this would last me 5 years but I also do not want to risk this car breaking down wherever I go (I did want to take a semi long 500 mile road trip but I guess that's out of the question).

@ClassyJalopy I know your opinion is not to spend any money on fixing these rust issues but do you think it is worth having a welding specialist look at it and see what the most efficient fix would be to just strengthen up the body mounts to give me peace of comfort that this won't break down any time soon?

I know there is a FJ40 member here who is a professional welder with a shop local to me. Think it would be worth having it reviewed or is the repair on this going to be $2K+?

Thanks again

 

[RND1]

This is a classic example of why NOT to use undercoating. It traps moisture beneath it and rusts the metal under the undercoating. It looks like it was undercoated some time ago, not recent. Unless you have the desire to spend a weekend under your rig with a Tyvek suit having rusty bits fall in your eyes, I would try to find a local shop who will needlescale and scrape all the undercoating off. Then apply an oil based film like Fluid Film, Krown, NH Oil Undercoating, etc.

This is an example of a place that will do a "rustoration" (think it runs about $500): Rustoration Rust Converter | NH Oil Undercoating - https://nhoilundercoating.com/rustoration/

The tank skid plate is thin and is often the first to rust so I would just look for a junkyard part to replace it.

How bad is the rocker rust? Can you post some pics?

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Thanks all for your set of eyes on this and will definitely focus on the critical components (brake booster, timing belt, brakeline, body mounts)
The other issue I need to fix is the sunroof as it is definitely not sealed and I believe this was a big cause of the rust issues.

That's unfortunate news but I agree that there may be way too much rust / damage for me, as I do not have any welding equipment or experience.

I spent $5K on this so not hoping to get much but this was definitely meant to be a weekend / project car. I would feel like I got my moneys worth if this would last me 5 years but I also do not want to risk this car breaking down wherever I go (I did want to take a semi long 500 mile road trip but I guess that's out of the question).

@ClassyJalopy I know your opinion is not to spend any money on fixing these rust issues but do you think it is worth having a welding specialist look at it and see what the most efficient fix would be to just strengthen up the body mounts to give me peace of comfort that this won't break down any time soon?

I know there is a FJ40 member here who is a professional welder with a shop local to me. Think it would be worth having it reviewed or is the repair on this going to be $2K+?

Thanks again

Yes, it can't hurt to have a professional to look at it.
If other mechanicals are in order and you can find someone to buttress up the frame issues for $2k then by all means get that done - that'll save this poor truck. But rust has nasty habit of hiding it true extent until you start really working on it.

 

[Pucker5]

Someone already mentions it but diy needlescaling and getting as much of that spray coating off will really help you see where the structural compromise may be. Even previous frame work may be fine if it was good work but tough to see with titanic cristy mixed with dried bubbling coating. Remove the skid plate it’s gone and just start doing basic cleanup before you evaluate it or reevaluate it. Worst case scenario you dial in the brake lines and any other fluid delivery lines and just drive it.

 

[jokgga]

If anyone has any recommendations for a good New Jersey/New York/Connecticut welder or body shop mechanic (would a body mount chop shop be good for this?), please let me know.

I was going to ask @cruiserhead or @nat88toy but not sure who would be willing to take a stab at this.

 

[bhsdriller]

I'd send it

 

[whitec13]

I would also check that gas tank. With as rusted as the skid plate is, you would be surprised at the amount of rust you may have on the rim around the tank. Mine is leaking from similar rust issues, and a snow bank exposing them unexpectedly. I'm in the process of replacing rusted rockers, upper lift gate, fenders, and the gas tank/skidplate. Gotta love Michigan roads in the winter.

 

[sammybones]

Parts truck.... Is it Thunderbuddy Metallic? I need a couple doors.

 

[ktmracer01]

You probably will not like my response this time around...but after more thought and your responses; it has become very clear to me that you really may not have the right background or knowledge to tackle this "project."

I'm not trying to be rude, but I think that you should probably sell it and find something that you can more thoroughly inspect prior to purchase. Accept that you might take a loss on your purchase.

I would advertise it with plenty of photos and accept the fact that you got hosed when you bought it. If I remember correctly, I think I saw a post about this cruiser on Facebook.

I really think you are starting to sail in to very uncharted waters and you are likely going to incur cost that you did not anticipate. More than anything, with the amount rust you're dealing with, I don't believe you will ever have peace of mind without spending a bunch of money on it. As others have even touched on, you're looking at rust repair cost before hitting the big ticket items that others have mentioned already.

 

[IndroCruise]

Hey all,

Long story short, I got a great deal on what I thought was a decent 2001 Landcruiser; however, when I took possession and looked under the body, I saw some concerning rust and wondering if this car is safe to drive and if it can be salvaged.

2001 Toyota Landcruiser
Mileage 211K
No major accidents on the Carfax.

Transmission serviced at 95K miles
Brake lines replaced/repaired at 147K miles
Stabilizer bar links replaced
Shock Absorbers replaced at 191K miles
Other than that, there definitely looks to be some welding done on the transmission crossbar, which is still rusty.

This was a private sale, so I did not get much information, other than they spent "1,800" to fix some stuff, which is probably BS.

I did take this to a Toyota service center to get it checked out and we saw the following rust areas

1.) Giant rust hole on the skid plate.
2.) Body had multiple rust holes and the rocker panels has rust that is rotting (this car does have a sun roof so wondering if there was a leakage at some point that never drained)
3.) Transmission Cross Bar looks like it has been welded but also rusty
4.) Front Sway Bar mounting bracket has some major rust
5.) Body mounts are rusted out
6.) Front hub bearing noisy
7.) Rear parking brake pivots look frozen

The Toyota service mechanic ended up writing that this is unsafe to drive. That said, I had a personal mechanic come take a look who told me that it is still drivable.

I am not looking to go on the Rubicon Trail with this vehicle but I do live in the dreaded North and just want to make sure this can survive.

Any help is appreciated

Pictures - This may be gnarly for non-Northern folks.

Rear

View attachment 2611066

Side (This was my biggest concern)
View attachment 2611067

Skid Plate (notice rot/broken area )
View attachment 2611068

Skid Plate 2

View attachment 2611069

Skid Plate 3


View attachment 2611070

Your own peace of mind is the only important thing here – and only you can decide that.

You might like to have look through Post #33 through to Post #36 by @Moridinbg at the following link:

HDJ100 - Body off renovation, now with a hot dip galvanised frame *Picture Heavy* - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/hdj100-body-off-renovation-now-with-a-hot-dip-galvanised-frame-picture-heavy.1220814/page-2#post-13310835

These provide some good visuals of a detached LC100 body and a naked LC100 frame in the course of a major refurbishment. The structure of the chassis rails and cross-members are easily seen, along with the points of attachment of the body, suspension, engine/transmission/drive-line, brakes, etc, etc:

The point here is not to suggest a similar project.

The point is to suggest a review of all the important points on the chassis and body of your vehicle compared to a chassis and body in very good condition, for example:

• condition of chassis rails and cross-members and their welded connections – these are important to provide bending and torsional (twisting) resistance as well as impact resistance,

• important items which are attached to the chassis or attached to suspension components -- for example, vehicle body, engine supports, transmission supports, upper and lower control arms at front and at rear, coil spring seats at rear, torsion bar adjuster brackets at front, torsion bar attachments to control arms at front, seat anchors and seatbelt anchor points all round.

Then it is worthwhile to consider what happens in a collision – consider examples outside your own control, such as when some other vehicle runs a red light and collides with your vehicle sideways or head-on or from the rear, or, causes your vehicle to hit a high kerb violently, or, causes your vehicle to roll, or if the other vehicle does some other senseless unpredictable thing while the other driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs or just not paying attention. Accidents happen.

What can be visualised in such situations? Does the vehicle remain sufficiently intact to protect the occupants (who may be family members)? Does the vehicle crumple progressively as it is designed to do or does it disintegrate in its current condition? Does the body detach from the weakened or missing attachment points and endanger occupants? Does the engine/transmission pass under the body as it is designed to do, or does it pass straight through vehicle body? Etc.

What happens in your jurisdiction legally and concerning insurance after a serious incident and it emerges that:

“The Toyota service mechanic ended up writing that this is unsafe to drive. That said, I had a personal mechanic come take a look who told me that it is still drivable”.

The next step is to get competent advice on what inspection, testing and work needs to be done to give you whatever peace of mind you may require – as well as whatever compliance is required with local laws.