I have found a 2008 with 200K miles on the clock I am interested in. The vehicle has spent its entire life on the salty roads of the northeast. Can you all please give me your opinion on the rust shown in these photos? I have NO idea when it comes to rust on vehicles, having lived in California my entire life. If you were me would you pull the trigger on this cruiser?
Looking to purchase my first LC opinions needed on rust!
- Thread starter shakeandpop
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That would be a hard NO for me.
Are you still in LA? Why are you even looking at a truck from the salty northeast?
Are you still in LA? Why are you even looking at a truck from the salty northeast?
Ohio here.
Looks fantastic for a 2008. Could there be some seized bolts and whatnot due to that...of course, but start Fluid Filming it and no more rust will come about.
I would say that is nothing to worry about at all.
Looks fantastic for a 2008. Could there be some seized bolts and whatnot due to that...of course, but start Fluid Filming it and no more rust will come about.
I would say that is nothing to worry about at all.
- Thread starter
- #4
I am still in California. Looking at this truck because the price is within my budget and it’s the exact color I’ve been coveting 
marketShark
Spider 2 Y Banana
I would buy a gold colored 200 before I bought a rusty one.
afgman786
SILVER Star
What if the exact color he wants is gold...
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- #7
Hahahaha 
No the color is amazon green
No the color is amazon green
Seems like all the really rusty ones we see in these threads are Amazon Green. Is it just the same one over and over?
There's a reason for all those missing bolts on the skid plate. Same reason every other bolt on this truck will be a knuckle buster to remove.
Edit - Oh, and get a photo of the rear brake dust shields, assuming they haven't turned to dust yet.
There's a reason for all those missing bolts on the skid plate. Same reason every other bolt on this truck will be a knuckle buster to remove.
Edit - Oh, and get a photo of the rear brake dust shields, assuming they haven't turned to dust yet.
Parts of that truck have graduated from rusty to crusty.
I would 100% pass on that one.
I would 100% pass on that one.
It's all relative. I live in the Northeast and would have no problem buying it for the right price.
It's probably going to fight you a lot if you plan to build it out. Add to your budget $$$ to address KDSS frozen in place, and full replacements for things you have to cut off. Plan additional shop time for any stuff you farm out, as it will take them 2x as long. Add in 40 hours your time or 3 days shop time for prep and repaint.
It may not be the bargain you think it is . . .
It may not be the bargain you think it is . . .
I'd run from it.
It looks good for a 2008 in the NE, and if you were getting it for very, very cheap and never wanted to do anything with it mechanically other than eventually haul it to the dump in 5 years, I could see the argument. But as the gang says, unless you hate yourself every single repair or mod is going to be hell.
I do happen to have a couple of those shield parts in my garage if you go that route.
Also consider a used LX. Lots of those here in CA. I went with it since there are very few LCs and I really like it.
It looks good for a 2008 in the NE, and if you were getting it for very, very cheap and never wanted to do anything with it mechanically other than eventually haul it to the dump in 5 years, I could see the argument. But as the gang says, unless you hate yourself every single repair or mod is going to be hell.
I do happen to have a couple of those shield parts in my garage if you go that route.
Also consider a used LX. Lots of those here in CA. I went with it since there are very few LCs and I really like it.
Absolutely right
Over dramatic much? That amount of rust is irrelevant.
Buy it. You’ll get another 20 years out of it.I am still in California. Looking at this truck because the price is within my budget and it’s the exact color I’ve been coveting
- Thread starter
- #17
Diverse range of opinions here. Seems like tolerance for rust depends greatly on your location and exposure to salt roads.
I do want to do a lot of my own work on vehicle, and the thought of fighting rusty bolts makes my skin crawl. I already take three times longer than I should doing fairly simple mechanical tasks.
Funny enough a 2011 Amazon green just popped up local to me, but it is a low mileage garage Queen and is listed for 42K. I am very tempted....
I do want to do a lot of my own work on vehicle, and the thought of fighting rusty bolts makes my skin crawl. I already take three times longer than I should doing fairly simple mechanical tasks.
Funny enough a 2011 Amazon green just popped up local to me, but it is a low mileage garage Queen and is listed for 42K. I am very tempted....
bloc
SILVER Star
If you lived in the northeast and whatever you bought would end up rusty anyway, sure, it might be a good option. But for a long-term owner living in California, or Texas, or anywhere they could keep an undercarriage spotless with no work at all to have to deal with the ongoing maintenance nightmare that this thing would be.. it better be about half the cost of one that is clean.
But it won’t be.
So the only reason to buy something like this would be impatience.
Glad you found something seemingly better.. if you grab it post up an intro thread!
But it won’t be.
So the only reason to buy something like this would be impatience.
Glad you found something seemingly better.. if you grab it post up an intro thread!
You’d be surprised regarding salted roads in winter. Pretty much every state that gets snow is now using road salt. In the past, I never had any issues with road salt in states like Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, or Alaska. Last winter I encountered significant salting of roads in all these states. Even in Seattle, which was really surprising.
Yeah I was sad to see how much salt was used the last two winters in Wa.
