Too much rust? (1 Viewer)

[kjkruer]

New potential FZJ80 owner hear and need some advice. I’m looking at a 96 triple locked with 300,000 miles on it. Engine was recently rebuilt and is generally in good mechanical condition. Most of the body is in good shape other than some odds and ends…. Broken door handle, needs antenna, dings and scratches.

My biggest concern is the right rear quarter panel is rusted to the point that the bumper is loose. I’m trying to guage how serious it is and if it’s still worth the $5-6K I can get the car for. The rust is completely hidden by the bumper. Other side, rocker panels, pillars, etc all seem fine. All other rust on the frame seems to just be surface. I’ve includes some pics but it’s a little hard to see exactly where it is. Imagine looking behind the mud flap on the passenger rear wheel and then from underneath by the exhaust.

I also included a pic of the rest of the rear undercarriage.

Any advice to pull the trigger or avoid is much appreciated.

 

[KLF]

That's a hard NOPE for me. Run away.

 

[Saito]

^^^Yup^^^

You’ll have dust in there if you drive down a dirt road. It’s bull****(rust). Offer him 4K. That’s what I paid for my rust bucket. Only do that if you’ve got time to deal with the rust though.

 

[BILT4ME]

That rust is the tip of the iceberg.

$6K is way too much for rust.

 

[Fj80oregon]

If you can’t repair yourself than pass! Rust is unforgivable and will never go away unless you cut it out. It’s worth 3-5k in parts of you wanted to part it out over years.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

Good trail rig.
Or a good "kids" truck. But not worth 6K with that kind of damage.
How bad are the front rocker panels and the bottoms of the doors?
Personally I think a 3K offer is high for missing (rusted out) body parts.

 

[gummycarbs]

It must have had some impressive leaks before the rebuild to keep the frame in such okay-ish condition.

I would only consider it if you're good (or interested in becoming good) at welding in patch panels, or you have a good body to swap on.

 

[kjkruer]

Rocker panels and doors all seem fine. This area of the body is really the only spot that looks like that. Is the rust on the frame members and rear axle a concern? For those areas I’m not sure of the difference between “surface” rust and something more severe. Looks bad to me though. Might have a body guy take a look at the quarter to see if it’s repairable or at least get his opinion.

 

[Comet]

Every bolt and screw will make you hate your miserable existence. Get a good drill with left handed drill bits and be prepared to soak every fastener in Kroil or an acetone/atf home brew. Rust sucks. BTW, rust sucks.

I’d buy it for $3000 and get a cheap chinese plasma cutter. They are fun. That and one of those nichrome wire things that super heat the fasteners or MAPP gas the snot out of each fastener. MAPP gas, rust sucks.

 

[cartercd]

You will likely regret purchasing this. A 300,000 mile truck that is 26 years old requires a lot of work, even if well-maintained. Having to deal with rusted bolts every time you grab a wrench will get old fast.

 

[mudgudgeon]

Too much rust?​

If you gotta ask, the answer is always YES!

that amount of rust is an absolute hard nope for me at any price.
You'll be dealing with it in some way until the day you dispose of that shît box