UZJ100 Frame Rust Grade
- Thread starter DTrane
- Start date
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Prognosis: not good.
On a scale of 1-10, 10 being worst, it’s probably an 8.5-9.
You’ve got some cancer buddy.
I imagine there’s going to be some varying opinions based on location. Here in Colorado we don’t see rust like this usually.
But Someone from Wisconsin might think it’s a gem!
You can drive it until the wheels literally fall off and then go buy another one, or, well I don’t know, that’s probably about it. I wouldn’t put a bunch of money into it.
On a scale of 1-10, 10 being worst, it’s probably an 8.5-9.
You’ve got some cancer buddy.
I imagine there’s going to be some varying opinions based on location. Here in Colorado we don’t see rust like this usually.
But Someone from Wisconsin might think it’s a gem!
You can drive it until the wheels literally fall off and then go buy another one, or, well I don’t know, that’s probably about it. I wouldn’t put a bunch of money into it.
10 being like new that’s like a 6 or 7. Use some corroseal to convert the light surface rust and then use something like wool wax or fluid film on everything, including inside the frame rails.
Edit: after seeing the pics below, 5. There is some stuff there that needs to be cut out and repaired IMHO.
Edit: after seeing the pics below, 5. There is some stuff there that needs to be cut out and repaired IMHO.
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What do you want to do with it? Is it your dream rig? Are you wanting to put a million miles on it?
dubdub20003
SILVER Star
Quite bad. How long have you owned it? Could it be worse, yes, but it is still an 8 or 9. With a 10 being unsafe to drive for fear of main frame components collapsing and causing an unsafe situation.
What's your question? Are you thinking how much effort you should put into a lost cause? Are you thinking of how much work it would take to triage and hold this spot for a while? I'll say this is well past where I would ever recommend putting money in to replace axles, ABS system, rack... the bigger items.
There are still plenty of rust-free, limited-rust examples south of Virginia, down to Texas and over to Arizona and CA... if you want a long-term relationship, you may want to cut your losses and sell to someone who is interested in something just to drive until it dies, whenever that may be. If you are fine with the latter, just remember what your relationship is before throwing money at it. To me, beyond the frame issues is the fight every nut and bolt will be on every repair you ever attempt. Things will be rusted together... then you'll snap something... then you have to take off the next-bigger part to get access, but those bolts are also rusty. It is just a recipe for self-harm. You deserve better!
If you want to just triage... Navy Jelly and other products are good at converting that rust to a inert metal, which can buy some time.
What's your question? Are you thinking how much effort you should put into a lost cause? Are you thinking of how much work it would take to triage and hold this spot for a while? I'll say this is well past where I would ever recommend putting money in to replace axles, ABS system, rack... the bigger items.
There are still plenty of rust-free, limited-rust examples south of Virginia, down to Texas and over to Arizona and CA... if you want a long-term relationship, you may want to cut your losses and sell to someone who is interested in something just to drive until it dies, whenever that may be. If you are fine with the latter, just remember what your relationship is before throwing money at it. To me, beyond the frame issues is the fight every nut and bolt will be on every repair you ever attempt. Things will be rusted together... then you'll snap something... then you have to take off the next-bigger part to get access, but those bolts are also rusty. It is just a recipe for self-harm. You deserve better!
If you want to just triage... Navy Jelly and other products are good at converting that rust to a inert metal, which can buy some time.
I don’t think the receiver hitch, running board mounts, or even the cross members matter that much as they can be replaced. My concern is that the frame and body appears to be rotting out.
Ain't the worst. 1 - 10, 10 being sent it to the junkyard, you're at about a 5.5, maybe 6. You showed us a lot of non structural components that don't really matter. Show us the frame rails and the cross members.
YezusLX
SILVER Star
Looks like a brand-new car in Detroit just rolling off the assembly line. 
I’ve seen worse, just mitigate it with fluid film and enjoy it, I don’t see any hole in the frame itself
For the region you are from, this isn’t surprising. I am in Southern Michigan and mine looks like this and worse in some sections. Take some things into consideration here:
Are you buying it or do you own it already?
If you already own it, what’s the maintenance history been and how much did you pay for it?
Are you capable to do the work yourself?
Are you financially set to have someone else do the work?
Do you care about driving/owning a rusty rig?
Are you looking for longevity or play?
Here’s my scenario:
I paid $4500 for mine a touch better from that condition. Mine came with a mountain of dealer done service history. I do all of my own work, including rust mitigation. I am used to wrenching on rust, it really doesn’t bother me. I don’t care about driving a rusty rig as long as it is serviced well. And finally, though my truck is rusty, it is very trusty. It is used as a DD and a play rig on northern MI trails. All in all, a rusty cruiser will get you to the same locations a cream puff cruiser will. The difference being, you tend to not care as much about trail rash, dents, or small damage on a rig that is essentially living on borrowed time.
If you are trying to buy that, I would not go over $5k regardless of service history, unless we’re talking a ridiculously low mile situation, like sub 50k on the clock, and even then maybe $6k max. But do what you will and wear eye protection, flakes fly all over in those situations.
Are you buying it or do you own it already?
If you already own it, what’s the maintenance history been and how much did you pay for it?
Are you capable to do the work yourself?
Are you financially set to have someone else do the work?
Do you care about driving/owning a rusty rig?
Are you looking for longevity or play?
Here’s my scenario:
I paid $4500 for mine a touch better from that condition. Mine came with a mountain of dealer done service history. I do all of my own work, including rust mitigation. I am used to wrenching on rust, it really doesn’t bother me. I don’t care about driving a rusty rig as long as it is serviced well. And finally, though my truck is rusty, it is very trusty. It is used as a DD and a play rig on northern MI trails. All in all, a rusty cruiser will get you to the same locations a cream puff cruiser will. The difference being, you tend to not care as much about trail rash, dents, or small damage on a rig that is essentially living on borrowed time.
If you are trying to buy that, I would not go over $5k regardless of service history, unless we’re talking a ridiculously low mile situation, like sub 50k on the clock, and even then maybe $6k max. But do what you will and wear eye protection, flakes fly all over in those situations.
- Thread starter
- #17
Own it
Paid $10.5K 10 years ago
My first LC
Would love to save and restore it
Can't do the work myself (didnt even really know what I was pointing the camera at when I took all those pics)
Can have someone restomod it
Don't care about driving a rusty rig
Just wondered if It could be restored
I am planning to acquire or have an overland LC built and would love this to be the one
- Thread starter
- #18
I'm going to have to Google 'frame rails' & 'cross members' but will try to get those pics...
- Thread starter
- #19
It's my first LC so I would love for it to me restored so I can use it as an overland vehicle.
It is one of my dream LC years and colors
1MM miles would be awesome
I’d say she has done you well. Do her the same and get a couple gallons of Correseal and a sixer of fluid film for inside of the frame rails and seeeennnnnndddddd it. Again, a rusty cruiser will go where any cream puff cruiser will, just maybe not as pretty.
If this isn’t the one, a buddy of mine has a California cruiser here in southern mi for sale. The ad is in the classifieds.
