I recently bought a 2003 Nissan Frontier 4x4 with the V6 naturally aspirated. It has 116000 miles and a strong motor and transmission. The interior is very clean as well. Unfortunately I overpaid ($5200) because I overlooked the rust issues when I was looking at the vehicle. Upon further inspection it will need a new bed as it is rusted out near the cab. It also has some bad rust on the rocker panels, the inside having the worst of it. The body is very clean it just wasn’t washed off after those salty winters from up north. Is it worth keeping or should I try to sell it and recoup as much cash as I can, counting my losses if I have to? Or should I throw more money in it? $800 for a bed from the salvage yard and $100-$200 for a timing belt and water pump kit. Brings the price up to $6200 plus whatever tuning it up myself costs (tranny flush and oil, plugs and wires, etc). If it weren’t for the rocker panels being like they are, I would definitely be keeping it. It looks very clean upon first glance. Thanks in advance.
How bad is it, … is rust effecting structure? You said it rusted up North, … are you now down South where rust is really not much of an issue? If it’s not structural, and you now in the South, … I would just keep it as is and use it!
So what, it’s rusty! So what, it’s old! I did log an experience with a rusty Datsun. I got one: … old and rusty, … and by the time rust really killed it, I logged on it bit in excess of 175,000 km. $s/kilometre it turned out to be a cheapest vehicle I ever owned. Really! Happiest time, too! So it was rusty, looked crappy from outside, but I drove it for quite some time, … girls I dated did not mind the rust, I got through college with it, … and a university after, … and than I stepped down, started spending big bucks on not rusty and questionably trusty cars! A real foolish move, … in retrospect!
F.S.
There’s no frame rust, but I’m worried that down the line the rocker panels will rust all the way through. They have had covers put on the outside. If I kept it and replaced the bed, I don’t want those to rust through and be ugly as sin in the future. The bumper also needs to be replaced. There is rust in hard to reach places as well, seems like a lot of work to go through every little spot and “derust” everything. Winters are hit and miss here in Kentucky, sometimes they are bad sometimes we get very little snow. I try and take good care of my vehicles so they last, that’s why this rust concerns me so much.
I understand, I’m in Canada, we fight rust all the time! Long winters, … it snowed yesterday in my end of the woods and that’s no end of it, yet. I expect another dump or three before it’s "Miata Time!".
Anyway, … it’s an old truck. You really can’t stop or repair rust, … you can slow it down and hopefully get all bunch of miles - in a meantime - out of the mechanical stuff before it’s a shredder-time at the local recycling plant for the old heap! In Kentucky, you probably get a lot of those miles!
Best,
F.S.
If it LOOKS good, I'd sell it. Once rust gets a good start, you have to do major/expensive cutting/welding/repainting, or it just gets worse, and the cost is only justified if it's something rare and collectible, like a vintage muscle car or such.
Kind of my thoughts on it, it is not worth it to repair. But it is a good running truck and I hate to see it go.