Buying a car with rust

[Lazarus]

How concerned should a person by about buying a car with rust underneath, specifically a Land Cruiser?

I've been giving serious thought to buying a 100 series Land Cruiser. I've been wanting to do some overlanding for a while and always thought I would get a Tacoma to fulfill this role as well as serve double duty as a mulch hauler. And then I saw a high mileage Land Cruiser for sale and starting wondering why was it listed for so much money with a quarter million miles on the clock. LOL! I had no idea. To the point of this post though trying to find just the right one is hard and since I'm looking some old examples I'm finding some with rust on the underbody. Is it a big deal? Does it depends on if its just surface rust?
Someone said because the Land Cruisers are nearly bulletproof rust is the one thing that should be avoided.

 

[fslc94]

I had a 75 FJ40 for years. It was a tank. The rear floor pans behind the drivers and passengers seat were starting to rust through, I just cut it out with my angle grinder and patched it up.

 

[palmettomoon]

Not in the same class but I bought a used '06 Explorer in 2008 that had been driven in two Missouri winters (18,000 miles). I drove it two winters in Chicago before coming back to Macongo. Rust, lots of rust. Other than having to replace the wheel studs in 2013 I haven't had too many issues and I'm at 280,000 miles now.

 

[Lazarus]

I had a 75 FJ40 for years. It was a tank. The rear floor pans behind the drivers and passengers seat were starting to rust through, I just cut it out with my angle grinder and patched it up.

I'm not too familiar with rust. If its just surface rust could I take a die grinder and sand the rust down and hit it with some rustolem spray paint?

 

[Lazarus]

Not in the same class but I bought a used '06 Explorer in 2008 that had been driven in two Missouri winters (18,000 miles). I drove it two winters in Chicago before coming back to Macongo. Rust, lots of rust. Other than having to replace the wheel studs in 2013 I haven't had too many issues and I'm at 280,000 miles now.

So you havent done anything to the rust?

 

[bigt61]

Rust....just say no

Bought a Lexus from up north just showing surface rust

After being in GA a few months the cancer spread

Never again

 

[fslc94]

I'm not too familiar with rust. If its just surface rust could I take a die grinder and sand the rust down and hit it with some rustolem spray paint?

It would probably be like a bandaid it would slow it down for sure, but that stuff is like cancer. Surface rust isn’t near as bad though.

 

[Lazarus]

Rust....just say no

Bought a Lexus from up north just showing surface rust

After being in GA a few months the cancer spread

Never again

It would probably be like a bandaid it would slow it down for sure, but that stuff is like cancer. Surface rust isn’t near as bad though.

Seems like it should be avoided as much as possible.

Thanks guys.

 

[palmettomoon]

So you havent done anything to the rust?

Nope. Not worth the expense to blast it and paint anyway. I wouldn't buy another rusted Yankee vehicle though.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

Not to hijack the thread but we got a 95 Land Rover down here for fitteen hunnerd with NO rust. Just sayin...