Hello everyone 👋

I have been looking for a F150 from this era, and I came across this particular one few days ago. It is located in the rust belt of eastern Ontario in Canada. It is a 1998 F150 V6 2WD.

The vehicle owner said he took it to rust proofed annually. I saw thick coats of the rubberized coating everywhere but some areas showed rust. When I ask Google AI, it told me to walk away due to structural rust damages...

Can anyone please give me advice whether these are surface rust or if I should walk away? I am planning to put money to maintain it but I can't afford to repair frame rust or that matter.

thanks for having me in this forum

 

Welcome to the site!

Opinions are gonna vary, mine is from the pics it don't look at all bad for a vehicle approaching 30 years old.

If you have the opportunity, maybe take a welders slag hammer or similar tool with a point, and tap on the rusted areas to verify indeed just surface rust.

 

Great comment.

If the weld points don't look bad, that's a good sign. However, did they do anything to protect the inside of the frame? There are spots where water can sit long enough to start the process. Might try tapping the bottom of the frame along it's length as well.

 

I would be very careful over buying this truck. My brother bought a 1996 Ford Bronce Eddie Bauer. Beautiful truck. I inherited it in 2008 and took good care of it. Over time, I noticed the underneath was coated with Ziebart. I could peel off portions of it. I began to realize that the frame and other items were not really coated but rather encased inside the Ziebart. I theorized that if this was treated and a corrosive element was inside, how would I know until its too late.

I then bought my 2009 Focus and only used the Bronco for summer activities such as launching the boat to keep it out of salt roads during the winter. I got so radical about preserving the Bronco I wouldn't even drive it in the rain. People laughed at me but I loved the truck and had suspicions about what may be corroding underneath. I don't have a large income so I can't just go out and get another one. The exterior such as the hood, doors and fenders all looked like the truck came out of the factory. Right up to the end [212K miles 12/2015]. A year or so before trading it in for my F150 I took it to a body shop to have some work done on it. He refused. He put his finger right through the truck bed without any effort. I was stunned! I kept it out of the rain and snow for nearly 8 years! It appears that water had entered between the cap and the rear fender and was hidden by the internal carpet. It must have been sitting there for ages. Washing the truck probably helped. Meanwhile, the Ziebart kept peeling off.

I learned from this so that when I treated the Focus and immediately the F150, I use Ruststop. More like slimy oil. And I know I've done the right thing because I've seen F150's and Focus' that have bottom doors and frames COMPLETELY disintegrated.

So what am I suggesting? Take a light hammer and lightly tap EVERYWHERE! If nothing falls or seems loose, you're probably ok. Ask what kind of weather conditions does the truck usually get driven in.
Hope this helps.

 

The problem is what you can't see underneath the undercoating.

I would walk away.

Plus, with the undercoating it will be hard to fix or address whatever rust is there.

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Thank you everyone for your input.

I did walk after reading your comments and reviewing all pictures again (and again). I was thinking back and the seller did mention he paid for undercoating type rust proofing. And I think thats why I saw rust between the bed and the frame in pictures.

Cheers