06/10/2026
144,000 km. One owner mindset. Forever truck goals.
This 2nd Gen Tacoma came in with only 144,000 km on the odometer and was about as clean as they get before restoration. Unfortunately, even low-kilometer trucks aren't immune to Toyota's biggest enemy: corrosion hidden between the frame layers.
This truck was showing one of the typical mid-chassis frame separation caused by rust expanding between the factory frame laminations. Left unchecked, the layers continue to split apart and compromise the structure.
Scope of work;
β Full frame scale removal
β All rivets removed, heavy rust removed between layers
β Fully welded seam
β Mid-chssis frame stiffners added
β Complete phosphoric acid wash and neutralization process
β Epoxy primer application
β Full chassis paint coating
β A/C drain modification to prevent future moisture accumulation
β Final protection with 1.5 gallons of Fluid Film
The goal wasn't to patch it and send it down the road. The goal was to preserve a truck the owner plans to keep indefinitely.
These restorations take time, but when the foundation is solid, a Tacoma with only 144k km still has a very long life ahead of it.