The search is ON! I beseech your aid, in the name of COMMON DECENCY!

"Nibby" (nibby68) 02/10/2020 at 12:00 • Filed to: None

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Hi guys. Looking for a 94-96 F150 or 94-97 F250 with preferably the 8' bed (6'+ one is fine, the shortbed flaresides are an absolute no). Has to be auto but not terribly picky about engines. Understand the 6 is very reliable but the V8s seem pretty good too as long as they’re maintained. Problem is I live on Long Island and most of the ones I find locally are either way more than I want to spend or are a bucket of rust. I’ve found a couple in the past month or so I liked but either the seller hasn’t responded or the truck ends up having holes in the undercarriage. I want to spend up to $3,000 MAX.

Since it’s more of a 2nd car I don’t want to spend much on it... around $2-3K tops. But finding ones here in Long Island, NY are a crapshoot. Have been looking in DC, Virginia, NJ and Pennsylvania as well.

I also want to use this as a way to learn how to work on cars and trucks... I know how to do some basic stuff like oil changes and whatnot but would be fun to delve more into it.

I daily a 2018 F150 XLT crew cab 2.7L and it’s a nice truck but I hate the short bed. It’s also a lease and I’m not planning on keeping it afterwards. So this old truck is gonna be more for things like hauling and towing an ATV around. Not quite daily driving duties but would drive it a couple times a week for sure. As for the F150 replacement that is still over a year away so that can wait.

As for maintenance and things to look for - obviously the basics like driving it, seeing if it drives straight, etc. See if the dual gas tanks work, any issues with the brakes, no leaks. I’ll probably have to redo the brakelines on whatever I find anyways but I’m looking for something that’s not completely beatup and rusted.

Any help is appreciated, thanks!

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If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:07

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Why specifically that generation? I gather you’re a Ford person so I won’t recommend a Ram or Chevy but those old er F series are getting quite thin on the ground.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:09

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Have you driven a F-250 from this era? Just asking as they drive very, very differently from the 150's of the time. They drive very much drive like the heavy-duty trucks they are. Also know that the steering design on 4x4 250's and 350's of this era pretty severely  limits steering  angle.  The turning radius, especially with a long bed, will be...large.

MonkeePuzzle > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:11

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that extra large bed will be useful to haul around the drumkit for your death metal band.

EL_ULY > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:12

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https://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/cto/d/dearing-97-f-k8-foot-bed-2950/7069270275.html

Boom. Haggle them down to $2100- $2300 cash.

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jimz > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:15

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Unfortunately, for the most part “high price” or “rust bucket” are your only options for an OBS.

edit: a third option is “stupid high price” if it has a Powerstroke.

Aremmes > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:15

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Found one in Fluffya, but it seems rusty on the rear fenders.

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/d/philadelphia-1995-ford-150-crew-cab-8ft/7058962451.html

This regular cab in Mr Regular Land seems somewhat in better shape, and priced lower.

https://reading.craigslist.org/cto/d/hamburg/7056275511.html

fintail > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:15

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Too bad you are about as far as possible from my area. If you add a little to the budget, clean survivors are everywhere out here, where rust is usually not a concern. Took 30 seconds to find these:

https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/d/puyallup-1994-ford-150-xl-4x4-low-miles/7070965601.html

https://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/cto/d/federal-way-1993-ford-150-ex-cab-4x4/7071952023.html

https://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/ctd/d/carrolls-1994-ford-f250-xl-2wd-179k/7067256229.html

https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/cto/d/portland-1994-ford-f150-ext-cab-4x4/7063159925.html

Shorty but that 90s color:

https://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/cto/d/tenino-1995-ford-f150-xlt/7060901450.html

And who knows what lurks on fb marketplace or autotrader.

Long_Voyager94 > EL_ULY 02/10/2020 at 12:18

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If Ford is anything like Chrysler, 1994 was their actual OBDII changeover year. 

jimz > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 02/10/2020 at 12:19

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yeah, the combo of Twin I-Beam swing axles and Haltenberger steering linkage made for some interesting handling characteristics.

edit: not that it was unsafe, mind, it was just not very precise. The steering lacked an idler arm, and the camber change of the front wheels through their vertical travel was significant.

at any rate, the current F-250/350 4x2 still uses Twin I-Beam front suspension.  though I think with a more conventional steering linkage. 

Nibby > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 02/10/2020 at 12:20

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always liked them and they’re supposedly stupid easy to work on

EL_ULY > Long_Voyager94 02/10/2020 at 12:20

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that and hopefully R134a as well

Nibby > Aremmes 02/10/2020 at 12:21

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2nd one looks better but looks like it’s been sitting for a while

jimz > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:22

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they are but they’re prone to rust over the rear wheels and in the rear lower cab corners.

Nibby > jimz 02/10/2020 at 12:22

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$15,000 for a rusty powerstroke!

Nibby > EL_ULY 02/10/2020 at 12:22

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hell yeah

Nibby > MonkeePuzzle 02/10/2020 at 12:22

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yes that is the plan

Nibby > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 02/10/2020 at 12:23

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no i haven’t... i would prefer to get an F150 but even a single cab 8 foot bed F250 from the 90s is about 18" shorter than my 2018 F150 so it can’t be much worse than that

Nibby > fintail 02/10/2020 at 12:24

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those are all quite nice but opposite side of hte pond makes it quite difficult to bring here

Nibby > jimz 02/10/2020 at 12:25

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pretty much any truck is

vondon302 > fintail 02/10/2020 at 12:28

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Wow those all but disappeared in the se Michigan area.

Nibby > EL_ULY 02/10/2020 at 12:28

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what do you think of this guy

https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/7068974276.html

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > jimz 02/10/2020 at 12:31

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Thinking back to the 92 F-350 I once owned, imprecise is a good way to describe the steering. It was safe, after I replaced the worn out ball joints and much of that linkage.  $1500 in front end work did lessen the degree of imprecision back to as it originally was.

Nibby > jimz 02/10/2020 at 12:31

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this is what i mean

https://newhaven.craigslist.org/pts/d/ansonia-1995-ford-f150-truck-plow/7061578281.html

thsoe are 36k HARD miles... and the entire bottom is falling apart

Aremmes > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:31

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It did get safety and emissions inspections in August 2019, though.

jimz > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com 02/10/2020 at 12:33

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I had an ‘84 F-250, that thing still had king pins instead of ball joints. 

fintail > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:34

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Road trip, sleep in the bed on the way home?

fintail > vondon302 02/10/2020 at 12:35

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We don’t have much in the way of rust here. I remember being in the Detroit area and seeing mid-late 00s era trucks that looked like lost causes.

Nibby > fintail 02/10/2020 at 12:36

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it’s a pretty tough sell to buy a $2-3k truck and hten spend a few days and drive thousands of miles to bring it here

atfsgeoff > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:38

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If you can have a local hookup check it out for you, you can often get vehicles shipped via uship across the country for $500-$700, just an idea.

fintail > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:40

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Life is an adventure!

Probably for the best that it doesn’t happen though, a 25 year old truck accustomed to mild PNW winters would probably dissolve after one winter out there.

Nibby > fintail 02/10/2020 at 12:42

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yup.. have my eyes on this one

https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/7068974276.html

fintail > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:46

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If it’s structurally sound and not experiencing a mechanical catastrophe , hard to go wrong at that price.  2K is the new 1K.

vondon302 > fintail 02/10/2020 at 12:49

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Truth

Reminds me to wash my truck today.

Nibby > fintail 02/10/2020 at 12:52

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he said the brakes are good and no rust on the frame... asked about the tanks and pics of the underbody

The Ghost of Oppo > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 12:57

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I don’t know what ATVs or your trailer weighs, but the 4.9L I6s have a pretty abysmal tow rating, and don’t expect a smooth ride. If you look you can find charts that break down  the towing specs by all of the different configurations.

Nibby > The Ghost of Oppo 02/10/2020 at 12:58

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i wouldn;’t be towing anything more than 3,000 pounds including trailer

EL_ULY > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 13:34

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rust pending, this is the best example of this body style i could find as well. I was just about to send to you lololol . I would go with the one I sent you personally. For this relatively low mileage champ, t ake $1500 cash and haggle. If you get to $1800, then pretend to “go to an ATM” and get the rest.

Maxima Speed > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 13:40

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https://cjauto21.com/vdp/13441992/Used-1996-Ford-F250-XL-HD-Reg-Cab-2WD-for-sale-in-Pen-Argyl-PA-18072

Ok so here me out on this first one. Yes it looks trash but thats just a dirty, ill kept paint job and it was obviously a work truck . The real thing that makes this a little gem is the lack of severe rust as of yet, and an I6 with extremely low miles. That means you can get a very, very long life out of the engine and transmission on this thing. If the frame is in good enough shape you can keep swapping out beds for many years.

Ok on to the next find. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/761594920981534/

Pros: cheap, runs, 4x4, not terrible miles

Cons: a bit rusty, transmission doesn’t always want to find 3rd, needs exhaust. in Ohio.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2352761894972422/

Truck...... cheap

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > The Ghost of Oppo 02/10/2020 at 13:43

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I have a ‘93 with the I6 and it tows plenty well enough as long as you stay off the freeway. I towed our ~ 5000lb boat with it and it has plenty of low end grunt, but that engine has no top end so freeways were avoided while towing something that big.

Thomas Donohue > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 13:54

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I assume you’re already searching the North Jersey craigslist ads, but will keep an eye out for anything local. Lots of landscapers and contractors around here that are constantly upgrading trucks.

Thomas Donohue > fintail 02/10/2020 at 13:57

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It’s worse than that in the NYC area this year....hardly any snow , but they’ve put enough salt on the roads every few weeks that it looks like a white beach in Antigua.

Thomas Donohue > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 13:58

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Ha.....I just saw that and figured you were already scouring the NJ CL posts.

Nibby > Maxima Speed 02/10/2020 at 14:07

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ohio is probably too far... the first one is actually pretty good after a power wash

Nibby > Thomas Donohue 02/10/2020 at 14:08

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Thanks!

The Ghost of Oppo > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 02/10/2020 at 14:24

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Maybe I’m only remembering the specs for the manual transmission but some axle ratios had max tow ratings below 3,000

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > The Ghost of Oppo 02/10/2020 at 14:37

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Not sure what the actual specs are just giving my real world experience towing with it. It very could be below 3000 lbs.

fintail > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 20:19

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Good luck. For that price, is either a bargain or is beyond redemption.

fintail > Thomas Donohue 02/10/2020 at 20:20

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I remember seeing it like that in MI and OH a few days after a light snowfall.  I thought it might be some kind of ice or something that didn’t melt, but it was just salt residue.  I think I’d be doing the “winter beater” thing, or leasing.

Nibby > fintail 02/10/2020 at 21:30

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thanks! now the tricky part is waiting for him to respond

fintail > Nibby 02/10/2020 at 23:11

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hopefully not a flake, oh the joys of CL

Nibby > fintail 02/11/2020 at 00:15

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he responded once earlier and hasn’t gotten back after asking for undercarriage pics and how it shifts, if the tanks work etc.

fintail > Nibby 02/11/2020 at 13:11

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Hopefully doesn’t mean - translation: F lintstone floors, shifts sometimes, tanks are plastic jerrycans held in by zipties.

Nibby > Thomas Donohue 02/11/2020 at 17:15

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https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/7068974276.html

Nibby > fintail 02/11/2020 at 17:16

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https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/d/lincoln-park-ford-250/7072248695.html#

Thomas Donohue > Nibby 02/11/2020 at 18:08

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Looks nice, but w ho buys a truck w/166k miles on it then sells it after driving 500 miles?

Also, that far down the shore and you’re basically on a peninsula, and looking at a lot more salt mist in the air (assuming that’s where it’s originally from), so corrosion could be worse than normal.

fintail > Nibby 02/11/2020 at 18:12

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Aren’t plow trucks often beat to hell?  Still, looks OK from 20 feet away like those pics, and the price seems fair.

Nibby > Thomas Donohue 02/11/2020 at 19:29

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No idea. He hasn't responded to my message earlier after replying once yesterday

Nibby > fintail 02/11/2020 at 19:31

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I asked him for more pictures

Nibby > fintail 02/12/2020 at 09:26

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probably gonna be $6k+ which is 2x the amount i want to spend

but i could go check it out

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1995-Ford-F-150-XLT/274262476664

fintail > Nibby 02/12/2020 at 12:31

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I think you have to ask yourself how nice of a truck do you want. It’ll be cheaper to find a genuinely nice survivor than to fix up something neglected, even if you do it slowly.

That one has a quickie fresh detail look to it, I’d definitely want to inspect before purchase, and take a look at the receipts.  I wonder what the reserve is, although it is getting harder to find nice ones especially in rust havens, these aren’t big collectibles right now.

Nibby > fintail 02/12/2020 at 12:55

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shit it’s already at $2,550 and it’s definitely going to go well beyond what I want to spend...

https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/d/lincoln-park-ford-250/7072248695.html

the owner told me it has some rust and said he’ll send me pics but he’s done a decent amount of work to it... replaced the rear shackles and he said the frame is fine. he’s willing to sell it to me without the plow for $2,500

gonna take a look this weekend

fintail > Nibby 02/12/2020 at 18:09

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If it’s reasonably solid, that might be a deal. I am sure you know where to look for troublesome body rust areas.

Nibby > fintail 02/12/2020 at 19:29

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He still hasn't sent photos yet but hopefully I get them. BTW thanks for your help

fintail > Nibby 02/13/2020 at 02:51

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Good luck!

Nibby > fintail 02/13/2020 at 08:19

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Thanks! Maybe one day I will use it to snag a classic Benz :)

fintail > Nibby 02/13/2020 at 12:24

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For that, you’ll need it! As I am sure you know, be careful with old German cars :)

Pixel > Nibby 02/13/2020 at 19:03

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Random dump of stuff I found. Didn’t include anything that listed serious frame/drivetrain problems.

https://newlondon.craigslist.org/cto/d/north-grosvenordale-94-ford-150/7058954940.html

https://nh.craigslist.org/cto/d/suncook-1994-ford-250/7063313047.html

This one is nice enough to make me suspicious :

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1975797102564258/

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2282987325332194/

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/607873760033564/

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/609445979622338/

Nibby > Pixel 02/13/2020 at 19:06

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Ha I like that red one in Connecticut the best. The last one with the Confederate headliner tho

Nibby > fintail 02/24/2020 at 09:56

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ayy

https://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/ctd/d/carrolls-1994-ford-f250-xl-2wd-179k/7067256229.html

this one is a viable option if it checks out and they’re willing to ship. would need someone to look at it for me though

fintail > Nibby 02/24/2020 at 12:55

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I remember seeing that one in my search. Could be a bargain if it checks out. Notice how clean it looks, and the absence of a certain something. The worst one has to worry about here (other than transplant vehicles) is trucks used/abused in logging operations. The condition of the bed can say a lot.

Will they give you some underbody pics? I bet they’d take 10% less for it, being a dealer and all. Shipping might run another $1200 or so?

That one is located maybe 2.5 hours from me, closer to someone from Portland - but maybe something could be done.  Arrange a little PNW oppo-meet for people to inspect a potential purchase.

Nibby > fintail 02/24/2020 at 21:13

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wel i’m gonna look at a rusty F250 plow on thursday just to drive one...

fintail > Nibby 02/24/2020 at 21:43

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Probably a good idea.  You might hate some weird ergonomic quirk and not want one at all.  Better to know now before you have one shipped from the other side of the country.

Nibby > fintail 02/25/2020 at 09:15

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yup! this is the one i’ll look at, about 1 hour 20 minutes

https://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/7078479557.html

fintail > Nibby 02/25/2020 at 13:29

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I am sure it will be kind of an 80s driving experience, based on the platform.

I like how the seller quickly states the price is negotiable.

Nibby > fintail 02/25/2020 at 18:35

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i’ll take a bunch of pictures and make an oppo post

these little rust spots are mostly cosmetic right? should be fixable?

the bigger story will be the condition of the undercarriage.... after driving it i’ll inspect it and go further from there