Amazon Chassis Rust

January 16, 2007

I have a 1996 Landcruiser VX 4.2TD which is a truly fantastic vehicle but getting a bit tatty and long in the tooth. The fates having been good to me last year I thought I would replace it with an Amazon of more recent vintage, around 2000 with less than 100K on the clock. I've had a look at a number of very tidy and well looked after vehicles - some with impeccable records. Everything is fine and I'm fingering my cheque book, until I stick my head under the vehicle, when I'm met with a mass of rust. I have yet to see one which does not have almost every weld seam rusted and lots on the flat surfaces. The contrast with my old, very well used vehicle, where you have to hunt hard to find a small patch of rust, is staggering. When I first saw an Amazon chassis I told the salesman that it must have been parked on a beach for months - I now believe they are mostly like that - maybe the chassis treatment was downgraded when they became 'school run' vehicles - I hope I'm wrong, as I would like one .... please tell me where I can get one that is still as rust free as my old one. Alternatively does anyone know of a good low mileage pre-Amazon TD model for sale!

January 23, 2007

well, did it actually rust, or did it have some minor surface oxidation? Because if it was surface only, good wash will wash it away, just like on stainless steel.

We sold one of the first Land Cruiser 120's to person who kept it in humid garage, below water level. 2 months later he came in saying that his car is completly rusted...

... top guys came to me, whispering "it is rusted, what do we do"... so we apply the hose and "rust" is gone :-)