I have an '89 pu with a decent amount of rust and an '02 runner w/ zero, and I want to keep it that way. I have rust in varying degrees on many different years in many different areas. For example, my buddy had an 89 pu that was from Wisconsin and then in Mid-Missouri for the rest of its life. 210,000 when he sold it and not a spot of rust! He says that he was never a believer of "undercoating" until he owned this truck that was done when it was purchased new. I plan on keeping my '02 for a long time and do not want it rusting out on me. Have Toyotas gotten better over the years in terms of rusting? Is there anything I can do now to prevent future rust? Thanks in advance.

 

I have been using "rust check" with good results. I spray it in the doors & sills every 6 months

 

This is probably a backwoods hick thing but....

motor oil. get a sprayer that hooks to a compressor (one for cleaning parts and such) drop the hose in a quart of new cheap motor oil, and spray it in every nook and hole you can reach. these Toyota's have box type frames so you have to spray a lot in the frame, there are a lot of drilled holes to do that. you don't have to go nuts, a light film on everything, once a yr. I know alot of folks who do that around here. I figured it would be messy but after I tried it, it isn't really that bad. the oil will soak into the metal, the rust, and the little cracks and holes.
notice old trucks that profusely leak oil don't rust where the oily crud is.
on the note of crud... yes dirt and dust sticks to the oily surface BUT.... it doesn't stick. a few min at the car wash and all the dirt comes off very easy.

if you live where there is salty roads 6 months a yr, you almost have to do it. undercoating only goes on like paint; oil creeps in everywhere, like the salty water does.
once its oily.... the water cant make it rust.
if you only get under it to fix it, this isn't a bad way to go. if your always under it making it pretty, then you might wanna not go oil.
but a yearly oil bath for the frame and undersides will keep it rust free.
you may want to not announce that you do to loud, I am sure the EPA doesn't like the idea.
I look at it this way; they oil my back roads to keep the dust down, thats way more polluting than a quart of motor oil on my frame.

I pick up those 2 fer one wd40 deaks when I see them and empty the cans all over my front end parts. wd40 seems to dissapear after a while so i dont see how it prevents rust like it says on the can. I do it to make sure stuff comes loose when I want it to.
my dad used KROIL... that stuff STINKS!

I'm talking about the underside... frame, iner fenders, suspension, ect. not the painted outside.