Help!! bent/rusted frame...how bad is it??

Is it “no big deal” or is this a legit concern? I bought a 1995 4x4 3.0 earlier this year. Overall in great mechanical condition, bone stock and previous owner had it for the last 20 years. He told me about a "minor" front end collision that happened 18 years ago and said insurance paid for it and fixed it. I saw the damage reported on Carfax, it looked repaired to me and I didn’t think much else about it. After a week or two I noticed the bumper didn’t line up straight and OCD me decided to remove the bumper to have a better look. The front left (passenger) side of the frame appears to be bent and has a good bit of rust. I'm assuming this bend is why the bumper doesn't line up. Does this look like a structural issue to be concerned about? Or should I take a wire brush to that rust, put the bumper back on and call it a day? Thanks for the help!

 

Prob less rust than mine. Looks good! I think the bumper may be bent a lil not the frame.

 

I am not sure about frame alignment, but regarding rust, I can help. I worked for the company who distributed corrosion protection chemicals. Give a good wire brushing. take off as much as you can. There are two choices since it is already rusted. One. Put a good cavity wax spray to the rusted section. depends on the manufacture, you may have to spray once a year. I use Noxudol 750 which you can spray once in every 3-5 years depends on the condition. Two. spray cavity wax and undercoat. I had Tacoma and used Noxudol 750 and 900 spray. light coat of cavity wax 750 and let it cure for about 48 hours then spray 900 undercoat.

or you can replace all section.

 

I would check and make sure your bumper is straight. Years ago I got into an accident and they replaced the bumper with an aftermarket one. It didn't line up worth crap. The top middle was a bit bowed up and the sides were like what you have. A few years later a guy backed into me and messed up the bumper again. This time I made sure they used an oem one and it lined up perfectly. You may also try loosening the bumper and see if you can shift it.

 

Lol at the rust, my 2013 looks like that here in New England.

 

That’s a tricky one, b79turner! A couple of friends are involved in restoring old cars, and stuff like this is a mystery that needs to be solved! One of them just solved the mystery of the 1959 Lincoln that was 1/4 longer on one side than the other. You will need some stock reference points from which to base multiple measurements. Once you have accounted for any discrepancies, the source will be revealed. That’s how the experts do it. It’s not easy! Good luck!
As for the rust, it looks like about any 4 year old Ontario 4 Runner looks. No big deal, but since it’s a vintage vehicle, I’d clean it up and paint it just for fun.

 

I'd keep driving no worries.

 

^This.

25 year old vehicle, + you really have to look to see any difference. I'd deal with the rust per @4Runner170V's advice, assuming you're keeping this long term, and call it done. If the 4R drives and handles fine, the difference in the measurements are negligible.

 

Bumper is bent, which is how it is on mine. The metal is too thick to hammer it back into place, and it will just damage the chrome (I know from experience).

Rust has always been something I loathed having on my car, but if I were you I would go at it with a wire wheel and then prime and paint it to prevent future corrosion. My logic in saying this is that rust is like cancer, it might not be bad now, but it can spread and become an issue down the road. Best to take care of it while its manageable and an an accessible place like it is now.

 

Doesn’t look to bad too me, I’d cleanup up the rust as best you can and paint over it if your worried about. Otherwise I agree, drive it !

 

Thanks everyone, definitely great advice. I’m going to clean up some of that surface rust, put the bumper back on and call it a day.