Body mount area rust on '03

[Cherryriver]

A few months ago we bought a 2003 XLT that presented as just about rust-free. The whole vehicle looked so good it never occurred to us that it had a rust problem. We expected to have to invest money in the car as you would with any older vehicle but that didn't prepare us for this.
Prior to taking the car on a thousand-mile road trip, I took it in to the local repair shop we've been going to for many years. I've never had more faith in a shop than these guys; I could tell some stories.
So instead of them changing the oil, I get a text message with these three pictures and am told the vehicle isn't going to Nebraska.
I can't be positive of the location of the photos, where exactly they are but I have a suspicion it's the core support.
Now, the shop is very busy and with no time pressure- the road trip got done with our other SUV- they kept it over the weekend with them saying they'd research options. I have not yet heard back, but that's no surprise.
Additionally, there's a superb body shop here in town about which I also can tell good stories- they fixed up my wife's RAV4 after a drunk hit it and ran in our own driveway and four years later, you can't even tell anything was done. Being August and the slow season for body shops, I am tempted to bring it to them for an assessment, if there's any hope.
So my question is: what happens if we drive the Expedition in this condition, assuming you can tell what's going on in these admittedly limited photos? Catastrophic failure leading to a crash, or a slow disintegration?

 

[whtbronco]

638587458020923396.jpg I believe this is the drive side radiator support, pic taken from the front.

638587458141967642.jpg I believe is the passenger side radiator support, also from the front.

638587459185903200-1.jpg is the driver side body mount behind the front tire, actually right behind the inner fender liner.


The radiator support rusts out because there's no drain when mounted and the bottom is basically like a bowl. Water just sits there. It can be replaced though. Here's one option for it, the labor to install it is a fair amount though.

More Information for VARIOUS MFR FO1225133

You might have to have a body shop fabricate the other floor pan support.

 

[Cherryriver]

Informative. And, more or less as I expected.
My understanding from other threads is that the labor for changing the core support is at least $2500. Might be tough to justify on an '03 no matter how nice it is.
My question about it being unsafe to drive remains- what happens if it gets worse while moving?
Now, for the really bad part of the story.
We've kept a van for some business use for a long time. I had Astros after my Econoline days since those things served perfectly for the work we asked of it, despite the rattly, clunky, low quality coachwork and other faults.
My last one, a 2004, suddenly developed a drooping snoot one day- the whole front clip sagged. I knew immediately it was the core support disintegrating; my brother's '05 had done exactly the same a few months earlier.
Both his and my Astros went to scrap at once, as an Astro with a rotted-out core support can drop the works onto the steering gear while in motion.
So it looks like I'm snakebit here, if an affordable fix can't be found.
The Expedition is in otherwise excellent condition. Even the interior is almost immaculate; it looks like it's a year old inside and not twenty-one.
The rockers are intact and the driveline so far, in the 2200 miles we've driven it, seems in good order.
The paint is nice and even the tailgate is just about perfect.
I don't know if my heart can stand calling the boneyard again only four months later.

 

[whtbronco]

I would not drive it until the body mounts are fixed. I replaced the radiator support on my 2004 several years ago. Is it worth fixing financially, well not if you're going to try to sell it. If you're going to keep it then it may very well be.

The price of a new one is so far beyond absurd fixing these at any cost is worth to me. I put a bit over $4k in my 2004 over the last 10 months. That would be 2 months worth of payments, insurance increase and property tax so to me it's more than worth it. However, I have owned my 2004 since new so I know it's history.

 

[Cherryriver]

whtbronco, your math is impeccable. Besides, at my age, investing in a new truck of any kind is out of the question.
This Expedition is so nice in so many ways we're willing to put money into it. But- with the odometer at 186K, and not being entirely sure about whether anything else is going to go wrong, it's a pretty tense situation.
Currently, we're waiting on our much-respected repair shop manager to figure out a path. I know this guy is on our side in terms of getting on the road, but he does have to, after all, turn a profit.

 

[whtbronco]

Sounds like a good plan.

 

[Al Steel]

The front radiator mounts are as notorious for rusting out as are the rockers. I'd also make sure they check the rear mounts which are up underneath the rear quarters and easily missed. Rarely do just the front mounts rust out alone. The others will likely be showing some flaking. If they are but it's just surface or light flaking they may be salvageable. An air chisel, wire brush, naval jelly and some kind of rust preventative to coat them. Will slow the rust but it will eventually win but nowhere near as expensive to replace as the front.

Also, have your tech take a look at the rear frame. Actually, have him take a ball peen hammer and tap the entire frame. Hopefully he won't find any soft spots. I was unlucky enough to purchase an 04 Expy with a horrible frame. I couldn't really tell at first glance. After noticing a few soft spots, I started to bang on it. Literally fell apart in lots of places especially the rear. I drove it for about a year but eventually it had to be scrapped. Too expensive to fix ($5k+) and could only sell it for parts.

G/L!

 

[Cherryriver]

Heck, if I could get even a year out of this thing, at least there'd be some sort of value received.
2200 miles total lifespan would not be a good return on investment.
Still waiting on the shop. The lead guy missed a few days and I didn't put on any pressure, even though now I should.

 

[Al Steel]

Here's my tragic Expy frame story if you care for some light reading and commiseration:
Tragic Bad Frame Expy story

 

[Lee Hartwig]

Had a 2003 with rusting radiator support, was told it would not be inspectable in PA. Next time I needed a state inspection. The cost for radiator support part was +/- $2300.00., with labor, close to the value of the truck, Traded in on 2016, since bought 2023, Love it.