Just bought this Ranger earlier today and now I'm freaking out a bit. How bad is this and what do I need to do about it? I have no experience with rust.
Right now it just looks like surface rust to me. Clean it off, wire wheel, sanding disk, whatever works best. PAint it with POR15 or a similar good anti rust paint.
If you're really from Golden, CO, then how did rust get on any vehicle there in the first place?
But to answer your question that looks like surface rust only. I wouldn't be concerned with any structural integrity issues if that's what you're freaking out about.