Help removing stickers

[CruisinJapan]

I guess this question would be relevant in any of the forums, but since I'm referring to my LJ78 I'll ask it here. Is there a safe, sure way to remove the "EFI Turbo Diesel" stickers on each side of the vehicle? I'm sure they were a bold statement 16 years ago but now I would prefer just the paint. I'm worried that if I start to peel up one letter, instead of the entire sticker coming off in one piece, it begins to tear and shred and make a huge mess. Once I start digging and s****ing I'm commited so I thought I would ask first. I know there will be color differences but I would still rather have just the all-white. Thanks!

[hoser]

In the past, I've used an eraser wheel to remove pinstripes, adhesive and factory decals. It was fast and easy. Only leaves a bunch eraser shavings on the floor.

3M 7502 - Disc Pinstripe Removal
Eastwood Co. - Vinyl Eraser And Arbor

[Ron R]

The bodyshop that repaired my rig had to peel off several stickers. They used a hot air blower. Like a grownup hairdryer.
Heated stuff until it was hot to the touch and then started peeling. Worked well but these stickers were only a few years old.....

[CruisinJapan]

Thanks a lot for the ideas and quick responses. My biggest worry is that since the vehicle has been waxed, coated, and sun-baked for 16 years the stickers may not be cooperative. Both suggestions sound effective and I will look into them. Thanx again!

[simonliew]

HI
THE ERASER WHEEL FROM EASTWOOD WORK GOOD.
sIMON

[Canuck]

I took all the decals off my BJ74 a couple years ago and it was a bitch. I used 3M Woodgrain & Trim remover and the 3M Adhesive remover. Tried the wheel mentioned above but it didn't work for me but then I was removing some pretty big decals.

[NICOTOY60]

It is necessary to use a thermal decapeur to melt the sticker and remove it ...........

[WES1977]

there are sticker and label remover sprays

[xjnation]

Eraser Wheel for sure. Works great. If you can find one in Japan. Good luck.

[OILERSrule]

Originally Posted by Canuck

I took all the decals off my BJ74 a couple years ago and it was a bitch. I used 3M Woodgrain & Trim remover and the 3M Adhesive remover. Tried the wheel mentioned above but it didn't work for me but then I was removing some pretty big decals.

I have used this sruff too to remove 20 year old stickers on our trucks at work. It smells terrible but works like a charm. Kinda pricy but worth every penny!!

[Joe70]

Mine came off in about 5 minutes with a pressure washer. No damage to the paint.

[PacToy]

Originally Posted by CruisinJapan

I guess this question would be relevant in any of the forums, but since I'm referring to my LJ78 I'll ask it here. Is there a safe, sure way to remove the "EFI Turbo Diesel" stickers on each side of the vehicle? I'm sure they were a bold statement 16 years ago but now I would prefer just the paint. I'm worried that if I start to peel up one letter, instead of the entire sticker coming off in one piece, it begins to tear and shred and make a huge mess. Once I start digging and s****ing I'm commited so I thought I would ask first. I know there will be color differences but I would still rather have just the all-white. Thanks!

I asked the same for my LJ78. I wanted those stickers gone also. The auto detailer on Okinawa didn't want to help me.

Originally Posted by Ron R

The bodyshop that repaired my rig had to peel off several stickers. They used a hot air blower. Like a grownup hairdryer.
Heated stuff until it was hot to the touch and then started peeling. Worked well but these stickers were only a few years old.....

I know that this technique works and works well. A regular hair dryer works to, just takes a bit longer.

Plenty of other good ideas have been posted but I can't comment as they are new ideas to me. I know what RonR posted works though.

[CruisinJapan]

Many great ideas! Thank you so much for your help! I will see if I can find an eraser wheel here in Japan first but it seems there are a few options. I just didn't want to start peeling a corner and then find out that it wasn't that simple and have a sorry looking mess for awhile.
The former, and only owner babied this rig. Never removed a single sticker or warning label, not even the plastic covering for the gas cap pull switch! 16 years old with only 72,000km (verified btw!). I know there has been a lot of discussion on the merits of the LJ78 with the 2L-TE engine, but I feel very fortunate to have snagged this one...and for about $8K!

[Eric Winkworth]

you can use a hot hair dryer, just to peel them off or a power washer, and for any left over residue, just clean it with WD40

[CruisinJapan]

Well, after using no less than three of the suggestions I'm happy to announce that I have successfully removed the decals! I initially couldn't find an eraser wheel (or a power drill for that matter!...Japan isn't really a DIY country yet) so I started with a very hot hair dryer. It did a decent job on one side removing the decal but not the adhesive, and did a really poor job of removing anything on the other side.
My family and I went on a trip to her grandparents farm last week and i was able to find a drill attachment that wasn't exactly an eraser but that I felt had promise and there was a drill at their place so I went that route next. After about an hour I had all of the decal off the one side as well as a good portion of the adhesive off of both sides but there was residual glue that just wouldn't succumb and by then it was black from the heat and dirt so althugh I had accomplished a lot it still looked bad. I then went at the remaining gunk with wax and WD40 (thanks for the tip...it worked the best of anything) and after about another hour and a whole lot of elbow grease I finished!
It was a lot of work but definately worth it as the vehicle looks so much cleaner now. Thanks again for all the great suggestions!

[Ron R]

Good job.
All that elbowgrease was not for nothing. Very nice looking rig!!

[CruisinJapan]

Thanks Ron. I feel very fortunate to have it. I've wanted one since I moved here 2 years ago (actually much longer than that) but up until recently Japan has not been a great market for used cars and with my lack of language skills I didn't have the ability to get into an involved decision making process over a 15+ year old vehicle. I had just sold my Suzuki Escudo (Gran Vitari in the States) and was browsing the pre-owned inventories when I happened across it. I was pretty much sold just from a cursory look but when I discovered that it was one-owner with only 72,000km and all the service records, I bought it on the spot. Compared to the prices I've seen in posts on here it was a steal at about $8K U.S., and of course parts and service are convenient here. On top of everything else, I got a 3 year no-worries warranty that covers, among other things, the head, so I feel reasonably safe. It's completely stock right now so I'm thinking a larger exhaust and some good guages would be a wise place to start with upgrades to prolong it's life.

[PacToy]

Sweet deal and she sure is looking sharp with those stickers removed.

[B Point]

CruisinJapan,

Where in Shizuoka are you? I'm new to the forum and am just doing the "mayhen" on my first "lancru" SX wide 3.0 turbo Prado. Just want to say hi since we're in the same neighborhood.

Cheers,

Chris

[Sniperx]

I'll probably be moving Up Shizuoka way next year too. I'm down in Shikoku noW. Probably see my yellow monster rolling around.


Not DIY ? II can count ten home depot type stores in my town.

[B Point]

There's a great 4x4 shop here in Mishima called "Joint". Hagiwara-san and his staff are really nice people, very knowledgeable and love all things 4x4.

[CruisinJapan]

Kanpai Chris! Sorry it took me so long to respond. Damn work keeps gettin in the way of my free time! I'm in western Shizuoka not far from Hamamatsu in the middle of green tea country. My wife and I just bought a house so we're probably staying for awhile so I decided to get a Lancru to make sure that I can escape when the Tokai earthquake strikes! It's really surprising to me that in a country so rugged and mountainous, so few people take advantage of their own vehicles to enjoy it! You can't buy a Pathfinder, Xterra, or Safari from NISSAN, an FJ Cruiser from Toyota, or any of the awesome 4-wheel ATVs built by Honda, Kawasaki, and the likes because there isn't a market for them here. Weird. Thank God for Landcruisers! I'd love to meet up sometime with you and any other gaijin offroad/outdoor enthusiasts out there. Summer's almost here and I need to retreat to higher altitudes!

Mark

markgarrett@gol.com

p.s. Mishima's not too far from me so I'll definately keep that in mind when I get ready to upgrade. BTW, as luck would have it I too was bitten by the "overheat and crack the head" bug and my vehicle is currently at the dealer getting a new motor! Thanks to all the knowledgeable posters on here I was able to cover my arse and get it completely covered by warranty. I am also getting a new rad and water pump. CHEERS!

[CruisinJapan]

Originally Posted by Sniperx

I'll probably be moving Up Shizuoka way next year too. I'm down in Shikoku noW. Probably see my yellow monster rolling around.


Not DIY ? II can count ten home depot type stores in my town.

Have you had much luck finding anything of real use at those Home Depot type stores? If you're in the market for a laundry rack or a weedeater with a circular saw blade you're in heaven! Beyond that it's hit or miss.

[Sniperx]

In a lot of ways they have more useful things than DIY shops back in USA. Hoverer, To have yet to find a push broom or a decent axe in one.

You've gotta be a royal noob in this country, no offense there. You named like the crappiest 4wds ever offered....and really only offered in the US. The Xtera? ome on...try the Pajero 2800. I loved my...it was a lot more user friendly than my LC, but nowhere near the capabilities. The super select is an awesome feature and with the optional factory locker...it was a pretty nice ride. No US offred car came from the factory with lockers. The Mitsubishi Lr300 pickup is another fun one or the Nissan/Datsun 4 door pickup of the same class. Theres the diesel safari also, but I don't like the look or feel of those. Then of course the FJ40 series tht you you can pick up here cheap...and often come with cable lockers. You breing up the FJ Cruiser? Its a soccer mom car...not even a good one at that..in my opinion. Then again...I feel the 70s were the last real cruisers made. You can get some ATVs, but they aren't popular due to the need to store it and a trailer...which also requires the shaken and taxes (what there is to test biannually on a non-braked light duty trailer...I have no idea). If anything, this country has probably the most diverse 4wd and diesel vehicles in teh world...outside maybe Australia area.

[CruisinJapan]

Royal noob...wow...you got me pegged...and after only a few sentences. Of course no offense taken. If I thought you were actually knowledgeable I might be concerned.
Let me try to explain myself better. First of all, I never mentioned anything about the quality of the vehicles that I listed, but thank you for your intelligent, albeit subjective, opinion. My point was simply that almost all of the vehicles produced by Japanese automotive companies for off-road or even "sport utility" use are done so for overseas markets. This isn't my opinion, it's a fact. The closest JDM off-road vehicle NISSAN produces is the X-Trail, which is truly a "crappy" 4wd, to use your term. And I know the reason for this is there is little or no market for them, not because I think so, but because I have worked at NISSAN's Technical Center for the past 18 months and I have had NUMEROUS conversations with engineers, R&D, Product Planners, and more, about this situation. If the market for 4wd off-road vehicles is so "diverse" here, please list a few of the obviously many robust product lines for '08. You're welcome to use the Suzuki Jimmy and the Pajero Mini if it will help lengthen and diversify the list. As far as ATVs, none of the major manufacturers produce any quantities of them for the domestic market. Sure you can get one, just like you can get an FJ Cruiser (if you've got 5 million yen), but as you admitted, nobody's that interested, although I think it has very little to do with having to store it. If you believe that everyone in Japan is living in a capsule hotel with barely enough room to breathe, then it sounds like you may be the noob. I own a very modest home on about a tenth of an acre and I've got plenty of room for at least 3 vehicles and an ATV (when I find one!). It's all about priorities, and the simple fact is that ours are different than the majority of theirs. MAJORITY, not ALL. My new acquaintance Dave on here has plugged me into a very avid and hardcore 4WD scene here and I look forward to meeting a lot of off-road and outdoor enthusiasts. To be honest, I'm not a "monster" truck fan. To me that's not all that different than the "Fast and Furious" tuners that just want attention. I enjoy getting off the pavement and going unnoticed for awhile. To each his own.

One last thing, I said this really isn't a DIY country yet, not that they don't have DIY stores. Serious do-it-yourself home improvements require materials and selections that you aren't going to find in Jumbo Encho, or Home Depot for that matter. Let me know when you find that pushbroom though...I need one too!

[Sniperx]

Relax guy.

I live in a log home on a half acre in the Shikoku mountains.

look at types of the property in Japan, its usually around 50 tsubo and 40 of it is used buy a house. Its the same reason the place isn't nuts for speed boats and waverunners. They are expensive, a luxury, require space, require maintanance, licensing, haulers, and cars to haul them. These people just don't have that sort of thing.


As to JDM 4x4. Seriously, what are you comparing to? The Bronco? The H1? The Suburban? Japan offerd the Mitsubishi Jeep, all steel turbo diesel up until the 90s, the Pajero full size series (SWB included), the Lr300, Datsun 4 door, All the ladn cruisers. Guy in case you didn't notice factory capable offroad vehicles in the US and lagely Canada ceased production around 1995, when the last "OJ Style" Bronco was made. Since they they are merely over power rebodied station wagons. Don't believe me? Take a trip to Orange County..I live there for 19 years. Comparing what is coming out now is completely unfair...markets and fuel costs alone dictate what comes out next. Notice you don't see many F350s rolling around Japan. Did yuo also know the government here banned diesels in many of the Major cities like Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka? Compare it year for year US vs Japan and give me a few instances where the US produced factory TRULY offroad ready cars. How about when Jeep whent from big thick axles to little twigs...huh...during that time Mitsubishi was still stamping 1950 style flat fender jeeps with diesel engines, floating axles, with PTO winches..factory. My BJ73 is largely factory or factory options with the exception of some suspension and things....I guarantee it can outwheel my families 1995 Bronco. Most car makers in the US are concerned with cushy rides and big cubic inches. The Japanese have to drive on tiny streets with very expensive gasoline. Thus they start chasing mini hybrid cars. Thats the situation with the current JP market. The only non-Japanese company to produce some serious factory rides was LandRover.

[Sniperx]

Used car searching | Car Portal site Goo-net

Used car searching | Car Portal site Goo-net

Used car searching | Car Portal site Goo-net

Used car searching | Car Portal site Goo-net

Used car searching | Car Portal site Goo-net