GX460 & GXOR B.S. thread (4 Viewers)

[MeefZah]

Sometimes people sell 'em here. I bought a set of red 2013 taillights here for my 2018 a few years ago, definitely like them better than the Altezza style (Which I still have in a box and would sell cheap, BTW ).

Ya I looked for a while before just buying the eBay ones. I'll update once they arrive.

 

[re_guderian]

... (I wash my truck daily)...

Wut? Say more about this...

 

[MeefZah]

Wut? Say more about this...

Drive through car wash club, $20 a month unlimited. I hit it pretty much every day on my way in to work.

 

[Rednexus]

Drive through car wash club, $20 a month unlimited. I hit it pretty much every day on my way in to work.

Just FYI, those auto-carwashes with the rotating touch brushes can be pretty rough on clearcoat.

 

[Hiluxforever]

Just FYI, those auto-carwashes with the rotating touch brushes can be pretty rough on clearcoat.

Yep. F that noise.

 

[MeefZah]

Just FYI, those auto-carwashes with the rotating touch brushes can be pretty rough on clearcoat.

I know. It's touchless. Hence not wanting to do a tail light wrap as I think that'll get tattered pretty quickly.

But also I'm the weird guy who doesn't care about blemished paint or scratches or minor exterior defects so honestly I have no issues using a roller car wash either.

 

[JDUB fab]

I’m fairly religious about washing the car in winter, the dried white salt makes my teeth hurt lol. It’s like I can feel the oxidation happening.
Currently don’t have a good driveway situation to wash at home so I’m on the hunt for a spot that does unlimited DIY washes with a membership. So far haven't found one. Otherwise there is a touch free one I might subscribe to. But I like to bring my creeper and really get under there.

 

[Rednexus]

I know. It's touchless. Hence not wanting to do a tail light wrap as I think that'll get tattered pretty quickly.

But also I'm the weird guy who doesn't care about blemished paint or scratches or minor exterior defects so honestly I have no issues using a roller car wash either.

Makes me cringe .

I started doing hand-wash only on our new cars in 2014. They have all looked great with nary a swirl or a scratch in the clearcoat. Obviously it is labor intensive, and requires a pressure washer (which we have), but the results and level of clean are worth it.

Unfortunately, my GX appears to have been subjected to public carwashes before I got it. The clearcoat is full of micro-scratches and swirls. I need to give it a full paint correction. I have broken down to using the public carwash a few times when it's been so muddy and I haven't had the time to drag out the pressure washer and then clean the mud off the driveway afterwards.

 

[MeefZah]

I'm the PO no one wants! Although I keep the interior immaculate and I'm a maintenance nerd so at least that's acceptable here!!

 

[Rednexus]

I'm the PO no one wants! Although I keep the interior immaculate and I'm a maintenance nerd so at least that's acceptable here!!

You probably legitimately have way more snow/salt to wash off than I do. My maintenance/washing routine would probably be a bit different if I lived further north. We usually get salt on the road a half a dozen times a year or so.

 

[Roody]

I’m fairly religious about washing the car in winter, the dried white salt makes my teeth hurt lol. It’s like I can feel the oxidation happening.
Currently don’t have a good driveway situation to wash at home so I’m on the hunt for a spot that does unlimited DIY washes with a membership. So far haven't found one. Otherwise there is a touch free one I might subscribe to. But I like to bring my creeper and really get under there.

If it's >35 degrees swing by and we can do a wash day, mine could use it lol

 

[re_guderian]

Jesus. I'm in AZ, I wash my car like 3 times a year, including once when outside and caught in the summer monsoons. We haven't had rain here in almost 3 months...

 

[snowGX460]

I know. It's touchless. Hence not wanting to do a tail light wrap as I think that'll get tattered pretty quickly.

But also I'm the weird guy who doesn't care about blemished paint or scratches or minor exterior defects so honestly I have no issues using a roller car wash either.

the tail lights on my old Subaru have a light tint film over them. I ran it through touchless car washes more times than i can count and they pretty much still look like they did on day 1. the tint wrap even had a cutout for the reverse lights and holes cut in it over the tail bulb areas (to improve light transmission but still getting the color change), so there were plenty of edges to get caught and come undone, but it never happened

 

[MeefZah]

the tail lights on my old Subaru have a light tint film over them. I ran it through touchless car washes more times than i can count and they pretty much still look like they did on day 1. the tint wrap even had a cutout for the reverse lights and holes cut in it over the tail bulb areas (to improve light transmission but still getting the color change), so there were plenty of edges to get caught and come undone, but it never happened

Well good to know, if these aftermarkets are trash then I will just go that route. Thanks.

 

[MeefZah]

Makes me cringe .

I took a wrong turn in Moab in my former Xterra, which at the time was almost new. The trail led us to water and the last 1/4 mile of it or so was thick brush that when it hit the sides made that heavy "clunk" and then the dreaded "squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" as it dragged along the sides. And this was hundreds, hundreds of hundreds of branches. I just pushed through - because I didn't care. My wife was cringing, like nearly fetal in the seat with her eyes squeezed shut because the sound was so gawdawful, and I was just happily blasting down this trail to see where it went. It ended in the water, so then I got to do it again on the way out. The paint was hosed, and I really didn't care.

No pics of that.

But gratuitous Xterra pic!!!!

 

[jdam]

I just painted mine. It was $20. I need to do another coat (and actually clear it this time lol) as they've faded but $20 is $20.

https://www.amazon.com/VHT-ESP888000-Red-Nite-Shades/dp/B005257R0O

 

[Hiluxforever]

Studying for technician amateur radio license. Was a sat comm tech in the chAir Force so it's mostly review.

 

[r2m]

Studying for technician amateur radio license. Was a sat comm tech in the chAir Force so it's mostly review.

I took the technician amateur radio license when I took command of the S6 shop. Thought it would probably help if I knew something about COMM's.
Plus we use my mobile unit all time when we're with our 4x4 club on trails.

 

[Hiluxforever]

I took the technician amateur radio license when I took command of the S6 shop. Thought it would probably help if I knew something about COMM's.
Plus we use my mobile unit all time when we're with our 4x4 club on trails.

I have shifted my career away from comm, so it's nice to have something to stay connected with the comm community in one way shape or form.

 

[Cold Iron]

Car wash swirls? All it takes is a few trips down pretty much any trail in the North Woods with tag alders along a bog

And after a couple of years when you go to sell it, even after paying someone to buff it out the best they can, they will be looking at all the stripes on it along the sides instead of swirls on horizontal surfaces.

Was hard to capture pictures of it so I warned people in the description. Still didn't take long to sell the Taco and no one was looking at the horizontal paint status.

Car washes are not open below 10° above zero here so when they are open there is always a line. Lets see now... go to a car wash in the winter with recycled water that is basically salt brine and spray the undercarriage with salt. Hmmm that is a hard pass for me.

Used to do the Fluid Film spray myself but with the GX now pay someone else to do it professionally with NHOU undercoating oil.

FF, NHOU, Woolwax they all will tell you to NOT wash the undercarriage after getting a treatment. Until Spring otherwise it washes off the undercoating. Last time I see a car wash during the year is 2 days before treating with undercoating oil and drop the spare when I wash it. I will do a basic wash during the winter when it gets so bad I can't stand it. Minus the undercarriage.

I took a wrong turn in Moab in my former Xterra, which at the time was almost new. The trail led us to water and the last 1/4 mile of it or so was thick brush that when it hit the sides made that heavy "clunk" and then the dreaded "squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" as it dragged along the sides. And this was hundreds, hundreds of hundreds of branches. I just pushed through - because I didn't care. My wife was cringing, like nearly fetal in the seat with her eyes squeezed shut because the sound was so gawdawful, and I was just happily blasting down this trail to see where it went. It ended in the water, so then I got to do it again on the way out. The paint was hosed, and I really didn't care.

No pics of that.

But gratuitous Xterra pic!!!!

I know that sound it is like fingers on a chalk board. But have gotten used to it

Looks like you took your mud flaps off too they were a stupid design being hard plastic and begged to be ripped off first time off road. I spend a lot of time on gravel roads I pretty much have to where I live and the tires threw stones on the rocker panels where your mud is. I ended up using black peel and stick non skid to help protect the rockers some. And cover the stone chips LOL, it worked pretty well.