Land Cruiser heaven restoration and build thread (1 Viewer)

[Joshuak172]

Anyone had any work done at lch? I know there are plenty of threads about their leather seat covers and the reviews both positive and negative but it seems there are a fair amount of LC restoration work going on there. Has anyone here had any work done on a 100 series there? I plan on turning this post into a review and build thread of the work they do on mine.

As she sits now. Just ticked over 180k miles and running fairly well. I bought it from a single owner in md with around 125k miles in early 2020. It has had all the usual maintenance done to it and a fair amount of preventative maintenance. It’s still needs an interior refresh including seats, steering wheel, carpets, etc. the exterior isn’t in too bad of shape but the frame definitely needs some love and the front and rear bumpers need replacing following a deee impact and a few dings in the rear per my wife. Also may consider giving her a French paint job. Finally, there are a few vibrations that hav be consistently bothered me despite all the suspension refresh which I’m really hoping they can track down.

 

[SteveH]

If you don't know a repair shop well, give them small, well-defined tasks at first. Don't hand them a pile of money (or permission) and hope for the best.

 

[excessive]

whats your budget for the interior refresh?

 

[Joshuak172]

Quick update: I ordered an Ironman front bumper and asfir skid plates. I’m not decided which rear bumper to get yet. Victory has a pretty good sale going on now but I really like the way dissent has put theirs together and also the integration of the 7pin into the bumper is a nice touch. I have broken the seven pin bracket twice now.

On the topic of LCH, I dropped off my lc last week. I spoke to one of the mechanics who as very nice and gave me an impromptu tour of the facility. Lots of great stuff they have there. joelle, who seems to be in charge of coordinating service wasn’t there but I was told on a previous call that there would be a thorough inspection followed by an email documenting any deficiencies along with pictures and suggested repairs/improvements. Well, after not hearing from her after dropping it off last Wednesday I called her on Monday. I was told i would get a call back with a status update by the end of the day but nothing happened. I waited until today to call back and was told I would again hear back by the end of the day as the report was waiting to be translated but I was disappointed again to not hear anything by the end of the day. I had high hopes for this facility to get my truck back into top shape for the next 200k but I’m starting to lose confidence before we even get started. We will see if anything changes before the end of the week and if not I will plan on picking it up Friday and coming up with a new game plan.

 

[Zuberg]

I have zero experience with LCH, but if you need an alternative, I highly recommend OTRAMM in Bealeton VA. Ryan and Cody are honest, knowledgeable and know these trucks very well. He also does a comprehensive bumper to bumper evaluation that is tops anything else I've seen. Like seriously, who else tests brake fluid water content as part of their courtesy inspection? Great guy, cool shop and a parking lot full of cruisers.

 

[Joshuak172]

Well, I have to say I was a little disappointed in their comprehensive inspection. Although they did a decent inspection and evaluation of the engine there was clearly no driving evaluation as they didn’t mention vibration while braking or even address my main concern which is a vibration at highway speeds.

They did give me a quote for interior refresh including leathers/carpet and a number for rust correction on the frame. While the interior number seemed reasonable the price on the frame was about 4x what I was quoted elsewhere. their service manager states the frame rust correction includes steam cleaning, wire wheel, sand blast, and two coats of frame paint followed by a final coating of POR15.

This definitely seems like a lot of shop hours I am just curious what thoughts are on this sort of rust correction, Worth it? my frame has a whole bunch of surface rust with some chipping in one common spot where the rear cross member meets the frame. Thoughts?

 

[kevgentile]

I'd say to consider knocking the frame work out by yourself to save a lot of labor time and money.
It isn't skilled labor and takes just a few simple tools and patience. I wouldn't use POR15, too expensive and 50/50 results.
There are more affordable and better products to use. I've done a lot of rust work over the last 30 years.

 

[kevgentile]

In regards to the frame work. Another reason for a diy is labor rate. Are they charging body or mechanical rates?
The price is typically very different and most of these "we do it all" shops will charge a mechanical rate which now a days typically runs on average $175 in the dc metro area. Our shop rate is $199!

 

[Joshuak172]

In regards to the frame work. Another reason for a diy is labor rate. Are they charging body or mechanical rates?
The price is typically very different and most of these "we do it all" shops will charge a mechanical rate which now a days typically runs on average $175 in the dc metro area. Our shop rate is $199!

$150/hr. Would love to do it myself but don’t have a lift or the time unfortunately

 

[kevgentile]

$150/hr. Would love to do it myself but don’t have a lift or the time unfortunately

A lift isn't a necessity but I can understand if the free time isn't available. I did all the chassis metal work on my T1N sprinter while on jack stands. It had it's hurdles but I was able to park it, set it up, and work when I could. Must of had 100 hours of cutting, grinding, welding, and painting. That was just the chassis work.

At $150 an hour I hope they give you the results you're looking for. I can't imagine spending less than 15 hours on it.

Best of luck, hope to see the final product.

 

[ChiefKeef]

Land Cruiser Heaven is about 5 minutes from my house, and based on a past experience with a friends 40 series, their lack of actual transparency, and the fact that the place always "looks" like it has stuff going on but very few projects come out in a timely matter---nah. They will never touch my LC for anything. If you do choose to go with them, like a previous reply said, start very very small and good luck with them.

 

[Joshuak172]

Land Cruiser Heaven is about 5 minutes from my house, and based on a past experience with a friends 40 series, their lack of actual transparency, and the fact that the place always "looks" like it has stuff going on but very few projects come out in a timely matter---nah. They will never touch my LC for anything. If you do choose to go with them, like a previous reply said, start very very small and good luck with them.

Thanks for the reply. I think I have all the info I need, going to pick it up and do things one by one. There is appeal to a One stop shop where they handle everything but not worth the headache from what I can tell.

 

[kevgentile]

Thanks for the reply. I think I have all the info I need, going to pick it up and do things one by one. There is appeal to a One stop shop where they handle everything but not worth the headache from what I can tell.

Not all The "one stop shops" are as they seem. We do a lot of sublet work for a nearby shop. They are one of the best in the country for Porsche, Audi, and Lexus collision repair but they often miss the mark on the mechanical side of it.

I'd say doing a little at a time is the best approach for now and if you use LCH to start off at least you'll get a good idea of what to expect over time. Big long term projects are often set aside and worked on around the general service jobs. During a busy season they may not touch a long termer for a few weeks. Even our shop experiences this problem when we're building air-cooled 911 engines. They often take 2 years just because we're a small staff with enough routine service to keep the days occupied.