Very cool. We did 265s because they were less expensive because it's such a common size.
Project Blueberry (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter lowtops
- Start date
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- Thread starter
- #22
I took some time over the holidays to remove the roof rack, check for any rust issues (no rust!), and get the rails powder coated. The turn around time for the powder coater was, again, less than 24 hours.
I had the two side rails and two cross bars powder coated.
Before/After
Of course that meant that all of the plastic/rubber parts had to be removed and cleaned up. That sent me down the rabbit hole of trying to find a good plastic restore product. I looked at several different types of plastic restore products including the Penetrol Flood product suggested by @joyRidaz, I settled on Solution Finish.
Solution Finish is plastic dye and not just an oil based shine product. I thought with the age and lack of care over the years that dying the plastic would be a good start and maybe a regular plastic restore product could be used to maintain the plastic once it has been dyed.
Overall I'm reasonably happy with the results. It's not as dramatic of a difference as I was expecting but still looks good and the semi-gloss finish matches the powder coated parts. Some different prep techniques of the plastic before hand may increase level of dye acceptance by the plastic. I washed and scrubbed all of the plastic parts throughly. Apparently the caps for the feet of the rack were painted a dark grey which looks like faded/chalky black at this age, the painted parts took the black dye well and looks good.
Before/After
Rack Installed
Windshield replacement is next on the list, parts are on the way.
I had the two side rails and two cross bars powder coated.
Before/After
Of course that meant that all of the plastic/rubber parts had to be removed and cleaned up. That sent me down the rabbit hole of trying to find a good plastic restore product. I looked at several different types of plastic restore products including the Penetrol Flood product suggested by @joyRidaz, I settled on Solution Finish.
Solution Finish is plastic dye and not just an oil based shine product. I thought with the age and lack of care over the years that dying the plastic would be a good start and maybe a regular plastic restore product could be used to maintain the plastic once it has been dyed.
Overall I'm reasonably happy with the results. It's not as dramatic of a difference as I was expecting but still looks good and the semi-gloss finish matches the powder coated parts. Some different prep techniques of the plastic before hand may increase level of dye acceptance by the plastic. I washed and scrubbed all of the plastic parts throughly. Apparently the caps for the feet of the rack were painted a dark grey which looks like faded/chalky black at this age, the painted parts took the black dye well and looks good.
Before/After
Rack Installed
Windshield replacement is next on the list, parts are on the way.
I have had good results bringing back black plastic pieces with either a heat gun or propane torch.
@roadstr6 thats awesome to hear, I kept reading and watching stuff on the interwebs about restoring plastic with heat…. I sadly had two failed attempts, probably user or tool choice error(Hf heatgun)…. I was pretty scared and skeptical so I probably did not use enough heat or something.
@lowtops that product u usedblooks great! Thanks for sharing
- Thread starter
- #25
I have seen several videos of this process and there are always comments about how this technique doesn’t last long and/or degrades the plastic causing the fading to come back quicker.
I have never tried this technique, mostly because I would probably end up with a ball of plastic that used to be in the shape of a mud flap.
- Thread starter
- #26
The front leather seats in this cruiser had seen better days, the second and third row are serviceable. The passenger front had numerous splits, the driver seat had a softball size hole in the seat bottom and both seats had taken on a light blue hue in the thigh areas of the seat bottoms. I think the blue color is from years of wearing jeans on the seats and was transferring color. 
Seat covers like the neoprene style or canvas were not an option for me. They don't seem to ever fit right and are just a band-aid.
I researched all of the leather replacement options and there seems to be some kind of issue with each one, from "cheap" leather to bad customer service.
I looked around for a local auto upholstery shop and found one less than five minutes from my house. I went by there in December and let them look at the seats and got a quote, it wasn't cheap and Christmas was approaching so I held off. Then, I was at a March Madness party and met a guy with a 62 that had his cruiser restored at TLC which he said was located in the same business park as the upholstery shop but Google has them located in Harrisburg. Apparently TLC, which I didn't know existed, uses this upholstery shop when needed. I don't much about TLC, maybe you guys have heard of them. Kind of cool having a cruiser shop close by the house though.
I decided to have the leather replaced on the seats and the day I drove over to the upholstery shop I see a sweet 80 series, black with gold wheels, lifted, roof rack, bumpers, etc. being test driven around the business park. No other signs of cruisers at the business so I didn't stop in.
Anyway, on to the seats. I'm very happy with the results. The color of the leather is slightly lighter than the original leather and the difference can be seen on the center console arm rest. But the leather is an exact match for the plastic console and other plastic trim pieces in the 100 so it doesn't really stick out. The craftsmanship is excellent, the leather is tight with no puckering. They beefed up the foam on the seat bolster and arm rest.
So much more enjoyable to drive and the smell is awesome.
No before pics of the seats unfortunately.
Twenty years of crud, I found $2.53 though
After cleaning the carpet. I could go over and over this carpet forever it seems and still get brown liquid out.
Seat covers like the neoprene style or canvas were not an option for me. They don't seem to ever fit right and are just a band-aid.
I researched all of the leather replacement options and there seems to be some kind of issue with each one, from "cheap" leather to bad customer service.
I looked around for a local auto upholstery shop and found one less than five minutes from my house. I went by there in December and let them look at the seats and got a quote, it wasn't cheap and Christmas was approaching so I held off. Then, I was at a March Madness party and met a guy with a 62 that had his cruiser restored at TLC which he said was located in the same business park as the upholstery shop but Google has them located in Harrisburg. Apparently TLC, which I didn't know existed, uses this upholstery shop when needed. I don't much about TLC, maybe you guys have heard of them. Kind of cool having a cruiser shop close by the house though.
I decided to have the leather replaced on the seats and the day I drove over to the upholstery shop I see a sweet 80 series, black with gold wheels, lifted, roof rack, bumpers, etc. being test driven around the business park. No other signs of cruisers at the business so I didn't stop in.
Anyway, on to the seats. I'm very happy with the results. The color of the leather is slightly lighter than the original leather and the difference can be seen on the center console arm rest. But the leather is an exact match for the plastic console and other plastic trim pieces in the 100 so it doesn't really stick out. The craftsmanship is excellent, the leather is tight with no puckering. They beefed up the foam on the seat bolster and arm rest.
So much more enjoyable to drive and the smell is awesome.
No before pics of the seats unfortunately.
Twenty years of crud, I found $2.53 though
After cleaning the carpet. I could go over and over this carpet forever it seems and still get brown liquid out.
- Thread starter
- #28
It's been a minute, time for an update.
Since the Hurricane Creek trip I have been using the 100 as a second vehicle and use the Taco exclusively for work.
The week prior to HC I had a new head unit installed since the factory head unit gave up the ghost a long time ago and my daughter was tired of my singing. CarPlay is awesome and having a bigger screen for navigation is nice too.
Next up was the center console arm rest latch. Without a working latch the arm rest lid will hang open a few inches and fly open when you step on it. I have tried velcro, which turns into a sticky mess in the heat, and rare earth magnets, which were stronger than my adhesive, until I finally found a thread on MUD about it. Turns out an early 2000's Camry has the same latch.
To get the latch out of the Camry lid and into the 100 arm rest some Dremel work is required. I felt so good about my notches lining up when the latch was separate from the lid. They did not line so well.
Latch looks good.
The lid did not turn out as well.
Good thing it's hidden for the most part and more importantly it works now.
Since the Hurricane Creek trip I have been using the 100 as a second vehicle and use the Taco exclusively for work.
The week prior to HC I had a new head unit installed since the factory head unit gave up the ghost a long time ago and my daughter was tired of my singing. CarPlay is awesome and having a bigger screen for navigation is nice too.
Next up was the center console arm rest latch. Without a working latch the arm rest lid will hang open a few inches and fly open when you step on it. I have tried velcro, which turns into a sticky mess in the heat, and rare earth magnets, which were stronger than my adhesive, until I finally found a thread on MUD about it. Turns out an early 2000's Camry has the same latch.
To get the latch out of the Camry lid and into the 100 arm rest some Dremel work is required. I felt so good about my notches lining up when the latch was separate from the lid. They did not line so well.
Latch looks good.
The lid did not turn out as well.
Good thing it's hidden for the most part and more importantly it works now.
- Thread starter
- #29
I saved the best for last. This windshield has been cracked for the better part of 10 years and had formed bubbles along the crack. I should have replaced it a long time ago but my insurance wouldn't pay for Toyota glass I was worried about issues with improper installation from stories I have heard. I bought the trim pieces, gaskets, and rivets awhile back and finally pulled the trigger on Toyota glass. I found an independent auto glass shop, Wilsons Auto Glass, that assured me they knew about the potential issues and would install properly. No wind noise after installation and they used the rivets, apparently some shops use sheet metal screws instead of rivets.
Before
After
Before
After
