Roof Rack Delete

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I just applied my first light coat of primer. I was going to do two or three coats of primer. Then paint. How long do you think I should wait between applications? 30 minutes?
 
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what type of primer are you using? I had a rattle can that said 30 minutes was fine for recoating and then something else for sanding and smoothing.
 
Actually, it dries super-quick. I’m going to give it another 5 min, then apply paint. If you let it sit, you also run the risk of getting it dirty.

  • Dupli-Color Primer/Filler
  • Dupli-Color “Perfect Match” Toyota Beige Metallic
  • Dupli-Color “Perfect Match” Clear Coat
 
Thanks for sharing this. I shall use the same approach.:beer: Never thought about keeping the rails. Assuming they dont interfere with any/some/most potential racks in the future? I dont really want one currently but if I can leave them on and be able to install a rack at some point over the rails it would be good information. Thanks again.
 
Thanks for sharing this. I shall use the same approach.:beer: Never thought about keeping the rails. Assuming they dont interfere with any/some/most potential racks in the future? I dont really want one currently but if I can leave them on and be able to install a rack at some point over the rails it would be good information. Thanks again.

No sweat! I'm not going to mess with the rails yet, just because the rack removal is a bunch of work. Maybe down the line.

But my truck barely fits in the garage with the roof rack on. And I knew they were a rust liability. So I decided to pull them.
 
The first one is painted. Color match isn’t great, but it’s better than the rusty mess that was there previously. Plus, it on the roof. No one will ever see it.

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Three more to go. Then nutserts after it cures.
 
I just finished deleting my factory roof rack and patching up holes with new SS hardware. I am fortunate enough my rig is a AZ car and zero rust around the bolt holes. The only problem i had was 3 out of 8 nutserts were spinning freely and i was able to remove the factory screw by gently apply upward force on the factory rack and unscrew at the same time, and it worked. I ended up using a nutsert tool to pull the existing loose nutsert closer to the sheet metal and stop them from spinning. Then i use a combination of EPDM washers, stainless steel M5 bolts and SS finished washer and 3m sealant to finish off. I didnt get a chance to deal with the paint chips caused by the factory roof rack feet, but most likely just plasti dip around the area for additional waterproofing.
 
The first one is painted. Color match isn’t great, but it’s better than the rusty mess that was there previously. Plus, it on the roof. No one will ever see it.

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Three more to go. Then nutserts after it cures.

Looks pretty good! At least it will be functionally sound and like you say, nobody will ever see it. If you need to do any more touch-up in areas that will be more visible, I would look into getting the paint code matched rattle can like I mentioned earlier.
 
Looks pretty good! At least it will be functionally sound and like you say, nobody will ever see it. If you need to do any more touch-up in areas that will be more visible, I would look into getting the paint code matched rattle can like I mentioned earlier.

That’s an excellent idea.

This is one of those utilitarian projects. If it were in a more visible area, I wouldn’t even attempt it.
 
That’s an excellent idea.

This is one of those utilitarian projects. If it were in a more visible area, I wouldn’t even attempt it.
I wouldn't sell yourself short though if the need to do more touch-up arises. I can tell that you are a pretty smart guy that takes a methodical and meticulous approach to doing things. Body work is certainly an art, but if you do your research and work on your skills, you might surprise yourself with what you can do with the right prep work, masking technique and a rattle can of exact match paint. You could practice on trying to revive the clear coat on that Tacoma you posted earlier.

I had one of the city's trees shed a large branch and fall on my little Tacoma last summer. I only had it insured with liability coverage so my only option was to try to get the city to pay the $3000 to get it fixed. By the time it became clear that wasn't going to happen, it was already November and I ended up just doing a home job to repair it. It's by no means perfect and I will likely go back and do a little more filler work and paint the whole roof and hood when I install a new(used) one this spring. It looks OK though and I was doing it in less than ideal conditions with temps in the low 40s. Paying someone $3000 out of pocket to fix a $4500 truck just wasn't worth it to me. The paint I used was identical to the original color, but the truck had already had some work done prior to my owning it and it the color they used was off. That's why the roof is a poor match.

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I wouldn't sell yourself short though if the need to do more touch-up arises. I can tell that you are a pretty smart guy that takes a methodical and meticulous approach to doing things. Body work is certainly an art, but if you do your research and work on your skills, you might surprise yourself with what you can do with the right prep work, masking technique and a rattle can of exact match paint. You could practice on trying to revive the clear coat on that Tacoma you posted earlier.

I had one of the city's trees shed a large branch and fall on my little Tacoma last summer. I only had it insured with liability coverage so my only option was to try to get the city to pay the $3000 to get it fixed. By the time it became clear that wasn't going to happen, it was already November and I ended up just doing a home job to repair it. It's by no means perfect and I will likely go back and do a little more filler work and paint the whole roof and hood when I install a new(used) one this spring. It looks OK though and I was doing it in less than ideal conditions with temps in the low 40s. Paying someone $3000 out of pocket to fix a $4500 truck just wasn't worth it to me. The paint I used was identical to the original color, but the truck had already had some work done prior to my owning it and it the color they used was off. That's why the roof is a poor match.

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Looking good! Sucks about the tree though.
 
Looking good! Sucks about the tree though.
Meh, whaddya gonna do? It is too bad though. The truck is pretty much mint other than that. It's from AZ and still 100% rust free since I have been coating it with Fluid Film and bar chain oil twice per year in the five years I have had it up here. It's also a rare model for here. Toyota didn't market the extended cab, 2WD, five speeds in the north. There are very, very few around up here and mine is by far the nicest one that I have seen. It's a work truck now though, after the accident.
 
Yes, it's always needed. It not only "inhibits" rust, but it gives the primer something extra to hang on to.
 
Yes, it's always needed. It not only "inhibits" rust, but it gives the primer something extra to hang on to.
I am not sure about that. I would be worried about the metal having rust on the underside, but what he had there was pretty clean and the good primers will hold on that. I haven't had any paint peeling or bubbling on parts that looked as clean as what Will had there, but the underside could make something crop up in the future.
 
For those of you who have eliminated the Factory Roof Rack, do any of you still have yours stored somewhere? Mine is missing 2 end caps (mostly the part that covers the bolts/spacers) and is in pretty rough shape. So, I'm looking for a whole new one or some parts at least. If so, please PM me. Thx!
 

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