Scored 2006LC w/194K GrayBeard (1 Viewer)

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Sanding.

Before sanding I wanted paint dry as I could get it. So I gave body paint some time in the sun and a week to cure.

Sanding is best way to get level and a smooth surface. But sanding too much is not good, as it can cut through the clear coat, color and primer. So I do this as a final step, before buffing with a cutting compound.

Many sand paper on the market today. Some will flatten clear coat remove orange peal, others will just take out scratches and some do both.

I found the 1,500 grit wet-dry to level and cut away over spray and imperfection, then 2,500 to polish out the 1,500 scratches worked well.
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I wrapped a small piece of sand paper around a small piece of a sanding block I cut off larger block. This way I could keep even pressure and work small areas.
I then spray water onto sand paper. I spray water on washing paper, before each spot I go to work on sanding.

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I also have some Trizact 3,000 grit. But didn't need. It will polish without leveling. They now have grits up to 8,000 WOW.

Here's some spots before wet sanding. You can see the halo over spray.
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Here's some after sanding.
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Cutting compound (AKA: correcting or cut).

Now after about 100 hours of cleaning, inspecting, grinding, painting I'm ready to cut the paint.

As I work and area ~2'X2" with DA buffer and my 5" & 3" micro fiber cut pads and correcting compound. I wipe, clay and sand as needed to reduce buffing time. The cut takes out the 2,500 grit sanding scratch with relative ease. The 2,500 grit wetdry sand paper, is so fine, it's more of a polish than a paint remover. I hit deep scratch with 1,500 than follow with the 2,500 and than cut the area.
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As I cut, I find more chips to work. So at start of next days buffing. I begin with chip grinding and painting, areas already cut with DA buffer. Let epoxy cure and level and paint next day. Than next day, level and sand new color/clear coat.

The color is not matching well, as it's to light in chips. It may darken a little over time with sun and age. It's fine from 20 foot. But depending on angle i's lighter color is visible at 5 foot. This is par of any chip repair. Again, goal is to protect.

But is is looking good. 3 days of cutting and more to go before waxing body and dressing rubber (second time).

New LAND CRUISER badge install on rear hatch and paints been cut.
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Today I'll sand & cut the few chips repairs painted yesterday. Then work the black paint areas. The black single stage (no clear coat) so I reduce speed, pressure and time of/with DA.
 
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Headlight plastic lens reconditioning.

#3 makes a kit for recondition & polishing plastic lens. It works very well. Once done the lens need UV protection. I do this by simply waxing. But a lens clear wrap film, is a good long term option. They can help protect from rock chip and yellowing for UV.

3M lens kit
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After
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Before
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Seem I didn't mention these pink clip inserts. They get old and brittle, so I replaced them.
PN # 76519-60010 Clip front panel.
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Carpet stain removal, finished up.

Not 100% but nearly all stains out. After using every thing I had. I used the secret weapon "Unique". It requires the carpet be free of any cleaning soaps residue or whatever. The Unique is mix with warm water and area heavily wetted with solution. Than clean white moist cotton towel lied on top and left overnight or longer seems best. I did two application.

I work in building up lather.
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Cutting black paint and plastic.

Before waxing I cut the black with cutting compound. Care must be take on the window black frame of doors. The paint does not have a clear coat and can easily be burned through.

I turn my DA buffer speed down, from ~5K RPM used on body paint cutting to ~3.5K. I only give 2 frim passes and two light passes. I do same on roof rack.

Pic to follow in finals.
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Waxing, next up.

Waxing is so easy and only takes about 5 hours. The 100 hours I spent on paint was so I can could wax. Wax protect the paint. It also protects the headlight from UV rays to a point.

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I hit the parking lights with my DA & 3" cut pads & compound than waxed. Look good I'd say. Some I do pull and use 3M kit.
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Grill.

Grill just had to many cracks and busted clip brackets to be one I'd keep. Typically if stained or pitted I just consider the patina. I could have recondition and painted. But decided to just get a new OEM grill.


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Hood weather seal, front.

Remove front seal front detailing and chip repairs is often helpful. As the chip or rust in them, can run under the seal. But the clips tend to bust. So I just replace the clips.

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Windshield molding.

Many of you have you seen me install the windshield (WS) molding time and time again. I do not let WS installers do this job. As very few will or can do right. I just had this WS removed and installed. Then sent installer on his way. I've no doubt it was the fastest Land Cruiser job he'd ever done!

I used OEM rivets in this case. Which are aluminum rivets with a plastic sleeve. It had SS wood or sheet metal screws in it, that when installed cut away factory paint from holes. This exposed bare metal and enlarged the holes just a tad. In this case no rust "yet". I used POR-15 to paint and build up each hole, or rather make hole smaller. It worked very well. I added the POR-15 and then checked fitment of rivets adding more POR-15 until I had a good fit. Had holes been too large, I would've gone to oversize rivets
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The lower molding & weather strip clips were in bad condition. So I replaced them all.
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Checking for air & water leaks.

I used the shop vac leaf blower function to pressurize cabin. Along with windshield spray can cleaners foam, to spot leaks.



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No air bubbles or holes spotted in foam sprayed around windshield. Very happy, as I did not want a reinstall of windshield. Which if leaks is found, is the cure. A leak could be in "A" pillar at rivet holes also, but no leaks found.
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However I did find one at 3rd brake-light slug. This is a very common leak spot. I had spotted a very minor water spot trial on inside of rear glass. The foam test confirmed.
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I've seen brand new Dealership 3rd's leak. So I get out my butyl and strip old seal and reseal.
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I'll need to re test.
 
Final inspection & punch list.

Checked the history and did not find the Timing belt tensioner being replaced. It may of just not hit the list of parts used. So decide to pull it and take a look. Rubber boot was brittle, a signs that tell me it is factory originals at minimum very old.. The first test is visual for oil seal leak. This one was just a tiny bit oily, not bad. Bad I had a used one in top condition I decided to install.
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After blow dirt out.
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The coolant pink crust is just spillage, not a leak.
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IG key & starter hang in crank (start) mode.

I only had 1 master key. So I ordered a new salve key (Transmitter, Trans key) I only had to give my parts guy at Toyota Dealership the VIN #. He than had key cut and ready for me, for ~$25. Great deal really. I wanted a new key for spare. I only needed to register the key into immobilizer, which is easy when master available.
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I'm have just a tiny bit of starter hang. That is, sometimes when I start it's like key still held in start position. It happens about 1 out of 5 times on start up. Most would not notice the hang, since when it happens, it's only for a moment. Once or twice it hung for almost a second. I've not run into this before. It could be the IG key cylinder hanging or could be starter issue. I suppose it could be electrical as in relay or ECM. But it did not do this before replacing starter. So indication is it's the starter, as it was the only change.

Last thing I want to do is replace the starter again, then find it makes no difference. So I started with new key and cleaning IG key cylinder. I've never cleaned the cylinder before. I was very surprised at how much metal and grim came out.

Removing cylinder is easy. One just needs a working key. With the 06 LC it has a little button on top. Once key turned to ACC, just press button and pull on key, cylinders than comes out.
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I used HP air to blow cylinder out after flushing with the contact cleaner I had on hand. I then oiled and blew out oil with HP air. Graphite would probably been a better choice, but I didn't have any on hand. So blowing oil back out, just left a thin film in cylinder.

New key and cleaning did not seem to make a difference in starter hang. It was less frequently hanging. But perhaps that just the starter loosening up. I'll keep starting and hunting cause for a few weeks. Then will see! Perhaps it will loosen up IDK!
 
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Thanks for taking the time to post details of your rehab process. Invaluable to som like me. You can be familiar with the tools and concepts, but that pales in comparison to seeing someone walk through the process, and most importantly, seeing their methods.
 
Cross-member & Skid transfer case.

The transfer case skid was missing. Likely someone remove thinking necessary to drain transfer case, it's not! Whatever the reason, they bust 2 of the 3 bolts. If only 1 of the 3 busted, many will reattach skid. With 2 missing, skid will not hold well. I end up replace the cross-member, with one that doesn't have bolts busted in it.

It's best to support transfer case while pulling cross-member.
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Replacement in place.
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Rear fan button.

I rear fan button on console, was worked intermittently. May have been from lack of use. I ended up pulling the NAV unit. At bottom of the NAV assembly, is a separated circuit board. The fan button presses on a very small rubber or silicone cap. Inside the cap is a contact. I pulled the cap and use electric contact cleaner to spray clean contract the caps make contact with. I use medium pressure air to blow away cleaner before it dried. Getting the cap seated properly back on the circuit board is a bit tricky, but doable..
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Seems cleaning worked. As switch now is working on every push.
Sorry I did not get any pictures. Her's 2 pic I found in mud of the cap (blue) and contacts.
I removed the cap and sprayed the contacts while in place on the board.
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DVD headrest.

I do not like these DVD players in 100 series. At best they are installed at port depot or Dealerships, once in USA (not factory installed). Why I do not like:
Installers damage interior installing.
Installers cut into factory wiring.
Old tech.
Older lower res LCD. Most have better on smart phone or tablet.
Often head rest flop around which is inconvenient at best safest issue at worst.
The often cause a parasitic battery drain.

So I removed all wiring and electronics of the system, in prep for headrest replacement. Finding headrest is a waiting game. Toyota or Lexus has two colors gray & tan. The will vary in shades, but not all that much. Each row is a different size, with fronts the largest. I just watch for parts rigs in my area, and pick up a set when available. With all the guts now out. The DVD headrest just need pulling out and replaced placed back in their place.

I took my time to trace points DVD wiring was spliced into factory wiring. I was happy that DVD wiring was not connected into audio wiring of factory system.

What a mess of wiring. I even found 3 boxes stuck up under the ashtray area, one keeping ashtray from closing.
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No more mess.
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Done!

Other than installing factory floor mats, giving starter some time to see if the "crank hang" goes away and more test driving for issues. I'm done. Over 300 hundred hours hand on work. Is it prefect no. Will it need ongoing PM, YES! Will stuff break, likely. But it's now as close to showroom fresh as one can reasonable get too. It's IMHO better shape than any shop I know can could get it in and looks better too.

It's now out of shop and ready to be driven. I took a 250 miles drive through the mountains and it perform beautifully. Some poser pic.
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Picture show what they call the 20 foot rule. Closeup depending on lighting and angles, poor color match of repaired chips in paint, becomes apparent.
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New windshield and it's molding came out nice.
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Exceptional work as always Paul!
 

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