Unobtanium Rear Door Window Rubber

[Whole Hog Tech]

Hey guys,

We are working on some new FJ-55 parts over here at Whole Hog and next on my list is the rear door quarter window rubber - which I am pretty sure is still in the unobtanium category. How many of you would be interested in a set before I start looking for quotes on having them mass produced? (Mass produced for a 55-series of course means having about 22 made...)

Anything else that you guys would like to see available would be good to know too - we are trying to get a few cool products ready for SEMA in November.

www.wholehogtech.com

- Brandon

 

[cruiser_guy]

Here is what is currently available FJ55 Rear Door Fixed Window Rubber, Two Piece Set - SLOCRUISERS

 

[Whole Hog Tech]

Ok - that's a good resource that we were unaware of. Thanks for the link.

 

[PabloCruise]

Hey guys,

We are working on some new FJ-55 parts over here at Whole Hog and next on my list is the rear door quarter window rubber - which I am pretty sure is still in the unobtanium category. How many of you would be interested in a set before I start looking for quotes on having them mass produced? (Mass produced for a 55-series of course means having about 22 made...)

Anything else that you guys would like to see available would be good to know too - we are trying to get a few cool products ready for SEMA in November.

www.wholehogtech.com

- Brandon

Great news! I cannot wait to see what you guys end up developing!!!

 

[Whole Hog Tech]

John over at Slo-cruiser has done at least one run of the rear door fixed window.

Are your gaskets going to have some sort of fade resistance to them?

Also, any chance of doing the gasket between the tail light BASE and body? This is NOT the one that is produced between the lens and body.

You are talking about the gasket indicated here right?

 

[Whole Hog Tech]

Got it. I'm moving the pig into the garage this weekend so I'll pull the tail light body out to see if the gasket is there. I'll take a picture of it if it's there.

 

[nuclearlemon]

definitely interested, but $450/set is way outta my price range. hopefully you can get it done more affordably.

 

[cruiser_guy]

After washing my pig yesterday, you might look into the front door "wing window". That is one I'm considering next... but the $350 is not budgeted for them yet

Also available here FJ55 Vent Window Rubber - SLOCRUISERS



Guys, we can't have folks making the same thing for '55's all over the countryside. There simply isn't enough '55's out there for more than one person/company to make repro parts. Rather than encouraging someone to compete with what's already out there, let's get stuff made up that is NOT available anywhere. The '55's are rare, if we want/need the rubber we're going to need to bend over and take it!

I've been trying to have Paul Pilgrim make up '55 sheet metal (we all know how "easy" that is to find) and he's reluctant to make any because no one wants to pony up the cash for it. '55 parts will NEVER be as cheap as '40 stuff simply because there isn't the demand or volume for it.

Paul has made up the early dash cap for the '55, the one no one else has. I pushed him a little on it because it seemed to have some interest. It's been up in the PPG part of the forum for nearly a month and how many folks are asking about it? One!! How many wanted it before he did the prototype? 10-15 at least. There IS a reason why the stuff is expensive and it's not going to get less expensive when more folks are making the same part for an ever dwindling market. It's not like a supplier is going to run off 20,000 pieces for a '55 to get the economies of scale, and less likely that TWO suppliers would do that. There probably aren't that many '55's left in the whole world, forget about how many owners might want to buy the part!

OK, rant off!

I'd like to see later '55 front signal light bases, '55 sheet metal (I keep hoping I won't have a fender bender because there is NOTHING out there right now) and that sort of thing.

 

[nuclearlemon]

at the same time, to hear about expensive new rubber degrading within a year is very discouraging to say the least. if someone else can make it with better quality great. if someone else can make it cheaper, great. if someone else can do both, awesome. i do see your point charles, but most of us are paycheck to paycheck and can't afford $350 or $450 for a set of wing window gaskets.

btw, i'm working on the later style turn signal bases..just haven't had time to get up to see my guy. hoping he can do it off the metal base that i have cause the only plastic base i have is trashed.

 

[cruiser_guy]

at the same time, to hear about expensive new rubber degrading within a year is very discouraging to say the least. if someone else can make it with better quality great. if someone else can make it cheaper, great. if someone else can do both, awesome. i do see your point charles, but most of us are paycheck to paycheck and can't afford $350 or $450 for a set of wing window gaskets.

btw, i'm working on the later style turn signal bases..just haven't had time to get up to see my guy. hoping he can do it off the metal base that i have cause the only plastic base i have is trashed.

Metal later signal base? Never seen or heard of one.

Agreed, but not likely to happen. If the rubber is poor/degrading then we need to talk to the folks making it and have them improve the quality of the raw materials or whatever. Maybe John over at Slocruisers needs to chat with his supplier and get some UV inhibitor or whatever to make the rubber stand up to the weather better. As for cheaper, I doubt that'll happen.

Remember the axiom, "Cheap, fast, good quality, pick any two!".

 

[Whole Hog Tech]

We don't want to compete with other SBOs in the LandCruiser group either - both because its a small market and because others have invested the time and resources in development.

The 55 we are working on is as rough as many pigs start out. The idea with our build is to generate some parts for it that we can't find available whether rubber, plastic or steel. We'd like to be a good resource for people and their Cruisers.

Because of our companies wide range of engineering projects and resources, hopefully we can address problems that exist such as graying rubber or parts that just don't fit. We get frustrated by the same things as you all do.

 

[cruiser_guy]

We don't want to compete with other SBOs in the LandCruiser group either - both because its a small market and because others have invested the time and resources in development.

The 55 we are working on is as rough as many pigs start out. The idea with our build is to generate some parts for it that we can't find available whether rubber, plastic or steel. We'd like to be a good resource for people and their Cruisers.

Because of our companies wide range of engineering projects and resources, hopefully we can address problems that exist such as graying rubber or parts that just don't fit. We get frustrated by the same things as you all do.

This is my current list https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj55-iron-...otm-cruiser-guy-guatemala-11.html#post5733055

The only thing on that list that I probably cannot find is the rubber for the body at the tailgate, #12 in the picture. The rest will eventually show up or I've seen a work around that should work.

 

[cruiser_guy]

[*]Door handle gaskets that were VERY soft and "fell apart" during install. By this I mean the moment I snugged up the handles, the gasket squirted apart. I did NOT crank on it. I snugged them enough to crush a 6mm lock washer.

My second biggest concern for any piggy part is quality... I'd rather pay 50% more up front rather than have to pay for lower quality twice. To me, part of the quality issue is looks.

I have the same problem with the door gaskets. The OEM ones I had were squished out and when I put in the "new" ones they promptly did the same thing (they were from a guy in Idaho if I remember right). I wasn't happy either but at least there was now something between the paint and door handles of all doors.

I'm with you on quality.

I just don't want to see someone go and put in lots of money and hours to make something that is already being made. I'm sure John over at Slocruisers can do something to change the material for the gaskets WAY cheaper than someone else who'd have to make up molds as well as use the better quality raw materials.

 

[htownfire]

I need any and every seal. I got my pig being painted right now and all the seals were removed. I'll take them all. I understand that you have to pay for good parts. I might only be able to get one at a time. But I am getting tired of hearing everyone trying to get something for noting. This is a expensive hobby. If you want to do something cheep take up origami.

 

[nuclearlemon]

. But I am getting tired of hearing everyone trying to get something for noting. This is a expensive hobby. If you want to do something cheep take up origami.

i understand not being cheap. i was more than happy to pony up the $250 or whatever it was for the rear window rubber and i'll pony up the $220 for the cargo rubbers when i have it, but to have to spend twice that on the tiny 1/4 window rubbers only to hear that other rubber from the same vendor is turning bad in six months? well, i'm way beyond apprehensive. for the price, i will find something else that works. if they were a couple hundred and there weren't issues with quality, that would be another story.

 

[htownfire]

i understand not being cheap. i was more than happy to pony up the $250 or whatever it was for the rear window rubber and i'll pony up the $220 for the cargo rubbers when i have it, but to have to spend twice that on the tiny 1/4 window rubbers only to hear that other rubber from the same vendor is turning bad in six months? well, i'm way beyond apprehensive. for the price, i will find something else that works. if they were a couple hundred and there weren't issues with quality, that would be another story.

Im sorry! I didn't get the part about them going bad in six months. I'd be really upset about that .

 

[cruiser_guy]

The tail light gaskets pictured were bought from SloCruiser 3/30/08... but they turned white before they left FCFab's shop(so over 18 months whitish) While the color SUCKS, they still appear to be in good condition... I haven't poked and prodded them to verify suppleness

John, is it possible that the tail light gaskets still have the mold release on them? That stuff makes the rubber go white-ish too.

 

[cruiser_guy]

How would I get that off if it is still on?

Guessing you could use something like "Armor All" but I don't know for sure. Have you asked John at Slocruisers?

 

[Trollhole]

Charles,
You should know by now that I'm the last guy to complain about the price. I actually find John's price reasonable for all the pieces he has available.

My lament was the fact that the vent gaskets got pushed down my list on the cruiser budget while I fix things twice or three times(clocking the tcase for example just ate $200... fixing the o2 screw up and exhaust leaks ate ~$100... etc)

I've also got two pieces of rubber on my cruiser that I'm far from happy with:

1. Rear tail light lens gaskets that grayed up well within a year. While admittedly the butt of the pig is getting full afternoon/evening sun, the upper tailgate gasket is in good shape with ~6 months on it.
2. Door handle gaskets that were VERY soft and "fell apart" during install. By this I mean the moment I snugged up the handles, the gasket squirted apart. I did NOT crank on it. I snugged them enough to crush a 6mm lock washer.

I can get pictures of both of those here.

I don't have my handy 2" stack of receipts but if I recall right, the tail lens gaskets were John's and the door handle gaskets were someone else's (one off mud item)


My biggest concern is availability. That goes without saying.

My second biggest concern for any piggy part is quality... I'd rather pay 50% more up front rather than have to pay for lower quality twice. To me, part of the quality issue is looks.

X2, amen

I've got the lower tailgate weatherstripping and tail light gaskets from John. I have to say I wasn't impressed for the money I spent. I'm pretty sure both those parts were made from urethane rubber. Which basically has no UV resistance. I bought mine probably 4 years ago and while have never been installed are already showing signs of cracking and falling apart. Most likely I'll be spraying them with a rubber topcoat before install. I think that would help.

The upper tailgate gasket is an extremely high quality piece. I'd pay that price any day. It's just not going to get any better.

I also bought the door handle pads. It was a major waste of money. They would fall apart in my hands and I never even installed them. This is an Item that ought to be made out of plastic. Rubber is great but they really don't need to flex. They just need to be black and stay that way.

 

[Trollhole]

John, is it possible that the tail light gaskets still have the mold release on them? That stuff makes the rubber go white-ish too.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say no that isn't mold release that is the urethane degrading due to UV.