What have you done to your 1st gen Tundra today?

Been working on some sliders I ordered from Hot Metal Fab for our trucks. Im pretty new to welding so its been a fun learning experience teaching myself to cut and weld these suckers up. Ill upload some pics of the progress so far when I get home. So far, they are looking pretty cool.

 

Was able to upload some pics real quick while im at work. I dont know how id get through my day at work without having this forum to check on every hour, haha.

 

Occasionally I get a good idea. I was able to save my bug guard by finding some of those plastic push pins at Advance that were the right size.

 

I actually want one of those... I have them on the tacomas. Can’t find a oem one for the tundra...

 

I'm guessing they don't make them anymore. The way this one installs is creative and it doesn't rub my hood like some do. Mine has a few cracks in it but I'm hoping it continues to last a while.

 

Yea the oem is long gone. My tacomas are setup the same way and they’re in great shape..



Be awesome to find one. I’ve found they work wonders for rock chips. And I just like how they look. Lol

 

Has anyone just done a stripe or full bedliner on the hood? I personally dislike the plastic up front as much as a bra, looks cheap to me. Seems like a truck should be able to take a shot to the nose and be ready for more.

 

Bad weather eats away at the clearcoat over the years and rock chips start happening a lot more often on the freeway without it.

 

My truck came without clearcoat.

 

Okay, that’s a problem.

 

I can see how that would be true. We don’t have any bad weather here. I am thinking through the options on paint though. Just sort of wondering what people have tried. I’ve seen a few bed lined trucks here (doors and fenders). On light colors it doesn’t look horrible. Not sure I can go that far but maybe a dash here and there would make some sense.

 

You could also try the 3M paint protection shields. Right around the headlights and the front bumper get the worst of road rash. It might take a little skill to do it yourself though.

 

Observation tells me it is almost 100% UV damage.

 

It's actually normal. My truck has a single stage paint job(no clearcoat). It's how they came from the factory. It's also why most of the white 1st gens look chalky. It's oxidation that can be buffed out but most people don't know this or don't care.

 

After I painting the cab exterior, I feel pretty confident to go for my hood which has a lot of paint chips. I used the automotivetouchup color match 3 coats and then 3 coats of their 2K clear coat. My mess ups on the cab were:
1. the rattle can dripped in two spots which I think can be mitigated by taking off the hood and painting it while it is in a vertical position
2. I first sanded the clear coat with a DA polisher and it left some pig tails. I think the better approach is just to go at it by hand.

 

Just measured to see how clapped out my rear springs are. From the hub to the fender was 20.5". I averaged both sides because it wasn't perfectly level ground. Looks low in the back to me. Especially since the shell was put on. Good thing mdob sold me his springs! Whenever my knee gets a little better and I get time I need to install the leafs.

I also took a cutoff shot for fun and to motivate me to work on my other headlights and try to sell this set. I'm still really impressed with the budget h1 projectors.

 

Pretty much had to use the snow broom to get the snowy slush off my truck a while ago. It was only shorts weather a couple days ago.

 

Took out fnt passenger door acuator, cleaned/lubed but still have to somewhat slam thu door. Thinking I’ll still order new acuator but I think when they replaced that door 2 yrs ago, they got it slightly out of adjustment.
Prepped for tomorrow's arrival from McGregors....drivers side fnt/rear window trim, RH side steering wheel phone ctrls and few other odds ends ! This fall got me stoked !

 

Yeah. Looks good. I like a forward rake. Still will wait on your full report after some miles. There is a big difference in @Lil Steve 2wd springs for AC and a 4wd spring for AC and then your DC 4wd. They are all made differently (arches and leaf stacks thickness) so each one will ride their own way.

 

I used the same paint company for my rattle cans match. Makes it very easy to do having it all mixed/matched in a can. Pro Tip: Carry a small rag and wipe the nozzle every few sprays to remove the build up from dripping off onto your work. Sometimes I’ll use the backside of my glove to do the same.

 

That came out really well! I need to paint my roof too... any tips you can share?

 

Sand down the old paint really well.
Use quality paint and 2k clear coat.
Wet sand the clear coat by hand gently with 1500 at first.
Watch for drips from the rattle can if you use rattle cans. (That is what I did).

And of course, just watch a bunch of youtube vids beforehand.
I did this outside and it was a little windy actually on the day of painting. I highly suggest using a garage if you have access.

 

Yeah, I should have followed that tip more frequently as I got two areas where the paint dripped from the can. Oh well, the cab is a low risk place to paint as it is hard to see from ground level. When I paint the hood, I will take it off and have it vertical so any drips will fall to the ground.

 

I didn't realize there were different 4x4 springs for the access cab and the double cab. That makes this information way less useful to you.

 

Thats ok. Somebody will be able to use your feedback.

 

Did you have to sand between coats of color paint, or just the clear coat?

 

Thanks

 

I didnt sand btw coats. There seem to be a lot of variations on how to do it. I kept it simple.

 

Yeah. I didn’t sand between coats either. The 1500 up to 3000 grit made the clear coat look its best afterwards. I didn’t do that until a few months later not thinking it would matter. It made a big difference.

I picked a nice weather day with light wind and low humidity. The Lacquer Enamel is quick drying. Multiple light coats is key. The Clear Coat is the trickiest to get right. In my case the CC looks ok. The actual paint underneath looks excellent.

 

You mean like this? If so I believe there's a company in Canada that still sells them but it's pricey with shipping. I can try to dig up the site if this is what you're looking for...