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Tailgate letter inserts question... and sad photo

Discussion in '3rd Gen. Tacomas (2016-2023)' started by Winston, Jun 4, 2019.

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  1. Jun 4, 2019 at 12:38 PM
    #1
    Winston

    #1
    Winston [OP] Member

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    Tornado damaged Tacomas at a dealer, damaged during the recent tornado outbreaks.

    [​IMG]

    My question came up after seeing these and wanting raised tailgate letter inserts. I'd appreciate brand suggestions, comments on durability, fading issues, anodized metal vs plastic, surface prep suggestions to help to make sure they don't fall off (like remove wax?), OEM version (if it exists) vs. 3rd party, etc.
     
    Winston, Jun 4, 2019
    #1
  2. Jun 4, 2019 at 12:48 PM
    #2
    paleh0rse

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    paleh0rse Well-Known Member

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    paleh0rse, Jun 4, 2019
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    cmntaco, Bluetruckbryan and Pro-Taco like this.
  3. Jun 4, 2019 at 12:50 PM
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    HankP

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    HankP Well-Known Member

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    Apparently the ones applied by the dealer will not "blow off" and can withstand Tornado force winds.
     
    HankP, Jun 4, 2019
    #3
    PaulDuB, RtacomaN, Superdave1.0 and 16 others like this.
  4. Jun 4, 2019 at 12:55 PM
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    OMGitsme

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    OMGitsme Well-Known Member

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    OMGitsme, Jun 4, 2019
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    paleh0rse[QUOTED] likes this.
  5. Jun 4, 2019 at 12:57 PM
    #5
    Airborne22

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    Airborne22 It's tough being a trophy husband

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    Airborne22, Jun 4, 2019
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  6. Jun 4, 2019 at 1:01 PM
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    jmauvais

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    jmauvais Received 2 votes in a poll one time.

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    ...stuff
    I have the eye catchers. I washed the truck, then cleaned the area with isopropyl alcohol, let it dry, and threw the plastic decals in. Super quick and easy, and hold up really well. I used to have vinyl ones that were also great, I just wanted the thicker ones in the end
     
    jmauvais, Jun 4, 2019
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  7. Jun 4, 2019 at 1:02 PM
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    Winston

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    Winston [OP] Member

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    LOL, believe it or not that is EXACTLY why I brought up a possible OEM version. I know some dealers including mine install 3rd party accessories, so I wondered if there's an OEM version and if it may be somehow superior to 3rd party stuff.
     
    Winston, Jun 4, 2019
    #7
  8. Jun 4, 2019 at 1:03 PM
    #8
    Tacowin1013

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    Tacowin1013 Well-Known Member

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    Ouch! I bet it'll buff right out
     
    Tacowin1013, Jun 4, 2019
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  9. Jun 4, 2019 at 1:04 PM
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    ICU1

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    ICU1 Well-Known Member

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    Hands down the best company for this is TufSkinz.
    Use RobMotive10 for a 10% discount.
     
    ICU1, Jun 4, 2019
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  10. Jun 4, 2019 at 1:15 PM
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    Pro-Taco

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    Pro-Taco Well-Known Member

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    Pro-Taco, Jun 4, 2019
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  11. Jun 4, 2019 at 1:16 PM
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    drewskie

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    drewskie Well-Known Member

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    Damn, at least 5 brand new Tacomas totaled.
     
    drewskie, Jun 4, 2019
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  12. Jun 4, 2019 at 1:18 PM
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    Steemax

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    Steemax Well-Known Member

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    I just have the OEM ones I had purchased from a dealership selling on Amazon. No complaints although it was pricey at $141 but it also came with the OEM black emblem covers.
     
    Steemax, Jun 4, 2019
    #12
  13. Jun 4, 2019 at 1:36 PM
    #13
    Tehkoema

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    Tehkoema Well-Known Member

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    Bet you $5 that dealer "knows a guy" who can buff those babies out good as new.
     
    Tehkoema, Jun 4, 2019
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  14. Jun 4, 2019 at 1:38 PM
    #14
    Pro-Taco

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    Pro-Taco Well-Known Member

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    Where is the fifth one hiding? :D
     
    Pro-Taco, Jun 4, 2019
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  15. Jun 4, 2019 at 1:56 PM
    #15
    jsinnard

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    jsinnard Well-Known Member

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    Another vote for the Eyecatcher, have had them on for about 8 months, the truck stays outside 24/7 and they still look great.
    20190327_135449.jpg 20190327_135500.jpg
     
    jsinnard, Jun 4, 2019
    #15
  16. Jun 4, 2019 at 2:02 PM
    #16
    mhowe441

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    mhowe441 Well-Known Member

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    Seven Sparta 3D Raised Tailgate Letters for Tacoma 2016 2017 2018 Zinc Alloy Emblem Inserts (Matte Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H2W22RT/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_2TT9Cb74SNTY5

    My ole lady got these for me for xmas. Awesome quality just like the Eyecatcher one. I assume it comes from the same manufacturer just sold under a different name....I used isopropyl alcohol to clean the surface and made sure it was dry and applied. 2 min to install and you gain about 0.5hp per letter. Lol
     
    mhowe441, Jun 4, 2019
    #16
    Ononamiss likes this.
  17. Jun 4, 2019 at 2:10 PM
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    Silver16v

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    Silver16v Well-Known Member

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    I went with the TufSkinz and love them. Hold up well and look great!
     
    Silver16v, Jun 4, 2019
    #17
    hrivera007 likes this.
  18. Jun 4, 2019 at 4:23 PM
    #18
    ShirtTucker

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    ShirtTucker Taco Tip Line: 248-434-5508

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    ShirtTucker, Jun 4, 2019
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  19. Jun 5, 2019 at 10:21 AM
    #19
    Winston

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    Winston [OP] Member

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    Thanks. I'll wade through all of those if needed to hopefully get answers to what I most want to know which I failed to make clear in my first post.

    My truck is parked outdoors a LOT and I live at a high altitude where UV can be brutal. Anyone have any experience with long-term sun exposure of either raised plastic or raised metal tailgate lettering? That's what I'm mainly interested in.

    Also, if they do degrade, how do you get them off to replace them without damaging the truck's paint? IF that's easy to do, I'm not as concerned about letter longevity as I'll just replace them.

    Keyword searches about tailgate lettering here are difficult - the messages are within a huge topic category, 3rd Gen. Tacomas (2016+), and the keyword choices I've used don't return much. Here's ONE I found using the keywords "tailgate letters life":

    https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/looking-for-thicker-tailgate-letters.423868/#post-12114308

    "They are not cheap, but they are OEM quality emblems that will last the life of the truck..."

    OEM part number for their matte black plastic version found on a dealer parts page:

    https://www.toyotaofdallas.com/parts/shop.htm?path=/oem-parts/toyota-tailgate-insert-black-pt9483518102?c=Zz1leHRlcmlvciZzPWFwcGVhcmFuY2UmbD0xJm49U2VhcmNoIFJlc3VsdHMmYT10b3lvdGEmbz10YWNvbWEmeT0yMDE5JnQ9dHJkLXNwb3J0JmU9My01bC12Ni1nYXM%3D

    Same OEM part number on Amazon and an image of it and the kit package:
    $60 Toyota Emblem - PT948-35181-02
    https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Toyota-Taligate-Tacoma-PT948-35181-02/dp/B07FQNWT6B/

    [​IMG]

    There are a bazillion 3rd party raised plastic and zinc alloy letter kit choices on Amazon. One example of many raised "zinc alloy" lettering kits on Amazon:

    https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Sparta-Tailgate-Letters-Inserts/dp/B07H2W22RT

    I'm wondering metal or plastic? I've had a matte black metal license plate frame on my 2nd generation Tacoma where the probably thin powder coating (not anodized finish) faded and eroded from UV exposure. I'm not that certain about plastic's lifespan either.
     
    Winston, Jun 5, 2019
    #19
  20. Jun 5, 2019 at 12:01 PM
    #20
    LiplessSoul

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    LiplessSoul Well-Known Member

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    With all due respect, when one brother is sportin' an "Airborne" sticker, I kinda' want to keep my "bicycle" sticker in the glove box. I ain't judgin'. Jus' sayin'.:thumbsup:
     
    LiplessSoul, Jun 5, 2019
    #20
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