Polishing a "TuRD"

This is a safe place

 

jammer!, i am in need of your polishing expertise
i have quite fugly run channels on the exterior, both doors, sun-beaten and weathered
... have tried too many numerous products on that and nothing wants to work for even just the littlest of time for my liking

what can be done to this area outside of replacing the whole part(s), which is a bit pricey after checking awhile back

 

Well, as usual, you start one "minor" project and of course it takes way longer because you find other things to address.
What started as just wanting to respray the lower valance that houses the turn signals, turned into removing most everything on the front end when I saw the Green Kryptonite of Tacoma's....the bane of @GQ7227 existence...the cancer that ate my '80 Celica...RUST!
Lower Valance (houses the turn signals) was repainted using

$23 SEM 39143 Trim Black Aerosol - 15 oz.

SEM 39143 OEM Trim Black, and using an adhesion promoter. Turned out awesome.
Prepped the surface with 3M green scuff pads, washed with dawn soap, and then wiped down using Eastwood Paint Prep.

Next was removing the bumper cover (Part No.52119-AD010) which is secured to the main bumper (chrome). This is secured by both plastic clips (Part No. 5216102020) and bolts (Toyota Part No.90178-06006).
Once the plastic is removed, it's pretty easy to unbolt the main bumper (secured by 4 bolts).
Got the rust off the bolts, nuts, and metal clips and sprayed them with POR15 Top Coat (Silver).
I'm also going to spray the back of the main bumper after I get the rust cleaned up....I'll post pics of that later.

Items being replaced:
bumper cushions ( Part No.90540-08018 x 2)
plastic clips (Part No. 5216102020 x 6)
passenger/drivers side upper cab bushing (Part No. 52201-04010 x 2)
Passenger/drivers side lower cab bushing (Part No. 52202-04010 x2)
Drivers side marker retainer clip (blue) (53137-04010)
Passenger side marker retainer clip (white) (53138-04010)




**use Q-Tips to prevent spray paint from getting on threads. Tip for the day....get it...Tip...Q-Tips










A couple of years ago, I used some fuel line and foam to protect the ac line that comes out the front passenger side. My friends '04 ac line was rubbing on the metal and cut it. I checked mine, and sure enough you could see where it was rubbing.

 

Hey Jay. Besides painting them, there is not much that can be done my friend. If those are the originals, I'd leave them on the truck and respray. I'd be afraid the plastic clips would break trying to remove them.
Also, they are super thin and bend easily ...ask me how I know

Steps I'd take if it were mine
Use

$23 SEM 39143 Trim Black Aerosol - 15 oz.

SEM 39143 Trim Black. Closest match to OEM I've seen.
3M Green Scuff Pad to remove oxidation and old paint
Wash with detergent soap (Dawn is good a stripping wax, etc.)
Wipe down with a pre paint prep or just use rubbing alcohol.
Of course, the most time consuming part is going to be masking off everything since they will be on the truck.
I bet it would really set the truck off with a fresh coat of paint!

 

Paint on rubber? Aren't they just rubber?
My last gasp is some rust-oleum trim restore that I just haven't gotten to yet

 

Jay, I may have misunderstood you.
Are you talking about what Toyota calls the door belt molding? If so, then yes, the top part is metal.
I'm referring to mine which is an '03. Is the '97 different??

 

No not that piece, mine is still ok!
I thought it was called the run channel that the window sits and slides inside

 

Add two more items to the list of "Items replaced".





This oem item (white clip) has been discontinued and I was only able to find it on Ebay.
Didn't check Amazon, and I'm not sure if there is an aftermarket part available.

 

Decided while I have the front end off, I'm going to replace the side marker bulbs and front turn signal bulbs with leds. Ordered everything below from Superbrightleds.com.
Flasher relay is to prevent "hyper flashing".

 

Using my dremel with the green 150 grit buffing wheel I removed some spots of rust on the bumper cover brackets (3 pictured below). Applied three coats of Eastwood Extreme Chasis Black afterwards.

 

Got to clean the bumper up (original). You can see where the bumper brackets were secured to the main bumper from the rust. Once I get it cleaned up, I'm spraying the back with the POR15 Top Spray (silver).
What looks like oil or grease on the bumper is from spraying Fluid Film over the years.

 

FF is a crying joke, jammer

 

Take it eeaaasssyyy Jay...Stand down.....remember I don't deal with buckets of salt being thrown under the truck like you do.

 

jammer, watch out for door dings in the garage!

 

you should have seen the buckets of chemical melt here 2 years ago during the blizzard with an inch of ice in the streets, i've never seen that much built up in the wheel wells, i wish i had taken a picture of those frozen saltcicles
its been rather mild since then so definitely due for a major snow event one of these days

 

perfect turds require no wiping

 

is that even possible??

The juicer is a classic...."Time to juice!!"

 

lol all i can say is when ya know, ya know

 

Update....Was warm enough to get the back of the bumper sprayed with POR15 Top Coat. You can see in one of the pictures below, I'm using a heater to help it dry.
Took a 3M Scrubbing Green Pad to clean up the back of the bumper and wiped down with Eastwood Paint Prep.

 

Jammer, you're an artist. Beautiful work my friend.