Wisconsin Tacomas and bad financial advice

Paint it. I was lucky I knew a shade-tree-body-man do my rear bumper the same color as ALF. I hadn't talked to him for 10 yrs. I couldn't find a body shop that was interested in painting a new bumper. WTF? A powder coat was $600 minimum, too. Anyway, paint is an easy touch-up vs the powder coat. Which you will touch-up with.......paint.

@McSpazatron recently stripped the powder coat from his sliders and painted them 'cause the PC was peeling in places.

 

@rubbersidedown if I can give any advice, it would be prep prep prep! You’ll be starting with “clean”steel so it will be easier to prep. Give it good simple green washdown, sand it down well on every surface so the paint bites, and wipe it down with acetone right before spraying primer. Take a file to sharp edges too before spraying, I think that will help the paint from chipping there. Some of those laser cut edges are too sharp and might end up causing the paint to chip.

 

That's the one I'm dreaming about

Excuse me sir, that is all certifiable solid advise.

 

That was my experience was when I started wheelin', I was only using the ball of my foot for braking. If I didn't hit the sweet spot, the brake pedal polka started. You know, too much brake, then too little brake, 'til you did hit the sweet spot. It made things more exciting than it should have been if I missed.

What works for me is to plant my heel on the floor and use it as a hinge. I don't have to hold the full weight of my leg in the air, while bouncing over rocks, facing downhill, and try to find "just the right amount of brake pressure", all at once. A simple twitch of the ankle has given me much better brake control. YMMV.

 

I no longer have a dog! As much as she was getting on our nerves, I will miss her (not the hair though). The ex called my son about 2:30 and told him to meet her at a Kwik Trip on her way out of town, no forewarning, leave now - I've got to get on the road. SMH.

 

I like your style!
How did you like the beer?

 

Excellent advice all around. Thank you! @McSpazatron Yes, gonna be taking prep seriously on the bare steel. It's a blank slate and I have a good opportunity to do it right from the beginning.

Checking another thread here I found a following for Steel-It. Not sure if I've missed any discussion here about it, but it looks intriguing. Anybody ever check it out?

 

My nephew knows off road cycle racers. He says all of their frames are Steel-Ited. They swear by it. There was a discussion about coatings when @Pixeltim got his sliders. No matter what you treat the bumper with, the rocks will win everytime.

 

Definitely a refreshing lager, thanks again Tim

 

I've used it, and it's the coating on the front bumper of my land cruiser. It'll also be what I use for the rear bumper and sliders. Absolutely phenomenal stuff for armor and chassis applications, among the best you can get, though pricey.

What I found to be the best prep is to have a shop sandblast the metal first. There's a spot in Waukesha I've used for years and they do great work, both blasting and powder coating. I recommend them.

https://www.hy-tecpowdercoating.com/

 

Everything is for sale for the right price

 

It is spendy, but so is everything else these days. I figured buying now would save me money in the long run when stuff is even more expensive down the road!

 

50 miles of dirt to get here and back, totally worth it. Saw 5 other cars the entire day and was at this spot for an hour all by myself.



if anyone knows where this is, I’ll be impressed.

 

I did my sliders in Steel-It. Seems to be holding up OK. I had a couple of spots that were kinda thin and had a very mild rust show up over the winter, but re-coating seems to have corrected this. Prep is very important, they suggest abrasive blasting and cleaned with Xylene prior to coating.

If you go that route, they will send you a small can as a sample. That and 2 regular cans should be enough for your bumper.

edit: You've got 8 weeks to do your research...

 

I was taught this is how you should always use the brake

Pssht. Everyone knows where that is.

 

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument ???

 

I'm in to lend a hand as well. Just keep me away from my impact!

 

A little late but Happy Father's day to all of you in here! Asked for a little detailing time as my father's day gift and the weather had other plans. Power went out at my wife's store and she had to stick around til close.

Giving it another go today. This might be the longest I've waited to do a full wash and detail.

 

I put hard on on the flat bed. Not convinced the rocks are winning yet... That sheet is HARD.

 

San Fran's