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MARCH 2026 CLUB MEETING
Hi Guest: The next RS meeting will be Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.
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IH8RUST: FJ60
- Thread starter IH8RUST
- Start date
RDub
Trail Ready
It’s going to be awesome. Do you have an estimated time to complete? Hard to get body shops to commit…
IH8RUST
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I just got from the shop. We're looking at two +/- months; I spoke with JR, the owner, and his shop painter, who seems detail-oriented. I've been invited to visit the shop to see the progress, but for now I'm going to take a breather.
Where did you end up dropping it off? I dropped my HDJ81 to Southern Peak Auto Body 4 weeks ago for a stated 2 week duration to repaint the sun damaged hood, rear hatch, and side mirrors. This morning they told me it would be at least another 2 weeks from today. I'm okay with it since they do great work and don't want them to rush it, but it may take longer than expected based on recent experience...hopefully not!
Looking forward to seeing the finished product in person!
Looking forward to seeing the finished product in person!
IH8RUST
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Just this morning. I was following the tow truck on the way to the shop. I was like, "Man, that's a gosh darned, good-looking rig, I'll tell you what."
They're taking the doors, hood, panels, including the radiator brace, all the way off. That labor is time-consuming. It's going through an interior and exterior repaint. We agreed that the interior floor is getting an equivalent of Lizardskin in red. Same with the inner wells in black, definitely don't want them to rush it, but also don't want it to sit there longer than it has to, because that means money out of my pocket.
They're taking the doors, hood, panels, including the radiator brace, all the way off. That labor is time-consuming. It's going through an interior and exterior repaint. We agreed that the interior floor is getting an equivalent of Lizardskin in red. Same with the inner wells in black, definitely don't want them to rush it, but also don't want it to sit there longer than it has to, because that means money out of my pocket.
justcruisin
Wincher
Looking forward to seeing the "in progress" pictures.
KC Masterpiece
Hard Core 4+
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Cool to hear your going with lizard skin. I have heard great things about it.
IH8RUST
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The breather wasn't nearly long enough. Some progress, some setback, though localized and very much the only "trouble" spot. The replacement inner-fender went in, so that's good. That core support is getting blasted and repainted today, and I so lucked out on that one since it's in immaculate shape. |  |  |  |
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The old timer in the back of the shop does some seriously good body work. I'd encourage everyone to talk to JR at The Shop Body and Paint in COS if you ever need body/paint.
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MDH33
Hard Core 4+
Youre going all in! In hindsight, do you wish you had started with exploring for rust on the exterior body vs doing all the interior work?
I am amazed the rockers are solid, as they usually are toast if the floors and fenders have any amount of rot.
Keep up the good work, going to be super nice when its done.
I am amazed the rockers are solid, as they usually are toast if the floors and fenders have any amount of rot.
Keep up the good work, going to be super nice when its done.
IH8RUST
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It's all a lesson learned. Like, inspect the rig before buying and know what to look for. The first time is always rough. It's like the "Money Pit" movie. If I ever decide to do another rig, I'd be much more prepared.
^ me with the new pitting.
I go through enough hindsight fallacies elsewhere not to do it here. I don't know if I could have come up with a project plan or sequence that would have started in one area or the other. It's either a slow discovery or bulldoze my way through everything in quick (relatively speaking) succession to get it over.
I did the interior to preserve some capital on labor costs, check for any other hidden problems, and take care of the already visible parts of the interior/exterior to get them out of the way. The floor pans consume the bulk of the effort.
I wasn't aware that the A-pillars are problematic, though it makes sense when the floors are rotting; the issue goes upstream. It gives me pause. I'd like to inspect the firewall now.
Hold your thought on the rockers, we'll see.
Edit: didn't mention, doing the interior first was also to figure out how much of a pain it might be. For example, knowing if the roof is in decent shape. Also, now that I think about it, I should have removed way more on the exterior, panels, the whole thing. Would have saved me more dollars.
^ me with the new pitting.
I go through enough hindsight fallacies elsewhere not to do it here. I don't know if I could have come up with a project plan or sequence that would have started in one area or the other. It's either a slow discovery or bulldoze my way through everything in quick (relatively speaking) succession to get it over.
I did the interior to preserve some capital on labor costs, check for any other hidden problems, and take care of the already visible parts of the interior/exterior to get them out of the way. The floor pans consume the bulk of the effort.
I wasn't aware that the A-pillars are problematic, though it makes sense when the floors are rotting; the issue goes upstream. It gives me pause. I'd like to inspect the firewall now.
Hold your thought on the rockers, we'll see.
Edit: didn't mention, doing the interior first was also to figure out how much of a pain it might be. For example, knowing if the roof is in decent shape. Also, now that I think about it, I should have removed way more on the exterior, panels, the whole thing. Would have saved me more dollars.
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MDH33
Hard Core 4+
I noticed a couple of rust bubbles starting on the edge of my windshield too. Your pics are motivating me to pull that sucker sooner than later and see what's waiting!
KC Masterpiece
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My two cents. I think every 60 that goes on BAT is hiding something.
Take a look at this video OTTRAM just posted. It will make you feel great about yours.
View: https://youtu.be/Tsnye8w0Rfk?si=dd8LeX7q0Ehehv5z
The seller on mine definitely hid some stuff. Frame had some damage and he swore it was perfect, no way he didn't know. H55 was a great bonus out of the gate, but the installer did not add a plug so fluid was migrating to the t case. Rigs these old have been around long enough they are all bound to have some sketchy work on them.
Don't focus on making it too perfect. You still want to drive it and not cringe when you get a paint chip. The way I see it I have about as much into mine now as I would have spent on a new 4 runner, and its a way cooler vehicle.
Take a look at this video OTTRAM just posted. It will make you feel great about yours.
View: https://youtu.be/Tsnye8w0Rfk?si=dd8LeX7q0Ehehv5z
The seller on mine definitely hid some stuff. Frame had some damage and he swore it was perfect, no way he didn't know. H55 was a great bonus out of the gate, but the installer did not add a plug so fluid was migrating to the t case. Rigs these old have been around long enough they are all bound to have some sketchy work on them.
Don't focus on making it too perfect. You still want to drive it and not cringe when you get a paint chip. The way I see it I have about as much into mine now as I would have spent on a new 4 runner, and its a way cooler vehicle.
IH8RUST
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Yeah, I'm definitely not chasing perfection, but I can't tolerate obvious problems, so I fix them. I see the light at the end of the tunnel; the A-pillar is the worst part.
The motor, mechanical, and structural components are solid thanks to C&C. Sandblasting the undercarriage was a good move on my part; despite concerns about the video's undercoating, I did it correctly as much as I could. Mine isn’t a show rig, but it's no shortcut truck either. I don't even want to think about how much I've spent, and I hear you, I want to drive and enjoy it, which I will.
That video is making me feel a hell of a lot better, holy shit, wow!
The motor, mechanical, and structural components are solid thanks to C&C. Sandblasting the undercarriage was a good move on my part; despite concerns about the video's undercoating, I did it correctly as much as I could. Mine isn’t a show rig, but it's no shortcut truck either. I don't even want to think about how much I've spent, and I hear you, I want to drive and enjoy it, which I will.
That video is making me feel a hell of a lot better, holy shit, wow!
KC Masterpiece
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You did the undercoating right. I expect the one in that video was zero prep and a rattle can.
IH8RUST
Trail Ready
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- Jun 13, 2024
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Meanwhile, I've been gathering odds and ends. I bought door bezels; the seller claimed they're brown, yeah, right. Nothing a SEM 15023 can't fix, and at this point, I'm pretty much repainting the bezels and interior parts with the same rattler to maintain continuity. I also found out SEM has a satin clear for plastic, so that'll be my next experiment to see if I can harden the paint so it won’t chip easily. The first try at painting from black to brown turned out okay. I bought an extra set, but the next step is to clear coat those to see how they'll hold up.
I accidentally damaged the left headlight housing because the bolt wouldn't budge, so I searched around and, surprisingly, found a $26 OEM replacement. Phew!
Finally, after posting about the brake upgrade a few months ago, I decided to keep it simple and make an incremental upgrade without overhauling my brake system: dual-diaphragm booster from City Racer, new pads, DBA rotors, and extended metal-braided lines. I might eventually try a different master cylinder when I'm brave enough to figure out the intricacies.
I accidentally damaged the left headlight housing because the bolt wouldn't budge, so I searched around and, surprisingly, found a $26 OEM replacement. Phew!
Finally, after posting about the brake upgrade a few months ago, I decided to keep it simple and make an incremental upgrade without overhauling my brake system: dual-diaphragm booster from City Racer, new pads, DBA rotors, and extended metal-braided lines. I might eventually try a different master cylinder when I'm brave enough to figure out the intricacies.
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The OEM parts that are still available for our old iron makes it smart to check with Toyota before settling for aftermarket. As for brake master cylinder, I tried a non-abs 80 mc thinking it might add a little extra braking power but it didn’t work out that way. Went with a new OEM mc for my 62 and was then able to lock up all four wheels without problem. That was with lots of body armor and 35” Swampers. With all of the new brake parts you have I’m guessing you will be very happy with the results.