Your 4 Runner is going to get marked up and dirty...

[Iman74]

This has always been an issue with me on anything new, especially my vehicles. But what I am noticing with a lot of your pics is that a lot of your vehicle pictures look like they came straight from the dealer. Maybe they did, and maybe you just have it detailed, I don't know. What I do know is that I don't have that much time to spare or the energy to keep it clean. Not to mention I use this vehicle to tug my utility trailer around for firewood and stuff, hence going on dirty and muddy roads, and sometimes roads that have little rocks that like to hit your car. Hell I have one mark on the driver side I know I can get off with some compound but I just never think about doing it till I am at some place (like now) where I can't.

Am I the only one with a fairly new vehicle that is already filth and marked up?

 

[Fireman77]

I'm With You

My 03' has 15K on it in the first year and pleanty of scuffs and scrapes to go with it. I done some of off-road driving and a lot of the trials were overgrown. I love the body cladding because it takes the brunt of the abuse and still looks great. I find it funny that some will buy a great truck like the 4Runner and never get it dirty. Oh, well.

 

[Iman74]

Never get it dirty? I take it they didn't buy theirs in the weather I bought mine. I bought mine on 12/30/02 03' 4 Runner Sport Edition, if you remember there was already lots of snow: well the following day they told me to come back to pick up my mats they didn't have access to the day before. Well it snowed overnight, so being that the road was slippery and I had my new offroad vehicle, I was having the time of my life. By the time I got there, even the sales man would have thought that vehicle has been owned for awhile being it got so dirty. Driving in the snow is the best. The only worry I have is the idiots that do not have the skill set and think having a 4 wheel vehicle can make up for that.

 

[Greenhorne]

and Fireman77 just how do you get the scratches out of that cladding? I havn't figured that one out yet on mine.

 

[Fireman77]

Cladding

I used to have a 99' BMW 323 and I was obsessed with detailing it. I tired about every product and found a lot of great ones. However, I can not think of anything that would get the scratches off of the body cladding. You can't polish the cladding like paint and all of the plastic polishes made are for use on clear plastic such as gauge displays and headlights. I look at the cladding scars as marks of pride! Wear them proudly my son.

 

[Greenhorne]

Yes Sensay... we grasshoppers shall.

 

[waskillywabbit]

Dirty and Clean

Mine will never be either dirty or clean for long, depending on the amount of rain we get during a given week, but it will always get a good bath at least every (2) weeks just to keep the paint from getting dull and the inside from getting nasty. I enjoy getting it both clean and dirty! It looks mighty fine when it is all polished and shiny, but nice and mean when it gets dirty!

:guitar2:

Brian

 

[legend4ever]

Brian where did you get those clear corners and for how much, thanks
george

 

[waskillywabbit]

Clear corners and bumpers

Brian where did you get those clear corners and for how much, thanks
george

Jason Burtmann online, he has a 4Runner site. Just do a google and you'll find it easy. I think all together it was about $125 shipped, but these are not el cheapo lights like you get off Ebay or something, they have gasketing around them so they stay water tight and Jason is a great guy to deal with.

:guitar2:

Brian

 

[JasonL]

Hey Brian...

I like the Hellas you have on there. I have a 2000 and am looking for some good lights to increase visibility. How are those? How much? Are they difficult to install?

Thanks buddy,

Jason

 

[Good Times]

Mine didn't last long clean

Now it looks filthy (outside ofcourse). I try to keep the inside clean as possible since it is my living quarters when I go places!

My 03 lasted about a month before it hit the trails and encountered it's first carnage. Now cladding carnage is just a norm (actually any body carnage is a no no) but when you're having fun you kinda forget and hit a few things here and there

So don't feel bad about adding some character on your 4runner! Atleast you can be proud and say "Hey! I use my 4runner to real applications instead of going to the grocery store!!! muhahahaha".

The cladding issue: If you have the non colored cladding like myself, the scratches will not come out. I have yet to try and buffing out with some sand paper but I'm lazy. Plus I really like how the cladding looks better with alittle bit of some love marks! Someone can try sanding it down and seeing how it well it handles but the love marks I have won't do me any good :/

Hey if anyone wants to wash/detail my 4runner hit me up!
jk

 

[waskillywabbit]

Re: Hey Brian...

I like the Hellas you have on there. I have a 2000 and am looking for some good lights to increase visibility. How are those? How much? Are they difficult to install?

Thanks buddy,

Jason

Check out my write-up on my website for the Hella 500s.

:guitar2:

Brian

 

[Iman74]

I am not knocking Hella but why Hella's? I was checking them out, but the PIAA 510 really sticks out and caught my eye. None of the Hella's did that for me.

 

[Good Times]

Hellas are cheap and reliable

Also PIAA's are way too expensive....

Another company to look at are the LightForce lights!

 

[waskillywabbit]

I am not knocking Hella but why Hella's? I was checking them out, but the PIAA 510 really sticks out and caught my eye. None of the Hella's did that for me.

You can buy (3) sets of Hellas for what you would pay for (1) set of equivalent light output PIAAs.

Hellas have available clear stone shield lenses to protect your regular lenses from getting busted by rocks.

I've never heard anyone badmouth there Hella lights and I can't say that for PIAAs.

:guitar2:

Brian

 

[gaslight]

I like keeping my vehicles fairly clean. I wash them every now and then, especially my Mustang. Nothing wrong with trying to keep your rig clean.

 

[Iman74]

I've never heard anyone badmouth there Hella lights and I can't say that for PIAAs.
Brian

So what is the negative things (besides money) that the owners of PIAA say?

 

[Iman74]

Still waiting for your reply, but in the meantime I have been doing a lot of foglight shopping and found that I still love the look of the round PIAA and not the Hella's. But I do agree that the PIAA are just too much money. So I will be going Hella's rectangular for I really do not care for the round ones and think it will look silly on my Safari bar.

But I am still interested to know other than the amount, you said there are PIAA owners that had complaints about PIAA. What are these complaints?

 

[Good Times]

Iman:

Have you checked these out?

http://www.lightforceusa.com/rmdl140.html

They're bulletproof!!! A 12gauge shotgun at 20 feet (i think) had no affect on the lens. Suppose to be shatterproof

Anyway thought I'd bring this up as this is a alternative lighting system you might look into. For my $$$, I'll be gettin one of these over the Hella

 

[Iman74]

Cool looking light but two problems:
They do not list a dealer in my area
&
They look really expensive.