2000 Land Cruiser Time Capsule - Strategy!

[weeble]

Hi Autogeekers!

Wow, looks like it's been 10 years since I've logged in! I've been happily keeping my vehicles looking slightly better than average using my knowledge and products from a decade ago that I came to like and trust (Klasse, Wolfgang prep and sealant, 303 protectant, DP total interior, life changing Collinite...)

I just bought an immaculate black 2000 Land Cruiser. It is amazingly clean and well kept. Pretty much swirl free, deep mirror like blackness ( though it seems greasy, really transfers fingerprints, not sure what's on there). The tan leather is amazing - zero rips, creased of course but nothing deep, very little bolster wear, looks healthy. Dash is perfect, carpet is nappy fresh looking awesomness. Not so much as single poppy seed to be found in there.

So I want to up my game and get up to date with the latest/greatest and target my use case. I live in the Rockies at 6000 ft. I'll use this truck frequently on unmaintained forest roads not for the joy of wheeling but to access remote trailheads and rock climbing crags with lots of often dirty gear and friends.

My detailing goals:

Do no harm (especially to the leather, and probably not too much polishing)
Lock in the awesome
Protect from UV
Protect from off-roading and heavy exposure to dirty gear and people


Specific questions:
Interior: What to do with the leather? For some reason I'm concerned doing too much and upsetting whatever balance has been working so well.

Exterior: Been reading up on ceramics and SiO2. Looks like some voices (not many) are saying ceramics are not awesome for off road? I'm inclined to go Wolfgang, do a light clay/polish, then seal but with what? Topped by Collinite. Refreshed 3-4 times a year. Curious what, if anything, you'd suggest differently. I'd totally go ceramic if that is a good choice.

Generally: any suggestions for making the interior more resilient after getting used hard in dirty environments?

I know that's a lot - getting back to forum searching now. Thanks everyone!

[Shane731]

Did you buy this vehicle from an individual or a dealer? You said the paint looks swirl free but feels greasy. My guess is that there is some sort of heavy glaze on the paint, and getting that removed will tell a different story. There are a lot of great sealants and coatings on the market. If you want to go the coating route, I have found Optimum Gloss-Coat (used to be called Opti-Gloss) to be very user friendly and forgiving. As far as sealants go, Collinite is hard to beat for cost and durability. 476 and 845 are both excellent. I tried 915 before but didn’t care for it as much. Some other great options:

Blackfire Wet Diamond Paint Sealant
Duragloss 105 Paint Sealant
Meguiar’s M27 Pro Hybrid Ceramic Sealant

As with any sealant, regular maintenance is key to longevity. Using a booster product periodically after washing will help as well. A few of my personal favorites are Meguiar’s Ultimate Quik Wax, P&S Bead Maker, and Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Spray Wax.

For protecting the interior, all weather floor mats are a must. Weather Tech makes good mats that will trap dirt and water that gets tracked in and are easily cleaned. I believe AutoGeek also sells seat covers, which would probably be a good investment as well.

Car Seat Covers, hawaiian seat covers, two tone seat covers, hawaian seat cover (https://www.autogeek.net/seatcovers.html)

WeatherTech FloorLiners For Trucks & SUVs, floor liners, custom floor mats (https://www.autogeek.net/wefl.html)

[Rsurfer]

[QUOTE=weeble;1691793]Hi Autogeekers!


I just bought an immaculate black 2000 Land Cruiser.

I'll use this truck frequently on unmaintained forest roads not for the joy of wheeling but to access remote trailheads and rock climbing crags with lots of often dirty gear and friends.




:wow: And you bought a black SUV for the above!!:laughing:

[weeble]

[QUOTE=weeble;1691793]Hi Autogeekers!


I just bought an immaculate black 2000 Land Cruiser.

I'll use this truck frequently on unmaintained forest roads not for the joy of wheeling but to access remote trailheads and rock climbing crags with lots of often dirty gear and friends.




:wow: And you bought a black SUV for the above!!:laughing:

You are right to call that out! And with a light brown interior! I am OK putting my mark on the patina and driving dirty. Just want to do my best to ensure it's protected and looking good when I want it to.

[weeble]

My guess is that there is some sort of heavy glaze on the paint, and getting that removed will tell a different story. :

Interesting thanks. Like I rested my palm on the fender while leaning into the engine bay and it left a pretty good print of my palm lines and my hands were not grubby. Got my attention as something to be curious about.

Weathertechs are in place!

[Rsurfer]

Interesting thanks. Like I rested my palm on the fender while leaning into the engine bay and it left a pretty good print of my palm lines and my hands were not grubby. Got my attention as something to be curious about.

Weathertechs are in place!
Your hands are naturally oily and on pure black paint, everything shows.

[dgage]

I agree with Shane that there are likely some filler products hiding some paint defects.

I also like Shane’s recommendation of Duragloss 105. I’ll be switching to a ceramic coat in the next couple of weeks but i’ve used Duragloss sealants topped with Collinite 845 for many years and it had worked well. Duragloss is a very good brand but they don’t push their own products as they primarily make products for other companies now. Especially if you’re going to refresh a couple times a year, this would be a solid combination.

Duragloss has a very good leather cleaner and conditioner as well.

[DMiglio]

Not sure if WeatherTech has a trunk liner for your Land Cruiser, but maybe throw a blanket or two in the trunk?

This way you can keep that area clean and covered. Keep the spare one for those just in case moments you have to fold the seat down or drape it over a seat.

Exterior- I personally like Collinite and Duragloss 105/601. Those should offer you plenty of protection and most users get up to 6 months out of them. 105 is an all in one so it’ll polish and seal in one step. Collinite I’d recommend a light polish before you apply it.

Both can be maintained with spray waxes or sealants, Duragloss Aquawax is wonderful, Beadmaker should work well too and can’t go wrong with Megs Xspress Spray Wax(Megs Ult. Wax).

Interior- A simple AIO like DP total interior or Megs Ultimate Interior Detailer, should work well for your needs, like Franks RedHot, go ahead and put that **** on everything.

Add on top of getting those WT mats, maybe do a carpet/rug protectant. It’ll protect against future staining and make cleaning easier in the future.

Most leathers can be treated with spray waxes to offer a bit of protection if you’d like.

Awesome ride btw and welcome back!!

[weeble]

Not sure if WeatherTech has a trunk liner for your Land Cruiser, but maybe throw a blanket or two in the trunk?

Awesome ride btw and welcome back!!

Thanks for the welcome!
I'll look into a carpet protectant, thanks for that.
Duraglos isn't in my mind at all. Definitely going to look into that.

Veering off topic, for now I'm reusing this from my last vehicle in the back of the Cruiser. Spun around upside down the coverage isn't bad! I kind of like how it both honors and maybe jabs a bit at the tribe I just left. It's not Weathertech but a darn good mat from FCA.

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