JPRunner's 2000 Toyota 4Runner build

[JPRunner]

Okay. Doing the wheel paint today, door vinyls should be in tomorrow.

Taking a little break and trying to figure out what other accessories I want for the truck. I don't want to overdo it. I will not be getting a Cryo-Can or any of the tour brochures (since this is just a staff vehicle). I was thinking maybe a gear box with some flares and a flashlight (could be handy anyway). Also was thinking maybe a JP rain slicker.

Other than that I can't think of much. I do want to get a Park Ranger badge to hang from the rearview as well as a replica fossil raptor claw.

Now I'm looking for something to do with my key. The key I have is old broken plastic and is currently covered in a lump of sculpy that I affectionately refer to as "the potato" but I'd like to maybe do something else with sculpy that is themed.

[walke2jd]

If Flexidip is anything like Plastidip, you have to pull the tape while it is wet. I had a fiasco similar to yours with dry plastidip, a razor blade, and scratches, so I feel your pain.

This is what worked great for me:

Paint everything with multiple coats except the 1" closest to the tape. When on your final coat, saturate the entire area already painted and then do a very heavy coat on the last inch. It needs to be as heavy as possible without drips. Quickly pull the tape at an angle and it comes out looking sooooo clean. The timing is tough because of how quick it dries, so having pull tabs on all your tape is a must. Also, having help that can hold up extra masking on the fly is great for areas where there are multiple edges. I pulled the number stencils off then had to respray the stripe edge, so my wife held up cardboard to cover the numbers while I sprayed. Worked out great.

Good luck! I love the concept you came up with.

[JPRunner]

Thanks.

Here are some pics of the progress. Pretty much all that's left on the outside is to do the door decals.

[fifthrider]

....a bone sticking out of your jaw filed down? You sir, lead a full and interesting life. Um,... Congratulations on surviving it thus far?

The truck looks great. I respect that you are following the lines of your vehicle. Nothing looks worse than when someone tries to take the look of another movie car and force it to fit their specific car. The smart move is on doing what you're up to, following the natural lines of your truck. I like that you continued the red under the doors but above the step rail. It's interesting how it's the little touches that make all the difference. Are you thinking about continuing the red stripe across the top of the hood?

[JPRunner]

Bone fragment left over from wisdom tooth extraction.

[JPRunner]

Okay guys and gals. Got the door vinyls on, wheels painted, and now just contemplating what to do about the side numbers.

I'd also like opinions. Do you guys like the driver side better (red part under the door sill) or passenger side (no red under door sill)? Personally I think the red part looks nice...but it gets scraped pretty much every time somebody gets in our out of the vehicle so the driver's side is already experiencing some Flexi-dip tearing.

[JPRunner]

another fun little bit. I have a MP3 deck in my truck that reads directly from SD cards so I made a custom label for an old 1GB card and put the Jurassic Park soundtrack on it. Also set it up to where it shows the JP icon when you plug it into a card reader.

(the other card in the picture has a custom label I designed for Canon cameras. if anyone is interested I give it away for free and it includes the Photoshop PSD files so that it can be altered.)

INGEN card with JP soundtrack

it shows the JP logo when put into an SD card reader

[JPRunner]

oh...and some more photos. let me just say that the hood numbers were a PITA, having to figure out how to print, cut out, and then do both positive and negative stenciling with it.

argh, hood numbers!

[fifthrider]

Your effort was well worth it, and the numbers came out looking straight. Well done!

[JPRunner]

Found an old airsoft shotgun to paint up. Will only be in the truck if I'm bringing it to display somewhere. It's not a SPAS-12 but then again my truck is not a Wrangler