I remember when Turtle Wax came in a green glass bottle. It was my job to wash and wax my Late Dad's 1967 Ford F-100 Camper Special Ranger. You did not do more than one panel at at time cause if you did the whole side of the truck and of course it was a long bed it was a Major pain to get the wax off after it dried. That truck was the very first brand new vech. that Dad had ever bought. It was only $3200.00. I miss you very much Dad.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

For real. Waxing a car properly is such a pain

@rescuedandrestoredgarage

Жыл бұрын

I lost my mom in November 2021 still miss her every day brother. She left me a few bucks so I went out and got a 72 chevelle I was born July 71 so in the car world that's a 72 so I am going to restore this car in honor of my mom, I named the car Darlene my mom's middle name. God bless you and yours.

so glad FabRats mentioned your youtube channel - subscribed!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

That’s awesome. Thanks for the Sun!

Saving money and time seems like a no brainer!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Got to at least try

We had one of these for 8yrs, it was a great vehicle.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Right on. I look forward to seeing how it treats me

Black out the Giant chrome strip below the hood, and then black out the tiny chrome strips in the grill. Next, bake apart the headlights and blackout the chrome inside. These things look incredible when the chrome is blacked out.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

If I get into cosmetic stuff on this I may

Love the old MTB with Kooka cranks in th ebackground!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

It’s a cool old ride

Fab rats sent me over.. I had no idea you guys had a KZread channel. Subbed straight away.. fantastic!! Used to watch you on the other show !!!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks ! I appreciate that. They are good people

This is awesome!! So, I've built 4 of these, and a couple GV's. Currently have 04 on 31" tires. (My daily/exploration/Toad) I have a recipe for a cheap 3" suspension lift, and axle (gears/lockers) if you're interested. 04 is actually the best year. Strongest front diff with no TPMS. 5 speed is actually an Asian A750.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I’m all ears

@ScooterJGarage

Жыл бұрын

I've tried replying several times, but it keeps getting deleted. Idk why.. too long perhaps?

Curious to see where you go with this. I've always been interested in these as a budget base for a build. Fully boxed frame is a great base to start from.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

They are. It’s gonna be hard to not overdo it

Suzuki for the win. Heck yeah!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I dig em

Excited to see this build, I knew a guy when these were new, wheeled the piss out of it. When everyone had samurais in the ckub, Yankee Tim was wheeling with a/c and leather seats.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

He had it figured out

@brentmay6379

Жыл бұрын

There's a name I haven't heard in a minute...Yankee Tim!

We offered headlight polishing back when I had my state inspection station. Very satisfying gig. We'd start with 800 wet, work up to 2k, then use a rubbing then polishing compound, and finish up w/Meguiars headlight coating, and advise customer to clean and recoat every 6 months or so.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

People were probably stoked with the results

Bug spray will clean yellowed headlights too. The higher the Deet, the better.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I’ll have to try it. Sounds too good to be true

Did this with my 22 year old Jag. Used a kit. Probably works better with power tools. Tape the paint surfaces around it and you don't have to be as careful. No new lights available for my old car.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Sometimes you just have to fix stuff

@ellenjeep

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed Best way to polish the plastic windows on a Jeep soft top? Getting hard to see out of especially in the rain.

wow,... super cool. THX!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Entry level custom!

Dude. Been waiting for you to do an XL7! I have one and I’m trying to build it too. Although I can’t weld and not nearly as talented as you but as soon as I get my Calmini lift (been on order since March) I’m going to have a blast.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I was looking for them, but seemed like they aren’t as active as they muse to be

Great information! Can't wait to see the overland build!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I’m gonna keep it pretty simple. Hopefully

I am stoked for this build.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. I told my wife I was gonna keep it stock…. We’ll see if that sticks

Already excited to see what you make of it!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Me too. Thanks

I love the Me guides quick detailer, too. I use it on everything, too. My wife even like the smell so I use it on our epoxy floors.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

It’s so good

Love all the vids Dave! Thank you!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the support

Can't wait to see what you do with this. I sell suspension lifts and body lifts for these if your interested.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I’m on the hunt for a little lift

@trackerfarm

Жыл бұрын

@thedirtheadshed I see on your current vid you found one. Can't wait to see what elts you get up to! I have a body lift to clear those bigger tires, then add sliders :-)

Impressive results!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks !

Great tech tips!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thank you

Excited for the build, love the channel, keep up the good work!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Look forward to making it my own

Man. I've used mother's aluminum polish, seems to work alright. Love the little Suzuki.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. Gotta get home and drive it

Dude! I bought an 03 commodore on Saturday (been sitting a year). And Sunday I took headlights out, 400grit, 1500grit, 2 stage machine buff and re-installed. Probably around the same time you were doing yours I reckon. 🇳🇿

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Right on. It’s a worldwide headlight party

@Deuce1550

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed haha. Yeah mate. Cheers.

A really neat often overlooked 4x4, sweet!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I think it’ll be a good one

@Kingsoupturbo

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed With pricing on everything nuts, a person needs to look outside the normal stuff! Look forward to see it just fixed up for normal use, or a bit more interesting, you can do anything!

Great video. ✌️😁

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thank you

Great video

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Slow

Thanks for the information 🙂will come in handy. 👍🏽😎

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching

That is one cool trick, I need to use that on my truck before I sell it, thanks for the tip!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

No worries. Thanks for watching

Excited for a Suzuki build!!!🤘🏻

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. Me too

Nice work

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thank you

Going to do this to my wife’s explorer this weekend. Thanks for the knowledge Dave!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Right on. Hope it works out for you

I just did this on my wife's 2011 bmw x5 diesel. That and led halo bulbs made it look several years newer .

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Facelift

Thanks for the tutorial, Dave! I bought my 2001 Tracker to make into my fun rig. I love it. I want to be doing stuff on it today but I'm instead in hospital bed with the biggest infection you've ever seen. Maybe soon, I'll get to run into you on trail in your XL7!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Ooh, that’s no good. Hope for a quick recovery

@erickiefer6700

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed Thanks, Dave! After the recovery, I'm going to budget build the Tracker for the WA BDR. You and Fred are keeping me company in hospital boredom! Stay rad!

Those headlights look pretty good! Looking forward to the build - I used to have a Sidekick on 33's - go anywhere trucks for sure👍

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Cool ride! Thanks

All you need to do now is spray some 2K clear over the polished lenses to give them some UV protection.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Oh totally. That pro grade. I wanted to keep it farm league for day one

@ricksshop

Жыл бұрын

I've wondered if that would work. Wife's Corolla is on it's third sand and polish, once you get through the UV coating, they haze over quicker.

Great video brother worked so well on thos lights. Just remember people if you are new to this if you use masking tap on the plastic and corners of all the areas you have a better chance not to burn the paint. Do not let the tape sit for alot of hours or you will get tape clues on the parts.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Yeah. I should have taped off the paint. But I wasn’t sweating it because I plan to do a good buff on the whole car

@rescuedandrestoredgarage

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed ya you have done this stuff before. For people that want to try this on their car and do not understand pressure and how easy it is to burn plastic that was just my tip cuz I have burt paint lol. Have a great day brother loving being a part of your journey.

I used the 3M kit with a drill with good results.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I’ve seen em. Never tried them

As a resident of Phoenix I can confirm. This is a yearly thing to do here.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

That sun is brutal

I clear coated my first ones, I just polished a set one for shidds-n-giiggles. I have to touch them up every year or so but takes a minute or less and looks awesome 😎

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Good knowledge. Thanks

My dad has one of these XL7s and my brother and i have been trying to convince him to do a small overland build. Cant wait to see what you do with it!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks. They are a great platform

Thanks Dave!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for all the support

Awesome! I had a 2004 Suzuki Grand Vitara before, which is a shorter version of the Suzuki you got. What I loved about it, was it was great on MPG and was true 4wd and not Awd, it even had 4low.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Exactly. They are pretty tough in a sea of Crossover vehicles

BLINGGGGGG !!! Nice !

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Like diamonds on my grill!

This is a good method, I’ve done this many times and living in south Florida there is a point when the polishing doesn’t last very long but if you polish them every 3 or 4 months, they don’t get as bad.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

At some point it just becomes regular maintenance. That’s ok

Good info. Gonna try this on my old Ford Crown Vic. I've used other things, but they always eventually faded back pretty quickly. So I'll give it a shot

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Worth a shot. I’m gonna go back and ceramic wax them when I get back homr

@oambrosia

Жыл бұрын

You've removed all the clear coat so you need to protect the plastic. There's a variety of different sealants at the parts store. Reapply regularly...or just polish regularly 😉

I did the old toothpaste trick and it worked pretty good on my headlights. Love the channel and your content 💪🏼

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I’ve tried that too. This needed something a little more aggressive

@danfay4860

Жыл бұрын

Plus it smells minty fresh

Super excited to see this build. I've been abusing a 2000 Grand Vitara (GV) I picked up cheap two years ago. It's just fun to drive and makes me laugh everytime I take it somewhere I didn't think it could go. I put a Rocky Road 2 inch lift on it (Old Man Emu springs and struts and spring spacers) for a little better clearance, but it's not quite what I'm looking for so I've been shopping around looking at kits from Calmini, Altered Ego, 4xFourArt, and parts from Jimny bits, but not sure I want to do those either. If I'm not careful I eat up ball joints and tie rods and have to realign it a little after every outing, but its all good. If I treat it a little nicer I dont jave those problems ;) I think the XL7 has a little sturdier rear axle, better gear ratio, and will ride smoother than the shorter wheelbase GV. Stoked to see your take on this! Also, I gotta say thanks for all the great content and good times over the years. DED got me into wheeling in 2019 and motivated me to buy my GV and just have fun with it, learning to fix or upgrade things along the way. But now i can't stop. I have three projects in various stages and now I want to build a bug and go to Baja! Or maybe an Isuzu Amigo! :)

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Nice! It seems like the new trend is to z the frame and step the whole front suspension down. That way you get your lift and geometry is in check. I’m trying to track down OME parts, but I feel like cutting and welding is inevitable

@mikeaustin6229

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed yeah i don't have those skills, but looking forward to seeing what you do

Amazing what a little TLC will do

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Right!

I usually use 1000 or 1500 grit and then spray them with a good clear spray paint. That way the paint reseals the plastic

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Yep. I’ll clear em if they yellow anytime soon

Great advice! Toothpaste is about the grit you were looking for, I believe. N cheap too. I use Toothpaste and a drill brush. Works a treat!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I’ve used it in the past. Does work well

🦅🇺🇸💪😁👍 hey try mother's mag wheel polish with the power ball for your cordless drill. Works great you'll be done in two minutes or less

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Nice

Nice work, coz i don't have polishing tools i just use Mosquito off spray the green one and a towel paper...spray on and wipe off 2x and its like magic...liked what you doing

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I keep hearing about that trick. I’ll have to try it

Awesome! I'm looking forward to see where you take this one! I have had an interest in these SUVs and have wondered why more people haven't built them?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

They are gaining popularity

Pretty excited to see what you do with this one. I've long wondered if the newer Zuks are worth a damn offroad.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

They are really good

they came out well , Dave is braver or more talented than me .. i always put a few strips of 2" masking tape round the headlight unit

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I could have totally burned some edges

Great video. I have wet sanded an buffed many headlights in the past. 3M sells a kit for $10 that works great. I just did an old Civic with the kit last weekend. I am curious to see how they hold up. Excited to see what you build out of this Zuk.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I see the kits. Never knew if they were aggressive enough

@oambrosia

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed Some of the 3M kits have sandpaper in them. Others don't. Like you said, depends on how bad your lights are.

I’m gonna try this on my 06 dodge 3500 headlights 👍🏻

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Those are good ones. Give it a shot

As good as new

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Good enough

$110 each is pretty solid. Mine are like $220 a piece... made me sad when I cracked one on accident, and felt like I had to replace them both because of how gross they looked...

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Yep. Always something

Throw a coat of wax over the top and help seal that plastic to help delay the next round of oxidation. 👍

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I will. Just picked up some of the new meguires ceramic stuff. Gonna go over all the paint

OMG!!! Please say your gonna SAS this thing!! I’ve been refurbishing a 2000 Tracker. The front end is terrible. Bushings that hold the axle housing are shot and the whole front end vibrates. I have a samurai axle laying around and feel like it would be perfect. I was thinking FJ80 steering box (outside frame rail and forward swing). Leafs would be nice, I’ve never tried building a link suspension. Thanks again for the great channel!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I’m not sure where it’ll end up. I have a pretty bad track record of leaving stuff stock

Just bought a 2014 Mini Countryman, horrible suspension clunk in the back, prev owner had no idea why, internet search, $20, 2 new sway bar bushings, 20 minutes and clunk gone

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

That’s the stuff I love to hear

@EvanMoon

Жыл бұрын

Always look where the spare tire goes - A lot of people don’t put all the stuff back where it supposed to go in the end up with something bang around there

@MTNDOG39

Жыл бұрын

It's from the era of run flats and no spare or jack or anything it appears. Still discovering it's history.

Finally a replacement for your old Isuzu amigo,

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Been needing a legit 4 seater

I have 2004 XL7 too

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Nice. How do you like it

@jamesreed9106

Жыл бұрын

Makes for a decent commuter. I find it a bit uncomfortable, gas pedal has a weird position/no foot room. The v6 is pretty gutless and only gets about 18mpg. Mines kinda boring since it’s a auto 2wd. But it was free so it’s that going for it !!

I've heard that clear coat should be applied after polishing out headlights. Especially if sanding is required. My brother was using the spray cans of 2K clear and the results have lasted for a couple years so far. Need to polish my Tahoe headlights next.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Yeah. Power tools and real clear make it a legit fix

Just sold my 2003 chevy tracker zr2 to a friend. I'll send him a link to this video, so he can fix the yellowed headlights I ignored! P.S. I named the tracker the barbie jeep. Your welcome to use that name for yours..

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I appreciate it. I’m sure it’ll tell me it’s name soon enough though

now i need to buy a buffing wheel.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Yeah. You do

Hey you should bave topped up the flasher fluid as well, looks low to me

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I’ll do all the fluids when I get back to town . Sounds like the muffler bearing is going out too

Tons on the Suzuki!?!? What 🤔🙏

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

We’ll see.

I picked up a 2007 Suzuki Jimny last Friday . Guess what I'm gonna be doing tomorrow !

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Nice! Good find

Hey can we get a bikecheck of the raw aluminum hardtail with the purple Topline cranks and Ringle(?) post? I love it!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

You nailed it. That bike is rad. It’s an old univega I think. Have never been able to decode the serial number though. It has killer parts

What on earth could Dirthead Dave do with a tired, outdated Suzuki? Oh we shall find out and I for one am SUPER jazzed to see what comes of it. Where are you located, Dave, generally speaking?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I’m in Washington state. Thanks

@richw9205

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed ahhh….ok. Nice!! I always had So Cal in my brain but then saw the trees outside your shop and was not thinking So Cal anymore. Unless you were in Big Bear or something. Killer content!! Thanks for sharing.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Yeah. Use to be from East San Diego county

@dirtbikechopper2012

Жыл бұрын

Solid axle swap, maybe ?!!!!!

Need to reseal it once you do all that polishing, or it'll get foggy again real quick. The yellow is a combination of UV rays and oxidation, so if you clear-coat it with a UV protective coat it should last longer.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I know that. But I wanted to go this route first so I have first hand knowledge when someone asks. “How’d that work, how long did it last?”

@buckykattguitar

Жыл бұрын

I use Eastwood 2k clear when I do headlights for club brothers.

Suuuzuuuukiiiii!!!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

So good

Save time next time and use aluminum wheel polish and a polisher. Skip all the sanding. It takes about 2 minutes.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

The video would be too short then!

As an Arizonan I'm a little offended that only talked about the sun damage and not the INCREDIBLE RUST-FREE FRAME?!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

True that. It’s amazing the condition it’s in

I did this on a corolla once and it looked like ass again in a couple months. Its like $80 for a set of lights for my Silverado so i just replaced them with clear and eliminated the orange lense (used orange bulb).

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Cool. Seems like stuff is way cheaper for the more popular vehicles

You might want to wipe it with some uv protectant. Other than that great job love the channel!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thank you

What do you use to protect it from UV so it doesn't cloud up again in a year? They get nasty again really fast after you do them without any protection on them, but I've not found anything; not that I've searched real hard. lol Maybe one of the vinyl wrap places has a clear film that'll work for that? I'd never thought of that until just now... Ha!

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I wanted to leave it as is for now. So I can say for sure how long it lasts. Next time I’ll use automotive grade clear coat

@RCJesus420

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed I suppose the clear coat is probably what they use at the factory; makes sense. Thanks!

The 3m kits come with a clear coat/uv protection step. Is that worth the effort?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I am sure it is a more permanent solution than just buffing

Could you add a link to your buffing pad or one you recommend for an angle grinder?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I just use old stuff I have laying around. But I prefer wool over foam

My ex had one of these, doing anything on the front of the engine was terrible, theres like 2" between the heads/block and the radiator

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Standard issue small suv

🇺🇸💪

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Bo

How ironic I just did this to my girlfriends G6, they were terrible, just some 1500 to 2000 an buff it an they look great now.

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Pretty instant gratification

Will that work on a canary yellow Amigo?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Not sure. But a crystal clear amigo would be cool

Do you every put the clear coat on after buffing?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I have. But didn’t on this rig. Yet

What’s your game plan with this rig? Daily or build it?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Daily. Little things for the build first

I’ve always started with 1500 then step up to 2500 then I’d buff and polish

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Yeah. I didn’t have that. So went rubbing compound for second step

@josh26050

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed still turned out good though

So... 1 tons when?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I’m gOOnA LeAVe iT StoCK…….

@dirtbikechopper2012

Жыл бұрын

@ dirthead...leave it stock ?...uh, yeah sure ok lol

Did the hairy pink guy find a new job yet?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Don’t know what you’re talking about

@ScooterJGarage

Жыл бұрын

Curious, why the XL-7? I've built a few of these, and currently have a 04 on 31" tires. So wondering what sparked your interest. These are the most underrated rigs out there IMO. Absolutely Love them! If you're planning on using the OEM axles, I've got good info if on gears/ lockers.

Where can I get one of your stickers ?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Oh dang. Just made some. I need to set up a store

Did you say 40’s and tons??

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Not yet!! Baby steps

Link to the buffing wheel?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

It’s just a polisher and pad from autozone or oreilly. I forget

UV sealer?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

I’ll throw some ceramic wax on them. If they yellow out I’ll spray some real clear coat

Bug spray.. spray it on and wipe it off..

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

These needs way more than that

Basically? Basically! basic basic basic. Need a Basic thesaurus?

@thedirtheadshed

Жыл бұрын

Did I say basically too many times?

@gregorholmes1837

Жыл бұрын

@@thedirtheadshed basically.