Scooter24

Don't know if this is the right Lexus forum or not.

I am interested in getting Zaino products to clean/polish etc.. my black IS350. Some of the Zaino products are for cars with a clear coat of paint.

Does the black IS350 have a clear coat? If not, can I use the Zaino products that are for cars with a clear coat?

Thanks in advance for the help.

uschardcor

lol yea it has a clear coat or 2. zaino is mainly a product for un-waxed cars. if you haven't waxed your car yourself then you can use almost anything u want fromt hem.

good job using zaino tho

al503

Some of the lexus line has single stage paint (like my RX), not base coat/clear coat.

Not doubting USC but it might be a good idea to confirm with the dealer.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I hope this helps:

Clearing Up the Clearcoat Issue

Good luck!

AznJason

iTrader: (5)

what the heck is "Gangsta Grillz Nine"? Not sure how that clears up the clear coat issue...

Maybe you were trying to paste another link?

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Did you like that?

Sorry. It's now fixed... oops...

zomg!11

i think black might not have a clear coat. i remember when i was choosing a color for my IS, i asked if any of the colors did not have clear coat, and he named two colors. unfortunately i don't remember what the two colors were. i asked because i wanted to make sure the color i chose had clear coat... and i have glacier frost mica which does have clear coat. bottom line is i would check with the dealer.

jinetix

According to the service manager I spoke with at Longo (David Funk), Black Onyx does NOT have a clear coat.

FrankyJ

can somebody post which ones DO have a clear coat?

Julez

Can someone clarify, is it safe to wax/polish a black IS or is there a precaution/different approach I should take.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

It is - I'm moving your thread to the detailing forum where our detail experts can chime in.

Here is another thread about clearcoat and how to tell if you have it or not in our ClubLexus detailing forum https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ighlight=black Consensus is that newer black Lexus have it... If someone with a black 2IS will test so we have a definitive answer, would be appreciated.

picus

Alright, let me see if I can help (this may or may not add to confusion).

First - some black and red Lexus's do not have clear coats, they are single stage paints. Which? I can say for sure *all* 1st gen black IS's were single stage, and almost all pre-1999 black Lexus were single stage. I do not know whether 2nd gen IS's are single stage but it's easy to find out.

How do you find out? Get a tube of ScratchX and a foam applicator, rub the product in an inconpicuous area (this won't hurt the paint), if the applicator turns black is it single stage. if it doesn't, odds are it has a clear.

More important: What is the different between single stage and clear coated paints?

http://gtaindetail.com/clearcoat/

Read that (especially the "single stage paint" part). Bottom line - caring for single stage paint is almost the same in every respect as caring for paint with a clear coat. "Clear coat safe" is 99% marketing. All Zaino products (and every other sealant I've ever used) will work on single stage cars and will not hurt them. Polishing single stage is fine (same concept as clear coat, remove a fine layer to level the finish, don't remove too much just like clear coated finishes).

Hope this helps.

Guitarman

As Picus has stated, there's really NO differenece in how to care for it. It IS the SAME PAINT- urethane enamel- for either, it's only that the clearcoat has no pigment in it, and uses a base pigment coat.

I have been told by Sal that the Zaino Z3 product for single stage paint is used widely by Corvette owners, they like it. It won't harm your paint in any way, single stage or clearcoat.

The database we created upon which Lexus cars are single stage and clearcoated is not 100% reliable, there weren't really enough respondants to say with certainty that it's academic, so you can take the info as a general consensus with possible exceptions. The existing info states that somewhere along 2001 Lexus may have started clear coating the black onyx cars, but for all I know they may have gone back to single stage at some recent point. IF YOU KNOW FOR SURE, then add your info to that thread, please.

We'd need 90%-100% compliance from EVERY CL member to break it down to an absolute, and that as yet hasn't happened, and likely never will. But we can at least keep a baseline established.

Use the drill Picus outlined in determining which type your car has, it's easy to do.

picus

For Greater Toronto Area members:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...57#post1874157

I plan on putting this issue to rest myself!

Bobby G

Anyone get an answer from Lexus on this???