raj824

I have a new IS 250 and after having it a couple weeks, I'm already seeing chips in the paint, especially by the "lip" area. The color is Starfire Pearl. Any advice how to touch up these very small chips?

I did search the forums but didn't find anything conclusive, except learningn that chipping is one of those annoyances for this model.

Thanks.
RJ

montgb

iTrader: (7)

Clear Bra!

Not sure how many chips you have - touch-up paint for Starfire Pearl is hard to match, so that may not be an option if your bumper is pock-marked. If you're **** like me, I got my bumper repainted and then had a clearbra installed. For soft paint like Lexus', it's the best investment you can make.

raj824

Can I get touch-up paint that will match from the Dealer? I naturally assume so.

Where can I get a clear bra from?

montgb

iTrader: (7)

Yes, the dealer stocks touch-up paint. For the clearbra, start asking around your local tint and detaling shops. You can ask the dealer, too, but they usually contract with a 3rd party and then jack up the price.

shadowman

iTrader: (2)

I got my bra from eBay, and then installed it with help of my bro-in-law. If you get the cheap stuff, prepare to sacrifice a bit on the fit and install time like we did. But it still does its job. The bra took a hit from a couple of rocks already.

Go for the 3m stuff if you can afford it because it is a lot more easy to install. The eBay cheap stuff clings on contact and doesn't slide like the 3m stuff. You want it to slide as you adjust it to fit your car.

For touch up paint,

U can buy it from touch paint makers. Depending on how bad it is ( down to medal or primer or just clear coat chip), you will need to buy them. Use a toothpick for the rock chips or line scratches. Don't use the brush unless you want to wet sand it later. Then apply clear coat after touch up.

raj824

Will touch paint makers be able to match the color exactly?

E6BAV8R

How much did you pay for the clear-bra?

Any idea how much touch-up paint would be? is it best to grab it from the dealer? Mine is Obsidian Black, so I can't imagine it would be too difficult to match.

shadowman

iTrader: (2)

I bought mine at http://www.automotivetouchup.com/index.htm and the color came pretty damn close. But alot of factors play in color match. If your car is like 2 -3 year old and park outside 247, then there will be some fading on the original factory paint. So it's hard to be perfect because there will always be some fading in the factor paint over the life of the car.

Clearbra:
I paid about 40 - 50 bucks for my hood / bumper / fenders / mirrors. 3m will cost over 300 bucks.

montgb

iTrader: (7)

For my 3M bumper, quarter hood, quarter fender, headlights, and mirrors, I paid around $600 installed.

montgb

iTrader: (7)

For black touch-up paint, you can get that at AutoZone. Luckily, black is black. I used it on some dings in my grill that weren't protected with the clear bra.