sam430

iTrader: (10)

How many coats? I'm asking this question because I have a few chips already. I never have issues with paint chip on my 2 GS but this 4 GS is like... a piece of ****. It looks so thin!

yeah yeah...clear bra it.

modthispny

i believe 2 for all colors except white, which is 3.

SW17LS

It's way more than 2 coats, both the pearl cars and the normal cars have the same number of coats, it's just the 3 stage paint has some of the color coats as a real coat before the clear

Definitely get the clear bra. I just had it done and am very happy with it. You can see pics of my install in the thread titled "Clear bra cost"

Your 2GS was before the new "Eco friendly" paints...

Nexson

not sure what to make of this, I am try to understand what you are saying

Nexson

BTW OP, the factories will put only just about 2 coats of clear, that is all that is needed nowadays. Anymore and you are just asking for trouble with a high solids clear. It is not the clear that makes it chip, its the undercoat.

Any rock that hits your car fast enough at 70 mph will chip the paint.

Outrage

Ever since the switch to water-based paints Japanese vehicles have had paint which is overly fragile. I've owned domestic vehicles which don't suffer from nearly as many stone chips despite using water-based paints.

sydtoosic

the Obsidian is a 2 stage...

Nexson

has nothing to do with it, the clears are still solvent based. The water based paint is just the color, which essentially doesn't protect anything.

SW17LS

"Real" should read "pearl" in my post. Damn iPad!

What I was trying to say was single stage, dual stage, or tri stage the same physical amount of paint (thickness) is on the car, what changes is the types of paint used within that makeup. For instance if its single stage, its all color coat. Dual stage, top 2 coats are clear. Tri stage, color coat, followed by a pearl coat, then 2 coats of clear, etc.

Our 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has much tougher paint. The Paint on the Lexus is smoother and more uniform, but I just got back from a long road trip in upstate NY with snowy roads treated with sand and gravel, big trucks. If I had been in the Lexus the paint would have been f'ed, my Jeep had NO chips, not one. I was floored.

95bat

I agree! It seems like if you sneeze on my car too hard it'll chip the paint. The touch-up paint is worthless, too. I bought some and put it on... it went on clear. Every other touch-up paint I've used went on so well you never knew there was a chip there.

These cars definitely need clear bras... but now I have to get the rock chips fixed before I put a clear bra over it!

sydtoosic

you don't have to sneeze on it... all you have to do is walk past it and the minuscule breeze generated by you walking past will scratch it..

sydtoosic

the NG,SP and FAP are 3 stage, not sure about the LP. the rest are 2 stage.

Nexson

I will say my front bumper has little black specs from chips. Not too happy about that. When i drive up to Daytona for the Daytona 500, the whole front of the car is getting taped.

PTmobile

All vehicle manufacturers have gone to water based paint. EPA regs here and other equivalant agencies around the world have brought this on. Go into any car forum... Ford, Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, Lexus... doesnt matter its the same issues. Ive done a lot of research on this and its just a part of life now. Unless we can get rid of all the environmental groups. Its been good for the clear bra business as thats the only alternitive out there currently, but stil a shame this has happened.

Nexson

The clears are still solvent based! the water based is just the color and we know color is not where the protection is. The clears are just lower VOC's to meet EPA reg. Water based has nothing to do with chipping if the top coat is still the same.