zaccor

Shut the door to the garage kind of hard and a metal decoration fell on the front of our GX causing some scratches, on the headlight, and right below the headlight. Kicking myself now( to put it lightly). Attached pictures. Doing some research and am going to try Meguiar's PlastX on the headlights and see how that can help remove or lessen the scratches there. Am open to other ideas too.

As for the big scratch, it's pretty deep. Running my fingernail across it, the scratch will cause it to stop. Is there any DIY solutions or is it best to leave it to the professionals? I've heard about wet sandpaper, cutting compounds, touch up paint (our color is starfire pearl) but I don't want to make anything worse than it already is.

bd5400

If the scratch catches your nail you will most likely need touch-up paint to fill the scratch. Some people who do paint correction will also do the touch up if you provide the proper paint, but that may depend on the person.

PapaLeo

I can't help with lense scratches (don't have any expirience) but for the general paint scratch, you can follow simple DIY that I can recommend.
If your scratch catches nail, use a 1500 grit wet sandpaper to smooth out the scratch edges. Then use a touch-up paint (Lexus Starfire Pearl code is 077) to fill up the scratch, when paint completely dries up (depends on the outside temperature and humidity, it could take up to 6 hours), then apply a coat of clear touch-up paint (Lexus code is 00C). After clear coat dries up (again up to 6 hours), use 2000 grit dry sandpaper to lightly smooth out the painting surface.
Good luck.

Htony

And polish. I just let the guys at detail shop take care of it. I tend to mess up when I try myself.

pinoyesv6

If you feel like trying to fix it yourself, get a kit like DR Color Chip

https://www.drcolorchip.com

I have used used it on my black GX and it works good. In many cases you might have to do multiple layers just to fill in the scratch but it does hide the imperfection pretty good.

PapaLeo

Drcolorchip won't work perfectly for Pearl White. I just double checked that website and it has a disclosure "This is a tri-coat pearl / 3-stage color, meaning it was painted with a base coat, pearl coat and tinted clear coat. There is not a single color formula that exactly matches. However, the paint you receive should allow for a very close color match and yield far better results than using regular touch-up paint. Please check the box to acknowledge this."

The best bet would be to go with Lexus touch up paint.

zaccor

Thank you for your help. Might try this. If I'm using the wet or dry sandpaper to smooth the scratch, I'm assuming even with careful moves I will get it on the surrounding non-scratched area, which will take off a little clear coat. What should I put over it post-sandpaper? A polish such as Meguiars 205 or?

And for the paint, my understanding for starfire pearl is that there is the base white, then the pearl color, then the clear coat?

zaccor

Was going to look around and see if one of the shops in my area would do it if I can't. I assume not all want to or can do it.

JDMFactory

I had a ladder fell onto my GX during some harsh weather and woke up to something very similar to what you had. I tried Dr. Color Chip and it didn't turn out great... but its better than most products out there. After my failed attempt on repairing it myself, I checked out some detailers around my area on facebook and got it fixed for about $80 and it looked flawless.

Didn't learn my lesson with the ladder placement, the ladder fell again but this time on my MR2. I used Meguiars Ultimate compound and it came out perfect! But I would recommend on going with the professionals as the parts on these cars are expensive.

MX5NES350

I had a 2007 Starfire Pearl ES and the wife has a 2013 ct200h. Starfire Pearl is a real PITA to try and even touch up a stone chip. It never matches properly. Better to leave it to the pros if you want it to look new again. If you don't mind some color variation then give the DIY thing a go.

zaccor

So just call around and ask the detailers do scratch touch up?

MX5NES350

A dealer will charge you an arm and a leg. Remeber they are the go between because "They have a 'guy'". Much like wheel repair and dent removal. I would look at reputable local body shops and see what they say. You can go to the dealer for an estimate and use that as your baseline. Most likely there will be a savings by going with any reputable body shops and the dealer will never know that it was repaired if you try and take it in for trade.

This is, AFAIK, would be your best option. Again Starfire Pearl is a primer, base coat of white, pearl coat, then a clear which makes it really hard to get right and look untouched compared to the rest of the panel. Having had two of this color car (one still in the stable) any scratch or nick is tough to repair properly. I have tried numerous times with the Lexus touch-up and Dr.Color Chip (great product btw)

JT4

Same with Ultra White (code #083). I picked up the Lexus touch up paint from the dealer to fix a couple of stone chips also, and no matter how much I shake the bottle the paint never matches correctly.. Actually, when you apply it over the chip it doesn't cover it, you can still see it through touch-up paint as though it is only the clearcoat.. I have been touching up paint for years on my cars and have never experienced this.

My middle son has a White Diamond Pearl Acura and the touch up paint comes in two parts. One tube is the base white, and in the second tube is the pearl clearcoat.

So when I first used the Lexus touch up I thought that maybe the dealer had only given me the clear coat since it was mostly clear with some pearl in it. So I called my dealer back and they assured me that what I rec'd was correct, there is only one tube for the Ultra White touch-up.

I may order the touch up from http://oemtouchuppaint.com I have used them in the past and thier paint matched perfectly..

WHITE93GT

Hey it looks like it is on top of the paint(that will also catch your nail). Wipe it with some lacquer thinner or fingernail polish and it just might come right off. Then polish/wax it when done. DO NOT USE THAT on the headlight though. Just try some rubbing/polishing compound on the headlight and then wax that too. Please give it a try and let us know what happens.