I did some searches on this subject, but didn't find a whole lot. I have a black 2010 LS 460 L that I bought in November as my mid life crisis. Today I noticed a paint chip on the hood about the size of a match head. Some posts have stated this is normal. Is that what most people find? Should I expect to be touching up paint chips forever? I expect road rash, but an actual chip that went thru the clear coat and paint to the metal. Is that normal? It is on the hood and looks like the North Star on prom night!!! I have read about Dr Colorchip and Langka. I think Langka is better for a chip based on reviews. While Colorchip is better for road rash. Any thoughts or comments you have are greatly appreciated.

 

An LS purchase as a mid-life crisis? Gotta admit...that's the first time I've heard that one, although there's no doubt that the LS is a great car, and is a real pleasure to relax, be coddled in, and drive home in at the end of a hard day's work.

As far as your chip goes, you ask if it is normal? It's very common to get chips on the front of the hood, lower-body-sides, and on the front bumper around and/or the grille. Unfortunately, debris does sometimes exist on the roads, especially around construction/repaving areas and in the abrasives used along with the winter salt. Road-debris can also come from the pavement crumbling inside of potholes. This debris, of course, is stirred up by your own tires and the tires of cars in front of you (particularly when they cut in front of you in your lane)...and can easily be driven through the paint and clearcoat if the impact-speed and force is great enough. Some cars are known for harder and more impact-resistant paint than others (Lexus is not particularly known for tough, impact-resistant paint, even though most Lexus paint jobs at the factory are glass-smooth and like a mirror).

You have several options, short of a body-shop, to deal with it. You can use regular touch-up paint in the small brush-bottles. You can use touch-up spray paint, but that usually involves some pre-work and cutting out a masking-hole around the chip spot. You can do an old trick I learned years ago, and depending on the exact location of the chip, cover it up with a strip of flat-black trim-tape that makes it look like a piece of factory-black trim (sometimes you have to match it with another matching piece on the other side of the car to balance it out and make it look natural). Or you can cut a small round piece of sticky, shiny-black tape and just stick it on othe hood over the chip....it won't necessarily look perfect, but the black color will hide the metal underneath and make it look at least less-offensive.

 

There's not much you can do at this point. but you can always get a clear bra to prevent any future paint chipping.

the technology has gotten good enough these days that its very hard to tell if a car has a clear bra on it, and a black car makes it almost impossible to tell. Only downside is clear bras can be pretty expensive, but since its your mid-life crisis, I don't think money is that big of a factor

 

Bras, though, can trap moisture underneath and cause premature paint-fading/discoloring, though with today's clearcoats, that's less of a factor than it once was. They can also cause abrading if taken on and off over paint that isn't clean.

Anothe solution is the clear protective plastic film applied over the front part of the hood (it comes as several different corporate-names). Done properly, it is very hard to tell it is there unless you look closely, though it may not shield hard-impacts as well as traditional bras. Dealers sometimes offer it as an option on new cars.

 

oops, when i said clear bra, i meant the protective film, such as the 3m guard

 

Mmarshall, any suggestions on my next mid life crisis? Hahaha!!! Lexus LS was a big step up from an Avalon Limited.
Anyone have any comments on Langka or Dr. Colorchip? Are they worth it for a chip? Or should I just use touch up paint?

 

Simple. Don't have one.

The reason I said that an LS purchase was unusual for a mid-life crisis is that a lot of guys choose a sports car instead. But, of course, I don't believe in stereotypes, and one can purchase whatever he or she pleases and can afford.

 

Yes, most men do get sports cars for their MAC attacks. I guess I figure an LS can beet most sports cars...hahaha! Sport car doesn't fit my style. Plus, who wants a car that all you do is look at while it sits in the garage? What is the point? Kind of like the guy with the 67 Corvette with less than 3,000 miles...why have it? It's not a piece of furniture. Piece of art, maybe? Art meant to be driven not looked at.

 

I'm in the same predicament with my car. I have a black 07 GS450H that has some rock chips on the hood of my car. The bumper also has some chips and scratches. There are places on the sides of the car that show swirl marks from maybe excessive buffing. I'm contemplating either touching the car up or maybe just painting the hood and bumper of the car. It's an 07 and I expect to keep the car for another 5-6 years, by then the car would be 11-12 years old and I wouldn't worry about "devaluing" the car much. Any suggestions?

 

^The majority of swirl marks come from improper washing and drying - if you are seeing buffer damage, it is most likely a defect known as holograms which are caused by a heavy duty rotary buffer that many dealerships use that are WAY too aggressive for finish polishing - but dealerships do not care. You can invest in a Dual Action/Random Orbital buffing machine, a set of pads, and some polish and make your car look perfect for much less money than what someone will charge you to do it. DA machines are very easy and very safe to use - even for a complete beginner!


^You can see the bottom part has been fully corrected - this was all done with a DA machine. It finishes down swirl free, and the chances of you harming your paint is slim to none! DA machines move in a random orbital motion instead of the standard orbital motion of which allows the machine to dissipate heat from the buffing surface much more efficiently, meaning it is extremely difficult for you to "burn through" your paint. Just some food for thought.

Dr. Colorchip is very popular among many detailers. It is quite effective, but do not expect miracles. Chip repair is basically just meant to fill in the chip to avoid further damage and rust from developing - it will not look like there was never a chip there. So if your expectations are reasonable, you will be satisfied with products like this. It is worth having the kit on hand if you do a good amount of driving that puts your car at risk of common road rash.

 

Thanks zmcgovern, that's really helpful to know. I will take your advance and give it a try this weekend. I'll post picks afterwards. Thanks gain!

 

If you are talking about giving paint correction a try, take a look at these series of videos by Mike Phillips of Autogeek. It will get you started in the right direction when it comes to machine polishing.

If you were referencing the Dr. Colorchip - then good luck! Look forward to seeing the results.

 

ceramic coating perhaps?