i had never heard of a clear bra until i started looking around on this site. i was into jdm hondas and dsms before i got my IS and i only had to worry about paint chipping off if i bottomed out in my slammed eclipse. i never had any noticeable rock chips. are clear bras really 500 bucks? if so, my IS will just have to suffer lol.

 

It isn't absurd at all actually. I dont know if this is true with all Lexus vehicles, but the paint on the IS is way to soft.

 

same water based paint as on every other vehicle.

 

In that cases Lexus needs to develup a new paint formula. The paint on our S Class is far more durable then the IS.

 

lexus doesnt make their own paint, neither do the other vehicle manafacturers, its all supplied

 

So I take it you have an S class and your drive it equally as much as your IS and on the same roads? Is it a newer S class?

I really think its just the paint that all of the companies are using. I guess it just doesn't cure as hard or they don't apply enough coats of clear coat or something, but this appears to be happening on all new cars. I know the BMW and Infiniti fans are complaining about the same thing.

 

car makers are not using water based paints yet for their vehicles. It has been the same paint for years and years...

If you really have the money and time, go to a bodyshop, have them repaint your front end with SRC (Scratch Resistant Clear). This clear is used on all 2003+ Mercedes/BMW and actually does prevent a lot of scracthes/pits. We tested it at work on a damaged fender off an 05 E Class and it does resist a lot of scratches. Also if it does scratch, it is easily buffed out and never seen again.

 

That's great... What exactly is your point? That does not change the fact that the paint on the IS is too soft, regardless of who supplies the paint. Or are you suggesting it's the paint suppliers who have Lexus by the ***** and call the shots as to which paint to use???

Your frame of reference is no different than someone who is 100lbs over weight and eats 5+ whoppers a day claiming he has no control over his weight becuase he's not the one who makes the whoppers.

The S-Class has about 2k miles less than the IS does, and yes it gets driven on the same roads, there are no "s class only" roads around where I live. And NO, all the companies are not using the same paint.

 

All the major manufacturers have been using water based paints for years. The old two pack paints have been phased out due to their toxicity and the environmental damage they do.

 

The people that think this is normal are nutso. I have a mini rock chip meet going on 24/7 under each of my foglights. Yay!

 

I actually think I have more rock chips on my IS than my DC2 and its be repainted too! Who knows...

 

i just never understood.. how is using lead in the paint so that its alot tougher and strong a danger to the environment?

 

Something like toxins are released into the ground when it breaks down. It may get to the water system etc, etc...of course this is just a guess, I'm sure there is some real scientific explanation for it

 

You guys are hilarious telling him that if he washed his car this would not have happened to him... no car paint should be so weak that it goes to crap unless you detail it yourself at home. Fine if automatic carwashes are bad but you should not have to take extra special care, than you otherwise would.

A bit off topic but apparently Mercedes have started using a paint with microscopic pieces of ceramic in it to minimize the possibility of chipping the paint job.

 

It's the toxins that are given off as it's applied that are the problem.