Dear fans

Any idea on these lines on the side of LS430. Is it Factory or custom made? Is it done to cover scratches?

Appreciate if you reply now as I'm about to bet on this one.

 

These are not for bet but examples of similar lines I've seen before...

 

Is this the first time you've seen a car?

Those lines are commonly called pinstripes, dealers have been putting them on cars for years as a way to upsell you when you buy the car. Toyota/Lexus doesn't put these pinstripes on their cars from the factory, dealers do.

Usually they're adhesive stickers and can be pulled off easily when new but as they get older they can be more difficult to remove. Don't use any type of blade or scraper to remove the stripes you'll scratch the paint. If the stripes don't come off easily 3M sells a pinstripe removal tool and it works very well.

Less commonly pinstripes can be painted on, sometimes you can chemically remove them, I don't have any experience with them.

Either way the pinstripes have been covering the paint from sun damage, expect the newly exposed paint to look a little different from where the stripes used to be.

 

Thank you so much

 

So these pinstripes are removable, right? Looks exactly like scratch to me...

 

I've been trying to buy a wrecked LS430 on copart for a while - crazy prices! Want to go half ?

I've never seen those stripes on a pre-facelift - I think it looks great!

 

This is the best thing I've ever used to remove decals, residue, etc.

 

Above is pinstriping. Below is a scratch....

 

Mine came with pin stripes that were painted on. They buffed off pretty easily.

 

My car has it and partially fading. Not sure what's the best way to remove it.

 

Try using a DA with some rubbing compound !

 

Buffed mine off with a light polishing compound on a light pad. Work slowly and let the machine and the compound do the work or you'll burn the clear. The pin stripping doesn't have clear over it so it should come off pretty easily.