I spoke to a Lexus salesman and verified that Black is the only color that they do not clear coat. He said the reason is because the black paint caused the clear coat to yellow. I mentioned it to a couple local body shops and they were both surprised but said that they most likely mix in clear coat with the black paint.

Since black is one of my top choices I would like to hear if there are any special problems if the black does not have the clear coat finish.

After viewing the photo of DeniskaGS4's black SC it didn't appear to be a problem. I would appreciate hearing from all of you that own a black SC.

 

I think that guy is wrong.

 

When this has come up in past posts, the final answer was that Lexus clearcoats all the SC colors. And I believe the unnecessary concern was caused by a salesman each time.

Hint: They like to keep the black ones on the lot because they look so darn good. They'll say anything to get you to not buy them...

 

My advise, look into paint film protection right away!

My '03 Red SC430 was getting stone chipped within 15 days, and NOT a daily driver!

See my post PAINT.

Black is not normally clear-coated, but one test will tell you. If you use any type of polish ie, Meguiars, Menzerna, 3M etc and the foam pad is colored after you polished, it's not clear coated. If no color is on the pad, it's clear coated. Pad meaning that you are using a PC buffer or rotary polisher.

IMO, Lexus paint is VERY brittle and chips easy. This may be do to the fact that there is no longer any lead in paint, and most are waterborn. It depends on the application of the paint, but Lexus does have the best application in the industry!

If you like to detail your car, or need info on what to use, see Autopia.org. Great site for detail specific questions.

Regards,
Deanski

 

It appears from your response's that it is still an uncertainity. I called my Lexus salesman today and he assured me that the black SC's do not have the normal 2 clear coats. He said that is why the black SC's arrive with an extra "bandaid" covering to keep water spots from forming during shipment.

The factory Lexus rep. will be at his dealership next week and he is going to verify what he told me. He did say that was what he was taught while attending Lexus school.

I will update all of you next week after he contacts me. In the meantime I would really enjoy hearing from all of you that own the black SC to let me know if you have been happy with the black overall. Also any definite recommendations on how to keep it in top condition.

Regards,

Michael

 

I had a white gs400 and now I have a black sc, cant deside which color i like more

 

This sounds very similar to what owners were told in the past. (Salesmen were initially told this, as were they told 2 free navigation DVD upgrades to every buyer.) But when all was said and done, a higher source not involved with sales or marketing said this wasn't true. I'm not sure who is right; I just wanted to point out that salesmen in the past have been called on this issue and contradicted.

As for car care, do a search for Zaino in this forum or trundle on over to Automotive Care & Detailing forum and you'll get lots of great info on keeping your Black Onyx SC showroom clean. Check out Genearch's posts here regarding cleaning and products - he's a stickler for quality.