Scrapping My Matrix!!! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

BlindBoyJoe · 09-29-2003, 12:36 AM

I just bout a 2004 Matrix XRS last week and I love it!!! This is my first car, I am used to driving trucks. Today arfer leaving my friends house I scrapped the front coners of my bumper/ground effects assembly pretty bad (I think that they are called spats but please correct me if I'm wrong). I know that I am being an over protective dad with my new car but, is this normal? Have you guys been scrapping the under part of your Matrix? If I were to buy new spats in the future, what do they cost? Are they hard to install? Any information is greatly appreciated!!!

Dredd2099 · 09-29-2003, 02:29 PM

welcome to the site mr blindboyjoe
id say scrapping it is pretty normal
as the front lip/corners juts out further
if u dont see it, leave it for now
ull probly get a few more till u get used to it and learn how to avoid scrapping as much as possible
i have mine lowered a lil
and yes, i do have scrapes under the front lip/corners

BlindBoyJoe · 09-30-2003, 03:58 AM

Are those corners replaceable? How much do they cost? Are they easy to install? Thanks in advance for the input!

jhbhatia · 09-30-2003, 11:31 AM

LIke any other toyota, those individually would cost close to 230-270 a piece...just leave em alone...untill a time comes for you to repaint them back!

BlindBoyJoe · 09-30-2003, 01:44 PM

Are those corner pieces called spats? I saw on a web-site were they are selling a set of "spats" for about $170 already pre-painted.

Dredd2099 · 09-30-2003, 03:05 PM

uv got an XRS
the spats u see for sale is for base and XR only w/ no ground effects
your XRS has the full front lip
iv included a pic of what exactly a spat is

if ur really really concerned w/ the scratch
just go to your local paint shop and/or scratch/ding/paint repair shop and have em do it
but like i said earlier and what mr jhbhatia also said
leave it for now till u get used to your car
then ull have a better chance of not re-scratching it again

as for the installation of spats
they usually just stick on (yes, double sided tape, etc)
or clips or a bit of both
easy install

gl with your trix sir
oh yeah, pix would be nice as well

***mistamatrix*** · 09-30-2003, 09:32 PM

Those side spoilers can cost you $182.48US at the dealer. And that's only for one corner!

BlindBoyJoe · 10-03-2003, 09:39 PM

TOUCH UP PAINT!!!!. I went down to my local Toyota dealer and bought a bottle of touch up pain- Super White!! It worked like a charm. I was able to cover up the front part of my Spat that was scrapped, thank God it was only a little spot. It worked great. I can't even hardly notice it anymore!!

***mistamatrix*** · 10-03-2003, 10:07 PM

You should see my front lip. You'd have a heart attack.

BlindBoyJoe · 10-04-2003, 05:14 PM

I know that my car is eventually going to wear some scratches but I wish that it could at least happen after I get my real plates!!!

Kro781 · 10-18-2003, 09:29 AM

dude don't worry it's going to happen. I tried the touch up paint and the toyota brand doesn't match oh well. You just gotta go kinda sideways and learn were to avoid, like I said it's going to happen. My worst is when I was on the highway and a semi desided to loose it tire infront a pack of cars, luckly that was before I got my coilovers.