+1 on bug deflector damage. They chip the paint where the clips go on, and you cant take the damn thing off without breaking it. If its a small chip, touch up paint, then have the dealer re-clear coat it.
Rock chips, weak paint
Hey, all. I've had my Tacoma ('08 DC TRD Sport in silver) for about 5 weeks now. I'm commuting to work about 55 miles every day for the next few months. Probably 54 of those miles are interstate driving. Anyways, I was cleaning my truck yesterday and noticed a fairly large rock chip in the column next to the windshield, a small chip in the windshield, and a pretty big door ding (I think) on the corner of the driver side wheel well.
I knew going into this that Toyota's paint was kind of weak, so I'm not very surprised. It is sort of depressing, though considering my old S-10 barely had this much paint damage after 12 years. Anyways, what would be the best way to have these touched up/fixed? I'm not really sure if I should go to the dealer or just find a local body shop. How much would it cost about?
I'm not against bug deflectors, but have hear they damage the paint on the hood of our Tacos. Any advice is appreciated thanks.
As a note: I drive slowly and don't tail people, but within the city it's impossible to avoid the crowds/rocks.
Edit: Forgot to ask what the clear tape was that can be added to protect paint in certain spots? My front license plate's lower edge is rubbing against the bumper and scratching it pretty good.
I knew going into this that Toyota's paint was kind of weak, so I'm not very surprised. It is sort of depressing, though considering my old S-10 barely had this much paint damage after 12 years. Anyways, what would be the best way to have these touched up/fixed? I'm not really sure if I should go to the dealer or just find a local body shop. How much would it cost about?
I'm not against bug deflectors, but have hear they damage the paint on the hood of our Tacos. Any advice is appreciated thanks.
As a note: I drive slowly and don't tail people, but within the city it's impossible to avoid the crowds/rocks.
Edit: Forgot to ask what the clear tape was that can be added to protect paint in certain spots? My front license plate's lower edge is rubbing against the bumper and scratching it pretty good.
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I hear you about the paint. About the only gripe with my truck is the really thin paint. I'm sorry I can't answer the question as to how much it will cost I remeber a post from a year ago someone was quoted est $400 just to do the bumper. The plastic of the bumper doesn't seem to bond well with the paint. It's possible, although slim that your dealership might cover it under warranty. There's a thread over at TacomaWorld with an individual who fought with Toyota for a couple of month and finally they decided to cover it under warranty. There's a kit made by Lanka that will help fix the blobs of touch up paint. Include some pics so we can see how extensive the rock chips are. I'd go buy some touch up paint and a Lanka kit if it were me. After that get a 3M clear bra for you hood and bumper. Hope this helps
The paint is not thin. It's just not real durable. Mainly because of the chemicals that they use in the paint. They could make the paint more durable if they would use other chemicals, but that would piss off the tree huggers and EPA. Plus the fact that our trucks are made in California doesn't help the tree hugger issue either.
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?p=2201259#post2201259
Check out this thread about the Invisible Bra. My F250 crewcab has almost no chips (without an invisible bra) on it and it's a '99. My FX35 and my wife's bmw started getting about 2 or 3 new chips each week - my wife thought she had defective paint, but it's just rock chips and the bra stopped it immediately.
Since she got the invisible bra, my wife hasn't gotten any more chips - the only one's she has are the 5 or 6 she got before the bra.
P.S. We touched up the paint and used the Langka stuff before installing the invisible bra on my wife's car and now you can't even see where they were. They say that if it gets beat up for some reason (like maybe having it on your car for 7 years or something) that you can have it removed, but I think that any touched up areas and maybe the paint around any major new impacts might come off in the process. If you don't scratch the crap out of the bra, there would probably be no need to remove it. Good luck!
It's not cheap, but seeing a few more chips everytime you wash your truck will pi$$ you off. And the invisible bra is cheaper than repainting and if you repainted, it would only be when you were trying to sell the truck. This way, you get to enjoy a chip-free truck while you own it - except for the few chips that you get before you add the bra.:lol:
On my 07 Tacoma, I added the bra before the first chip:naughty:
Check out this thread about the Invisible Bra. My F250 crewcab has almost no chips (without an invisible bra) on it and it's a '99. My FX35 and my wife's bmw started getting about 2 or 3 new chips each week - my wife thought she had defective paint, but it's just rock chips and the bra stopped it immediately.
Since she got the invisible bra, my wife hasn't gotten any more chips - the only one's she has are the 5 or 6 she got before the bra.
P.S. We touched up the paint and used the Langka stuff before installing the invisible bra on my wife's car and now you can't even see where they were. They say that if it gets beat up for some reason (like maybe having it on your car for 7 years or something) that you can have it removed, but I think that any touched up areas and maybe the paint around any major new impacts might come off in the process. If you don't scratch the crap out of the bra, there would probably be no need to remove it. Good luck!
It's not cheap, but seeing a few more chips everytime you wash your truck will pi$$ you off. And the invisible bra is cheaper than repainting and if you repainted, it would only be when you were trying to sell the truck. This way, you get to enjoy a chip-free truck while you own it - except for the few chips that you get before you add the bra.:lol:
On my 07 Tacoma, I added the bra before the first chip:naughty:
I like the idea of the 3m clear bra, but not the pricing. 300-600ish dollars depending on how much I cover and if I do it myself. That's a little more than I'd like to spend on protecting something (the paint) that is there to protect the body. I'll probably just look into patching the chips as they happen and see how it goes.
Thanks for the pics, but holy F'in HUGE!!!! 
Resize them shitz!!! I'd definitely use touch up paint and with the Lanka kit.
Resize them shitz!!! I'd definitely use touch up paint and with the Lanka kit.
If you're anything like me and don't have the time to do a full-blown professional style chip repair and/or don't have the time to learn how to do it more professionally...
edit: Someone already mentioned it earlier
This stuff is pretty slick....It's much better looking than just plopping touch-up paint on and calling it good. This stuff atleast allows you to build up the chip and make it look smoother and not as 'hacked up'.
http://www.langka.com/
edit: Someone already mentioned it earlier
This stuff is pretty slick....It's much better looking than just plopping touch-up paint on and calling it good. This stuff atleast allows you to build up the chip and make it look smoother and not as 'hacked up'.
http://www.langka.com/
If the rocks aren't avoidable... I would rather have paint damage to my hood where the bug deflector hooks onto instead of all over the front of my truck...
one tiny hood protector isn't going to prevent rock chips all over your truck, and actually a bug shield wouldn't have helped the OP at all, so he would still have those chips along with the gouge marks from the shield.If the rocks aren't avoidable... I would rather have paint damage to my hood where the bug deflector hooks onto instead of all over the front of my truck...
The chipping does suck.
I've got several chips in the same areas you do, on the columns by the windshield... and towards the front of my hood. I hate washing my truck by hand because I always see more of them and it makes me sad.
I use touchup paint and it helps mask them some but you can still tell they're there
Whoever fought with Toyota to make them cover painting the truck under warranty should post a writeup of it, lol. My truck is barely over a year old and it's surprising how many little chips there are... no other vehicle I've had has done it that much.
I've got several chips in the same areas you do, on the columns by the windshield... and towards the front of my hood. I hate washing my truck by hand because I always see more of them and it makes me sad.
I use touchup paint and it helps mask them some but you can still tell they're there
Whoever fought with Toyota to make them cover painting the truck under warranty should post a writeup of it, lol. My truck is barely over a year old and it's surprising how many little chips there are... no other vehicle I've had has done it that much.
Does anyone know if Toyota itself or some aftermarket brand has touch paint that includes both the paint and the clear coat? This is what I'm talking about: http://www.courtesyparts.com/paint/paintpeninstruct.html
If you think Toyota paint is bad, go buy a Nissan.
If you think Toyota paint is bad, go buy a Nissan.
yea lol, my sister's sentra has pure garbage for paint, after about a year it was all chipped and pitted, even on the trunk lid! top it off with the fact that it's black so it makes it look even worse.Does anyone know if Toyota itself or some aftermarket brand has touch paint that includes both the paint and the clear coat? This is what I'm talking about: http://www.courtesyparts.com/paint/paintpeninstruct.html
If you think Toyota paint is bad, go buy a Nissan.
I hear ya about the rock chips on the freeway! When I had ONLY 400 MILES on my 07 Tacoma Crew cab something the size of a frigging golf ball hit the windshield in the upper right side of the windshield totally shattering it! MAN WAS I PISSED!! :yikes: I called my insurance company and filed a comprehensive claim and DON'T YA KNOW 3 weeks later ANOTHER ROCK HIT IT on the FREEWAY and puck a nick in the NEW WINDSHIELD!:cursin:
As if this wasn't enough, 2 weeks ago another rock was thrown at me by a big rig about 1/4 mile in front of me hitting the chrome piece around the front grill, nicking the edge of the hood and then proceeding to fly over the roof of the truck where it hit the guy following me. I went out and bought some of that "Scratch Fix 2 in 1" touch up paint and fixed the nick on the hood edge myself. If there is a SECRET to using the touch up paint it's this, DAB!! When you put it on leave enough so that it is slightly raised because as it dries it will SHRINK and if you have it raised it will fill the dent / cup of the impact point better. Other than that, you can try some finishing putty for the dent and then masking and shooting with a small airbrush.
Here's a handy kit if you're interested:
http://www.autobarn.net/duscfix2in1p.html
http://www.autobarn.net/du2in1scfix5.html
http://www.duplicolor.com/garage/restore/vehicle_body.html
All have ways to fix the chips yourself
As if this wasn't enough, 2 weeks ago another rock was thrown at me by a big rig about 1/4 mile in front of me hitting the chrome piece around the front grill, nicking the edge of the hood and then proceeding to fly over the roof of the truck where it hit the guy following me. I went out and bought some of that "Scratch Fix 2 in 1" touch up paint and fixed the nick on the hood edge myself. If there is a SECRET to using the touch up paint it's this, DAB!! When you put it on leave enough so that it is slightly raised because as it dries it will SHRINK and if you have it raised it will fill the dent / cup of the impact point better. Other than that, you can try some finishing putty for the dent and then masking and shooting with a small airbrush.
Here's a handy kit if you're interested:
http://www.autobarn.net/duscfix2in1p.html
http://www.autobarn.net/du2in1scfix5.html
http://www.duplicolor.com/garage/restore/vehicle_body.html
All have ways to fix the chips yourself
This question is mildly related to this thread. Apologies in advance. But I am investigating putting a clear bra on my truck and I am curious as to the potential for putting it on the backside of the cab in the area that the boot of my (soon-to-have) camper shell contacts the cab. I've had a camper shell on my previous truck and the rubber boot does a number on the paint on the back of the cab. So I am interested in the potential for the clear film material to be put on there too to protect the paint.
What do you all think?
What do you all think?
Anything is possible. Ya just gotta talk to the right person, and have some money.
I just had my entire truck repainted (search for the thread named "widespread damage").
Some things to consider:
1. The clear bra.
Normally, it's just the front end, but if you're willing to spend more, you can get the A-pillars, roof-line, etc done also.
2. Weathertech bug deflector (www.weathertech.com)
This one mounts a little differently, and has no contact with the hood on the outside. That's the main reason I went with this one, vice other brands.
Other than that, Just something to live with.
Some things to consider:
1. The clear bra.
Normally, it's just the front end, but if you're willing to spend more, you can get the A-pillars, roof-line, etc done also.
2. Weathertech bug deflector (www.weathertech.com)
This one mounts a little differently, and has no contact with the hood on the outside. That's the main reason I went with this one, vice other brands.
Other than that, Just something to live with.
Definitely works for this application. They have been selling either this material or something like it for many years. I think that I paid around $50 or so for installation of a clear plastic around where my shell was going to contact the cab - 15 years ago.This question is mildly related to this thread. Apologies in advance. But I am investigating putting a clear bra on my truck and I am curious as to the potential for putting it on the backside of the cab in the area that the boot of my (soon-to-have) camper shell contacts the cab. I've had a camper shell on my previous truck and the rubber boot does a number on the paint on the back of the cab. So I am interested in the potential for the clear film material to be put on there too to protect the paint.
What do you all think?
Part of the selling point was that even though it would get all scratched up over time, if you removed the shell you could peel off the material and it would look new underneath. I never did that, but it was just nice not having the paint get rubbed off.
It's a bit*&!
I had my 06 for a few months, went on a road trip and got dinged all over. So I went and purchased the OEM bug deflector. The clips ate into the paint as was stated by other posters. What a f-up. I'd be angrier if I wasn't so exhasperated. So I just got the AERO (sorry no link..just search it) and it seems really good. Easy to install too...no clips or other crap. I'm gong to order the Langka set and see if I can improve some of the scratches. I know it's a truck but come on! Our paint should be more durable than this...
I had my 06 for a few months, went on a road trip and got dinged all over. So I went and purchased the OEM bug deflector. The clips ate into the paint as was stated by other posters. What a f-up. I'd be angrier if I wasn't so exhasperated. So I just got the AERO (sorry no link..just search it) and it seems really good. Easy to install too...no clips or other crap. I'm gong to order the Langka set and see if I can improve some of the scratches. I know it's a truck but come on! Our paint should be more durable than this...
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