Just a quickie!

P

PolishedandWaxed

New member
Hi All,

This site is very informative, yet makes me even more nervous about keeping my car new and shiny! :)



I just bought a new 2002 Black Lexus IS300 and i'm told that it has no clear coat.



My question is what do I need to do to keep my car from staying new and shiny?



Where do I start?

Do I need to use some kind of sealant?

When should I wax? What kind? Is it too late?

I have put on 5K miles...(I know, I should have ask you experts earlier!)



I've been careful with just washing it by hand so far, but that's it.

Please help this newbie figure out to keep enjoying his car!



thanks!



NervousCat:
 
Your black IS 300 has a clear coat. Nealy all cars since the early/mid 90's have had clear coats. Whoever told you that it didn't is misinformed.
 
The fact that you think that your Lexus is not clearcoated seems incorrect. I am sure Lexus did cut cost by using inferior paint (in term of durability) finishes in order to insure that the IS300 sold around $30,000. Recheck with your Lexus service department ( Body Shop ). If they too state that it is not clearcoated DO NOT LET THEM SERVICE THE CAR!!! :scared

If they do not know what type of finish their cars have who knows how little they know about the mechanics of that fine automobile.
 
M35power is correct. Your 2002 IS300 most definately has a clear coat on it. Just for grins, who told you that? My guess is that it was some Lexus salesman.
 
That's what I thought too, but reading other forums and such I had to find out for sure. So I contacted Lexus Customer service and gave them the VIN and the response is:



"Thank you for contacting the Lexus Customer Satisfaction Department regarding the 2002 Black IS 300. Per our technical administrator, the 2002 Black Onyx IS 300 does not have a clear coat. I apologize that you have received conflicting information on this inquiry."



The other forums (Club Lexus, IS300.net) said that Black and Red are not clearcoated...go figure...



Anyway,

do I start polishing/waxing right now or should I wait and if so how long?



thanks!
 
Take a white cotton towel and rub in some smr or a cleaner wax on a small section of the car. If the rag turns black it has no clearcoat.....



Report results!
 
I know my Silver IS300 does. However I have heard from a lot of people that BLACK lexus vehicles do not. I will ask the detail department at our dealership and where I bought my Lexus from. I will take some AIO and rub it on one of the used lexuses at our dealer :eek: .
 
Up to a couple of years ago, Alfa Romeo had clear coats on all colours except black cars:nixweiss What is so special about black?



Steven
 
I remember seeing someone buffing a 1999 Black GS300, and I don't remember the pad turning black :confused: . I think it is a myth, but not sure.
 
Yah I also heard BLACK IS300 does not have clearcoat. I was told that they used single stage paint or something like that. I saw a black IS300 my friend had when he just got it from dealer (no wash or wax besides dealer prep) and it SHINED like crazy. Pretty much put my Benz into shame (and I have a lot of Z on). I like the paint! :up
 
Ok i will solve this one i have a black is300 and it DOES have a clearcoat. I have used SMR, PPCL,meguiars #9.0 nothing turns black. I even went to the body shop at lexus cause my friend paints cars there and he said they definitly do. This started cause some of the older sc400's and sc300's did NOT have a clearcoat. But your IS300 does indeed have a clearcoat. One thing that sucks the big one is that the IS has a soft paint that chips easily and scratches easily, so if you have a towel that has a spec of dirt o is right you will see it no doubt. I detailed mine one time and when done had tons of very fine scratches in the directions i buffed off. I then redid it with new YoSteve's MC's and the scratches were gone. Good luck cause the black is is a pain to keep clean.
 
<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Lowejackson [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Up to a couple of years ago, Alfa Romeo had clear coats on all colours except black cars:nixweiss What is so special about black?

Steven [/b]</blockquote>A couple = 11? Hehe :D My car's clearcoated..
 
It's been like that since I got the car. Polishing took off the oxidized stuff but there is a part where the paint is all cloudy :(.



It really needs a repaint but I don't really want to get anything repainted . . . too expensive when I'm going to be selling the car within a year or 2 anyway. If I grow much more I'll have to shave my head to fit in it!! :D
 
<strong class='bbc'>iluvspl[/b] : what year is your IS300?

I don't have anything abrasive at home to do the towel test. :)
I'll try this weekend. But like I said, I contacted Lexus Customer Service (1-800-255-3987) and the Technical Advisor said the 2002 <strong class='bbc'>Onyx Black[/b] IS300 does not have clearcoat...something about the darker blacks don't accept the light as much and they don't put it on blacks and dark red...

Now everyone knows why i'm so nervous, the truth is out there...

So what's the best way to go about protecting my car?
polish and wax right away? or wait a few months?


thanks.
 
I have a 2002 Is300, Don't trust these customer service idiots. They don't know jack. On saturday I will report back on my test, I am going to rub aio on a used 99 lexus GS400 Black, and see if my towel changes black. Wish me luck :D .
 
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