Don't you just hate it when the paint chips right off the car and you don't know how the heck it happened. One day I was driving around and I noticed a chip on my car. I've only had it for a few months now and it drove me nuts. So I went to the dealership and asked around to see how I could fix it. Most suggested touch up paint. So I go ahead and I purchased some "Official touch up paint" supposedly used by Toyota and Lexus. I purchased mine from BrandSport. I can give the URL if you guys want but I put it on and it looks a little tacky. I dunno, what do you guys think?

 

I feel you.

 

First mod I did to my car after I bought it was Clear Bra from Rockblocker (see Sponsored Classifieds). Over 6k miles on my car and not a single rock chip. At one point I was driving behind a truck full of small gravel and had no chance to change lane when some of it started to fall ot of the back of the truck. It sounded like those stones made holes in my bumper...I was so ____ed. When I checked it out at home, there was not a single chip or a dent. Go figure.

 

hey, can you post some pics on how it looked afterwards, i wanna see what the touchup paint did. I wanna see if i can get some for my box

 

When using touch up paint, it is best used when you do it in stages. Try puting on a very very thin layer on. Let it try. Then buff it out. Then go back again and do it all over again until you have a thick enough layer on that you can't tell.

 

I second the props for RockBlocker. Its awesome. Have you boys seen my clear bra?

 

The touchup paint process is actually a bit more involved - first sand the chip edges down with very fine grit sandpaper dots glued onto the end of a pencil eraser (rotating like you were trying to start a fire with sticks), dab on some primer with a toothpick, let capilary action take over - let it dry, then do several layers of paint (same application process) and then take a slightly less grit sandpaper sheet and level the touchup area out after it dries, then buff it clean.

That's the proper way anyways.

Here's a good article that better explains it.

http://www.bettercarcare.com/articles.php?articleId=27

I know it's tough to prevent but there's how to fix it!

 

The first thing we did whenwe took delivery on our new tC is wrap the holy heck out of it. Everything was custom and everywhere - Behind wheels, rocker panels, a-pillars, rear bumper top, front bumper, 24 inch hood and 18 fender pieces.

Can you say protection?? If you dont want rock chips get RockBlocker Clear Bra

 

Wow that all sounds so complicated. But I did it the cheap way I just put some on, maybe that's why it looks so tacky. Haha, it's not the paint, it's me!! Anyways, the pictures are too blurry because the camera can't focus right, but I'm going to try and see what I can do.

So from what I'm hearing, the clear bra is worth what you pay for. Where did you guys get it? My question is, whats it do, just add a thick layer of film over the headlights?

 

Awesome link , definitly saved that one

 

very detailed

 

malina said:
I definitely like to see it!!! Can you please post some close-up pics? JK

 

We have the negatives since we installed it

 

anyone tried installing the pre cut ones by yourself?

 

That is not recommended unless you want a really hard challenge. Are you in NorCal or SoCal?

 

I just purchased a light protection kit from Rock Blocker for my tC. So I think I'll have less problems now with the whole rock and bug thing. Today I was driving around town and when i got home, (and I just washed my car that day), it was like bug suicide on my front bumper. Anyways, how long does it usually take to ship the kit?

 

I hear that. Just got back from the Grand Canyon last night and took a lot of bugs in on the car. They wipe right off our product so the clean time was minimal. Shipping takes less than four days.