Rx Wood Fake Or Real?

[SW03ES]

LMAO!

[LexKid630]

I don't love my car THAT much! LOL

[COZ]

Here is final answer about the real vs fake wood trim in the RX. Its real.

I had a loaner today while mine was getting serviced. The wood trim on the console was chipped down to the REAL wood! Its 1/16th layer of wood and about a 1/16th layer of a clear coating (epoxy, polyurethane or lacquer).

[W5vox]

we had a Buick minivan as a rental last Feb. and it had fake wood. You could literally see the PIXELS on it (as if it was made on a computer screen)! It looked terrible!

The veneer also must be thin so it can curve in the ways Lexus wants it too. They just add a think layer of the clear stuff to give it depth. It's good when you want to remove scratches from it (like on the steering wheel). You don't have to worry about going through! :)

I do have a small scratch on my RX 330 steering wheel. It is about 2" long but not very deep and has not reached the wood veneer. Any thoughts on how to remove it?

[LexKid630]

Actually yes :) & i've done it.

Go out and buy some superglue (liquid). Put a few drops into a plastic dish etc and get a toothpick ready. Dip the toothpick in the glue (so there's a drop at the end of the pick) and put a little "in" the scratch on your steering wheel. Put a few thin coats (allow around 10 minutes between coats) in the scratch until it's totally filled. Make sure the layer of glue is higher than the top of the scratch deep. Let this dry a few days. It'll be "dry" a few hours after the last coat, so it's safe to touch & use.

A few days later, get some 320 grit sandpaper (from home depot etc) and lightly sand down the glue covered area so it's flat. It's ok if you end up sanding the clearcoat on the wheel itself, just as long as it's level... Then go over it with some 600 grit sandpaper; to get rid of most of the scratches. Then use a paint polish to make it shiny again (apply with a microfiber towel). I used some metal polish actually, followed by Meguiars Scratch X. Polish until the finish is perfectly shiny & matches the surrounding areas.

You wont be able to tell there was EVER a scratch there. It's amazing how well this works. :)

[SW03ES]

I'd use clear touchup paint instead of glue...

[LexKid630]

Before i used the superglue i tried paint too...only problem is the long drying time & the fact that it "shrinks" as it dries. You might go to sleep with it over-filling the scratch, and wake up it looking like the paint was never added. The superglue works perfectly; i've done it to at least 5 scratches on my rx300's wheel.

The glue is perfectly clear and has the same hardness as the clearcoat on the wheel, which makes the sanding & polishing easier.

Trust me, it works! :)

[SW03ES]

If you get a eurethane paint it should dry more quickly.

My question would be how well the superglue will hold up over time, will is turn cloudy or yellow? Paint won't.

[LexKid630]

So far it hasn't faded or yellowed etc yet... Honestly, i don't know where the marks were :) ...Only one of them; it was more of a crack which i can't fix.