Race Condition Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 I bought an IS 250 earlier this month from Putnam Lexus. (I do recommend them, btw...) I love everything about my car. I want to keep it looking as pristine as possible for as long as possible. It's currently in the shop to get the Perma Plate treatment today, in fact. (They gave me a loaner RX 400h which looks inside like a family of four and various wild animals have been living inside it for weeks.) My biggest concern at the moment is, interestingly, the door handles. The recessed area of the door handle, while very pretty, seems to scratch very easily. Brushing my fingernails against it, in the act of unlocking and opening the door, is enough to scratch the paint. And let's not get into any jewelry we might be wearing. Are there any appliques or protectants or something I can use to help alleviate this, or should I take it as the price of buying a nice new car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just08 Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Perma Plate is a paint sealant (http://www.permaplate.com/index.php?categoryid=34), it's worth no more then a $50 wash and wax, if they clay or use an aio product (or finishing polish) the job should be no more then $150-200, depending on how well it's done. I'd do it yourself and save the money, and it'll probably look better! Buy a good wax or sealant (Collinite is great for long lasting waxes, however, I'd stick with a sealant from the likes of Jeff's Werkstatt, Zaino, and the likes.) You should consider a clear bra for your door edges, hood, bumper, lights, fenders, and mirrors. When this is done, ask for door cups. Some installers throw door edge guards and door handle cups in (which are applied to where your nails would hit the paint) for free. I hope that helps! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 I wish you had asked us about the "Perma Plate" treatment first, its a complete waste of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Race Condition Posted June 19, 2007 Author Share Posted June 19, 2007 I wish you had asked us about the "Perma Plate" treatment first, its a complete waste of money. I got it more out of concern for my interior than the exterior paint. The treatment does both, and I have the "cashmere" interior that seems to show dirt, etc, very well. I've had problems with birdpoo and tree sap with cars in the past, and if it doesn't protect against those then I'll get my money back. As far as it being as good as a good wax, well, this is something I only have to do once a year instead of once a month. And I'm nothing if not lazy. Is there a stickied list of recommendations for clear bras (I hate that term...) - ie, vendors, installers, etc - around the forums? I admit to mostly sticking to this IS sub-forum. Thanks. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Thats the fallacy, you still will have to protect the paint on the vehicle more than once a year. NO product will last on the paint for a year, especially this one. You'd be better off taking the money you spent on this and paying a professional detailer to take care of the car for you. Getting your money back is not as easy as it sounds either. Take it as a learning experience, skip this stuff next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just08 Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Bird doodoo is nasty stuff, there is almost no way to protect your paint from it. A good carnauba based wax with a sealant on top (or below, depending on which products you use) will go a long way in protecting your paint, but only so far... I have two coats of sealant on my car right now and it's still beading and protecting very well, and it's been 6 months in the Pacific Northwest! Also, you'll need to use a leather conditioner and cleaner on your seats, regardless. Monthly is a good idea. However, the carpet protectant sounds like a pretty darn good idea. Again, there are cheaper products to protect your carpet with; 303 has a fabric protectant that works equally well or better then the product from Perma Plate. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 The best thing you can do to protect the pain against bird droppings is to clean it off ASAP... I have two coats of sealant on my car right now and it's still beading and protecting very well, and it's been 6 months in the Pacific Northwest! Don't equate beading to protection. New paint will bead whether it has any protection left at all because there are no surface irregularities to scatter the beads. Your sealant is long gone. Also, you'll need to use a leather conditioner and cleaner on your seats, regardless. Monthly is a good idea. I actually disagree. I think monthly is too often for leather conditioning. I'd do it every 6 months. The conditioning is god for the leather, but not the stitching. Over conditioning will cause the stitching to break down prematurely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Race Condition Posted June 20, 2007 Author Share Posted June 20, 2007 ... For a question about the door handle cups, y'all sure are focusing on whether or not I wasted my money on Perma Plate. (Thanks to just08 for overcoming the tunnel vision.) I'm not saying it's a miracle cure-all and that I can avoid, you know, washing my car, but for my money and the deal I got it was worth it, especially considering the lifetime free car washes I got out of it. (And no, I can't do it myself for a multitude of reasons.) It's a part of my trying to take care of my new shiny, not the entire thing. Now. About those door handle cups... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just08 Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 SW03ES, Yea. That's true, however, I'm talking about an '02 Accord. The paint is in really good shape, although it does need to be polished, but you're right. It's probably a bad idea to go more then 3 months without reapplying the protectant. Regarding the leather... Really? I had no idea that you could over condition! Now, about the door handle cups... Try searching for a 3M PPF Installer or VentureShield installer in your area. The Lexus dealer should be able to have someone install it for you, too. Just shoot local installers emails and ask how much door cups would cost. If you would like to tackle it yourself, which I'm sure you could with patience, check out Xpel.com for bulk film, installation tools, and instructions. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
backwoods lex Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 For the door handle area scratches, you may wan't to try some Meguiar's Scratch-X. It may take a lot of rubbing but it has worked for me in the past with good results. Not to beat the dead horse, but the fabric protector they use is probably just a $5 can of scotch guard that you can buy at wal-mart. I despise the way car salesmen hustle people out of money. And congratulations on the purchase! I'm a big fan of the IS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 The only option for your cups to keep the problem from re-appearing is to have them coated in a clear-bra material. Otherwise they're going to keep coming back. Sorry for harping on the Perma Plate, but as a former professional detailer I hate to see people get taken advantage of with this junk. If you paid more than $150 for the package, you got taken advantage of. As for the free carwashes, the dealer will DESTROY your paint washing it. Thats no prize. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Race Condition Posted June 21, 2007 Author Share Posted June 21, 2007 Now, about the door handle cups...Try searching for a 3M PPF Installer or VentureShield installer in your area. The Lexus dealer should be able to have someone install it for you, too. Just shoot local installers emails and ask how much door cups would cost. If you would like to tackle it yourself, which I'm sure you could with patience, check out Xpel.com for bulk film, installation tools, and instructions. :) Thanks so much for all the help, guys. :) I'll see what my best option for this would be. I really appreciate the links. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 Good luck, let us know how it turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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