Windshield And Paint Protection?

[56_kruiser]

Hello

Well, as of yesterday 2008 , we are the owners of a RX350.

I've been thinking about a bra, and / or a Weathertech stone/bug shield.

Just curuios what you folks that have been around these for a while recommend related to that. What brand is a good bra, and do you think the deflector works good?

Also, I'm curious about any good protection for the seats. Of course, I understand that cleaning and conditioning the leather is important, but I'm wondering if there is any kind of cover that would be good to use, and look at least decent, that would help protect them. It seems that time flies by and we tend to not do the conditioning as often as needed...or may be over time, the leather is going to crack and crinkle no matter what.

Any thoughts appreciated.

[1990LS400]

Location:Lawrence? You don't mean "Larryville KS, do you?

A bra? I'd suggest a D cup. Strap that thang onto the front! Sorry for the joking! I've always thought bras for cars are more of a fashion statement unless you are running the Baja or live/drive in areas where windblown dirt/sand is a problem. I have my friendly mobile bumper repair guy repaint our bumpers occasionally -- same guy that repaints bumpers for local car dealers.

It usually doesn't take very frequent cleaning and conditioning to keep Lexus leather in decent shape -- I do it maybe 2-3 times per year. I bought my 00 LS used in 2003 and its leather doesn't look any different than the day I bought it. Are you using your RX like a regular car or hauling stuff out on the farm? Most leather damage I've seen has been abrasion and cuts from carrying objects (e.g. building materials) and dogs. There are planty of companies that sell seat covers to prevent dog damage ... like http://www.caninecovers.com/

If the front seats contain side air bags like my LS does, you have to be careful to use seat covers that are compatible. I keep a couple of of beach towels in the trunk to throw over the seats when I/we are especially dirty/sweaty from sports or the like.

Buy some Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner at a saddle shop or auto supply store and put it in your garage where it is staring back at you. I keep it on a shelf right in front of my car so it makes me feel guilty. It takes me maybe 15 minutes total to clean/condition all the leather in my car. I do occasionally wipe the dust off the leather with a barely damp cloth between full cleanings.

Having your front/side windows tinted to match the back/side windows might help and even darkening the rear side windows if you want -- UV rays kill leather over the years. Using a removable sun shade on the windshield helps too -- I use one if I'm parking for more than a hour or so outside and not just in the summer.

[56_kruiser]

Location:Lawrence? You don't mean "Larryville KS, do you?

A bra? I'd suggest a D cup. Strap that thang onto the front! Sorry for the joking! I've always thought bras for cars are more of a fashion statement unless you are running the Baja or live/drive in areas where windblown dirt/sand is a problem. I have my friendly mobile bumper repair guy repaint our bumpers occasionally -- same guy that repaints bumpers for local car dealers.

I had felt the same way about bras, and don't really like how they look. But after getting small paint chips on the front of my Lexus ES, I wish I had one on it.

Even though I do painting myself, I do not like the idea of painting the front of the car, even if only bumper, on a semiregular basis. I prefer to have some type of protection on the car.

My wife drives 80 miles a day round trip for work, and her previous car (wiht 189K miles on it) the front looks like heck, and she has a cracked windshield.

That is also why I'm considering the Stone/bug shield.

[SW03ES]

Get a clearbra installed...

[cduluk]

Yeah, the clearbra really does work as advertised, but i would notice the "line" going all around which would irk me... But since the car will travel so much, it's a better soln' than having it repainted annually which would only last a few months before it was chipped again...

And as far as the windshield goes, have you considered replacing it every year with an aftermarket windshield? Yes the aftermarket windshields can be "wavy" and of less quality, but i've found they are honestly more chip resistant (the factory lexus and toyota windshields are so darn soft...). And an aftermarket windshield is less than $200 installed. I mean if you had a new one installed every year for 6 years it's cheaper than buying an OEM one... and it would look new every year! Just an idea...

And as far as the leather goes, jeesh don't get one of those covers... You have a lexus, make it look like one :D There isn't an aftermarket cover out there that will look good and feel like real leather.

And try to avoid the Lexol cleaner and conditioner. They're actually silicone based which is bad for Lexus leather which is coated. Try Leatherique's leather rejuvenator and prestine clean. They're the only natural cleaner and conditioner that's safe for Lexus leather. It's the best stuff out there (i've tried them all...) it makes the leather so darn soft!! It's expensive, but using it twice a year won't kill you... And it's best to keep the conditioning to twice, maybe three times a year due to the fact that over-conditioning can lead to the stitching from coming loose.

You can make an exception for the left drivers seat thigh support which really takes a beating on SUV's... Maybe condition this part every 2 months or so. In lower sedans, the leather takes less abuse, but in an SUV since it's higher, the leather on the thigh supports is constantly bending.