Front End Protection from Rocks, etc

[Rubystang15]

We just purchased a new 2019 ES350 in Ermine white pearl and after a couple weeks I’ve noticed there are already some small chips in the paint from rocks or whatever else struck the front bumper cover, hood and the waterfall grille. Does anyone know of a product we can buy to install that will protect it going forward ? We live in Florida, so we will also have to deal with love bugs twice a year. I always get them off every night to ensure they do not etch the paint. I used to have a LeBra installed on a Mustang GT I owned years ago, but it was a hassle to take it off and on to clean under it after rain, because if you didn’t the dirt between the bra and the paint would scratch the clear coat over time. Thanks for your assistance in advance.

[1990LS400]

There are other brands but the 3M paint protective film we have on our vehicles is wonderful stuff.  We will definitely have protective film on all future vehicles.  You don't have to get it from a Lexus dealer.  There are lots of shops that install this stuff.  A friend took his new Porsche to a shop here in Kansas and had most of its front end covered with film.  Even with film, people have mentioned that it is still necessary to clean the love bugs off quickly since it can still be difficult to remove them after they've dried on to the film.

Here's an image from the Lexus website.

 

[Rubystang15]

1990LS400 thank you for your response. I have looked into the 3m coating with a guy (the only person) I trust to install window tinting and detailing my car and he said he used to sell/install it but stopped because after about 5 years it started to crack and discolored. Also, some times when they tried to remove it, it was very difficult to get off and had been known to actually pull some of the paint off. I’m not sure if 3m has improved their product or not but would love to hear from some others who have installed it and have had it on for 5 years or longer to see how it’s holding up. Thanks all !!

[1990LS400]

There are many variables that determine how long PPF lasts which you can read about on various websites.  The PPF on both our 2012 Prius v and 2014 Sienna was installed at the POE - not by a local car dealership or independent installer.  I trust the work of POE installers far more than local installers and the cost is substantially less.  I can't detect any yellowing or deterioration of the PPF on either vehicle but both cars have been garaged much of the time since new.  My wife's Prius has been garaged almost 24 hours a day due to her parking in a nearby corporate parking garage on weekdays prior to her retirement 3 years ago.  The Sienna sat outside on weekdays until I retired a year ago.  Both vehicles are metallic white ("Blizzard Pearl") and I suspect the sparkly paint might make any PPF yellowing less noticeable.

The color of your ES might be "Eminent White Pearl".  I don't see a paint color called "Ermine white pearl" in the list of paint colors offered. 

The activity level on this forum has significantly declined over the years.  If you haven't already, you might research PPF and/or ask questions about it on the far more active Club Lexus forum.

[Rubystang15]

1990LS400, thank you again for your additional feedback. Could you please advise what "POE" stands for as I have not heard that acronym before.It would be very beneficial, especially if the cost to have it applied by them is substantially cheaper than the local installers. Also, you are correct on our paint color being eminent white pearl. I have no idea what I was thinking when I typed "ermine" white. Obviously, I wasn't thinking clearly. We plan to keep this car for many years as I have retired a year ago and my wife has 2 more years until she retires. At that point the car will have plenty of miles to go and should last us for a long time with proper care. We also have a 15 Mustang GT that has 11k miles on it, as it isn't driven much these days, and a 07 Navigator with 66K miles. I split the mileage on those two when I was working. We bought the Navigator new when we had a 27' boat to pull. But when the 2 boys grew up and left, I sold the boat, but kept the Navigator because, to be honest, I haven't found another vehicle the rides as good or is as comfortable, especially on a long trip.So, between those 3 vehicles, we should be good for the rest of our driving days. I did look at some other films eg. Expel, SunTek and 3M Pro, but which one I will end up with remains to be seen. Do you have a link to that other Lexus forum you referenced ?

[1990LS400]

The ClubLexus forum is at https://www.clublexus.com/

I've been a registered member on this forum and ClubLexus since around 2003.

POE = "Port of Entry".  All Lexus and Toyota vehicles go through a POE regardless even if manufactured in the U.S.  That might be because car manufacturing plants are typically in a special tax zone.  

Accessories are usually (always?) installed at the POE instead of at the factory if the ordering dealership specifies accessory installation when the vehicle is ordered.  It can be substantially less expensive to get accessories installed at a POE than at a local dealership and I suspect the quality is better since people at a POE are installing accessories in a factory-like environment.   Car dealers typically outsource the installation of accessories like paint protection film instead of having their own employees do it.  It's only less expensive to have accessories installed at a POE if the dealership passes along the savings to the customer.  Some don't.  Some do.  I doubt that we will ever buy another vehicle out of dealer inventory after discovering the joys of special ordering and getting precisely what we want.  We're both retired and I doubt that we will be buying many more vehicles.

Our main travel vehicle is the 2014 Sienna Limited van referenced in my forum signature.  I never thought I would be driving a minivan after 24 years of driving Lexus LS sedans and Mercedes for many years before that but it's pretty wonderful for carrying passengers and cargo.  It's quite Lexus-like with it's nice leather interior and memory driver seat ... very similar to a fully optioned Lexus RX but with a usable 3rd row seat.  I'm shooting for a 2021 Corvette C8 retractable convertible next year if my wife goes along with it - what every guy in his 70's needs!  She's starting to relent.

 

[Rubystang15]

I couldn’t agree with you more that ordering a car the way you want it is always the best way to go. I’ve ordered close to 40 new cars over the years and was always very pleased with the results with the exception of one time they delivered my car with a V6 instead of the V8 that I had ordered. How they screwed that up I couldn’t tell you. I told them I didn’t want the car. That’s when they knew they had a major issue and decided to discount the car dramatically to sell it to me. The horsepower rating between the V6 and the V8 was not much but to me it was the principle of it. 
Since our current ES350 was on the dealer inventory getting the POE to do the PPF install is no longer possible. So, we will have to find a local installer, unfortunately. I’ll be doing my homework in advance to ensure I get someone with a good reputation. 
I haven’t driven a C8 Vette yet, but have read and heard a lot of good things about them. The mid-engine design is actually a long time coming in my mind. I’ve had several Corvettes over the years with the last being a 2002 Z06. I scared the heck out of the salesman on the test drive when I hit 130mph as we accelerated onto I-95. He was happy once we returned to the dealership and I told him I would buy it though. I sold it the following year when I ordered a 2003 Mustang Cobra. That was the first year Ford installed a supercharger on the engine from the factory. It was rated at 390/390, but were way underrated. I had mine dyno’d after 500 miles on it and it put down 387 at the rear tires. The sound of that S/C was mesmerizing. It is still one of the only Mustangs that is holding its resale value, especially low mileage unmodified cars, when you can find one.

I have no doubt you will love that C8. The performance numbers are incredible for a car with just under 500hp. What you get for the cost of that car is also amazing. I don’t know of any other vehicle that can perform like that for the dollar. GM did their homework and I suspect they will be getting customers from a lot of other brands. Getting in and out of it may prove to be a bit of a challenge, but worth it once you start driving.

I tried to register on the ClubLexus site but apparently I am already a member as it would not register me and said the email I provided was already registered. Since I can’t remember the username or password I sent an email to the administrator to see what he could do for me. Thank you again for all your assistance. You have a great weekend !!