Classic Silver with normal Arkansas wheeling
Toyota/ LC paint: is it durable? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Katkon
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Would stay away. Looks great until you have any body work. Matching color is very difficult and most of the time they have to do blending.
FinallyGotOne!
SILVER Star
The paint on my tan 2000 LX is awesome given it's age - the best I've had with the over 20 vehicles I've owned, including Audi, Lexus, Porsche, and US and other Japanese makes. Of course it will pick up some Texas pinstripes when off-road, the difference is how easily they buff out. I find it very chip resistant, even when compared with my IS F, which seems to have a new chip every time I wash it.
Over the 16 years of its life, it has lived in the southwest, the northeast and the southeast. Most of that time it was "garage kept", but that's at night, right? It was driven almost daily and it was in the sun for hours each day, so I don't think "garage kept" means much if a vehicle is driven to work on day shift.
When I see a Ford Taurus or a Chevy 1500 with a faded hood, I automatically assume crap paint. When I see a high end vehicle with faded paint, I immediately think the owner over waxed and buffed. Each time that paint is waxed with anything that "cleans", a bit of the paint is being removed and all of those removals add up over the years if the owner is not careful. I wonder how much of the faded Toyota paint jobs out there are not only because of the intense southwest sun, but also because of too much buffing?
All that said, I have always understood that the darker the color, the softer the paint and the easier it is to damage, both from scratching and from sun and acid rain.
For Sale: - 2000 LX North Alabama
Over the 16 years of its life, it has lived in the southwest, the northeast and the southeast. Most of that time it was "garage kept", but that's at night, right? It was driven almost daily and it was in the sun for hours each day, so I don't think "garage kept" means much if a vehicle is driven to work on day shift.
When I see a Ford Taurus or a Chevy 1500 with a faded hood, I automatically assume crap paint. When I see a high end vehicle with faded paint, I immediately think the owner over waxed and buffed. Each time that paint is waxed with anything that "cleans", a bit of the paint is being removed and all of those removals add up over the years if the owner is not careful. I wonder how much of the faded Toyota paint jobs out there are not only because of the intense southwest sun, but also because of too much buffing?
All that said, I have always understood that the darker the color, the softer the paint and the easier it is to damage, both from scratching and from sun and acid rain.
For Sale: - 2000 LX North Alabama
- Thread starter
- #24
Thanks chaps. I ordered a classic silver '16 today. Was a toss up between blizzard pearl, magnetic gray and classic silver. The two colors I debated the most were CS and MG. Ultimately that CS might be marginally cooler and easier to keep clean, plus I have a couple of gray cars already... so mixing it up a bit. This was the hardest car paint decision I've ever had to make - and I have no clue why!
- Thread starter
- #25
Classic Silver with normal Arkansas wheeling
Doesn't look good, but at least it's less noticeable in CS than virtually every other color!
Markuson
SILVER Star
I have magnetic grey, but would also be very happy with silver. It WILL be cooler to the touch under hot sun, and WILL hide dust better.
I had a silver 100 and now have Magnetic Grey 200 so I am making a real comparison.
On the other hand... I LOVE the magnetic grey more than I thought I would.
I think you made a great choice. White looks nice, but to a truck that belongs in the dirt, silver and grey both go well with dirt.
Anything metallic will cost more to repair as far as materials and labor goes.
I am in the maritime fabrication and paint industry in charleston, and have done a bunch of body work and painting using the toyota whites which do fade and lose luster after a while. But if they are taken care of (washed regularly w some sort of wax a couple times a year) you'll never have a problem. You can't expect to have a perfect product w out preventative maintenance for almost anything related to paint.
Light colors are almost always a better choice for durability and ability to touch up down the road.
But we need to consider this is the flagship of Toyota trucks. They use nothing but high end.
I am in the maritime fabrication and paint industry in charleston, and have done a bunch of body work and painting using the toyota whites which do fade and lose luster after a while. But if they are taken care of (washed regularly w some sort of wax a couple times a year) you'll never have a problem. You can't expect to have a perfect product w out preventative maintenance for almost anything related to paint.
Light colors are almost always a better choice for durability and ability to touch up down the road.
But we need to consider this is the flagship of Toyota trucks. They use nothing but high end.
We are going to buy a 2016 too and are having tough time deciding on color too. Thinking blizzard or silver. Also deciding interior. Has anyone seen terra color in person ? If you wouldn't mind Sharing- how much did ur dealer come off of msrp?
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- Thread starter
- #29
I think terra looks great; I chose black simply because it'll hide wear/dirt a bit better as it gets older. I also think white/terra is a great combo - very classy; a bit "Lexus" if you know what I mean. I chose silver/black for ease of maintenance, and not aesthetics per se.
- Thread starter
- #30
True, but I'm not sure the paint is any different vs standard Toyotas. Though, according to the delivery manager at my local dealership "while regular Toyotas might get just 7 or 8 coats of paint, the Land Cruiser gets something like 22." LOL - as they say!
Yes. I thought the blizzard/terra would be a good combo. Thanks Katkon! Anxious to see pics of your 16
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Markuson
SILVER Star
That wouldn't surprise me if its true.
I've owned 5 toyotas. Two of them were silver Camry...and one was a 16 year old Silver 100 Series.
After 16 years...the silver Cruiser's paint was still PERFECT...even though it never fit in my garage and was sun exposed all those years.
The two Camry units? BOTH had peeling/flaking roof and hood paint after 7-9 years...and looked HORRIBLE compared to the Cruiser that was quite a bit older, and had been exposed to desert heat...sub-zero freezing and more.
I truly believe the paint on Cruisers is indeed handled differently. Not sure how...but it's more durable that the Camry paint for sure.
A trip to a dealership with a paint depth gauge will answer your question. A decent gauge is around $400 though. They're commonly used in PPIs in the high end auto world to determine if paint work has been done. Also, what kind of detailing/paint correction a vehicle can withstand.
Markuson
SILVER Star
I dunno... I'm thinkin there's more to paint strength than mere thickness...just like most materials.
Otherwise, inch-thick cardboard would hold up better than sheet-metal.
I dunno... I'm thinkin there's more to paint strength than mere thickness...just like most materials.
Otherwise, inch-thick cardboard would hold up better than sheet-metal.
This was in reference to the post by @Katkon where someone told him LCs get additional coats. I highly doubt the US spec LC gets special paint from the factory, I could be wrong though.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Ya... Who knows.
But what I do know is that every Toyota I've owned (including 3 non-Cruisers) started peeling, flaking off after about 7-8 years....while my 16-year-old, NOT-garaged 100 series paint remained perfect in old age.
Also, the brown that came on 3rd gen 4Runner almost always ends up in hood/roof fading, yet most of the other colors end up ok. It's not just dark color related, my white Toyota Cresta in Okinawa had it's roof peeling. Then again I neglected that car horrendously (it was free). Toyota paint quality seems rather spotty.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Ya... The other thing I've noticed is that those dealer-added "clear coat protective" layers? The clear-coat HORRIBLY peels long before the paint does...making it look like a bad sun-burn with peeling skin.
