balou62

Hey fellas hoping to find some help here. I have a 03 tundra 4x4 and recently put a scratch pretty much the length of the body. You can really feel the scratch even by rubbing you finger nail across it. I know the new paints are clear coat, what is available that can help me romove the scratch

BT17R

Not all Toyota paints are clear coated. Black, White, Red and Yellow do not have it. What color is yours?

ElwayLite

I never knew that, kinda sucks IMHO.

balou62

I thought all paints were clear coat anyway mine is silver. You can see the scratch but u cant really feel it, I dont think it cut into the paint because u cant feel it but it does stand out. I thought about a rubbing compound but i dont know if that will scratch the sorrounding area , and the parts house people dont really seem to know much about this even though they do carry a wide variety of diffrient products. I know it a 4x4 by I still like my truck to look good when Im done playing in the mud and trails

Corey

iTrader: (1)

I have taken out many a scratch on my rig, but it's not cheap.
I use the Porter Cable system as outlined on my detail site in my sig below.

Using a clay bar helps, and using a polish with a buffer such as the Porter Cable I have removed some scratches from branches digging in while off road.

I have not tried any of the scratch remover remedies as found in the wax section at automotive stores.

If I had a deep scratch like yours, I'd use Griot's Machine Polish #1 which is the course cut grade along with the Porter Cable, and work from there.

fish

Try Meguiars Scratchx. I just tried it this morning and it worked very well.

redfox435cat

I have a black toyota and its clear coated.

TOYJZX100

wierd, mine was clear coated, i repainted my tailgate in school and it was a 2 stage paint that i ordered acording to the codes. oh yea i have a white 4runner.

backyard_motorsports

meguires scratch x works wonders, and doesnt cost too much, or you can try 3M Machine polish, a little pricey for what it is,you do not have to use a buffer to accomplish the same results, also it doesnt scratch the surrounding area, just wax the whole truck after rubbing out the scratch

bigbadktm

i used meguiars paint cleaner to remove some scratches from the wifes car. (woulda kicked a dent in somebody's car had i seen it in the parking lot and not at home), and most waxes will take it out.

03TRDBlack

I have a 2003 Tacoma that is black and its most definitely clear coated.....

BT17R

The only way those colors are clear coated is through an additional process like a repaint or something like the Toyoguard slop forced upon buyers in the Southeast Toyota and Gulf States regions. Factory does not have it.

Prove it to yourself by taking a white cloth (black cloth for white paint) and polish (not wax) part of a clean panel until the polish disappears. Then look at the color coat transfer to the cloth.

Or, just call the Toyota 800# in your owner's manual for confirmation. Give them the paint code from the label on the driver's B-pillar (Black = 202, White = 033 or 040, etc.). The upside is that the uncoated colors have higher reflectivity than the coated colors.

redfox435cat

what year are you referancing your info from? everything is clearcoated today, higher final gloss and is repairable at the factory without repainting the rig. even the cheap ars scions are all clearcoated with 7 coats of clear coat. Those color numbers are are for touch up paints and the pre 96 that don't need to clear coated.

03TRDBlack

I just talked to my local Toyota Dealer about the paint situation and asked him what they thought. My paint code is #209 or Black Sand Metallic on my 2003 Tacoma. He said that he was positive that it has clear coat on it and that there are practically no new vechicles sold today that don't have clearcoat sprayed on.

Just curious, but where did you get your information from? Not calling you a liar by any means, just trying to figure it all out.

SlimTacoma

I called Toyota and they checked my VIN and color code. No clearcoat. Mine is white, I think #056(?). The guy went on to tell me that all of the white, black and red flat paints are not clearcoated. The mettalics are. FWIW.

Honger

98 T100 here, soft white, #038(I think that is the paint code if my memory serves me!). No clearcoat. I like it better that way. Boy does she shine when I get Griots clean!

BT17R

You wrote that you have Black. There's been only one Black, Ext Code 202, still in use after about 50 years. All metallics, micas and pearls are clear coated, like your Black Sand Metallic Ext Code 209, a completely different code. The other colors I listed are the "pure" colors. Many owners have been misinformed by their dealers, both Toyota and Lexus that share codes.

Anyone curious can confirm this by calling the 800#, not your dealer or body shop because some body shops will apply a clear coat to every repair to increase profits and, well, some dealers shoot from the hip. Have your VIN ready when you call TMS. They'll confirm everything I wrote here. I've written this on a few other Toyota and Lexus boards (MR2 Spyder, IS300, Prius). Every owner on those boards also eventually confirmed with TMS everything I wrote.

I think this was discussed here before. It must be approaching "dead horse" status by now!

03TRDBlack

Fair enough...consider it dead from me! :-)