How to I keep my scratchless paint scratchless while trail riding

[geurillawarfare]

I know, I know, this is a dumb question.

However, I just picked up an 05 in STRATOSPHERE MICA which is literally scratchless. I feel like this was a mistake because now I am terrified of scratches.

I researched vinyl wrap and I'm officially terrified of ripping off the paint when the vinyl has to be removed... This is 100% factory paint but I have read some real horror stories online.

I looked into thicker polymer coatings and it seems that they are all snake oil.

So, what are my options? Buy a 2nd 4runner that comes pre-scratched and just drive this shiny blue one on Sundays?

 

[magert54]

Masking tape on the high points of the sides.

 

[Brian3676]

I drive the hell out of mine on trails, always brushing against bushes, branches and all that. After I wash it it's always scratchless. I just use a good quality wax (#26) and make sure to wax it every 2-3 months. Real sliders help with the side/lower of the truck, if I did not have the sliders I would definitely have a few bigger dings

 

[Billynath1988]

Collinite wax right before you go .. stuff slides off.. rewax after trip.. all scratches gone..

https://www.amazon.com/Collinite-Li...UTF8&qid=1467221045&sr=8-1&keywords=collinite

I have an 05.. paint still looks new

 

[geurillawarfare]

Collinite wax right before you go .. stuff slides off.. rewax after trip.. all scratches gone..

https://www.amazon.com/Collinite-Li...UTF8&qid=1467221045&sr=8-1&keywords=collinite

I have an 05.. paint still looks new

I have never heard of this wax in all my years of automotive, but the reviews look excellent - Thanks for the tip! I ordered some and I'm going to give it a try. Sounds like it is super slippery which I'm assuming helps the branches slide past. Logic would dictate that friction = scratches, so a great reduction in friction must be a great reduction in scratches!

I seriously can't believe the condition of this '05... Original owner kept towels on the seats and floor during the time that he drove it... There isn't a single mark on the interior. It's disgusting :lmao:

 

[Billynath1988]

Once you use this wax you will never use anything else.. I promise.... it also last longer then anything else out there..

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[Billynath1988]

also to note, Ive used this on my wheels and windows with excellent results. Also good for counter tops in the kitchen, bathroom.. literally anything you want clean and shiney. its pretty incredible stuff...

I first learned about it as a kid when my dad used to order it from some catalog to use on the boat. it would hold up to salt water and stay beading for an entire season. When i got my first car I used the can that was a few years old and it came out incredible.. been useing these products for over 20 years.

This stuff is good too.. https://www.amazon.com/Collinite-Pa...1467225043&sr=8-1&keywords=collinite+fleetwax

 

[EdmundGTP]

No wax on earth is going to protect your paint 100% from marring or swirling of the clear coat from vegetation brushing against it on the trails.

The amount of damage your paint will sustain has a lot to do with how brave/adventurous you're willing to be as well.

Most of the paint marks you'll receive from driving through brush can be buffed/polished out. Buffing/polishing and trying to maintain "perfect" paint on a car that is daily driven or parked outside is an exercise in futility, let alone one that gets driven off road.

Scratches that dig through the clear coat and into the paint/metal are a different story. JMO but if you're really THAT concerned about your paint, your truck probably shouldn't leave the pavement... Or the driveway. The likelihood of getting scratches like this on the trail is probably only slightly higher than leaving your truck in the nearest Walmart parking lot.

These trucks aren't museum pieces; they are tools. Use it and enjoy it as such. Once you accept that, you'll have a lot more fun with it.

 

[Billynath1988]

All 100% true.. and i am in no way saying that the wax will prevent it.. However it does help.. light scratches and swirls actually end up in the wax coating as oppose to the paint or clear coat.. so when you wash and reapply a coat of two of wax after the fact, they are gone or extremely lightened. I know because ive done it.. even on black trucks.

but wax will have essentially no effect for Deep scratches from solid branches or whatnot.

Like he said, if you want a show truck, dont offroad... if you offroad.. accept that you will have some scratches.

 

[ZebRuaj]

+1 to Edmund.

I probably have over 1 grand worth of detailing supplies (DA's, Orbitals, pads, polishes and waxes) sitting in my garage from years of ADD with my previous vehicles. I also detail on the side for extra cash and work on cars I'll never own. One of the decisions to jump to a 4Runner was to get over my ADD with clean cars. Drive it and don't worry about scratches and swirls. You'll go crazy with imperfections.

Collinite works wonder as a year round wax, and as others stated, will last thru pretty much everything. I put on two coats to get thru winter, and still beads in the spring when I hose the cars down.

 

[rich045]

blue masking tape is your friend, lol

 

[JimInTN]

Go out and kick a big dent in the driver's door or one of the quarter panels...

After that the scratches won't hurt near as much.

 

[dta1984]

Another +1 for collinite! ! Recently started using it and I'm very pleased with the longevity.

 

[Inv4drZm]

You could wrap the damage-prone areas with some Xpel clear wrap that is also self-healing. If you don't do it yourself, it gets pricey though. Supposed to last up to 10 years.

I've used some sealants before, but I might try that Collinite wax before my Moab trip now.

 

[rooost]

No wax on earth is going to protect your paint 100% from marring or swirling of the clear coat from vegetation brushing against it on the trails.

The amount of damage your paint will sustain has a lot to do with how brave/adventurous you're willing to be as well.

Most of the paint marks you'll receive from driving through brush can be buffed/polished out. Buffing/polishing and trying to maintain "perfect" paint on a car that is daily driven or parked outside is an exercise in futility, let alone one that gets driven off road.

Scratches that dig through the clear coat and into the paint/metal are a different story. JMO but if you're really THAT concerned about your paint, your truck probably shouldn't leave the pavement... Or the driveway. The likelihood of getting scratches like this on the trail is probably only slightly higher than leaving your truck in the nearest Walmart parking lot.

These trucks aren't museum pieces; they are tools. Use it and enjoy it as such. Once you accept that, you'll have a lot more fun with it.

You guys are both correct.....but I bestow a bit of respect to those attempting to maintain the "as new" appearance, especially if they were lucky enough to score a great buy.

Now my advice for said person that also wishes to go off-road...carry you own hedge clippers and chainsaw, has to be a tough battle there with both sides of your brain! Maybe you use the T4R to tow your Off-road rig to the brush! Pick up an old junker


...and to throw another product recommendation at the thread:
https://www.amazon.com/Klasse-KL-KI...TF8&qid=1467298435&sr=8-1&keywords=klasse+kit

Klasse - This stuff is just loads of the cleaners that are found in cleaner wax and I use it as an eraser ! Black marks, glue, scratches etc. and its German so it has to work

 

[Drunner97]

Just plastidip the whole rig, problem solved. When you're ready to sell, peel plastidip off. Perfect paint. Done.

You'd probably cry is you saw all the scratches I have. After the first couple and the amount I off road, I gave up trying to buff them out. Not to say I won't throw it a good buff every 6 months just to clean some of them up, but I just don't care to do it every 2-3 weeks because that's how often I'm off road.

 

[Porqupine82]

Just plastidip the whole rig, problem solved. When you're ready to sell, peel plastidip off. Perfect paint. Done.

You'd probably cry is you saw all the scratches I have. After the first couple and the amount I off road, I gave up trying to buff them out. Not to say I won't throw it a good buff every 6 months just to clean some of them up, but I just don't care to do it every 2-3 weeks because that's how often I'm off road.

I'm just like you. The first real trail I hit, I got a scratch the whole length of the truck. Literally from headlight to taillight. I was so distraught I thought about it for days.

Then realized that I dropped 3000 bucks into suspension, which will be used for more than trips to the mall. My vehicle has many many scratches now.

YOLO.

If you buy an off road capable vehicle, with an intention to drive it off road, it's getting scratches regardless of what miracle magic wax you slather all over it.

 

[parboy]

If you are worried about it, just get some transportwrap like they put on new cars for transport to dealers. 200 ft for 70 bucks or so. I would expect to get some odd looks and chuckles but if you don't care it would do great. A friend of mine did it to his new Wrangler latitude once and did not get any pinstripes during the run TRANSPORTWRAP - Protect your Vehicle During Auto Transport with Plastic White Vinyl Wrap

 

[geurillawarfare]

I appreciate all the replies...

I put the thing up in the air and found holes on the inward-facing rails of the frame, this thing rotted from the inside out. It's still driveable but if I don't stop this rust, this frame will come apart at the seams in no more than 2 winters. This is absolutely bizarre as a family member also has a 2005 V8 which has been in michigan for 182k miles, has NOT been washed very often, and the frame on that one is totally fine - The welds are barely rusty and the inside of the frame looks great. It just makes no sense to me.

I'm going to call toyota and beg for a replacement, expecting them to tell me to buzz off even though this vehicle is only 11yrs old with 104K miles, with all records to new, SPOTLESS body (above and underneath), was always washed, garaged (or so the seller said), etc.

After they tell me to screw off, I can:
-Get a rollling frame next time I'm in Phoenix and figure a way to get it back to Michigan. I'm going to want axles, all control arms and links, etc - they are BAD and I'd rather spend $1000 extra than waste days trying to salvage them all.

-OR-

-Weld it as is and beath the crap out of it until it gets really bad, hope it lasts until paid off and then sell it and take the loss...

It's up in the air right now with no engine/transmission/axles/bumpers/radiator/AC system and I'm kind of stuck deciding whether I should put it back together as is, or start welding and rust-bullet-ing, or if I should just leave it apart for a few weeks until I find another frame. I am pretty sure I'm not more than 8 hours from having the whole dang frame off the thing, and that includes carefully removing the brake lines, wiring, fuel system, etc...

This is NOT how I thought i was going to be spending the 4th of July

By the way, it all started with "I'm going to fix the ONE problem that my new vehicle has - The exhaust manifolds leak when you first start it up".

Whoops. Guess I'm crawling all the way under the next one with a hammer and telling the seller to trust me, I know what I'm doing! "This isn't a hammer, it's a precisely calibrated frame tester"