Painted Heritage Stripes on Hatch??

Has anyone put painted Heritage Stripes on their rear hatch?

I am going to attempt to cover up some knicks first with touch up paint they the dealer did when they attempted to correct my garnish. The knicks are in an odd area on right side of garnish on the stamped slanted peace of sheet metal. The dealer offered to repaint whole hatch but that scares me and who knows if their fix to the garnish will work with door edge tape.

I only have 1,100 miles on this 4R and I am going nuts as a perfectionist and my eye is drawn to these Knicks each time I open my garage.

I was thinking of putting on a light gray, dark gray, black heritage stripe. Wish I was good at photo shop. Anybody have any thoughts?

I don’t want to over do it with artwork, but thought maybe something along the lines of the stripes below painted on by a pinstripe person might look nice. I don’t know though I am not an artist or creative. Just want to keep it somewhat classy and cool I guess

 

I can photoshop something for you, but need a bigger picture showing all back hatch area so you can see what it would look like?
Also, need a link to sticker you are thinking of putting on, preferable a .png file

Where on the hatch are your scratches?
At the bottom or near the window?
Is the surface flat enough to allow something to stick?

Im considering adding on of these to lower corner of tailgate
https://www.ebay.com/itm/203239355967

 

Thanks T in Texas I will send you a PM with some pics and links; I am very appreciative.

 

Yeah don’t let the dealer touch it again. Maybe the dealer can chip in half the cost of repainting the hatch, say 1000 dollars? It would be fair, and it would save them expense of repairing the body damage they would cause removing/re-installing the tailgate.

When I took mine to the dealer for a squeaky rear seat back. I noticed they chipped my door edge on a concrete wall. I eventually let it go emotionally once I closed my garage door onto an open rear hatch…twice.

 

The dealer was honest and apologetic for it and put it in writing that they would repaint the hatch at any point in the future even a few years out. It just sucks because I am ocd and need car Xanax to begin with with then this happens to my new ride.

The last two years I’ve been sick myself and caring for my Mom with dementia and that’s why I only have 1,100 miles plus I stored it in winter. Just stinks when I notice the garnish pinching paint, try to rectify that before I go fishing and then this happens. I realize first world problems and I am still thankful for all my blessings. I bought this thinking 2021 or 22 was the last fifth gen and hoped to keep for a long time.

I need to see how this garnish repair holds up I think before I consider a repaint. If we could get a definitive repair I would reluctantly repaint (not sure what risks are of repaint though). I’d hate to repaint and two years from that find the garnish is once again pinching the paint.

Sorry for going on. I’ve read a lot of other guys with other issues over the last few years and I think gosh thank God I don’t have that. It’s my turn I guess.

Today my Mom did not remember who I was with her dementia and asked to see my drivers license. Caring for her and seeing decline keeps this stuff in perspective. My breaks the last few years were opening the garage and seeing shiny new 4R, and now that’s not the same either.

 

Hey mac, here are a couple of ideas for you...
color or mono stripes...

I bet you could go to a local vehicle wrap place and get this added,
a couple of points I noticed while shopping this...
-think about how you want to index these stripes
--notice on both of these I indexed the white stripe to the center corner of the tailgate and the radio/center of stop light
--on the monochrome version the stripe is wider and extends beyond the tailight
--another thought would be have the stripe extend all the way to bottom right side of glass and end on left side of high stop light

also these stripes are at 90% opacity

lets see if I figure out how to add these correctly...

 

No reason to weigh in here other than boredom, but to my eye those should run on the opposite 45. Color orientation is right but I'd start at bottom center ///

 

I was just going with the body lines of the hatch...

 

Those silver/grey tones look great. You are good man T for helping out. Great forum.

 

He is the man. I owe him a fishing trip up here.

 

I remember the first scratch mine got. You worry less after the second or third haha

 

Special thanks to T in Texas for drafting up those pics above....he is the man! I owe you a fishing trip up here bud in the D.

My niece came home from college last night and made this up as an example for me as well. I never seen any heritage stripes in this area; what do you guys/gals think?

 

I would do only one set on the one side. That would look more like the heritage stripes. With a pair, it doesn't jump out as a heritage stripe. More like a mustache. Especially with the Toyota emblem looking like a nose.

 

Yeah we started with one, and then I was wondering does it look right and we tried two; I get your point though. Here is one side to cover the knicked right side.

 

One more idea--tried this thicker stripe horizontal as an idea to cover up the knicks at the top; what do you guys think?

 

Have you tried buffing it out? I had zero experience doing this and it turned out fantastic. About $350 for supplies and beer.

 

Yeah tried that; even the dealer collision shop that knicked it; tried with their compound and a power buffer. Then they put touch up paint on which was realized after was Toyota Code 1D7 paint code (given to me by my salesperson at pickup). When I got home I checked the door and the real paint code is 1F7 Classic Silver. So the wrong dang color touch up was applied. It was myriad of screw ups.

 

$300 in beer? How did you get it done? Ha ha. I had a black ford f150 same problem. Wet sand very fine grit and a polish took care of it in under an hour.

 

How about a piece of duc tape

 

I would not put a buffer on that area again... ever. The shop that scratched, the attempted the repair, likely started their repair wet-sanding, then moved on to a very aggressive cutting compound, then moved on to a couple other stages. The punchline is the paint is likely very (!) thin in that area now.

 

Yeah after they came and told me they knicked it, they hit with some mothers rubbing compound and air powered buffering pad. Then proceeded to apply to touch up paint the wrong color.

I started all this thinking with only 1,000 miles and seeing the scratch from the garnish that it could be touched up and fix the garnish. Ended up with all this BS so much for being proactive. Its been two weeks and I am still depressed over it, sorry I am OCD I know. But I worked and saved a ton to watch someone mess it up. They offered to repaint whole hatch but I feel like that would get screwed up now and not too mention who knows if the garnish repair will work. So if you repaint the hatch that damn thing could start rusting in a few years.

 

It seems to me the only REAL fix is to repaint the whole hatch.

 

Anybody tried this- Dr. Color Chip (reading good things)

Clear Auto Bra Michigan, Paint Protection Plus, Xpel and 3M Paint Protection Film, Clear Bra, LARRY MILLEN, headlight protection, Metro Detroit, Plymouth Mi, (norockchips.com)

 

Yeah I think you are right; but i hate to repaint until Toyota or someone here comes up with a real fix for that garnish issue. I hate to repaint, then two year from now see that thing scratching the corner again and rusting. I'd rather live with something that looks decent for a while until we all get this darn garnish issue fixed where its no longer an issue. It sure would be nice if Toyota would issue a TSB (hence the post in the sticky up top)

 

What about a satin silver vinyl from that 4runner garnish down. No tri-color, just one piece in that one area, similar to how some people need a vinyl around their scoop.

 

I was actually thinking the same thing. OP might want to hit up @MyWyfsRnnr - he might have a great idea for that spot.

 

Thanks Huskerrunner & Glwood. I think I can sort of envision that. So it would be a flat silver I am assuming? Maybe could do something with TRD logo on the bottom.

 

I have a gloss silver vinyl but hiding the seam is a bit tricky. With vinyl, it is better to contrast rather than match. @mac1usa where do you live? With proper touch up paint and wet sanding etc a good shop could make it disappear. I've had to fix a larger chip/scratch on one of my hot rods and I can't find it now that it is done. Good work everyone with Photoshop! I like some of those sticker ideas! Those would look cool on any Runner!

 

Thanks @MyWyfsRnnr. I am in the suburbs (20 miles north of Detroit). You would not happen to know of any good shops around here would you? I would think with the classic muscle car guys and Woodward Dream cruise folks there has to be someone. I talked with one guy who said he could make up any type of graphic I could dream up.

The collision shop at dealer I was at that tried to fix the garnish claims whole hatch has to be repainted. This apparently involves removing the black plastic near window, remove the spoiler on top and well it just scares me. It’s like new otherwise with 1,000 miles.

The place that installed my xpel film on front end can mix up touch up paints but I don’t think they get into wet sanding or anything like that. The one contact I have there who is super cool is on vacation for a few weeks.

I appreciate everyone’s help here. I realize most guys think I am crazy with small scratches since you are hard core off-road guys. I bought this 4R for fishing and hoping to take me well into retirement and last a long time. That’s why I did not drive it in winter or even rain yet.