I was wondering what brand of paint Mazda will be using to paint the RX-8. I know that BMW and MB use Spieshecker (an excellent German brand of paint). VW uses Glasorite (another excellent German paint). I think Honda and Toyota use BASF and Dupont. Domestic vehicles also use Dupont. Any clue on what Mazda will be using on the RX-8??

Water base! :D

Originally posted by ACRX8
Water base! :D
Yea, like the environment friendly paint that GM used a few years ago. :D

I heard Dulux emulsion with a top coat of Mr Sheen.

Earl Scheib - $99.95, no ups, no extras! :D

i think saleen also uses BASF. what a cool name for a paint. does it really matter what brand they use?

guys i think using water-based paint is not good because...huh huh...it'll just come off when it starts raining or when you take it to a car wash...huh huh...or when you spill soda on your car or when you mist your windshield

:D

Water based? of course not!!

Everybody knows Mazda uses oil based fingerpaint

It matters a lot. The first batch of FD's were known to chip and fade. I've read that the 350z’s paint chips easily too. If your going to spend $30k+ on a car it should have a coat of paint that isn't going to chip on a cigarette butt at 5 mph.

And with all the dumptrucks we have in south florida i hope it is some damn good paint

i heard all japanese cars use crappy paint??? is that true?

Originally posted by RotorGeek
And with all the dumptrucks we have in south florida i hope it is some damn good paint

I hear ya RotorGeek! Driving down I-75, sometimes it's like an obstacle course of dump trucks and a combination of flying pebbles and sand blasting. LOL Fortuntely my current car (VW Jetta) seems to have weather it well over two years vitrually no obvious stone chips (only a couple really tiny ones and the primer color kinda blends in with my Lagoon Blue). I think I do a pretty good job avoiding them altogether though. ;)

I'm VERY happy at how durable VW paint is!

The Mazda paint is as good as any other manufacturer. The rub is that all of the paints are now "environmentally friendly" with low VOC's to comply with environmental laws enacted in all of the auto manufacturer countries. The low VOC's makes the paint have poor impact properties compared to 15 years ago. Your RX-8 will get stone chips. Don't bother bitching at the dealer. There is nothing they or Mazda or BMW or Ford or Ferrari or NASA can do. Hopefully, someday PPG or whoever will invent a new formulation that is environmentally friendly, looks good and has improved impact properties.

The 350Z (which is VERY prone to chipping because of its blunt snout) has a 'clear bra' as an option. This is a transparent plastic cover that sticks to the car and protects the paint. Seems a bit drastic though!

The 350Z (which is VERY prone to chipping because of its blunt snout) has a 'clear bra' as an option. This is a transparent plastic cover that sticks to the car and protects the paint. Seems a bit drastic though!

It may seem drastic, until you drive the highways and byways of South-eastern Michigan. There are semi-trucks littering the road with small pebbles and other debris that is not paint friendly. I will definitely get this "clear bra" for my RX-8. That's the only sure way to protect it without having an eyesore on the front of your car!

From what I've heard, Japanese and Domestic vehicles paint is the worst. It doesn't have that smooth texture and appearance. It has that "orange peel" look to it. I can notice it on my Honda but not on my BMW 540i. Spieshecker and Glasorite are the best. I hope the RX-8 doesn't come with a low quality paint job! I am just wondering what brand Mazda uses so I can read up on it.

Originally posted by TiRX8
From what I've heard, Japanese and Domestic vehicles paint is the worst. It doesn't have that smooth texture and appearance. It has that "orange peel" look to it. I can notice it on my Honda but not on my BMW 540i. Spieshecker and Glasorite are the best. I hope the RX-8 doesn't come with a low quality paint job! I am just wondering what brand Mazda uses so I can read up on it.

My '99 Miata has absolutely no orange peel. Neither did my older Miata or the three other Miatae that neighbors on my street own. They all seem to have some rock chips, though.

Originally posted by babylou


My '99 Miata has absolutely no orange peel. Neither did my older Miata or the three other Miatae that neighbors on my street own. They all seem to have some rock chips, though.

The two Miata's that I've owned ('90 and '01) both have the 'orange peel' paint job, BUT only on the bottom sides of the car..... that is there to prevent paint chips, it's also thicker than the rest of the paint job on the car. the rest of the paint job is smooth as silk ;)

Originally posted by IGOZMZM
The two Miata's that I've owned ('90 and '01) both have the 'orange peel' paint job, BUT only on the bottom sides of the car..... that is there to prevent paint chips, it's also thicker than the rest of the paint job on the car. the rest of the paint job is smooth as silk ;) You're comparing apples to oranges. :)

The "orange peel" that the other folks are referring to, is an imperfection in the paint finish, while the "orange peel" that you're describing on the lower panels the later Miatas, is due the impact-absorbing material that Mazda applies as an undercoat in areas that would otherwise be prone to stone chips.

So guys any news on the paint brand? Is it BASF?

Whao, hold on.

Japanese Cars in general DO NOT have cheap paint jobs. I know for sure since I have a 92, Toyota Camry and that paint job is superb and it is as durable as anything you can find. Same with my Uncle's 91 Corolla and my friend's 98 Camry. Also, I've also had an Acura CL and an Accord, both of those got excellient paint jobs on them.

On the other hand, My cousin, and several of my best friends got 2001 to 2003 Nissans, and They got lots of problems with their paint. Stone Chip like crazy on the Sentra in particular. The Maximas are better but definitely no Honda or Toyota quality.

It really doesn't surprise me that the 350Z got this paint problem as well.

Originally posted by Smoker
Whao, hold on.

Japanese Cars in general DO NOT have cheap paint jobs. I know for sure since I have a 92, Toyota Camry and that paint job is superb and it is as durable as anything you can find. Same with my Uncle's 91 Corolla and my friend's 98 Camry. Also, I've also had an Acura CL and an Accord, both of those got excellient paint jobs on them.

On the other hand, My cousin, and several of my best friends got 2001 to 2003 Nissans, and They got lots of problems with their paint. Stone Chip like crazy on the Sentra in particular. The Maximas are better but definitely no Honda or Toyota quality.

It really doesn't surprise me that the 350Z got this paint problem as well.

the new evos have the paint problem as well.

Throughout the history of the Z they have had paint problems.

What brand is the paint??

My friend has A WRX and his paint is chipped pretty bad. He says the paint sucks. My 01 Miata's paint is looking great

The Paint on the Subaru Forester my Dad had was not really bad for stone chips but was damaged by a pretty standard good-quality polish. It made they black paint all dull an go slightly lighter than the rest of the bonnet as it was only used on a small area. This polish has been used on many other cars without any problem but it was just this one, it could have just been a reaction with something but it was really strange.:confused:

How can you compare the paint brand/application/durability of a japanese car made in Hiroshima, with that of a Camry, made in Ohio?
Talk about Apples and Orangutans........
S.

Is it BASF?

Originally posted by StealthTL
How can you compare the paint brand/application/durability of a japanese car made in Hiroshima, with that of a Camry, made in Ohio?
Talk about Apples and Orangutans........
S.

Nobody is making a comparison. A statement was made suggesting that all Japanese cars in general have bad paint job. The other members are simply posting their personal experience with Japanese cars and their paint job.

Originally posted by TiRX8
Is it BASF?

We don't know.

Originally posted by DTECH-RX


I hear ya RotorGeek! Driving down I-75, sometimes it's like an obstacle course of dump trucks and a combination of flying pebbles and sand blasting. LOL Fortuntely my current car (VW Jetta) seems to have weather it well over two years vitrually no obvious stone chips (only a couple really tiny ones and the primer color kinda blends in with my Lagoon Blue). I think I do a pretty good job avoiding them altogether though. ;)

I'm VERY happy at how durable VW paint is!

Not to hijack the thread, but a few years ago when I bought my 1999 Xtreme I was driving down I-595 to work. It was the first day I had the car and wouldn't you know it, I was behind a dump truck when this rock about the size of a walnut comes off his truck and cracks the windshield on the lower-right hand side. I really loved that truck... I thought I was gonna cry... Anyway, my insurance company covered it with no deductable (Florida law BTW). A day later it was fixed as good as new. But I just couldn't believe that it happened the first day I owned the car! :)

Originally posted by Smoker


Nobody is making a comparison. A statement was made suggesting that all Japanese cars in general have bad paint job. The other members are simply posting their personal experience with Japanese cars and their paint job.

the silver grey on my Echo (probably one of those domestically manufactured "imports" :p) is holding up extremely well to lots of past use on gravel roads, farm lanes, and stuff like that (had a g/f way out in the boonies... but whoa, was she worth it ;))

Select a light colored paint like silver or light gray and don't worry 'bout it. :)

BASF??

TiRX8- YES YES YES...BASF. Someone close this thread.

How sure are you??

I hope the paint brand is not CIL. It is supposedly some low quality American paint found on some Japanese cars because it is very cheap. If it is BASF then its ok.

Originally posted by TiRX8
How sure are you??

TiRX8, allow me to suggest that you actually do some research to answer your (repeated) question rather than bugging people who sincerely don't know on this forum. Try phoning Mazda Japan if you're that keen to find out or at least mail them. Then please report back and pass on the useful information you've found.

Since Nissan seems to have the worst Paint out of all the Japanese Makers, If anyone knows what paint brand they use, please let us know. Thank you.

Originally posted by Lensman


TiRX8, allow me to suggest that you actually do some research to answer your (repeated) question rather than bugging people who sincerely don't know on this forum. Try phoning Mazda Japan if you're that keen to find out or at least mail them. Then please report back and pass on the useful information you've found. It seems like you don't really care, so why do you want to know? And why take part in this thread if it bothers you?

Originally posted by TiRX8
It seems like you don't really care, so why do you want to know? And why take part in this thread if it bothers you?

An interesting response. Would anyone else care to comment?

Whoops, guess he saw my original post before I did the quick edit. Apologies TiRX8 that was uncalled for on my part and I regretted it immediately and changed the post.

... TiRX8, you're getting a little bit bratty.
there was no need to instigate a tiff with Lensman, who on the whole is a good-natured member of the forum, and is clearly interested in what the brand the paint is. you were persistant in your questioning, and contributed nothing while still filling up the page, which IS annoying. Lensman was simply suggesting in a polite way what any of us would.

things got slightly out of hand, but let's have this as an end to it, eh??

Originally posted by Lensman
Whoops, guess he saw my original post before I did the quick edit. Apologies TiRX8 that was uncalled for on my part and I regretted it immediately and changed the post. I am sorry Lensman, I too was out of line. Friends??

Originally posted by wakeech
... TiRX8, you're getting a little bit bratty.
there was no need to instigate a tiff with Lensman, who on the whole is a good-natured member of the forum, and is clearly interested in what the brand the paint is. you were persistant in your questioning, and contributed nothing while still filling up the page, which IS annoying. Lensman was simply suggesting in a polite way what any of us would.

things got slightly out of hand, but let's have this as an end to it, eh?? Slightly bratty but just very curious. I didn't mean to annoy anybody.

Originally posted by TiRX8
I am sorry Lensman, I too was out of line. Friends??

Yea, no problem. We're still no nearer finding out the paint brand but I guess no one actually knows as yet. Perhaps someone will add to this thread in the weeks to come.

Well I hope they are not useing the same paint Subaru useinghttp://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=353918

A good friend of my who own a panel shop(BMW authorised repairer) told me that Mazda paint is one of the best in the market at the moment. Mazda and Lexus. Their paint is much better quality than Mercedes, BMW etc. Because they are still using solvent base paint, not water base like European car. While Subaru's paint is one of the worst, he said. I also know for the fact because I own a 2002 Sti.

Originally posted by Winning
I also know for the fact because I own a 2002 Sti.

2002? I thought this was the first year they have been offered... Do you live in Japan?

Australia, and we are very jealous with American people. The RX8 costing us about 68,000 Australian for manual 6sp.:( 44,000 USD). The M3 about 160,000AUD(104,000USD).

I have contacted Mazda Japan. Hopefully I will get a response on the paint brand!!

Originally posted by Winning
A good friend of my who own a panel shop(BMW authorised repairer) told me that Mazda paint is one of the best in the market at the moment. Mazda and Lexus. Their paint is much better quality than Mercedes, BMW etc. Because they are still using solvent base paint, not water base like European car. While Subaru's paint is one of the worst, he said. I also know for the fact because I own a 2002 Sti.

Mazda's paint is water based. This is well known in the Miata community.

Right on! Water based paint has less of an orange peel look. It seems much smoother. All of the latest paints are water based.

I have a 99 Millenia S and the paint seems to be fairly durable, but there is some major "orange peel" look to it. There has been heavy road construction where I live for the past 2 years, and I have very few stone chips considering all of the crap I drive through and all of the dump trucks I always end up behind.

My wife has a 99 4-Runner and the paint on that thing is superb! It is smooth as glass (no orange peel to it at all) and has next to no stone chips. We had a Lexus SC400 before the 4-Runner and that was also a superb paint job. Very smooth. I also notice that my wifes 4-Runner beads water all the time like it has just been waxed, and it gets waxed about 1/3 as often as my Millenia. Does this have something to do with the paint quality? I'm using the same wax!

A gal I work with just got a 2003 Protege MP3 and I noticed the orange peel in that thing from about 15 feet away. I hope this is not an indication that Mazda's paint appearance is getting sloppier, but more durable.

With the technology out there these days you think they would be able to paint a car flawlessly and have something that would not chip at all!!

Originally posted by 91vert
With the technology out there these days you think they would be able to paint a car flawlessly and have something that would not chip at all!! I agree dude. That's why I'm so weary of Mazda paint jobs. I looked at a Mazda 6 yesterday and the orange peel was horrible. Maybe because the car is manufactured in the USA and using that nasty CIL paint? I hope that the RX-8 is better!

All Mazda in Australia are painted from Japan. I don't know about America. Our market is not as big as USA.

Could anyone care to post a picture of the dreaded "orange peel" to those of us that have no idea of what are you referring to? THANX!

Originally posted by neit_jnf
Could anyone care to post a picture of the dreaded "orange peel" to those of us that have no idea of what are you referring to? THANX! here you go: http://www.generalpaint.biz/refinish/orange.html

Thanks a lot! I haven't seen this in any of my family's cars ( 3 from mazda, 1 hyundai, 1 toyota) only on the underside or when I had them repainted... maybe I'm not paying attention.

Still no response from Mazda Japan. Probably too busy trying to keep up with production orders!! ;)

I'm gonna send them another message!! :mad: