takahashi

I wonder how many of you are into paint protection? and why?

Kev

It's your defense against eggs

Waxguard's paintguard and natureguard were applied to my car, along with rust inhibitor magic black box thingy, tint and leather protection as a dealer offered package for $1395.

I can't say that if did anything magic to protect my paintwork -but where the eggshell didn't cut into the paint, the duco is still perfect (considering the egg strated to dissolve the plastic headlight lens!)

My car's going into the shop next week , after the paint is hard, I'll have the Waxguard treatments re-applied.

A lot of people turn their noses up at paint protection. I've had bad experience with Ming myself (Black TT had buff circles from new!!!)

MPG > HP

Don't do it!! Get of bottle of Rejex, instead. Otherwise, when you do wake up to Rejex (yeah I really liked my first "sample") you'll have to find a way to remove the dealer stuff. Do a search on RejeX, for more details.

Dez

So does that mean that the consensus is "don't do it" on the pain protection?

I was considering spending around $1,600+ on the teflon pain protection from my dealer ( Euro Mazda Artarmon ).

What about rust proofing and the under car scratch protection?

I was about to go the whole hog as it were on the teflon pain protection, rust protection, and the weird "smart" anti scratch stuff under body?

Thoughts would be most gratefully received!

++dez;

takahashi

I did not end up having it...

After spoken to a few ex car dealer... it is a complete waste of money, including the lastest Crystal Glaze - marketed as better than Telfon

So don't do it I guess unless you will never polish and put in under the sun 24/7

Rust protection unless you have a seaside garage I guess it is useless.

Most paint now are very good and not fading like the old ones.

Don't you realize even the semi old cars (~5 year old cars) still look great?

Wildcard

I recommend paint protection, but not at the price you are talking about Dez. The dealerships make huge profits out of aftermarket protection products. Get it done outside and you will save heaps.

I've had my windows tinted - The dealership wanted $600, but I got it done by 'Solace' for $295.

Same with the Teflon paint protection - dealership was asking $600 but Solace did the job for $250. Both were done to a high standard and I'm totally happy.

I'm a big fan of the Teflon paint protection, because it makes the car so much easier to wash. I don't even need to use detergent if I don't want to, and the grime slides straight off with water and a sponge.

All of the underbody protection sounds like a load of BS, IMO. I'd rather spend that money elsewhere (like paying back the loan for starters!)

takahashi

Second that... do the protection somewhere else...

I will do it on my own.

$1600 I can do most mazdaspeed suspension mods.

Lock & Load

For $1600 id rater be upgrading my ECU or modifieng my exhaust , the current paint will protect itself unless you guys live in a harsh enviroment.

BVD

The value of protections depends entirely on what sort of person you are. Some buy a car primarily to drive, but for others the cossetting and polishing are a big part of the deal.

At one end of the scale is the guy who posted a pic of his RX after he'd taken it out and done doughnuts on a claypan (near Las Vegas I think). The car was almost unrecognisable under the layers of dust, but a few specks of blue paint did show through...

At the other end are the polishing freaks elsewhere on this forum who pay hundreds of dollars a bottle for special preparations and who do invisible stone chip repairs using the point of a needle dipped in touch up paint, and take incredible time over the jobs..

Good luck to both approaches, but I'm somewhere in the middle.
I didn't get any of the dealer offered protections as I figure the car is already a good machine with a quality finish. I don't live near the sea, and I'm not entering any shows with it. It's for driving and having fun. :D

Currently I'm in the **** phase where I do cosset it a bit (i.e. for the first time ever I bought a car cover to keep it clean in our windy and dusty carport.).

However, this will pass - probably when it gets its first stone chip or another car door opened against it. I even joke that I should go out with a hammer and put a small chip on the front so that I can relax and just get on with treating it like our other vehicles - i.e. given all possible care and mechanical attention, kept reasonably clean, but basically enjoyed for what it does - which is provide a lot of fun to drive.

Dez

Good advice all round, thanks! I think I'll get Solace to do it then as I'm still in the "gosh it's fun washing this car.." phase ( I intend to be in this phase for around 12 to 14 months btw ) and I don't like the idea of using detergents on paint - prolly silly - but there you go.

D.G.W. - did you get your paint protection done locally in Newcastle by Solace or in Sydney?

I'd rather get mine done by someone who has already done an RX8 - call me paranoid ( just because you're not paranoid, does not mean someone isn't watching you ).

By the way - Have any of you had stone chips in your windscreens repaired?

Driving back to Sydney from my "this car is three weeks old and the longest drive it's done is Mosman -> North Ryde -> Airport -> Mosman" trip to Qld, I lived through the mental trauma of being behind a f*cking horse float and watching a fist sized rock kick up, sail through the air, and ralise that I could break and have it land on the bonnet, accelerate and have it land on the roof of boot, or hold steady and watch it hit smack dab in the middle of my "line of sight" looking forward from the pilots seat!

I know my insurance will probably handle an anual replacement but ****, it's only a month old, and I've managed to train my left brain to ignore it but every now and then in the right sun light it glints and I re-live the whole "****, I've got a decent stone chip in my windscreen" thang.

++dez;

ps: zoom zoom zoom - mazda ad playing as I type this, mx5, mazda 6.. hey, where's the bloody RX8 !?? Bastards !! Now I'll have to go outside to look at mine - agian - 5th time tonight * sign *

pps: Hi, my name is Dez, I've been an RX8 owner for almost five weeks.. I joined RX8 pilots anonymous beause I can't go 6 hours without a drive!!