Hello All, just thought I would ask this question.

Do you find that the paint chips easily on the 8. My colour is Viscosity Red. Just wondering. I have 3 chips and I try to becareful when driving, you know those bastard trucks.

Please let me know.

 

Viscosity Red? Yeah, my car is Tornado Grey!!Seriously, the 8 does chip quite easily compared to other vehicles I have owned. I am not impressed with the paint quality.

 

Well from my experience Audi and Subaru cars chip as easily if not worse. I only have a couple tiny chips on the 8 but it hasn't seen a winter either. It's not necessarily paint quality but galvanized sheet metal and some plastics that the paint doesn't bond to as well as on older poorly or non-treated steel panels. There is a big benefit though, those paint chips probably won't rust very quickly or easily, so if they are touched up they should be touched up for good. Audi paint jobs are far better IMO in terms of smoothness and colour depth but chipping is a big issue there also. They however don't cheap out by not clear coating the inside of the trunk and hood areas as was done on my 8. The inside of the trunk on my red 8 looks really bad, just like straight red primer. It took several thorough waxings and lots of hand buffing to get he 8 to really shine but it looks really good now (where it has been clear coated).

 

In Vancouver, the red RX8 comes in Velocity Red.

 

FYI: clear coats on newer cars are not as hard as they used to be due to new "environmental" regulations unfortunately

 

I traded in by protoge5 that was yellow, and ya a few stone chips but not that quickly.

I am probably just depressed as it is a new car.

I noticed that the red in the trunk and hood underside looks like primer, thought it was because of the rust proofing....

Thanks, now I feel worse!
Doug

 

That's what the clear bras are for - I had the Xpel kit installed 4 days after picking up the car, and I have NO stone chips in the paint, 19,000 km later. Well worth the cost!

Regards,
Gordon

 

What is the Xpel kit? Is it a clear tape that goes on the car, or is it a bra type, can you send me a pic? How much was it?

Very interested. I know that after a while the tape turns clowdy and gets brittle.

Let me know

Thanks
Doug

 

I have a velocity red 8 and i have more chips than ANY car i have ever owned..... I have a VW Jetta that is just 3 months older with the same amount of miles... and there are hardly ANY chips... hmmmm

 

Doug, do a search in the Canada section for 'xpel', you'll find 9 threads that discuss this. www.xpel.com is the vendor, one of several that offer patterns for different cars using the 3M Scotchcal clear vinyl film that was designed specifically for this purpose (adheres to the surface of the vehicle, is invisible from any distance). The 3M Scotchcal is guaranteed NOT to yellow for 5 years, and it certainly does not get brittle. I've posted links here before to Xpel, as well as to the 3M website with all the technical information on this product.

Regards,
Gordon

 

Stone chips and windshield chips, of all the cars that I have driven this is the worse for those two nasty things. Why? Beyond taping up the car in 3M, what can be done? Repaint the car? Fusturating indeed. I drove a 2000 VW Golf in all conditions, behind trunks, you names it. No stone chips, none! This just doesn't make sense.
________
Yamaha mo specifications

 

I agree. This car seems to be a magnet for stone chips.
The Civic (in a very similar paint colour to my Winning Blue 8) I had for 4 and a half years didn't have as many stone chips on it as my 8 already does.

 

Stop tailgating.

Just kidding.

I notice in my years of car ownership, that non-metallic paints like black, white tend to chip less and certain metallic finishes are more delicate. MY BMW used to have the same problem. I bought a hot color for that year (Midnight Blue metallic). Dealer said that new paint was very brittle. On the other hand my last black mustang went thru 4 years of continuous use, winter, summer, you name it. Only had some pitting - no real chips down to the metal.

So far Red 8 has only 1 tiny stone chip but down to the primer.

 

Hey everyone,

Just got my 8 on Tuesday. So I am looking for a Reputable xpel dealer in the GTA region. I seem to be very afraid to bring my car to any tinting place to get this installed.

I have read all 9 xpel threads in the canada forum and nobody has really commented on installers. Any suggestions?

Only place that i know of is in woodbridge called Lazer Tinting. Anyone been there? Thanks in advance for any help


MrJynx

 

GORD, How much did it cost you to get the xpel job done??

 

I've posted this in a few of the XPEL threads, here in the Canada section and elsewhere, but to save time -

(from this Paint Protection Film thread:, posted Aug 1 '03) :

here's what the installed cost came to:

RX-8 Hood, fender, mirror: $260 Cdn, ~$186 US
RX-8 bumper kit: $270 Cdn, ~$192 US
Headlights and fog lights (custom fit) $79 Cdn, ~$56 US

Total for the paint/lights 3M film protection, installed: $609 Cdn, ~$435 US.

Oh, I also had the rear side windows and rear window tinted with XG film, 35% - $119 Cdn, ~$85 US

Regards,
Gordon