Exterior care
 

Hey RX-8 fans,

I'm new to the club, as well as to car ownership and the 8 is my first new car. I've been saving up for a while and was finally able to purchase it. I've been enjoying life since I bought it in mid-July. :D

I want to baby it and give it plenty of TLC. My first question concerns taking care of the Velocity Red paint.

Can anyone recommend a very good wax that is available commercially off-the-shelf? not something i would have to mail order please. Also, how often should I wax it?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks.

ADF

Ah, my favorite subject, DETAILING!

Here's the regimen:

1) Wash the wheels first, using a good quality spray on wheel cleaner - I use the Armorall brand. Buy a soft, long-handled brush, spray the front wheel on one side first, then the back, then go back and brush the wheel clean and rinse it, the brush the rear wheel and rinse it. Repeat on the other side.

2) Use a good quality commercial car wash product - Meguiar's PolyWash is my favorite - on rinsing it causes the water to just run off the car. Mix up a bucket of suds with it according to directions on the bottle.

3) Spray the car, bottom up with a hard spray of water and make 3 laps around the car doing this - this wets and loosens the dirt. the longer the dirt is wet, the easier it comes off.

4) Doing one section at a time, wet a wash mitt or pad (I use one of those big cotton-yarn covered wash sponges, plus a netting-covered sponge for the front end bugs), and wash every square inch - TOP TO BOTTOM - the bottom is dirtiest. Every time you reach bottom, swish the sponge in the wash bucket to shake out the crud and reload it with water. The sections I do are first: Front "clip" - windshield forward, both sides of the car, then entire left side including the roof, then entire right side including the roof.

5) Rinse with a flood of water, not a hard spray - either take your nozzle off and just use the flood out of the hose, or buy a high-quality nozzle that has a flood setting.

6) Dry it with soft cotton towels (old bath towels that are starting to fray are what I use).

7) Spot detail with spray detailer (see supply list) and soft towels.

8) Finish the tires

WAXING:

I use Mother's professional products. They have several great things - explained below. Once a year I do a thorough finish cleaning routine that starts with the clay bar, then the glaze, then the pure wax. Then about every 6 weeks, or whenever I feel like it, I use just the wax. Follow the instructions on all the products.

Here's my supply list:

Washing:
Wheel cleaner: Armorall wheel cleaner
Car Wash: Either Armorall car wash or Meguiar's Poly Wash

Waxing:
Pure Wax: Mother's Pure Carnuba Liquid (step 3 of their three-step product series)
For polishing glazing (step 2 of my 3 step annual regimen): Mother's Finishing Glaze and Swirl Remover
For finish cleaning: Meguiar's Clay Bar kit (bar plus spray detailer for lubricant).

Detailing supplies (other than washing and waxing):

Tire Dressing: Stoner More Shine Less Time for Tires (hands down, the best tire finish on the market)
Interior cleaning: Armorall Cleaning wipes
Glass Cleaning: Stoner Invisible Glass glass cleaner
Leather Care: Occasional: Armorall leather wipes
Deep cleaning: Lexol cleaner followed by Lexol conditioner
Quick Detail: Mequiars Quick Detailer spray
Vaccum: A good shop vac.
Carpet cleaning: Woolite Oxy Cleaner, followed by a fresh water rinse vaccumed out with the shop vac.

Now, I know you said no mail order, but I've also tried and loved Griot's Garage products. www.griotsgarage.com

That's it!

Look elsewhere in this forum: RX-8 Show and Shine

Or here: Autopia

And, in my opinion, you would be better off going with mail order products, including, but not limited to, Zaino.

Congrats on the car!

StewC625... Thanks! I printed that write up. Thanks for taking the time to do that.

There can be only one...


ZAINO

My favorite is Malms, actually.

Zaino has a following more loyal to it than their own religion.

Use it, it's worth the $80 price of admission, and that will last you 6 months even if you wax your car almost daily.

My favorite is Malms, actually.

800 ... glad I could help.

My favorite is Zaino, actually.

;)

Stew--You seem to have left off an important step: polishing (unless your glaze=polish?). I use Meguiar's NXT wax (which seems to be used by a majority of other 8 drivers on this forum who do not use Zaino), and so far so good--and it's tough to make Titanium Gray look as wet as virtually any of the other colors!

But I pre-treat it with Meguiar's Deep Crystal Polish, which GREATLY enhances the shine and depth of the paint. Having detailed the car both with and without the polish for comparison, I definitely noticed the difference. I e-mailed and called Meguiar's customer support, and both times they recommended I first polish the car and then wax it. I suppose the polish conditions and protects the clear coat/paint; the wax acts as a sealant/extra protectant. At least, that's how I think of it. Give it a shot and tell me what you think.

Obviously, both of these products are over-the-counter.

Here's a good article worth reading:
http://www.bettercarcare.com/articles.php?articleId=17

PS. I started a thread w/o any response a few days ago, but for anyone who might know, is there a curing period for polishes as there is for waxes, or is it okay to wax immediately after polishing?

Mark

No he didn't.

He said:

"For polishing glazing (step 2 of my 3 step annual regimen): Mother's Finishing Glaze and Swirl Remover".

That's polishing. And yes, that should be done prior to applying any protectant. There is no real curing needed with a polish.

Personally I have always used Zymol, but for touch ups and spot cleaning, the best product I have ever found was actually something I started using for my motorcycle. It's called Honda Spray & Polish. It can be used on virtually any surface safely. From interior vinyl, to chrome parts, to plastic, to painted surfaces (anything but glass). Cleans and waxes painted surfaces.

I usually cover my car at night to keep it clean, but before covering it, to prevent scratching, I spray the vehicle with Honda S&P, wipe it off (never scratches, like most "waterless" cleaners) and it is a clean and slick as when I last washed it. Also works great on wheels (and the waxing agent makes wiping wheels later easier).

Another great thing about this stuff is that it works amazingly well on bird droppings, even dried. Just spray it on the dropping, wait 1 minute, then wipe clean, with no risk of scratching. Really good stuff, available from any Honda motorcycle dealer...

For tires, I recommend NO TOUCH "Wet 'N Protect". Lasts longest and no foam to become airborne and spot your windows...

BTW, anyine get a Mazda car cover for the RX8? Should a cover designed for a car be that tight? My old Eclipse cover actually fits better..

Dave

Whoops. Sorry.

Baby Diapers
 

I use fabric baby diapers for drying...they work great, are super soft and are easily machine washable. They are also terrific dry for polish removal...just keeep these seperate from the wash towels. Also I use 3M glaze...available from most auto paint supply stores. Enjoy the 8!

I might suggest you get some high quality microfiber towels. They are excellent for removing polish/wax and the waffle weave type are the best for drying your car. There are many places on the Internet that sell great MF towels. Personally, nothing but microfiber touches my paint.

Congrats on the car!

You misspelled it... It's spelled


ZAINO!!



:D :D :D :D

Just to make a note here, Zaino isn't a wax, though I frequently call it one (so that everyone has an idea what I'm talking about), it's really a polymer protectant. It bonds to your car. This is why one application of Zaino can last months, though you'll likely want to do several.

True. A lot of the products discussed here and other threads are actually not waxes.

I gave up on waxes after using Zaino. I used to you Pinnacle which is an awesome wax. It would leave the car super smooth and was easy to use. However, 2 weeks later it would barely bead water. Zaino beas like mad 3 months later after a few car washes and numerous drives through major rain storms.

Ditto re the Microfiber towels.

One other thing to consider is getting a leaf blower. Something that rates 150mph or faster. It'll blow all the water off without any fuss. It will get rid of water in the cracks too.

All this, plus no rubbing on your paint.

I don't have one yet, but many people have recommended this action. I plan to get one sooner or later.

Using a hard stream of water on your car is asking for trouble. Especially at first trying to get the grime and dirt off. That hard stream of water can push the dirt across and scratch the clearcoat. You should always set it to stream then back it off till it starts to fan out. If it is really dirty, mix a spray bottle with water and a cap of car soap. Spray that on and let it soak for a few minutes then rinse.

Oh, and.... ZAINO. Read the Ultimate Zaino post that I worte up. It's a sticky at the top.

Another vote for Zaino

Products = superb
Appearance = superb
Longevity = superb
Info on website = superb
Additional tips by NavyDood = superb
My originality = not so good!

I have a gas leaf blower and I started using it on the car. The Wife thinks I'm nuts and so do my neighbors but it works AWESOME.

gas leaf blowers are typically not recommended from what i've found, because the fumes can leave a layer of oil on the car. But if it works for you :)

I've never noticed any oil but thanks for the heads up!

I USED to use a leaf blower to blow the snow and/or water off my car until one day I was using it and apparently, a rock or something that was lodged in the air intake of the blower somehow popped into the impeller and WHANG SMASH came rocketing out of the exit tube and into the windshield of my Acura TL - starring it and beginning a crack that wound up requiring windshield replacement. OUCH!

Regarding Zaino and other polymer coatings - sorry, not a fan of those at all. Those utilize polymers and silicones to coat the paint, effectively sealing it up from being able to breath and outgas (all paints continue to "dry" for the life of the car), and also keeps the paint from being able to reabsorb replenishing oils that enhance the gloss.

Silicones and polymers are incompatible with most paints and if you need to have body work done, be sure the body shop carefully and agressively removes all traces of the product using fish-eye killer. That will add to the cost of your repairs.

Pure Carnauba wax is a natural wax found in palm trees in South America. It's very hard, and is "cut" with compatible oils and petroleum distillates then blended into an emulsion of water for application on your car. A good carnauba wax job will provide protection and water beading for six months, but honestly, i LOVE to wax my car, so I usually do it every six weeks or so. And there is no shine like that freshly-waxed shine.

Well, I've heard that too and don't believe a word of it. People have been using sealants like Klasse and Zaino for years, and you don't see much, if any, complaining about their paint failing or body shops having trouble working on their cars. If the car has a factory OEM paint job and isn't a repaint, there shouldn't be any problem with using a sealant.

Check out this discussion over at Autopia that clears things up a little:
http://www.autopia.org/forums/showth...+body+shop+bad

Sorry, but so much of this is just plain wrong, especially with regard to polymers. Paint does NOT continue to "dry" or outgas for the life of the car. Simply untrue.

I have been using Zaino for more than 7 years on my 3rd gen RX-7. The paint is in incredibly good condition, and I attribute most of that to the use of Zaino.

I agree with the post above with reference to articles on Autopia.com

Oh, and I would like to see a carnauba wax that will give protection for 6 months! 6 weeks is more like it.

OUCH is right

Um, did you know that Carnauba wax itself does not give a high shine? It's the other things mixed with it that give the shine. And guess what? Silicone oil is one of the most heavily used items in a Carnauba based wax. The sun also effects Carnauba based products. The sunnier and hotter it gets, the faster it deteriorates. Remember wax melts and oils tend to migrate to the surface and evaporate... Sad but true. Might as well just use Pledge on your car.

FACT: On a sunny 80 degree day, the surface temperature of black paint will reach 149 degrees and go up to 198 degrees if the ambient temp reaches 90.

Silicones yes, polymers no. Zaino does not embed itself in the clearcoat. It layers on top of it. And it breathes. Clearcoat needs to breathe so it doesn't get brittle.

True. Including Silicone

Zaino! Zaino! Zaino!

And ArmorAll is EVIL! EVIL I TELL YOU!

Well, I did some research and have to say "sorry I was wrong" on Zaino ... didn't realize it was silicone free.

That said, I'm old school - like my carnauba wax ... but only use silicone free brands like Meguiar's, Mother's, Malm's or Griot's ...

Check out: http://www.malms.com

No doubt that Malms is great stuff. I just prefer Zaino!

:)

Liquid Glass
 

What are your thoughts on Liquid Glass... i used it on my Saab 9-5.. but the car was silver with minimal curves and 6 year old paint,.. the paint was poor shape to begin with. i will try it out tomorrow but was wondering how others have felt about it. its synthetic liike zaino, and abotu 17 bucks for the can.

It's all good.

That's cool. I try not to push Zaino on anyone. Everything I write about Zaino is what I have learned/experienced and what others have learned/experienced. I'm just here to help.

Same here. I've tried so many different producks and wasted so much money on stuff that did work. Zaino works and works AWESOME.

I tried it once, hated it and threw out the rest of the can. I have heard other say it was good but I found it impossible to work with. This was on a red Supra and I could not get the streaks out. I ended up having to re-polish the car and use something else.

I've read a number of posts from people who despise ArmorAll. What's wrong with it?? I use it on my interior (looks great to me!) and exterior trim (when I need to remove excess wax). Am I missing something, or is this just product preference?

Mark

Guys -- for those who use NXT, do you use it alone or with another product - for example, after using the clay bar?

Is there any value in using a Carnuba / NXT combination treatment and if so, in which order after the Clay?

Thanks -- Not trying to steal the thread, this seems to be close enough to the topic.

Clay bar is definitely worth doing, but it leaves some light swirl marks that you need to polish or glaze off - therefore, use a fine finish polish after the clay bar, then wax it well using a wax with no abrasive or polish and you're good to go

As far as preferences, most people think it is simply too shiny and greasy looking (I tend to agree).

But there was more to just that. I believe the old formula had chemicals in it that were actually detrimental to vinyl. From what I understand, this formula has been changed.

Some people believed that Armor All could actually cause things like their vinyl dash to crack.

Many people, including myself, have noticed that Armor All can cause tires to become Brown after repeated use. I don't know if the new formula has addressed that issue or not.

Also, people claimed that Armor All did not provide any type of UV protection like so many other products do, so it really wasn't much of a "protectant".

Bottom line is that it MAY be better now, but there are just so many other products that don't have these issues why bother with Armor All?

Here is a link on Autopia re this subject. Do a search there and you are sure to find more info on Armor All.

Autopia

Like Stew said, Clay Bar is definitely worth doing. I don't know that the clay bar actually "causes" swirl marks, but it certainly doesn't remove them, or fine scratches either.

So, you will need to remove these swirls/scratches with some type of polish. I highly recommend Poorboys products, SSR2 and SSR1 in particular. Preferably applied with a Porter Cable polisher (worth every penny)!

There is no advantage to using carnauba with NXT in terms of protection. However, some think that applying carnauba over NXT gives the paint a "Deeper" look.

I haven't tried it myself, but I know carnauba wax will attract dirt like a magnet (most of them do anyway) and can actually slightly dull the shine that you will get from using NXT by itself.

BTW, people on the detailing forums are indicating that NXT doesn't last too much longer than normal carnauba wax.

The physical make up of a Clay bar better not cause scratches or swirls. If everything is prepped properly, clay bars WILL NOT scratch or cause swirl marks. If it does, then it is either contaminated or the surface was dirty. In a worst case scenario, if you had severe rail dust on the surface, it could cause the clay to become contaminated and that would cause scratching or swirl marks. And the obvious, if you drop it on the ground. You need to use a lubricant with the water. Not plain water. A bucket of soapy car wash water works, Gloss enhancer, or a spray bottle of one cap car wash and water. I favor one cap of Z7 with water in a spray bottle. After you clay the car, you should wash it one last time before polishing or waxing.

I've never had a clay bar cause swirls. You do need to be careful, but if you follow NavyDood's advice, there's nothing to worry about. Always have an extra clay bar on hand in case the one you're using becomes too contaminated with dirt to knead into a clean surface.

^ I agree!

That is a draw back due to the amounts of oils that are used to cut it. Specifically Silicone. But not all have Silicone in it.

I do not mean it to be a matter of preference.

1. The plastic in your dash is made of short- and long-chain polymers (hydrocarbons). Short-chain polymers are volatile, which means that they can (and do) evaporate under hot and sunny conditions. Leave a piece of soft plastic out in the Florida sun and watch it dry and crack as the (mostly) short-chain polymers evaporate. ArmorAll (*yech*) “conditions” plastic with – tada – short-chain polymers, which can actually flush out some long-chain polymers, thus leaving your dash that much more susceptible to drying and cracking. ArmorAll users, ever get that film on the inside of your windshield? Volatile short-chain polymers that have evaporated out of your dash and stuck to the glass. Kinda tough to get off, right?

2. Shiny dash = glare + reflection off windshield = bad driving.

3. The volatile ethers can give migraines. (Does that count as an opinion?)

4. Eww! Shiny dash tacky! (OK, *that’s* an opinion. …But true!)

Just dust your dash with a clean, white rag (and perhaps a stream of air) or, for spots, with a slightly damp (white) paper towel followed by a clean, white rag. Eight years and 170,000 miles in Tampa, Florida with a black dash on the RX-7 and it still looked new…

For blacker tires without too much shine (what, your car is a greasy old lady?), try “Something Better” foam tire protectant. Leaves a satin finish, won’t fling off onto your fenders, and works well on textured external black trim (like around your exhaust).

Use Zaino and you won’t have “excess wax” problems. (And it really is fantastic!)

Damn, that's right, I forgot to mention that! That film on the inside of the windshield is trying to tell you something.....and it isn't good!

Wow, I had no idea ArmorAll was that bad. I've been using it for a month now on my interior and I thought it worked fine, and I live in Georgia (almost equally dismal heat as that in Florida). To me, the interior of the 8 looked really 'dry' when I first got it, so I wanted to detail it with something. So far so good, even if it does lean on the shiny side. I don't notice the fumes, though.

So if ArmorAll is out of the question, what is the best product for treating the plastic and other interior of the car?

Mark

This stuff is test best IMO. Many will agree...

http://www.spaspecialist.com/Merchan...02/303_8oz.jpg