crossev

I know this has probably been stated somewhere but search is not my friend today.

I brought a black RX-8 back in December (this is my first car ever only took me 25 years to get one) and I am still unsure on how to wash her.

The first time I hand washed her I somehow put a scratch on the hood. Since then I have been going to get it hand washed. But that is getting expensive. The one time I washed the 8 it took me about 2 hours just to wash and dry her (after hand drying I still had streaks). So I can't be doing something right.

So can someone walk me through on what products to get to wash my 8 and how to do it. and also how to wax I keep reading about people washing than waxing 3+ times than washing again. I was told that I would not need to wax for 6 months is this true

Also how do I clean my interior i.e doors, dashboard, cloth seats and floors. A friend told my she use ammonia water in her Mazda 6

2 more questions. I have bug guts plastered to the front of my car and they do not seem to want to come off what is the best way to remove these bugs.

Finally (last question) how do I get the scratch I put in my 8 out. I have a black 8 and the scratch is not to noticeable to others but to me it sticks out like chrome rims. Mazda sent me some touch up paint but I am scared to use it.

I appologize for the long thread but before I put another cloth to my 8 I want to get some expert advice

flatso

Black is the devils color when it comes to detailing. It is evil. Do a search though there is plenty on this subject.

Love,
Satan

mysql101

Go to walmart. They sell big fuzzy sponge type things that come in a mesh bag for $3 each. Use that with car wash soap to wash the car. Don't push down hard as you wash.

Rinse the car off with the hose, then use microfiber towels to wipe the car down. Walmart sells several types of microfiber towels - I use the $6-7 towel that comes in blue (pretty large size). It takes two of them to dry the car completely.

Remember cheap microfiber towels don't absorbe the water very well, so don't skimp to the lowest cost... also, because the good microfiber towel picks up the water so easily, you usually only have to go over a given area once with it. Because you do it in one pass, there is less chance of scratching.

Some members here also use the california T squeegie, but if you have dirt left on your car, you'll drag it across the paint... so I stay away from that.

Atacdad

In another post someplace (about lovebugs) it is recommended that you put wet paper towels over the bug guts and let them soak 15 minutes or so. I tried it last night. It works "ok", still had some tough ones left. I used plain water, might help if they were wetted with car wash soap. I used the papertowels on the tough guts after soaking them (the guts, with the wet paper towels).

downshift

If you are serious about cleaning and making the car look good, consider spending some time and go over to www.autopia.org. It's a site about car detailing and there is a large forum frequented by many detailing enthusiasts and professional detailers themselves.

A good place to start is in www.bettercarcare.com. This site is linked to from Autopia. Check out the how-to guides on the left hand side of the page. It should cover the interior, exterior, and the wheels/tires. There are also product recommendations peppered throughtout the guide.

Have fun and becareful - once you get sucked in, you will spend a lot of money on car care products!

crossev

The bettercarcare website is exactly what I needed. I wish I had seen this before I washed my car the first time. I probably would not have that ugly scratch on her right now. Thanks a lot for the link. I am looking forward to washing my 8 tomorrow