rx8wannahave

:D Hello RX8ers,

I just got my black 8 a week ago and I had some questions:

The car is new and I heard you should not wash a new car until X amount of time has passed, is this true? If so...how long should I wait?

I love my 8 and it's my first new car so I want to take care of it as much as I can. I plan to live with her for 7+++ years (over 10 most likely and 15-20-forever might happen) but I need your help.

This is my plan of attack regarding washing my car:

Wash it every two weeks (which includes interior & exterior cleaning)
Wax it every 2-3 months

I have a life to live and a relationship to build and work on with GOD, WIFE, & FAMILY so I'm not into spending 3+ hours washing/waxing/etc a car.

SO...what products should I use? I want them to be good performing, good value $$$, and not to much time consuming.

I plan on using (based on experiance it works great) Mr. Clean car wash, Zaino wax (or something similar and found at a local store), and Armor All for the inside.

Mr. Clean is pretty much a lock, since again I have seen it work magic but everything else is open to suggestions. I need a "safe & non-scratching" wash mit, but wich one to use?

Is Armor-All the best interior protectant (I use to use another brand that was anti-static but it seems to have disapeared from the stores)

I wont need a something to dry the car because Mr. Clean sheets off pretty well and anything left will be blown off by my blower or driving it around.

I heard I can wax the rims, to keep them protected also, so have any of you done this and is that true? Do you use the same wax as you would on your car? Furthermore, what else can I do to minimize and keep my rims clean.

I know I should wash from the top down and not to use a sponge "anymore". I don't have any experiance waxing so I need your help. I'll go do some research online also but I was wondering what you guys/gals thought?

Again, I love my 8 and I will do my best to take care of it...WITHIN REASON, it's my toy...and not the other way around so I don't want high maintence TIME consuming products.

Please help and THANKS in advance!

willhave8

Search this forum for CLAY BAR, trust the instructions. Buy a Clay Bar kit and your favorite WAX/Polish etc. (I like NXT never tried Zaino) Every 3 months of NXT would be okay, with some touch ups with something like te 3M polishing spray. (sorry I don't remember exactly what it is called) No need to wait to do this. In fact, do it now. You will be very happy with the results.

IMHO - Ditch the Armor All for the interior. I use the 3M Leather/Vinyl treatment/Cleaner. Smells better and doesn't leave the slippery shiny oily residue of Armor All. It also doesn't end up on the inside of my windows after sitting. (I think Armour All has more volatiles in it)

8is>enuff

Here's a couple of quick pointers. First of all, there's a difference between waxes and polishes. Polishes such as Zaino and NXT chemically bond with your vehicle's paint, and last much longer than traditional waxes like carnuba. However, some people claim you get a better shine with carnuba. I don't know b/c I've never used them. The results I get from Zaino (after 8 THIN coats so far) are spectacular, and they last 2-3 times as long as a carnuba wax. Keep in mind that waxes will have to be reapplied every 6 weeks or so, and then there's always the build-up on the plastic parts to deal with.

Also, think about getting the California Car Duster for the interior. Use it whenever you start to see dust on the dash and you can go a long time between interior cleanings. Also pick up a leather or cloth cleaner for your seats.

Finally, every time you think about taking you car through a car wash, even(especially) if it's touchless, punch yourself in the face. Hard. Then go home and wash/polish you car.

8is>enuff

Oh yeah, and a vacuum, microfiber towels, metal polish, and a quick detailer. And using a leaf blower to blow off most of the water is a good thing, especially for the crevices.

And the rims are clear coated, so anything you do to protect your paint can be applied to them.

And don't drive in the rain, don't let small children near your car, don't park under trees, don't drive reeeeaaallly drunk people home, and if you have to, build a garage.

That should do it.

bowman

I've been told not to wash a freshly painted car for 60 days. Your car is probably older than that, so go for it.

RotaryNoob

Since you don't want to spend hours and you want it to look good, I suggest heading out to walmart and picking up Meguiars NXT wash, NXT Tech wax, some microfiber towels, a chamois, and a sheepskin mit.

That should be all you need to keep it looking good without spending $$$ on zaino plus the hours it takes to apply. Of course you would get a better finish if you used a Porter Cable Random Orbit Polisher along with a light polish prior to applying the NXT but NXT looks good by itself.

Oh yeah, I am a fellow black 8 owner and NXT looks great on black.

rx8wannahave

Willhave8,

Clay bar (how long do they last? Is it like one use type of thing?)
Armor All ditched (Done, I never really liked them anyway) 3M…I’ll have to check it out

Thanks for the advice!

8is>enuff,

Waxes and polishes are different but the polishes sound better since they bond to the paint. I guess they are synthetic while waxes are made from nature. Since polishes last longer I think I would go that route. I’ll have to go read up on polishes, waxes, etc.

California car duster, CHECK, now how about the outside? What if I wanted to dust the outside…I’ve seen people use this long soft brush to dust cars, is that the “California car duster”? If not…what should I use?

“every time you think about taking….punch yourself” well, I don’t like punching my face so I’ll just listen to you if it’s OK, LOL. I would not take my RX8 to a car wash…NO WAY, so don’t worry about that.

I won’t be drying it with anything but wind…it’s most effective, thanks! Metal polish…trying to think where on my 8 is there shiny metal? Inside door handles…Mazda logo, RX8 logo….hummm…

Rims are to be treated like regular paint, CHECK, thanks! I just wanted to confirm that, that’s what I thought. Anymore tips keeping them clean? Or best products to use on it?

OK, and put my 8 in a bubble so nothing can hurt it…that will be much harder…where do I find so much plastic? LOL LOL

Bowman,

My car was built in Japan on October 2004 so the paint is just about over 60 days…Thanks! I’ll wash her today…

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP!

foxman

You can't go wrong with Zaino. Besides the fact that it produces superior results that build over time as you put on more coats, you can put it on plastic. How many times have you seen, "I waxed my car and got wax on some plastic part and now it looks bad, how can I get it off?" You will never have this problem with Zaino, put it on the metal, put it on the plastic, put it on the wheels.

rx8wannahave

Dont' get me wrong, I don't mind spending some time with her (LOL, not at all) but I wont be spending half a day washing/waxing/etc my car...that's just too much for me. It should take me no more than 2 hours MAX to do all the work.

microfiber towels (I thought I would air dry, do I still need the towels?)
A chamois (What exactly is that and what is it used for?)
Sheepskin mit (A-Ha, that's what I was trying to verify...I'll be getting one ASAP)

THANKS!

rx8wannahave

I hear people love the stuff and I thought in investing in it, but does it take too long to apply? Not to be lazy, but again I don't want to spend a day doing it.

You know...then again, it's not like I would polish it every car wash n stuff...but every 2-3 months, so maybe I should stop crying about the time...LOL

Note: But then AGAIN, if my wife saw me doing it and I know she would like it...she would want me to do it for her 6...LOL...OK OK...I wont complain about the time in regards to polishing my 8.

GETZ

I too just got my black RX-8 and live in Florida which can be a nightmare in the summer. I move over from an MX-6 and a Millenia S. With those I became pretty addicted to the Meguiars line, including their polisher. I've had pretty good success with all of their products.
The MX-6 did great with the clay the first time around but not the second. I'd be wary of using clay on my RX-8 until I got a better handle on using it.

8is>enuff

I don't reccomend the California duster for the outside, as I've heard it can put small scratches in the clear coat if there's any dirt on the duster. Use a quick detail spray. Both Zaino and Meguire's have them, as do others. If you do this on a fairly regular basis, you can go longer between washes. I wouldn't recommend using it on actual dirt or dirty water spots from driving in the rain (what did I tell you about that?), but for dust you should be fine.

And you can polish your exhaust, but regular cleaners work pretty well.

Claybarring (?) your car is time consuming, though not that hard. Just be sure to always use a lubricant, such as the quick detailer listed above or some car wash and water.

foxman

It is not going to take you any less or more time to put on or take of Zaino than a regular wax.

spork

A lot of Zaino people take 6-8 hours the first time they give their car the complete treatment. But they usually don't need to do anything for a long time afterwards. If you ask me, the most popular things here are:
#1) Zaino. Most people here are Zaino fanatics. Pluses: Lasts a long time, looks great. Minuses: First complete application takes a long time. You have to buy an expensive set online (though it supposedly lasts you quite sometime).
#2) NXT.
#3) Liquid Glass.

I went the Liquid Glass route. And it took me about 2 hours to wash, clay, wash, liquid glass my car. The clay didn't do too much tho since the car is really new. I'd still do it but if you really want to see how good clay is, clay an old car. It's incredible. The problem I have with my 8 is the very back of the car (where the Mazda logo and the RX-8 logo are) gets water spots like crazy whenever it rains. The rest of the car looks great, no spots. Just that area gets it bad. Anyone knows what's up with that?

quack_p

As I recall, the owner's manual says not to apply glazing agents to the dashboard -- so that rules out Armor All. Try 303 Protectant.

markd

First big recommendation: Read the informative articles at bettercarcare.com, and then read product reviews and follow-up threads on autopia.org.

Polish vs. wax: Actually, technically the differentiation that's been made here between waxes and polishes is incorrect. NXT and carnaubas, for instances, are all waxes: NXT is a synthetic wax/sealant; carnaubas are natural waxes. The difference between a polish and a wax is that a polish precedes a wax in most 3- or 5-step processes and preps the paint before the wax is applied. Zaino, as I understand it, is a polish (but acts more as a sealant).

Argument on semantics aside, if you decide not to opt for Zaino, a few in-store options that you might consider which have somewhat comparable durability are Collinite and Meguiar's #16. I'm not sure where you get Collinite; Meg's #16 you can get at Pep Boys and other auto shops. Many on Autopia have suggested using these during the winter months since detailing is at a premium during this season.

If you decide not to go with Zaino and opt for something like #16, I recommend purchasing the NXT wax, applying 2 thin layers of it, and then topping it with #16. During the spring, you may consider topping instead with s100 (check your local Harley-Davidson store)--probably not as durable as #16 but produces a slightly better shine.

Also, in regard to clay barring, check your paint for smoothness b/c you might not need it this soon. Eventually, though, it will be a blessing for you and help prevent the inevitable scratches and swirl marks.

On your question about metal polish--don't overlook the minute details. Keep your tailpipes clean, son!

markd

Someone else started a thread about Liquid Glass before--how is it on durability? Is it layerable? I'm almost out of NXT and considering experimenting with another brand.

As far as your water spots, that probably occurs more frequently in the rear b/c dirt and road debris kick up more there, and they stick more to the paint as a result of the rainwater.

czr

iTrader: (3)

I have that same problem too. I think that area just accumulates water and has no where to run causing the spots. There's no drainage for the rear window. I find this out whenever I wash the car. A better example was when my car was really dirty and I squeegied the rear window at the gas station when it was really dirty. Big mistake. The filfthy water just ran to the trunk lid and sat there.

On topic, I used to use Meguairs until I tried Zaino. I wish I hadn't because it's addicting. I think it has more shine and protects the car better against bugs and road debris. Things that looked caked on there just wipe right off. And I just have the essentials. It's worth the extra dough.

rx8wannahave

Oh I know, I aint touching the car until I know exactly what I’m doing. I have never polished/waxed/or used clay so I would have to research (what me research something…naaa…LOL) before I used it. Thanks!

8is>enuff,

O-TA, California duster only in the inside, check! Oh yeah, the exhaust…I would polish it, makes sense.

OK, regarding the clay…I thought that was more for a car with some miles and light damage to the paint. Clay should not be used that much during the lifetime of the car…I’m I right about that? I just thought it was more for removing stuff that has stuck to the paint over time and not so much for every time you polish/wax your car.

Oh, OK…good…

Quack p,

I did not see that while reading, but I’ll go read again. Either way, I never really liked Armor all and so far I’ve been told 3M & 303 Protectant…thanks!

willhave8

Clay Bar is a once a few years type of thing if you keep the car clean and polished / waxed

As for how much time it takes, the most time consuming part of it is insuring your car is clean, clean clean. It only took me about 30 minutes to Clay Bar my 8. The washing and waxing were things I would do anyway.

Do a test. Clean your car and rub your hand over it. Even though it is brand new you will feel some "fleks" or "zits" on the surface. The Clay bar will remove those such that after waxing or polishing your car will feel as smooth as a baby's butt.

Follow the application guidelines. Use the supplied lubricant spray (or soapy water if you are frugal) and rub the bar across the lubricant. Wipe dry and wax / polish.

If you drop the bar on the ground or garage floor, throw it away...

Go for it!

spork

It's layerable but you're supposed to wait 4 hours per layer (ie, you put on a layer each time you wash). You're supposed to reapply every 6-12 months in extreme weather conditions. I don't know if I believe that though. It's about 18 dollars for a relatively large tin bottle.

I think most people say the shine isn't quite as good as NXT and Zaino, but IMO there's not that much difference that I can tell from pictures. And I used it because it seemed faster to put on than NXT and Zaino (and was available at the local auto store).

And I'm glad the phenomena of the dirty area above the rear bumper isn't just me. I was wondering if I was doing something wrong when I washed and polished my car.

quack_p

It's on page 8-47 in the 2004 Owner's Manual, in the section called "Appearance Care." There's a subsection on the dashboard.

I use Zaino. It's a big time commitment initially -- probably about 6 hours if you want to do it by the book (claybar, etc.). So if that's more time than you want to spend washing your car, you should probably consider other products.

Another member in Oklahoma found a detailer that will claybar your car and apply 2 coats of Zaino for around $100 as I recall. Maybe you do that every 6 months and then add additional coats if you feel like it in between (the additional coats are easier and faster).

spaldo

Zaino is quite an initial cost, and time commitment for the first coats, but it seems to make washing easier as the dirt doesn't seem to stick as much to it. The Zaino site tells you how to use it and it's not too difficult and looks great.

rx8wannahave

Thanks everyone for your help!

A new question...humm, if I can remember it now...hummm

What's good for cleaning windows? RainX comes to mind on the outside, but what for the inside...I know RainX makes one for there too. Let me know...

Ohhhh yeah, here it is:

Has anyone scotch guarded their interior, what is the best product for that, is it OK for you to do it yourself or is it best left for a pro?

Finally, any car seats out there that don't cover the "Cool" rotary headrest?

rx8wannahave

Read above...can someone help with the above?