blue beach

Hi everyone,

Have a new RX8 and figure it's time to graduate from NuFinish (which i used on my old Sunfire) to something better. Thinking about Maguire's NXT because you all seem to like it and it seems like less work than Zaino.

Here's my question. Portions of the bottom of the RX8 are covered with a clear plastic film. Should these also be waxed/polished? If so, any tips on keeping the wax from collecting in the groove where the plastic and paint meet?

Lastly, what's "claying" ... I keep seeing the term, but don't know what it means.

Thanks in advance.

Labop

See this post: https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...light=clay+bar

or this site: http://www.web-cars.com/detail/clay.php

That site also has lots of good tips on everything detailing/waxing/polishing...

Welcome to the club. EDIT: Forgot your other question...

I use an orbital buffer, it seems to do a good job of collecting everything out of there. Plus they're not that expensive (20-30 bucks at walmart), and they save time too.

Carolina8

You can use whatever wax you like on the painted plastic, and you're right, it is extra work to keep the joints and crevices clear.

As to claying, it's a fairly simple procedure where you use a specially designed clay bar and a lubricating agent. You slide the clay over the car and it removes contaminants from the paint. Takes a bit of time when you're new at it, but WELL worth the effort.

For a first timer, I would (in this order):

1. Wash with Dawn Dish Detergent to remove most of any existing wax.
2. Clay the car (I like ClayMagic)
3. With a random orbit polisher (I like the Porter Cable), use 3M Swirl Mark Remover. Buff by hand.
4. Polish or one-step wax of your choice (I like Blackfire polish).
5. Wax/Sealant, if you didn't use the one-step stuff (I like Blackfire Paint Protectant).
6. If you're using a good polymer sealant (like Blackfire or Zaino ), you can layer the protectant for a longer lasting, deeper shine.

Sounds like a lot of work, but if you do this the first time, you only have to repeat the whole thing once a year, assuming you keep it waxed.

Best info ANYWHERE is at: www.autopia.org

And yeah... I'm obsessed.