I'll hopefully be picking up a new RX8 in the next few weeks, and I'm hoping to make efforts towards reducing what all my past cars have had - damaged paint.

What would you all recommend as the most extreme way, and then maybe a more reasonable way? I would think that getting the car polished and waxed right away would be a good start. What about some of the 3M plastic coatings to protect from rock chips in forward facing surfaces? The front of the RX8 is rather large so full coverage may look pretty bad, eh?

Just want the best for my new car

Thanks much,
Chris

 

clear bra is useful. I got it on my aftermarket front and uptil today, i had no rock chips. now i have one... but then again my front is fiberglass. the stock front should be protected good enough with a clear bra.

 

most extreme? don't drive it. keep it as a collectors item.

 

That doesn't work, I hardly drove mine for a year and unexplainable forces still attack your ride...trust me.

 

1) Keep it in a garage
2) dont drive it in the rain
3) don't drive it in the snow
4) wash it by hand only
5) keep the car covered when not in use with a loose fitting cover
6) wash it whenever it gets dusty
7) don't tailgate, stay 3-4 carlengths behind at all times, no exceptions
8) park in the farthest space in every car lot
9) wax it at least once a month
10) dawn and claybar it at least once every six months


Of course thats just the paint!

Change oil every 3K miles.
Change brake fluid every year
Change radiator fluid every year
Change MT and Diff fluids every two and a half years

I do all of these.

 

doesn't work. rock flew at me off a pickup truck (truck had its latch down and rocks falling out) and my chip is about 1/4". I was like 6 car lengths away doing 70.

there are no ways to keep the car lookin' spanking new unless you devote yourself to it and get a beater. if the car is your daily, it's guna suck.

 

Yeah, my front has its share of chips, I even have 2 in my glass from trucks. I've been filling them in gradually over the last two weeks, hopefully (weather permitting) I'm going to take some sandpaper to the marks this weekend.

 

It's just a car, why pay so much for a car to have it as a garage queen? If its a daily driver, sorry to tell you chips will happen. I stayed 15 cars length and I still get stone chips, I even get rear lights chips which I never had thought possible.

 

Use Rejex on the car and wheels then drive it. Cars are meant to be driven.

The worst case is that you keep the car 10 years and end up repainting once or twice. I plan the repaint my car in a couple of years.

 

Why does everyone think that "chips will happen" only if it's a daily driver? No matter what it is, chips will happen...

 

I got chips in my toilet...I'm still tryin to figure that one out.

 

Jalapeno chips?

 

I know the best way to take out chips, just use a touch up paint and get a drop on the chiped area, after it dry, use a 2k sand paper to sand it smooth. use a puffer to puff it to factory shine. warning: don't do it every week, and use force while sanding or it will take out your clear coat.

 

So that means we have to borrow the big bad wolf from red riding hood to huff and puff it to factory shine. A bit difficult ...

 

watch out for deer,cat and bird ****
damn those animals.!!!!