What are these stickers?
 

I just bought an '04 RX8 MT GT.

It has these body color stickers on both sides just in front of the rear tires. Is this just a cheap body repair (done on both sides to give the appearance that it was supposed to be there)? Or what is it? :confused:

TIA,

Ken

https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...id=64857&stc=1
https://www.rx8club.com/attachment.p...id=64858&stc=1

its a material similar to the clear bra that is available. it helps protect against stone chips on the rear flare

^ and it comes that way from the factory

Still, the question remains, why did mazda put them in front of the wheels?

To help prevent dings from debris picked up by the front tires.

Anybody removed them yet? You have to keep the edges clean of wax BTW :)

that is why I grow my fingernails out like Louis Cyphere in Angel Heart ;)

http://i.imdb.com/Icons/poster_under_licence.gifhttp://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0...1.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

just kidding :lol:

just peel it off you don;t need them..haha j/k

^ a few people have done that only to realize that it should be left alone. haha...

yeah...and their a pain in the ass to keep free of wax

^ agreed especially on a black 8.

looks like the pics he posted above have a little wax residue on them as well.

use a q tip or just get your finger nail between the line with a micro fiber towel..

The answer at last! I've been meaning to ask about this since I bought my brand new (Winning Blue) 2004 MT back on 9/30/2005. I figured it had to be a factory thing, but couldn't think of a reason for it.

Hey, do the 2005s have these too? Anyone have a car without them?

kneele00 - did you find one brand new or used?

I once read to cut paint brush bristles very short and us that to detail all those little cracks/steps after waxing. I haven't done it yet which is why I still have the "clear bra" patches standing proudly with their pinstripe of wax.

Rather smart I think of Mazda to have done that. I think the bottom side sills also has a layer of that stuff on it too...if you look on the area of the side sill that's near the fender vents, you'll see the edge of what looks like a clear sticker.

they kinda blend in
I forget they are on the car sometimes

Mine have a number of marks on them, where it is obvious that something has hit them pretty solid. Better this thick piece of plastic than the paint. Valpac has the clear bra on the whole front of the car, the hood, and the rear view mirrors. The front of his car looks a hell of a lot better than mine.

I use a toothbrush to get the wax out.

the wax helps keep my teeth clean too!

Wiiiiiise from the gwaave.

Ok, I'm resurrecting this old thread instead of starting a new one. One of my clear stickers valiantly did it's job and has a huge gash on it. So I want to peel it off and replace it with a fresh one.

Where do I buy replacements and how do I safely pull these suckers off? My dealership wasn't helpful at all when I asked them.

I am pissed off. Mine are peeling off and I think the dealership stuck the MS side skirts right over them. I DEMAND SERVICE !!!!!

:lol:

Im sure they will be nice to me as they always have and replace them or something.

thats sucks ro hear..have them slap on some new ones for you.

i always wondered what these stickers were, finally found out through this thread, sucks for me tho, that i got t-boned last year, and i noticed just last week that they never replaced a new sticker for me so my driver side has the sticker but passenger side doesn't..... looks so much cleaner without the sticker tho

I just got body work done and noticed that they didn't replace the sticker on one side. Is it as easy as getting new one from dealer and applying or do they have to color match like painting?

they are clear, so no special type or color to buy.

they are a clear film so you wouldn't have to color match. not sure if this is an item a dealer would stock, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. if not you can always buy some clear protection film and "try" to cut it to this desired shape (which would be hard).

I believe it's clear like the 3M ClearBra material. I'd contact the local Mazda dealer and see if they can order one for you. I can't imagine they'll be that expensive.





*note to self: Must type faster :banghead:

woot :)

Clear? .... never thought of that! good news though ...

Come closer........closer.........closer........... :slap:








https://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/...tongue0013.gif

I just peeled mine off today, right before I saw this thread.
They're definitely there for protection, which I found out when someone scratched the driver's side of my 8 from tire to tire and then drove off without a note or anything. I managed to get the scratch (mostly) out with Turtle Wax Premium Scratch Remover and an applicator pad, but couldn't get the scratch off the pad. I realized I could pull it off like a sticker, and voila, no scratch on the back tire area.

I'm going to the dealership today to order another pair. When I find out the dealer cost I'll post later.

you both need to type faster...:rolleyes:

i typed a lot more though. haha :(

at least i beat tigger...

more is not always better...and you beat tigger, that has to count for something.

:spank: come on you guys they were put on every 8 so when you take your car in a wind tunnel and sneeze it won't take your paint off!!rocks have a way of finding that sweet spot your car can't hide!:banghead:

Youngins. Guess you've never seen them on older Porches? Though they were black back then.

also on the 95 erra 911s. my dad's has color matched red ones on his guards red 911 cabrio.

possibly so when suicide doors open to prevent a nic?

Protects that section from rock chips. Has nothing to do with the rear doors.

I peeled mine off because they looked yellow next to my white 8 no matter how clean they were. I've been driving a year without them and have yet to get any damage in that area.

no..

read the thread.

beers :beer:

I wondered why those were there too, just never though to ask. I looked at some 8's at the dearlership, and did not see these. I looked at a velocity red one. Maybe they are only on older models. I was in fear this was a cheap cover up of a nick, and that during the 80 miles my car was test driven, it had an accident.

all rx-8s should have them.. they're put in from factory by design.

They don't *look* like stickers. They look like some sort of miniature panel or grooving on the car. You basically have to damage them to realize they're not part of the car if you have no prior experience with them.

The guy at my body shop said that it cost him $70 for a set, includes the large one pictured in the first post, and the little one that wraps around the bottom of the door sill.