Sapporo

Hi

Ordering my Rx-8. Have a few q's!

- is titanium easy to keep clean. Thinking either silver or titanium with the mazdaspeed body kit.

- is the dealer paint protection any good. This is not a $ issue, I want to know if it is worth getting, how long the protection lasts and if there are any issues waxing if I get it.

Had a friend test the RX-8 - he couldn't believe the handling and levels of grip. Compared it to his mitsu evo except that this is a car you can live with everyday.


Many thanks!

moto_monkey

I have a Titanium and one thing that I noticed is that it hides dirt pretty well.

I was offered the paint protection clear coat deal also and declined. I did an internet search on the product (Autoarmor, not the clear bra autoarmor). Couldn't find any real information on how the product worked, what was in it, etc (no website for the product). I checked the Dupont website to see if there was a teflon clear coat product and there is no such thing for post production. They have stuff that manufacturers use, but those products are used when the car is being built. Carbuyingtips.com talks a little bit about the product, and they don't have anything good to say.

A good cleansing, followed by two coats of good wax is a good start to protecting your paint. After that, just maintain the wax coat protection.

If something like that was available after production, I would think the heavy hitters like Mother's, Meguires, TurtleWax, etc would have it.

Bruce

mikeb

congrats
I also declined paint protection

Genom

Dealer paint protectant as far as I know tends to be either a regular wax or polymer protector. Nothing all that good though. I think it's a better experience to suffer through a good Zaino aplication to get you to know your car very well :D

savedsol

NO to paint protection. As someone mentioned, it's just a wax job. Don't believe me? It's in here...
Edmunds

MazdaSalesMario

I work at a dealer and here is th deal on paint protection.....
it is a paint seal, not a wax... it is a wax based product. With paint protection it fills the pores of your paint. paint is very grainy, take a celephane from a cig. pack and put you finger in it, then feel the paint on your car.... do you feel that? with a paint seal you can feel the difference( it's smoother)
plus you get a warranty guaranteeing the product!
I paint seal all my cars! It will stop from outside elements from seeping into your paints pores!

DAC17

Since you work at a dealer, I hope you get the "paint protection" for free. Essentially, it's a WAY overpriced wax job. Save your money and buy some good quality wax for a once every two month or so job. Those "packs" in the sale are nothing but pure profit for the dealer.

No one will ever convince me otherwise.

MazdaSalesMario

the price is worth the warranty-----
talk those salesman down on price!
going rate at a discount around 200.00
also try the interior protection.....this is well worth it on leather!

DAC17

And the warranty is??? That your paint won't rust for four years?

mikeb

I wouldnt buy it
someone that worked at a acura dealer said its BS and all profit for dealer

o_town_racer

Mario works for a dealer....guess why he's trying to push the paint and interior protection plans!

They are a joke. Wax the car yourself every few months and use Armor All (diluted 50% w/water) and 3M ScotchGuard. It's soooo not worth it from the dealer!!!!! Or heck....if you don't want to do it yourself, go to a good detailing shop. The same service will cost around $100.

graphicguy

In answer to your 2 questions....

1. wash your car at least every 2 weeks (by hand with microfiber towels or 100% cotton bath towels). DO NOT take it to an automatic car wash.

2. Dealer paint protection is garbage....period....no matter what anyone else says (this coming from a person who had a job as a new car dealer's lot boy and new car prep). I wouldn't even want any of the dealership's people touch my car to wax it. Buy some Zaino. If you really want your car to look good all the time, follow the procedure...

--Wash your car with regular Dawn blue dishwashing liquid. That'll remove all the factory and dealer applied "stuff".
--Dry with 100% cotton towels or high quality microfiber towels
--Use Zaino clay on your car per the instructions
--re-wash your car with Zaino Z7 car wash
--Dry
--Apply a coat of Zaino Z2/ZFX per instructions.
--wipe on/wipe off Zaino Z6 shine enhancer
--apply additional Z2 and/or Z6 as the mood strikes (will take about 20-30 minutes additional every time you wash....real easy)

Your car will be protected as well as any car on the planet and will always look good.

Stand back and enjoy the shine and protection.

Racer X-8

Thanks graphicguy. I just printed-out your post.

Will the dawn remove the protectant film? Yeah, I got it on mine.
www.Firstplacefinish.com

Where do you buy Zaino? Online, they have a kit for $84 & change. Buy the kit for starters, right?

Is that where to buy, or is it at like Walmart for less?

mikeb

I know pepboys and autozone dont carry zaino

Glen220

I have to agree that the dealer applied "paint sealant" is a huge rip off. Very high profit margin and the "warranty" is covered by the maker of the paint sealant, not the dealer.

You will be fine without it. As I say to the dealers who try and sell me paint sealant and undercoating......"Are you telling me your vehicle is deficient? That if I don't buy something extra to protect it it will fail? You just talked me out of buying your car, it is inferior!"

If you want to put a very good paint sealant/protectant on your car take a look at R 2000 protectant (do a google search and it will come up to a place called "Sparkle" automotive products or something like that.) It costs about $35. a (small) bottle.

The main ingredient in R 2000 is Du Pon Zonyl which is applied to everything to protect it(they even apply it to buildings to keep bird crap from sticking to it and a million other applications.) It reduces UV fading as well as protects. And if you are a "dealer" you get the 5 year warranty for about $20.

Gee, doing the math it appears your dealer gets this same product and it cost about $55 to you and I'll be he gets it even cheaper due to a quantity discount and he pays some minimum wage kid $10 to apply it. And you are charged HUNDREDS of dollars for it.

Again, dealer paint protectants are a rip off!!!

Buy it direct from "Sparkle" and save the money for gas.

graphicguy

racerx...sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Dawn will remove most of the stuff the dealer put on. If you "clay" your car, that will remove the rest.

Zaino is only available through mail order. Go to www.zainobros.com

Let me know if you have any further questions.

madsenj37

I do dealer trades so I got the paint protection at cost ... to me it has been worth it.

As for paint protection type, it depends on who the dealer has contracts with. Doing dealer trades, Ive seen some dealers use 3m, some use the company I have (cant think of name). 3m is a plastic type wrap while what I have seals the pores of paint.

Either way you can tell when a car has the sealant, like when when it rains. Water beads up and doesnt get into the paint. I have a 5 year warranty against fading on both my paint and the leather. I consider it a small investment.

MazdaSalesMario

dawn is the worst possible thing to put on a car (im sorry I cant resist) dummy

Nubo

Please explain

graphicguy

Mario....you don't use Dawn to wash your car regularly. You use it to strip off all the "junk" the factory and/or dealer may have applied. Due to its high alkaline content, you can also use it to strip off any previously applied wax.

Purpose being....to have as pristine a finish as possible to apply Zaino or other high quality wax.

This coming from a former detailer.

procomp34

The dealer paint protection at my dealership is applied to all cars on the lot, so you don't have a choice but to pay their ridiculous price ($550!!!!)

I told them where to stuff their fee, no matter the cost - so I got the first car off the truck the next business day.

Maximus

could you shed some light on this? what size pores are they in diameter? what type of contaminents can can seep into these pores?

go check any properly zaino'ed car and compare the smoothness.

huh?

MissTwisties

Hello all....I don't own a Mazda, but I was doing a google search for the R-2000 paint sealant with Dupont Teflon that the dealership offered me today, and this thread came up. I just bought a new 2006 BLACK Hyundai Sonata V6, I want to keep it exactly the way it is now, or better. I've already spotted some scratches, and it drives me nuts. :D

They are doing a "winter deal" to treat both the exterior and the interior upholstery for $299.00. Their regular price is $620.00 ($375 for outside, $245 for inside) They say it's 5 years garanteed. The thing is, I live in New England (Massachusetts), it's getting cold here, and I don't think I could do a good job at protecting my new car before winter, I'd freeze my hands doing it. Plus, I was in a bad car crash after a woman hit me full front after doing wreckless driving and completly destroying my other car (speeding 80+ in a 30mph zone and running a red light), so I am not up for the task with my injuries.

I read mostly, if not all, negative comments about this....so now you got me wonder...but what other choice would I have to make sure my car doesn't get messed up during the winter with all the ice, snow, salt, mud and sand, etc. that will get on it??

Thanks in advance...

Oh and by the way, this is my first post in here. I'm usually on sportbikes websites, not cars....(yes, I do ride my own bike. )

Racer X-8

I'll probably get flamed for this, but, my car got First Place Finish done to it when I bought it new in August 2003. All cars got it at that dealership.
http://www.firstplacefinish.com/firs...ish/index.html
Now, I've been told plenty of times how I got a standard rip-off deal done to me. My car is well over 3 years old now, grant it that it's garage-kept, has only 13,600 miles on it and I don't like to take it out on a bad-weather day. I've also never had to wax it either, and it looks like a new car still. The velocity red paint looks like a candy apple. I couldn't be happier with it's looks. Perhaps Zaino is even better, i dunno. I do know that I haven't had to do anything with it but wash it though, couldn't be happier.

Now, your Dupont Teflon paint sealant deal, I dunno if it's the same as my protectant...

BoosTED

iTrader: (2)

I have also been told numereous times not to get the dealer protection.

The first car I had I was pushed into it and found it to be a waste.

Mazdas come with a 7 year Warranty on corrosion, doesn't that include paint?