Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

[jonnyboy]

My buddy just bought this RX-8 as an extra, for fun, car. He wanted the paint corrected and protected. He also wanted the interior cleaned and detailed. This won't be a daily driver and will always be garaged. He just wanted to make it look sweet and get it ready for summer.


Here is what I used:

Wheels & Wheel Wells

Amazing Roll Off -- tires, and wheel wells
Meguiar's Wheel Brightner -- rims

Wash

Dawn Dishwashing Soap.....

Engine

Amazing Roll Off
Dressed with 303 Aerospace Protectant

Carpets

Folex -- spot treatment
Pro-Form (Sams Club) Carpet Cleaner -- Cleaning
Bissell

Leather

Clean -- Woolite 10:1
Condition -- Meguiar's Leather Cleaner & Conditioner (just got it!)

Interior and Door Jams

Meguiars APC+ 4:1
Plastic & Dash treated with 303
Alcohol & Water 50/50 for windows
Also treated all of the rubber seals with 303 Protectant

Paint

Klasse AIO w/ white CCS pad
Collinite 845 w/ Grey CCS pad


Some Before Shots:













Here are some before and after pics:


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After



Before (door pillars)



After (door pillars)



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After



Before (water spots)



After (water spots)



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Some More After Shots

[mako20C]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

You obviously know a few things about detailing, why would you use Dawn dish soap? I dont feel it buys you anything more than gold class soap, and it will cause more harm than good.
I have to say it did turn out good.

[jonnyboy]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

You obviously know a few things about detailing, why would you use Dawn dish soap? I dont feel it buys you anything more than gold class soap, and it will cause more harm than good.
I have to say it did turn out good.

I use it because it works great to get rid of all the old wax that was on the car. It is pretty amazing to see all of the beading disappear after you wash it. It gives you a clean surface to start your claying if needed or your polish.....

I love it as a first step product.....

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

Great work. The Mazda looks great. Bet your friend is very happy.

[ClearlyCoated]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

I owned an 1988 RX-7 GTU (Tomato red!) for 5 years, and I still have a lot of fond memories of that car. The thing cornered like it was on rails and had the tightest turning circle of any vehicle I have ever owned. I almost never had to execute a Y turn!

Great job on the RX-8. Your friend probably felt like he got a really great deal after you "newed" it up for him!

BTW, love the suicide doors on the RX-8. I could have used them on my 7.

[Ryan_Bihun89]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

Dont blame you man, i used dawn dishwash soap lonnnnnnnnnnngggg time ago when a was a kid in love with detailing ( wich i still am in love ) because it took off all the dirt in my moms car, and guys dont laugh i even used laundry powder detergent to wash cars before i knew anything about detailing plz dont kill me :P

But nice job, it came out great!

Keep it up!

[LelandGray]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

A lot of detailers use Dawn, it gets rid of the current wax coating.

I haven't tried it though, I'm still a little hesitant.

Great job on the RX-8!

[rosario02]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

So Dawn works better than any high quality soap at removing wax? Without damaging paint?

[Michael Stoops]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

So Dawn works better than any high quality soap at removing wax? Without damaging paint?

A quality car wash soap won't remove your wax at all, but Dawn (or any other grease cutting detergent) sure will. But with regular use it will also start to degrade vinyl, rubber and plastic trim and even start to dry out the paint. For a once a year routine it's probably OK, but even then it isn't necessary.

[To be named later]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

As a fellow RX8 owner:

What color was the primer?
My RX8 is black, and it frustrates the hell out of me that the primer is white, so any rock that chips the paint, it exposes white. Very frustrating.

Does your friend know RX8's are designed to inject oil in the engine, and oil needs to be "topped off" every other fill up?

Also, he needs to redline it several times a week to burn out the gunk.

[MrCLRider]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

I don't know if you have tried this or have the means of getting it, but 0000 steel wool will do wonders on the exhaust tips. You made a definite improvement though!

[Slick]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

... what gets me... is the inside of the tailpipe. Seems like a pretty hefty buildup... but then again, the rotarys ARE notorious for burning oil. Beautiful work tho!

[APR Tuned]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

Also, he needs to redline it several times a week to burn out the gunk.

I may need to buy one of these "I swear, Officer, I was only doing it to burn the gunk out of my engine"

[jonnyboy]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

Great work. The Mazda looks great. Bet your friend is very happy.

He is stoked!

I owned an 1988 RX-7 GTU (Tomato red!) for 5 years, and I still have a lot of fond memories of that car. The thing cornered like it was on rails and had the tightest turning circle of any vehicle I have ever owned. I almost never had to execute a Y turn!

It is pretty sweet. I had a little fun with it before I detailed it -- of course he was with me!

Great job on the RX-8. Your friend probably felt like he got a really great deal after you "newed" it up for him!

It definately needed it. The best part is I know he will take care of it.

BTW, love the suicide doors on the RX-8. I could have used them on my 7.

Yeah. Their pretty cool. In the back seat is like being in a cockpit.

Dont blame you man, i used dawn dishwash soap lonnnnnnnnnnngggg time ago when a was a kid in love with detailing ( wich i still am in love ) because it took off all the dirt in my moms car, and guys dont laugh i even used laundry powder detergent to wash cars before i knew anything about detailing plz dont kill me :P

But nice job, it came out great!

Keep it up!

Dawn is great. It gives you that perfect start. "A New Dawn!" Ha! I kill myself!

A lot of detailers use Dawn, it gets rid of the current wax coating.

I haven't tried it though, I'm still a little hesitant.

Great job on the RX-8!

Thank you. Dawn works great. From what I have read, and during the time that I have detailed cars, I have not seen it do any harm.

So Dawn works better than any high quality soap at removing wax? Without damaging paint?

From what I have seen and read. No.

A quality car wash soap won't remove your wax at all, but Dawn (or any other grease cutting detergent) sure will. But with regular use it will also start to degrade vinyl, rubber and plastic trim and even start to dry out the paint. For a once a year routine it's probably OK, but even then it isn't necessary.

As a fellow RX8 owner:

I use it once to remove the old wax. It is a grease remover. And wax is a grease. Once it is detailed and I am keeping up on it for the customer, the one time use of Dawn shouldn't be a problem.

What color was the primer?
My RX8 is black, and it frustrates the hell out of me that the primer is white, so any rock that chips the paint, it exposes white. Very frustrating.

Does your friend know RX8's are designed to inject oil in the engine, and oil needs to be "topped off" every other fill up?

Also, he needs to redline it several times a week to burn out the gunk.

Thank you, I sent this to him!

[jonnyboy]

Re: Mazda RX-8 -- Detail For A Friend

I don't know if you have tried this or have the means of getting it, but 0000 steel wool will do wonders on the exhaust tips. You made a definite improvement though!

Do you lubricate the steel wool?