2005 Mazda Paint Correction?

[CyclistMazdaGuy]

Hello,

I`m needing help determining what products to use for a paint correction on a 2005 Mazda 3 Titanium Grey hatchback. Years ago, I used Zaino on a Jeep (which seems to have a harder clear coat), but it seems that Zaino may no longer very popular. I`ve also read that Mazda paint is notoriously soft and I`m starting to see clear coat failure which is confined to the plastic rear spoiler alone. The paint on the hood and roof is heavily oxidized, but intact. I have a PorterCable 7424 so not going to be doing the work by hand, but going to need to buy foam pads.

Right now, I`m leaning towards the Griots products, but not sure whether this is the right route for the car.

Thank you!!

[Buster906]

Try the Griots. Detailing can be trial and error. I like Meguiars for their variety of waxes, sealants and compounds and types of pads. When removing oxidation remember to clean the pad often and rotate pads as well. Oxidation can clog a pad quickly. Clean with a pad brush, microfiber towel or air compressor. If you have a paint depth gauge, use after each section pass.

Sent from my SM-T550 using Tapatalk

[Mike lambert]

Griot`s boss system, you can probably get the results from fast cut cream and perfecting cream. Fast cut foam pads work great and may even give you wax ready results! Just remember to clean pads after every section to control the residue. I have been very pleased with poly wax as a finish also.

[CyclistMazdaGuy]

Awesome! Thanks!

In that case, I`m thinking I`m going to try the following process:

3M Headlight Restoration Kit
Pinnacle Ultra Poly Clay
Griots Fast Correcting Clay-Lake Country Orange Pad
Grots Correcting Cream- Lake Country White Polishing Pad
Griots Liquid Gloss Poly- Lake Country Black Pad
TriNova Paint Sealant


It`ll be a few weeks because the temperature here in Phoenix is supposed to be 109 tomorrow, but starting to order and prep the garage. Also, found a $20 paint gauge on Amazon. By all means, it`s not professional grade, but I`ll give it a shot.

[Mike lambert]

You won`t need correction cream after fast cut. Just perfecting cream

[Accumulator]

CyclistMazdaGuy- My Mazdas weren`t all that soft, but they were awfully *thin*, as in...you could cut too deeply before you fixed even moderate marring. I don`t know what the specs related to "how much is safe to cut off" are for Mazda paint, but it can`t be much since the UV protection is all in the whatever% top portion (with so little on there something normal like "the top 40%" would hardly be any at all).

Speaking of UV protection, I hope that Headlight Restoration Kit has some kind of UV-proof clear in it; you need that after you take off the top whatever% of the headlight layer too.

Oh, and Welcome to Autopia!

[Mike lambert]

.5 mil is the recommended amount over the life of the car is what all the experts I`ve trained with have told me.

[CyclistMazdaGuy]

CyclistMazdaGuy- My Mazdas weren`t all that soft, but they were awfully *thin*, as in...you could cut too deeply before you fixed even moderate marring. I don`t know what the specs related to "how much is safe to cut off" are for Mazda paint, but it can`t be much since the UV protection is all in the whatever% top portion (with so little on there something normal like "the top 40%" would hardly be any at all).

Speaking of UV protection, I hope that Headlight Restoration Kit has some kind of UV-proof clear in it; you need that after you take off the top whatever% of the headlight layer too.

Oh, and Welcome to Autopia!

Problem is that I`m already correcting a headlight correction which apparently didn`t have UV protection. The dealership did a correction about a year ago for $50. It`s now even more yellowed than it ever was. I`ll make a point to get some UV correction. Ultimately, I`ll probably need to just buy some OEM Mazda headlights to replace, but trying to avoid since I can find better things to do with $200.

In regards to the thin, that was my primary concern. My `13 is young enough to where I can save it and get some good coatings on there. The `05 is all about mitigation at this point. I don`t plan to even touch the spoiler with anything but wax for that reason since I`m afraid that I might accelerate it further.

Also, thanks for the advice Mike Lambert, I`ll follow your recommendations and skip the correcting cream for perfecting cream. It`s going to be an adventure for sure as my `13 has extensive rock chips which I need to address, as well as steel wheels which need to be removed and resprayed.

[Mike lambert]

Feel free to call!

[Accumulator]

Mike Lambert- That 0.5mil sounds reasonable, if still a bit much considering that the old Ford spec (haven`t read up on their latest one. ) was 0.66mil and Fords like my Crown Vic have a LOT more clear than Mazdas.

CyclistMazdaGuy- OK, and yeah just clean the oxidation off that spoiler and keep it LSPed. I`d think about having it repainted, sorta the same idea as just replacing the headlights. (Too bad the dealership did that, what a lousy thing to do! Utterly terrible IMO.)

[Mike lambert]

.5 over the life of the car! Kinda makes you wonder about a rotary and a wool pad?

[Accumulator]

.5 over the life of the car! Kinda makes you wonder about a rotary and a wool pad?

Heh heh...makes *me* wonder about a whole lotta things we take for "normal" here at Autopia I`ve posted before about how in my area a lot of vehicles are exhibiting cc failure on the "most often polished" areas, all that auction/resale-prep work I figure. Often I can see exactly how they ran the polisher on the failed areas.

But then OTOH, I think how the utterly compromised paint on my `93 Audi hasn`t gotten worse over the nine years I`ve had it, and it has exposed pearl and basecoat layers that "should`ve failed" ages ago...Of course I do take *really* good care of it