I'm in "wait mode" as I wait to hear back (hopefully Monday morning) whether or not the dealer I've been working with was able to locate the specific 2007 RX-8 configuration I want in my first-choice color. In case they can't, I'll have to decide between modifying the configuration or going with a different color. That got me to thinking about what colors hold up better long-term in terms of overall lustre and even paint-fade (i.e., the color of plastic-painted parts matching the color of metal-painted parts).

Anyone here have any special insight into this? For 2004/2005 owners, how does your original paint look?

Also, is there anything special I can do to keep my paint looking great and all components matching in color over time? Any special wax to use or even an optional "simonize" type process?

 

When I bought my '07 it had a protective sealant (AutoMate I think) which protects the finish. This sealant is applied for free about every 6 months by the dealer. This sealant effective seals the finish to prevent oxidation, fading and loss of shine. Any problems in the paint and AutoMate will basically pay to have your car re-painted. But you MUST keep up the 6 month application schedule or else the warranty will no longer be valid.

While I've had cars without this and was able to keep them looking good, this process seems to work great. My sister's car which is a metallic red still looks great after 5 years and she made sure she had the sealant applied every 6 months.

 

just get whatever color you want.

i like zaino, it has UV protectants in it.

 

04 Brilliant Black here. Still as shiney as ever

 

Lighter colors always hold up better than darker colors - everything else being equal - as they dissipate heat much better and thus are not impacted by being in the sun as much. But, if you take car of your car and keep it waxed, any color can last a very long time and stay looking like new.

Any name brand wax/polish/sealant these days has UV protectants in them and will protect you car well - the key is to wax it at least twice a year - possibly more if it sits outside all the time.

While there are many good ones - I personally like Meguiars NXT as it a sealant/polish that not only conditions the paint, shines great, and has UV - but it lasts very well.

True "Wax" products clean a car up well, but do not last as long as the sealants/polishes - so if you choose these, know you will need to wax your car more often.

 

Generally speaking, yellow, orange and red paints tend to wear the fastest due to the pigments used to color them. They often turn to a milky, smeared color. Lighter colors, which have less pigment, are less prone to fading. Having said that, modern paints are so good that if you keep your car washed and waxed regularly, you will not have a problem with fading for many, many years.

 

waxing is pretty key to keeping a nice finish.

 

I use Meguiars NXT (for wax) and Meguiars Gold Class (for wash); its CHERRY!!!

 

04 titanium grey, and the paint is still as shiny as when it was first bought. As long as you wax it every couple of months (or at least a couple times of year), the paint won't fade for a long time.

 

Sorry, but I just lol'd really hard. There is no magical sealant that will last you 6 months, sorry. And it's not really free, you paid the dealer $600 bucks for them to throw a quick layer of wax/sealant on your car every 6 months. The only way they would ever repaint your car would be if the paint started to rust (which would never happen on most modern paints waxed twice a year). Have you ever heard of somebody getting their car repainted by the "sealant" company, because I haven't. Those protection packages are the biggest moneymakers for the dealer, avoid them and take care of your own car.

It's kinda like Toyota's little package

Toyoguard Protection Group
$619Exterior Paint Sealant
Toyo Guard Sealant Cleaner
Interior Fabric Protector
Undercoating/Sound Shield
Glass Etch Theft Deterrent


Yeah, no thanks, I can wax my car for almost nothing.

To the OP - If you wash and wax your car regularly, your paint should keep it's luster for a very long time. My car is beat on all day long in the hot sun, then gets rained on, then it gets sunny again, and my paint still looks good because I wash and wax often.

 

Sorry, but I have to agree. That's a well-known dealer ripoff. Here's what Consumer Reports says:

"Don't pay for extras you don't need. Dealers often try to sell you extras such as rustproofing, fabric protection, and paint protectant, or push etching your Vehicle Identification Number on windows to deter thieves.

Don't accept those unnecessary services and fees. If the items are on the bill of sale, put a line through them. Vehicle bodies are already coated to protect against rust. And CR reliability surveys show that rust is not a major problem with modern cars. You can treat upholstery and apply paint protectant yourself with good off-the-shelf products. You can also do your own VIN etching with a kit that costs about $25."

 

I use toughguard, I just gave my red 2004 its second treatment after three years (its good til 5 on a new car per toughguard, but my friend wanted to do his car and we can get two cars out of an application kit). I love the stuff, my car looks brand new, its my daily although it is always garaged. We do get a ton of rain here, which is what I worry about.

www.toughguard.com

some people call bs on their 5 year claim, but I know others who use it and I've had nothing but awesome results from my 6+ years of use on two different cars.

 

You have to be careful that if you get one of these "treatment" packages, that you actually do go every 6 months and reapply it. I mean, what they are applying is nothing more than a durable synthetic sealant. Is it 6 months durable? I am not sure, it depends on how quality the sealant is. If it's, say, 4 months durable, then most people won't notice, and results will be great, but for those 2 months, the car is not as protected as it could be. And if you take your car to touchless automatic car washes, then you're being sprayed with extra-harsh cleaners that will put your wax/sealant under stress and reduce its durability.

If you really care about your paint, you have to ask yourself: how careful will they be in applying a refresh of the treatment? Will they introduce extra swirls via careless procedures? (My car was pre-swirled brand new from the dealer prep wash) Will they clay the car to gently remove the surface contaminants, or will they try to prep the paint with a strong chemical cleaner, which will remove some contaminants, but leave others?

You will get just as good or better results by using high-quality long-lasting sealants, and claying the car yourself before waxing (while using soft microfibers instead of crappy cotton rags). For example, I know of two sealants that last about 6 months: Jeff's Werkstatt system (Prime + Acrylic Jett), Zaino sealants, Klasse system (All-In-One and Sealant Glaze). Then there's stuff that last at least 4 months if not longer: Meguiar's #21, Menzerna FMJ, Poorboy's EX-P.

-------- Anyways ----

To answer your question: get the color you enjoy the most. When the paint is well-protected with waxes/sealants (and cleaned with a paint-cleanser every 1 or 2 years), it will resist fading and stay shiny for a very long time.

 

White is the best, Red is the worst.

 

I would HATE to have someone detail my car especially by some minimum wage kid let alone pay for this "package". Not to mention it is likely they will use some cheap brand and the same rag used on other cars.
OP, as long as you clean, wax/polish frequently your car's colour lustre will last a long time.