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Mazda Protegé

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Comments

  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Don't let them pick on you just because you are the girl of the group. Shame on you guys!

    I don't know what's up with the whole wax thing. I guess it makes the car look better, but white cars (like mine and Dale's) always seem to look clean anyway, no matter how dirty they are. I guess waxing is good for the paint, but I don't have the room (although not as limited as Dale's) to do it at home.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Wax is a barrier between your car's paint and the environment. Wax does not only look better, it is helping your paint stay looking newer longer.

    You don't need space to wax...only time. If you can walk around your car, you can wax it.
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Yes, it's good for the paint. But hey, if you're only going to keep the car two years, why bother? ;-)
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Why bother changing the oil too then I guess??
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    Good point. Let's ask. Paul, what about changing the oil? (J/K) ;-)
  • protegextwoprotegextwo Member Posts: 1,265
    Yokohama Paradas all the way...

    Yakohama your Momma! ;-)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Very funny. I only kept the Protege 8 months, but I still took good care of it. All the maintenance was done on time and everything, and the car was washed all the time (especially because it was black). I always keep the maintenance up. I never waxed a car before though. I would probably just take it somewhere, because I always seem to be busy doing something on weekends and don't have the time to do it.
  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    Take it from the owner of a white Mazda Protege - that waxing makes a HUGE difference! And Dale and Paul have both seen the difference - or at least the result of a good waxing, on my car.Trust me - waxing makes the paint color appear much richer & deeper and keeps the dust/dirt of longer, and doesn't allow water to dry on the car. Instead rain water beads and flows off, or leaves, at the most, bead-shaped dried spots - very easy to wipe off with just a cloth or a California Duster!

    Don't knock it till you've tried it!

    In fact, my car is due for another coat soon, depending on the weather - and now that I have a digital camera, I'll take a few before and after shots for your benefit.
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Like I said, I seem to just be in the car all the time, and it's pretty hard to wax and drive at the same time. :) My dad always is on me about waxing and stuff like that. My answer to him is usually to do it if he wants to, and I will pay him for his time and pay for the wax. I told him you only do it every year though, and I haven't had a car since the 99 Protege (traded 2/01) for over a year. :)
  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    I wax my car every time the water (rain or wash) stops beading satisfactorily (which, again, is subjective).

    So, for the 18 odd months that I have been waxing the car, I have waxed approximately every 3-5 months (less often in winter - for obvious reasons).

    What about the rest of you? I know we could take this to the Waxes board, but I'd like to know what the average duration-between-waxes over on 'our' little board is, first.
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    I too wax when the water stops beading. I seem to get around 6-8 months.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    What kind of wax are you using?
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    Everyone's talking about wax.

    :-D
  • ashutoshsmashutoshsm Member Posts: 1,007
    I started with Turtle Wax, and switched (after some good advice from many here and elsewhere) to Meguiar's (not Gold Class, the basic one). HUGE difference! (with Meguiar's being better)
  • theparallaxtheparallax Member Posts: 361
    I usually start off by washing the car thoroughly, then use the following products:

    Mother's Clay Bar
    3M Imperial Hand Glaze
    3M Show Car Wax

    It gives the car a very deep rich looking shine. On my light colored car (Sand Mica) it's not going to be noticeable, but it is to me. Makes the car look new again.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    I use Mother's 3-step "Ultimate" wax system. Usually, I only use steps 2-3...step 1 is a little agressive to be used more than 1-2 times a year.

    With a "pure" Carnauba wax I find that 2-3 months is the max that it will last. Beads start to get larger and shine is lessened.

    I don't know of any wax that will last longer than 5-6 months, except MAYBE some polymers.
  • dsm6dsm6 Member Posts: 813
    The once a year (yeah, right) car polish.

    I used to use this, but switched last time (a few months ago) to Meguiars.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Which Meguiar's products specifically?
  • bluong1bluong1 Member Posts: 1,927
    so how do you compare the Meguiars to the Nufinish? I also use the Nufinish (applied twice on my 1 year old P5) and generally happy with the result beside the fact that the roof rack becomes white. ;-). I want to try the Meguiars and appreciate if you can give a quick evaluation.

    Bruno
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I used Nu Finish exclusively for years. Then, on the advice of some of the folks who were here two years ago, I bought a bottle of Meguiar's Gold Glass. The shine is much deeper and the paint looks richer than with the Nu Finish. And don't kid yourself guys -- Meguiar's Gold Class is just as capable of leaving white residue on plastic and other non-painted surfaces (though I will admit not quite as much) as Nu Finish is. The logical way to prevent this is to be careful! The Meguiar's is a little harder to remove than the Nu Finish was, at least here in humid Virginia -- if you don't buff it well it leaves swirl marks -- and the pungent sweet odor takes some getting used to. This is one wax that doesn't smell like petroleum! All in all it's worth the switch and the slightly higher price. Hell, how long does a bottle of wax last you anyway? Two years? Three? I wax my Protege (there! it's an on-topic post, ha) about three times a year.

    Meade

    P.S. Let's all pray the Love Train doesn't read the last dozen posts. Get Larry started on car detailing and LOOK OUT! ;-)
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    After my Bullet Wax runs out. No sense just tossing it since it does a good job.

    For quick drying, try a California Water Blade. Its silicone-rubber blade is much more flexible and is less sticky than the ones with Santoprene (sorry AES) blades. You can knock off most of the rinse water, w/o leaving drops behind, except for inside creases etc.

    I average about 6 months on my Protege, about 4 on my 323 (its paint is old and faded, but it's amazing how the wax makes the chalky faded red back into almost showroom-quality shiny deep red...well, except for the dots of touch-up paint). My Pro is garaged at night while my poor 323 has to sit exposed to the weather 24/7.
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    Figures it would start storming and raining only a couple days afterwards, even though the long-range forecast (before I washed my cars this weekend) was for more dry days.

    Anyone else notice that birds like to poop on shiny, clean cars? Yeesh, one nailed my 323 smack in the center of its roof the next day (my Protege suffered a glancing blow to its left-front fender). My wife thinks they get overly excited by the glare and can't control themselves.

    Anyway, I finally took pictures, which I'll post on the Yahoo site. I also have pics of my 323 before and after I waxed it and lubricated the black plastic trim.
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    Nair lotion myself. Hurts a lot less than wax. Oh wait, different subject, doh!
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Nair lotion?

    OK, OK. Stop wincing, Pat. I won't go there.

    Meade
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I'll buy the wax and let you start at one end of my car, and Larry at the other. You all can fight to the middle. :)

    Just kidding.. :)
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    The Main Event! The Meade/Larry Throwdown! I'll bodyslam him onto the hood, which he will have made so slick with his Klasse that he'll slide right across it and into the side of the car parked beside yours, which with any luck will be his own 2000 Protege ES -- which already has had its front end replaced due to a poorly positioned deer, so now he'll be able to tout that he's the first guy in our group to have had an accident with himself!

    Meade
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    I'm not sure I would use one. IF a piece of dirt got caught between the blade and the paint, you would be dragging that piece of dirt all over the place and creating scratches.

    If used properly, I don't see a problem, but I know that I have to wash and wax outside and crap is continuously landing on my paint after I've cleaned it.
  • meinradmeinrad Member Posts: 820
    Love it love it love it. I'm not a washing psycho, and like to get it done quick, and the blade takes the water off quick and I don't have any water spots or nuttin.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Stuff from the trees above the driveway continuously falls on my car while I'm drying it off and vacuuming, armor-alling, etc.

    Know what I use to "dust off" my car prior to waxing, and to remove wax dust after buffing?

    MY LEAF BLOWER!

    Works wonders on pollen in the spring too! Not to mention it dries the car well too -- why risk your life (and a ticket) like Paul did (sorry Paul), going 100 mph just to dry your car off, when you can plug in the 120-mph leaf blower and do it safely in the driveway?

    Granted, the neighbors think it looks kinda silly -- but c'mon -- who cares what the neighbors think? They all drive Fords, Chevrolets and Dodges anyway!

    Meade
  • chikoochikoo Member Posts: 3,008
    just use a spare wiper to do the same job ;)

    btw, i use Klasse. Good one.
    Thanks Larry aka protegextwo.

    meade, the fight is about tire on the protege.
    why drag the 300M bargemobile into this?
    btw, per my friend, the bargemobile handles sloppy on uneven roads and road joints, with or w/o the A2s.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I keep hearing conflicting advice with regards to the proper gear oil to use for our cars. Over on the 626 message board, someone says you are not supposed to use GL5 that has sulpheric additives in it because they corrode the synchros. I've heard this from others as well. I changed my trans fluid out a long time ago and replaced it with Valvoline Synpower 75W90 GL5 gear oil. I e-mailed Valvoline yesterday and they told me that their Synpower GL5 has sulpheric additives in it. The Valvoline website says that their Synpower GL5 is for differentials and manual transmissions that call for GL5 and mentions NOTHING about sulpheric additives. The owners manual calls for GL4 or GL5 but says nothing about sulpheric additives. I find it hard to believe that there may be two different spec GL5 fluids and there is no mention of it in the owners manual or the Valvoline website. My car still shifts fine (the new Momo shifter is nice), but I don't want to keep this fluid in if it is going to cause long term damage. What is the deal?
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    I didn't drag the bargemobile into this. YOU did.

    Well, I guess you can't improve handling if it wasn't there in the first place!

    And the tire fight's getting old. I wanna fight about something else now. Tell me, which is better ... disk or drum brakes?

    Meade
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    Lets fight about the proper gear oil for our manual transmissions!
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    I guess the only way to find out what's in it for sure is to do a search for the MSDS for Valvoline Synpower 75W90 tranny oil.

    I'm sure it's online somewhere.
  • newcar31newcar31 Member Posts: 3,711
    I already know that the Valvoline Synpower has sulpheric additives in it. My question is whether or not it is an issue for the synchros in our transmissions. If it IS an issue, why is this not noted in the owners manual and the Valvoline website? I have a feeling that I might have to e-mail MazdaUSA on this one...
  • mazdafunmazdafun Member Posts: 2,329
    They're easier to maintain and are more resistant to fade due to superior heat-shedding capability.

    Changing or even checking drum brakes is a real bother. Even I will pay someone else (I trust) to do it. At least I find from past experience that rear drum brakes only need to be inspected at about twice the interval of the front disk brakes.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Look, after 52 consecutive car washes, the clutch still beads!!!

    Meade
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    You can throw Larry into someone's hood, just not mine. I have to dents (yet) on my car or damage (other than a little tiny cut in the back bumper, hardly noticeable) and it's gonna stay thay way for as long as I can keep it! :)

    With the 100mph, people do that on the Capital Beltway everyday when I am on there.
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Oh...sorry. Must have mis-read your post. I guess it depends on what kind of sulpheric additives they're talking about.

    Or, maybe the concern is that if any water gets into the system, then the hydrogen from the water could bond with the sulpher and create sulpheric acid?
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    So let me get this straight....
    When you had your Pro, your neighbors beat the crap outta your car, right?

    Now that you have a Jetta, they don't touch it?

    Huh?
  • chicagoprochicagopro Member Posts: 1,009
    sulfur (sulfuric)

    In the UK,

    sulphur (sulphuric)
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Maybe the scratches just showed more on the black paint of the Protege, I don't know. Someone hit my Protege on the side 3 weeks after I got it. They put a huge, deep key scratch in the hood. They also (I think) cracked the windshield in it (it was cracked one morning, no rock marks or anything). They did clip the Jetta on the back bumper (small marks) twice, but I was able to fix that with touch-up paint I got from the dealer. Nothing else yet though, and it's been almost 9 months. I don't get it either, I am just happy. :)
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    Dale=SmartA$$
    SmartA$$=Shut up :P
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    My, we ARE the instigator today, aren't we?

    BOOYA!!!!

    Meade
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    But we all know Canadian $$$ = U.S. $

    Meade
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    Don't talk to my friend like that! Shame on you! :)

    And of course she's smart, she's a teacher... :)

    EDIT: Oooh Meade, that was TOO funny!!! :)
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    MOVE.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    Anyone heard of a car called a "Protege"?

    Meade
  • protege_fanprotege_fan Member Posts: 2,405
    I wouldn't say always, as demonstrated by Dale on a FEW occassions.... ;)

    J/K Dale!!! Muwhahhahahaahahah
  • vocusvocus Member Posts: 7,777
    I am just getting into the mood of fixing up the house a little bit, in order to sell it. Of course, when I get done, I will probably wanna stay. :) The area is downgrading in my opinion (I grew up there), but property values continue to go up because of its location (very close Baltimore's Inner Harbor). I might sell once I get the work done, I don't know. My dad is talking about moving to NC and retiring (and you all KNOW I am NOT going there!), so I will have to move then.
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