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  1. #1
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    Restoring or preserving clear coat

    Hi everyone, first post on here but it seems like a good active community.

    I just bought a 2001 Mazda MX-5. Most of the paint is is pretty good condition for its age (only generalized swirl marks), however there are two spots where the clear coat is peeling. One of those spots also has a bit of surface rust about the size of a dime. What are my options for restoring these areas? If a full respray is the only option, how much would this cost for a high quality job? Could i have only specific panels be repainted? And if nothing else, what can be done to prevent the peeling and rust from getting any worse?

    Thanks!

    Edit: Meant to attach these photos of the problem areas in question

    Restoring or preserving clear coat-ccd95a80-26d4-4ee5-bc96-f61636c991b1-jpg Restoring or preserving clear coat-e4747471-e171-4e46-b048-1472cc023aeb-jpg

  2. #2
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    Re: Restoring or preserving clear coat

    Welcome to AutoGeek. You just purchased an 18 year old run of the mill compact car. I would take it to a body shop to get a quote on only the small spots in question, do a quick polish and use a long lasting sealant. A full paint job not from MaaCo, will cost more than the value of the car.

  3. #3
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    Re: Restoring or preserving clear coat

    How much are you willing to spend on getting those areas repaired?

  4. Likes tomsteve liked this post
  5. #4
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    Re: Restoring or preserving clear coat

    Quote Originally Posted by Billy Baldone View Post
    Welcome to AutoGeek. You just purchased an 18 year old run of the mill compact car. I would take it to a body shop to get a quote on only the small spots in question, do a quick polish and use a long lasting sealant. A full paint job not from MaaCo, will cost more than the value of the car.
    Well, there is a pretty big community of enthusiasts for this car in particular which is why I’m interested in keeping it in good shape. How effective will a body shop be at spot fixing something like this? From what I understand painting a car is an art form

  6. #5
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    Re: Restoring or preserving clear coat

    Sorry, I came off a bit dic*ish. Not intended. A good body shop should absolutely be able to fix it. where are the spots located on the car?

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  8. #6
    Super Member PaulMys's Avatar
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    Re: Restoring or preserving clear coat

    Welcome to AGO!

    If those are the only spots on the car, any good body shop should be able to correct them. They might need to do the whole panel, but not the whole car.

    Just beware that the rest of the car may eventually suffer from the same CC failure. Especially the horizontal panels.
    It is no coincidence that man's best friend cannot talk.

  9. #7
    Super Member rlmccarty2000's Avatar
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    Re: Restoring or preserving clear coat

    I think that is a MX-5 Miata, not MX-3. I see the top in the pictures. I would take it to a reputable body shop and get it resprayed. Once they start peeling there is not much you can do.

  10. #8
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    Re: Restoring or preserving clear coat

    Oops, I meant MX-5 . But yeah i added a couple photos on my original post. I guess the best thing to do would be to talk to a body shop and see what they think. I am worried that even if i repair the current peeling areas, others will soon follow. Does anyone know of anything that can be done to protect the cc that is still in tact?

  11. #9
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    Re: Restoring or preserving clear coat

    Quote Originally Posted by ClevelandBaller View Post
    Oops, I meant MX-5 . But yeah i added a couple photos on my original post. I guess the best thing to do would be to talk to a body shop and see what they think. I am worried that even if i repair the current peeling areas, others will soon follow. Does anyone know of anything that can be done to protect the cc that is still in tact?

    Coat it!!! Do a minimum prep to get the surface super clean and apply a ceramic coating.

  12. #10
    Super Member TTQ B4U's Avatar
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    Re: Restoring or preserving clear coat

    That's the problem with Mazda's. Unfortunately even the newest ones have the thinnest paint / finish I've measured on any car and I measure every one I do. Good luck. As others have said, it's time for a re-spray.
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