I am looking to use the Zaino Bros. product on my 1988 Stock 10th AE. It is all original. So here's my question - Does my factory paint job have clearcoat? They told me how to test for it, but I am going to have trouble with a white car. They told me to use some polishing compound and if the rag turned the color of the car, then there was no clear coat. My problem is that both the paint color and the two different compounds I have are white. It was a good suggestion, but not practical in my situation. Any thoughts?

 

my 1988 GXL definitly had a clear coat from the factory.

 

^

 

O.K. I don't feel so stupid. Almost 50 views and no one knows the answer to this. Anyone?

 

My 88 vert did not have clear coat.

If your car is not painted white, the easiest way to tell is get a piece of fine grit sand paper, and find a place on the car that is painted, but not normally visible. Sand the surface lightly, then look at the sandpaper. If the sandpaper has white particles on it, it is clear coated. If it is the color of your paint, it is not.

Mike

 

You hit the problem on the head! My car is white. Therefore your suggestion puts me in to the same catch 22 as Zaino Bros's suggestion - white car - white compund, I'll get white, but won't know if I'm looking at paint or compound. Thanks, though.

 

I dont think white had clearcoat from Mazda until like mid 90s

 

My 10th AE doesn't have a clearcoat. Should be the same with yours.

 

I went out and looked closely at the paint again. I agree - I don't think it has clearcoat. So I am going to make my buying decision with Zaino based upon no clearcoat! Thanks, guys.

 

It is usually pretty easy to tell if a car has clearcoat. Take some wax and rub the paint, if the rag has some body colored paint on it there is no clearcoated. If the rag comes off clean then it is clearcoated.

Typically solid colors don't have clear and ALL factory metallics to have clear.

Your AE is a solid color white and doesn't have clear.

Sometimes, mostly in newer cars, manufacturers use clear on solid colors (non-metallic). There was a BIG thread on the big list on clear and non-clear FDs. Some people SWORE up and down that red FDs had clear and others like myself SWORE it didn't. What it all came down to is the Touring models were a different color red and DID have clear, the R1s and Base models didn't have clear. This didn't apply to just red either, the Black Touring models had clear and the black R1s and Base models didn't. I have confirmed this with the 5 red and 2 black FDs I've had (3 R1s and 4 Tourings). All the metallic colors have clear regardless of model (silver, montego blue, yellow mica).

Jeff
87 TII
93 R1

 

I think you are doing the right thing getting the Zainos for non-clear coated cars. The cloth always turned red when I waxed my 89 vert - no clear coat.

Dave

 

Why zaino? Give Klasse a try with Blitz on top.

 

As previously stated the solid colors in 88 did not have clear coat, only metallic paint was clear coated.