Anybody know what this is? And how to treat it?

I'm gonna be detailing my dad's Miata soon, and he's got this sort of stuff on it. It's like a clear bra but it's not clear. Anyone got any insights into what this is exactly? Is it safe to polish, or (I assume) should I stay away from it?



TIA



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that's the rock/chip guard.



My MR2 has that on the lower portion of it too.



It's normal on some cars and it can be treated like regular paint, at least I always do.



happy cleaning



David
 
Some manufactures add a thick layer of paint to the bottom of the vehicle because of of the abuse that area takes due to normal driving. I have seen this on ford's. All the ones I have seen have that bad orange peel effect. I assume he didn't have that added? If it is not an after market add on you can polish it, always test in an inconspicuious area just in case. Hope this helps.
 
General Lee said:
Some manufactures add a thick layer of paint to the bottom of the vehicle because of of the abuse that area takes due to normal driving. I have seen this on ford's. All the ones I have seen have that bad orange peel effect. I assume he didn't have that added? If it is not an after market add on you can polish it, always test in an inconspicuious area just in case. Hope this helps.



He bought the car used and it was on there, so we don't know if it's stock, or if the original owner added it. But that does give me the idea to check out the Miata forums and see if they've got any knowledge on if it could've been stock.
 
my friends jaguar xkr had that on the bottom also..his car is red too



i think they "textured" it on purpose...but i also think it can be treated the same as everything else
 
Most of the time, chip guard comes like that from the factory. When I used to final prep work at my family's shop, i was instructed just to clean it up, and not try to polish it. It can

be spruced up with a soft brush, but don't try to remove it.
 
Yeah, it is stock, since the first production in 1989... I'm a regular at miata.net, and strongly reccomend the forums and garage areas! Literally anything you need to know about a great little car!



Jim
 
Alot of cars over here in the UK have that on - including mine. As others have said, it's stone chip protection. An additive is added to the paint to make it go like that. The paint then becomes more resistant to chipping. I give it a coat of wax just like the rest of the car. Never seen it go up onto the doors before though.
 
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