Paint Chips! READ THIS
- Thread starter sftony
- Start date
netranger6
Member
Dude, I went to my sales lady and asked her to hook me up. I paid $115 for the mask and $20 for the rear step plates. Just go back to your sales person and ask for a hook up, they'll do it, well they should. It looks good too, very snug fit and hardly any gaps. Mine has a couple of places that can be worked out, but that will take care of itself once it stretches over time, nothing major though. I'm just a perfectionist.
netranger6
Member
by the way, they were on back order so I had to wait about 7 days to get it.
Huge thought!!...Please read!
When I was about to take delivery of my new car on a late Saturday afternoon, the Sales Manager and Rep both said "No, you cannot have it now because we have to prep the paint for the road, you will have to wait til Monday because the clean-up shop is closed." I said what in the hell are you talking about???(huh) They told me something very interesting or it was a lie, but a free lie at that. They told me that all the cars especially the 3's come from the factory without any wax protection whatsoever...."NONE". I said "but the water from the rain earlier is beading on it"....They said "new clear coat will do that" but if you want your paint protected right, you will let us put a good wax coat on it and then deliver it to you." I said "what happens if I take it now".......they replied..."you risk chips in your paint even on your short drive home".
Did your dealers prep your cars??????? Or is this all just b.s?
The reason I ask is because I have 1800 miles on my car and a lot of those miles were on salt and dust covered highways and I even went through a weird dust storm a few nights ago in 50-60mph wind gusts(scary as hell) and got pounded with all kinds of crap flying through the air and I do not even have one solitary mark on that car. It looks as good as the day I bought it.
When I was about to take delivery of my new car on a late Saturday afternoon, the Sales Manager and Rep both said "No, you cannot have it now because we have to prep the paint for the road, you will have to wait til Monday because the clean-up shop is closed." I said what in the hell are you talking about???(huh) They told me something very interesting or it was a lie, but a free lie at that. They told me that all the cars especially the 3's come from the factory without any wax protection whatsoever...."NONE". I said "but the water from the rain earlier is beading on it"....They said "new clear coat will do that" but if you want your paint protected right, you will let us put a good wax coat on it and then deliver it to you." I said "what happens if I take it now".......they replied..."you risk chips in your paint even on your short drive home".
Did your dealers prep your cars??????? Or is this all just b.s?
The reason I ask is because I have 1800 miles on my car and a lot of those miles were on salt and dust covered highways and I even went through a weird dust storm a few nights ago in 50-60mph wind gusts(scary as hell) and got pounded with all kinds of crap flying through the air and I do not even have one solitary mark on that car. It looks as good as the day I bought it.
I know my dealer does prep. wax and undercoated the car....he had it 3 days before he would let me pick it up because it wasbeing cleaned and stuff......being in canada we got alot of salt to deal with........every new car I have bought has had this done without me asking for it.....taylor5 said:
Actually that sounds like something extra they threw in to get some extra $$ from you. I actually bought that stuff and it does absolutley nothing, except give me lots of pretty swirl marks in my brand new paint. My paint is still chipping and the car does look pretty bad, at least it's only close up though. Looks great from 20 or more feet!
Not extra either
Sorry Mike R, no extra cash spent on the prep work either.....And like I said, paint looks awesome even after that nasty cold front dust storm I went through and that is with a pretty good size cardboard box that dropped down on top of the car from nowhere but the sky.....Lots of dust and crap as well and not one mark on the car or one extra penny spent to have it done.
Sorry Mike R, no extra cash spent on the prep work either.....And like I said, paint looks awesome even after that nasty cold front dust storm I went through and that is with a pretty good size cardboard box that dropped down on top of the car from nowhere but the sky.....Lots of dust and crap as well and not one mark on the car or one extra penny spent to have it done.
ZippityZoomZoom
Member
Of course the $400 to $600 for the clear bra is rather spendy when $115 gets you a fabric bra.ruacop2 said:
Q about Car Bras
Was wondering if there has been any improvement in Car "Bras" since I had my last one back in 1996-2000. That one may have prevented the occasional tiny chip, but I had TONS of scratches likely from any debris trapped beneath in between washings every week. It also had the light discoloration typical with bras. Has there been any improvement with car bras not causing more damage than they supposedly deflect? Clear Bras seem VERY expensive.
As for dealer "prep" I don't know if mine did it or not as I was able to take my car the day I bought it with the service area closed, and brought it back for a once-over wash/cleaning. Don't know if it had previously been waxed, but besides "profit" what was the additional dealer "prep" charge of $500 for - one Expensive car wash!? They could at least wax the car, but I doubt they did. Thankfully I didn't experience any chips and Waxed the car myself with Meguiars new Tech stuff.
Was wondering if there has been any improvement in Car "Bras" since I had my last one back in 1996-2000. That one may have prevented the occasional tiny chip, but I had TONS of scratches likely from any debris trapped beneath in between washings every week. It also had the light discoloration typical with bras. Has there been any improvement with car bras not causing more damage than they supposedly deflect? Clear Bras seem VERY expensive.
As for dealer "prep" I don't know if mine did it or not as I was able to take my car the day I bought it with the service area closed, and brought it back for a once-over wash/cleaning. Don't know if it had previously been waxed, but besides "profit" what was the additional dealer "prep" charge of $500 for - one Expensive car wash!? They could at least wax the car, but I doubt they did. Thankfully I didn't experience any chips and Waxed the car myself with Meguiars new Tech stuff.
goldwing2000
OG Mazda Mafia
- :
- 2004 Mazda3s Hatch; 346,000 miles
2024 CX-5; zero miles (so far)
Nikita said:
Dealer preps include everything from installing parts (floor mats, antennas, etc) to checking and filling fluids to verifying all lights and accessories are operational, as well as a brief test drive.
You should have gotten a checklist with your purchase that showed everything that was done on the dealer prep.
As far as the cost, $500 does seem excessive for a dealer prep. If you're referring to the "desintation charge", then it also includes freight costs.
No I paid for Destination too
Destination was a separate charge.
I'll have to check that "prep" list, though. It's probably for the things you listed (Quick wash, fuel, & general checking of fluids, things working properly, etc. Sorta like the 30k maintenance I paid $450 for on my old car in which they changed the oil and "checked" the rest (boom04). I guess if they included a wax job, they'd lose $15 for labor and supplies! My prior new cars always had a prep list but I wasn't always charged for it.
I've always been told to Skip the expensive add-on Undercoating deal - and was wondering if this is always a good idea...? Is a diligent Waxing schedule good enough or do other shops do this type of thing much cheaper than the dealer? I'll never get an orbital wax again - last time the guy waxed over dirt the washers didn't remove, and didn't tell me he broke the side light marker. And I was removing wax residue from edges and grooves for weeks. That's what ya get for $30 I suppose! Thanks!
Destination was a separate charge.
I'll have to check that "prep" list, though. It's probably for the things you listed (Quick wash, fuel, & general checking of fluids, things working properly, etc. Sorta like the 30k maintenance I paid $450 for on my old car in which they changed the oil and "checked" the rest (boom04). I guess if they included a wax job, they'd lose $15 for labor and supplies! My prior new cars always had a prep list but I wasn't always charged for it.
I've always been told to Skip the expensive add-on Undercoating deal - and was wondering if this is always a good idea...? Is a diligent Waxing schedule good enough or do other shops do this type of thing much cheaper than the dealer? I'll never get an orbital wax again - last time the guy waxed over dirt the washers didn't remove, and didn't tell me he broke the side light marker. And I was removing wax residue from edges and grooves for weeks. That's what ya get for $30 I suppose! Thanks!
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goldwing2000
OG Mazda Mafia
- :
- 2004 Mazda3s Hatch; 346,000 miles
2024 CX-5; zero miles (so far)
I think you got hosed. Dealer prep shouldn't be a separate charge.
*runs to check paperwork*
Nope. Just price of vehicle plus "transportation" on mine.
*runs to check paperwork*
Nope. Just price of vehicle plus "transportation" on mine.
goldwing2000 said:
Really? You didn't have a pre-printed Dealer Prep Fee on your contract? This is my 4th new car and all of my contracts had this although not sure about that first one back in 1990, it's been a while! I've had the dealer take the extra money off the price of the car in the past on 2 cars or remove that charge. Mazda was pretty funny about it actually. How's this for a dumbass sales spin: They charge everyone that fee BY LAW. LOL. Profit (as part of it states) BY LAW! (jerkit)
So your contract doesn't have this pre-printed?
goldwing2000
OG Mazda Mafia
- :
- 2004 Mazda3s Hatch; 346,000 miles
2024 CX-5; zero miles (so far)
Nikita said:
Nope. Just base price, option price, transportation charge, sales tax and license/title fees.
Where do you live? Might be a regional thing.
netranger6
Member
Damage? Wash, wax heavily, install. When dirty, un-snap 6 buttons, and remove...how hard is that? The car isn't an Infinity G35 Sport Coupe (which I will have next month), so what gives? Yeah, you can see it a mile away, as well as the rest of the car, good point, don't buy one because of that...just keep complaining about your chips.
I was having the exact same problem with my Lexus IS300 (which I just sold), so don't fret.... LOTS of cars are experiencing this problem these days. I would also suggest one of those 3M clear bras...the most notable being Xpel (http://www.xpel.com). In the past I did a lot of research on the subject because I was considering it for my IS (and now wish I had done it)... here are some things to consider if you go for the clear bra.
1. On darker cars there will be a SLIGHTLY visible line, but it is only really noticable in direct sunlight and at an angle
2. It is recommended to get it installed professional by someone who machine cuts each piece, rather than having it cut onto the car. People have had problems where the installer cut into their paint when they were trimming the material directly on the car. They never knew until they decided to remove the xpel.
3. Pre-cut pieces are available through the xpel website for self install, but people have mentioned that they are never a perfect fit.
1. On darker cars there will be a SLIGHTLY visible line, but it is only really noticable in direct sunlight and at an angle
2. It is recommended to get it installed professional by someone who machine cuts each piece, rather than having it cut onto the car. People have had problems where the installer cut into their paint when they were trimming the material directly on the car. They never knew until they decided to remove the xpel.
3. Pre-cut pieces are available through the xpel website for self install, but people have mentioned that they are never a perfect fit.
goldwing2000
OG Mazda Mafia
- :
- 2004 Mazda3s Hatch; 346,000 miles
2024 CX-5; zero miles (so far)
Yikes. $560, not including headlights or shipping.
Well, at least they have it in stock!
Well, at least they have it in stock!
