Dealer paint protection?

[Ace22]

Hey all,
Just wondering what people think of the dealerships paint, underbody, and interior protection? Is this recommended or needed? I have had them put this on in previous cars, but I am an avid detailer and think I am o.k. without it.
Any suggestions or comments? Greatly appreciated.

[stealth]

Don't let them touch your new vehicle! Spend your $ on MEG products & enjoy the satisfaction of doing it correctly yourself. Have fun & congrats on your new ride.

[travisdecpn]

Take the $300-500 that they would probably charge you, and put it towards a G-100, some #80, clay, a bunch of microber towels, and some NXT. Get a new wash mitt and some water magnet ww's as well. You'll be stocked and more than ready to take care of your new vehicle's paint.

[Ranger72]

Originally posted by travisdecpn
Take the $300-500 that they would probably charge you, and put it towards a G-100, some #80, clay, a bunch of microber towels, and some NXT. Get a new wash mitt and some water magnet ww's as well. You'll be stocked and more than ready to take care of your new vehicle's paint.

I like the way this man thinks!

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Dealer paint protection?

Originally posted by Ace22
Hey all,
Just wondering what people think of the dealerships paint, underbody, and interior protection? Is this recommended or needed? I have had them put this on in previous cars, but I am an avid detailer and think I am o.k. without it.
Any suggestions or comments? Greatly appreciated.

(Moved to Detailing 101 - Mike)


Read this,

http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6472

[Mosca]

This is my area of expertise; automotive aftersale is how I make a living.

I won't offer the appearance protection packages. There's nothing wrong with them in terms of what is sold; you're not being offered the actual chemicals and application, you're being offered a warranty against etching, loss of gloss, and the like. Which would be great; here in the northeast, acid rain and snow can do a number on a hood.

What happens in reality is that 100% of the customers who buy the package forget about it as soon as they fasten their seatbelt.

In other words, the people who care about their cars don't need the package, and the people who don't care about their cars buy the package and still don't care.

Skip it.


Tom

[Mike Phillips]

Thanks for chiming in on this thread Tom, I think your summary is a good real-world reality check.

[Ace22]

Thanks for your help...this is why I love this forum! I have a G-100 and have been detailing for quite a while. My new car is a black Pontiac Grand Prix GXP. I am looking forward to getting it and making the black shine!!!! I will definitely pass on the paint protection. Thanks again!

[Shiny Lil Detlr]

I would have to agree, pass on the interior and paint protection. The paint, obviously, is going to be cared for separately (by you). For interior, I have (and offer to customers as well) applied 3M ScotchGuard from aerosol cans myself. That is in essence what the shop that applies for the "sealant package" you'd be getting.

HOWEVER, I would definitely recommend having the underbody/corrosion protectant applied. Just tell them not to cosmoline the engine bay or door jambs; it took me a month straight of scrubbing at it with wax/grease remover to clean things back up.

Just tell them to undercoat the bottomside of the car, and drill/spray into the insides of the doors/frame. I got that done when I picked up my truck, and I go back for them to open the holes and re-spray annually. It does seem to help, or at least it did on my last truck. You can handle the rest

Oh, and added bonus: The corrosion protection they spray in is also a sound deadener, so it will make the cabin even quieter from road noise and engine hum (not that I'd mind the sound of that 5.3L V8!)

[Ace22]

That is true...my last car had the underbody and it does help dampen the noise. I did have it in the engine bay and it was a pain to remove. So I may just have the underbody. You definitely know your cars...I am looking forward to the 5.3L rumble!!!

[showtime]

Or you could spend $40 on aerosol undercoating and do it yourself. I used to do this at a dealership I used to work for. They charged $300 to undercoat a car, used $20 in materials and paid me $20. A $260 pure profit for the dealership. Do you think I was really doing a good job being paid only $20? Do you think the person doing your undercoating is getting paid any more?

I recommend not undercoating at all. Unless the surface is properly scuffed, the undercoating will have nothing to attach to. It will start peeling with in a year. When it peels, water can get underneath and actually start rusting your car out faster than with out it. I was restoring a 240Z that rotted out because it was undercoated, twice. It was so bad I had to scrap the car. I have never had any of mine or my families cars undercoated. Our oldest daily driver is a 98 Taurus which sits outside 24/7. It had no rust anywhere on the car besides some very minor surface rust underneath. BTW, I live near Buffalo.

If you're looking for sound proofing, I would have your car done by a stereo shop. Sound proofing is actually very complicated because you have to know where to place both deadenders (Dynamat and undercoating) and absorbers (foam). I did this to my truck and it's quieter than a Lexus. I also had to gut the interior and took me about 15 hour to complete. I did not undercoat the truck although I did pull the fenders and scuffed/undercoated the inside.

[Shiny Lil Detlr]

Originally posted by showtime
Or you could spend $40 on aerosol undercoating and do it yourself. I used to do this at a dealership I used to work for. They charged $300 to undercoat a car, used $20 in materials and paid me $20. A $260 pure profit for the dealership. Do you think I was really doing a good job being paid only $20? Do you think the person doing your undercoating is getting paid any more?

I can certainly see where/what you're comming from, but I have to interject a side comment: It depends on where/who is actually doing the work. I get mine done (as does the dealership) from a professional undercoating shop (Ziebart). They charge $200 initially, and $60 for each re-coat when I come back. They actually are extremely thorough when it comes to rust protection, since they drill and plug holes in the door and body jambs, spray underneath, etc... and they do prep everything first.

I usually follow behind and "seal" the undercoating with a quick shot of cheap black spray paint on any visible areas and in wheel wells; it gets the job done... but the whole point is that a pro shop does have the ability to do a quality job that's worth the money.

Our oldest daily driver is a 98 Taurus which sits outside 24/7. It had no rust anywhere on the car besides some very minor surface rust underneath. BTW, I live near Buffalo.

A modern car is certainly able to last for a long time without undercoating... I too witnessed an outside-dweller '98 vehicle that wasn't undercoated, and it lasted fine up through last year when my mom got rid of it. However, it should be noted that there was "slight" bubbling along the bottom of the doors at that time, so rust was about to become an issue.

If you're looking for sound proofing, I would have your car done by a stereo shop. Sound proofing is actually very complicated because you have to know where to place both deadenders (Dynamat and undercoating) and absorbers (foam). I did this to my truck and it's quieter than a Lexus. I also had to gut the interior and took me about 15 hour to complete. I did not undercoat the truck although I did pull the fenders and scuffed/undercoated the inside.

There's no doubt that a thorough dynamat job is the best soundproofing method, but the undercoating can be effective as well. Can't knock it.