Dealer Prep Question

M

mtdew456

New member
I am looking for every one's honest opinion on this. I am currently preparing to buy a brand new 2010 Acura TSX, and am trying to decide if I should even let the dealership touch the cars paint when it comes off the truck or just request they do not and remove all of the protective coatings myself. Of course I would then properly decontaminate the paint, clay....etc. before protecting the paint. I'd like to hear some opinions on this.



Also, does anyone have experience with the protective coating that is on the Acura TSX when it is shipped in? It appears to be a painted on type of clear protection that seems to peel off.....but I could easily be wrong about this.
 
Don't let them touch it. I'm not sure that coating peels off, a few years ago I saw this on the lot on RSX's, and it looked to me like it would have to be removed with a solvent, but that could be different now or on different models (made at a different plant).



BTW you will get a huge fight from them over not wanting them to "prep" it.
 
I agree. Don't let them touch it. I have seen to many dealers prepping a car with brushes.



Setec Astronomy said:
Don't let them touch it. I'm not sure that coating peels off, a few years ago I saw this on the lot on RSX's, and it looked to me like it would have to be removed with a solvent, but that could be different now or on different models (made at a different plant).



BTW you will get a huge fight from them over not wanting them to "prep" it.
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I actually already discussed the "no-prep" with the sales manager and he had no issue with not touching the paint or interior. If anyone could shed any light on the protective shipping coating and how to remove it, that would be great. Also any other preparation advice would be great, just so I go at it the right way.
 
i wouldnt let them touch it. thats smart that you talked with the sales manager already but like it was said, they might hassle at the end. warranty issues. ive had this happen before to me and to some customers. in the end, i was the first person to touch the car once it rolled off the truck (=
 
I had to almost plead with the Audi salesman not to touch the car. He couldn't understand why I didn't want the dealership to apply the "free" sealant and such.



:wall
 
mtdew456 said:
..If anyone could shed any light on the protective shipping coating and how to remove it, that would be great. Also any other preparation advice would be great, just so I go at it the right way.
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Glad to hear the dealer is being accommodating about this.



I use New Car Prep and the ABC Decontamination system from http://www.autoint.com/
 
Thanks for all the replies so far. I am hoping they will not give me a hard time about any warranty issues that may arise if I do not allow them to prep the car. I knew it was a lot of work to prep a new car, but I don't think I realized how much decontamination must be done as well.
 
mtdew456 said:
..I don't think I realized how much decontamination must be done as well.
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Noting that I'm a big proponent of the decon systems, I dunno just how *necessary* the whole thing is.



On white/silver/etc. any rust-blooms can look awful. And sure, having fallout/whatever eating away at your paint isn't good.



BUT...I know plenty of somewhat-serious car guys who never do more than clay (if that) their new cars and it's not like they have paint failure or other serious issues.



Eh...guess I'm just playing devil's advocate here, arguing the other side of the topic :nixweiss
 
when i bought my civic last may it was just traded in like an hour ago when i first saw it, and it was filfthy, i testdrove it and told the dealer not to have it detailed for me, i told him i detail professionally(a lie lol) and wanted to do it myself, he refused to sell me a dirty car, but after arguing with himfor a while he said okay... but when i came back the next day to pick it up, it was done, and had big long buffertrails ALL over it... irritated the *^%$ out of me... moral of the story, tell someone other than the salesman, or get it in writing, because sometimes your words dont make it to the right people.
 
jDizzle said:
when i bought my civic last may it was just traded in like an hour ago when i first saw it, and it was filfthy, i testdrove it and told the dealer not to have it detailed for me, i told him i detail professionally(a lie lol) and wanted to do it myself, he refused to sell me a dirty car, but after arguing with himfor a while he said okay... but when i came back the next day to pick it up, it was done, and had big long buffertrails ALL over it... irritated the *^%$ out of me... moral of the story, tell someone other than the salesman, or get it in writing, because sometimes your words dont make it to the right people.
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I would guess even if you told the sales manager and put it in writing, there is a good chance it will get detailed anyways. Most employees at dealerships deal with the 99% of the population who are not Autopian just assume wash and detail everything not even thinking that someone would have a problem with it.
 
bert31 said:
I would guess even if you told the sales manager and put it in writing, there is a good chance it will get detailed anyways. Most employees at dealerships deal with the 99% of the population who are not Autopian just assume wash and detail everything not even thinking that someone would have a problem with it.
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Dealers tend to take sales contracts seriously. At least, that's been my experience.
 
bert31 said:
I would guess even if you told the sales manager and put it in writing, there is a good chance it will get detailed anyways..
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Yeah, get it in writing, but a verbal contract is still a contract.



If something's *not* right, talk to somebody in authority who can make the final decision.



Heh heh, few things get dealerships' attention faster than a customer explaining to the *owner* why he's refusing delivery and that he's fully prepared to get his attorneys involved. If you're lucky (as I was), the owner will be an honerable person anyhow and will side with you over the employee who was misbehaving.



If they do something that's not acceptable to you, or if something else isn't right, don't take the car. In the same light, don't give them title to a trade (or even your keys ;) ) until you're 100% satisfied that all is well.



Don't get so caught up in the new car delivery fever that you do something you'll regret later. I approach such things with the mindset that I may very well *NOT* be taking the new vehicle.
 
The protective coating is typically Cosmoline, it's a semi gel/oil based coating that prevents element damage to the paint during shipping and delivery.
 
OakesDetail said:
The protective coating is typically Cosmoline...
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I dunno...I've never seen *real* cosmoline used for applications like this. The Cosmoline I've worked with is *very* messy stuff that stains all kinds of materials; I've cleaned a lot of it off of, uhm.. various things over the years. I've hardly ever run across it other than in military applications, never seen it used by automakers.
 
I told my salesman if you prep the car I wont buy it. Plain and simple. I picked up my car and it was dirty as hell. I worked 6 hours on the paint that day, by nightfall the paint sparkled.When I went for my 1st service call my salesman seen the car and caught me in the waiting room he told me NOW he understands why I wanted an unprepped car.
 
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