New Car - Paint Protection

[MushiSushi]

Hi All,

So I've been told that Paint Protection from the stealership is overpriced. I'm picking up our new car this week and I'm trying to find out what I should do.

Lexus wants to charge $2100 for 3M, Paint and Leather Protections.

Should I do this elsewhere?

Any recommendations on location, types of treatments?

Thanks,
Ed

[88CRX]

Icon or Shadow seem to be the unanimous choice around here. I personally use Icon for all my tinting/vinyl needs.

[MushiSushi]

Originally posted by 88CRX
Icon or Shadow seem to be the unanimous choice around here. I personally use Icon for all my tinting/vinyl needs.

Thanks!

What about actual paint protection/sealers? I've heard people rave about opticoat but I've never used it before.

[Mitsu3000gt]

+1 for Shadow tint for the 3M.

Just clay bar the car yourself and put on a good quality paint sealant, no need to purchase the dealer "paint protection". If you don't want to do it yourself, I'm sure you can find a detail shop to do it cheaper than the dealer. I like Menzerna products for casual use, but there are tons of good ones at all kinds of price levels that claim to last a long time. You can end up paying quite a bit for some stuff as well.

Rust protection is another joke. If you read the fine print, it basically voids the warranty for 99% of the population.

A friend of mine recently bought a new Hyundai, and as soon as the mentioned he didn't want the protection packages, the prices instantly halved lol. What bothers me is how ready they were to take advantage of someone who hasn't done their homework, and I would be taking it somewhere else to get it done regardless.

[gpomp]

Originally posted by MushiSushi


Thanks!

What about actual paint protection/sealers? I've heard people rave about opticoat but I've never used it before. Is Lexus offering to put opti coat on the car or just a generic "paint sealant"?

[MushiSushi]

I'm pretty sure its just the basic stuff.

The price for just 3m is about the same as shadowtint. I might get it done at the dealer so it can be applied right away. Plus I would only have one person to deal with.

Maybe I'll hold off on the paint sealant. Doesn't hurt to do it later right? Just needs to be cleaned really well?

[gpomp]

Paint sealant from the dealership is always a big rip off. They probably put $5 worth of sealant on and charge you a few hundred dollars for it. You can put sealant on any car, new or used, as long as the surface has been prepped for proper bonding. The dealer will probably skip the prep step and just slap the sealant on.

[Heru-Farukon]

Working at a dealership everything is a totally rip.
And me also doing 3m in house at our dealership. It's a rip off from the dealer.

It's cheaper if you buy from shadow tint as that's where they would normally sublet the job out anyways.


I would only buy undercoating and 3M (I would sorta spend the extra money on doing windshield forward option -Full hood, full fenders, mirrors, headlights, bumper- and xpel ultimate)

[ExtraSlow]

Icon or Shadow for the protection film, a quality detailer for the decontamination and a paint protection coating.

[theedge111]

Contact Jed at mobile reflections, he did my new car prep / opticoat on my 2014 S4, I couldn't be happier with his work!

[InRich]

Originally posted by theedge111
Contact Jed at mobile reflections, he did my new car prep / opticoat on my 2014 S4, I couldn't be happier with his work!

mmm I had him do both my 427 and my X5, and I was very happy. hes doing my BMW again this year... The dealership decided to wash my car last time I left it there, and owned her. So their paying for a redo.

[MushiSushi]

Sweet, thanks everyone.

I've opted to get the 3m done at the dealership, the did work our a deal for the full front which was a bit less then shadowtint's quote (though shadowtint probably does a better job). I just don't want to risk a rock chip over the next few days.

I also contacted Jed and left a voicemail. I'm guessing he's probably pretty busy this time of year. We'll see how it pans out.

Thanks again!