any comments on mazda's "finishing touch"?

[krillin]

hey,

one of my clients is a sales manager for irvine mazda. as some of you already know, i purchased a black msp not so long ago. when i purchased it(from cerritos) they offered me an option called "the finishing touch". i figured it was some sort of protective coating on the car and i asked this person at irvine what it was. he told me it was basically some type of teflon coating(DuPont) that they put on the outside of the car, they also do something to the inside. when i got my car they wanted 600 or so for it so i didn't get it. i told the sales manager and he said he could do mine for 195. does anyone have any thoughts on it? is it worth 195 bucks? i already have a couple of clearcoat scratches. would they cover those clearcoat scratches THEN put on this teflon coat? i know at least one other person on this forum was bought a msp with it. i just can't remember who it was.

i basically wanna know what the pros/cons are, and also wanna know if it's worth $195. thanks in advance.

 

[rs200]

Louis - IMHO do not get it - more of a marketing gimmick then anything. Even at $200 the dealer is still reaming your a$$(to put it more bluntly). A fairly good sealant like Klasse/Zaino will do the job. As for the clearcoat scratches - get Zaino Z5 or even meguiars swirl mark remover to help get rid of surface scratches(simplifying things somewhat).

If you're concerned about rock chips(especially in the front fascia of the car) - I recommend getting Xpel or Stoneguard.

Here's a quote I got from another message board

"If you really want that "Teflon" ...Find a bottle of the stuff or equivalent online. I say equivalent because the dealers stuff is "supposed"to be something real special w/ Teflon and all. It is a sealant, period. Then wash, clay, chemically clean the paint and then give it about three coats of polish THEN put the Teflon stuff on. You know the dealer isn't going to take the time to prep the surface properly. They will hose it off, blow off the water with compressed air, slap the stuff on and stiff you seven hundred bucks for seven bucks worth of sealant and one hours work"

I'll see you on friday - yes I overheard your conversation with Russ(I believe)

 

[krillin]

bleh, joseph. shouldn't you be asleep? i just thought i'd check up on this since i'd be getting a 600 dollar option for 195. i'm still doing research. oh, jeffrey drove my car home so all was good. i'll think about that stoneguard though.

 

[Newf]

Seen something on this on tv last week. CAn't remember what show. Basically they said the same thing as rs200 did and finished with:

Teflon is for pots and pans. Don't waste your time putting it on your car

They showed a couple of cars that had their paint screwed up from it. Couldn't really see it on tv, but apparantly it made the car really dull. First I heard of this, but hey, we don't have the stuff here so what do I know.

 

[Hachiman]

The Finishing Touch, according to multiple dealers I've spoken to, is not Teflon. (Oddly enough, one of the dealers was Irvine, as you know. ) It's a mixture of carnuba and a few other sealants to protect the exterior from acid rain, bird poop and other stuff. They also seal the inside with something to keep stains and spills off - much like a ScotchGuard sealant.

I got it for $225, so I went with it. Why? They guarantee the interior and exterior (from chips, fading, spills, etc.) for 5 years. 5 years of protection for that price is worth it, IMHO.

I got it done before picking up my car, so I don't know about the scratch deal.

- John

 

[turboge]

Wow, 5 years of protection guaranteed from 1 treatment! I'd be all over that as long as it's in writing! If my dealer offers it I might just hit them up, nothing like a full warranty for rock chips!!

 

[mazdadan]

That's what i'm talking about. If my dealer offered that, I would have gotten it in a heartbeat. My front end has a whole buffet of stone chips.

 

[nmaino]

I agree with John. I got mine, called ArmerAll for $395. A little expnsive yes, but worth the money. I have a 5 year guarantee; if the paint fades on ANY part of the car, they will either repaint it, or replace the part. Same with the interior. And yes, I did get this in writing, it is called a contract.

 

[I-Am-Chris]

wow thats expensive! of course i paid $299 for tint from the dealer

 

[timrock101]

$1647.00 for ten years protection ,inside and out, including a second undercoating.

 

[rs200]

Louis - "IF" you can get the dealer to warranty rock chips, paint chips, paint overspray, paint fading, interior protection ...etc for the amount of $200 for the next five years - then by(with great reservation) all means get it.

Make "sure" they put everything in writing - nothing worse than coming back for warranty coverage when it's not cover "but" heard said sale manager promise you it'll be covered.

Talked with my friend(service manager @ Bob Baker Lexus) regarding exterior paint protection warranties. Like Hachiman mentioned it's not teflon but a wax that is "teflon-like" - the paint protection is nothing more than wax/polymer sealant - application is buffed on like wax, surface is then inspected for uniformity, then buffed out to a mirror finish - finally the the surface is cured under a special light(heat lamp). They also suggested you "renew" the car every six months or so with a "renewer" which is non-abrasive wax/sealant. The interior protection on cloth - it's just a scotchguard type material they spray into the seats/floor mats/carpet.

You can pretty much go to walmart or target and buy a can of scotchguard for $5 and a good quality sealant(Klasse/Zaino) for $40 and do-it-yourself.


Here's a quote:
Teflon is a marketing gimmick as far as exterior car care products are concerned. "In short the Teflon resin MUST be applied at 640 degree to "sinter" to the surface, ie bond with the surface. So unless your car is literally on fire when it's applied it will do nothing. Can the telfon resin be wiped onto an automotive finish? Yes. Will it play any role in protecting that finish? No. It's just more marketing mumbo jumbo designed to fool unsuspecting people into spending their money."

 

[VPower]

I got it for $225, so I went with it. Why? They guarantee the interior and exterior (from chips, fading, spills, etc.) for 5 years. 5 years of protection for that price is worth it, IMHO.

I got it done before picking up my car, so I don't know about the scratch deal.

- John

WHY I never got it from my dealer?

what is it? is it the thing that look like a transparent tape taht fit on your hood and all the rest?

 

[changedman]

Its most likely a high margin product for the dealer, and they are making a lot of money off of it. Its not something you need at all. (hello- car has clearcoat already!) The dealer just makes you think you need it, and apparently, is doing a good job.

Its just like when you go get an oil change and they try and sell you engine flushes, gas additives that are BS, etc.

BTW, the FTC has actually published materials (ftc.gov) that state that flushes and additives such as the ones I mentioned above can actually do more HARM than good. There is NO scientific evidence that these products work. Its a gimmick, and companies are making huge bucks because people think the products work! But its all in their heads

Here is A LOT of proof:
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1999/9909/shellcastrol.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/gasavealrt.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/autos/gasave.htm

This was interesting: Mazda got fined... BIG TIME!
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1999/9909/mazdafinal.htm

 

[rs200]

WHY I never got it from my dealer?

what is it? is it the thing that look like a transparent tape taht fit on your hood and all the rest?

The paint protection they're talking about here is the "teflon-like" wax application put on cars - supposedly to protect from paint chip...etc .

The transparent tape/film like Xpel or Stoneguard are put on high-impact areas like the front fascia, portion of the hood, headlight, fog lights and passenger/driver side mirrors. Think of it as an invisible car bra.

 

[VPower]

*sigh*

I have a bug deflector...and one tinny chip on the hood...

does a "wax" like that can protect again chips?

oh yeah, one more thing... do you guys think that my bug defletor going to turn my hood into a 2 tones?

 

[turboge]

Have you guys ever seen or tried "magnetbra.com" I was looking into this as its a way to protect against chips and it'll blend in with the black car. For $45 it doesn't seem bad.

 

[krillin]

yeh, i saw someone mention those a while back. what happens if someone steals it though? ;p