[My02GrApHiTeIS300]

I got it last nite as u all read with the hood issue and noise which i thought i was abnormal. In any case I went to get my windows tinted and since it was day light i can see the car and color very clearly, on the ride side door as well as other parts of the car there are tons of scratches....like 6-8 on the whole car, not MAJOR but more visable when u stare at it since its a pearly color...further more...the black pillar by the driver side on the edges is wrinkly to where it looks soo weird...but yet the car was brand new....i dont get it so i called the dealer the manager said if we cant fix it well evne give u a new car no big deal...ill post pics tonite of the car and these scratchs as well....

____
notice how the pillar is wrinkly

 

[redGSRguy]

So the peoplel tinting your windows scratched it? Or did it come from the factory like that? At least they said they will fix it, good luck.

 

[My02GrApHiTeIS300]

reality is that i dont know...it just so happend that the tinting got done in day time and after he got done tinting i noticed but i was there the whole time n i dint see him do anything...but yet....i dont know...so i did bitch at him too and called lexus rite away...i DO think that how the piller is wrinkly might have been cuz of how he used the heat gun from outside and im willin to get bet he fucked that shit up without knowing....i cant do shit can i basically? but it would be nice if they give me a new car all over again as he said is always an option if lexus cant fix it. But as far as scratches there are like way too many for him to have done it but thas jus me

 

[chado]

that sucks dude

 

[picus]

The scratches were likely induced during prep. While not uniformly horrible, dealer washes are often some of the worst out there. That's why a lot of people prep their cars themselves. The dealer should be able to buff them out, just make sure they do it right.

 

[AndyL]

Hi,

I have been reading Club Lexus forum for quite a while but haven't had my first post until now.

So would people just don't let the dealer wash the car before the new car delivery?

I can understand that it is possible to have the dealer wash the car but not to wax the car. It is also possible to request the dealer not to take off whatever packaging material (such as the plastic wrapping of the leather seats) to avoid possible scratches done by the prep person. However, it would be a dirty car if you don't let them wash it unless they actually allow yourself to do it.

Just want to know how coz' it is also my concern, too.

Thanks!

 

[picus]

Hi,

I have been reading Club Lexus forum for quite a while but haven't had my first post until now.

So would people just don't let the dealer wash the car before the new car delivery?

I can understand that it is possible to have the dealer wash the car but not to wax the car. It is also possible to request the dealer not to take off whatever packaging material (such as the plastic wrapping of the leather seats) to avoid possible scratches done by the prep person. However, it would be a dirty car if you don't let them wash it unless they actually allow yourself to do it.

Just want to know how coz' it is also my concern, too.

Thanks!

Yes. On my last 4 news cars I've specifically requested no prep work be done. You have to really make sure they "hear" you, or they'll do it anyway. So when I arrived to pick them up they looked like they looked when they got loaded on to the boat - covered in plastic and generally pretty dirty. You've got to be willing to spend ~6-8 hours prepping them yourself though (removing the plastic, washing, claying, polishing, waxing). Yes, it's a little obsessive, but what can I say? I like clean cars and I just don't trust dealer prep.

If the cars already been prepped (plastic off, washed, sitting on the lot), I'd just tell them not to wash/wax it before I picked it up. The idea is to have them touch it as little as possible.

 

[OneHump]

Mine should arrive today. I told them "plastic on". There are three reasons for this:

1. They could destroy your paint when the pull the plastic off. Careless people could be dragging their belt buckles up along the side of your car, or scratching your paint with rings, shirt buttons, etc. What about those rivets on your jeans?? Most people don't think about these things, which is why your paint will end up scratched.

2. The washing process most people use is a nightmare. Again, most people don't think about these things. They pick up a few pieces of dirt off your car then continue to drag them across the paint. A lot of washers will toss their mits on the ground or into a bucket of dirty water, pulling out a virtual piece of sandpaper. Instant swirls.

3. If you leave the plastic on, they won't "show" your car in their showroom or lot. Nosey customers won't be dragging their belt buckles across your paint, touching your car, or going inside to fiddle with things.

In my case, I'll take delivery within 2 hours of it coming off the truck. It takes a customer 2 minutes to ruin your paint while leaning up against your car. It will take you 5 minutes to pull the plastic off.

The bottom line is that no one is going to treat your car like you will, no matter how careful they say they are going to be.

Good luck to you. I really hope they work that out for you.

 

[OneHump]

Yes. On my last 4 news cars I've specifically requested no prep work be done. You have to really make sure they "hear" you, or they'll do it anyway. So when I arrived to pick them up they looked like they looked when they got loaded on to the boat - covered in plastic and generally pretty dirty. You've got to be willing to spend ~6-8 hours prepping them yourself though (removing the plastic, washing, claying, polishing, waxing). Yes, it's a little obsessive, but what can I say? I like clean cars and I just don't trust dealer prep.

If the cars already been prepped (plastic off, washed, sitting on the lot), I'd just tell them not to wash/wax it before I picked it up. The idea is to have them touch it as little as possible.

Picus, I saw pictures of your car, and remember you saying it wasnt washed yet. Did the dealer wash it? It looked pretty good. I'm sure it looked much better after some Picus magic.

 

[WNorkle]

Isn't this just a little anal? Are you planning to wrap your car in plastic everytime you leave parked in front of 7-11 so people don't lean up against it or open their doors into it when they park too close? Will you be moving a cot outside so you can keep an eye on "your baby" 24 hrs a day? Will you be establishing a "no road debris" zone around your car to deflect the gravel and shit that will inevitably get thrown up at it?

It's just a car.

Obsess if you want to. It will get marked - No matter what you do.

 

[J.El]

Damn bad luck...

 

[OneHump]

Isn't this just a little anal? Are you planning to wrap your car in plastic everytime you leave parked in front of 7-11 so people don't lean up against it or open their doors into it when they park too close? Will you be moving a cot outside so you can keep an eye on "your baby" 24 hrs a day? Will you be establishing a "no road debris" zone around your car to deflect the gravel and shit that will inevitably get thrown up at it?

It's just a car.

Obsess if you want to. It will get marked - No matter what you do.

I think it's real anal for some; probably most. Check out autopia.org if you want to see anal.

My take on it is this: If I want to keep my $50,000 (OTD) car looking good, I need to give it the best chance I can. Sure, it's going to get hit by road debris, and suffer from wear and tear. A lot of that can be avoided by caring for your paint and trying to avoid unnecessary damage.

The vast majority of the public simply drive and wash their cars. If you put one of those cars next to one that was properly taken care of, the difference will be astounding.

Personally, I don't want scratches in my new car.

Edit: It would be great if Picus could link to his before/after G35 pics. Those would show the immense difference between a swirly/pitted finish, and one that was cared for.

 

[picus]

Picus, I saw pictures of your car, and remember you saying it wasnt washed yet. Did the dealer wash it? It looked pretty good. I'm sure it looked much better after some Picus magic.

Which picture do you mean? I'm not sure. Here is my thread over on autopia with pretty much all the pics, though.

http://autopia.org/forum/showthread.php?t=61821

Unless you meant something else?

By the by - most people that saw that car after I first washed it (first pic) said "it looks fine!" or something to that effect. I've had lots of customers say to me in e-mails "Hey can you do my 1998 Lexus SC300, it's in great shape I'm just selling it and need a wash/wax" then they get it here and it looks like it drove through a jungle of razorblades, they just don't see the scratches, swirls, etches, rock chips, fading, oxidation, etc...that is until it's all gone and it has a better than new finish.

Isn't this just a little anal? Are you planning to wrap your car in plastic everytime you leave parked in front of 7-11 so people don't lean up against it or open their doors into it when they park too close? Will you be moving a cot outside so you can keep an eye on "your baby" 24 hrs a day? Will you be establishing a "no road debris" zone around your car to deflect the gravel and shit that will inevitably get thrown up at it?

It's just a car.

Obsess if you want to. It will get marked - No matter what you do.

To each their own.I pretty much echo what OneHump said. Saying "the car will get marked, don't bother" is akin to saying "why do upkeep on a house? The paint will peel, shutters will fall off, shingles will fly away, driveway will crack anyway, so what's the point?" I guess the point is we like our stuff to look nice.

Anyway, I don't freak out if my car gets a scratch or anything. Actually if you check that post above you'll see the shape I bought my last used car in. I just like to try to minimize the chance it will get marred, so I do things like not let dealers wash it with their 3 year old bristle brushes, get a clear bra, don't drive behind huge semi's spitting up rocks, etc... In the case of the prep, I like doing that stuff. It's a like a hobby, so why not, right? Sure, I park in a parking garage so of course it gets dirty, people brush against it, car doors ding it. It happens, and when it does I just fix it up.

And yes, I enjoy when my car looks good. I've been accused of being a little ocd about it, but everyone has their thing. Mine is working on my cars and keeping them running and looking nice.

Cheers.

 

[froggums]

When I got my 300, I had a lot of paint warping on the bottom, and they wouldn't do mch about it. So now my stock side skirts are warping towards the bottom. I don't know how to fix it Anyways...the dealer would be the worst people to fix it, but the best place to go to incase it is a lemon...

 

[itz_jOw3]

damm... talk about bad luck

 

[chancellor842]

take it back that is BS for a brand new car you payed a shit load of money for.

 

[chado]

anyone who thinks keeping their car looking good is too anal doesn't belong on this board IMO!

 

[revster]

It's just a car.

Not to the membership of this forum. :suspiciou

 

[AndyL]

Hi Picus,

You've given me a good insight. I have never thought about leaving the plastic on the exterior of the paint of a brand new car upon delivery. I usually ask the dealer not to take off the plastic inside the car.

I am also picky and don't trust the dealers as well. Just like what other people have said in this thread, it is a nightmare for the dealer to wash your car and you don't really want to see them doing it.

My current IS300 when I bought it, I also found some long swirls on the rear bumper (the top portion) which make me realize how careless they wash the car.

But if keeping the plastic on the exterior, how could you ensure that the dealer don't get the paint marred when they do the pre-delivery mechanical work? The plastic is usually on the top portion of the car and not on the sides?

Thanks

 

[picus]

You can't protect it 100%. All you can do it make it clear that you will not accept a car that has marring on it. It's almost impossible for them *not* to marr the car if they prep it, so I just tell them to skip that, do the mechanical inspection (I don't think that's option), but that if I do find scratches (like the ones now pictured above) I will not accept the car. As for how careless they are, the thing is they just don't get it. The folks prepping the car are (sorry young guys) often teenagers who just do what they're told, and what they're told is to wash and wax it with the toosl the dealer provides, which are brushes that are often worse than the ones you seen in coin-operated washes.

My02GrApHiTeIS300 - I am not sure what that wrinkly black stuff is, it could be plastic on the b-pillar that they dealer neglected to remove or a mess up by the tinter. On the other hand, I am almost positive that those scratches can be buffed out rather easily. This one looks to be the worst, as in the deepest.

http://my.is/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=4940

but even it looks like it will come right out with a good polish. The problem for you is it is just as likely the tinter scratched it, so you can't demand a new car. I would take it to the dealer, show them the damage (scratches) and tell them you would like them to buff the scratches out. Make it clear you will be inspecting their work. When they are done make sure the scratches are gone then put your car in the sunniest place you can and make sure there are no buffer holograms on it. Holograms are like the calling cards of dealership detailers. They look like this:

See the weird holographic looking patter of up and down swoops? That's from improper buffing. It will remove scratches, but at the same time produces weird looking holograms (which are actually millions of tiny scratches in a pattern). This is probably the thing I see most often when cleaning new cars. I'm not trying to freak you out, just make you aware.

Given Lexus dealers reputation I think they'll buff it, and if you make sure they know you won't accept a poor job, they will do it right.

Good luck.