New Car Prep "detailers"

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xpditor

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I'm expecting my new Acura TL (black) to arrive from the factory next week. I don't want the prep guys to mess up my new paint. Should I request they not use an electric polisher? I don't want to start out with swirls on a new car.



What do you recommend? Also, I'm well stocked with (mostly) Zaino products in anticipation of my new baby's arrival. I have heard that new vehicles are now painted with water-based paint (for environmental issues) and that it is both more brittle and takes longer to fully dry/cure.



How long should I wait (if at all) before I go to town on this freshly painted surface? It was painted 3-31-2004.
 
Tell them straight out that the car is not to go near the prep dept. I told the dealership that if my Lancer was even washed that i would refuse delivery on it. He thought i was joking....



Lets just say that the new one was never washed or anything :)
 
Total agreement with tpgsr. Don't even let them touch the finish on your new car. I've worked at a dealer or two over the years (sales/repair) and have yet to see a dealer with any concept of how to treat a finish. If you look around here, you'll see nothing but horror stories about dealer's treatment of people's cars. There may be decent ones out there, but they must be well kept secrets. I'd make them put in writing that you can refuse the car if they so much as wash it, and don't cave in on the issue.
 
When I ordered my car I left specific instructions for my sales guy that under no circumstances did I want my car washed by the dealership. Of course they did not listen, I would have refused the car, had I not waited seven months for it, and the fact it was the last year of production for the Camaro. It still pisses me off today that my instructions were not followed.
 
Write into the contract that the car is not to be waxed and make the salesman, sales manager and general mahager sign off on it. Make sure it includeds 'sale is null and void if any buffer swirls are present" or words to that effect.
 
The sales lady told me she would call me when the car came in before they even took the protective plastic off it. It would be strange to drive it home in that condition. Plus there's a lot of cardboard and protective stuff on the interior. Do you suggest I remove that myself or let them do it?



Also, they owe me pin-stripe in the deal. It is an Acura TL and now I'm not sure a pin stripe is going to look good on that car. Car is black. Pin strip would be gold. Whaddya think?
 
No pin stripe, please ;)



Sounds like you've got the detailing under control. The reason they're so married to the detail is because the cleanliness of the car is an item in the CSI (Customer Service Index) survey you'll be getting in the mail. If just ONE of those questions is not marked "excellent" Acura will completely fail the entire survey. Holdback deals, allocations, many things are contingent on the dealership and the salesperson's CSI score.



Here's what you tell them, have the salesman, the sales manager and the general manager sign off and tell them if the car is delivered as you expected they will recieve a flawless CSI survey. If its not, they will not and you will send a letter to Acura with the failed survery explaining how their disregard for your wishes saddened you.



Mark my words, they will not touch the car with a 10 foot pole.



I see nothing wrong with them taking all the covers off the interior, but dont let them touch the exterior because its black.
 
It's all true!



The CSI info is spot on.



Loose the Pin Stripes, negotiate for something else, such as extra floormats.



The paint is completely cured at the factory, no worries there.



Take delivery (inspection) late on a sunny day, with wraps still on.



G'luck!



Jim
 
Not sure what they use to wash these things?
Click to expand...



What, haven't you been listening? We use wet sponges dipped in sand! :D



Really, where I've worked for the past 12 years is the BEST I've ever seen, and I still see things that make me cringe.





Tom
 
I say no to the pinstripong. Also say no to the prep. I actually lucked out on my prep, whatever was done was done correctly. A little residue here and there but nothing I wasn't able to take care of.

Good luck with the new TL :D .....and Welcome to Autopia :wavey



OMG LouisanaJeeper !! I don't like that option :(
 
GoodnClean said:
No pin stripe, please ;)



Sounds like you've got the detailing under control. The reason they're so married to the detail is because the cleanliness of the car is an item in the CSI (Customer Service Index) survey you'll be getting in the mail. If just ONE of those questions is not marked "excellent" Acura will completely fail the entire survey. Holdback deals, allocations, many things are contingent on the dealership and the salesperson's CSI score.
Click to expand...



Heh heh , after requesting no prep the dealer did comply and interestingly I never got the survey in the mail. I've had the car for almost a year. The dealer's probably afraid I'll give them a low mark even though I requested they never touch it
 
I talked to the new car detailers at the Acura dealer today. I told them I was probably going to take the car "as is" with just the pre-delivery inspection. They acknowledged that some buyer will do that. They also were working on a black car while I was there. They indicated they had just clay barred it because of rail dust. Then they used "Black Magic" polish. (I'm not familiar with it) The car looked very good and they seemed to be dedecated to doing a good job. They did not use a long-handled brush as the service washers do. They had sheepskin mits.



I think I will let them remove all the plastic covering inside and out, and perhaps hose it off, but I will feel better if I bring it home and do the polish myself. My stash of Zaino is waiting.



The detail guys even complained that they had a black car from another dealer on a trade and had to do it all over again because it was not acceptable to them the way they had done it. "It's got swirl marks all over it," they grumbled.



So what is Black Magic? Any good? He indicated it was specifically for black cars. At lease, that's all they used it on.
 
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