barry@ihuxt.UUCP (Rich Barry) (04/12/84)
The car issue of Consumer Reports (4/84) says that people should avoid "packs" when buying a new car from the dealer. Packs include things like dealer prep, the polyglycote type wax finish, and rustproofing. The rustproofing part surprised me. Does anyone know why CU doesn't recommend rustproofing? I know that some rustproofing is provided in a new car's warranty, but is that as much protection as a Rusty Jones, Ziebart, etc. job? Or does a dealer just charge too much for rustproofing? Rich Barry ihuxt!barry
mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton) (04/13/84)
CU's position has always been that the coat of paint on your car is the best protection you have, and that rustproofing doesn't really help that much, that it's just an expensive option the dealers add. Rustproofers offer a warrantee, but they say that if the car rusts when it's properly taken care of, it should go on the mfrs warrantee. I don't happen to agree with them. Their attitude seems to be that you will buy a new car every 3 years. I prefer to take good care of a car and expect it to last nearly forever. (I'm from California where the reason a car dies is the engine gives out, after 10 or 15 years.) I don't think rustproofing is a substitute for good auto care, but it can stretch out the length the car lasts. (I do not think you should rustproof unless you live where they salt the streets in the winter.) I wash my car in the winter every time it gets above freezing, and make sure to get the underbody spray to get all the salty gunk washed off the bottom. (In our Shell car wash, you have to get a "hot wax" to get underbody spray.) Also, it's very important to get it fixed if you get a dent or ding, any hole in the paint is a spot for rust to start. If you can't do the body work, at least dab some touch up paint on it. Also keeping a good coat of wax on your body helps protect the paint, which is protecting the steel. So far it's worked: our 2.5 year old Accord has no signs of rust at all. My father in law, whom I learned this strategy from, has a 79 Aspen with no rust either, and he lives close enough to Lake Erie to get significant snow. He says his cars never rust out from under him. Mark
ron@brl-vgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (04/13/84)
Polyglycote and rustproofing are good ideas. Having the dealer do them is not. It is just a thing to sell you at an inflated price at the last minute. Take your car directly from the dealer to Ziebart (or whoever) and save yourself some money. Rustproofing waranties are not contingent on dealer rustproofing. Factory rustproofing is a different story. This is theoretically done as the car is being assembled but I don't know if anyone is still doing it. "Undercoating" is the biggest ripoff in the world. Nearly every dealer will try to foist this on to you. Not only is the price inflated, it is not really an adequate rustproofing job. -Ron (Z-barted and Mirror Glazed) Natalie
lute@abnjh.UUCP (J. Collymore) (04/13/84)
I don't think that polyglycoat is worthwhile. I once had an auto-body shop explain "polyglycoating" to me, and I found out you can do the equivalent. Simply take a good quality polymer car wax (after washing your car thoroughly) and put on the wax (preferrably in shade in temperature 60-75 degrees F). Buff to a high shine. Let it stand for 15-20 minutes. Apply a second coat of wax. Polish to a high shine, and PRESTO!! You have "polyglycoated" your car! When I did this to my car, I wanted to see how long this finish would last. I used the number of months (or weeks) it would cause rain-water to bead up as my criterion. As I recall, the finish repelled water rather well for about 4-5 months. A can of such wax costs only about $10, and you won't use much of the can either. Not a bad deal. Also, a thing to remember about "sealing" your car from moisture with a wax or whatever, is that a chip or a scratch is probably sufficent to "break the seal." So you'll lose your protection eventually anyway, from normal wear and tear on the car's exterior. As for rustproofing, if you live in an area that doesn't use much salt on the roads in winter, or where there's no salt air (i.e. by the sea), or you only plan to keep your car for 2-3 years, rustproofing may not serve you much purpose. (Don't most cars come with a 1 to 2 year anti-rust warranty, anyway?) As a final disclaimer, these are only my opinions. You may want to speak to your mechanic before you make a final decision. Jim Collymore
mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton) (04/13/84)
You should not view undercoating as a rustproofing method. You should view it as a noise suppresser. It can cut down on road noise if you get a sufficiently thick coat. This might have some benefits in protecting your chassis against rust, too, but that's not what it is best at.
ron@brl-vgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (04/14/84)
Yes you can do the poly coat yourself. Just by one of the waxes...they are known as Polyglycoat, Mirror Glaze, etc...You can get them at K-mart.
obrien@randvax.ARPA (Michael O'Brien) (04/23/84)
I would mention two things about polyglycoating: 1) Yes, you can certainly do it yourself, but you either have to be in practice, or very careful, to get an even coat everywhere on the car. 2) It really does seal the paint in plastic, and some versions of it soak into the paint. If there is ANY water anywhere on the car, you've just sealed it in with the paint, where it will work on the car body forever, rain or shine. On the whole I would therefore disagree with CU, and say that it's a good idea, but best performed either by pros, or by owners with a penchant for fanaticism.
andrew@inmet.UUCP (04/24/84)
#R:ihuxt:-40600:inmet:22100007:000:398
inmet!andrew Apr 22 12:23:00 1984
CU opposes dealer-installed rustproofing basically because the dealers do
such a poor job applying it. Recent investigations by the Attorney General
offices in New York and Maine disclosed that 5 out of 6 dealer rustproofing
jobs were inadequate. If you want it done, take it to an independent
rustproofing specialist.
Andrew W. Rogers, Intermetrics ...{harpo|ihnp4|ima|esquire}!inmet!andrew