rct@inuxc.UUCP (Robert True) (10/11/83)
I'm getting ready to take delivery on a new car and the salesman told me to be sure to use a non-detergent wax. He said that a detergent wax could ruin the paint sealant. Does anyone in netland know what waxes are non-detergent? I never knew any such classification existed. I would appreciate any comments, Thanks. inuxc!rct
bauern@houxa.UUCP (10/13/83)
I am posting this in response to the query about car wax, but thought that I'd include some flames as well. I just bought a Toyota Celica and also had questions about how to care for its finish. After carefully reading the labels on the more popular brands of waxes and polishes, I could find few which did not contain an abrasive mixed in with the wax. I settled on SIMONIZ BodyGard liquid wax. This stuff comes in paste or liquid, contains silicon as well as wax and claims to be 'low-friction'. Beware of those which say 'cleans' 'polishes' or such. If and when my car does need cleaning, there are auto polishes made to do that. ******** FLAME ON ********** Many (all?) dealers I talked to had a very hard sell to have their new car customers have undercoating, rust prevention, paint protection and interior protection done for ~$500 or so. My first and hottest flame is against paint protection. I couldn't find *anything* which proved that it is *worthwhile*. My sources were: their information, manufacturer's reports, Consumer's Reports, friend's experiences and firsthand experiences. It doesn't protect against ultraviolet radiation (fading), acid rain (esp. here in Jersey), or anything more than a good wax job would protect against (such as dirt and abrasion). Also, the paint protection seems to last only a year or so, according to friends and consumer reports, mostly the former. I'd recommend washing and waxing your car as often as it needs it, leaving the interval to your discretion, and saving the money for other things. As to the rustproofing and undercoating part of the package. I was called a number of national businesses which only do the above. I ended up having my car done at Ziebart for $219 (as opposed to dealers quotes of ~$350). They did a complete job, and will provide touch-ups every year for free for as long as I own my car. I used the word complete because every dealer package car I have looked at has missed places, or just ignored them, except for those dealers who use Rusty Jones. I chose Ziebart over Rusty Jones because of the yearly maintenance and previous personal experience. I bought a couple of cans of ScotchGuard (TM) for $4 apiece and waterproofed the interior myself. It wasn't hard and didn't smell too bad, and it was cheaper than the $65 part of the package deal. In short, DON'T LET THE DEALER DO IT!!!! I have heard rumors of lawsuits in Penn. where the customers were forced into the package deals, but have no more information on that. DISCLAIMER: The above opinions are of course mine, not my company's, and other than saving you money and possibly grief, I have nothing to gain if you take the above advise. Of course, if doing so saves you lots of money, you could share some with me ;-). houxa!bauern
dave@ihu1f.UUCP (10/13/83)
I agree with P. Bauernfiend. No paint sealant is better than routine washing and waxing. The only benefit I found from Ziebart's paint sealant, is the machine buffing of the new paint during the application. This polishing is what makes it look good. After 5 to 10 hand washings, the sealer is gone. I found the Turtle Wax 15 minute ( if you have a very little car ) spray in the blue bottle works well for good looks and also lasts 5 to 10 hand washings. Go with Ziebart for rust proving. It comes down to workmanship. Car dealers don't have workmanship after they have your money. At Ziebart, you pay for the service. In my case, the paint sealant was free in a package deal.
andyb@dartvax.UUCP (10/14/83)
I've never heard of non-detergent waxes either. Maybe he meant non-
abrasive. (I'm thinking of the kind of wax described by "cleans as it
polishes").
Andy Behrens
decvax!dartvax!andybhlh@linus.UUCP (Henry L. Hall) (10/15/83)
While I have a tendency to believe what was said about
those so called paint treatments one that seems to have lasted
so far for about 1.5 yrs., (that's as long as I've had the car so
far). It's put out by a company called Total Systems Technology
out of Pittsburgh and comes with a 5 yr. warranty against chipping
and flaking. So far I've had no problems with it and water still
beads quite well, but as they say, only time will tell. I also
had the car undercoated by Rusty Jones who do provide a nationwide
network of dealers who will inspect the car after the first 6 mnths.
and once a year after that for the life of the car. Price for the
Rusty Jones treatment was ~ $250 from the dealer who brought the car
to an authorised Rusty Jones facility (I noticed the extra miles on
the odometer). Again, only time will tell.
BTW, in 1980 (not a severe winter), the state of New Hampshire
poured an average of 1 ton of salt on their freeways/highway-mile
(not including back roads).
From the land where it snows alot,
Henry Hall
{allegra, cbosgd, decvax, ihnp4} !linus!hlhjsf007@trsvax.UUCP (10/21/83)
#R:inuxc:-80000:trsvax:55200020:000:423 trsvax!jsf007 Oct 13 08:10:00 1983 I don't know whether Rain Dance has detergent in it, but every body and paint repair man I have ever talked to uses it on their own car. Con- sumer reports liked it best. It is the only wax I have ever used on my car now for four years, and it has done nothing to damage the paint (it was a year when GM warned that certain enviornments might damage the paint finish). 'Nuff said Steve Fintel ...!trsvax!jsf007