Hi all,

Just purchased my "dream" car - a 2006 Laguna Blue Pearl S2000, and the paint and color are just fantastic - I've got so many compliments on the color. Obviously this is my baby, and I want to keep it looking A+. At the dealership when I picked up the car, it was suggested that I pay $495 to "Simoniz" the car. Apparently they would apply a clearcoat containing Teflon, that would protect the paint from damage, and ensure its luster. I turned them down at the time, and was told I had 14 days to take advantage of this.

Research online suggests that the treatment isn't worth it. However, some believe that it may be worth it for the warranty. What do yoy guys think? My thoughts are that if it protects against rock chips and such, then it might be worth it (I do quite a bit of hwy driving). If it doesn't then (IMO) it's time to bust out some good ole wax, and start waxing away.

Just looking for your suggestions. If you suggest wax, can you recommend any brands/procedures suitable for a new car? A link to an applicable thread would work great as well. THanks.

 

Waste of money.

 

Here's an article from CNN Money and it talks about extended warranties, rustproofing and a lot of the stuff dealers offer. Personally, it don't think it's worth it.
The treatment will not protect against chips from road debris - if you want that, I would highly suggest Paint Protection Film (PPF) commonly known as clearbra. What they are offering is probably a sealant and semi-annually/annually it has to be reapplied by the dealer/third party for a lower cost. You can probably get the same thing from a pro detailer with better results.

There are numerous products available on the market that will provide durability and shine. It depends on the look you want. There are a number of folks here that have a wealth of knowledge about detailing and they are more than willing to offer recommendations and suggestions. Best suggestion I can make at this point is to browse through the forum and do a search on products to see what the members prefer. Here's a thread to start you off with.

 

Here are some pics of what a well detailed vehicle can look like

 

I second everything Hawhyen said (I seem to say that a lot haha).

 

i also read on here somewhere about the teflon fiasco...basically saying it is great for pots and pans that have had it baked into the metal at 600+ degrees...but w/out that extreme heat it is essentially not bonding to anything and is simply a marketing gimmick. save your cash and invest that money into a Porter Cable 7424 buffer and supplies!