[CU2] Black car, what to do?

Actually I did asked the dealer before regarding this... And the response...
1. If I purchase the Honda Insurance, then the paint protection is included and will be reaply when I make a claim
2. They offer me another product which will fix any small damage to the car and paint protection (cant remember the name, coz I'm not really interested at all) She show me some before and after pics of small section of cars with paint protection with scratch, etc If I purchase this "insurance" product.

Well... all the best with the fix mate...

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Originally Posted by avantgarde84

After telling me what good the paint protection will do for my car and the lifetime warranty, I was sold.

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The chick was hot, wasn't she? They sucked you in good!!!!

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Originally Posted by avantgarde84

Ended up paying something like $500+ (discounted apparently) for the paint protection and another $300+ for leather interior protection.

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Fark me dead! :eek:

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Originally Posted by Type R Positive

The chick was hot, wasn't she? They sucked you in good!!!!

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HAHAHA, the one who offered me the product was hot as well!!! Lucky I went and sit together with my wife :p Save me another $1200!!! XD

Yeah, the $2000 I was quoted was for some complete paint, interior and rust protection package. Could not believe how much they were asking! Especially considering that improvements in clear coat technology means they are more durable so sealants/waxes are not really as necessary as they used to be on paint without clear coat, and all cars are treated for anti-corrosion at the factory.

- HZ

NEVER buy that paint/leather carpet protection from the dealer.It's soooo overpriced.All they do is outsource it to companies that you and i can buy it from at about a quarter of what they charge you.If you really want that crap go to one of those places and at least you'll save some money.:thumbdwn:

I've never heard of leather protection actually, and can't see how this could ever work?

But for the fabric protection - scotchguard - can be brought at any Woolies or Coles for like $5 a can! ;)

Well I never actually heard of paint protection for black vehicles until the day I signed the contract to buy the Euro, so I never got the chance to even go home to think about it or do a Google search or post a thread up this forum to get some advice. It was all happening so fast on the late Saturday afternoon, and already being ecstatic about owning the car I guess I just wouldnt bear let my new baby suffer any potential damage (at least that's what the salesgirl said would happen if I didnt get the protection). The leather protection thing is basically to say that if there were any butt (yes your bum) marks or signs of wear from sitting on the seats they will somehow replace the worn leather seat. There are also few common causes of leather seat wear that this treatment protects again, and on hindsight this actually sounded more plausible than the paint protection. Well well like it or not money already paid, just gotta suck it up I guess.

Anyway back to the paint story... Yes the scuffs on my left rear door arent deep at all. After using turpentine to remove the green paint (which came from my f***ing neighbours car's bumper) from my door and rims, all I have left now are white streaks which I believe is the undercoat beneath the black paint. Then there is the dent, which I may be able to turn a blind eye as it's not really that obvious. Its the white streaks that make the dent stand out. Solution? Rang Honda to ask about the touchup paint, only had the Night Hawk Black from the CL9 but none in stock for the CU2. Ordering stock for me, arriving next Tuesday. Will try touching up the white areas and put up pics. And obviously I should be putting up the Before pics soon. It's $20+ for a 15ml touch up paint bottle btw.

The white you are seeing is most likely the scratched clear coat, unless it's obviously scratched down to metal. Clear coat turns white when it gets stressed, just like plastic does. You can test how deep the scratches are by gently running your fingernail over them. If your fingernall clicks/catches, then the scratch is deep. If it only catches barely or not at all, then it's possible the scratch hasn't broken the clear and can be buffed out. You'll probably find up to 90% of the scuff can be buffed out - or all of it if you're lucky. You can then get paintless dent removal done on the dent, cost about $60-$80 per panel.

Touch-up paint will never look as good as a proper repair, especially on a side panel where it can be easily seen. But on metallic paint, if the paint is scratched through the clear, they're going to have to strip and re-do the entire door. Not sure what is the going rate for this in your area, but in Sydney it's about $800.

Do yourself a favour, forget about trying touch-up paint until you've taken it to a reputable detailer at a body shop to see if the scratches can be machine buffed out. You'll at least minimise the amount of touch-up paint required for it.

If it needs it, and you decide to go the respray route, you'll get the best results if the paint shop uses Glasurit or PPG paint.

- HZ

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Originally Posted by avantgarde84

Well I never actually heard of paint protection for black vehicles until the day I signed the contract to buy the Euro, so I never got the chance to even go home to think about it or do a Google search or post a thread up this forum to get some advice. It was all happening so fast on the late Saturday afternoon, and already being ecstatic about owning the car I guess I just wouldnt bear let my new baby suffer any potential damage (at least that's what the salesgirl said would happen if I didnt get the protection)...

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Hey mate, actually thats the exact same situation... late Saturday (shook hand of salesman @ 6.30PM) and then being pushed by the sales girl for the protection untill almost 8. But I asked her time to think and decide on delivery date (which she agrees) but on the date, I'm avoiding her :p

Alright, a picture paints a thousand words, or at least i think.

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/9154/img0351a.th.jpg

Doesnt really look too bad from a distance...

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5373/img0356.th.jpg

Close up shot, note the band of streaks starting from the door edge. And I didnt paste the black tape at the bottom part of the door panel, was there from the start.

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/4640/img0358.th.jpg

Another shot facing the front of the car...

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5930/img0366s.th.jpg

This is the ONLY shot which shows the horizontal dent. Surprisingly enough, the door is perfectly spared, only a 3cm dent across the door panel near the wheel arch (whatever you call that part).

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/6931/img0374.th.jpg

Another close up shot, which really doesnt give the impression of the scuffs being deep enough to be called scratches. And it really isnt deep at all when I run my fingernails across the 'scars'.

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/8015/img0378f.th.jpg

And the $$$ damage...

Cant really make out what on earth the guy wrote on the quotation, but from what he told me the price includes flattening out the dent with some device which will cause the surface of the paintwork to be stripped, then getting a coat of paint back on. He mentioned that the door handle will have to come off, which make me think if it's gonna be a re-spray. Tell me what you guys think, will appreciate any input to help me solve this problem. As it is I am inclined to just get the touchup paint and cover up the white marks, and leave the dent there. $400 is too much I reckon.

Ouch. Door might be able to be saved, but the skirt looks like the paint has been knocked off on the raised corners.

That respray quote seems quite cheap. They will clear coat it? How much area are they respraying?

If they respray only the affected area, you will likely get noticeable halos in the clear afterwards where the old paint meets the new paint. This is the trouble with black paint. This is why I'm saying to do it properly they have to do entire panels, or find somewhere inconspicuous where they can 'lose' the join between the old and new paint.

Did Honda recommend the repairer? What paint system do they use? I would steer clear unless they used Glasurit or PPG paint and clearcoat to ensure a good paint match, the paint on Hondas is very high quality.

- HZ

Yup I first went to Honda, they told me they dont do body work and recommended me to this shop which is called Paintless Dent Removal Pty Ltd. Went over to see the boss, seemed like a real nice guy and had lots of corporate fleet cars in his workshop for paintjobs. Anyway yes, the quotation was from a Honda recommended repairer. The boss told me not to worry about having patches apparently they will do a good job and no one will tell the difference. The impression I got is that the left rear door plus the rear panel (where the fuel door is) will get repainted/re-sprayed. Not sure what kind of paint though, might check that out.

But I suppose the other issue is with the paint protection re-application for that newly re-sprayed area. Might cost some money and definitely time, and is something to consider if I go with the option of doing it up professionally AND paying the $400. Would like to hear more opinions about what I should do though.

And if I seem to be hijacking this thread someone do inform me... Just thought since this thread is about the dilemmas facing black cars my situation would fit pretty aptly.