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Good timing. My car should be at the dealer this week. They’ll call me when it arrives and I’ll go over and remove some of the plastic - more ceremonial than anything else. My instructions are to wash it only, so I can inspect a clean car. Then it’s onto a flatbed to Moe.
If you're planning on getting your new car properly detailed after pick-up, there's probably little harm in having the dealer clean it up for you. As others have pointed out, it's a good way to make sure the car is unscathed from the long delivery journey, allowing you to have a full look at it.
However, keep in mind that the folks who do the "new car prep" of washing and waxing cars at dealerships are likely the lowest-paid employees of the service department.
Generally, these are not folks well-versed in the methods of proper paint care.
I think that the consensus is to let the dealer remove the plastic, perhaps do a rinse to remove dust and look out for any scratches, then off to have it PPF'd. It is a 5 block drive to the detailer's location. Then wait ANOTHER day before I can finally have my car... In the meantime I will remove the shift boot to do a little upgrade while it's being PPF'd.
These may be the longest 48 hours in quite some time for me!
IMO here is mine. I let them do it and tell them to just do a basic wash. Here is why. Yes you run the potential of getting a few more swirls but those are not going to be anything that is an issue for my detailer that he was going to do anyways before applying PPF. The issue with NOT doing it that way and has happened to my friends is under that plastic was a ding and a bigger scratch. He signed off the car and took delivery. Once it got to the detailer he ended paying out of pocket to get that fixed because the dealer was in no way taking responsibility because they were not allowed to check it out better.
I am sure there are plenty of scenarios that would also favor not doing this but I have found a light wash so you can thoroughly check the car before taking delivery is best.
Hell no, why? Here is my 911 at Moe’s today removing the spiderwebs the dealer washes put in the paint. Now my car was on the lot for 3 wks and got washed a couple times. Did PPF back in Oct. finally got tired of the spider webs and now doing the correction.
My my wife’s new m4, told them do nothing but put gas in it. I then spent 2 hours taping it up to drive to Moe’s (100 miles). He removed the tape and plastic, no chips, no scratches. Next time I will flatbed the car.
Wish I could have caught the 911 sooner.
The M4 got a ton a laughs driving home but there are no paint chips of scratches.
That yellow actually looks really cool with the blue!
I think that the consensus is to let the dealer remove the plastic, perhaps do a rinse to remove dust and look out for any scratches, then off to have it PPF'd. It is a 5 block drive to the detailer's location. Then wait ANOTHER day before I can finally have my car... In the meantime I will remove the shift boot to do a little upgrade while it's being PPF'd.
These may be the longest 48 hours in quite some time for me!
Agreed--I don't think you should let the car leave the dealer without exposing all the paint. Hope you get dry weather for the 5 block drive!
OK ... as noted by many of you … it does leave a lot to luck to you let the dealer do their normal prep for delivery … that is what I did! Lucky I found little to get upset about on delivery.
My concern was also … if I did take on all the unwrapping and found a major problem the dealer could say it was perfect at delivery. By letting them do the unwrapping was able to inspect clean naked 911 … lucky it only had two real scuffs on the top of a rear fender and one on a front fender by the headlight (that was a little puzzling as both scuffs were under the white plastic wrap during transit from Germany?).
I buff out the clear coat scuffs with Meguiars Mirror Glaze #205 Ultra Finishing Polish. Did find some other areas that looked to like the factory could polished a little more and many areas with light swirls. Thank goodness no real issues!
After waiting 4 months for delivery of my GTS I actually drove it about 500 miles before adding the (XPEL ULTIMATE) Paint Protection Film protection: to front bumper, full hood, full fenders, mirrors and headlights, rocker panels + front & behind the rear wheels, door handles, & windshield pillars. Just before the PPF installation ... I did clayed the complete car and did a complete light polish with Meguiars Mirror Glaze #205.
If I was ordering a new 911 today I would likely do the same again! Not to likely of doing that as this was my 911 “Before to old to enjoy a Porsche!” purchase ... (Check my personalized plates).
JR1946
From to days road trip!
B4 2 OLD “Before to old to enjoy a Porsche!”
Last edited by JR1946; 04-16-2018 at 11:18 PM.
Reason: spelling
Don't worry Alex. PNH did a great job with my car - they were very careful. I took it straight from delivery on a long drive, then did a full detail + CQuartz. There were only a few minor places to correct that were most likely the car sitting for a few days in a snowstorm in Emden.
The Xpel team that PNH uses did a great job getting the car corrected before install.
Looking forward to an H-Town Carrera T group drive if I ever get out from under the mountain of work from a rapidly growing business!! Should hit 1K miles on the T on my trip to Austin this week.
Don't worry Alex. PNH did a great job with my car - they were very careful. I took it straight from delivery on a long drive, then did a full detail + CQuartz. There were only a few minor places to correct that were most likely the car sitting for a few days in a snowstorm in Emden.
The Xpel team that PNH uses did a great job getting the car corrected before install.
Looking forward to an H-Town Carrera T group drive if I ever get out from under the mountain of work from a rapidly growing business!! Should hit 1K miles on the T on my trip to Austin this week.
cheers!
What a coincidence! If you happen to see a Carrera T going or coming from Austin this Sunday be sure to flash your lights... I will be driving my son back to Austin on Sunday for the T's first road trip!
...that is if the ****** ship finally makes it to Houston tomorrow!!!!!!
OK. I guess I am alone on this one and made the dealer work for their money. I live a long way from my dealer and had no personal detailer close. After an endlessly long work week, I wanted to enjoy the car, not spend hours peeling plastic and sticky stuff. Car was washed detailed and waxed for me and my family.
Let the dealer clean the car so they can properly inspect it before they give it to you. If you’re going through PNH, they are a first-class dealer and would never damage your car by cleaning it.
These cars get rained on while sitting for weeks in Emden, then they sit for a month on a boat. Sometimes they get water marks. Sometimes there’s a small ding or scratch from transporting the car from the US port to the dealer. Etc. Etc..
99.9% of these issues can be fixed within 20 minutes before the car is delivered to the client.
If you’re so tightly wound that you absolutely cannot have them touch it, please don’t return to them with any claims.
Hi all, with my T about to arrive in the next 48 hours, I called my dealer to ask him not to wash, clean, detail or even peel off anything off the vehicle. Only do PDI and whatever mechanical/electronic things that need to happen before delivery. I don't want to get "free scratches", swirl marks, or anything else.
Having said that, is there anything special that the dealer has to do to remove the Cosmoline, or the plastic wrapping, or undercarriage washing, or anything else I may need to know?
I can do my own detailing, but just curious if anyone else has received their new vehicle in what is basically "like just out of the factory" state.
Thanks!
My dealer sends all NEW cars out to Detailer for delivery clean up. I just had mine back at the dealer to fix huge swirling on one corner after service and wash. No more dealer washes for me.
04-16-2018, 09:22 PM
