Underbody coating and paint protector: real or dealer scam?

I pick up the FR-S tomorrow. They are pushing for the underbody rust protection and 3M paint protector film. The film is the real deal. Their demo car has it. Bumper, half the hood, and lower doors and rear bumper.

The undercoating is one l question. Are these this legit on new cars? Is it snake oil. Can I get it done somewhere better?

This is a 3 season car. I can't say I'd never drive it in winter, but only in an emergency.

What are reasonable prices on these services? I need to know, as it was explained, the undercoating works, better to get it on before you drive it in crud.

What would GRM do?

Undercoating can help, but has to be applied carefully and correctly. I'd be tempted to just do a coat of chassis saver on my own. Are they just spraying the underside or putting holes in the rockers etc to get in there too? What about under the hood? We've all seen goo sprayed where it shouldn't and know the mess it can make. I really like it when they spray it all over plastic fender liners instead of pulling them out and coating the steel behind them.

Probably a major profit center for the dealer.

The sprayed on rubber crap or the oily wax stuff? The rubber stuff generally just ends up trapping water, either under the coating or by clogging drains if it isnt put on at the factory.

Shouldn't be needed for a 3 season car, and probably violates the factory corossion warranty. If you want to start getting it oiled after that's expired, there probably isn't any harm in it.

How much weight does the undercoat add? or is it too little to matter?

I wouldn't bother on a 3-season car, but if you are concerned, you can always do what I do and hit it with some Fluid Film yourself.

The FRS has some really cool under body aero management, but it is plastic trays. I highly doubt the dealer is going to remove them to properly undercoat the car.

The advice of the internet generally recommends against most undercoating, but living up north, I think it is actually helpful, but not a miracle cure.

I have done a few new cars now, after new delivery I have cleaned surfaces with acetone and rags and painted and undercoated what look like rust risk areas. I used aluminum ducting tape to block access holes (not drain holes). Again, no miracle cure, but I feel every little bit helps.

I don't know who you will find to do the job "right" other than yourself, and most likely the dealer will "protect" lots of plastic trays. So I say do it, but do it yourself!

Just to elaborate; if you are doing it yourself, when the car is new is the best time. I like to paint exposed fasteners of things that will likely need moved in 10+ years. Painting the exposed suspension bolts, brake line fittings etc. I like to think of it as paying myself forward for when actual maintenance needs done.

Just be thankful they're not selling you Electronic Rustproofing.

That's what I'm thinking. I'll probe the dealer for answers in an ambitious way so as not to lead him on as to the real answer. Panting exposed steel is a good reminder.

What would you use? Krylon?

Waxoyl

SCAM. Be sure to get DATA dots too. Ups the resale ob trade in too. Remember the dealer is their to protect you from the manufacture.

In reply to nocones:

Sarcasm, right?

WTF are DATA dots?

Anyone had experience with the 3M clear film? Seems legit.

Are DATA dots like Globali?

DATA dots …

http://www.datadotdna.com/us/

3M makes good stuff, I don't know anything about stuff you're talking about, but I assume it does what it says it does used in a reccomended application, properly applied.

The 3m stuff is very nice, but you can almost definitely get it applied by a good detail shop for less than the dealer will charge you for the privilege. They may be able to recommend alternatives as well - I know a lot of FRS/BRZ people that like the opti-coat pro stuff.

Scam !

yeah, I'd decline on both. 3M clear bra, etc can be gotten much cheaper at tint shops or places other than the dealer. The rustproofing I've seen from dealers is garbage. If it's a concern for you, a good DIY job or find someplace that specializes in it. Dealer is just trying to gouge you for more money and won't do a good job on it most likely.

FWIW, my 7-year-old, 110k mile WRX without "rustproofing" is a 4-season car that sees tons of salt....and it has no appreciable underbody rust.

That same WRX, though, has massively chipped paint on every leading edge of the car (and elsewhere). Subaru paint sucks dick.....so as soon as you buy the car go to a tint shop or a detailing place and get clear bra or paint protection installed if you care about chips.

Off topic - I saw the yellow special model FRS today and I liked how it looked.

If you intend to keep the car, leave the clear bra at the store. 10 years down the road, it looks way, way worse than gravel rash ever could.

Undercoating is a waste of time. The factory will do an adequate job, and if you are in the rust belt, an oil treatment will do far more good.

Don't let them scotchgard the seats, either.

I suppose a good question is: Do the Frisbees have Subaru or Toyota quality paint?

Waxoly is a great product. I used to have to apply it, and it was simple, and worked. My 90 NA has it, at least on the parts of it that haven't been replaced due to accidents, and it still has rockers and fenders.

If you haven't gone to pick it up yet, skip the undercoat (because of the underbody trays, and you can always do it better and cheaper elsewhere if you want). The 3M paint protector is nice if you can afford it.

A local guy I trust said that the paint protector works well around here, but only lasts 3-4 years, tops. He said to weigh the cost of having a bumper re-sprayed vs. the added cost of replacing the film.

What's it typically cost to re-spray a bumper?