I am new to this forum and wanted to say Hello. I just put a deposit down on a Red S2K that is coming in 2 months. They are selling me the car for $33K (pretty good considering MSRP is $32740). However, the dealer I am going through puts this Paint Protection and Scotch guard on every car they sell. This costs an extra $800. Now Im not one to complain, as $33800 for a ride this sweet isnt bad at all. But they said with the paint protection on you cannot wax the car. The dealer will give me a supply of stuff that is supposed to be used on the paint protection. Is this some kind of BS because Ive never heard of not being able to wax a protective finish before? And the only thing that bothers me about the deal would be that they wont waive putting on the paint protection. In my view, if Im paying for the car, I should be able to say what goes on it. If I need to back out of the deal I can do so at anytime. The only problem is S2K's are getting really hard to find, and this may be my last chance to get one. Should I buy this one anyway? If anyone has thoughts on this subject please share them. Thank You.

PS-If anyone knows of any dealers selling for MSRP, let me know. I may not take this current car that is alotted to me and Im looking to buy in 2-3 months.

 

hi50,

$33,800? Get it man.

If they are going to give you the paint protection "stuff"...just use that then. They are probably just saying that they recommend just using their brand of "wax". If you are paying for it anyway...just use it.

By the way, welcome to the club!

 

$800, EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!! for stuff that costs them $15 tops! and you HAVE to have it? this guy is ripping you off, no doubt about it. Go to ebay type in "honda s2000" and you'll find a number of new Stooks for sale, one might meet your needs and I'd pay $800 for shipping before I'd give to that guy.
Our resident expert on this stuff is Sime. I'm sure he'll be replying to your post, wait 'till you see what he says!
Mark
01 TheBlackBeast #0090

 

Where are you from? The difficulty of obtaining this car at MSRP varies greatly with geographic area. It is not too difficult in the Northeast (esp. right now) but I understand that it is still very hard to do in Calif. for example.

 

The "paint protection" deal is one of the biggest scams in car sales. It is usually a polymer protectant that you can buy off the shelf for $10-$15. And you can wax over them. But the point is, don't go for it. My dealer gave me the same line and I basically asked them if they wanted to sell the car or not. Guess what, they backed down. And Scotchguard? What? There is no cloth to Scotchguard, and besides, they don't even make "Scotchguard" anymore. I used "303" on the top ( a similar product), but that cost me about $6. I think the Romans said it best..."Et Caveat Emptor"

 

Yeah, what TEX said. And BTW I forget to say "welcome" to S2000 online.

 

I think Tex_S2K has your dealer pegged "dead to rights".

At least they all stopped selling the undercoating (not S2K specific, but all dealers) that cost them $25 in time and materials. Not only was it a huge mark-up, but most of the time it clogged up the drain hole designed by the manufacturer and caused the cars to rust from the inside.

If you do want this car and the dealer won't give in, pay for it but ask them not to apply the crap.

 

Hello and congratulations to you on your impending purchase!

I have to agree with everybody else here with regards to aftermarket paint protection.

It is junk, and nothing more than 'Snake Oil'.

I used to do contract detailing work for the local Honda dealership (and other prestige dealerships), and I also dabbled in a little bit of car sales in 1989. From both sides of the fence, aftermarket paint protection is one of the biggest profit makers for car dealers! And it does nothing for the car. There is HUGE money to be made on unsuspecting customers by selling them this crap.

I refused to offer it to any of my customers as I just couldn't see any benefit to it. The best part for the dealer is that in addition to the $800, they get you for life by forcing you to buy all the follow-up products. If you don't, you void your warranty. Got you BY THE BALLS!!!!!

Would you use an all-in-one hair conditioner that said that you only need to use it once every five years? No way! Your car's finish needs regular attention, just like your hair.

I thoroughtly recommend a complete and specialized car care regimen with Zaino, as in all my years as a professional detailer, this is the best stuff I have found by far! In the defense of products such as Griots, Meguiars, Autoglym etc, they are all good too - it's just that I have found Zaino to be far superior for my particular applications.

It's not difficult to apply and get great results. Best part is that a complete selection of all the products you will ever need is about $50-90. That includes polish lok, Z2 polish, Z6 Gloss Enhancer spray, applicator pads, leather in a bottle, rubber treatment....go to http://www.zainobros.com to see.

I will likely become a Zaino distributor soon, so check back with me if you want to order anything.

In summation, tell your dealer to go sit on your finger and rotate. You can now get a brand new S2000 for MSRP, and sometimes BELOW MSRP with no dealer-forced accesories. Check out Ebay.com Any Honda options that you DO want, speak with Trevor at H&A Accessories (one of the sponsors of this forum - located at the bottom of the group buys forum). He will get it cheaper than anybody else!

Don't be pressured by this dealer. You have the buying power now! Don't pay one cent over MSRP and don't accept any dealer forced options if you don't want them. By the way, DON'T get the Honda 6 stack CD changer. I have read that it jumps - and is expensive too. Get a good aftermarket head unit and 10 stack CD changer together for LESS money than just the changer alone. You can also buy adaptors that will allow you to use any brand of aftermarket changer with the stock head unit for much less money as well. My Sony 10 stack changer with ESP anti-shock cost me $189.00 - as opposed to Honda's $600 charge!

Good luck. Email me if you need any other car care tips! And follow the break in procedure for the car!!!!

Cheers,