Paying for detailing service

[Bomber-Stud]

Hi all,
Just bought myself a 2010 mazda 3, and unlike my previous 1996 ford explorer LOL, I actually want to look after the mazda. I can see myself having this car for about 8yrs +/- a year.

One:
Rust proofing the undercarriage, Krown seems to be the thing that everyone likes for those that do the rust proofing. Is rust proofing recommended in the first place? ie in 6 years will my car be rusting like hell? (mazda cant be as bad as my ford was!)
BTW in live in Edmonton – overloading the winter roads with salt is a favourite practice here.

Two:
Opinions on 3M Clear Bra? Recommended? What sort of pricing should I expect for this?

Three:
Unfortunately, I don't have the time (and partly the patience) to do my own regular washes/waxes etc at home.
I found this detailing service here in Edmonton: JR’s auto….

http://www.jrsautodetailing.ca/services.html

Wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the paint protection services and rust proofing etc (and the prices)? Worth it?
Does the price for the general exterior wash & wax seem reasonable if I get that once in a while? Or is a self serve coin-operated wash the way to go?

Sorry for the noob questions…..
Thanks for your help!

[Flagrum_3]

Welcome to TM3! My opinion is that oil spraying at Krown is a 'No Brainer' and a must, especially where you live...whatever you do, do not get a tar based undercoating, it's counter productive.....Many are having serious rust issues with their Mazda3s, so it's imperative you get her oiled.....Krown charges only $109 for their protection (per year)....$99 with a CAA membership :)

3M protection is expensive but may be worth it on the 3, as the 3 also suffers from incredibly thin paint....first little bit of the front fenders, hood, mirrors and A-pillers are prone areas.

The JR's 'Detailed exterior wash' is pretty decent for $20 and once in awhile add the machine wax for $30...pretty decent...the rest of the time just find a good "touchless" carwash. :)

My :.02


_3

[Bomber-Stud]

Welcome to TM3! My opinion is ....
_3

Thanks for the input!

[sip]

The older Mazdas (i.e. up to 2005 , may be 2006) has a serious surface rust problem. You may search the forum for details. No rust proofing would prevent it, as it occurs on the surface. In fact, a lot of of the cars that have the surface rust problem had been rust-proofed. Also Krown and Rust Check warranties do not cover any surface rust. The rust has to make a hole in the body to be covered under these warranties. I guess, you have to wash the car often and hope Mazda has fixed it in the new 2010 model year. I am not aware of any other rust problem except the surface rust.

I just got the undercarriage and wheel wells rustproofed at CT for $50. I don't know what good it would do but it was cheap.

[Flagrum_3]

The older Mazdas (i.e. up to 2005 , may be 2006) has a serious surface rust problem. You may search the forum for details. No rust proofing would prevent it, as it occurs on the surface. In fact, a lot of of the cars that have the surface rust problem had been rust-proofed. Also Krown and Rust Check warranties do not cover any surface rust. The rust has to make a hole in the body to be covered under these warranties. I guess, you have to wash the car often and hope Mazda has fixed it in the new 2010 model year. I am not aware of any other rust problem except the surface rust.

I just got the undercarriage and wheel wells rustproofed at CT for $50. I don't know what good it would do but it was cheap.

I have an '05 and absolutely no rust! Only thing I can point to is that I've oil-sprayed the vehicle yearly and wash and wax often, paying special attention to the prone areas.But for the OP with the 2010 I believe Mazda has taken care of atleast 2 of the prone areas.

So overall Krowning the vehicle is still a good preventative maintenance procedure if you don't want your car rusting to shit in 5-6 years or plan on keeping it longterm.


_3

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

I have an '05 and absolutely no rust! Only thing I can point to is that I've oil-sprayed the vehicle yearly and wash and wax often, paying special attention to the prone areas.But for the OP with the 2010 I believe Mazda has taken care of atleast 2 of the prone areas.

So overall Krowning the vehicle is still a good preventative maintenance procedure if you don't want your car rusting to shit in 5-6 years or plan on keeping it longterm.


_3

I have an '05 also and zero rust issues. And, I don't rust proof...
I do however, wash it regularly and wax it twice a year. Previous to this, I had a 2000 Protege with around 260K on the odometer and also not a spot of rust anywhere on the body.

[Flagrum_3]

I have an '05 also and zero rust issues. And, I don't rust proof...
I do however, wash it regularly and wax it twice a year. Previous to this, I had a 2000 Protege with around 260K on the odometer and also not a spot of rust anywhere on the body.

Exterior body and paint yes, but Even Under-body? or interior panels? I doubt very much so! I've seen the underpinnings of many 3s without oil-spray or undercoating and thier rusted to shit underneath.I swear they use inferior metals building these cars!!....Unless of course we're just in a small group of lucky ones that our cars were built under the right stars or something :chuckle

My last vehicle which was a 1991 (Never rust-proofed) showed no signs of rust for 11 years, none whatsoever (No accidents mind you) then all of a sudden the next year, the rockers/ lower doors started to decay exponentially.

I've seen some seriously rusted Mazda 3s, some much newer then ours. So go figure! But it still stands that Oil spraying is better then not in the longterm.

That's my story and I'm sticking too it :chuckle

Oh and I plan on keeping my vehicle for atleast another ten years lol....so I'll do whatever I can...Let's see if it can outlast a Sunbird ;-)



_3

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

Exterior body and paint yes, but Even Under-body? or interior panels? I doubt very much so! I've seen the underpinnings of many 3s without oil-spray or undercoating and thier rusted to shit underneath.I swear they use inferior metals building these cars!!....Unless of course we're just in a small group of lucky ones that our cars were built under the right stars or something :chuckle

My last vehicle which was a 1991 (Never rust-proofed) showed no signs of rust for 11 years, none whatsoever (No accidents mind you) then all of a sudden the next year, the rockers/ lower doors started to decay exponentially.

I've seen some seriously rusted Mazda 3s, some much newer then ours. So go figure! But it still stands that Oil spraying is better then not in the longterm.

That's my story and I'm sticking too it :chuckle

Oh and I plan on keeping my vehicle for atleast another ten years lol....so I'll do whatever I can...Let's see if it can outlast a Sunbird ;-)



_3

No rust on the exterior body or interior panels in problem areas such as doors etc. on either the 2000 Protege or '05 Hatch, but, I do wax in those areas too.

Underbody, the 2000 Protege' had a less than expected normal amount of rust. Not terrible, but sure, it was 8.5 years old at the time and had rust in the undercarriage. The 2005 Mazda3 has very minimal rust in the undercarriage after 4 years and it was stored outside all winter last year. Previously was stored in garage until I bought the MS3 last August.

I too have seen some seriously rusted Mazda3's, but then, I've seen the same with plenty of manufacturers, Toyota, Honda et al, and on newer models too. The president of Toyota even recently declared upon leaving F1that one of his company's future emphasis was on hybrid vehicles and manufacturing vehicles with better rust resistance...

Mazda's are not alone in their rust susceptibility and while a problem for sure, so much comes down to owner maintenance and environmental variables...

[Flagrum_3]

No rust on the exterior body or interior panels in problem areas such as doors etc. on either the 2000 Protege or '05 Hatch, but, I do wax in those areas too.

Underbody, the 2000 Protege' had a less than expected normal amount of rust. Not terrible, but sure, it was 8.5 years old at the time and had rust in the undercarriage. The 2005 Mazda3 has very minimal rust in the undercarriage after 4 years and it was stored outside all winter last year. Previously was stored in garage until I bought the MS3 last August.

I too have seen some seriously rusted Mazda3's, but then, I've seen the same with plenty of manufacturers, Toyota, Honda et al, and on newer models too. The president of Toyota even recently declared upon leaving F1that one of his company's future emphasis was on hybrid vehicles and manufacturing vehicles with better rust resistance...

Mazda's are not alone in their rust susceptibility and while a problem for sure, so much comes down to owner maintenance and environmental variables...

^^I'm talking inside the panels where the rust starts, not any exterior metal.

^I guess, but it still kills me when I see '06-'08 MZ3s up on a hoist and the underpinnings look like my 14 year old Sunturd, all covered in rust.LOL


_3

[sip]

^^I'm talking inside the panels where the rust starts, not any exterior metal.

_3

Older Mazda 3s I have seen are rusted inside out (i.e. surface) like ZoomZoomGirl's and not outside in. I guess this is due to Mazda3's inferior paint and/or body panels. A Rust Check dealer I spoke said rustproofing wouldn't prevent surface rusting. He suggested regular washing and waxing. Krown and Rust Check warranties do not cover rust on the surface of the outer body. Corrosion Free treats the surface rust but the customer has to get the paint damage repaired at his or her expense.

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

^^I'm talking inside the panels where the rust starts, not any exterior metal.

^I guess, but it still kills me when I see '06-'08 MZ3s up on a hoist and the underpinnings look like my 14 year old Sunturd, all covered in rust.LOL


_3

Trick question then. I can't comment on what I can't visually inspect you asshat. :chuckle I thought you meant the interior panels such as under the doors and the T-pillar etc...

Don't get me wrong Ron, I'm not saying rust proofing is bad, just that I don't do it and prefer regular washing and waxing instead. The most I keep any car is 7 to 10 years and with all the Mazda's I've owned, I've never had significant 'visible' rust issues during that time.

[candal82]

Two:
Opinions on 3M Clear Bra? Recommended? What sort of pricing should I expect for this?



Do it! I used to drive my car to work and back from Toronto to Mississauga, along the Gardiner and up the 427 and back. My front bumper and hood was riddled with stone chips. Looked as though someone sprayed it with a shot gun lol. Mind you, my car is red, so the stone chips really show up. Also, I wax my car 3-4 times a year using Mother's pure carnuba wax. I had the option to install this for cheap through a guy I know, but never did. In retrospect, I wish I did. I just spent a few hundred to repaint the entire front of the car. So conclusion... DO IT! :)

[Bomber-Stud]

Hey,
I read about venture shield somewhere.... any thoughts? seems like more people prefere venture shield because the clear bra tends to yellow more with time.

[Uni-Body]

3M protective film all the way. Excellent quality, does not stain or peel if applied correctly. A lot of people get the oil based rust proof, but for a new car I'd recommend the wax rust proofing - you wouldn't have to reapply as often and it's more durable.

Since you're in Edmonton you obviously won't come all the way to visit me in Mississauga, but for other members local to the area just a heads up - we can order / apply 3M stoneguard coating and clear film shields for anyone who needs it.

[Go_Habs_Go]

Hey,
I read about venture shield somewhere.... any thoughts? seems like more people prefere venture shield because the clear bra tends to yellow more with time.

I did a lot of research before getting a protective film ("clearbra") installed on my car last summer. It came down to the 3M product vs the Ventureshield product. I decided to go with Ventureshield since the 3M product supposedly yellowed over time. This was based on a lot of reading I did on various car forums and the feedback people posted based on their own experiences. I can't say for sure that the 3M product will yellow (since I never had it and don't personally know anyone who did) but I sure read a lot of posts from people complaining about this. So my conclusion was that 3M's ClearBra product (which was in its 3rd generation at the time) had serious yellowing issues. It's possible they've corrected it since then but I wouldn't really know.

With Ventureshield, there seemed to be far fewer complaints about this so I went with them instead. They also offer a lifetime warranty as opposed to 3M's 5 year warranty. However I have no idea how VS will deal with any warranty claims in say 7 or 8 years...they probably figure the majority of people won't keep their car more than 5 years anyway.

However, the thing to consider which is just as important as the product itself...THE INSTALLER!! Installing this film is not easy. If you want it to stay on properly for a long time, make sure you get an installer who knows what they are doing. In the end, this may be even more important than the product itself because if the installer botches the job, it doesn't matter if it yellows or not if you have to remove the film in 2 years because it looks like crap.

I've had my VS for over 1 year now and I'm very happy with it. My previous car was absolutely destroyed from rock chips and I wanted to make sure I didn't have the same problem with my Mazda. This is something that I would definitely get done again and I highly recommend it to those that do a lot of "inner city" highway driving where there is a lot of tailgating and trucks kicking up rocks and debris. Sometime I feel like I am driving through a hail storm when driving on the highways in Montreal LOL!!

[gfong]

where did you get your venture shield from?

[Go_Habs_Go]

I got it done in Montreal, so unless you live here or are planning to have an extended stay in our fair city I don't think you will be using the same installer as I did...:chuckle

If, by chance, you do live in Montreal then PM me for more details.