Bought new M3, but with no packages. Any prep work?

[dbear]

Hi guys, need some advice. Just bought a new M3 sport GS 2011 in black with no packages whatsoever. Haven't picked it up yet, but will do sometime this week.

Anyway, I feel a little guilty for not picking any of mazdas rust and undercoating packages. I chose not to because so many people I asked recommended me to save the money. Anyone know where to go specifically to get it undercoated or anything else to prep for the snow salty air in Toronto? I am terrified of rust... I heard Crown does a good job for $500? and I guess I should get it done asap once I get it, right?

Also, I'm looking for a good pair of all season floor mats for front and back seats. Are the Digital Fit Floorliners recommended? Read from other posts and says they are good. Any others and where can I buy them? price?

Thanks.

[bman13]

1) Krown or M&D for rustproofing (not sure if winter special exists but it's much than that). Yes, get it done asap. If you're local to Toronto, go to Krown Lakeshore (sponsor on the board) and you should get a good price. You can even call and find out now (see link below)
http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?47027-rustprooing-undercoating-fall-winter-2010-special-from-90.00

2) They are pretty pricey but you can get Mazda branded Digital Fit Floorlines for roughly $200ish with TM3 discount

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?48710-OEM-Mazda-Custom-Fit-Floor-Liners

If you call you any affiliated dealership I'm sure you will be able to get it for the tm3 discount (I was successful with Mazda of Toronto cause I'm closer to that for my uncle's 3).

I'm using the floorliners for first time and so far so good. I haven't had any issues so far this winter.

[aris]

Get your krowned ... Lakeshore Krown offers a discount to tm3 members.

Weathertech floorliners you will not regret it.. It's expensive but worth every penny

[Elusivellama]

Hi guys, need some advice. Just bought a new M3 sport GS 2011 in black with no packages whatsoever. Haven't picked it up yet, but will do sometime this week.

Anyway, I feel a little guilty for not picking any of mazdas rust and undercoating packages. I chose not to because so many people I asked recommended me to save the money. Anyone know where to go specifically to get it undercoated or anything else to prep for the snow salty air in Toronto? I am terrified of rust... I heard Crown does a good job for $500? and I guess I should get it done asap once I get it, right?

Krown is better because it doesn't harden and create this barrier that can crack/chip and allow moisture/salt to hide on the inside where you can't see it. In the end, you save more money and time/headaches by having your car Krowned right from day one with a reapplication every year... the stuff works, there really isn't much more that needs to be said other than single application 'lifetime protection' against rust does not exist, and that you were right not to get the dealer rust and undercoating packages.

Oh, and I know for a fact that Krown isn't $500... not immediately anyway. Krown Lakeshore charges around $130 + tax on the 1st application, and they offer TM3 members a fixed rate of $95 + tax for subsequent reapplications. The process isn't a quickie 10 minute job, they really take the time to go over the car thoroughly.



Also, I'm looking for a good pair of all season floor mats for front and back seats. Are the Digital Fit Floorliners recommended? Read from other posts and says they are good. Any others and where can I buy them? price?

Thanks.

Yeah, weathertech digitalfits are the best you can buy, once you actually see them in person or have actually used them, you will never buy a cheapo rubber mat from CT or costco ever again. I have the front pair on my car and after 3 weeks of use, I've had the driver's mat get all dirty with salt, dirt and water. Popped it out to clean it (actually to pour the water out) and the carpet underneath was still as clean as the day I picked the car up. I know one of our sponsors (Nextmod) sells them at a good price, go look them up in the Sponsors forum.

[VertigoM]

Another vote for weathertech. I've only had them for a short period but they're way better than generic CT mats. I actually bought a set of CT mats and ended up returning them due to poor fit.

[dbear]

Thanks for the very helpful information guys! I will call Krown soon to get some more information. I'll probably hit the Rexdale location since its closer, but sadly they don't open on weekends. Anyone know how long it usually takes?

[aris]

First time getting it sprayed will be about 40 mins cause they drill holes in certain spots ... After that it will take about 20 mins

[dbear]

Just a quick question. I haven't picked up my M3 yet but will do later today. I know the weather is going to be a little rough with some snow and rain this week and wondering if I should undercoat and rust proof my car right away? I don't want to take a day off of work to go to krown because they are only open 8-5pm. Rather do it on a saturday like this weekend coming up. It'll be ok sitting outdoors during the day, right?

[blackm3]

in regards to the undercoating, can anyone really confirm if the dealer do undercoat the car, from my experince and knowledge, most or all cars come undercoated from manufacturer, it might not be as complete as it should be, but i think that undercoating from dealer is a cash grab, i mean they do have to make money, but its very dishonest if you ask me.

[mazdaskit]

in regards to the undercoating, can anyone really confirm if the dealer do undercoat the car, from my experince and knowledge, most or all cars come undercoated from manufacturer, it might not be as complete as it should be, but i think that undercoating from dealer is a cash grab, i mean they do have to make money, but its very dishonest if you ask me.

Just get it done at our krown sponsor

[Timotee]

Congratulations on the purchase!

+1 on the Krown rustproofing and the price won't be up to $500 :)

Zoom-zoom!

[aris]

Just a quick question. I haven't picked up my M3 yet but will do later today. I know the weather is going to be a little rough with some snow and rain this week and wondering if I should undercoat and rust proof my car right away? I don't want to take a day off of work to go to krown because they are only open 8-5pm. Rather do it on a saturday like this weekend coming up. It'll be ok sitting outdoors during the day, right?

Yes you can wait till the weekend.. It will be fine

[aris]

in regards to the undercoating, can anyone really confirm if the dealer do undercoat the car, from my experince and knowledge, most or all cars come undercoated from manufacturer, it might not be as complete as it should be, but i think that undercoating from dealer is a cash grab, i mean they do have to make money, but its very dishonest if you ask me.

Yes if they sell it then they will.. But remember that every dealer uses their own products..

[essaarcee]

also Krown will wash your car, a light wash though. So all snow etc collected for a week would be taken care.
Igor and Bobby are great guys at Lakeshore Krown

Enjoy the new ride!

[dbear]

Thanks for the info guys! I'd love to check out Lakeshore krown, but its a little out of the way since i'm close to steeles westen. I'll probably pop in to the Rexdale location this weekend. All places charge the same, right? On the website it says $120 for any car.

[Elusivellama]

Thanks for the info guys! I'd love to check out Lakeshore krown, but its a little out of the way since i'm close to steeles westen. I'll probably pop in to the Rexdale location this weekend. All places charge the same, right? On the website it says $120 for any car.

No, Krown Lakeshore will do $120 for the first application, but because you're a TM3 member, they will drop it to around $95 + tax for subsequent reapplications (not sure,but I know it is under $100 + tax). Don't know if Rexdale will honor that, try asking.

[DualSoul]

Oh, and I know for a fact that Krown isn't $500... not immediately anyway. Krown Lakeshore charges around $130 + tax on the 1st application, and they offer TM3 members a fixed rate of $95 + tax for subsequent reapplications. The process isn't a quickie 10 minute job, they really take the time to go over the car thoroughly.

No, Krown Lakeshore will do $120 for the first application, but because you're a TM3 member, they will drop it to around $95 + tax for subsequent reapplications (not sure,but I know it is under $100 + tax). Don't know if Rexdale will honor that, try asking.

My first (initial) and second applications were both $95 + tax.

[dbear]

Thanks again for the info guys!! Very much appreciated...I'm such a rookie with my new M3. Btw, are the digital fit floorliners and weather tech floorliners the same thing?

[Elusivellama]

@Dualsoul Really? When was this..? I wonder why they told me I had to pay full price for the first application.

Digitalfit Floorliners are by weathertech as well. Weathertech also sells a cheaper rubber floorliner that isn't digitalfit. Basically just ask for "Digitalfit" floorliners by weathertech.

[dbear]

I just called Maple Mazda in Vaughn and asked to buy the digital fit floorliners by weathertech and they have no idea what the weathertech part meante. They said its the digital fit floor liners OEM version (kinda like a plastic feel, not rubber) and those are about $210 but said they can discount it for me to about $170 or something.

So I guess they are not the same? unless they are the same recommended ones, should I still buy it? I saw them and they look pretty decent.

[Elusivellama]

I just called Maple Mazda in Vaughn and asked to buy the digital fit floorliners by weathertech and they have no idea what the weathertech part meante.


I'm not surprised they're clueless. The digitalfits are made by weathertech, the words 'McNeil Automotive' are stamped on the back of every mat (McNeil Automotive being the co. that markets the Weathertech brand). There is only ONE company which makes the 'Digitalfits' we talk about on this forum, and that's Weathertech. The fact that it says 'Mazda' on the plastic badge on the face side means nothing.



They said its the digital fit floor liners OEM version (kinda like a plastic feel, not rubber) and those are about $210 but said they can discount it for me to about $170 or something.

So I guess they are not the same? unless they are the same recommended ones, should I still buy it? I saw them and they look pretty decent.

To repeat, those are simply rebranded Weathertech Digitalfits. Still made by Weathertech (McNeil Automotive), just with a different badging on the face that says 'Mazda' instead of 'Weathertech'. You can verify this by looking on the back of the mat for the stamped words 'McNeil Automotive'.

Is it $170 for front and back mats?

[dbear]

Ah ok. Just read an old thread...I guess they are 2 different floormats but are very similar. I'll probably pick up the OEM ones later tonight.

[dbear]

Thanks Elusivellama for cleaning that up! and yes the mats are $210 regular price, but the guy is willing to discount it for me for about $170 plus tax.

[Elusivellama]

Ah ok. Just read an old thread...I guess they are 2 different floormats but are very similar. I'll probably pick up the OEM ones later tonight.

They're the same floormat, just with a different badge on the front. Weathertech Digitalfits and OEM Digitalfits are made by the SAME company, which is McNeil Automotive. If $170 is for the front mats, then you're paying an extra $30-ish for the words 'Mazda' on the front of the mats. Which isn't a bad thing, really, it's certainly a bit nicer to look at than 'Weathertech', but it wasn't worth $30 to me... so...

edit:
$170 plus tax? Hmm... I suggest you call one of our sponsors and ask for Weathertech Digitalfits. Same mats, different badge, much cheaper. I got mine from Nextmod, you can find their contact info in the sponsor forum (Marketplace).

[DualSoul]

@Dualsoul Really? When was this..? I wonder why they told me I had to pay full price for the first application.

First application was early December 2009. Second was late November of 2010.

[Elusivellama]

First application was early December 2009. Second was late November of 2010.

My first application was between Dec. 22nd - 24th 2010. Their price might have changed since your first application, there was a price hike at all Krown locations at some point in 2010.

[dbear]

Guys, I still haven't been able to get to Krown to get my car undercoated and rustproofed.. Just been busy working during the days and some weekends. Been reading a lot of posts and it seems like its a bad time to do that since were right in the middle of winter. My cars been pretty dirty and salted up lately :(

Do you guys think I should still get it done asap or wait till spring? I hear the oil or whatever won't do much justice because of the cold and eventually it'll wear off right away...not sure if its true. I thought my M3 would come with a cheap stock coat on it, but i'm hesitant to ask my dealer because I know they'll just try to sell me packages again. Then again, they said it doesn't come with anything on it.

and has anyone been to M&D executive Auto to do rustproofing? I read on a post that they don't drill holes which is a good thing?

[aris]

Guys, I still haven't been able to get to Krown to get my car undercoated and rustproofed.. Just been busy working during the days and some weekends. Been reading a lot of posts and it seems like its a bad time to do that since were right in the middle of winter. My cars been pretty dirty and salted up lately :(

Do you guys think I should still get it done asap or wait till spring? I hear the oil or whatever won't do much justice because of the cold and eventually it'll wear off right away...not sure if its true. I thought my M3 would come with a cheap stock coat on it, but i'm hesitant to ask my dealer because I know they'll just try to sell me packages again. Then again, they said it doesn't come with anything on it.

and has anyone been to M&D executive Auto to do rustproofing? I read on a post that they don't drill holes which is a good thing?

Why not call Krown and talk to them??

I'm pretty sure that they wash all the salt off your and undercarraige with a presure washer before rust proofing your car

[Elusivellama]

They'll blast the crap off your car before applying it, otherwise it won't even stick in the first place. The Krown T40 stuff will displace the water and adhere to the surface underneath. Another benefit is that the T40 stuff will sit inside of your door panels and start preventing rust immediately. Whoever said that it is best to apply it in the Spring is correct, because that's when the temperature starts to rise and water/salt starts to do its thing.

However, your car lacks any sort of quality protective coat that I know of, why do you want to wait until Spring temperatures hit before getting it Krowned? Your car will suffer those few days of corrosion before it's officially Spring. Get it done now so that the Krown treatment is providing some kind of barrier (don't forget it's also INSIDE your door panels). If you're worried about it, just buy a can of T40 and spray the underside of your car every now and then to touch it up.

[dbear]

Thanks elusivellama for the info. Just went to Krownlakeshore this morning and finally got the job done. They did it under 45 minutes and Igor there was pretty friendly. He filled me in on the details and such and says my car is good to go in this weather. Gonna come back again in the late fall to get it done again. Although i might try the rexdale location which is closer but heard many recommendations here so i drove all th way down. We'll see.

[dbear]

Oh one more thing, i just started to notice my brake pedal is a little looser or something. Feels like i need to add a bit more pressure when slowing down... Im guessing thats normal because of the oil? I just remember it being very responsive by a small push.

[Elusivellama]

That's normal, the oil gets on the rotors and pads, and will burn off as you brake. One of the first things I usually do after getting a Krown treatment is to drive down an empty street and do a number of stop-and-go movements to get rid of a lot of that excess oil. Just safer that way, so you're not trying to brake with oily pads. You will also smell some smoke, that's normal as well. The oily feeling will go away after a couple days, just drive carefully with lots of room to brake.

[dbear]

Ahhh ok. Whew! I actually had some trouble timing my brakes today turning corners and just driving in traffic...After braking to a complete stop, I also noticed a minor growning noise on the brake pad I think. I'm guessing thats normal too because of the excess oil...hope it wares off soon as its a little annoying. I've been braking all day in traffic! Thanks again.