Help with buying Altima Coupe from dealership!

[chow]

Hey, Alot of you guys already have your AC so.. Nows the time to help me.

So my problem is. I've decided on the car, color and etc.. And now the dealer throws me some extra "goodies". Like the whole underbody spary + electric module that STOPS rust. Its 700$ and is garunteed to prevent rust on the underbody.. I dont beleive it but the dealer promises that if i spot rust i can bring it in and they'll take care of it. So im wondering.. When i do spot rust, the dealer will come up with an excuse and say i voided it by blah blah blah. So thats my first dilemma.. Should i get the underbody spray + module package?

Please answer asap, guna purchase the car this week! :D

[mcheddadi]

Do what ever you want man, it's your money. If you intend to keep it for your whole life then get the rust proofing, if not, then screw that.

[Kasper08]

my opinion is this ... everything they try and sell you is to make a nice extra chunk of change BUT if you want to cover all your angles think about it like this $1000 @ 20% over a five year loan is 26.49/mth is it worth $26 a month to you to not have to worry about rust? (simple as that) imo

[Stateless]

If you can find a good shop to do rust-proofing, it will be much cheaper. I'm still waiting for my ac to arrive, but I already have a place in mind to do the under-coating and another place to do the 3M clear bra (except I don't like 3M because it yellows, and they use a similar product that stays clear and is glossier, and as well it comes in larger sheets so they can more easily one-piece the bumper and cut it in so that it is invisible).

The downside to that is like Kasper said, the dealership charges go under the financing while the third-party stuff is out of pocket. I would ask around locally to see if anyone knows of places that do good work and then price them out to see how much the difference in price actually is.

It might also be good to consider how long their warranty on the rust-proofing is, and how often you are going to look under the car to see if rust has actually cropped up

[SHIFT_COUPE]

The whole rust proofing thing kills me. They are trying to get extra money out of you. Are you really that concerned about rust on your car? You'd have to have the car for quite a while before any rust appears to begin with. Save your money.

[altima coupe]

Dealership rustproffing is crap. It's like scotchguarding your fabric (do they still offer that one these days?) Get the car KROWNed once a year and you won't have any rust problems. I drove a ford taurus for 10 years that I never had to even replace the original muffler by using KROWN. I'm sure other after market rustproffing is good as well.

[melbourne]

Modern cars already have a rust proof surface, they call it paint

[Buzzman]

Modern cars already have a rust proof surface, they call it paint

They don't paint the inside surface, only the outside. Don't make light of his request.Here in Canada, rust is a serious issue, and our cars rust from the inside out, not the outside in, and they rust quickly.The salt used to melt ice and snow in the winter is a car killer. Not only does it ruin the body, it also takes a heavy toll on the mechanical components of our vehicles. Brake lines rust, emergency brake cables seize up, exhaust systems only last 2-3 years. Try changing a flat tire after it's been on the vehicle for a year or two. The wheel (rim) will have fused to the hub and you'll have a heck of a time getting it off. I could on, but take my word for it, an unprotected vehicle in a salt zone will rust out in less than 5 years. Take a drive around our town, and you will see a s**tload of rusty cars, all under 10 years old. Having said all that, I oil spray my cars every year. It slows down the corrosion process, but eventually, the rust will get you. Forget the dealership rustproofing. It is way overpriced, and you can get the same rustproofing done on your own for a third the price at places like Zeibart. Also be aware that most rustproofing warranties only guarantee a refund of the cost of the rustproofing. Getting your car actually fixed is your problem. Read the fine print.As far as this electrical module rustproofing system is concerned...STAY AWAY.It doesn't work.Also, as someone mentioned earlier, a lot depends on how long you plan to keep your car. Three years or less, and I wouldn't bother doing anything.
Modified by Buzzman at 6:47 AM 8/21/2007

[melbourne]

The whole chassis is dipped in a zinc chromate bath in and out. I lived in Mass. for 20 years and never had any car with after market treatment and never a problem with rust, nobody uses more salt then Mass.

[Buzzman]

The whole chassis is dipped in a zinc chromate bath in and out. I lived in Mass. for 20 years and never had any car with after market treatment and never a problem with rust, nobody uses more salt then Mass.

Have you ever been up in our neck of the woods, in the winter? I doubt it judging by your comment that nobody uses more salt than (notice the spelling?) Mass.An unprotected vehicle in my city would never last 20 years. It doesn't matter if the thing was dipped in gold. I could take my camera and get you a ton of pictures of say, 15 year old Honda Accords with no wheel wells left in them. Actually, I would have trouble finding a 20 year old car around here, period. The only way a car would last that long is if the driver parks it indoors for 6 months. A ten year old car in this city is called a winter beater.We start spreading salt on our roads as early as November, and don't stop until April. It's insane. There are times in the winter when I can't tell the colour of my truck because it is covered in white powder from the salt. I'll take some pictures this winter and post them for you.It's a frustrating battle when you pour good money into a new car, knowing that it's going to take a beating due to the crappy weather. Sometimes I wonder why the hell I live here, but that's a whole other thread.

[melbourne]

I don't know why but the second addition of my reply did not come through. I'll try again, I was not making light of his situation,there are two many stealerships around that will take everything in any way that they can get away with.I do agree with your points with number one, to stay away from them. I will say that while in Mass. when I took the cars in for service I would inspect the underside and spray any place that appeared to show signs of trouble. However that is to me normal car care that after spending big bucks one should be doing it anyway. In Mass they would salt down roads to be sure that the next years allocation would at least equal the current years use. Ridiculous, of course.

[chow]

Hrm.. Im planning to lease the car for 5 years, probably wont buy it.. But im worried incase i change my mind.. So im going to the dealership this weekend to buy it.. No rust proofing.

Any canadains wanna share me the price they got?Im paying 42 xxx for a 3.5 SE white color with floor mats.

Dunno if thats good, still lookin around this week.

[bina12834]

i got a quote for $24,094 (without taxes and tags and other fees) for a 2008 2.5S Sedan with the SL Package and the Connection Package. As far as i know invoice for this set up is about 24,385 (according to Edmunds.com). Is this a good price?

[Silver Dollar]

I don't know the prices of the sedans but if you are getting a quote for less than or close to invoice, I say go for it

[bina12834]

yea i probably am....and theyre offering me the 3.9% APR financing and $1000 cash back deal

[tuffmag]

The whole rust proofing thing kills me. They are trying to get extra money out of you. Are you really that concerned about rust on your car? You'd have to have the car for quite a while before any rust appears to begin with. Save your money.