Think your car is really new?

[Celcius]

Does anyone know where you can buy one of these meters?

EDIT: Found one.

Here's a link:

http://www.autopaintgage.com/

[Yodums]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FS-48...spagenameZWDVW

Let me know if it was a wise $400 investment!

[Celcius]

Originally Posted by Yodums

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FS-48...spagenameZWDVW

Let me know if it was a wise $400 investment!

lol. There has to be a cheaper solution. Seems unfair that only dealers and rich assholes can afford these meters. I saw an older version on eBay for 50 bucks, but it only measures metal, and lord knows that thing won't even work on half of our panels.

[bkurtz2006]

this is definitely good to know when buying a "NEW"(hypothetically) Car

[cbondhonda]

One thing I think is being missed here though....and I stress this HEAVILY....is that it sounds like to me maybe the Dealership the Appraisal was done at is using their knowledge of how things work at a dealership against their customers....so that they have an excuse to Low-Ball a trade.....and that in itself is a crime to the consumer.

If every dealer did what they did (Checking the paint thickness) then dealers would stop fixing pre-PDI damaged vehicles....and that would lead to a much worse situation in car buying.

Once again, I have never even seen ONE of those used during an appraisal....not just here but at any Dealership.....and you cant tell me that the Dealership that pulled out this meter has not done the same thing to any number of their cars when it comes to fixing damage......the only REAL problem here is that it was not disclosed to the customer BEFORE the sale.....and that is the only crime that I can see.

Not the fact that the work was done, but that the work was done and not DISCLOSED.

Chris

[M.J.H.]

Wow that's hard to believe!

[BlackCivic]

WTF?! Where can I find one of those meter readers? I want one!

[Yodums]

Originally Posted by BlackCivic

WTF?! Where can I find one of those meter readers? I want one!

Originally Posted by Celcius

Does anyone know where you can buy one of these meters?

EDIT: Found one.

Here's a link:

http://www.autopaintgage.com/

[disboiflaco]

dude...that sucks...i would love to have one of those meters! would help out alot!

[fiji06si13]

I have to say I work for a Lexus dealer and yes it is common that cars are dammaged especially when on the car carrier trucks the cars on the lower deck get hit with the chains that hold the uppercars on the truck quite often one time a car came in and the chain froma car above snapped and cave the hood in on a brand new ES it was a mess the hood touched the engine and when you started the car you could here the engine tap the hood....
How ever my dealer discloses anything over 300 dollars in repairs....

[fairladyz_gt-r]

Holy crap, now i am scared...any tip?

[ThaJazz]

Interesting thread. Just the other day I saw our paint guy working on some minor scratches on a red Si sedan. As a consumer, I'd want to know if the car was ever touched up, if for nothing else than the full knowledge of what I'm buying. But the reality is that dealerships don't have to disclose that, and if they did, man, some folks would hit the ceiling.

As for appraisals, my dealership guys definitely use that paint measurin' doo-dad. When I buy my car, I'll be borrowing theirs. Not to make a high-horse-sittin' scene, but to know what I'm getting into.

[IvtecN951]

Ive been reading this entire thread and you guys got me thinking...I did a pre contract on a 07 TW Si thats coming from the factory...Im getting it for $20,500....They said it would be here from May 2-7... Guess what its not here ....I called them and now they tell me that it wont be here until May 10-16:SHOCKED: ....So when I started reading this thread it got me thinking what if it was damaged during shipment and it needs to be repaired and its taking that extra week and a half to repair ... Should I be worried or should I just chill out ... What should I do so that I don't get screwed over...Any advice would be greatly appreciated...Thanks...

[Yodums]

Originally Posted by IvtecN951

Ive been reading this entire thread and you guys got me thinking...I did a pre contract on a 07 TW Si thats coming from the factory...Im getting it for $20,500....They said it would be here from May 2-7... Guess what its not here ....I called them and now they tell me that it wont be here until May 10-16:SHOCKED: ....So when I started reading this thread it got me thinking what if it was damaged during shipment and it needs to be repaired and its taking that extra week and a half to repair ... Should I be worried or should I just chill out ... What should I do so that I don't get screwed over...Any advice would be greatly appreciated...Thanks...

Drive to the dealership and take a peak in the lot or inside the garage. Honestly, I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Think about what you can really do. Not much!

[fairladyz_gt-r]

^ that's not very a boost to the moral at all....><!!! **** maybe i should just pick it up from the plant myself

[Yodums]

I'm just being honest. It's not like one single individual is getting the shaft, technically everyone is. I don't know whether my car fell off of the truck and had to be repaired, neither does anyone else. If what the dealer is doing is totally legal, then there's not much we can do. I'm sure everyone felt fine prior to reading this article.

[Excalibur]

Man, that's crazy.

[Johannes]

hook me up with one those meters...

[RaiderZ28]

I'm not sure if this is a repost but I didn't feel like looking through the whole thread.
My girlfriend works at a railyard where trains drop off cars to be picked up by trucks. The people who work on the yard load and unload cars from train to truck. The first problem is they start work about 5 am and don't get off until the trains are completely unloaded which could be about 12 hours. They have to do the job as fast as possible which means they run alot and haul a** in the cars. Sometimes they are hungover or still drunk while doing so. And most of them like to drive the cars hard, especially the muscle cars.
She told me that the cars that come off the train already damaged get put back onto the train (this may be the part where they get assessed and repaired). Some cars, though, make it through to the dealerships with various parts being damaged. When I bought my Civic earlier this month, I gave my girl the vin and she checked who drove it so I would know it was all good. If it was one of the jacka**es who work there I was about to refuse delivery.

[R_squared]

The c-pillar on one side of my Si sedan has a lot of swirlmarks, that are very apparent in the sun. I didn't really notice them when I bought the car but could tell the next day. I wonder if they had to do any sort of repairs on the car before I got it. It was a dealer trade so who knows...