I have placed a deposit on a copper red MX5 2013 and will collect the weekend.
It is from an approved Mazda dealer.
I have been quoted £295 for supaguard application.
I am a tad wary.
Is it advisable to go for it ?
OR
Is the money best spent taking it to a professional detailer ?
I need to make a decision.
Thanks,
Adam.
I enjoy cleaning our car so would rather spend the money (or some of it) on cleaning products.
If you don’t enjoy cleaning cars then maybe you should go for Supaguard and just hose it down once in a while. Plus at the end of the day the Supaguard is only as good as the guy that applies it and how well he prepares the car beforehand.
It’s your car, your money, so really only you can decide.
There are other threads if you look through this ‘cleaning & detailing’ forum regarding this topic, ‘supaguard’ ‘diamondbrite’ etc etc…
You will see myself (detailer) and others (other detailers) discussing this topic in some length.
If the vehicle is a 2013, you would be wasting your money as there is a huge chance it would need some sort of paint correction first, my advice, see a detailer first & then get them to apply the guard should you want it after and imperfections have been removed.
Regards,
Jordan
Jordan F1 Detailing (Manchester)
Agree with the last post. I have a 2007 Galaxy Grey 2.0 sport RC and had it Suapguarded a few months back. However, I had the guy Claybar the whole vehicle first and I have to say that the results are great. Easy to cleran, water beads off the vehicle and the paint has some protection for a couple of years at least. I don’t like polishing cars but am happy to wash them so this works for me.
If you do have it done make sure they give you the Supaguard kit that comes with it. A friend had a bad experience with a Mazda dealer who charged for Supaguard but he got no kit or sticker and I am convinced the Supaguard was never applied, just a quick wipe of bog standard showroom polish.
Fully agree with Jordan. It’s not worth the paper and ink it’s written on. Some have been happy but how much happier would they be if a pro had done it?
With no disrespect to the valets applying it they have not been trained nor have the time allowance to do a good job. Neither do they have any sort of personal interest. I work for myself and have a reputation to withheld. I also enjoy what I’m doing other wise I wouldn’t be doing it. They are being paid by somebody else who rakes all the money in at probably minimum wage if not a tiny bit more?
It’s heavily marketed and because it comes from a shiny show room people put trust in it. Another spin on it is that you are given guarantee that your paint will be protected for a number of year and your interior will. A new car will not suffer a deal of UV damage, if any, in less than 3 years which is the usual guarantee.
A friend recently had his done as a good will gesture at a ford garage in his brand new st. They had messed him around a bit so gave it him free, he wishes he’d never bothered. They got polish residue all over the plastics,scuffed the rear bumper and left some horrendous ply deep scratches in the roof. Needless to say, being a friend sorted it out for him and invoiced the garage. They are looking into the issue and I’ve been paid.
I didn’t have the Supaguard treatment, it was the Autoglym Lifeshine. There’s not much life about it after a few months to be honest, can’t comment on the Supaguard.
I was offered it again on a another car recently purchased, if I want that treated I would ask a detailer for advice and treatment. I think £300 is better spent on a professional rather than a dealer offering this treatment, just my personal opinion.
The man in the post above does a good job, recommended.
You can buy the same Supaguard materials on Ebay for £40. How hard can it be to apply it - especially if you have the time and motivation to be careful?
Thanks for your recommendation Mick!
Aplying the stuff isn’t the issue. Preparing the rest of the car to a high standard first is. If I’m applying anything that is for ‘life’ which isn’t really… I spend a long time ensuring the paint is flat and swirl/ scratch free.
I’ll be quite honest, not that much of my work is full blow corrective work as it can take days/ weeks and not many people are prepared to pay for that sort of service dare I say on an mx5. Obviously there are always going to be people who will but the large majority of people who own kx5s are driving enthusiasts rather than possers with a large bank balance…
I rarely advice people to go for creamic coatings/ sealants unless they are prepaired to have a minimum two day correction as it wouldn’t be the best job.
Believe it or not I spend almost a day polishing and wiping down brand new cars with <15 miles on the clock before I go anywhere near it with any sort of coating.
I would say a decent wax after an enhancement detail would outlast mazdas supaguard guard…
As said
Dont waste your money
Its all in the preparation
Dealers dont have the time…or the skill to do it properly
Its not that good either
Well, I had Supaguard applied by a local professional valet after clay bar treatment and I’m happy with it. Agree I would never trust a dealer to do it. Also had it applied to my previous Boxster and water still beaded nicely 18 months later.
May I ask what you paid for him to prepare and apply?
Thanks