Soon to be Lancer owner

[Mad Dogg]

Hi all, I've been browsing this site for the last few days so thought I'd finally join up. Great site you have here, with so many different ways to spend my money

I've been tossing up between a RX or a Mazda3 for a few weeks, but I'm basically sold on getting a lightning blue RX sedan now. The 3 doesn't help itself with it's stupid new grin, whereas the CJ Lancers have take the old 3's tag of being the best looking small car around. Plus my current car is a '94 Lancer so I have a softness for the brand.

Anyways, I've found the answers to most of the questions I had beforehand, but there's a few I still have left and was hoping someone here could give me a hand. Most of all, I'm trying to figure out what accessories to get the dealer to put on the car. Was hoping someone could look through the list I've got below and take an educated guess at what the cost of each one would be. Just need a rough guide. I'll probably be hitting the dealers on Thursday, and I'd love to be able to just walk in there and tell them exactly what I want and for what price I want it. If they think I know what I'm talking about I might get a fairly good deal. Some of it (probably most of it) is little stuff that will probably be too expensive from the dealer and either isn't worth it at all or would be better off getting aftermarket parts. I'll be checking out Autobarn and Supercheap today to get some price comparison, and if some of it's available cheaper through this site that'd be some good info to have too.

So, without further ado, here's the list:

Exterior
Rear bumper airdam
Side airdam
Front body kit
Upgrading the RX's 16" alloys to 18” alloy wheels
Locking wheel nuts
Bonnet protector
Headlamp protector
Chrome exhaust tip
Carbon fibre-look B-pillar insert - $200

Interior
Scuff plates – stainless steel - $120
Embroidered carpet mats
Floor illumination – front - $150
Carbon fibre look – HVAC console surround
Carbon fibre look – Gearshift control surround
Sports gearshift knob – silver alloy & black leather
Front & Rear seat covers
Alloy handbrake cover

The price beside a couple of them are what I've seen on this site that I think are roughly dealer prices. Oh, and if anyone got some of them and are unhappy with the quality or value, let us know. I don't want to be spending hard earned money on crap.

Also, what's the deal with window tinting? I've read all about the scratching and using the felt liners - have they got these standard on the MY10? I'm thinking the best way to go here would be to see Tint-a-Car today and get a quote, then try to get the dealer to match it. That way I can just take it back to the dealer if/when it scratches and get it replaced. Even if it's every 6 months or so. Sound about right?

Umm, I think that's about it. lol, biggest first post ever? Cheers everyone who read it all.

[The X]

Well first off welcome to ClubCJ! Yeah the cheesy smiley grin of the Mazda3 is a turn off.

A lot of the optiions you have listed you can probably get cheaper via ClubCJ - see this thread http://clubcj.net/viewtopic.php?t=1131
However you can always try it on with the dealer.
The way I did it, once i had negotiated the price right down, is just as I was agonising over whether to say "yes" or "no" to a deal with the dealer.

I did mention I wanted some options, was not prepared to pay full price, but mentioned I could get them lower than MSRP (I made no mention of the Club nor what dealership they would be sourced from under any circumstances) - so I would not ruin it for the ClubCJ community. It was a bit of auction back and forth and I got the bits and pieces at or close to ClubCJ prices (remembering if you do get them via our official chief buyer, they'd be postage from VIC to QLD and you'd have to fit them yourself!).

As for the tints, I got myself some 3M brand tint, the tinter did say generally speaking, only the cheaper filts are more susceptible to scratching, but regardless cut back the lower inner flap on my car.

I'll leave at that right now. But if you're going to pay all that extra money for all those add ons, go for a VRX Seriously tho, dealers make a big chunk of margin for the extras, so you will be paying quite a premium for incremental value.

I was given the complete accessory price list plus labour time / costs - it's an eye opener. Even when they apply fleet discounts of 26% they still make money on the accessories, plus the obsene per hour "labour rate" to fit these is $99 per hour for some first year apprentice to "install" these. I'd be fine if the 1st year apprentice got the $99 per/hr rate, but the fat dealer principle gets it instead!

[Graham]

Welcome!

Glad to see you're sticking with the Lancer

I bought a few accessories from the dealer, both of the carbon fibre surrounds (VERY overpriced) paint protection pack (discounted heavily) alarm and window tint. I think that's all I got, I can barely remember

Personally if I had the chance to go back I would get NONE of these accessories, they're a ripoff.

I could've bought some dry carbon print for $80 and done it myself
or a better alarm for the same price if not cheaper
window tint would've been cheaper by a third party also.
paint protection I doub't i'll ever use, but if I do need to use it it'll be nice.

I would get the
Sports gearshift knob – silver alloy & black leather
though, I love my leather steering wheel/handbrake/shift knob in the VR

for most if not all of these parts it would be cheaper to get them and install them elsewhere, or install them yourself or with the help of some of us

But if OEM is what you want then the dealer options are still good.

hope this helps a little bit.

[The X]

Oh have a look at the pricing guide, seems not to be too up to date, but fairly so
http://clubcj.net/viewtopic.php?t=812

Also avoid the CF stick on for HVAC, apparently it falls of. Someone on these forums got it and was unimpressed for what you pay for it and what you actually get.
CF B-pillar inserts look great on a blue Lancer (like mine http://clubcj.net/garage.php?mode=view_vehicle&CID=205 - shameless plug!) Someone else has them, I think blade888 ???
Definately the scuff plates!
As for upgrading alloys, hold onto the 16" and wait and see for some better, more custom after market 18s?
Bonnet protector, depends if you susceptible to stone chips from trucks in your area.
Headlight protector, I'm a bit meh, it's hard plastic, they're built for a bit of rough treatment.
Floor illuminiation, i have it, i like it. Unless you're handy you can do it yourself.
Get the carpets part of the deal, despite being uber organised, it's the one thing I forogt and had to pay full price afterwards. ($100). However well worth it, they fit perfectly.

sorry for the two replies, I've just finished my nightshift and I'm a bit vague and random in my thought process!

[Graham]

Also avoid the CF stick on for HVAC, apparently it falls of. Someone on these forums got it and was unimpressed for what you pay for it and what you actually get.

Mine is falling off every day, the adhesive is VERY VERY VERY poor quality.

I might get some carbon fibre wrap and redo it, or perhaps just put some 3M tape on there and re-stick it back.

I told dealer about this and their solution?

Take it off and put it back on (without doing anything else) "oh, it's on there now"
yeah, it'll still fall off the next day!

[scraverX]

Depending on the Dealer and what 'specials' they're offering you'll get some things.

My dealer was throwing in carpet mats and tint when I got my RX.

As others have said... get stuff like body kit aftermarket.

Edit: Oh yeah, welcome to clubCJ

[Superintendent Chalmers]

Welcome to Club CJ Mad Dogg. Nice to see another Northern Queenslander here. Need more owners for some cruises around our great area.

[Mad Dogg]

Cheers guys. Sounds like what I expected, most of it simply isn't worth it. With the interior stuff the only thing I'll probably get is the scuff plates, carpet mats and maybe the floor lights. With the bodykit and airdams I'd prefer to get them to do it as long as it's not TOO over-priced. What do you reckon I'd be looking at to get them aftermarket after painting and installation? I've never had a new car before so don't really know what kind of price range I'm looking at.

I did have a quick chat to the dealer a few weeks back and he reckoned that he couldn't really throw in any extras because the RX is already just about cost price because of the spoiler and alloys. I'm guessing he was just trying to up the price a bit. The problem is we only have one Mitsubishi dealer in Rocky, so the best I can do is play him off with Mazda.

So where do you get the 3M window tinting? That sounds like the way to go, but I'm not sure anywhere in Rocky does it. Looks like I'll have a few calls to make later this afternoon.

Thanks again for the welcome

[BSYDE]

I am almost an owner aswell, Should have mine on the 21st . Anyway Welcome!!!!!!

[billyboy]

Welcome Mad Dogg!

Mazda 3 vs CJ Lancer eyy??

Allow me to illustrate with this crappy photoshop...



Wish you well with it.

[Mad Dogg]

Aaahahahahaha. That's excellent!

Ok, found somewhere that does 3M tinting for $325. Definitely the way I'm going to go.

On the way home this afternoon I saw a devastating site. A blue Lancer sedan, just like I want, driving past that had been in an accident. The bottom left of the front bumper was either caved in or broken off, and as it went past I realised it was leaking some fluid from the area. Poor thing

At the moment I'm thinking I'll get the dealer to get the scuff plates, mats, bonnet protector, and maybe the CF B-Pillar and floor illumination. I've found ofey's thread where he lists a lot of this stuff and what prices we can get through his contacts, so if I can get the dealer to basically match that I might get a few of the other small things as well.

It's the bodykit/airdams I'm tossing up about, because I have absolutely no idea how much the dealer will reckon. Anyone got a rough guess? $500? $1000? $2000?

[SIR-VRX]

Welcome.

[blade888]

Welcome Mad Dogg!

Mazda 3 vs CJ Lancer eyy??

Allow me to illustrate with this crappy photoshop...



Wish you well with it.

BAHAHAH That's Classic!!!!!

Hahah Welcome BTW Maddog! I'm sure you'll love the car as much as we all do.

[aspir3]

Welcome.All those extras come very pricey. Do your homework it will save you big bucks. I personally would not buy anything from dealers. They rip you off and then have a lot of apprentices doing the installs.

[milobob]

I've called around to almost all the mitsu dealers in brisbane and none of them could match ofey's price.

Also, yea, the 3M tint is da bomb.. even with all the glue from the felt (I suspect the felt is rolling on the inside, it still hasn't scratched compared to the street legal tint in the outlander!)

You can grab the bodykits off Shadows.. good pricing really. Comes painted too.