McLaren 570s Buying Advice

McLaren 570s Buying Advice

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Comeal

Original Poster:

22 posts

113 months

Sunday 24th April 2022
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Hi all, hoping to collect an Ice Silver 570s next week, pending its pre inspection at McLaren to add their warranty on.

One thing I have noticed is some corrison on the wings (pictures attached) these are the two worst areas, even less on other two wings.


[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/YcA45mYf[/url]

I already spoke with McLaren who say it is past the 5 year warranty for this type for corrison. Is this likely to spread or is there a way to prevent it? Those who have fixed out of warranty, any rough idea on price so i can try to negotiate with the dealer. Car also has full ppf so that would need replacing if repainted. I am planning to fully wrap the car for a colour change later down the line.

Any help, or advice appreciated. Car is otherwise spec perfect for what I am after, at a very reasonable price.

Matt

kevinpsw

136 posts

205 months

Sunday 24th April 2022
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My estimate for cost of new front wings and paint is up to £8k. I was quoted £4k for one 12C front wing and blend in Elite paint. I’ve decided to live with the small bubbles. McLaren approved workshop - if not approved, likely they’ll need you to get them the paint code. Standard colour paint is likely a bit easier to blend and cheaper.

A guy said on McLaren Owners’ Club forum that he got 4 corners repaired and repainted for £4k. Was a silver car. A paint shop in Suffolk, he said.

Another car I looked at had several panels and complete respray and new PPF done under warranty and the invoice was £14.8k.

So if the car is £15k below retail, then you can’t really lose.

McLarens have their issues but they are extraordinary cars.

Gunso

1,101 posts

257 months

Monday 25th April 2022
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You have to ask yourself - how long before all the other panels do the same.

When I was a child I worked at the McLaren F1 factory. I raced karts. To be that involved in an F1 team was an absolute dream.

Nearly 40 years later the shoddy paint and never ending corrosion ended my love affair with McLaren. Buy one if you can afford to be without it for 6 months of the year.

They are brilliant cars.

They are also bloody awful ownership experience.


anonymous-user

61 months

Monday 25th April 2022
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Not every car suffers these issues and I know of many owners with zero issues ar all.
Of all the models though 570S seems the worst

Comeal

Original Poster:

22 posts

113 months

Monday 25th April 2022
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Thanks all for the replys. The slight bubbling i can live with, given the driving experience will be sublime.

My concern is it spreading and becoming much worse overtime. Car is fully ppf'd and i plan to wrap on top of this. Not that it'll prevent it further.

kevinpsw

136 posts

205 months

Monday 25th April 2022
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I doubt there is a definitive answer on spreading, yet.

You probably know but, until recently, McLaren was covering the bubbling under its 10 year perforation warranty. So the cars were getting repaired FoC. Now they don’t (they are saying it is cosmetic and only covered for 5 years) there will be people like me who will live with the imperfection. I took photos of mine (just one front wing) as I bought it and will check over time to see if it gets worse or shows up on other panels.

My best guess is that one will have to consider it a long term maintenance burden. Every few (5-8?) years some repair and paint work will be required.

Hopefully, there’ll be a Thorney Motorsport equivalent for bubbling repairs emerge who can do the job for a reasonable price.

Largechris

2,019 posts

98 months

Monday 25th April 2022
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kevinpsw said:
I doubt there is a definitive answer on spreading, yet.

You probably know but, until recently, McLaren was covering the bubbling under its 10 year perforation warranty. So the cars were getting repaired FoC. Now they don’t (they are saying it is cosmetic and only covered for 5 years) there will be people like me who will live with the imperfection. I took photos of mine (just one front wing) as I bought it and will check over time to see if it gets worse or shows up on other panels.

My best guess is that one will have to consider it a long term maintenance burden. Every few (5-8?) years some repair and paint work will be required.

Hopefully, there’ll be a Thorney Motorsport equivalent for bubbling repairs emerge who can do the job for a reasonable price.
If McLaren say this sort of thing is cosmetic, five years warranty only, I’d question what the point of using a McLaren approved body shop is in this case. Unless the repairs require unobtainium materials I’d just pop off to a very decent body shop and save some cash.

kevinpsw

136 posts

205 months

Monday 25th April 2022
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Paint codes is the issue. Especially for the Elite paints. McLaren only make them available to approved body shops. The latter have done well from warranty claims, I’m sure.

Largechris

2,019 posts

98 months

Monday 25th April 2022
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kevinpsw said:
Paint codes is the issue. Especially for the Elite paints. McLaren only make them available to approved body shops. The latter have done well from warranty claims, I’m sure.
Interesting, is that, er legal?

drcarrera

792 posts

232 months

Tuesday 26th April 2022
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Just to add a bit to what's already been said ...
The existing bubbling may not spread that much but it's almost bound to appear on other areas of the car,
I bought a 3 year old 570 last year and three of the panels had to be replaced due to this issue. There are also numerous instances of replaced panels subsequently showing the same issue so I don't think McLaren have ever got on top of the fundamental problem (unless they have done very recently).
It's all very fixable, of course, but at a cost. I would also add that not all approved body shops are equal - some are good, some are not - but if you join the owners club after purchase you'll be able to read the posts and sort the what from the chaff!
The paint code thing is ridiculous but many are available with a bit of digging, particularly the more standard colours.

MrC986

3,555 posts

198 months

Tuesday 26th April 2022
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The dealing with corrosion issue is likely to often be part of the difference between buying from a McLaren dealer & a specialist as you'd hope the main dealer uses their influence to either claim using the system or has more favourable cost rates/access to an approved bodyshop & hence offers the car better prepared (albeit of course at a slightly higher price!)

Pioneer

1,329 posts

138 months

Tuesday 26th April 2022
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It's fairly simple to find out which bodyshops the McL dealers are using also. You can go direct and save £££s if you so wish.

Hedgetrimmer

570 posts

264 months

Tuesday 26th April 2022
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If the bubbling is isolated to the outer edge then find a very good bodyshop. They can paint to the edge where the surface angle changes and then lacquer the whole wing. They did this on my last Mclaren and it was not possble to spot. I was charged £900 for both front wings including removing the bumper to gain access to prep the wing.

As noted above, getting the right paint mix is the issue as Mclaren will not disclose. The bodyshop had to use and very high spec paint spectrum analyser to get a mix.

Comeal

Original Poster:

22 posts

113 months

Tuesday 26th April 2022
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Hedgetrimmer said:
If the bubbling is isolated to the outer edge then find a very good bodyshop. They can paint to the edge where the surface angle changes and then lacquer the whole wing. They did this on my last Mclaren and it was not possble to spot. I was charged £900 for both front wings including removing the bumper to gain access to prep the wing.

As noted above, getting the right paint mix is the issue as Mclaren will not disclose. The bodyshop had to use and very high spec paint spectrum analyser to get a mix.
What was the bodyshop you used, if you dont mind saying. Or feel free to PM them to me. Cheers!

Hedgetrimmer

570 posts

264 months

Tuesday 26th April 2022
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Bodyshop is Newcastle Upon Tyne based. Does that cause you an issue?

Streetbeat

1,069 posts

83 months

Tuesday 26th April 2022
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I had my nose cone sprayed at a trusted local bodyshop as the previous owner had screwed the number plate on.......god knows why, Mso defined colour, ceramic grey, the bodyshop had no issues, it was on their system.

Comeal

Original Poster:

22 posts

113 months

Tuesday 26th April 2022
quotequote all
Hedgetrimmer said:
Bodyshop is Newcastle Upon Tyne based. Does that cause you an issue?
Yeah probably, i am midlands based.

Gunso

1,101 posts

257 months

Tuesday 26th April 2022
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If you accept the issue I applaud your tenacity.

Having been without my car for an average of 5 months out of 12 I would never wholeheartedly recommend buying a McLaren.

The nail in the coffin for me went like this:

September 21 - spotted the corrosion and booked it in for repair.
October 21 - went in for repair.
December 21- collected the car from Topaz Bristol who replaced the PPF (50% paid by McLaren 50% by me).
December 21- spotted more corrosion booked it on for repair. (Earliest appointment March!)
March 22 - repair pencilled in.
May 22 - possibly (!) get the car back.

Sold the car!

If it is a spare car and you can deal with it a great buy.

Superleg48

1,525 posts

140 months

Tuesday 26th April 2022
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The Bodycentre in Norwich can do Mclarens.

Best Bodyshop I have ever known. I have used them for a full front end respray on my Gallardo LP570-4 to fix a small 5mm stone chip on the bonnet that had been PPF’s over with the flake just laid down and held in pace by the PPF.

It was 4 stage pearl hence why the whole front end needed doing. Match was perfect.

Here is the offending blemish which totally messed with my OCD.



Here is the car post repair.



MrC986

3,555 posts

198 months

Tuesday 26th April 2022
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Comeal said:
Hedgetrimmer said:
Bodyshop is Newcastle Upon Tyne based. Does that cause you an issue?
Yeah probably, i am midlands based.
Shorade at Cannock advertise as a McLaren bodyshop specialist & when I went to a Porsche based event there last year, they had a number of McLarens in being attended to.