How much to pay for professional detailing?
07-31-08, 09:56 AM
#1
How much to pay for professional detailing?
So when i bought my new car I promised my car that I would get it professional detailed once a year. But how much is too much to pay. I called a place and they want around $350. They claim they could remove most swirl marks. What do you guys think. Too much?
07-31-08, 10:13 AM
#2
$350 is a bit on the higher side...If they do immaculate job then I wouldn't mind paying that much to remove all, if not most, of the swirls....Swirl removal jobs take the whole day (est 6-7 hours of polishing) so 350 sounds about right especially when you're working on a black car....I would ask for pics..Check out their work on site and if you do get your car done over there...Recheck their work in direct sunlight to see if the swirls are actually removed and also check if they left any marring (buffer trails) on the paint...
The whole car should look swirl free when finished in direct sunlight..Free of any buffer trails or swirls...etc...
Heres a pic of the buffer trails or marring and swirls I was talking about in sunlight...
Double check work in sunlight to verify they do good work!
Good luck...
The whole car should look swirl free when finished in direct sunlight..Free of any buffer trails or swirls...etc...
Heres a pic of the buffer trails or marring and swirls I was talking about in sunlight...
Double check work in sunlight to verify they do good work!
Good luck...
07-31-08, 12:07 PM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: California
Posts: 6,084
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you are talking about someone who is going to polish the car and knows what they are doing, that doesn't sound like a bad price especially if they are going to detail the interior as well. If they don't know what they are doing, any price is too much.
07-31-08, 01:32 PM
#4
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would be more concerned if they say they can do a full correction for only 100~150, and only take a few hours. Especially when dealing with black, it needs to be done properly with multiple steps to get it both swirl and hologram free. Good detailers get $30~65/hour, but their work is definitely worth it.
08-01-08, 07:54 PM
#5
I would be more concerned if they say they can do a full correction for only 100~150, and only take a few hours. Especially when dealing with black, it needs to be done properly with multiple steps to get it both swirl and hologram free. Good detailers get $30~65/hour, but their work is definitely worth it.
08-01-08, 08:05 PM
#6
Driver
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Washington
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Anytime you touch the car there is the chance to
introduce swirl marks, if you wash, wipe, etc, it in circular motions. Thats why especially on dark colors actually all colors, everything should be done in a straight forward and back, on horizontal and up and down on vertical surfaces. Any marks you leave hopefully wont be as noticeable... A car can look really shiny and all but looked at under high power halogens or in direct sunlight, you can see what it REALLY looks like. It can be alarming. 
A good detailer will be able to get all marks out and leave a crystal clear finish with no marks at all. The next time you wash it, you start leaving a few marks, depending on your process. Anytime someone leans on it, rubs across it with their hands, etc, drops the computer bag onthe back of the trunk, etc., they are leaving a mark on it pretty much all the time. You have to decide how much you are going to worry/stress/etc., over this or not. If you just try to maintain it a couple of times a year or more, it will be fine, again depends on how much you want it to be perfect.. I see really nice cars going down the road with swirls all down the sides and wonder, how do they not see it?? I talked to a guy with a black Lexus RX300 I think and it was all swirled from the Dealer detailer and he thought they were supposed to look like that. Funny..
Good luck with your project ! DanF
A good detailer will be able to get all marks out and leave a crystal clear finish with no marks at all. The next time you wash it, you start leaving a few marks, depending on your process. Anytime someone leans on it, rubs across it with their hands, etc, drops the computer bag onthe back of the trunk, etc., they are leaving a mark on it pretty much all the time. You have to decide how much you are going to worry/stress/etc., over this or not. If you just try to maintain it a couple of times a year or more, it will be fine, again depends on how much you want it to be perfect.. I see really nice cars going down the road with swirls all down the sides and wonder, how do they not see it?? I talked to a guy with a black Lexus RX300 I think and it was all swirled from the Dealer detailer and he thought they were supposed to look like that. Funny..
Good luck with your project ! DanF
08-01-08, 08:13 PM
#7
Driver
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Washington
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To further answer your question, swirl marks are also
Introduced by people using rotary buffers and not finishing the job, using the wrong products, or just basically screwing up the paint for you. What you want to see after using a machine is clear, clean paint with no marks, swirls, etc. This is very much dependant on the operator, the pad, and the product being used. This is why alot of people went to the Porter Cable 7424, etc, machine which are not rotary but random orbital and are less likely to leave marks in the paint, but they too can if not, again, used correctly with the right pads and product.
I personally think its a huge waste of time to have to go through levels of product to eventually get a smooth swirl free finish. When I used to work in a Paint Shop we used only 2 products, the first to put the gloss back on a freshly wet sanded finish, and the 2nd, to remove any scratches still in the paint from the first product, and bring out the smooth, swirl,mark,etc., free gloss. Good luck. DanF
I personally think its a huge waste of time to have to go through levels of product to eventually get a smooth swirl free finish. When I used to work in a Paint Shop we used only 2 products, the first to put the gloss back on a freshly wet sanded finish, and the 2nd, to remove any scratches still in the paint from the first product, and bring out the smooth, swirl,mark,etc., free gloss. Good luck. DanF
Trending Topics
08-02-08, 09:21 AM
#9
Rookie
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: CA
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
350 sounds pretty reasonable. it's nearly impossible to remove ALL swirls, but removing 95% of them is already pretty damn good. If I were you, I'd rather pay more to have my problems solved rather than skip pay and have a detailer create more problems.
If 350 is for a full interior, exterior and engine bay, that is already a pretty good deal. The amount of work put into detailing is pretty insane when you actually try or watch it.
If 350 is for a full interior, exterior and engine bay, that is already a pretty good deal. The amount of work put into detailing is pretty insane when you actually try or watch it.
08-02-08, 09:25 AM
#10
Lexus Test Driver
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,099
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2nd. 350 might be a touch on the high side, but for the most part is reasonable if they can eliminate 90+% of the swirls w/o masking them w/ crazy amounts of fillers.
08-02-08, 09:37 AM
#11
Lexus Test Driver
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: NJ
Posts: 1,099
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You can definitely introduce swirls to your paint by simply washing improperly. For washing, I always recommend a sheepskin wash mitt, a grit guard, and quality wash soap. example car wash kit:
http://www.glimmerglassdetailing.com/carwashkit.html
08-02-08, 06:57 PM
#14
Lead Lap
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: MA
Posts: 767
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
it's $100 for detailing here and they do a great job.
from what i can remember it includes a hand wash and dry, cut compound to remove swirls, polish and wax for paint. they also lift up your car to clean out the underside and the wheel housing. not sure exactly what they do for rims. i know when i picked up the car it looked great and my dad saw it when i came home and said it looked like i bought a new car.
the service is great too. you set up an appointment, they call you back a day before your appointment to remind you then you drop it off the next day at 8am, pick it up at 5pm.
from what i can remember it includes a hand wash and dry, cut compound to remove swirls, polish and wax for paint. they also lift up your car to clean out the underside and the wheel housing. not sure exactly what they do for rims. i know when i picked up the car it looked great and my dad saw it when i came home and said it looked like i bought a new car.
the service is great too. you set up an appointment, they call you back a day before your appointment to remind you then you drop it off the next day at 8am, pick it up at 5pm.