I got a quote of $350 to clay bar, polish and seal the exterior. It also includes cleaning and treating the leather, shampooing the carpet and treating all plastic. Does this sound reasonable? The guy says he needs the car for two days because the paint sealer he uses (like Zaino) needs 12 hours to cure.

 

I don't know. Seems a little high to me (but I have been detailing my own cars for many, many years)..

 

Interesting! I've done all of this (sans carpet shampoo - not needed in my cases) to my XJ and my daughter's S Type, with an F150 and another Jag S Type on deck. Firstly, there is no way I would've have paid anyone $350 to do it....and yet, if you (nothing personal...or "anyone") offered me $350 to do likewise to a similar or smaller car, I think I'd turn down the job. Maybe if 10 people offered and said they'd return every week....nah....still too much work for too little money. Hat's off to the professional detailers out there...they surely earn their denari and many work magic on painted surfaces.

I approached it from the standpoint that I could buy the necessary tools and supplies to learn to fish for less than the cost of buying one fish. If I'd have thought of it as $350 to avoid repainting the car, maybe it wouldn't have seemed so steep, but $350 to clean the flippin' car, that'll get rained on, dust-blown, and bug splattered on the way home, even!?! Seems harsh. On the other hand...it IS quite a few hours of work, though probably (hopefully) LESS for a pro than for a virgin newbie flopping around on it. I bought a PC and Meguiar's MF DA paint correction system and have used it on several different finishes, including my fiberglass tractor hood and my son's hand-painted guitar build and honestly, I have yet to find a finish you can "hurt" with it. Worst I've come across is very heavily oxidized Mercury (I snuck in a little test patch whilst doing the tractor hood) in white that looked pretty much the same after as before...but still...EVERYTHING I've used it on looks at least as good as before, but most surfaces look FAR better. IMHO, I got $350 worth of improvement on the XJ:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/d...pective-56723/

 

I have no idea what a complete and professional detail would cost, none of my cars are worth it.

But from following all the Videos that Innovative Dave posts, the care, attention, and knowledge are what are being paid for.

If ever I was lucky enough to own a high end, or heck even a new car, I would certainly have a pro' look at it at least once.

$350 does not sound too bad to me. I don't know what your average labour charges are out there, but if someone is going to spend a whole day on your car, don't forget that after all the deductions, costs of products, insurances, etc, they are probably only coming out with about a 1/3rd of that amount.

$350 is not take home pay, and as my Grandmother used to say 'the labourer is worthy of his hire'.

Now I totally agree that if someone has the time, and more importantly the inclination or passion to have at it themselves, then go for it.

Nothing better than standing back and looking at a job well done.

PS, I am not having a dig at anyone here, we all look after our own cars, just sometimes with different methods.

 

Richard,
That's kind of what I was thinking. Add that to the fact that a buffer in the wrong hands can damage the finish... and I consider a buffer in my hands would be the wrong hands.

 

My obsessive friend pays $300 for a great job on his 911.

 

This is what I do and I won't even quote someone over the phone, too many variables and options. I focus on exteriors and my prices can range from $100 to $1600 for paint correction and/or protection. Things like paint contamination (extent of tar, raildust, overspray, and sap among others), fade/oxidation, scratches, chips, and orange peel all affect the price as does the car and color itself. To give an idea, a silver garage kept corvette convertible needing minor prep work and only a seal and wax would run $100. A black 1963 Lincoln continental needing complete orange peel removal and restoration to top show quality paint is where the $1600 comes in to play but thats a 50+ hour job whereas the vette is 3. Most of my customers spend around $300-$600 for the initial detail and return every other month but its only $100 or so at that point because the major paint correction is done and I just maintain it.

 

chazaroo,

If the detailer that quoted you this has plenty of experience, properly insured, pays workers comp and taxes, licensed and great reviews..then his is worth every penny and keep his contact info handy...he is your friend. I cant see why he needs your vehicle for 2 days, choose a different sealer, thats ridiculous...I wouldnt go for that, but in my opinion without seeing the vehicle in person this is a very fair quote......my services can run from $295.00 all the way to $3000 for concours and show projects. But on the average I charge about $395.00 for my 3 step "Gold" package that includes interior and exterior. When it comes to strictly exterior paint correction my fees start at $300.00 for this service....

+1.........Very well said Richard, Thank you!

 

Dave, you are more than welcome. Your tips and how to's coupled with detailed explanatory videos, have not only given me pleasure, but have taught me various methods that you 'Pro' guys use to make any car look as though it is going to it's own wedding.

Thanks from me, and keep up the good work.

PS, could do with a 'fix' of one of your classic or vintage jobs. PLEASE.

 

Should have gotten back to this earlier. Sorry for the delay. In my initial post, I forgot to mention they also detailed the engine. Anyway, when I went to get the car, they were just finishing. it looked good but I noticed when they backed it out, there were some streaks on the passenger side. They pulled it back in and redid it. They also told me to bring it back in a couple days for them to take a look. I went back, they washed it and inspected it to make sure they hadn't missed anything. It looked perfect. The guy suggested that after a week or so, if I wanted to, I could apply wax over the sealer and that some people felt the shine wax added was deeper than what you could get from a sealer. I didn't think that would be necessary, as the car looked new. After I got to thinking about it, I figured, I'd try wax to see if it made a difference. I went to a high end detail supplies place in Stuart, Florida to pick up some Mothers Gold. The guy at the detail shop saw the car as I pulled in and when I went to the Mothers rack, he said not to use it. He said with a black car, I would get better results with Pinnacle Souveran. The paste wax was $100 and the liquid was $39. I went with liquid because this was intended to be an experiment, not an investment. Anyway, went home, washed the car, dried it and waxed by hand with the Souveran. You have to put it on a small area at a time and wipe it off quickly. Holy Cow! When I finished, the car looked wet! I was stunned. In the past, I've used Meguiars or Mothers and been happy with the results but the shine I got from the Souveran is at a different level. I'm going to add another coat this weekend and post pictures. This stuff is magic!

 

Souveran paste is great! I use it on all the black cars. It adds depth but it doesnt last long(1 to 3 months depending) but then again its so easy to use, I wax my jag with it everytime I wash it atleast once a week.

 

No question, the shine is unbelievable!

 

If you looks unbelievable to your eyes, thats all that matters!!!

 

Solid advice guys. I was wondering the same thing.