custom car detailing
Paying for your car to be professionally detailed/corrected is a funny thing. The first and only time I have was as part of a forum group buy. Matt (more formally known as Off Your Marks) came down for a couple of weeks and sorted mine for £250.
Right up until the point I handed over my keys I was unsure whether it would be a good investment but the results in the end were amazing.
I also got to spend the day learning how it was done which has meant I have since bought the kit to look after my own ever since. This was at a time when Matt was starting up; unsurprisingly things have gone strength to strength for him and he has a queue of people lining up to pay a lot more!
What people don't factor into the professionals price is insurance. When you are working on cars worth anything from £5,000-£1,000,000+ you need to have the proper insurance encase something goes wrong - and it’s not cheap!
Right up until the point I handed over my keys I was unsure whether it would be a good investment but the results in the end were amazing.
I also got to spend the day learning how it was done which has meant I have since bought the kit to look after my own ever since. This was at a time when Matt was starting up; unsurprisingly things have gone strength to strength for him and he has a queue of people lining up to pay a lot more!
What people don't factor into the professionals price is insurance. When you are working on cars worth anything from £5,000-£1,000,000+ you need to have the proper insurance encase something goes wrong - and it’s not cheap!
I decided for the going rate for details, its worth considering getting your own UDM and the gear and doing it yourself...
It'l make you feel warm and fuzzy when you finally acquire the skills.
It'l make you feel warm and fuzzy when you finally acquire the skills.
58 C6 RS6 Stage 2+
58 C6 A6 Allroad 2.7 TDi
Previous:
2000 B5 S4 MRC 550 Saloon
2007 B7 RS4 Saloon
1994 S2 Coupe
58 C6 A6 Allroad 2.7 TDi
Previous:
2000 B5 S4 MRC 550 Saloon
2007 B7 RS4 Saloon
1994 S2 Coupe
It will make you sh#t yourself and cost a fortune if you get it wrong trying to acquire the skills with a powered polisherSR71 wrote:I decided for the going rate for details, its worth considering getting your own UDM and the gear and doing it yourself...
It'l make you feel warm and fuzzy when you finally acquire the skills.
Brooner and I have talked about this "£6-700 for a polish" on a few occasions and we both thought it is a ridiculous price. However, I have to say, for me that was based on a degree of ignorance.
Last week I looked over Polish Bliss's website and I can appreciate now the amount of work that goes into what they do for £600. As said above, they usually want the car for 3days. I can just about swallow the price when I see what the pros are up to. We thought it was £600/day to clean and polish your car inside out and go round the badges with little brushes etc! As PG says it not just about making the car shiny. The work and hence cost is in machin polishing out the marks in the paint.
However, for me, the question is still; Is it worth it? How quickly would that freshly polished paint work return to some swirled version again if washing it in the normal careful way that I do. Which is usually once a week with a power washer sponge which gives you a constant supply of fresh clean soapy water and I take the time to wash in straight lines?
The pro guys tell you that no matter what you do washing drying etc will mark the car's paint. I guess it’s to what degree? I am not about to start the two bucket, hand mit wash technique. I don't have the time. I can't see how this is better than a constant supply of fresh soapy water ejecting from a spmge isn't better that dipping some woollen mit into a bucket that immediately becomes contaminated and stay contaminated until you flush out with another clean supply???
For me, it would need to be at least a year or two to justify £600! But hey that's just me and my car looks pretty good to me.
The reason I would consider this is. My car came brand new from Audi covered in swirl marks even the interior. Not really bad, but definitely bad enough to show someone wasn't careful. On reflection I should have rejected it or made the dealer pay the £600! It is interesting that Polish Bliss show / discuss a brand RS4 that came straight from a dealer with the degree of marks, and worse, than mine did.
So at the back of mind it annoys me when I see the swirls, but then I look at what I've done by washing the car carefully. It’s a daily use car and it looks good but if you REALLY start to look, the marks are there and you could spend a hell of a lot of time and money possibly chasing your tail and I haven’t got the time to detail a car weekly.
I’ve some more investigation to do and more money to earn before I seriously consider this.
A sponge?!! : shock: 
That's the point, as much respect as I have for pro detailers, I find it hard to justify 600 for someone to sort the paint when you can avoid it.
If you want to avoid swirllng it's pretty easy as long as you was properly I.e. 2 buckets/grit guard/lambswool washmit. As annoying (and to some anal)l as it is it's the only way and can be done 'properly' in 1.5 hours.
: shock: That's the point, as much respect as I have for pro detailers, I find it hard to justify 600 for someone to sort the paint when you can avoid it.
If you want to avoid swirllng it's pretty easy as long as you was properly I.e. 2 buckets/grit guard/lambswool washmit. As annoying (and to some anal)l as it is it's the only way and can be done 'properly' in 1.5 hours.
I spent 6 hrs on the car with my G220 today.
I'm a novice but I have to say you'd have to be a complete t*t to screw up VAG paint. Its like diamond.
Even with Sonus SFX 1 it takes a bunch of passes on speeds of 4+ to get some swirls out...
I'd never pay £600 for a detail.
Thats at least a meal or two at The Fat Duck.
I'm a novice but I have to say you'd have to be a complete t*t to screw up VAG paint. Its like diamond.
Even with Sonus SFX 1 it takes a bunch of passes on speeds of 4+ to get some swirls out...
I'd never pay £600 for a detail.
Thats at least a meal or two at The Fat Duck.
58 C6 RS6 Stage 2+
58 C6 A6 Allroad 2.7 TDi
Previous:
2000 B5 S4 MRC 550 Saloon
2007 B7 RS4 Saloon
1994 S2 Coupe
58 C6 A6 Allroad 2.7 TDi
Previous:
2000 B5 S4 MRC 550 Saloon
2007 B7 RS4 Saloon
1994 S2 Coupe
At least a detail on your car doesn't end up killing you thoughSR71 wrote:I spent 6 hrs on the car with my G220 today.
I'm a novice but I have to say you'd have to be a complete t*t to screw up VAG paint. Its like diamond.
Even with Sonus SFX 1 it takes a bunch of passes on speeds of 4+ to get some swirls out...
I'd never pay £600 for a detail.
Thats at least a meal or two at The Fat Duck.
Nardo Grey RS6 Vorsprung 600 PS 2021 model
Nardo Grey RS6 Performance 605 PS. Titanium
Misano Red RS4 B8 450 PS
Phantom Black RS4 B7 444 BHP
Nardo Grey RS6 Performance 605 PS. Titanium
Misano Red RS4 B8 450 PS
Phantom Black RS4 B7 444 BHP
lmmfao..........alright guys,
i live in glasgow and am due to get my rs4 back later this week
had a minor accident a few weeks back, the guy i have used is based in rutherglen, king street.
he is insurance certified - went to see the car yesterday and av got to say he is doing a cracking job and his prices are no bad either.
wheels are also being re-furbished by him and a few other bits and bobs.
on top of that, i dont know if u have ever heard of house of kolors. well this guy is looking for 3 cars to do custom paint jobs on.
he isnt chaging an arm and a leg - just wants to showcase his work.
the only catch with the custom job is that he would like for his work to be showcased at shows - prob 3 or 4 a year. not a bad thing considering its a custom paint job. my bro is getting his r32 done from him.
anyway the boys name is craig, if ur interested then PM me and i will give u his details!!
later
i live in glasgow and am due to get my rs4 back later this week
had a minor accident a few weeks back, the guy i have used is based in rutherglen, king street.
he is insurance certified - went to see the car yesterday and av got to say he is doing a cracking job and his prices are no bad either.
wheels are also being re-furbished by him and a few other bits and bobs.
on top of that, i dont know if u have ever heard of house of kolors. well this guy is looking for 3 cars to do custom paint jobs on.
he isnt chaging an arm and a leg - just wants to showcase his work.
the only catch with the custom job is that he would like for his work to be showcased at shows - prob 3 or 4 a year. not a bad thing considering its a custom paint job. my bro is getting his r32 done from him.
anyway the boys name is craig, if ur interested then PM me and i will give u his details!!
later
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