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600 Quid Detail !!

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gedjames

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Jun 6, 2011
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Location
Liverpool
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CLK 320 (W209)
Hi all,

was reading through some of the posts for DIY detailing. I have a black CLK 320 coupe (W209) and was recently quoted 600 big ones for a 14hour detail and paint correction using swissvax products.

Now, no doubt it will look the dogs danglies after he's finished with it, and he does give amazing results, it is still 500-600 quid on getting you car cleaned and paint work tarted up and protected.

Does it really need a 14hr professional touch to get these results or could I spend 30-40 quid on products in halfords and put the elbow work in myself without, needing all the fancy electric buffers, damaging the paintwork through being a tit and not knowing what i'm doing, or basically doing all that work for crap results?

Has anyone else been more than satisfied with their own results?

Cheers,

Ged
 
Why not buy a selection of what the 'detailers' use to clean the car and see how you get on? Swissvax seems to be good from what the cleaning fraternity on here say.

You'll get 100 times more satisfaction doing it yourself, I certainly would...
 
For a 14 hour detail you are going to miss the use of your Mercedes for - 14 hours. And you are forking out just shy of 50 squid an hour including materials. Get some gear in and do it yourself over a couple of evening or a weekend. Plus you have loads of gear left to continue the fine resutls you achieve.
 
I agree with the members ^ about doing the job yourself,you could buy a lot of gear for that money including a nice polisher
£600 is way to much money even though they use swisswax
PS:Welcome to the forum
 
I can understand in cases where the car is worth a few quid (e.g your maserati's & ferrari's as shown in earlier threads) as they look absolutely stunning, however, i only bought my car for a grand, it's 21 years old and it certainly wouldn't be worth spending that amount.

I've spent about £180.00 on equipment (which includes the polisher which the missus got me for xmas) and that should keep the old girl looking nice. I've booked this Friday off to give it it's first going over (weather pending) and will post up some pics once done.
 
As Whitey says it will soon get dirty and the age needs to be considered (300CE). Paint correction removes swirl marks. Once the paint is corrected if you try your very best to wash the car with the two bucket method, you will still get some swirl marks over time. Also remember your clear coat is only only a certain thickness, machine polishing removes the clear coat. The amount of removal depends on the level correction desired.

I would suggest to prevent any further damage to the paint work use the two bucket method and use different buckets and drying towels for the wheels and body.

Check out detailing world for tips and advice.

Regards

dokalj
 
Last edited:
Where abouts are you ?

I am sure a member will give it a good clean at a good price !
 
Depending on the starting value of the car, I reckon £600 could be an investment come sale time.
 
£42.85 per hour! Not bad work if you can get it. I'm sure tools, materials & consumables aren't cheap and all this is factored into the hourly rate, but spending this sort of money on getting your car washed, polished and waxed is crazy IMO.

However, if it's a car you're selling and it has considerable profit in it, or it's a show car, or it's some £££££££'s supercar, or you just want to do it to make yourself happy, then go for it! But I bet you less than a week later, after it's been rained on and shat on, those happy feelings will start to fade!
 
£600!!! :eek: You could buy a house with servants quaters for that in my day.

Some bodyshops will spray your car for that cash and do a good job.

I would buy a machine polisher and roll up your sleves. Even if you spend £100 on tools and products you will be £500 up and have them for next time.
 
The majority of the £600 cost will be for the detailiers time and the paint correction.
Its a very time consuming process. The application of the wax/polish etc is the easy bit.
Just look at some of the before and after pictures of a detailed car where the paint work has been corrected and you will see a difference. No amount of wax/polish will get those swirls out.

I have all the equipment polisher and all and tried to do it myself but its very hard to do the paint correction properly and you really dont want to mess it up.

I paid someone to detail my car and many other on this forum have. I think it was worth the money for me but each to there own and it depends on how much the car is worth in the end.

This is a very extreme case but you can get an idea of what can be done

Polished Bliss®: RS6 MTM... - - Detailing World -
 
Don't forget if you are detailing your own car you have to revert to their geek speak, here's a quick guide, I'm sure there is more.

1. You don't scrub wheels, you agitate them.
2. You don't apply foam car wash it is "snow foam".
3. You don't sit and wait after applying foam - you have to "let it dwell"
4. You don't use "cloths", you have to use micro fibre "towels"
5. You can't use warm water, you must use water heated to 60 degrees, not 59, not 61 either.


:D
 
You gotta admit though, that Audi looks the b****x once finished. The car will obviously get dirty again but i doubt it will need that level of correction for sometime due to the layers built up on the paintwork from the wax application etc, so a thorough clean very week should keep it in fairly top nick.
 
moonloops said:
Don't forget if you are detailing your own car you have to revert to their geek speak, here's a quick guide, I'm sure there is more.

1. You don't scrub wheels, you agitate them.
2. You don't apply foam car wash it is "snow foam".
3. You don't sit and wait after applying foam - you have to "let it dwell"
4. You don't use "cloths", you have to use micro fibre "towels"
5. You can't use warm water, you must use water heated to 60 degrees, not 59, not 61 either.


:D
Click to expand...

Yep and you can't use a bucket, you have to use about 3 all with a grill in the bottom that cost 10 x the price of a normal bucket.

Depending on how the sun is aligned depends on which ratio you mix your APC.
 
£600 to wash your car.... christ.

Maybe if i'm a millionaire and £600 to me is like 60p to the average man then OK, but I don't see that happening any time soon...!
 
gedjames said:
Hi all,

was reading through some of the posts for DIY detailing. I have a black CLK 320 coupe (W209) and was recently quoted 600 big ones for a 14hour detail and paint correction using swissvax products.

Now, no doubt it will look the dogs danglies after he's finished with it, and he does give amazing results, it is still 500-600 quid on getting you car cleaned and paint work tarted up and protected.

Does it really need a 14hr professional touch to get these results or could I spend 30-40 quid on products in halfords and put the elbow work in myself without, needing all the fancy electric buffers, damaging the paintwork through being a tit and not knowing what i'm doing, or basically doing all that work for crap results?

Has anyone else been more than satisfied with their own results?

Cheers,

Ged
Click to expand...

The answer to the question is somewhere in the middle. You would not and could not do the same job as has been quoted......but does that matter? Even a brand new car is not pristine after only a very few weeks. Someone on here got a very good job done......or at least it seemed so, for £275, which he felt was reasonable.....the job was done in one day not two. Personally I think just under £50/hr. is very reasonable for time, plant, materials, premises and presumably VAT.......would not be worth while for less.
If you have the time and inclination do it yourself, do it yourself.......if you have neither one nor the other and you would like a new car then a professional detailing is a cost effective alternative......it will feel like a new car......for as long as a new car feels like a new car.

Mic
 
Cleaning Cost

I pay some very nice East European men £7 about every two weeks, the car looks great for about a week, gets dirty and I have it done again!
 
If that £600 is <1% of the value of the car go for it else you got to be kidding yourself.
 
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