600 Quid Detail !!
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just to reiterate Moonloops this customer clearly wants a detailed car and has looked at the scratches and swirls etc....
billywhiz
Active Member
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2010
- Messages
- 523
- Car
- E55
Strikethrough on the roof caused by a novice ?
I have a keen eye for detail. Unlike many others it would appear
No worries, I'm off now,, got to clean the underside of the roof tiles to increase the value of my house
People don't understand what detailing is. But when they experience it they get it and see value. I did a friends car for free (he thought I was a bit of a loon with the lengths I go to to keep my car immaculate.) He can't believe how good his car now looks and is starting to get into looking after it properly.
He's got a 6 year old Passat Highline. Had it from new and it was in a bad state to be fair. I spent 11 hours on it and it looks like new. I reckon it is worth maybe £800 more than it was worth the day before. If he'd been paying for the work it would've cost him £300-£350.
With higher value cars detailing is a no brainer, people just need educating. Why would you spend £30k and accept it looking like crap in the sun?
I was after independent analysis not in-trade anecdotes
i am neither a analyst nor a comedian...i guess neither is the customer who is buying it....
Make sure you take lots of before and after photosNo worries, I'm off now,, got to clean the underside of the roof tiles to increase the value of my house
and this is your opinion, which in truth is pretty much spot on....detailing does add value in most cases....you say its worth £800 more, so had you charged him £350 it would still net him £450 higher value....obviously said figures are representative of vehicle before and after but are not so high in other cases....
In this day and age you truly are the minority. I think I speak for a lot of people when isay, 'I think you have put your point across'. We really do know your happy with what you get so all the best. Whether you like it or not people will always get there pride and joy detailed. Check the 200 plus clients I have on my books. Yes it's a niche Market, but that's the best bit as if your known to be one of the best your high profile clientel will be through the roof. This has always been a passion and the lifestyle that comes with it is awesome. I can truly say I love my job and love the privileges that come in tow. So please, enjoy cars the way you want too and us guys will enjoy the way we like them. Perfect.
P.s. Some one close this thread as it's like a round about and getting quite boring.
billywhiz
Active Member
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- Dec 28, 2010
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- 523
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- E55
^^ From any professional point of view a quote cannot be plucked out of the air - look on Google at the detailers near where you live - they will all offer guide prices & what services are involved - each vehicle needs to have a unique evaluation according to the defects that require enhancing or correcting and every owner is different to what they want. Anyone that can give a set price without evaluating the vehicle and or doing a pre-paint check surely cannot be deemed a pro.
tpwuk
MB Enthusiast
Contradicting yourself there.
It is niche, so therefore appeals to the minority. Moonloops is representing the majority.
I know many people who consider their car to be their pride and joy. My wife and her four sister all love their cars but not one of them have even heard of detailing. In my opinion, detailing is for people with an OCD. I've not got a problem with that and I've said all along, if they're happy to spend £300 plus on getting their car detailed or spend an entire weekend doing it themselves, then fine. Personally I would prefer to spend that time and money on friends and family.
As a side note, how long has detailing been established? I just don't recall such an obsession back in the 90's.....although I did spend most of it in the pub!
tpwuk
MB Enthusiast
A ball park figure though surely?
There's a bloke on here that can give a ball park figure on an entire respray!
adam87
Active Member
I'd still quote around £200 - £300 just for claying and 95% paint correction, nothing more. Valets for me are around £60 - £100 mark and I can get 2 - 3 done in a day. So if I have to spend a day and a half just polishing the paint, the cost of paint correction needs to cover the time put into it.
So for the extra £50 - £100ish you'd get everything cleaned aswell basicly which isn't a lot of money if the car is in need of a good clean.
Thats my rough figure and isn't a bottom line so could be more if the time was needed. Others will vary a lot.
So for the extra £50 - £100ish you'd get everything cleaned aswell basicly which isn't a lot of money if the car is in need of a good clean.
Thats my rough figure and isn't a bottom line so could be more if the time was needed. Others will vary a lot.
I reckon it was worth maybe £2.5k before I did it, would get close to £3.5k now probably. At the very least it would sell....it wouldn't before!! I'm no dealer and £800 is my best guestimate.
You'd probably pay £300 a day for a good job. How long it takes really depends on what condition the paint is in, how bad the swirls, RDS and oxidisation are.
The detailer will still have to thoroughly wash the car and decontaminate the paint using tar remover, deironiser and clay before starting to polish even if you don't want it "Detailed" although for the extra time that stuff takes I would let them do it. Just the wash and decontamination process by itself will take a couple of hours at the very least.
Polishing could take 6 hours, it could take 20, or more. I'd count on 1.5 - 2 days so £450-£600 to fully correct.
That's not a quote by the way - I don't do it for a living, yet. I do it for the love of it (and portfolio building.....)
Guys you may want to take a look here.
I'm a member on both forums and enjoy both.
Quote:
Originally Posted by A210 AMG
Just to stick up for MB club site its a VERY good site. As is this one.
I happen to own a Merc and have been a member on the MB site for a few Years, I Also like to keep my car clean and hence why I'm over here also.
There will always be differences that's what makes the world go by, lets just get on with topics in hand on this forum.
Hi A210AMG (would use your name but cant find it
)
I am NOT a detailer but what we on this site call a hobbyist. That is someone a step back from a pro detailer but one who is still pretty damn good at 'finishing' cars - usually their own.
As i am not a member of your club site, never having owned a Merc, could you do me a favour and make an offer to any of the 'detailer baiters' as follows.
Invite them to make contact with me and i will arrange for them to bring their car to my address. I will then tape the car in half and offer the use of my polisher. they can bring their £40 worth of halfords goodies and do one side and I will dip into my slightly more expensive box of goodies and do the other side. We will then remove the tape and compare the car. If they are as capable as they say they are and our hobby/work is as easy as they say it is there will be little if any difference and they can drive home with a lovely shiney car.
If however, as I suspect, they find one side of the car massively different to the other they then have TWO options.
1. As they claim that detailing is OCD and no one really looks at the paint on a car they can drive their two tone paint work Merc as it is
or
2. Put up a public acknowledgement that they were wrong and I will finish the car for FREE!!!!!!!!!
Ming the Helpful
PS I do not do this for a living but do on occasion get paid for my services.
Full thread here:-
overblown valeter an overblown price ! £600 detail - Grab a Coffee - - Detailing World -
Group hug all round, we like Mercs, they like clean cars.
A clean merc = a happy merc
All happy.
I'm a member on both forums and enjoy both.
Quote:
Originally Posted by A210 AMG
Just to stick up for MB club site its a VERY good site. As is this one.
I happen to own a Merc and have been a member on the MB site for a few Years, I Also like to keep my car clean and hence why I'm over here also.
There will always be differences that's what makes the world go by, lets just get on with topics in hand on this forum.
Hi A210AMG (would use your name but cant find it
I am NOT a detailer but what we on this site call a hobbyist. That is someone a step back from a pro detailer but one who is still pretty damn good at 'finishing' cars - usually their own.
As i am not a member of your club site, never having owned a Merc, could you do me a favour and make an offer to any of the 'detailer baiters' as follows.
Invite them to make contact with me and i will arrange for them to bring their car to my address. I will then tape the car in half and offer the use of my polisher. they can bring their £40 worth of halfords goodies and do one side and I will dip into my slightly more expensive box of goodies and do the other side. We will then remove the tape and compare the car. If they are as capable as they say they are and our hobby/work is as easy as they say it is there will be little if any difference and they can drive home with a lovely shiney car.
If however, as I suspect, they find one side of the car massively different to the other they then have TWO options.
1. As they claim that detailing is OCD and no one really looks at the paint on a car they can drive their two tone paint work Merc as it is
or
2. Put up a public acknowledgement that they were wrong and I will finish the car for FREE!!!!!!!!!
Ming the Helpful
PS I do not do this for a living but do on occasion get paid for my services.
Full thread here:-
overblown valeter an overblown price ! £600 detail - Grab a Coffee - - Detailing World -
Group hug all round, we like Mercs, they like clean cars.
A clean merc = a happy merc
All happy.
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