To detail or not to detail?

  • Thread starter Deleted member 65149
  • Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
D

Deleted member 65149

Guest
I can’t decide. My C350 is coming up to its ninth birthday but has only covered 35,000 miles and looks in good condition. I’ve always been careful when washing it, without being obsessive. When not in use the car spends all its time in my garage where it’s protected from the elements.

So my question is this. Is it worth spending > £1000 on a full detail with paint correction and top grade ceramic coating?

The car is only worth around £10k and I’d also need to fork out for refurbishing the diamond cut wheels to get the whole car as I’d like it.
 
£1000 is a lot of money to anyone, but as already mentioned if you are planning on keeping the car and you have spare cash then IMO it's worth it. :thumb:

I'm sure you will have already seen this, but I'll leave it here for future visitors when searching for advise.

 
£1000 is a lot of money to anyone, but as already mentioned if you are planning on keeping the car and you have spare cash then IMO it's worth it. :thumb:

I'm sure you will have already seen this, but I'll leave it here for future visitors when searching for advise.

No such thing as spare cash in my mind. But it would be fairly easily affordable because I haven’t been spending anything on holidays for the last year, and it’s a lot cheaper than a new car.

Yes I saw your post and the stunning results. That’s what made me think about it again. My car is also black (Magnetite) so has the potential to look as good.
 
Get the wheels refurbished before you get the car detailed so they can coat the wheels too
The nearest gtechniq approved place to me also does wheels so I’m considering getting the whole lot done at once.
 
In all honesty buddy, any car that's in good condition regardless of age or value will benefit from a good paint correction, but the choice of LSP will vary for each individual.

Ceramic coatings are fantastic, the main benefits being durability resistance to bonding contamination giving and easier wash process, however they still need regular maintenance in the same way all LSP needs.

There are some fantastic quality sealants now that perform very well, some will last last a good 12months being washed weekly and even longer depending on the mileage you do

If the car isn't going to cover a huge amount of mileage then I'd look to a good polymer sealant and top up each month or use a drying aid to maintain it after every wash.

Some other things to mention are the costs of maintenance.
A good polymer sealant will be far cheaper to maintain than a full coating as the toppers have very different formulas.

I.e
Some of the best toppers for coatings are around £50 For 250/500ml

Where as a good polymer blended toppers start at around £10/15 for 500ml.

Coatings themselves also vary in the way they work, some sheet water, some bead extremely, this list of differences are endless
It all comes to what your looking for from that coating.
 
No such thing as spare cash in my mind. But it would be fairly easily affordable because I haven’t been spending anything on holidays for the last year, and it’s a lot cheaper than a new car.

Yes I saw your post and the stunning results. That’s what made me think about it again. My car is also black (Magnetite) so has the potential to look as good.
No holiday = reason to treat yourself.
Potential to look as good = a great reason to do it.
 
I can’t decide. My C350 is coming up to its ninth birthday but has only covered 35,000 miles and looks in good condition. I’ve always been careful when washing it, without being obsessive. When not in use the car spends all its time in my garage where it’s protected from the elements.

So my question is this. Is it worth spending > £1000 on a full detail with paint correction and top grade ceramic coating?

The car is only worth around £10k and I’d also need to fork out for refurbishing the diamond cut wheels to get the whole car as I’d like it.
If you so obsessed I would rather do it yourself, first you can save the money and second you getting the enjoyment, pride and joy out of it
 
Get the wheels refurbed , then detail yourself in the summer , you have plenty of time to research stuff .
 
Get the wheels refurbed , then detail yourself in the summer , you have plenty of time to research stuff .
Probably the most sensible answer. The DIYing detailing could result in a perfectly acceptable result admired by 99%, becoming over-pedantic unnecessary & a very poor non-investment. Let your heart rule by all means but there's a cost. Also YOU make the decision & do not be swayed by the peer pressure of those unknown to you.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom