Opinion on professional detailing quote (black car)
06-30-2014, 01:39 PM
#1
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Opinion on professional detailing quote (black car) I just picked up a 98 Trans Am vert Black; low mileage car that has been garage kept. Paint looks excellent, a couple of rock chips that have been touched up (expected) and a few light scratches in the clear that will need compound maybe 2-3 spots. Other than that typical black car with those micro swirls no doubt from years of washing and polishing (not real bad).
Looks pretty good as is but wanted a real "car show" shine with maximize color and depth. I usually do everything myself and the plans was to clay, use my DA polisher with a couple of LC pads with Meguires 105/205 do the paint correction and top it off with a good Carnuba based wax.
I contacted a professional detailer to see what it would run to have it done professionally. They came up with this in the estimate:
"Claying, Buffing any needed spots with severe paint correction with heavy compound, polish with multiple steps (micro-compound, followed by spider swirl remover), 2 coats of sealant, and then a final coat of wax). All products would be from Glare" Also included is basic interior detail (not really needed); I am guessing they use the Glare products for compounding/polishing/sealant and then additionally put a final coat of wax to add some color and depth ? Also state "The polishing is done in several steps to gradually eliminate the scratches and swirls. Sealant protects your car for up to 5 years and should need basic washes and maybe a coat of wax annually if you want extra protection." Estimated time 12-14 hrs.
My question is does this seam like a reasonable plan ? Also what should I expect to pay for such a service....just trying to determine if it would be better to do it myself; it may be more cost effective to have it done professionally. I am not too familiar with the glare products but the plan seems reasonable to me. Thanks.
UPDATE:
Looking at what was provided from the detailer it appears that the process would be as follows (using Glare products)
1. Clay
2. Spot Compound: (Applied with buffer, removed by hand) using Glare Knockout
3. Polish: (Applied with buffer, removed by hand.) using Glare Microfinish then Glare Spider
4. Sealant: (Applied with buffer, removed by hand) 2nd coat of Glare Premium Polish
5. Wax: (Applied with buffer, removed by hand)...meguiar's carnauba or hi-tech 2.0 wax
Appears to 5-6 step (Compound, 2 steps polish, 2 seal, wax); is this overkill ???? Seams like a lot of unneeded steps. Plus the Glare products are not cheap $35 each for 12 oz. Also not sure why all the different Glare products needed if they use the same ingredients and do not contain abrasives ?
Looks pretty good as is but wanted a real "car show" shine with maximize color and depth. I usually do everything myself and the plans was to clay, use my DA polisher with a couple of LC pads with Meguires 105/205 do the paint correction and top it off with a good Carnuba based wax.
I contacted a professional detailer to see what it would run to have it done professionally. They came up with this in the estimate:
"Claying, Buffing any needed spots with severe paint correction with heavy compound, polish with multiple steps (micro-compound, followed by spider swirl remover), 2 coats of sealant, and then a final coat of wax). All products would be from Glare" Also included is basic interior detail (not really needed); I am guessing they use the Glare products for compounding/polishing/sealant and then additionally put a final coat of wax to add some color and depth ? Also state "The polishing is done in several steps to gradually eliminate the scratches and swirls. Sealant protects your car for up to 5 years and should need basic washes and maybe a coat of wax annually if you want extra protection." Estimated time 12-14 hrs.
My question is does this seam like a reasonable plan ? Also what should I expect to pay for such a service....just trying to determine if it would be better to do it myself; it may be more cost effective to have it done professionally. I am not too familiar with the glare products but the plan seems reasonable to me. Thanks.
UPDATE:
Looking at what was provided from the detailer it appears that the process would be as follows (using Glare products)
1. Clay
2. Spot Compound: (Applied with buffer, removed by hand) using Glare Knockout
3. Polish: (Applied with buffer, removed by hand.) using Glare Microfinish then Glare Spider
4. Sealant: (Applied with buffer, removed by hand) 2nd coat of Glare Premium Polish
5. Wax: (Applied with buffer, removed by hand)...meguiar's carnauba or hi-tech 2.0 wax
Appears to 5-6 step (Compound, 2 steps polish, 2 seal, wax); is this overkill ???? Seams like a lot of unneeded steps. Plus the Glare products are not cheap $35 each for 12 oz. Also not sure why all the different Glare products needed if they use the same ingredients and do not contain abrasives ?
Last edited by y2k600f4; 07-01-2014 at 08:36 PM.
06-30-2014, 04:08 PM
#2
I can't comment on the shop, but do your research and ask to see cars they have done, or check out something they are currently working on and ask questions. Do they tape off all the body seems? Are they messy and leave compound and dust from the compound in all the crevices of the car? Do they do the entire car? Ive seen alot of shops skimp on the lower portions of the car. Do they use a paint gauge? Are they filling the swirls or physically removing them? Many detail shops fill them.whether they are aware of it or not. Alot of my detail and correction work derives from cars that have come out of larger detail shops and ended up a mess.
As far as products go, I have never used glare products. It sounds like a system of products marketed to detail shops, like car-brite. Products like that typically from my experience leave much to be desired, and dont hold a candle to a combo like say, menzerna fg400/m101/105/d300 ect. and a microfiber pad that will correct the paint in 1 step without ANY marring from a buffer. That leaves the polishing step enhancing the gloss and depth of the paint only. I really never understood the topping sealant with wax thing. When I used sealant and on the few cars I do still use it for, I use 2 coats of blackfire. I think putting wax on top of that is a bit overkill. Sealant lasts typically longer than wax, and it isnt going to make it look any better. The "look" of the paint should be established after polishing. I have since moved on to coatings like cquartz and opticoat. I use different methods for counting how many steps. I dont include the wash/clay/decontamination or wax/sealant/coating as a step. Single stage stage is if I can achieve desired results in 1 step, whether that be with polish or compound. 2-step is compound/polish or polish/finishing polish, 3 step is compound/polish/finishing polish ect ect.
For money, thats tough to gauge. Different markets make for in some cases radically different prices . For a paint correction/coating I typically start at $500 and it goes up from there, sometimes way up. I generally have about 20-30 hours in the stuff I do.
Ultimately, imo, I would do it yourself if you have the time.
As far as products go, I have never used glare products. It sounds like a system of products marketed to detail shops, like car-brite. Products like that typically from my experience leave much to be desired, and dont hold a candle to a combo like say, menzerna fg400/m101/105/d300 ect. and a microfiber pad that will correct the paint in 1 step without ANY marring from a buffer. That leaves the polishing step enhancing the gloss and depth of the paint only. I really never understood the topping sealant with wax thing. When I used sealant and on the few cars I do still use it for, I use 2 coats of blackfire. I think putting wax on top of that is a bit overkill. Sealant lasts typically longer than wax, and it isnt going to make it look any better. The "look" of the paint should be established after polishing. I have since moved on to coatings like cquartz and opticoat. I use different methods for counting how many steps. I dont include the wash/clay/decontamination or wax/sealant/coating as a step. Single stage stage is if I can achieve desired results in 1 step, whether that be with polish or compound. 2-step is compound/polish or polish/finishing polish, 3 step is compound/polish/finishing polish ect ect.
For money, thats tough to gauge. Different markets make for in some cases radically different prices . For a paint correction/coating I typically start at $500 and it goes up from there, sometimes way up. I generally have about 20-30 hours in the stuff I do.
Ultimately, imo, I would do it yourself if you have the time.
06-30-2014, 05:42 PM
#4
Their claim about the sealant lasting 5 years is false. They typically last 4-5 months. Carnauba's about 3-4 months. Coatings last longer. I would go to another place. These guys don't sound legit to me. You can aso go on Autogeek and create a thread for needing a pro detailer in your area.
06-30-2014, 08:41 PM
#5
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
I can't comment on the shop, but do your research and ask to see cars they have done, or check out something they are currently working on and ask questions. Do they tape off all the body seems? Are they messy and leave compound and dust from the compound in all the crevices of the car? Do they do the entire car? Ive seen alot of shops skimp on the lower portions of the car. Do they use a paint gauge? Are they filling the swirls or physically removing them? Many detail shops fill them.whether they are aware of it or not. Alot of my detail and correction work derives from cars that have come out of larger detail shops and ended up a mess.
As far as products go, I have never used glare products. It sounds like a system of products marketed to detail shops, like car-brite. Products like that typically from my experience leave much to be desired, and dont hold a candle to a combo like say, menzerna fg400/m101/105/d300 ect. and a microfiber pad that will correct the paint in 1 step without ANY marring from a buffer. That leaves the polishing step enhancing the gloss and depth of the paint only. I really never understood the topping sealant with wax thing. When I used sealant and on the few cars I do still use it for, I use 2 coats of blackfire. I think putting wax on top of that is a bit overkill. Sealant lasts typically longer than wax, and it isnt going to make it look any better. The "look" of the paint should be established after polishing. I have since moved on to coatings like cquartz and opticoat. I use different methods for counting how many steps. I dont include the wash/clay/decontamination or wax/sealant/coating as a step. Single stage stage is if I can achieve desired results in 1 step, whether that be with polish or compound. 2-step is compound/polish or polish/finishing polish, 3 step is compound/polish/finishing polish ect ect.
For money, thats tough to gauge. Different markets make for in some cases radically different prices . For a paint correction/coating I typically start at $500 and it goes up from there, sometimes way up. I generally have about 20-30 hours in the stuff I do.
Ultimately, imo, I would do it yourself if you have the time.
As far as products go, I have never used glare products. It sounds like a system of products marketed to detail shops, like car-brite. Products like that typically from my experience leave much to be desired, and dont hold a candle to a combo like say, menzerna fg400/m101/105/d300 ect. and a microfiber pad that will correct the paint in 1 step without ANY marring from a buffer. That leaves the polishing step enhancing the gloss and depth of the paint only. I really never understood the topping sealant with wax thing. When I used sealant and on the few cars I do still use it for, I use 2 coats of blackfire. I think putting wax on top of that is a bit overkill. Sealant lasts typically longer than wax, and it isnt going to make it look any better. The "look" of the paint should be established after polishing. I have since moved on to coatings like cquartz and opticoat. I use different methods for counting how many steps. I dont include the wash/clay/decontamination or wax/sealant/coating as a step. Single stage stage is if I can achieve desired results in 1 step, whether that be with polish or compound. 2-step is compound/polish or polish/finishing polish, 3 step is compound/polish/finishing polish ect ect.
For money, thats tough to gauge. Different markets make for in some cases radically different prices . For a paint correction/coating I typically start at $500 and it goes up from there, sometimes way up. I generally have about 20-30 hours in the stuff I do.
Ultimately, imo, I would do it yourself if you have the time.
Their claim about the sealant lasting 5 years is false. They typically last 4-5 months. Carnauba's about 3-4 months. Coatings last longer. I would go to another place. These guys don't sound legit to me. You can aso go on Autogeek and create a thread for needing a pro detailer in your area
What is the price for what they do?
"It takes typically 7-10 hours. I'd be more than willing to come to your location to make it more convenient. The only things I need are an outlet and access to a water hose. A full detail includes washing, claying, oxidation removal, swirl removal, polish, and sealant......A full detail for that car is $160 ($150 for the works and $10 for the leather). " For my car being it is a vert (less area) and the fact it needs minimal paint correction and just a basic interior detail my quote was less. I can post some pics of one of their jobs if anyone is interested just for reference to compare what the glare system results are. Thanks.
06-30-2014, 11:17 PM
#7
Thanks for the detailed response ! That is a good overview....reading up on the glare products appears it is a different system; applied different than abrasives. The ingredient is "glassplexen" which is sodium silicate referred to as "water glass" (from my research). Lot of info on other forums; some swear by it, some are skeptical and some not impressed...appears to bond to the clearcoat and chemically fill in scratches permanently (for what's it worth) etc etc; does not appear to remove any material. Anyway they have multiple detailed before/after pics on the website and as far as I can see their work seems detail oriented and after pics look nice. Definitely don't look like they cut corners. As far as a paint gage don't think they use one since they are not removing material....from your reply I need to ask some more questions and look into my options. Thanks again.
The 5 yr info comes from the manufacturer....some claim real life of 1 yr or so. on the forums, Come from the angle that it actually bonds to the clear etc.
CHEAP ! From their facebook page I saw a quote for a 09 Honda accord 4 dr
"It takes typically 7-10 hours. I'd be more than willing to come to your location to make it more convenient. The only things I need are an outlet and access to a water hose. A full detail includes washing, claying, oxidation removal, swirl removal, polish, and sealant......A full detail for that car is $160 ($150 for the works and $10 for the leather). " For my car being it is a vert (less area) and the fact it needs minimal paint correction and just a basic interior detail my quote was less. I can post some pics of one of their jobs if anyone is interested just for reference to compare what the glare system results are. Thanks.
The 5 yr info comes from the manufacturer....some claim real life of 1 yr or so. on the forums, Come from the angle that it actually bonds to the clear etc.
CHEAP ! From their facebook page I saw a quote for a 09 Honda accord 4 dr
"It takes typically 7-10 hours. I'd be more than willing to come to your location to make it more convenient. The only things I need are an outlet and access to a water hose. A full detail includes washing, claying, oxidation removal, swirl removal, polish, and sealant......A full detail for that car is $160 ($150 for the works and $10 for the leather). " For my car being it is a vert (less area) and the fact it needs minimal paint correction and just a basic interior detail my quote was less. I can post some pics of one of their jobs if anyone is interested just for reference to compare what the glare system results are. Thanks.
Trending Topics
06-30-2014, 11:33 PM
#8
Never heard of Glare. I wouldn't trust anybody doing a full detail for $150. That's a hack detailer trying to undercut the market. Bust *** for 14 hours, using materials that cost them money and charging that price doesn't add up. He's straight clownin' talking about the sealant and wax crap. Like someone else said, 3-4 months on wax, 6-9 on sealant.
Honestly, you'll do a better job then they will. Sounds like you know more than them too. The setup you said is tried and true. It should work pretty well.
Oh yea, when someone says it looks pretty good I get a chuckle. I've heard that so many times and it looks way worse than pretty good. Just saying.
Honestly, you'll do a better job then they will. Sounds like you know more than them too. The setup you said is tried and true. It should work pretty well.
Oh yea, when someone says it looks pretty good I get a chuckle. I've heard that so many times and it looks way worse than pretty good. Just saying.
07-01-2014, 02:14 AM
#9
I was curious and got on Glares site. The whole thing reads like a adjective laden infomercial. They completely lost me when they were talking about how their "22nd century" technology glare zero softens the paint to a semi-liquid state to fuse paint gaps, then hardens to a much harder and flatter "ultra paint". Every other sentence is how its the most revolutionary product ever made, or nothing is this advanced, and the finishing pad that enables molecular covalent fusion, lol.
07-01-2014, 03:40 AM
#10
I can't comment on the shop, but do your research and ask to see cars they have done, or check out something they are currently working on and ask questions. Do they tape off all the body seems? Are they messy and leave compound and dust from the compound in all the crevices of the car? Do they do the entire car? Ive seen alot of shops skimp on the lower portions of the car. Do they use a paint gauge? Are they filling the swirls or physically removing them? Many detail shops fill them.whether they are aware of it or not. Alot of my detail and correction work derives from cars that have come out of larger detail shops and ended up a mess.
As far as products go, I have never used glare products. It sounds like a system of products marketed to detail shops, like car-brite. Products like that typically from my experience leave much to be desired, and dont hold a candle to a combo like say, menzerna fg400/m101/105/d300 ect. and a microfiber pad that will correct the paint in 1 step without ANY marring from a buffer. That leaves the polishing step enhancing the gloss and depth of the paint only. I really never understood the topping sealant with wax thing. When I used sealant and on the few cars I do still use it for, I use 2 coats of blackfire. I think putting wax on top of that is a bit overkill. Sealant lasts typically longer than wax, and it isnt going to make it look any better. The "look" of the paint should be established after polishing. I have since moved on to coatings like cquartz and opticoat. I use different methods for counting how many steps. I dont include the wash/clay/decontamination or wax/sealant/coating as a step. Single stage stage is if I can achieve desired results in 1 step, whether that be with polish or compound. 2-step is compound/polish or polish/finishing polish, 3 step is compound/polish/finishing polish ect ect.
For money, thats tough to gauge. Different markets make for in some cases radically different prices . For a paint correction/coating I typically start at $500 and it goes up from there, sometimes way up. I generally have about 20-30 hours in the stuff I do.
Ultimately, imo, I would do it yourself if you have the time.
As far as products go, I have never used glare products. It sounds like a system of products marketed to detail shops, like car-brite. Products like that typically from my experience leave much to be desired, and dont hold a candle to a combo like say, menzerna fg400/m101/105/d300 ect. and a microfiber pad that will correct the paint in 1 step without ANY marring from a buffer. That leaves the polishing step enhancing the gloss and depth of the paint only. I really never understood the topping sealant with wax thing. When I used sealant and on the few cars I do still use it for, I use 2 coats of blackfire. I think putting wax on top of that is a bit overkill. Sealant lasts typically longer than wax, and it isnt going to make it look any better. The "look" of the paint should be established after polishing. I have since moved on to coatings like cquartz and opticoat. I use different methods for counting how many steps. I dont include the wash/clay/decontamination or wax/sealant/coating as a step. Single stage stage is if I can achieve desired results in 1 step, whether that be with polish or compound. 2-step is compound/polish or polish/finishing polish, 3 step is compound/polish/finishing polish ect ect.
For money, thats tough to gauge. Different markets make for in some cases radically different prices . For a paint correction/coating I typically start at $500 and it goes up from there, sometimes way up. I generally have about 20-30 hours in the stuff I do.
Ultimately, imo, I would do it yourself if you have the time.
My one step is exactly that a one step pass that will correct some of the swirls and still leave a nice glossy finish. I like HD Adapt with a LC Tangerine pad but that doesn't work on all paint. Autogeek and other detailer forums have a wealth of knowledge that you can find what combo should work for you OP
Their claim about the sealant lasting 5 years is false. They typically last 4-5 months. Carnauba's about 3-4 months. Coatings last longer. I would go to another place. These guys don't sound legit to me. You can aso go on Autogeek and create a thread for needing a pro detailer in your area.
OP, $150 is cheap here in the Bay Area ( that's only $15 an hour if it's 10 hours) but in other areas I know detailing doesn't command the same pricing that detailers here can earn.
As others said filling the swirls is temporary. I know CQuartz and other coatings can last quite a while but 5 years is a long time.
I would say 10-14 hours would get a decent amount of swirls out of paint depending on the paint's condition. With my experience with black I can see it needing more hours such as the 25-30 hours mentioned before to get that show shine you are looking for.
I would shop around for a few different professional detailers in your area and ask to see their previous work and go with who you feel gives you the most for your money while also doing a quality job.
07-01-2014, 05:41 AM
#11
Staging Lane
Thread Starter
Thanks all for the replies. I was very skeptical about the glare products and I am not sold on it and their major complaint is their marketing and BS technical claims . Maybe it works for some....very doubtful in permanently or correctly fixes swirls ! FWIW IMO I don't think this detailer is a hack, just too bad he don't use conventional proven products even though he does list him on his website (along with glare products)...not sure why he is sold on the glare stuff; it appears he really enjoys what he is doing. It does appear he is undercharging; not sure why. Below is his website (lot more examples on his facebook acct) ; anyway think I will do it myself since the paint needs very little correction; more like light scratches from polishing than swirls from washing....that and 2-3 light scratches. Thanks again.
website
website
07-02-2014, 02:43 AM
#12
I did forget to mention that there are sealants that can last up to a year such as Detailer's Pro Poli-Coat Paint sealant or Klasse Sealant Glaze. You just have to do some research. There are also coatings that fall in between sealants and coatings like opti-coat. Some of these are Detailer's Pro Paint coating, Sonus Ion coating, Pinnacle Black Label paint coating.
I do all detailing on my personal cars as well as a couple others and on my daily I had success with klasse sealant. I got 7 months out of it and it actually could have gone 9 months easily but I wanted to try something different. The only thing I did was maintain it with a 2 bucket wash and two products sonus acrylic spritz and sonus acrylic glanz.
I do all detailing on my personal cars as well as a couple others and on my daily I had success with klasse sealant. I got 7 months out of it and it actually could have gone 9 months easily but I wanted to try something different. The only thing I did was maintain it with a 2 bucket wash and two products sonus acrylic spritz and sonus acrylic glanz.
07-05-2014, 07:32 AM
#13
Staging Lane
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ONLY MY 2 CENTS ! The one thing that I found that after you do it or get it done is the after care. I did my 98 Black Z two yrs ago and hav'nt put swirl's back in it. It does not get dirty enough to do bucket washing so I have been using Ultima Waterless Wash Plus Concentrate for 2 yrs. It gets wiped down after every drive which is weekends only not daily driver. This is my run down its work but worth it!! after the time you put into a detail. Wipe off the road grime/pollen whatever with a real wet clean towel no pressure let the towel weight do the job , then use two micro fiber towels with UWW+C / 1 to wipe with the UWW+C and one to dry and buff. Then the most important I think is i put polar fleece or flannel bed sheets on the paint surface before you pull the car cover on. To me that's were most people go wrong. Just me.
Last edited by websdown; 07-06-2014 at 08:18 AM.