blackhawksti

Does anyone know what the going rate is to have a car machine polished? I know that it depends on the type of car and its condition, but some ball park figures would be great. I had a quote the other day and was shocked at how expensive it was, although I suppose it is a fairly labour intensive process.

bigsigh

iTrader: (4)

beginning from £150 i would have imagined , i would be dubious of being charged less to be honest

lordharding

iTrader: (1)

£100/£150 I would imagine. Based on 10-12 hours at £10/£12 per hour depending in condition

Why not get a starter kit das6 for maybe £150 and gave it ago yourself
Skilled job which takes a lot of time
Lots of tips on detailing world how to do it
Very rewarding and relaxing job to do and will be money well spent however you do it

But make sure you use correct washing techniques after or all good work will be undone

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

I do detailing as a sideline..

I generally charge around £200 depending on what the paintwork is like and how good you expect the results..This is North west prices...

A full correction detail can take 40hours+ and depending on products can be £600-£800..

Depending where you are i may be able to recommend someone local to you..

blackhawksti

Thanks for the replies guys. I am based in the north west. I had a quote of about £300. I must admit, I've seen pictures of cars they've worked on, and they do look fantastic. I just don't think I could bring myself to pay that sort of money. I quite enjoy cleaning my car myself, although doing the whole clay bar, polishing and waxing does take nearly a full day. For the sort of money people charge, I think I may buy one of the kits myself. If I dont get the use out of it, it can go back on ebay! There's so many good sites with good advice/videos on appropriate techniques.

bigsigh

iTrader: (4)

from you saying "they" and admiring their previous work , they prob are a pretty well established out fit , with a reasonable outlay in personnel and equipment / setup

its the age old "get what you pay for" i guess , but £300 for a top job is pretty reasonable from a pro i would have thought.

thestumper

iTrader: (1)

£10/12 per hour! I don't know many good detailers that charge that per hour, double it and you will be closer. The advice about getting your own DA polisher is good though as it pretty easy to do yourself to a reasonable standard. It takes ages though and is fecking boring.

If not give this guy a go http://griffithsdetailing.com/our-services/

daveyj

iTrader: (1)

I've got my own kit but always back it out to a detailer friend as he has the time and workshop. It can be quite heavy on your arms over longer periods so bear that in mind. A proper job is a worthwhile outlay as you just need to do top up washes then.

Hawkeye D

This day and age, is there really a substantial market for detailing?

Tony Harrington

iTrader: (8)

I was quoted at £160 for wash, clay bar, machine polish & waxed

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

I seem to get repeat custom from people that buy a car then just want the paintwork the best it can be for minimal money..

Usually you can get scratches and scuffs out whilst machining that would normally have to be repainted...So "saves" a few quid that way i guess..
It will generally cost around £200 to kit up with some adequate material and starter DA like a DAS6..

The problems start when you have done 12 hours and have removed no scratches and swirls or have blasted through the top layer in places..lol...

daveyj

iTrader: (1)

Area and client base-dependant, but yeah. My mate at Demon Finshers opened ip two years ago and is doing very well in Glos.

scoobyboy1

iTrader: (16)

Ive tried machine polishing myself, I cant get it anywhere near as good as the professionals. Have a mate who i went to school with who does it in Walsall, West Mids, and ive seen his work and its amazing, but he has more then just a DA polisher, he also has a thickness gauges to measure your paint, I spoke to him before about Subaru paint and he did say that its quite thin, so you have to be careful with machine polishing!!!

http://www.midlandscarcare.co.uk/about-us/