Detailing Costs

Gavandi

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T6 Guru
Hi all
Did search for info but it was a bit disjointed with other info on thread.
I realise that there are many different products out there which affects the costs but
the variations seem extreme.
So, in an attempt to unscramble my brain...
Any advice regarding costs for a decent detailing process?
How many hours should it take?
In your opinions ...its advantages over personally doing it?
T I A
 
I had mine detailed last year and cost just shy of £700. I thought I was mad spending that much as I've got all the kit and have done it myself for 10+ years. But I know from experience that it will take me 3 to 4 days and I'm self employed so time is money.

You could buy a basic kit for 3 -4 hundred but you'll need time and in this country somewhere undercover to do it . You can get good results from doing it yourself but not as good as a pro.

Personally I don't enjoy and find it stressful, but there are plenty that do and make a hobby out of it.
 
Ultimate Auto in Worcestershire come highly recommended as a professional doing the work. Tom, the detailer, offeres T6F members a cracking deal.

ultimateauto.eu
 
@Fish Yeah getting others seems to be the way as I don't have 3-4 days spare.

Do you agree with the £700 figure?

@_GB_ How long was it at the detailers for? And where did you go?
 
@Fish Yeah getting others seems to be the way as I don't have 3-4 days spare.

Do you agree with the £700 figure?

@_GB_ How long was it at the detailers for? And where did you go?


depends on the quoted treatments, if that includes

paint correction etc???? sealant? ceramic coating??
 
I would have an intital session for 3-4 days.. expensive to start but then maybe an annual top up for ceramic etc

Once its done the first time all other home cleans are easier n quicker
 
@Gavandi That price does include Vat and Ben at Cheshire car care in Knustford had it two days .

Paint work now fixed

I went for the cheaper option of wax and not ceramic coating . Its been done about 5 months now and with the bad winter , the swirls are starting to make a reappearance :( even with careful washing .
 
Swirls are impossible to avoid, you just try to minimalist contact with the surface as much as possible
 
People often cringe at some of the prices paid for 'proper' detailing work. There's a huge difference between detailing and valeting, and that's where most of the uninformed base their opinions. A high end detailer can spend days getting your paintwork looking far better than it did when it left the factory. This involves a huge amount of skill with a machine polisher and knowledge of every different manufactures paints, because they will all be slightly different.
@_GB_ van is always going to be a dramatic transformation simply because it's Black, but like @Generaljake said, swirls are impossible to avoid, and even harder to avoid if you clean your van as often as I have to do.
Paying an experienced detailer to make that sort of transformation several hundred pounds is defiantly a niche choice, that only a select few will see the real value in, but it's not a huge amount of money to pay for the hours and hours of skill put into this work. I wouldn't do what I do, if I could only charge several hundred pounds for 1-3 days work, but my industry is totally different.

However, if you are spending hundreds on this kind of work, it's only ever going to be as good as the aftercare put in post detail. This is never going to be simple, or quick if you want to maintain your initial investment.
Personally if my Black van was covered in swirls and scratches, i'd be happy to pay a good guy between £500-£1000 depending on what I went for, because a re-spray would cost far more, and the results are often jaw dropping, as is obvious in the link above.
 
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Thanks for all the good advice.

Anybody got any recommendations for detailers in East Mids area?
 
After 18months mine is going in soon for a couple of days to the detailer that did the original coatings to bring it back to good.
With his original work and the Gtechniq coatings, I have not had to any polishing but eventually there was a buildup of contamination invisible to the eye but you can feel if you glide your hand over the paintwork after washing, I had to get my Magic clay mit out to really get it smooth and then over time the buildup of materials and waxes etc eventually start to show up holograms even though I only ever use microfibre cloth’s so he can correct this for me in time for Bala :)
 
If your looking for detailing, I would highly recommend Matt at Obsidian Detailing based in East of Oldham. Absolutely top bloke and knows his stuff! best of all he loves his job! (I won't put a link as unsure if allowed.)
 
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