Need my Black Car fully mopped...Where?
Discussion
If you are willing to travel a bit then I recommend Ian at Demon Finishers
Nice bloke, top job, good price, 'nuff said!
http://www.demonfinishers.co.uk/index.asp
Nice bloke, top job, good price, 'nuff said!
http://www.demonfinishers.co.uk/index.asp
I've looked at the site, and look's pretty standard. He's charging £55 just to wash the car with a normal shampoo and dry it with normal wash mits.
Then charges extra on top to use certain polishes? I won't waste my money, as I can get it washed and shampooed from my local car wash for £10, using exactly the same method.
I'm still looking around for car valet in Bristol
Thanks anyway...
Then charges extra on top to use certain polishes? I won't waste my money, as I can get it washed and shampooed from my local car wash for £10, using exactly the same method.
I'm still looking around for car valet in Bristol
Thanks anyway...
For a detailer, £ 180 would be on the cheap side if you were looking for a good quality, multi-stage correction.
Certainly a "quick mop" could be done in a couple of hours or less (much quicker if the person doing it really doesn't care too much) but then the paint won't have been prepared properly, I doubt any paint depth readings will have been taken and whilst the car may look quite shiny afterwards, that will probably, mostly be down to the fillers.
A couple of car washes down the line and the original marks may be back plus some buffer trails for good measure (if you are unlucky, some paint burn may have been thrown in together with plenty of low spots in the clearcoat).
There are a few people who do it right for not much money (including some "hobbyists"), but the vast majority of cars that I have seen which were done for not much looked pretty nasty afterwards.
Certainly a "quick mop" could be done in a couple of hours or less (much quicker if the person doing it really doesn't care too much) but then the paint won't have been prepared properly, I doubt any paint depth readings will have been taken and whilst the car may look quite shiny afterwards, that will probably, mostly be down to the fillers.
A couple of car washes down the line and the original marks may be back plus some buffer trails for good measure (if you are unlucky, some paint burn may have been thrown in together with plenty of low spots in the clearcoat).
There are a few people who do it right for not much money (including some "hobbyists"), but the vast majority of cars that I have seen which were done for not much looked pretty nasty afterwards.
I think you're missing the point regarding the level of skill and work which goes into detailing.
Seeing two people work a full day on mine and the resulting transformation removed any iota of doubt that what you pay for with a professional detail is worth it. Over 2 years down the line it still looks good because I've continued to look after the finish.
Understand the difference in process between a £70 mop and a £300 detail and I think you'll appreciate why I posted the initial links
Seeing two people work a full day on mine and the resulting transformation removed any iota of doubt that what you pay for with a professional detail is worth it. Over 2 years down the line it still looks good because I've continued to look after the finish.
Understand the difference in process between a £70 mop and a £300 detail and I think you'll appreciate why I posted the initial links
It is unlikely that one company who will charge a maximum of £ 50 - £ 70 for a "mop" will be providing a service that is similar to a detailer like James at TI22, who is charging £300.
One of the problems with detailing/paint correction is that there are no industry set standards, so when a company uses a word like "mop", the customer doesn't necessarly have much of an idea about what is actually being provided. I don't like the word personally, reminds me of a slightly old fashioned approach to paint correction or a quick final stage of bodyshopping.
If the car you want correcting is the one in your profile photo, then that is likely to be 15+ hours of work for a good detailer (depending ultimately on the current condition of the paint and the level of correction you are after - it can take a bit less or a lot longer).
If you are after a quick mop, then as long as you know what you are getting, then that isn't a problem. Personally, I wouldn't let it happen to any car that I liked.
Of course, just to make it trickier, even if the company is set up as a detailer and is charging higher amounts, that doesn't always mean the results are great. It's always best to get a few recommendations and view the person's work (it's also encouraging if the detailer is happy for you to sit and watch).
One of the problems with detailing/paint correction is that there are no industry set standards, so when a company uses a word like "mop", the customer doesn't necessarly have much of an idea about what is actually being provided. I don't like the word personally, reminds me of a slightly old fashioned approach to paint correction or a quick final stage of bodyshopping.
If the car you want correcting is the one in your profile photo, then that is likely to be 15+ hours of work for a good detailer (depending ultimately on the current condition of the paint and the level of correction you are after - it can take a bit less or a lot longer).
If you are after a quick mop, then as long as you know what you are getting, then that isn't a problem. Personally, I wouldn't let it happen to any car that I liked.
Of course, just to make it trickier, even if the company is set up as a detailer and is charging higher amounts, that doesn't always mean the results are great. It's always best to get a few recommendations and view the person's work (it's also encouraging if the detailer is happy for you to sit and watch).
JDs Paul said:
It is unlikely that one company who will charge a maximum of 50 - 70 for a "mop" will be providing a service that is similar to a detailer like James at TI22, who is charging 300.
One of the problems with detailing/paint correction is that there are no industry set standards, so when a company uses a word like "mop", the customer doesn't necessarly have much of an idea about what is actually being provided. I don't like the word personally, reminds me of a slightly old fashioned approach to paint correction or a quick final stage of bodyshopping.
If the car you want correcting is the one in your profile photo, then that is likely to be 15+ hours of work for a good detailer (depending ultimately on the current condition of the paint and the level of correction you are after - it can take a bit less or a lot longer).
If you are after a quick mop, then as long as you know what you are getting, then that isn't a problem. Personally, I wouldn't let it happen to any car that I liked.
Of course, just to make it trickier, even if the company is set up as a detailer and is charging higher amounts, that doesn't always mean the results are great. It's always best to get a few recommendations and view the person's work (it's also encouraging if the detailer is happy for you to sit and watch).
Is that how much most detailers charge, 300? The weather doesn't seem promising, so I will have to put that on hold, and get it done in the summer. One of the problems with detailing/paint correction is that there are no industry set standards, so when a company uses a word like "mop", the customer doesn't necessarly have much of an idea about what is actually being provided. I don't like the word personally, reminds me of a slightly old fashioned approach to paint correction or a quick final stage of bodyshopping.
If the car you want correcting is the one in your profile photo, then that is likely to be 15+ hours of work for a good detailer (depending ultimately on the current condition of the paint and the level of correction you are after - it can take a bit less or a lot longer).
If you are after a quick mop, then as long as you know what you are getting, then that isn't a problem. Personally, I wouldn't let it happen to any car that I liked.
Of course, just to make it trickier, even if the company is set up as a detailer and is charging higher amounts, that doesn't always mean the results are great. It's always best to get a few recommendations and view the person's work (it's also encouraging if the detailer is happy for you to sit and watch).
How can I look after the paintwork, after the paint/detail correction? Incase it rains, would I have to polish/wax the paintwork?
Zuhayb said:
Is that how much most detailers charge, 300? The weather doesn't seem promising, so I will have to put that on hold, and get it done in the summer.
How can I look after the paintwork, after the paint/detail correction? Incase it rains, would I have to polish/wax the paintwork?
Once done, you just need to keep the finish topped up - Shouldn't be a need to polish it again. The wax I use usually lasts several months after being applied so a good hit in the Spring see its through to Autumn, and then another hit gives protection over the winter months. My Fabia is due its spring clean for the summer, once it warms up a little...How can I look after the paintwork, after the paint/detail correction? Incase it rains, would I have to polish/wax the paintwork?
Zuhayb said:
Is that how much most detailers charge, 300? The weather doesn't seem promising, so I will have to put that on hold, and get it done in the summer.
How can I look after the paintwork, after the paint/detail correction? Incase it rains, would I have to polish/wax the paintwork?
I can't speak for all detailers, but £ 300+ would generally be about right if you have a full detail (i.e. including full wash and prep and all of the finishing work like wheels, vinyl, shuts, glass, chrome, sealant and/or wax) plus multi stage correction done by somebody who is good at what they do and has a decent reputation.How can I look after the paintwork, after the paint/detail correction? Incase it rains, would I have to polish/wax the paintwork?
The price would generally vary depending on the size of the car, it's current condition, the amount of correction required, how tricky the paint is likely to be (some cars are a lot tougher to correct than others) and what type of last step product is used (wax or sealant).
A quality job on your car could easily run to 15+ hours for one person and it will be hard work. Factor in the cost of insurance and the fact that the tools and products run to £ 1000's and it's pretty easy to see that £ 300 isn't expensive.
If the job is done well and you subsequently take a bit of care in washing the car then the finish can last for a long time (the marks that are removed will actually be gone) and if you went the long-life sealant route then they can provide protection for 12+ months. Six Fiend can attest to this.
JDs Paul said:
....
A quality job on your car could easily run to 15+ hours for one person and it will be hard work. Factor in the cost of insurance and the fact that the tools and products run to £ 1000's and it's pretty easy to see that £ 300 isn't expensive.
So there's a lot more involved than buying a polisher, some compounds and having a crack then?A quality job on your car could easily run to 15+ hours for one person and it will be hard work. Factor in the cost of insurance and the fact that the tools and products run to £ 1000's and it's pretty easy to see that £ 300 isn't expensive.
There are so many "valeters" who offer a machine polish for £50, I'm guessing that it's safe to assume they are likely to do more long term damage than a short lived benefit. I'm sure I heard of someone using such an aggresive cutting compound that they completely removed their clear coat and started cutting through the paint beneath!
Stubby Pete said:
So there's a lot more involved than buying a polisher, some compounds and having a crack then?
There are so many "valeters" who offer a machine polish for £50, I'm guessing that it's safe to assume they are likely to do more long term damage than a short lived benefit. I'm sure I heard of someone using such an aggresive cutting compound that they completely removed their clear coat and started cutting through the paint beneath!
There is, and anyone who does what you describe above should be banned from ever using a polishing machine again. There are so many "valeters" who offer a machine polish for £50, I'm guessing that it's safe to assume they are likely to do more long term damage than a short lived benefit. I'm sure I heard of someone using such an aggresive cutting compound that they completely removed their clear coat and started cutting through the paint beneath!
Stubby Pete said:
So there's a lot more involved than buying a polisher, some compounds and having a crack then?
Yes, there is a fair bit more to it if you want to do a good job and you know it you little tinker 
I have seen cars from both DIY'ers and companies with scarey flat spots, nasty buffer trails and in a number of cases a respray would have been required to prevent early clearcoat failure.
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