S2ki,

Want your opinion on a local guy with a shop and his pricing. He quoted $350 for a buff, polish, wax, and sealant(which i have never heard of before) and including the interior detail. He also said he would give me polishes every month to keep it wet. I have a Berlina Black 06 s2k. Thoughts on his pricing?

-V

 

it sounds ok however if he's doing a paint correction or any polishing you would not want him to do it every month or you won't have paint left.

can you find out what polish or compound he's using?

 

Light 3m Light grit with a 3m swirl removal? Paint Sealant as well. I have super light paint swirls from hand washing the car, ect.

 

Tons of stuff out there that are more well known than 3m in the detailing consumer market. If he's using 3m then id be willing to bet he's using a rotary. While that works fine, the s has soft clear and a dual action polisher would remove less clear. Nothing wrong with 3m, but working at a parts store that sells it I can tell you it is mostly geared towards body shops need for a heavy cut in most of their products.


You can pick up a kit (I'm sure phil will help you get exactly what you need) for under 200 and you can DIY in probably 12-16 hours.

350 sounds normal. It just depends on the average income of your location. Wealthy town, you'll pay more.


Paint sealant isn't really new, but I consider it revolutionary. It bonds with the paint and creates protection for 6 months up to a year. I use it then cover it with wax to get "pop" from the paint. Wax typically last from 3 weeks up to 3 months depending on a ton of factors and wax quality.

 

I have a detailing business in Lewes and charge $185 for a wash, clay bar, polish, sealant and interior plus top protection for a S2000.. Correction is more depending on the condition. I use Wet Diamond All Paint protection which is the sealant of choice for many detailers. You do not want it polished monthly? to retain the wet look. I recommend the compatible spray which Wet Diamond sells. Your vehicle will retain it's just detailed wet look and it takes 15 minutes to wipe on/wipe off.

 

At a minimum I would ask him these two questions:

1. Do you have a paint depth gauge? If so, do you record the before/after readings for future reference? And will you give me a printed copy of the before/after readings?

If you decide to have him detail your car, during your final inspection/acceptance ask him to confirm at least one point per panel.

He may be (or get) defensive about this (which is in itself something for you to observe). I consider this point a measure of his willingness on his part to quantitatively earn your trust.

2. Have you worked on the S2000 before? How many, and what colors?

Ask if you can call one or two previous S2000 customers as a reference.

Every car is unique, so having S2000 experience is a requirement IMO.


You can ask more questions depending on how you "feel" about this guy. (E.g., Are you a member of the BBB? (Call the BBB and confirm; check his rating.) Are you insured/bonded? (By whom? Call to confirm!) Check with the small claims court clerk to see if he's been sued--not a bad thing if he has; unless he's always lost! Etc.)

 

DIY save money unless you have paint/clearcoat damage you can get supplies for $100. A low coast 6" buffer, a bunch of M/F's and different bonnets will serve you well, removing wax sux. Wash, clay, wash/rinse, paint cleaner, polish/cleaner wax, carnuba, synth or both & sealer. Once you do this you only need to rinse and dry after a drive. Maintain w/ detail spray. wax will last 3-6 months. Have fun