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All I can say is that through the 3 local detail shops here in southern NH, a full interior and exterior job is around $200-225. That includes everything you've listed above for exterior, PLUS the full interior job including shampooing the carpet, cleaning everything inside, treating the leather seats, etc. It might be what the market will accept, so you may want to check other shops to see the cost. But for the job you posted above, at least here a bit north from you, the cost would be in the $125-$150 range worst case....
Wow prices over there are great compared to what we have down here. Lol I see why a lot of people are moving out of this state. I’m gonna keep shopping around.
My local dealer has this going on but I’m not sure if it’s the same level of detail.
I think what would help you; is understanding the process of washing a car.
if you know the process, then you can sort of put a price on it.
ask questions! ask the first detailer what "light compounding" means.
(I know what it entails, but do you?)
once you know what goes into detailing, then you can kind of figure out what is and isnt worth it...like the 2nd dealer wash ad...there's no info and it's likely just a wash....for $189. FUCK that
Last edited by justnspace; 03-29-2018 at 07:51 AM.
Thanks for the info guys! I really need to get into the habit of washing my own car. I’ve been guilty of going to the soft touch Car Washes but paid the price cause I have a few black swirls on my doors. I don’t have access to a water hose but I do try the car wash bays from time to time. As for the detail I’ma look around and ask questions. A lot of places around here offer coatings like “Ceremic Pro” which they say is better than wax but you have to go multiple times to keep getting it applied to the car which I think would be costly.
^research and ask questions. ask what ceramic pro is...(I know what a ceramic coating does, but do you?)
with detailing; it's all about steps and what the next process is.
you can apply a sealant (man made synthetic coat of "wax") then you apply a ceramic coat ontop of the sealant.
a ceramic coat is going to be expensive because the product itself is expensive. it's a newer technology/chemistry.
Last edited by justnspace; 03-29-2018 at 08:36 AM.
I had the Ceremic Pro Sport on the car when I first got it detail from the place that did my last detail. All I noticed is when you washed it the car would look freshly detailed everytime no matter how dirty it was. But I’m pretty sure it’s worn off my car now since all this salt and me constantly going to car washes.
it's a consumable product.
ideally; one would re-apply a coat of wax, sealant or ceramic coating every six months to keep the car protected. or whenever the coat of choice starts to wear off
just like a lawn/yard. you have to apply fertilizer/bug killer every so often to keep the bugs out and keep the grass green.
it's a consumable product.
ideally; one would re-apply a coat of wax, sealant or ceramic coating every six months to keep the car protected. or whenever the coat of choice starts to wear off
just like a lawn/yard. you have to apply fertilizer/bug killer every so often to keep the bugs out and keep the grass green.
So far my car looks a lot better than a lot of white cars I see on the road after we had this winter. I see a lot of yellowish looking white cars. If it takes reapplying this Ceremic coating rather than waxing I’m all in.
a wax, sealant and ceramic coating are types of protectant.
a wax is a natural product found in nature.
a sealant is a man made synthetic formula that bonds to paint molecules.
a ceramic coating is man made synthetic formula with nano ceramic bits
a wax will wear off in less than six months.
a good sealant will hold for at least six months
and the ceramic coating should hold longer.
no matter what; you're going to be re-applying which ever "top coat of protection" you choose.
The promotions you posted aren't detailed in what you're getting. I'm reading it as they will be washing, claying, buffing, and waxing the exterior by hand. Unless you really want to save the time and labor of detailing your car, you can spend the same amount on better quality products and do it yourself every few months. If your interior is pretty dirty from the snow and salt, bring it in to get it shampooed but do the exterior yourself.
Last edited by MenacerX686; 03-29-2018 at 11:19 AM.
Reason: fixed one word
Use an auto detailing clay bar to remove any contaminants that are in the paint. It's safe to use on all exterior including rims and glass. Buy touch up paint that matches your color and fill in the rock chips. I don't think those detailing place will touch up the paint for you unless you pay for a paint correction. There's a lot to learn so I recommend you watch auto detailing videos like AMMO NYC on Youtube. I'm not an expert but it's a hobby of mine and I do it part time at an Acura dealership so let me know if you have any more questions.
Speaking of rocks chips how do you guys protect against them? Seems my car gets murdered by them on the highway.
Nothing you can really do to prevent it unless you get 3M paint protection film applied on that area but since it's already a little late for that. I touch up the paint after a wash when I see new rock chips.
Nothing you can really do to prevent it unless you get 3M paint protection film applied on that area but since it's already a little late for that. I touch up the paint after a wash when I see new rock chips.
What paint pen are you using and method? I bought one from a local Acura dealer and they gave me White Orchard Pearl and it was a horrible match. It was 2 step process with the clear coat at the bottom. When I had my 07 Civic I had a dealer paint pen that had it mixed together and the match would be perfect.
lol yeah, the speed limit in Texas is absurdly high.
lately, I've just been cruising at 65mph tho. people get mad and burn past me, but idgaf! I'm travelling in the right lane at safe speeds.
I've learned my lesson passing 18wheelers at speeds greater than 70mph...fuckin rocks!!!
lol yeah, the speed limit in Texas is absurdly high.
lately, I've just been cruising at 65mph tho. people get mad and burn past me, but idgaf!I'm travelling in the right lane at safe speeds.
I've learned my lesson passing 18wheelers at speeds greater than 70mph...fuckin rocks!!!
Lol Trust me it happens to me all the time. They even tailgate me. Usually people who drive Infiniti’s like to test out their power against my TL. I have no clue what it is but when they see you have an Acura or Honda they assume you are the racing type.
Use an auto detailing clay bar to remove any contaminants that are in the paint. It's safe to use on all exterior including rims and glass. Buy touch up paint that matches your color and fill in the rock chips. I don't think those detailing place will touch up the paint for you unless you pay for a paint correction. There's a lot to learn so I recommend you watch auto detailing videos like AMMO NYC on Youtube. I'm not an expert but it's a hobby of mine and I do it part time at an Acura dealership so let me know if you have any more questions.
Will a clay bar remove hard water spots from glass?
Will a clay bar remove hard water spots from glass?
At the dealership, we first try claying it and if the hard water is still present then we spray some auto glass cleaner and use steel wool to scrub it off. If it is difficult hard water we'll spray an acid-based liquid and use steel wool.
Last edited by MenacerX686; 03-29-2018 at 05:42 PM.
I feel like if they did a good job last time and you were satisfied with their work then why not have it done again, if the car needs it (and you dont wana do it)
Also i got a duplicolor touch up pen for my black (cbp) and the color match is perfect. Literallty perfect.
I feel like if they did a good job last time and you were satisfied with their work then why not have it done again, if the car needs it (and you dont wana do it)
Also i got a duplicolor touch up pen for my black (cbp) and the color match is perfect. Literallty perfect.
Yeah I can’t complain about their work. The car still looks good till this day. I’m still considering them. Did you go a local paint shop to get the touch up paint? Lol Funny thing is I was gonna get a Black TL but before I got to the dealership a lady had already bought it. It was a base model.
Dupli-color makes touchup paints for like all vehicles. I went to Canadian tire (in canada) and they had a book where i could look up my paint code and i found the pen with my exact paint code on the shelf. I cant seem to find the pens with the exact paint codes online but in the store it took like two minutes.
Anyways this isnt the exact paint code but is it a link to the same type of pen i bought, I think you can get them on amazon/ebay too.
At the dealership, we first try claying it and if the hard water is still present then we spray some auto glass cleaner and use steel wool to scrub it off. If it is difficult hard water we'll spray an acid-based liquid and use steel wool.
Did you use the steel wool on the windshield? They have some kind of coating on them, that the other glass doesn't have, which doesn't like abrasives.
Im scheduled for a paint correction and complete interior detail in late April. I'm using someone who I haven't in the past.
On my base TL, I used a highly reputable shop who does work on all the exotics and whatnot in the area, for stage 1 and complete interior detail, I paid roughly 550 CAD. But the results still hold up till this day! (as long as you wash and maintain your car correctly)
This time around, I'm getting a stage 2 correction and a similar complete interior detail for 390 CAD. The guys who will work on my car have previous experience in the field and have worked for a reputable company.
We are in different parts of the world, but it seems as if the amount of these services can vary greatly, depending on where you take your vehicle and of course what other competition is in the area.
Your car looks pretty good, but you should inspect it up close and in direct light to see if any swirl marks have reappeared
Thanks! I try my best to keep it clean and salt free during the winter season. This is my first white car so it’s been a battle with my OCD. My previous car was a Galaxy Metallic Grey 07 Civic so it was far easy and less noticeable when it came to swirls. White doesn’t show swirls to bad either unless in direct sunlight. I seen a paint correction shop in my area they have different stages of paint correction. Anywhere from 299-599 depending on the work.
Did you use the steel wool on the windshield? They have some kind of coating on them, that the other glass doesn't have, which doesn't like abrasives.
Not really sure about the coating or the chemistry behind the design of the glass but steel wool is still softer than the glass. We do this process on new and used cars every day with zero issues. Just don't go pass the glass and onto the chrome trim or paint. Also, don't steel wool the inside if you have tint.
Im scheduled for a paint correction and complete interior detail in late April. I'm using someone who I haven't in the past.
On my base TL, I used a highly reputable shop who does work on all the exotics and whatnot in the area, for stage 1 and complete interior detail, I paid roughly 550 CAD. But the results still hold up till this day! (as long as you wash and maintain your car correctly)
This time around, I'm getting a stage 2 correction and a similar complete interior detail for 390 CAD. The guys who will work on my car have previous experience in the field and have worked for a reputable company.
We are in different parts of the world, but it seems as if the amount of these services can vary greatly, depending on where you take your vehicle and of course what other competition is in the area.
Your car looks pretty good, but you should inspect it up close and in direct light to see if any swirl marks have reappeared
As much as we love a swirl free car, you should not do a paint correction that often. What paint correction does is take a very very thin layer of clear coat off to level it with the light scratches/swirls so it will blend in to fix it. I recommend you stretch out this service to every 2-3 years because you only have a limited thickness of clear coat. Put on a new coat of wax on it and it will fill in the swirls and imperfections to make your paint shine.
Here are a couple of pics of the wife's TL shortly after we got it. The interesting thing is that today, after 5 1/2 years and 48k miles, it shows virtually no swirl marks and the rock chips are minimal. Of course, her drive isn't on interstates, and the car has never seen a car wash other than touchless or done by hand. And the most detailing ever done as a light clay job and hand wax, as well as interior detailing. I'd not want anything more aggressive done than that to the paint, as it's held up really well for a car its age. Plus it's white, so it's real forgiving. :-) I also installed a set of the OEM splash guards when new, so that helped as well...
Last edited by andysinnh; 03-30-2018 at 10:32 AM.
Reason: edits...
03-28-2018, 10:54 PM
