Hey guys... i've been wanting to get my car professionally detailed but haven't been able to find anyone that I would trust or who is willing to take on the project.
I sent pictures to two detailers who said they didn't want to do it, another said he'd take 3 days and charge $800 just for the detail. I don't think the paint is in bad shape, there are some scratches which probably can't fixed by a detailer.

Looking for advice on place to get scratches fixed and place to get a good detail. The bumper one pisses me off most.

I am in NJ, right across from NYC. Any advice is appreciated!

Some pics of the scratches.

 

by the way - my car was completely covered with pollen in these pictures.

 

Sorry to see that.

"Recommended detailers in your area": https://acurazine.com/forums/wash-wax-23/recommended-detailers-your-area-687976/

 

Your car's in pretty rough shape believe it or not. You can definitely tell that's the truth by your pictures with the flash, there's tons of swirls and would take a lot of time to get those out. Not only that but you've some nasty bumper rash as well.

$800 sounds about right for a three day job. I could see the job possibly taking less time but it wouldn't come out as nice. However, since you don't think your car's really in bad shape, a two-step detail would do wonders without really breaking the bank that much but your car won't be perfect.

 

Be a nice project car.....Why not tackle it yourself for about $300.00?

 

i did zaino by hand probably about 3 years ago. it took me 8hrs and i dont have a garage. i feel like it might not even be worth it if i can't garage it.

if i do it myself i guess i would have to have those scratches fixed first. the rash on my bumper is not going to come off with a detail, neither is the scratch on top of the front bumper.

How do the swirls get there in the first place? I never used a buffer on it or applied anything in circular motions. The guy who owned it before had it buffed though.

I've been looking at some of your car pics and I am pissed that mine is so different.

 

IIRC, Zaino doesn't have any products that can do real paint correction work. You could still detail your car and you don't necessarily have to have the scratches fixed first but keep in mind that the rest of your car will look nice while those scratches will stand out more.

Swirls show up on your vehicle due to any abrasions made on your vehicle's surface. This is due to any time you wipe your car's paint with an unsafe media and dirt or any other abrasive particle that is dragged across it. This can definitely be fixed with the right tools and techniques but you can only go so far depending on how much clear coat you have to work with.

 

i looked up the pics from when i did zaino.... 4 yrs ago almost to the day.
ahhh the good old days! what happened to cause all this swirling mess??? HAND CAR WASHES FOR $5! DAMN IT!

 

Ouch...............

 

ya those 5 dollar hand washes arent that great. they cross contaminate their wash mitts and their products arent exactly top notch. if you dont want to invest in a full detail set of you own. at least invest into a good car washing setup so you can protect the money and time invested in the detail.

 

that sucks man..your car looked great 4 years ago, nice and black!!

 

you could just let it be, and have a car your not worried about parking at the store or driving through a puddle...

 

maybe i was still blinded by how good it looked 4 years ago that i couldn't see how bad it has gotten. now that i looked at the pictures, i am really depressed about it.

I am going to try to get estimates at a body shop to get the scratches fixed this weekend. as long as its not too expensive... $ is tight.
then i am gonna decide whether i should do it myself or bring it somewhere to really get that paint shining again. i dont know if i can do it.

never again will i let a non proffesional wash my car.
i figured it was better than not doing it at all. Especially in the winter, but I was wrong!