Mustapha.Mond

I bought a used 2012 TL with about 10,000 miles in Belanvoa White Pearl. The car's paint is not in perfect condition; it has some swirls and fine scratches when looked at closely.

I want the car detailed with one step paint correction and a permanent coating like Optimum Opti-Coat 2.0/CQuartz. This way, I only need to carefully wash the car (3 buckets, Grit Guards) to maintain the detailer's paint correction.

As a graduate student, I can only spend about 1.5 hours every weekend to wash the car. Being a daily driver, I don't insist that its paint be in showroom condition. I only want it better than people who take their TLs through automatic car washes.

I neither have the time or passion to detail it myself. I do have all essential supplies for weekly washing. My problem:

• I only have about $300 to spend for professional detailing. Given my limited budget and that it's pearl white, can I have a professional detailer clean & seal w/Opti-Coat or should I just carefully wash the car myself without detailing the current paint condition?
  
• Can anyone recommend an honest, but affordable detailer in the Greater Houston area?
  

*In the last few years, sealers have faced growing competition from Opti-Coat because sealers only last ~6 months. Opti-Coat acts like another clear coat and is permanent thought it's just as easy to apply as a traditional wax or sealer. This durability means less business for detailers. I've read various posts that justify price gouging on Auto Geek/Autopia because Opti-Coat needs little maintenance. Some detailers charge at least $200 to the cost of detailing as an up-sell.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

depending on the detailer....they can either make it worse (which i have seen hack jobs ) or depending on the extent of how much paint correcting needs to be done (it maybe more than $300).

your best bet...buy the products you want to use, find a local enthusiast that also enjoys detailing (i know of one in your area that might be willing to help), pay them with food, booze and some cash, and maybe even some of your help, and your new ride will be looking like it just came out of the showroom (no swirls and stupid clean/shiny). try posting in the regional forums to see if a fellow member might be willing to help you out.

SweetJazz

Yes, If I were you I would have the TL detailed by a pro. I would have the detailer only focus on the exterior to maximize the time and money spent.

It is very important that you interview the detailer as if they were applying for your company. Have them show pictures, references, and give specific details how they are going to detail your car. A true pro will work with you to make sure that both of you are on the same page with your expectations and the end result.

dnd2984

iTrader: (6)

Congrats on the TL.

To get the paint in pristine condition, you will most likely need a two step process. Compound and polish, before applying opticoat. You want your surface perfect or else you will be locking in the swirls and such.

A good detailer will charge about $400 to $800 for this depending on the condition to do a proper job.

BobbyC

your best bet would be to have a detailer do the paint correction and you buy and apply the opticoat yourself.

a detailer is gonna charge you quite a bit extra for that since its not a cheap item.

id go ahead and get a full paint correction if youre gonna seal it with opticoat.

you dont want swirls or holograms getting trapped under "permanent" sealant.

do it right the first time and you wont have to worry about it later.

honestly though, for $300 bucks, you could buy everything you need to do it yourself.

a weekend would be enough time to get it done.