How much would you pay for exterior detailing?

**pokerbob781** · 05-21-2010, 03:23 PM

Hi guys,

Let me explain my situation. I just purchased my Black 06 Infiniti FX35 back in Janurary. This car had only 19k miles and the car itself is almost near perfect. Looks like the prior owner must've garaged it and probably didnt have any children in the car. The only problem is that its black. You guys all know that with every black car, there are swirls everywhere. The paint itself has no nicks or dents at all. I called a guy from my local area (MA) and he says it's roughly gonna cost me about $300 to do just the exterior. He explained exactly what steps he'll take to detail the car. He definitely knows what he's talking about.

Is this a little too expensive? Should I just buy the detailing kit and learn to detail myself?

Thanks for all your help,

**RaskyR1** · 05-21-2010, 03:34 PM

My base 1-step exterior correction starts at $250 and would likely be $300 on a vehicle of that size. If it needed more than one step it could easily be over $600.

If you're willing to put in the time and effort, picking up a DA polisher and all the supplies will cost you about the same amount of money but then you will be able to polish it again in the future and keep it looking nice.

I say buy the kit and we will be here to answer any questions you have once you start working on it.

Rasky

**pokerbob781** · 05-21-2010, 03:57 PM

I'm leaning towards letting this guy do the job and still purchase the entire kit. This is something I definitely want to learn how to do so I can keep my car in tip top shape. Quick question. Everytime we polish or detail, does that mean that it's removing layers of paint?

**RaskyR1** · 05-21-2010, 04:07 PM

Originally Posted by pokerbob781

I'm leaning towards letting this guy do the job and still purchase the entire kit. This is something I definitely want to learn how to do so I can keep my car in tip top shape. Quick question. Everytime we polish or detail, does that mean that it's removing layers of paint?

Yes, but if it's just a mild polish being used on a DA style polisher the amount is very little and likely would not even register on a Paint Thickness Gauge (PTG).

**RaskyR1** · 05-21-2010, 04:08 PM

A good read.

How much paint are you removing. - Car Care Forums: Meguiar's Online

**AeroCleanse** · 05-21-2010, 04:12 PM

$300 is what I start out at when I charge for an exterior polish and wax.

**pokerbob781** · 05-21-2010, 04:27 PM

This gives me a good idea of how much I should be paying. thanks for the input!

**DonMTV** · 05-22-2010, 11:53 AM

Perhaps a mini detail fest in MA is in order. I am in Clinton MA. I helped a friend with his Acura RSX. I haven't detailed that much, but it was fun to share what I know with him. His car looked a lot better.

I am sure others from MA might be interested. Especially since we are all part of the Geeks. LOL.

Don

**itzJoker** · 05-22-2010, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by pokerbob781

I'm leaning towards letting this guy do the job and still purchase the entire kit. This is something I definitely want to learn how to do so I can keep my car in tip top shape.

I would say buy the kit and learn on your own. You would learn more this way if you're working with a bunch of imperfections imo. Rather then it being scratchless, then you trying to learn on it, may instill swirls etc. I guess in a way you have less room to learn from.