MK5 Golf GTI

General => Detailing => Topic started by: shail on December 08, 2015, 11:00:10 pm

Title: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: shail on December 08, 2015, 11:00:10 pm
Thinking about getting a machine polish of my tornado red Golf.  Local company offer:

1. Flatten paint using a very fine grade of wet and dry paper.
2. Machine polish the panels using a cutting paste.
3. Machine polish with finer grade of polish and a foam polishing head.
4. Then anti swirl polish.
5. Final hand polish

He's quoting £150 for the above - sound about right? 
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: white91 on December 08, 2015, 11:06:37 pm
That's far too cheap mate, it can't be a full job


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Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: shail on December 09, 2015, 12:21:04 pm
That's far too cheap mate, it can't be a full job


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It is cheap - but if they do everything they say they are going to do where would they save costs?  For the money if they are able to sort out 80% of the swirls I'd be happy.  Main worry would be them somehow wrecking the paint!

The company are a mobile outfit - they do paint/scratch repairs and alloy wheel refurbs as well, all from their vans.
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: dansmith180 on December 09, 2015, 03:52:35 pm
 :signLOL:  :signLOL:, did they give you a time scale? That is a weeks worth of hard work and would cost £1000+ pretty much anywhere. For £150 I would expect a 1 day enhancement detail, car cleaned and clayed/ single stage machine polish/ wax and maybe a quick interior valet.
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: white91 on December 09, 2015, 04:11:33 pm
There is a huge amount of work involved to flatten the paint with wet n dry.

It can't be more than a days work for £150 minus materials, no doubt it will look better, but it sounds like they've overstated what they can do, unless they meant £1500


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Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: shail on December 09, 2015, 04:15:30 pm
:signLOL:  :signLOL:, did they give you a time scale? That is a weeks worth of hard work and would cost £1000+ pretty much anywhere. For £150 I would expect a 1 day enhancement detail, car cleaned and clayed/ single stage machine polish/ wax and maybe a quick interior valet.

I'm not expecting any more than half a days worth of work for £150!

I've asked for a timescale - I guess this will be the detail I need.  If he comes back with '3 hours' then £150 is reasonable.  However, if he comes back with 'all day' then I'll be walking away.
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: shail on December 09, 2015, 04:21:37 pm
, no doubt it will look better, but it sounds like they've overstated what they can do, unless they meant £1500


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I think they have probably overstated it.  As long as it gets rid of the light swirls I'd be happy.
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: white91 on December 09, 2015, 05:18:18 pm
For £150 you could get a machine polisher and have a go yourself


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Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: Clarkey on December 09, 2015, 05:26:29 pm
That does sound very cheap. Depends on the condition of the paint and how long it will take him to sort it out. Also depends on how OCD you are about your paint. Some people may see it shining more than beforehand and be over the moon, where as others may spot swirls and holograms.
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: shail on December 10, 2015, 10:28:11 am
Well the chaps come back and said it will take around 3 hours. 
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: white91 on December 10, 2015, 01:19:34 pm
You cannot do all that in three hours, but for £150 what do you expect


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Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: shail on December 10, 2015, 01:36:08 pm
You cannot do all that in three hours, but for £150 what do you expect


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Yep, figured as much.  I assume he'll just give it the once over with a machine after washing it. 
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: Eccie on December 11, 2015, 04:28:33 pm
You cannot do all that in three hours, but for £150 what do you expect


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Yep, figured as much.  I assume he'll just give it the once over with a machine after washing it.

Chances are it'll be worse than when you took it in and It'll cost you a lot to get it put right.

I'd look for someone good and not settle for third rate work
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: dansmith180 on December 11, 2015, 04:29:05 pm
You can't do anything in 3 hours, it takes me that long to clean/ decontaminate and towel then blow dry a car before I even pick up a polisher.

For that money just buy a DAS6 polisher and some pads etc... And do it yourself and you'll do a better job and can do it regularly.
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: shail on December 11, 2015, 04:35:39 pm
You cannot do all that in three hours, but for £150 what do you expect


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Yep, figured as much.  I assume he'll just give it the once over with a machine after washing it.

Chances are it'll be worse than when you took it in and It'll cost you a lot to get it put right.

I'd look for someone good and not settle for third rate work

That's my biggest concern.  Might give it a miss and look at doing it myself in the spring. 
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: dazza on December 11, 2015, 05:35:45 pm
i could do it three hours but it would look like  :booty:

i spent 5 days on my last polishing spree.  :stupid:
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: dazza on December 14, 2015, 03:18:23 pm
i could do it three hours but it would look like  :booty:

i spent 5 days on my last polishing spree.  :stupid:
I was wrong took me over 3 hours just to wash and clay it.
Title: Re: Machine polish - what would you pay?
Post by: jedi-knight83 on December 14, 2015, 03:54:47 pm
LOL.. subscribed...  :popcornsoda:

Please someone send their car to this person... in fact. give me his number and I'll employ him. He is much cheaper than my current detailer  :congrats:

PS... being serious... please walk away. if someone is saying they will wet sand your car and claiming they will detail it in 3 hrs then they are clearly bonkers.  :scared:

Nathan.
www.cambridgeautogleam.com