So, I'm obviously new to this,but my C2s Cab is a year old and it's time for a spring detail.The car is silver with black interior. maybe the easiest combination. I called a popular detail shop and was quoted upwards of $450 not including leather conditioning. That's TEN hours of labor I was told. Am I missing something? I drive the car,not show it at Pebble Beach. I have no problem with the labor rate, but TEN hours not including leather conditioning for a 1 year old garage kept car. Is it possible to get a "good" detail with leather care in the NYC area for $250-300ish range. I certainly understand the $500-$1,000+, but for a "driver",it just doesn't make sense to have half the work ruined 10 miles down the road.

 

A basic interior/exterior detail should be had for well under that, but it really depends what the $450 job entails. Sounds like there's some intention of paint correction, etc. with the 10 hour time frame. Without paint correction, I would estimate 4-5 hours for thorough cleaning and conditioning/protection inside and out.

 

The car has 8k miles, is garage kept and in perfect condition.I made that perfectly clear. I don't think it would need paint correction at this point. Thanks!

 

Well, in that case, both the time and the price seem a bit high for what appears to be a "basic" detail that you want.

 

Did they even look at the car? That seems strange that they could estimate 10 hours without even looking at what the car needed. I would call up Matt and Detailing Dynamics (sponsor here) and see what he thinks. It would be best to bring the car with you to get a thorough estimate.

 

I would say 10hrs is pretty standard for a full detail, in side & out. But they may be talking man hours, so 2 guys 5hrs.

You may think your car is in good shape, but after a good detail, you will see that it was not. If you do drive through car washes once a week, your paint needs a lot of help. You really don't want to go to a cheap detailer who will rush to finish the car. You want some one who will take their time, & do all the details right. That is what you pay for.

There is a HUGE difference between a clean car, & a detailed car!!

 

Very true, you CAN easily spend ten hours on a Porsche. On a silver car if it is in reasonably good condition the shop may be able to get by with only a single stage polish. I would recommend go with a shop that uses high quality waxes and polishes, but you shouldn't need very much paint correction on your garaged baby.



John

 

At my shop, a protection detail on a car that needs no paint correction, will take about 6-8 hours on a Porsche and run around $300. That will include washing, clay, paintwork cleanser, wax or sealant, detail tires and wheels, vac, windows, and leather conditioner. This is a very generalised list of the work done but I'm sure you get the idea. The cost will also be affected by the type of shop you are dealing with. If they are a shop with a very good reputation you can expect to pay more. I would be more inclined to spend a little more at a shop with a good reputation, than a little less at a shop with no references. Just my 2 cents.

 

Be careful- you get what you pay for. What exactly are you looking to get out of the detail? I just got a quote from a board sponsor (who does amazing work) to get a detail which includes paint correction - I have a black z06 with some good swirlies. I was quoted $1200. I'll take your quote instead of mine.

 

The problem is that a lot of shops will do a full detail including mopping the car with a polisher in a day and charge a couple hundred bucks. Typically, each time around the car with the polisher will take upwards of 5 hours, even on a car as small as a vette. Its a lot of time and consequently a lot of money, but if you want it done right.......

 

Unfortunately, there is no standard of what a "detail" is in our industry. It's not like a 12oz bottle of Coca Cola that everyone in the world has an idea of what it costs. Detailers from around the world will charge a wide spectrum of fees depending on their experience, geographical location, scope of work, and the type of cars they're working on.

You must get educated and ask question about what actual work is involved. At the end of the day, you're paying for LABOR, not products. Products aren't a huge component of the detail cost. Things like detailer's experience, marketing the company, insurance, taxes, overheads, etc. will be the larger factors in a price of a detail.

So take your time, call up a few detailers in your area and feel them out. Even if you're not that estute about detailing, your common sense will kick in and you can make a better decision.

I know as far as our company goes, a proper full detail on a 7 out of 10 (10 being a perfect condition car) Porsche, without paint correction, will cost you around $465 and will take one man about 6 hours to do. If there was paint correction involved, depending on how many stages were needed, would add another $525-925 to the full detail price and would take an extra 6-12 hours for one man.

And please remember this, no car coming to a detailer is PERFECT. If it was, you wouldn't be coming to a detailer. Your car may be in great shape, but you're coming to a detailer to make it even better. Hopefully, if the detail is done properly by a craftsman, you will truly see what perfection is. And it may take a few details to get to perfection, but be patient and enjoy the experience.

I hope this helps. Thanks for posting this valuable and insightful question for us to respond to.

 

I think this is a huge component. For instance, in my area, you're hard pressed to find more than a handful of quality detailers...primarily because people just aren't willing to pay what it takes to properly rejuvenate a vehicle. I spent 13+ hours on a Ford GT for a doctor in town and ended up having a hard time getting $300 for it. It would have been at least double that amount in many places across the country.

 

average time I spend on a car is about 6-8 hours for a two step and a light interior.

going for perfection, or close to it, 2 days minimum and 800 starting price - can take upwards of 4 days+ depending on the condition and type of car. corvettes have a stupid hard clear that takes a while to correct, while a honda has a soft clear that corrects MUCH faster!

 

Thank you everyone for your help. I want my car to remain nice,but once again, I think, at least for me, there is a point. I DRIVE the vehicle,so I have to realize,if I pay for a lot of work,it will be lost quite quickly driving down the dirty NYC streets, so I'm looking for a happy medium. One last question. I had a clear bra put on the car when it was brand new,(no, not by the dealer,thank God). I don't think the area was clayed. Will this cause a problem. Thanks for your patience. Everyone has to start somewhere.

 

It's not the driving that ruin the detail, it's the washing, or bad weather driving. On a daily driven car, a good detail can still last 6 months, if you know the right way to wash, & take care of it. My 95 993 C4 doesn't have a garage, & looks 8 out of 10 95% of the time, & it gets a good detail 2x a year. Our weather out here sucks, we have light rain, almost every week, & lots of sand & dust on the roads.

Honestly, & don't take this the wrong way, but you don't sound like a guy who will appreciate a high end detail. You seam more like the wash & wax $200 special. That's fine, as long as YOU are happy with it. But seriously, once you get a good high end pro detail, you will never look back. But then again, you got to be a car guy, & take pride in how it looks.