I know that the zeolots won't let anyone else touch their car and thats cool ... to each their own ...

But certainly there are professional car detailers that exists who detail cars as their business. Has anyone tried one? If so, what was your experience?

No need to respond with why you won't go to one, I'm only interested in those who have or are considering one.

I look at it this way. I would not tell my doctor how to diagnose any disease nor would I tell a five star chef how to cook, etc. etc. Why would I presume to know more about detailing cars than a professional?

So, should I drop a couple of notes on a professional detail when I get lazy?

 

Probably not the best forum to post this question

 

for sure there are a lot of professional detailers that can do one hell of a better job then a person at home USUALLY can. they got the tools and the know how. (please don't argue that you are able to do just as good a job, as we are talking about the general sense) However, just don't expect it to come cheap.

i think the biggest problem is people with no knowledge of detailing going in for a 60$ wash and wash and thinking their car is in the best shape it can be. Unless you know about clay bar, rotary, PC, swirl removal, MICROFIBER!!, polish, and wax and are willing to drop a couple bills on a quality detail then you are better of doing it at home.

Lastly, I think the bulk of the people in this particular section enjoy detailing cars, so taking to someplace else is like giving someone else your candy

 

Your doctor has a degree and has been trained. I am often shocked at the quality of work coming out of "professional" detailing outfits. There are more of them than there are lawn mowing services. And the credentials, I am afraid, are about the same. Consumers beware. Do your homework before dropping hard earned cash. Often YOUR loving care can be better!

 

There is a great group here in Dallas: www.ZainoMobileDetail.com

Given the name, they use Zaino (always a plus in my book and are quite serious about their detailing routine. They bring 3 guys out with a mobile wash truck and can wash / claybar / wash / z5 / z6 / z2 / z6 / interior detail a car in an hour and a half. The whole process costs $150. Extra coats of Zaino cost $15 or so. They came out and did my office-mate's new M3 a month or so ago and did a great job of it.

 

taken from site:
Detail done on a corvette

• $150 Show Car Polish Detail
• 10 Extra Coats of ZFX-Z5
• 10 Extra Coats of ZFX-Z2
• Full Interior/Seats Clean/Reconditoned
• Aluminum Wheels Hand Polished
• Full Engine Detail
• HR's of Compounding
• HR's of Wetsanding
  
  A Custom Stereo Installation
  A Custom Exhaust Installation

that's 12 coats of Z-5 and 11 coats of Z-2. simply ridiculous. I"m surprised the detailers didn't tell the owner how pointless that is.

 

I'll agree that there were too many coats of Z5... any more than 2 are pointless... especially given that they did hours and hours of wetsanding and compounding. I'll take all the coats of Z2 you can give me, though. I'd hope that the Corvette was at least a cool one from the 70's or earlier... something with some curves that would benefit from that amount of work...

 

Actually it is the best forum. I want the opinions of those who prefer DIY.

If some owners think they can do better than people who make their "living" at it, thats fine ... As they say, "if you want to do it right, do it yourself"

I was just wondering because I got a local BMW/Mercedes shop that specializes in detailing those cars. Cost is between $150 - $200.

Some people like to spend their lives adding zaino coats, thats fine.
There may be a time when I would rather be doing something else and spending a couple hundred might be worth it.

I've read the horror stories of the dirty rags at the dealers, etc ... thats not a true detailer ... thats a guy getting paid minimum wage who doesn't want to be there.

I am sure there are companies out their that prepare show cars or concours cars and know exactly what they are doing. I just got to find them

 

Ah. I see you've visited the car wash area at my local dealer...

I doubt that my abilities will ever match those of a professional detailer. But, then again, my car is a daily driver and the finish will never stay perfect. I'm (mostly) happy with the results I get so I will probably never take it to a professional detailer unless something happens that I can't fix.

 

well one big thing is that I enjoy detailing. It's a great feeling to be sitting in a nice clean car, especially if the interior is clean. Sure you can take it to a detailer for a couple hundred, but how often would you take it there? in between times, you'd have to wash and everything yourself anyways. If you don't wash and dry it correctly, using cheap towels that scratch, then the work your detailer just put in goes to waste. The truth is, the hardest part (or the part that actually needs a professional) is swirl and scratch removal via rotary. the benefits of this are quickly taken away by someone who doesn't know how to care for their paint.

As stated by CoryB, most of our cars are daily drivers. Taking it so often to a detailer just becomes costly. On the other hand, with my weekly washings, semi-annual waxings, I am able to keep my car looking its best.

I love getting in my car. it's been 9 months, and the new car smell is still there

 

Take a look at the pre owned Minis for sale at your dealer. If you like how they look ask if they're detailed by an outside detailer, and take your Mini there.

 

well im a detailer and i own a mini, i have a shop here in michigan and we are basically a tuner shop that does detailing also,


now im a person just like any other, but i do take deep pride in my work rather than just to get the job done to get a check at the end of the week i do all the details myself, due to the quality i hold myself to, my car has over 108,000 miles on it and it looks showroom new, no dings no swirles


i literally love to detail its like artwork
and what an acomplishment when you stewp back and you see how you have taken a car that was battered and polished it back to the day it was new or better

hey its the morning and im crazy

 

I'm so happy to hear that a MINI can look like new at 108,000 miles

Probably better in your case:smile:

 

I'd do the exterior myself, but leave the interior to the pros.. Just because they seem to have better vacuums..

 

VoiD... Spring for a $50 wet/dry ShopVac (the ones at Sears are nearly indestructable) to get the same vac quality at home.

 

from what i've been reading, what is really good is an extractor. I would love to get me one of those, they cost about 80 dollars for a small one.

 

Over the weekend, I saw the result of a non-professional trying to use a power buffer / polisher on a MINI. I'm not going to try to learn how to do that kind of work on my car - it's going to a pro should it need that level of work done on it.