Machine polish - what would you pay?

[shail]

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? 

[white91]

That's far too cheap mate, it can't be a full job


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[shail]

That's far too cheap mate, it can't be a full job


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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.

[dansmith180]

   , 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.

[white91]

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


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[shail]

  , 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.

[shail]

, no doubt it will look better, but it sounds like they've overstated what they can do, unless they meant £1500


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think they have probably overstated it.  As long as it gets rid of the light swirls I'd be happy.

[white91]

For £150 you could get a machine polisher and have a go yourself


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Clarkey]

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.

[shail]

Well the chaps come back and said it will take around 3 hours. 

[white91]

You cannot do all that in three hours, but for £150 what do you expect


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[shail]

You cannot do all that in three hours, but for £150 what do you expect


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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

[Eccie]

You cannot do all that in three hours, but for £150 what do you expect


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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

[dansmith180]

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.

[shail]

You cannot do all that in three hours, but for £150 what do you expect


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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.