What should I look to pay for wax and buff by a good body shop?

[Photonfanatic]

Before I got my 94 GT, it had sat in an old shop for the better part of 7 years. My brother in-law, who always had more money than sense. A few minor things went wrong with the car, so he parked it for 7 years, while paying it off lol. So anyway, it wasn't covered and the paint reflects that fact. I would like to pay a good body shop to sort of... bring the paint back to life. To just do what they can. Maybe buff it out and then hand wax it. What should I pay for this service? How much is too much?


Oh and I'm not looking to do this myself. I don't have any of the supplies or tools needed, nor am I confident that I could even do it right. So I'm not looking for recommendations to do it myself and save money.

 

[g36 monkey]

Depending on how bad it is, I would probably start out my price around 200, no more than 4 though

 

[slow90coupe]

What color is the car? I charge $200 for a full paint correction and full detail inside and out. That's considered cheap to most people, so keep that in mind.

 

[whiplash473]

if you take it to a good shop you'll be looking upwards towards $800..that would include a serious process, of course......i charge $150 for side jobs to simply buff and polish (takes me >2hrs)..that's no paint correction

EDIT: then again - the shop i'm thinking of charges $350 for a detail..so....

 

[g36 monkey]

how the hell do you do a full paint correction in 2 hours lol!!??!?

O and OP my initial 200 price is not touching inside the car. Only paint. Not even going to the wheels. All that is more.

 

[whiplash473]

how the hell do you do a full paint correction in 2 hours lol!!??!?

hrs)..that's no paint correction

that's how ↑

 

[g36 monkey]

Lmao, did you ghost edit or am I really going blind today??

 

[Above118]

What color is the car? I charge $200 for a full paint correction and full detail inside and out. That's considered cheap to most people, so keep that in mind.

well hell,i might drive the 3hrs to you to detail my car haha. damn good price

 

[whiplash473]

Lmao, did you ghost edit or am I really going blind today??

i think it and it appears..no control over it

 

[slow90coupe]

well hell,i might drive the 3hrs to you to detail my car haha. damn good price

Haha I must say that I've made close to $5000 detailing cars at that price. I think it's time to go up in price. I'm getting tired of detailing cars!

 

[the5.ohh]

Holy shit you guys are crooks compared to me.. I usually do a full interior detail, exterior buff for like 60-100 bucks.. I've upped my prices now to 100 plus.. I'm doing a 1988 lincoln town car black on black, $125 for that. 1970 blue camaro Z28, everything chrome on the underbody of the car. Like 200 right there, then a 69 chevelle SS 396 red and black, $175 for that. I can't believe people actually pay you guys that much. If i'd of known that I'd be making a killing

 

[whiplash473]

my time is free..just as long as it's my stuff i'm working on........if i'm cutting and polishing someone's car that's just time that i would be working on something of my own

EDIT: plus after work that's really the last thing i feel like doing

 

[the5.ohh]

Gotcha. I mean I haven't done a paint correction on a customers car yet. I'm talking glaze, polish, sealer, wax etc.. I usually just clean everything, full interior wash and cleaning. The usual yadda yadda, and buff the paint. I remember the first time I used the black box kit from turtle wax on my dads 95 lincoln.. Never again.. Couldn't get the damn carnauba wax off the car to save my life haha.

 

[whiplash473]

with carnauba you're only supposed to do like a 2x2 area at a time haha..i had to use a cleaner wax to get it off the first time i learned that

 

[slow90coupe]

Shoot, I wouldn't touch a wetsand and buff for any less than $400 with me not touching the interior. Cutting and buffing is very time consuming!

 

[the5.ohh]

with carnauba you're only supposed to do like a 2x2 area at a time haha..i had to use a cleaner wax to get it off the first time i learned that

LMFAO. I did the whole damn car at once. Then I was like ah no doubt this shit is pretty easy to put on. Go to take it off. I was like the f*ck why won't it come off. My dad goes you idiot you're not supposed to put it on the whole car at once haha. I think i used the same thing. Now i will never use the black box again haha.

 

[the5.ohh]

Shoot, I wouldn't touch a wetsand and buff for any less than $400 with me not touching the interior. Cutting and buffing is very time consuming!

Damn dude if I got people to pay those prices. I'd be a baller haha. I've never wetsanded before though so I wouldn't attempt it on any car but mine first. Might as well use the almost 20 year old paint as a guinea pig lol. Buffing takes a lot of time. I got, well my dad bought a flex random orbital buffing wheel like 5 years ago. Thing is awesome. Makes buffing easier and less tiring, it still takes forever though, especially on darker cars lol.

 

[whiplash473]

keep in mind for anyone interested and for simple reference: be very careful sanding/wetsanding factory paint..it's like half as thick as a painter can lay (no matter how good of a painter he is)

 

[slow90coupe]

To wash, clay, wetsand, compound with M105, then M205, then scratch/swirl remover, then wax, then sealer... Ugh you're looking at at least 20 hours to do it correctly. Just thinking about it makes my head start ringing from the sound of the Porter Cable lol

 

[the5.ohh]

Before I got my 94 GT, it had sat in an old shop for the better part of 7 years. My brother in-law, who always had more money than sense. A few minor things went wrong with the car, so he parked it for 7 years, while paying it off lol. So anyway, it wasn't covered and the paint reflects that fact. I would like to pay a good body shop to sort of... bring the paint back to life. To just do what they can. Maybe buff it out and then hand wax it. What should I pay for this service? How much is too much?


Oh and I'm not looking to do this myself. I don't have any of the supplies or tools needed, nor am I confident that I could even do it right. So I'm not looking for recommendations to do it myself and save money.

Where are you located man? I mean honestly. Without doing the interior and just strictly bringing the paint back to life would probably run you 200 bones from a shop. I'd do full interior, polish, glaze and buff for like $125 lol.