Is this a reasonable price?

March 27, 2023 11:01 AM

My car (a black Outback) has a lot of water spots from going through the automatic car wash. I just dropped it off for some body repair and asked how much it would cost to have them buff it out and polish it--not a complete exterior detailing, just this one thing--and they said $175-$200. That's crazy, right? The internet says so but I don't know if what I'm reading was written before recent inflation.
posted by HotToddy to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

For just a buff & polish (and I'm assuming a wash, to start) that seems a little high to me, but not by much. That's about $150, give or take, around here. If they're also doing clay bar and wheels, $200 sounds quite possible.

A good buff & polish job is one of those things that seems simple, but it takes a lot of time to do manually, and if one is inexperienced with a powered buffer/polisher, it's easy to apply too much pressure or dwell too long in one place and seriously damage the finish. That learned experience and touch is part of the price of having it done professionally.

Edit: Also, black is notorious for showing everything, so there's probably a little extra time built into their price for that.
posted by xedrik at 11:15 AM on March 27, 2023

Your profile doesn't say where you are, but a hand wax would be $190 near me, and an actual "buff and polish" would be even more. The cost of someone's time these days is far higher than it's ever been, and a quality buff and polish, like they'd do in a body shop, takes time. (An automatic car wash with "clear coat protectant" on the other hand, would only be around $12.)
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 11:22 AM on March 27, 2023

Also been looking for something similar in the Brooklyn area and getting similar quotes. I think everything is just insanely expensive these days (including labor).
posted by greta simone at 11:33 AM on March 27, 2023

Geez. Well this was a very young person, probably only 18 or 19, and recently hired after a long spell when they couldn't find anyone. She seemed like she was guessing that it would end up being $175-$200 so I assume she hasn't done a ton of these. If it's that easy to screw it up maybe I'll just get a clay bar kit and try to do it myself. Or just live with it.
posted by HotToddy at 1:31 PM on March 27, 2023

I think I would first try rubbing compound and give it a really good workover. You might be able to live with the result, even though it wouldn't be perfect.

If you do it right, you'll have a clearer understanding of why it's so costly. It's pretty easy to spend a full day working on shining up a car if you really want to go over it right.

Shoot, I've spent 6 hours doing just a wash and wax job on a car. I've got more time than money, obviously, so depends on what your time is worth.
posted by BlueHorse at 2:19 PM on March 27, 2023

maybe I'll just get a clay bar kit and try to do it myself
Do this. Clay bar is the greatest thing ever for getting a great finish on your car and you can't really screw it up as long as you keep everything clean and wash the car really well first. It's not hard work, although a little tedious and the results will amaze you. Follow that up with a coat of carnubia wax and your car will stay shiny for ages. If you give it a wax every six months or so, it will stay shiny forever.

Also, never ever wash your car (car wash or hand wash) and just drive off. Chamois the car off every time you wash it and those spots won't reappear - they're deposits left by minerals in the water that stay behind when the water evaporates and they build up into those spots.

$175 - 200 sounds about right for a couple of hours of work plus materials - if they're not an expert, it will take them longer than that. It's a really satisfying thing to do yourself though.
posted by dg at 2:52 PM on March 27, 2023