WHO should I get to detail my car?!

Car Detailing Northamptonshire – Huntsmiths Detailing

So you have decided to get your car detailed, or you are at least interested in the idea (I’d assume thats why you are reading this!)

First things first, alot of people will look for recommendations. I am sure everyone knows someone who always has their cars detailed. So, if possible, that is always a great way to get yourself in to a great detailer. As not only are they tried and tested by someone you know (and trust?) but the said detailer will be extremely appreciative of the recommendation and even more so inclined to go that extra mile.

Failing that, you google. Google is the best way to find local traders that are proficient in the product or service you are looking for.

This is where it gets tricky. As with alot of trades, the market is somewhat saturated. This firm wants £200, this one wants £1500, why is one more than the other? This detailer will “detail” my car on the drive and also machine polish (“correct”) and ceramic coat it. The other guy will do it over a 5 day period in an indoor unit… WHICH ONE DO I WANT?

Well…

You get what you pay for… The detailer offering their services for £200 and done in a day is not the same level of job as the detailer spending a week on your car and charging £1500.

This is not to say that neither are for you. Option 1 has its place in the market and so does Option 2. You just have to ask yourself, what are you comfortable spending and what level of work do you want carried out?

Option 1 will be a quick, O.K to reasonable service but can’t possibly deliver the same result. The car will be “shiny” and any protection applied in this environment will last around 6-12 months at absolute most. No true correction can be achieved in a day by 1 person.

Option 2 is what we at Huntsmiths would define a Detail. The wash and decontamination can take between 4-8 hours just to prepare the vehicle properly. To correct a panel (door, wing, bonnet) takes around 1.5-3 hours (more time for bonnets and the roof) so across an average of 12 panels you are looking at almost 20 hours of polishing and correction.

Coating applications are then carried out and need to be carried out in a very controlled manner. No dust, no polishing oils left behind, no moisture from condensation or trapped water from the washing stage, brand new cloths and applicators. A true Ceramic Coating takes around 1-2 hours per layer to apply and most are multiple layer products.

The finer details can take anywhere up to an extra day. Dressing trims, cleaning glass properly inside and out, polishing exhaust tips, polishing bright work such as trims or grills. Removing grime from areas such as panel gaps, final inspections, the list goes on…

What you should take away from this is that the word “detailing” in this form and context takes different definitions. What we define a detail is not what some other firms do. So please make sure you know exactly what it is that you are paying for. Visit the detailer, look through their portfolio, ask them to go over the process with you, we love to talk about cars so wont ever feel unwilling to talk about what we like to do! We will be the first to say that we are not the cheapest. there are always cheaper deals however, you will not get what we offer from another firm charging a third of our price. We are fair and not greedy, we are dedicated to doing a high standard of work and not rushing it. As the saying goes, by cheap, buy twice…