I am considering have my truck professionaly polished before I do my next detail. I plan on doing everything before and after the polishing step, wax and all. I just think right now it makes more financial sense for me right now to have someone do the polishing instead of buying all the tools and materials to do it myself. So, what is a good price to have someone just do the polishing?

 

To buy the tools and materials for just paint correction would probably run you less than $200, which is about what you'd pay to have it done by a professional. The only difference is that if you buy them yourself you not only gain the knowledge of how to do it, but also have the materials in case you need to polish the truck again.

IMO buy the stuff and DIY.

 

Kevin, it's about the same price to buy the products and pc buffer. You know noone cares about your truck, as you do. It's just like pressure washing, you can have someone do it for $50, but where are you going to be ahead when the clear coat is all burned off?

Plan to spend $200-300 to have paint correction done. Goodluck finding someone who does quality work.

 

I think you're going to find that anybody with any kind of reputation isn't going to do "just the polishing" for you. Most of us who have been doing this for any amount of time want to have control over the entire process. For instance, if a customer brings me a car that they "just washed," it's going to get washed again - by me. (For some reason, I trust myself and my techniques a bit more.)

As others have said, for about what you'd spend for one good full detail, you can buy some pretty good products to do it yourself. With some practice, you might find that you get pretty good at it and maybe even like it. (That's what started my slide down the slippery slope!) Be careful though, I've seen some real rookie disasters where somebody went just a bit too crazy.

 

Anyone you find who is willing to "just polish" it will probably use something from 3M and a rotary - not the greatest of ideas.

 

Just wash and wax it good. It'll be practically the same for cheaper. My .02

 

Not even close.

 

oh, i didn't think it was that bad

 

That was mine before and after I detailed it the other week. If he wants paint correction then I'd guess he has swirls he wants out, as well. Just a wash and a wax won't get that out, though.

 

Its more than just buying the equipment and products, using the equipment is a learned skill as with most trades.

 

If a truck showed up to me washed (well) and ready to be clayed and polished, and wasn't too beat up, I'd be looking at the $200 range. That's 3 stage polish (90% of the scratches) and wax/seal. If they want a one stage polish and wax, probably $150. The polishes are expensive and these things are big and take a lot of time to do well. Mine wasn't even bad when I started:



....and still took about 8 hours to get to this: