Professional Detailers?

[lloyd3]

My brother is quite the car guy. Like many who came of age in the 60s and 70s, he's spent lots of time and trouble to get wheels that appealed to him. His particular brand of choice is Ford (not Mopar) but the efforts and monies spent are comparable. Hot early Cougar convertibles, Mach 1s, Rousch and Shelby cars, V-8 CJ-5s, F150s and 250s...etc. have graced his stable and he's had the usual mix of experiences you would expect, you know...the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Much like me, he's getting a bit long in the tooth anymore and doesn't spend all his time fussing and shining on his toys (although plenty of that still happens). He's lately discovered the joys of professional detail shops for his newer stuff and has become a big fan of the process. He claims that these folks have all the proper tools and chemicals to really do a job that the average Joe just can't do. He says that once a car has been detailed properly, all you have to do is the minimal maintenance to  keep things in proper shape.  I'd never considered such an option before, simply because it wasn't available in the Hillbilly Hell we grew up in, and I'd of had a hard time trusting anybody with my stuff. Economics would have also certainly played a part in all that too.  Fast forward to today and my present circumstances. It's certainly temping to just hand over your current mess (perceived or otherwise) to the "pro" who's going to make it all right again. All you've got to do is trust blindly and hand over some cash (about $225 seems to be the going rate here).  Has anybody here ever gone down that route?

[chargered]

My son does it for a dealership.  I'm trying to talk him into doing some moonlighting because he is really good at what he does.  The kid is OCD and his 08 Charger looks brand new.....he's got his paint so perfect it almost glows.  I'm probably going to pay him to buff/wax my 70.  He is way more knowledgeable on this stuff than I am.

[comet_666]

I took mine to a place this year to get paint swirls out, cat scratches (yes someones cat got on my car and scratched the hell out of it) and some paint chips. There were also a few like hazy spots they said they would test to see how much paint is actually there. So basically they were doing more than a detail job/cut buff, they were doing a paint rejuvenation.
They did a great job and taught me quite a bit in the process, like don't use the california dust brush and use different towels to apply the spray detailer and how to do it without doing any damage to the paint.
It was expensive, but if I continue to do what they taught me and use the proper towels and techniques The paint should look great for years.   

[RiverRaider]

A couple pickups I sold I had detailed.  $200-$300 It is amazing what someone with the right equipment can clean up.  Not concerned about having a vehicle interior cleaned or a wash and wax.
Buffing is a different story, seen way too many paint jobs messed up.

[INTMD8]

I don't bring my cars to detailers because it would cost minimum $1000 to do the job I would want, so I do it myself.