How much am I looking at for professional new car prep and coating?

2011 Kona Blue said:
I have a business moto. No request is too small we just add it to the invoice. As long as the customer is paying me, I'll do a 3 step if they want and they can trash the car all they want after I'm done. I don't care. I'll give their car a two step every month if the customer wants to pay me. Lol
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Yea...If only the top-coat paint-films
from the OEMs were thick enough to
be able to do so.


Bob
 
I used to be worried about how the car was taken care of, that'll just drive you nuts!
 
Minimum pricing for Opti-Coat is $800. Installers in some states get 2-3 that amount.
 
Yikes sounds like I should just do it myself. Spending a day or two on prep is what turns me off. I find after 4 hours or so I go from wanting perfect paint to just wanting to get it done lol. I was hoping for $500 or so...
 
There are people out there in that range.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 
greg72982 said:
Yikes sounds like I should just do it myself. Spending a day or two on prep is what turns me off. I find after 4 hours or so I go from wanting perfect paint to just wanting to get it done lol. I was hoping for $500 or so...
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I would still have a professional do this kind of work for you. I have seen all too many amateurs try and lay ceramic coatings with all sorts of leveling issues. The worst part is they usually do not know how to paint prep properly so the end result shows.
 
greg72982 said:
I have a brand new car ordered and on the way and I just don't have the time or inclination anymore to do more than basic washing and waxing myself these days. I'd like to do things right from the beginning and have a coating put on it. There is one place in the area that installs CQuartz Finest but my guess is that would be much more than what I want to pay, but I really don't know. I guess my question is what does it usually cost for a new car prep and coating? I know it would likely vary depending on which coating is used, I'm just looking for ballpark figures. If it's more than I want to pay I'll probably just keep it old school and throw some DG 501 on it.

Also, I'm in the Pittsburgh area so if anyone here recommends any specific place I'd appreciate it.
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The condition of the car is going to be the biggest factor. If the paint is pristine (unlikely) you're probably looking at $800-$1200 for an authorized coating installer to do a light correction and pro coating application (slightly less with a consumer coating). If it requires significant paint correction it's only going to go up from there. It's a big price to pay but once it's coated keeping it maintained should be easy and a good installer will go over proper maintenance with you. With regular ONR washing it should stay looking great for a few years.

Definitely do your homework if you do decide to have a pro do it for you. Authorized installers usually have minimum pricing they are required charge so if you have someone low balling on a pro coating they may not be legit. I've also seen a huge increase in authorized installers for some companies and many of these detailers have no clue what they are doing! I just looked at a $2000+ job from a installer of another coating local to me and it was a complete joke. Find out how long they have been installing and maybe get a few references.

As a Finest installer I can tell you CarPro is very thorough on who they let become an installer and any one of the Finest installers should be able to do top notch work for you.

Rasky
 
Thanks. I know it lasts a while but that just seems like a lot more than I was hoping for and I'm sure you get what you pay for. Hopefully the paint won't be too bad. It was ordered and I'm telling the dealer not to worry about washing it. I don't want their worn out wash mitts on it.
 
greg72982 said:
Thanks. I know it lasts a while but that just seems like a lot more than I was hoping for and I'm sure you get what you pay for. Hopefully the paint won't be too bad. It was ordered and I'm telling the dealer not to worry about washing it. I don't want their worn out wash mitts on it.
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Do not under any circumstances think that the dealer will obey your wishes about not washing the vehicle. You need to tell them DO NOT UNWRAP THE CAR UNTIL YOU ARE PRESENT. I've seen it happen way too many times when the customer has already requested no wash and it happens anyway.
 
aliitp said:
Just like every other detailing related shops out there (and those consecutive replies PROVE it !!) they claim the coating will have 8-9 H Hardness (claiming its a pencil test and wont get scratched...) and won't get scratched from normal car washes (but they won't specify what kind of washes their coating will endure), also telling you the so called Glass-Coating will endure high temps, a match of fire on top of it and nothing will happen to it, scratch it with a pencil and it will endure, no swirls, forever hydrophobic and all those claims !, then asking you to just wash it with water pressure, don't use car shampoo coz it's hydrophobic and SUPPOSED NOT TO PICK UP DUST (BULLSH*T) and beed the water of it as soon as you wash it with water only !!, then what the hell is the point of the coating if it's gonna get scratched just like your paint ?? I personally got it applied just in 2015, while it looks really good on the car (and yes you can see the difference as the coating gives glass finish even when dust accumulates you will see that especially on the car bonnet) while that is true, I became extra careful, extra obsessed with how and what I was my care with, I was told to avoid ANYTHING but water, adding to that A sealant added on top to help with the water sheeting (so ya you don't want that sealant to fade away easily either when washed with pH balanced shampoo or even using waterless car washes or anything that would scrub the dust against the surface) my point is, coatings is a silly GIMMICK while it gives a great glass gloss on the paint, and add a second layer on top of the paint (or so it is??) it requires more care which doesn't justify the price !!, I personally like it on the car just for the look and thinking it adds a layer on top of the paint (but never again gonna pay premium price for it), also if you are asking for extra careful washing and maintenance of the coating then why the hell don't you offer it for him free of charge since you are asking for a premium price for a cheap bottle of cquartz or whatever the cheap coating you are using that's mostly sold ONLINE (and you won't use the whole bottle am sure), instead of asking him to pay you a visit twice a month, pay you MORE to get the car washed your way, what a hack sorry to say but this is not the first time I see this kind of practice !..

as for the OP if you really like the Coating in principal then buy it online and do it yourself and save your money and the trips to such detail shops !...
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Rather have the coating absorb scratches than the clear. Using the right products and methods they are very easy to maintain. There are many soaps designed for coatings.
Maybe I'm missing something in your post, but it is pretty much no different than normal washing, minus the product used.
 
While I can't recommend anyone in your area, I can provide help with pricing. Since you chose a color that will very likely be marred, you have to add extra for correction. As you were told already, you MUST talk to your salesman and the service manager to not touch the exterior in any shape or form, no matter what or you will refuse delivery. Unfortunately, the transport guy WILL make sure that the paint is Fed up. The last solid black Mustang I corrected (new) took 35 hours. So just be aware.

PRICING: IF you go the PRO route, products like Opti Coat Pro starts at $800. Pro Plus starts at $1200 - not including correction, if it is needed. You can do your own, with consumer products like Gloss Coat or some of the ones AG sells. I once had a customer who couldn't afford correction and Opti Coat, so I suggested DP's coating - not sure about durability, but boy, was it glossy. So if you had a mint finish, you could do it yourself. But personally, every brand new car I do gets a 2 step polishing, no matter what. Because what is underneath the the protection is more important than what finish a wax/coating leaves behind. So one should polish the paint prior to applying any protection. One big issue you will see when consumers do their own coatings is durability. If the paint is not properly cleaned from any type of oils, the coating will not last as claimed. Of course it is easier to blame the product than taking responsibility for your own lack. Anyway, if you do it yourself, prepping that finicky black paint will give you a lot of trouble, because every time you will wipe the paint, you may mar the paint in the process. I don't mean to bum you out, but these are things you may run into. If you are wondering why those "high" prices for Opti Coat? OC provides permanent protection. So if you keep the car for awhile, the price is actually a bargain. I hope this helps you somewhat. A pro can also apply a consumer product at a savings, but you will end up spending more $$ in the long run because of reapplications over the years. Actually, here is someone in Pittsburgh who is also certified by Optimum. https://www.facebook.com/Opus1AutoDetailing/


greg72982 said:
I have a brand new car ordered and on the way and I just don't have the time or inclination anymore to do more than basic washing and waxing myself these days. I'd like to do things right from the beginning and have a coating put on it. There is one place in the area that installs CQuartz Finest but my guess is that would be much more than what I want to pay, but I really don't know. I guess my question is what does it usually cost for a new car prep and coating? I know it would likely vary depending on which coating is used, I'm just looking for ballpark figures. If it's more than I want to pay I'll probably just keep it old school and throw some DG 501 on it.

Also, I'm in the Pittsburgh area so if anyone here recommends any specific place I'd appreciate it.
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tdekany said:
While I can't recommend anyone in your area, I can provide help with pricing. Since you chose a color that will very likely be marred, you have to add extra for correction. As you were told already, you MUST talk to your salesman and the service manager to not touch the exterior in any shape or form, no matter what or you will refuse delivery. Unfortunately, the transport guy WILL make sure that the paint is Fed up. The last solid black Mustang I corrected (new) took 35 hours. So just be aware.

PRICING: IF you go the PRO route, products like Opti Coat Pro starts at $800. Pro Plus starts at $1200 - not including correction, if it is needed. You can do your own, with consumer products like Gloss Coat or some of the ones AG sells. I once had a customer who couldn't afford correction and Opti Coat, so I suggested DP's coating - not sure about durability, but boy, was it glossy. So if you had a mint finish, you could do it yourself. But personally, every brand new car I do gets a 2 step polishing, no matter what. Because what is underneath the the protection is more important than what finish a wax/coating leaves behind. So one should polish the paint prior to applying any protection. One big issue you will see when consumers do their own coatings is durability. If the paint is not properly cleaned from any type of oils, the coating will not last as claimed. Of course it is easier to blame the product than taking responsibility for your own lack. Anyway, if you do it yourself, prepping that finicky black paint will give you a lot of trouble, because every time you will wipe the paint, you may mar the paint in the process. I don't mean to bum you out, but these are things you may run into. If you are wondering why those "high" prices for Opti Coat? OC provides permanent protection. So if you keep the car for awhile, the price is actually a bargain. I hope this helps you somewhat. A pro can also apply a consumer product at a savings, but you will end up spending more $$ in the long run because of reapplications over the years. Actually, here is someone in Pittsburgh who is also certified by Optimum. https://www.facebook.com/Opus1AutoDetailing/
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Your right on the pricing and it's crazy in my opinion. One can buy a nano ceramic coating and do it themselves. Wolfgang has the Uber nano coating for $150
 
2011 Kona Blue said:
Your right on the pricing and it's crazy in my opinion. One can buy a nano ceramic coating and do it themselves. Wolfgang has the Uber nano coating for $150
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While I am not familiar with the Wolfgang product, if it is $150, and someone asked you to install it for them, how much would you charge? And how long does this coating lasts? And what are the chances that the paint is prepped properly, the product is applied properly, wiped off not too early? Now add to that "permanent" protection for OC - how much is that worth?
 
I sent him a PM, he is about 2 hours from me, let him know how far away he was, where he could stay and have a mini vacation while I worked on his car and he hasn't been back since June 6.
 
I'm still around. I'll likely have the car a while but the thought of spending $1000+ after what I've already spent isn't very appealing. I may just go old school with wax or DG 501 at this point.
 
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