[vivid]

Hi all,

I have a car that I am about to try and sell privately. It's a white, 3y/o, always garaged 135i with 19k on the clock.

I want to have it detailed so it looks as good as possible for showing. There are some minor swirl marks and the top coat feels a little rough but it still looks very good. That being said I don't want to go overboard but I do want it make it look better.

Regarding the exterior, what is a minimum I should do? I say minimum because the car is just being readied for sale and we are not talking about a mega car. What are some key things I should ask the detailer? Do I just need basic wax and buff or is something more needed.

[AlpineEcstasy]

Hey Vivid, you could easily do something like claybar followed by a polish/sealant (like Optimum Poli-Seal) which would give you a good finish. Would eliminate most minor swirls and would give you a smooth finish.

Total cost for Poli-Seal, claybar, and claybar solution is maybe $40-50. Would take you ~2 hours to wash, clay, and apply Opti-Seal. So if you have time for that you'll save yourself a good bit of money compared to letting a detailer do that, but because you have pretty light requirements they would probably do a good job too. Just you'll be paying more than $40.

[badquenga]

Just buy the clay bar kit from Meguiar's. It'll take car of the roughness and comes with a spray wax. $20 and that's all you need to sell the car. Anything more, you might as well just pay a detailer that knows what they're doing and can get it done a lot faster.

You can always find a detailer that's willing to bargain with you. Someone local that does it part-time or as a hobby. I once came over and just polished a car out for a guy. He washed and clayed it, I polished and he then waxed it. He saved a lot of money by doing the easy stuff that costs a lot.

[Envious Eric]

find a detailer
pay him to do a bit more than listed above
sell car for over $500 more than what you were PLUS the cost of the detail..

people dont understand it sometimes...

you can wash and "get it done" detail the car and sell for what KBB says,

OR

You can properly detail the car for a reasonable amount and sell the car for more that KBB, recoupe the detail cost, and in the end, put more money into your pocket!

Its worth it to have a detailer work on the car prior to selling in ALL instances

[aray]

I am a detailing nut, but.....

IMHO anything beyond a basic 1-2 step polish and you're throwing away money. There just aren't that many buyers willing to pay additional dollars for a car that is "über detailed" and absolutely swirl free. White is also pretty tough for the average person to find swirls in.

I would...
- basic engine bay detail
- wash and dress exterior
- clean door, trunk, and hood jams
- vaccumm
- dress/clean interior
- clay
- one step cleaner wax

Or pay someone to do it. This should fit most detailers standard package menu.

Key is to be clean and appear well kept. In my area this is a $200 or less job for a production detailer.

[vivid]

thanks all. Ordered the meguiars clay kit and cleaner wax.

[badquenga]

Originally Posted by Envious Eric

people dont understand it sometimes...

Its worth it to have a detailer work on the car prior to selling in ALL instances

I 100% agree with this statement. You can call a detailer, set an appointment and have them there ASAP, car ready to sell that same day (if they are available). I personally started out detailing cars that were to be sold and not once did I see someone get less than what they were originally quoted and always recouped their money.

But we can't convince everyone!


For instance, this car received a $150 detail from me and looks amazing. There are still light/deep scratches, clear coat failure, etc...the paint isn't in that good of condition. BUT, it sure looks like it!

[vivid]

I clayed the car last night and I was amazed how much gunk came off. Although I can't see a difference I can really feel one. On a downside, I noticed a lot more minor dings and rock chips on the car...

I plan to wax tonight.