[cruster]

Hey all -

I'm a newbie so excuse me if these are dumb questions; I've been browsing the forums for a week or two and trying to educate myself, so hopefully they aren't as dumb as they might be!

1) I have a '97 Subaru Outback Sport that I've owned for about 5 years now. It's my daily driver - and I do love to drive. As such, I know it's never going to be concours quality. Sadly though, I have waxed it only once since I purchased it, and until about a year ago I washed my car like a dumb guy - hence swirls all over town. It's also got a scrape on the (plastic) bumper and a dime sized chip out of the paint on the roof (due to a bike rack failure). As far as the scrape and chip repair, is this something that a detailer is able to repair, or is that something I need to see a body shop about before I see a detailer? I do plan on detailing the car myself from here on out, but I would like to start from a good place and reverse some of the effects of the sub-par care the car has had. I love the car and I want it to look its best. And what about interior care...? My floor mats look a mess - can a detailer fix that? Or a tear in the cloth upholstery?

2) Is it in poor taste to try to get an estimate for my work before engaging someone for a job? I know it's not going to be cheap but I do want to know what I'm getting into before I begin.

3) Can anyone recommend someone in the Tacoma/Seattle area of Washington that they have had luck with? I have never had a car detailed - nor sadly has anyone in my family, so I have no idea where to begin.

Thanks very much in advance for any help you can provide. This is a very cool site and I'm glad I stumbled on it.

- Brendan in Tacoma, WA