Polishing without claying??

[tustah]

I`ve began trying to make a bit of money on the side as a weekend warrior. I was detailing a car underneath my carport when a gentleman asks how much I will charge for polishing. I took a look around his car and it had pretty minor swirls.



I tried telling him that I`ll need to clay his car in order to polish and quoted him $80, which would consist of wash, clay, abrasive polish, chemical polish, and sealant.



I figured it wouldn`t be safe to polish the car since there is a lot of dirt embedded in his paint. If I didn`t clay, I would offer to do it for $60. I think I`m being very generous with the offer already though.



Has anyone ran into a similar problem?

[a.k.a. Patrick]

Generous? Tell him I`ll wash and dry it for $60.00!!

Claying is a good idea, especially if its really contaimanted, and if its never been clayed before, consider it contaminated. You can skip the chem cleaner as the polish will do just fine. What are you sealing with?

What type of car? Thats probably a $200.00/+ job in my area. Dont sell yourself short if your confident of your abilities......

[tustah]

I`ve only done two vehicles but I feel I picked it up rather quickly. I went from 12 hours on my first detail to 6 hours on my second detail I believe.



I was planning on sealing the car with Carnauba Jett or OCW. I believe the car is a 2002 Altima, and the paint is definitely contaminated.



Thanks for the advice Patrick. I guess I need to find a way to find the right clients.

[a.k.a. Patrick]

Good work with walk ups will get you there.......Also, dont be afraid to be selective. Your not a miracle worker, so dont take anything thats too difficult just to learn a thing or two.. You`ll learn enough on the easy ones....and each detail is different then the last.