$430,000.00 Lamborghini in your shop.

M

Mike-in-WV

New member
Hypothetical question: Someone brings you a silver $430,000.00 Lamborghini and tells you price is no object and they want it detailed inside and out to perfection. It's been sitting in a garage for two years covered but still dusty and dirty.

What are your go to chemicals and just what steps are first and last and how do you proceed ? I do believe that I would be shaking from beginning to end :nervous: Mike
 
You would proceed just as if it was a $100 car...just as you would proceed if that $100 car was a $450,000 car. You proceed with caution, take care with every vehicle that comes your way...and your go to products would be dependent on the condition of the paint, nothing special you need for a lambo compared to a kia. I really hope this is a hypothetical question when you ask "just what steps are first and last and how do you proceed " Are you just getting into detailing and someone brought you a lambo? If this is the case...please proceed with caution
 
^^^ ditto when you assume that a 100 vehicle means less than a 450k car then you are selling your work short.



also, when someone says money is no object. It nearly allways will be.
 
I'm in the process of detailing a 550 Maranello; not quite the same as a Lambo, but anyway... My process for it is the same as any car. Wash, clay thoroughly, fill in stone chips, polish with PG/RMG mix, IP/RMG mix, FPII, seal and wax with whatever I think will look best. Only thing I'm doing different is covering the air intakes with tape, because there's an O2 sensor that is apparently pretty finicky in one of them.



Price is the same I charge everyone.



Just do it like you do any car - treat it like your own.
 
money no object = add a couple of bucks just because you know they have it (like 20-30)....take lots of pictures.....enjoy working on it



i dont believe people when they say they charge the same for a honda civic in the same condition as a 450K lambo....there is always an upcharge for the prestige....just like a getting something at walmart, then going to the fancy mall and getting the same thing for more cost....why would people not just shop at walmart instead of the expensive places....because when you say you spent 500 on a detail and it came back perfect to all your rich buddies, you gloat...I have dealt with this in the past...(my work waqs noticably better than guy 2 and the porche owner went with guy 2 because ???? and he was 50 dollars more)....dont understand it



gas is the same everywhere....but why does it cost 3.50 in fashion island and only 3.17 in santa ana.....the rich pay more, that is just the way it is....but when you're really rich and famous, then you just get more rich because you get things for free...lol
 
^ I dont understand what you say...Your talking about "because when you say you spent 500 on a detail and it came back perfect to all your rich buddies, you gloat...I have dealt with this in the past...(my work was noticably better than guy 2 and the porche owner went with guy 2 because ???? and he was 50 dollars more)...."



We arent talking about competition or anything of that sort...Whether you detail a honda civic or lambo...they are going to show it off. So your saying just because a guy has money and has a nice car...for him to gloat and show off your work you're going to charge him more when he is probably bringing business to you by gloating. Just because someone has money doesnt mean you can charge them more for your services....Thats just going against all moral aspects...thats like me seeing a rich person come to my cafe where I work and charging them $2 for a donut instead of $1 and charging them for the free re-fills we give to everyone else.



You're right there is an upcharge for prestige...but not on something like this - You pay more for prestigious products/services over the competition...when a guy with a Honda civic comes to you are you going to charge him less because his car isn't prestige or anything...I just dont get it - you're ripping people off because you know you can
 
Joshua312 said:
You would proceed just as if it was a $100 car...just as you would proceed if that $100 car was a $450,000 car. You proceed with caution, take care with every vehicle that comes your way...and your go to products would be dependent on the condition of the paint, nothing special you need for a lambo compared to a kia. I really hope this is a hypothetical question when you ask "just what steps are first and last and how do you proceed " Are you just getting into detailing and someone brought you a lambo? If this is the case...please proceed with caution
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you charge more because if you screw up on a lambo it is going to cost you a hell of a lot more than if you screw up on a honda. Also, a lambo should be detailed to showcar condition whereas a daily driver does not need to be absolutely perfect. Not to say you shouldnt do excellent work one very car you work on, but are you going to take the extra hour or perhaps day making sure everything is IMPECCABLE on a beater vs a lambo that is worth more than some homes? WIth that said, the lambo owner should be charged more since more work is being done. If a honda owner wants to pay for 2 days of labor that equals the price of the car then I guess everything would be the same, but when is that the case?
 
Well believe it or not, some people charge the same for a $200k car that they charge for a $20k car. For better or worse, that's how some people work.
 
eric77 said:
you charge more because if you screw up on a lambo it is going to cost you a hell of a lot more than if you screw up on a honda. Also, a lambo should be detailed to showcar condition whereas a daily driver does not need to be absolutely perfect. Not to say you shouldnt do excellent work one very car you work on, but are you going to take the extra hour or perhaps day making sure everything is IMPECCABLE on a beater vs a lambo that is worth more than some homes? WIth that said, the lambo owner should be charged more since more work is being done. If a honda owner wants to pay for 2 days of labor that equals the price of the car then I guess everything would be the same, but when is that the case?
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I never read anything about there being 2 days of labor? I read it was in storage for 2 years? If thats the case, 2 days of labor vs 1 day of full detail yes I would charge more. But still if a guy has a honda civic and lambo...He wants them both fully detailed, (no showcar detail just full detail on both) your telling me your going to charge him more for one just because it is worth more? How would you explain that to him "Sorry the lambo costs more because if I screw up I am going to use this extra $20 to pay for it?" Thats what insurance is for...I dont understand your guys' way of work....oh well...to each their own I guess
 
Joshua312 said:
I never read anything about there being 2 days of labor? I read it was in storage for 2 years? If thats the case, 2 days of labor vs 1 day of full detail yes I would charge more. But still if a guy has a honda civic and lambo...He wants them both fully detailed, (no showcar detail just full detail on both) your telling me your going to charge him more for one just because it is worth more? How would you explain that to him "Sorry the lambo costs more because if I screw up I am going to use this extra $20 to pay for it?" Thats what insurance is for...I dont understand your guys' way of work....oh well...to each their own I guess
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I would likely sell the lambo owner on a more thorough detail than say a honda owner, but regardless of that, yes I would still charge more for the "same" detail. Like I said earlier, you want to do excellent work on every car, but if a car like a lambo comes through you want it to be ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. I would work slower and double or even triple check my work.
 
I have a Lamborghini to do tomorrow first thing in the morning (I'll be posting pictures over the weekend :woot2: ) . I'll be charging the same amount I charged to do a Honda Civic last week. I do high quality work no matter what the service, the car, the customer, etc.
 
Picus said:
Well believe it or not, some people charge the same for a $200k car that they charge for a $20k car. For better or worse, that's how some people work.
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I think people are getting mixed up.



if both cars recieve the same service, and are aproximately the same amount of man hours. then yes same price.



If you detail a 89 crx, and an rv in and out. you may end up with a dozen more hours on the rv. it's a different scale of work. So yes you would adjust your price to reflect that.



if you detail an 89 crx and the lambo but the lambo wants cracked leather dealt with, and wants a full sealant instead of just a wax. then your looking at different services than you are doing on the 89 crx, so you will charge accordingly.
 
ajbarnes said:
I have a Lamborghini to do tomorrow first thing in the morning (I'll be posting pictures over the weekend :woot2: ) . I'll be charging the same amount I charged to do a Honda Civic last week. I do high quality work no matter what the service, the car, the customer, etc.
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Grouse and ajbarnes...You took the thoughts in my head and explained them perfectly :) Thank you
 
Picus said:
Just do it like you do any car - treat it like your own.
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Exactly. I detail every car like I want mine to be detailed...and since my standards are higher than probably 99.9% of my customers, they end up with a great detail, regardless of what kind of car they have. Just like a Lambo is a millionaire's pride and joy, so is the Honda Civic the local fast food manager drives.
 
Grouse said:
I think people are getting mixed up.



if both cars recieve the same service, and are aproximately the same amount of man hours. then yes same price.



If you detail a 89 crx, and an rv in and out. you may end up with a dozen more hours on the rv. it's a different scale of work. So yes you would adjust your price to reflect that.



if you detail an 89 crx and the lambo but the lambo wants cracked leather dealt with, and wants a full sealant instead of just a wax. then your looking at different services than you are doing on the 89 crx, so you will charge accordingly.
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Ya, I agree, but as you figured out that wasn't really what I was addressing. I find that owners of cars that cost a little more *generally* are more willing to pay for "longer" detail, ie: 3 polishing steps, a sealant AND a wax, leather conditioning and so on, which means they will pay more. However like I was saying (and we seem to agree), if they both want the same work done they pay the same price.



It just seems like some guys in this thread sare saying the same work costs more on the Lambo because the Lambo is worth more. As in, 6 hours on a civic = $300 and 6 hours ona Lambo = $500. That's not how I work. If the Lambo owner is super picky (more than me, which I doubt) and causes me to work an extra two hours sure he will pay more, but in essense that comes down to the owner, not the car.



Kind of funny; when I gave the Maranello owner my estimate he said "that's all?", so I could have quickly charged him more but what can I say, it's just not how I do business. :nixweiss
 
Picus said:
Ya, I understand that. I find that owners of cars that cost a little more *generally* are more willing to pay for "longer" detail, ie: 3 polishing steps, a sealant AND a wax, leather conditioning and so on, which means they will pay more. However like I was saying (and we seem to agree), if they both want the same work done they pay the same price.



It just seems like some guys in this thread sare saying the same work costs more on the Lambo because the Lambo is worth more. As in, 6 hours on a civic = $300 and 6 hours ona Lambo = $500. That's not how I work. If the Lambo owner is super picky (more than me, which I doubt) and causes me to work an extra two hours sure he will pay more, but in essense that comes down to the owner, not the car.



Kind of funny; when I gave the Maranello owner my estimate he said "that's all?", so I could have quickly charged him more but what can I say, it's just not how I do business. :nixweiss
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I should have clarified, I was agreeing with you. Not commenting on your post. I don't get it either. what happens when they sell lambo dad a detail for 500 and lambo kid with the crx the same package for 300. Or when they sell lambo dad the detail for 500 he tells his co-worker aobut the package and you detail the coworkers wife's g35 for 300. you'll loose two customers that day.



It's not about making 500 bucks in one job, it's about making 300 3-4 times a year for 20 years.
 
Now where the Lambo might differ is that the owner might want to purchase "extra" services, like multiple coats of LSP, other a la carte services, etc., above and beyond a "typical" detail.



I myself treat every car like a lambo :)
 
I would charge more for two reasons...more risk in screwing it up (not likely, but possibility) and the fact that people with money like that tend to spend more when they dont have to.



i was trying to say mervyns and fashion island stores have the same exact shirt for sale....mervyns has it for 14.99, and fashion island has it for 34.99....why would people bother with the fashion island store???? - because they have the money and dont really care like someone who is pinching pennies, or not so wealthy....so why not capitalize on it....I am not talking like 500 dollars over (unless you are providing show car details) but like an extra 30 bucks is not going break their bank, but it is going to allow you to spend a little more time on the car and be more dedicated...



to each his own....i wouldnt put a lambo an a honda in the same boat....
 
My biggest reason for asking this question was more to see and hear about your favorite and trusted products.

I'm 60 or will be in a month so I remember the days when a good detailer would use nothing less than Simonize and a good buffer for a beautiful wax job. Of course thats back when they used real paint and 12 to 14 coats of "hand rubbed lacquer" was about as good as you could get and nothing was more beautiful. Well...maybe a 57 Chevy convertible with a cheer leader beside you after the Friday night game,Lol. Mike
 
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