Don't do it! Go to www.griotsgarage.com . You can get yourself a claying setup, a non-orbital polisher and either a very fine wax or sealant for the price the dealer will charge you for thier service. Then you can do a professional detail job, with your own equipment, that will look better than new.

 

when i got my 05, the finance person was a total milf. luckily my dad was there and told me to say no to everything because 1) he worked at the dealership years ago and knew it was a rip off and 2) i have a hard time saying no to pretty women.

 

I'm not gonna lie...that paint looks amazing!

 

I'm thinking the dealer stuff is probably worthless like the others said . . . but for those of us who don't have a lot of time to do our own polishing and waxing, the Ziebart "diamond gloss" or whatever they call it is pretty good . . . I used it on a car several years ago and it looked great and kept the paint looking good . . . they do a refresh every year for about $100, about the price of a decent wax job.

I haven't put it on my 'stang yet, because I told myself I was going to do it myself, but so far haven't found time to do it . . . plus . . .

If you value your time at a reasonable rate -- like let's say $50/hour -- how much does "do it yourself" really cost?

 

This is what it comes down to. I would still avoid the dealer, though. I use a very reputable detailer that I found on Autopia. He did some initial paint correction and now I just stay on top of it. I would never hire a detailer without having seen their work. Someone that doesn't know what they are doing can seriously screw up your paint.

 

I wonder how much a job like that would cost! Now that is quality

 

That's several days work at probably $800-$1200 / day. Even paint correction with just buffers can be one or two 8 hour days. Some places in Orange County charge $600 for a 1 stage buffing (4-6 hours)

 

couldnt I get somewhat similar shine from washing claying and waxing?!?!? thats what I was planning on doing since the d ealer is a ripoff.

 

well I guess when you can afford a 458 Italia a couple more grand to shine her up ain't nothin

 

No you CAN'T get a similar shine by just claying and waxing. My 2011 Mustang had so much orange peel it was killing the shine. I worked in body shops for years and color sanding day old paint is all I did. I can tell you that anytime you have paint work done it with be sanded and buffed. Every 2011 Mustang I have seen the paint is not up to my standards. I will have to post the after pics on my car.

 

+1
Factory paint is already clear coated. Its how the new paint style works. Clear Coat is required to protect the base layer. Loose the clear coat layer and the base layer is not long for this world.
That said, I have not had problems with the longevity of my factory clear coat. But I keep the car clean, out of the sun when ever possible (under a roof, in the shade, or under a car cover) and it gets a hand wax 2 times a year.