Most used cars in Kraków are sold on OTOMOTO and OLX, in Polish. Before you go:
Useful Polish: "Czy auto było malowane albo naprawiane?" (Has the car been repainted or repaired?). At the studio we explain the readings in English, and they are yours to use when you talk price.
View the car outdoors, in daylight, when it's dry: rain and dusk hide colour differences.
"The order doesn't matter. Measure every panel you can," says Bogdan, our detailer. Any panel can be repainted, but sills, doors, bonnet and boot lid come up most often. Which panels read thicker tells you whether there was an impact, where it hit and what it reached.
The gauge measures the distance from its probe to the metal, which is the sum of all layers: primer, base colour and clear coat. No gauge reads the clear coat on its own. Plastic bumpers and sill covers cannot be measured at all, so we judge them by eye under a lamp. Paint protection film (PPF) adds 200–250 µm to a reading.
| Reading | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| 80–150 µm, even across the car | factory paint |
| above 150–180 µm | suspicious, compare with the panels next to it |
| 230–300 µm | panel repainted |
| thicker still | usually body filler, bodywork repair |
| 20–30 µm | paint polished away almost to nothing |
Numbers vary by make and model. Comparing panels on the same car tells you more than the table. The gauge cannot tell you why a panel was painted: a crash, a car park dent or a fix at the dealer.
A high reading does not always mean a repair.
The steering wheel and seats wear with mileage. At very high mileage, regular cleaning will not keep them looking factory-new. A steering wheel polished smooth on a car with low mileage on the clock is a reason to check the history.
A gauge and a lamp tell you nothing about the engine, gearbox, suspension, brakes or electronics, and we do not do mechanical work. Book a mechanic or an SKP station as well: a diagnostic scan, brakes, suspension play and a test drive. On an imported car, check that the VIN matches on the body and in the documents.
As of September 2026.
Imported after an accident. "Bezwypadkowy" (accident-free) in an advert is only the seller's claim. The vehicle history service on gov.pl shows some foreign records (accidents, taxi use, flooding) and names the USA, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Norway as examples. If nothing shows up from abroad, that doesn't prove the car was never in an accident.
Rolled-back odometers. The service shows odometer readings from Polish roadworthiness tests since 2014. If the clock now shows less than an earlier test recorded, walk away. Tampering with an odometer has been a crime in Poland since 2020 (art. 306a of the Criminal Code, 3 months to 5 years in prison).
Contract and paperwork. A private sale needs a sale contract (umowa kupna-sprzedaży) in two copies. Sign a Polish or bilingual version with Polish text: documents in other languages need a sworn translation when you register the car. After buying from a private person you pay PCC tax of 2% of the car's market value within 14 days (cars worth up to 1,000 zł are exempt). Register the car within 30 days, or pay a 500 zł administrative penalty.
Bogdan's advice is to protect the paint with paint protection film first: every day on the road raises the risk of a stone chip or a scrape.
If the budget does not stretch to film, ceramic coatings are next. A coating on the paint protects it from fading and from dirt etching in. There are separate coatings for wheels, glass and the interior, and you do as much as your money allows. More: ceramic coating.
He also suggests film on the windscreen and panoramic roof. A chip is easy to pick up, and new glass costs far more than film. We fit this film at the studio. Prices: PPF from 1,399 zł for single zones, film-and-ceramic packages from 2,490 zł. Tuning and upgrades can wait.
If the paint is intact but dull and scratched, paint correction starts at 900 zł. Yellow headlights: headlight restoration from 400 zł a pair. A car park dent: paintless dent removal from 200 zł. All services: services.
There is no single norm. Factory paint usually reads 80–150 µm, depending on make and model. From 150–180 µm up it's worth a closer look, and at 230–300 µm the panel has most likely been repainted.
Measure every panel and see where the readings rise. Body filler reads thicker than a repaint. Add different years on side windows, welds in the boot and the history on historiapojazdu.gov.pl.
Usually a reading on the panel edge, an uncalibrated gauge or steel mode on aluminium. Switch the material and measure on the flat part.
Yes. You need the plate number, VIN and date of first registration from the registration certificate.
No, only paint and body. Take the car to a mechanic or an SKP station for the engine, gearbox and suspension, ideally before you sign anything.
It's free (0 zł) and takes about 15 minutes. Book a time first.
Kraken Detailing, ul. Powstańców 20, Kraków (Prądnik Czerwony), Mon–Sat 9:00–19:00, phone/WhatsApp +48 510 510 082. Book a time and come with the seller. After the check (0 zł, about 15 minutes) you get the readings in writing. We speak English. Once the car is yours, we can protect it, from PPF to ceramic coating.
