Presidential Detailing: 2009 Porsche Carrera 4S Cabriolet

[edgewise]

First, I followed suit with a local product that has gone national: Griots Garage. I've been testing Meguires, Zymol (hey, someone has to buy it) and Griots, and so far, week 7 of an existing auto finish, I've got Griots penciled in as my current product.

New car arrives tomorrow, the local dealer BMW Seattle sends this out to a top notch detail shop (so says the dealer) for a complete wash/orbital buffing job. My concerns at first was the color, Jet Black, which is notorious for swirl marks. With reassurance that I will be inspecting the car in 3 types of sunlight upon delivery, he assured it would be perfect.

Fine, plan to do it up when I get her home (Exterior finish,not including wheels) with the following, feel free to add (or subtract) what you would do:

All the products below are Griots products unless otherwise noted:
All applications will be directional (Jet Black finish)
All applies to shade.

<strong class='bbc'>~Wash the car, using Boar's hair brush, rinse.
~Clay bar exterior using Speed Shine to keep the surface wet while using the claybar , rinse,dry with Water blade and Chamois dry.

~Fine hand polish, with foam applicator ,one thin coat, remove with 100% cotton towels. (Removes all prior wax as well, apparently)

~Showroom car wax (Liquid form, carnauba based) w/Foam applicator, remove with 100% cotton towels.

(Allow first coat of wax to set ?? hours?)
~Apply 2nd coat of Carnauba Wax, solid form.
Allow overnight to dry.

~Apply 3rd coat of Carnauba Wax, solid form.
Allow overnight to dry.[/b]

In summary, claybar, fine hand polish, 4 coats of carnauba based wax.
?? Necessary for new car or not? Would you do it anyway?

??-One thing is certain, I'll be spending time with detailing swabs getting the cosmoline out of the cracks, any recommendations at which step and chemical I should do this in the above scenario is very welcome.

 

[Glozz]

Hi Ripsnort,

I just got my 330i from BMW Northwest about a month ago. I love mine!

I see that your talking about using a brush. Please don't! no matter what type it is, a nice quality wash mitt is the best to use.

Also please email me about the protective coat I use. It's Zaino and I would be more then happy to meet you some place and have you take a look at my car and feel the finish quality of a polymer based system.

Check out the following site: www.zainobros.com and read about this product. This stuff is not "Snake Oil" it will blow you away as well as your friends.

Please don't take me the wrong way, wax based products are great if applied right and if you plan on waxing every several weeks. However with a black car, you're in for a real treat if you go the route I've taken.

I have taken the advice of other forum members on this site about Zaino's properties and they are right on. Also they have the same cars and several have the same colors as well.

Please get in touch with me.

Regards

 

[hook]

I echo the sentiment to not use a brush. Use the two-bucket wash method and a good quality mitt (chenille or sheepskin). Also, not sure that a polish is necessary on brand-new paint. Clay is a good idea, probably.



I would personally tend towards a synthetic such as instead of the carnauba. I've been very pleased with Klasse AIO and SG on both my dark colored cars, and on the Lexus I top it with Souveran for a really incredible look.



Aside fromthe shine, durability plays a big role. Natural waxes just break down too easily and don't offer the same level of protection. Just my opinion.



If you're going to let the detailer buff & wax it, your best inspection won't reveal any swirls, in any light, even if they're there. I learned this the hard way. It's because they use waxes with high silicone/filler properties, the swirls won't appear until after the first or second wash.



try this trick: take some Isopropyl Alcohol with you, and use it to clean a coupel panels. It will remove the wax, which you intend to replace anyway. From what I understand, this is how good detailers check their work after using polish, etc, since the silicons and such can hide the swirls.



Congrats on your new car!

 

[Cybercowboy]

Since you asked...



You have an awesome car coming! Be very careful, and ditch the brush. Yikes!!!



100% cotton is your friend. Read in the forum about the types of towels (Fieldcrest white 100% made-in-the-USA and good MF towels are the ticket.)



I'm partial to Zaino also. That's what I have used, other than stuff I would hesitate to mention But that is all in the past! I have had good experience with carnuba but the guys and gals here are correct - you have to apply it often.



Look, your car is an investment (in fun at least!) Find some good hi-tech products and keep the swirls away for awhile.



If you have any doubts about my advice, don't worry. There are some top-notch folks here with many years of knowledge.



Congrats and enjoy!

 

[edgewise]

Thks for reply. Zaino's is on my list. Learned from it back East,..I actually got to see a Zaino coat side by side of Griots, and after inspecting both finishes, as well as the textures of the liquid form waxes (Z6 I believe?) ..you might as well pencil Griots as a co-company of Zaino's, or visa versa! Of course, I won't be able to test this right away, still waiting for the Griots to wear off my wifes car, when it does, I am ordering Zaino in my wax test.



I'm not sure if you are aware of the ends of a boars hair brush, its softer than a sheep skin mit (which I might add, I used for years)..currently using it on a dark color for 2 years with wifes car, and nary a swirl I'm happy to report. Once you go boars hair, you dont go back..at least in the 2 years I've used one so far...



Thks for comments! Gonna give that Zainos a whirl.

 

[Cybercowboy]

Zaino is not a natural wax, it is a synthetic wax. So although it may look or feel like carnuba - it ain't. Much like syn-oil and pet-based oil varies.



Zaino is a polymer. A plastic, if you will.

 

[hook]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Ripsnort [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>still waiting for the Griots to wear off my wifes car, when it does, I am ordering Zaino in my wax test.
[/b]</blockquote>
Why wait? Blue Dawn dishwashing liquid will take off wax.

And you might consider adding some Klasse to your experiment, I'd be interested to see a true side-by-side test....

blue skies,
Andy

 

[Guest]

OG member Neoprufrok purchased the Griot's Boars Hair Brush for around $70; he used it on his Flamenco Black Pearl Civic Si and found it caused scratches.

 

[Andre&#39;]

Hi Ripsnort,



I must say i don't care for the Boars hair brush one must scrub much to hard to remove heavy dirt.



Hook is correct don't wait , wash the old wax off with Dawn and than Zaino or Klasse.



I would wait much longer for a carnauba to cure about five days , if you don't you will not be layering just mixing the wax.



In my OP Griots products are way over priced.



Good luck , and have fun with the new car.

 

[edgewise]

Hiya Andre,
FYI:
Griots Show room wax is $19.95 for a 16 oz.
Zaino is $12.95 for a <strong class='bbc'>8 oz [/b]bottle(the equivelent 'finish wax').

I agree with the above poster about using a boars hair brush 'hard' on a finish, thats a no no. Boars hair brush is made for washing a car that is washed, say, weekly or bi-weekly, in other words, very little dirt..you never 'scrub' with it. For heavier dirt build up, I do use the sheep skin mit, but my autos rarely get to the point of having to use that. I've used it on a Black Explorer that was new when I bought it, so far, no swirls. (However, I have been diligent of using it 'gently')

Thanks for all your input guys.

 

[adjulian]

Ripsnort I remember you from the bimmer.org forum, congrats on taking delivery on your car. You are in the right place for detailing info.

I would highly urge you to tell them not to touch your paint even if it is a 'high end detail shop'. if anyone is going to put swirls or scratches on my car, it's gonna be me.

I agree with hook and everyone else here. Carnuba's wear off and don't offer you car 'protection'. You need a paint sealant, ie Klasse Twins (AIO/SG) or Zaino. I am a Z user and love it on my BMW.

For the cosmoline you will want to find the following, "Acrysol (green can) is made to remove cosmoline. Great stuff. Get it at most German car dealers. (Audi stocks it, BMW used to.) Other light solvents will also work fine. Denatured alcohol would be a start. Aerosol Brake Cleaner will also remove it and not hurt paint." (Quote from Brad B)

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=781637&a=13481471&p=52453965

Ditto from everyone else regarding 2 bucket method, chenille instead of boar's hair, dawn instead of polish.

Take advantage of all of the knowledge here, it's invaluable.

 

[Brad B]

Your choices depend on the time you are willing to commit and your goals.



It's true that polymers, synthetics and acrylics will outlast carnubas. (Although I don't agree with the statement that carnuba "doesn't" offer protection. It does.) Does this mean these are the best choice for you? No. Not necessarily. I have several cars all with different combinations of sealants and waxes. Is any one car significantly better that any of the others? No, not overwhelmingly so because I have different goals for each car. I commit differing amounts of time to each car. That's why I choose different products for each car.



Take the time to consider your needs and making a choice will be easier.

 

[hook]

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' >

<em class='bbc'>Originally posted by Brad B. [/i]
<strong class='bbc'>Although I don't agree with the statement that carnuba "doesn't" offer protection. It does[/b]</blockquote>
Right on about the correct product for the situation, as always you offer sage advice.

I may have been the one who first (incorrectly) implied carnauba doesn't offer protection, which is not at all what I meant to do. As you say, it does. I think of the polymer products as offering more protection because they don't need to be applied as frequently (guess I'm thinking of winter coming without a sanctuary in which to pamper the cars!).

But now you've made me wonder, does a good layer of carnauba, well maintained, provide as much protection against the environment, especially UV and acid rain/contaminents, as a polymer does?

 

[Brad B]

You've got it right. I just didn't want anyone to think that Carnuba was NOT a protectant at all.



Claims of protection from UV, acid rain, etc all vary widely. I am sure some carnubas are better than some sealants in this respect. The biggest difference between them seems to be time. If left for 6 months, it's a good bet that most sealants will outlast and out-protect the best carnubas. If good carnubas are reapplied on a timely basis, they most likely offer near the same protective qualities.



I agree that the best long timeframe regime would be to use a quality sealant like Klasse, Zaino or Meguiars #20. I just don't want anyone to throw out all their carnubas from "fear" that they do not work.

 

[edgewise]

I guess I should state that first, this car will be going from 'garage to garage' so to speak, from home, to work. I live in the Seattle area, so hard winters are not here..even when we do get snow, I use a pick up truck for commute during snow, but we rarely get it. SO..in conclusion, thats why I chose to go with carnauba rather than a polymer based wax. I *have* the time to detail it, I have the 'right weather' and right conditions that the car will be 'parked' in, therefore I made this choice. I used Zymol for years on my 91 ford pick up,due to the conditions I used it in (hunting, parked outside, offroad, etc.) and to this day folks are still amazed how well the exterior looks after 10 years, and only waxing it twice a year.



The real secret, if there is such a thing, is keeping the car clean. I actually enjoy washing autos, looking forward to the 'challenge' that Jet Black finishes have to offer.

 

[hook]

Sounds like you've got a plan. Just be sure to realize that the carnauba on the car will still evaporate (odd, but that's what it does) when the car is garaged. I used to wax my cars twice a year also, and they were fairly shiny and beaded well.

I never believed in polymer/acrylic type sealants before I came here and tried Klasse. Having seen the shine they can give, and then having the extra fun of putting a pure carnauba topping on them for extra depth and color whenever I want and/or have time for, with no worry about having to wax in 2 weeks, if I don't have time, I'm sold.

But every car finish is different, and individual tastes differ as well. Bottom line is if you found something you like the looks of, and it protects your car with an acceptable amount of work required from you, then you're set!

blue skies,
Andy

p.s. FWIW, you might want to check out the Meguiar's web site, you can plug in your location and see how the area rates for acid rain, etc. I ran a generic Seattle zip code and it came up serious acid rain, severe airborne salts, very severe rainfall (surprise!) and very severe humidity.

http://www.meguiars.com/CarRx.cfm

 

[presidential_detail]

This car I scheduled immediately after finishing the 94 Turbo 3.6, as he is friends with the owner. After seeing the turn around on the Turbo, he had to have his done! The car however was half covered in clear bra, so I did not have to work as hard as I did on the other which was a treat! The entire nose of the car from the doors forward was covered in clear bra as well as the lights, mirrors and windshield frame. The car is also a convertible, so I did not have to polish out a roof either! The car is practically brand new, gets washed weekly but only driven on the weekends. The owner used a car cover for the majority of the time he owned it, and it was starting to wear down on the finish, especially on the rear quarters.

NOTE: Please forgive me on some of the photographs, my camera is about half broken so it doesn't take the most consistent shots anymore. If anyone has a Nikon D3000, let me know how you like it!

Wash and Decontamination Process:
BLACKFIRE Gloss Shampoo Two-Bucket Wash With Grit Guards
BLACKFIRE PolyClay II Detailing Clay with BLACKFIRE Detailing Clay Bar Lubricant
Two-Bucket Wash with Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitts
Blow Dried/Big Blue III Drying Towel

Wheels:
P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner
Microfiber Chenille Wash Mitts(dedicated to wheels only)
E-Z Detail Brush

Interior:
1Z Einszett Cockpit Premium
Meguairs APC+
Vacuum
Stoner Glass Cleaner

Front Compartment/Engine Bay:
Meguairs APC+
Various Brushes
Zaino AIO On All Painted Surfaces
Meguiars HyperDressing On All Hoses and Plastic Surfaces

Convertible Top
Raggtopp Convertible Top Care Kit

Paint Correction:
3M Automotive Performance "Green" Tape
Meguiar's M105 Ultra Cut Compound / Lake Country Purple Foamed Wool Pad
via Makita 9227 Rotary Polisher
Meguiar's M205 Ultra Finishing Polish / Lake Country Orange FLAT 6.5" Foam Pad
via Meguiar's G110 Dual-Action Machine Polisher
Zaino AIO On All Door Shuts
50/50 of 91% IPA/Distilled Water
Dragon Fibre Microfiber Towels

LSP:
TWO coats of BLACKFIRE Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection via G110 using a Lake Country Flat 6.5 inch Gold Concours Finishing Pad
TWO coats of BLACKFIRE Midnight Sun Ivory Carnauba Paste Wax

Before:

 

[presidential_detail]

After a thorough was and clay, I pulled the car inside under the spotlamps. It was in worse shape than I had thought.

Here, you can see where the cover had been damaging the finish of the fender.

This area was tight and dangerous, I took extreme precaution so not to damage anything in the polishing process.

Closer view of the damage from the car cover.

 

[presidential_detail]

I began by taping off the door to get an idea of the process I would be using for the rest of the car.

50/50 on door after compounding only.

M205 after being broken down.

After wiping off M205, the blur in the light is a defect from my camera/lense, the finish is 100% perfect and swirl free.

50/50 of rocker panel.

Rear Panel uncorrected/Door Corrected.

After 105/205, no LSP.

Rear 1/4 Panel Polished, no LSP.

 

[presidential_detail]

I then turned my attention to the wing/trunk area, which took the most time of any part of the car due to its nature of small spaces and tight angles. I carefully taped off anything that could be hit or burnt by the polisher and kept a very close eye on everything I was doing.

Before.

After.

Before.

After. I was VERY happy with how this area turned out!