Black 2005 Porsche 911

[winders]

Folks,



I just picked a black 2005 911. The paint looks pretty good but I am sure it needs some clay work, a polish, a seal, and nice wax job. This is my first black car and I am a little apprehensive about the work required to keep it looking great. I am relatively ignorant about detailing but want have this car looking great without a huge amount of work. I realize that I will probably spend a full day getting the finish where it needs to be. I am hoping maintenance will be less intense.



What products can you folks recommend? I have heard good things about Zaino but there are quite a few different Zaino products. Which ones do I need or want? What should I use for application? For removal? For washing? For drying?



Any input is appreciated. Just remember that I am new to this level of finish care.



Thanks,



Scott

[Bigpoppa3346]

Well if it needs polishing it would best be done by machine, and, IMO, a PC at the very minimum is a *must* have for and black car owners. Zaino has very well regarded products, but the finish(as with all LSPs) must be polished to perfection to get the best result. For washing and drying get a wool wash mit and a MF waffle weave towel for drying. Use the two bucket method to minimize marring. Do some searching and find what sounds best for you. Congrats on your sexy new car.

[RAG]

Gosh, I don`t even know where to start. But make good use of the search function on this board and you`ll get a lot of good information. Look into proper washing (learn the technique and get good waffle weave towels, etc.), polishing with a Porter Cable (PC) and good sealant or wax.

[jdhutchin]

David`s tutorials at autopia-carcare are a pretty good place to start. My advice, start small, and build your stock of supplies and skills as you go. Also, don`t get quite so caught up on "what is the best product", there are many out there that will do the job if you use them right.

[Deanski]

My advise is after checking the finish, a good wash and clay will ready it for polish.



All depending on how bad, you may want to look into the Sonus "Swirl Buster" kit to remove any defects. If they are not bad, then maybe just a paint cleanser is all you need.



As for Zaino... Love it! However, finish has to be fully polished out as best as possible to get the best results. If it`s too much, then I`d use a glaze and a wax such as Souveran.



You may want to look into a paint protection film at a later time to protect the front end from rock chipping. I have it on my new 997 C2S with Aero.



Keep us posted!



Regards,

Deanski

[DM101]

After a good clay I would pick up this kit http://www.properautocare.com/mensouvkitsi.html

You will be on your way to "the ultimate shine"

[RAG]

After a good clay I would pick up this kit http://www.properautocare.com/mensouvkitsi.html

You will be on your way to "the ultimate shine"



Tis a good kit. I think you can do better by just getting the Souveran and the FPII and getting better towels elsewhere...I prefer the Elite buffing towels from Excel.

[uzj100]

C your PMs

[racingbeat]

my last car was black and parked outside all the time. Learned allot of lessons on what not to do the hard way.

The most important thing in my opinion is your towels. you should be able to rub them on a cd without scratching it. I only use MF towels with silk binding, DetailCity.com and Poorboysworld.com have some good ones. For drying I would use a waffle weave, I like the poorboys for this.

I use one color towel (grey, detail city) to buff with spray waxes and another color towel (orange, poor boys Mega) to use cleaners, polishes. I actually have a third set of towels (green-sonus polishing) for wheels.

I try to keep towels that come into contact with brake dust often from ever being used on the paint.

This way I keep the buffing and waxing towels as soft as possible and the more worked over towels not as soft for cleaning.



The other thing is that I would start using a waterless wash like Optimum No-Rinse. If your car is well maintained and never gets really really dirty, this rinseless wash is much easier on the paint. A more delicate wash if you will. Basically its like washing your car with silicone instead of soapy suds. Also I would a natural sea sponge to wash the paint with. Use a MF towel or sheepskin for the lower portions and under the bumpers. But don`t use the same for both. Use grit guards in your buckets. I add No Rinse to the "clean" bucket and the rinse bucket.



As far as waxing, polishing etc. After your wash, I would use a mild clay like the Sonus green. Don`t apply any paste waxes without doing this first. Then I would follow up with a cleaning quick detailer like FK 146, or Poorboys. Buff dry with a dedicated buffing towel, I own at least two of these. I like the 146 because of its dust repelling properties.



Now that the paint is preped after a wash, once a month or so I would use a paste wax for dark colors like Natty`s Blue and then top it with FK 425 to lock it in and repel dust. For weekly or biweekly washes I would boost the paste wax with a spray wax like Aqua Wax or Optimum spray wax topped with FK 425. I would refrain from detailing the car between washes and never touch the paint if its dry. If you want to show off the car before a special occasion flood each panel with a lubricant/water mixture like No Rinse, FK 425, etc. and wipe each panel in one long pass. flip the towel after each pass, do this religiously to ward off swirling. Reapply the FK 425 protection.



Keep your wheels cleaned and sealed, glass clean (425 works very well) and your tires dressed and it will make the paint look cleaner, a nice trick.



for seasonal treatment use a good polish and sealant combination after a big time claying.

I will be using Menzerna or Jeff Werkstatt`s Prime/ Acrylic Jett.



The thing to remember is with black paint the more you detail it the more blemishes will apear and with black they become magnified. This is the big problem not so much that the black car gets dirty quicker but that your mistakes become far more visible from too much touching.



my old black car

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/278000-278999/278357_23_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/278000-278999/278357_12.jpg



my new silver relief

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/9/web/789000-789999/789415_73_full.jpg

[Z K]

I`d stay away from the machine polishes if you`re not sure what you are doing. If you don`t do it right - it can cause more damage.



Since the car is so new, a good clay and a really light polish, follow up with a topper and you`re good.

[winders]

Folks,



I really appreciate all the advice!!!



Okay, here is what I have purchased so far:



Waffle Weave Drying Towels from Poorboy for drying the car.

Deluxe Mega Towels from Poorboy for cleaners and polishes

Prestige Polishing Cloth from DetailCity for buffing.



Grit Guards



Optimum No Rinse Wash

Poorboy`s EX Sealant with Carnuba

Poorboy`s Natty`s Blue Paste Wax

FK1 425



I am planning on buying:



Sonus SFX Ultra-Fine Detailing Clay

Blue Perl Microfiber Applicators

Wool Wash Mits



What polish should I get? Is Menzerna Final Polish II what I should be looking at? Where would I get a natural sea sponge?



Anything else? Maybe some Optimum Spray Wax to apply once in a while between applications of Natty`s Blue?



Scott

[Z K]

Others can correct me if I`m wrong - I think you should pick up something like Klasse All in One or Werkstatt Prime before applying your Poorboys and FK stuff. They don`t contain any harsh abbrasives and cleans and preps the paint for your wax/sealant.

[racingbeat]

Klasse has changed their formulas to comply with new eco standards so I dont think I will be reordering that polish, Too bad it was my #1 rated detailing product. Werksttat prime or Menzerna Intensive Polish and IP II might be my next polish choice.

I`m leaning toward Prime since I already have Werstatt Acrylic Jett Trigger and like the results.



winders, I would get a few cheaper MF`s for use only on your wheels, otherwise those nicer paint towels might end up making friends with your brake dust.



I think I got my sea sponge from Autogeek.net for a hefty $20 but I like the fact that they stay cleaner DURING the wash than a MF towel and my sea sponge needs only one washing machine cycle to come COMPTELEY clean. You might want to try a sheepskin from Excel Detail as well, they come in really big sizes.



For cleaning the wheels I recommend one of those Meguiar`s Gold Class wheel Brushes which you can get a Pepboys or Autozone etc. Make sure you at least rinse the wheel face first before brushing, ideally a wheel cleaner like Poorboys, P21s wheel cleaner or Meguiar`s Wheel Brightener should be sprayed. A spoke brush would be a good choice too for cleaning the inside barrel of the wheel if you have 5 spoke Carreras. After you cleaned the inside of the wheel wax it with EXP or a similar sealant. It will keep the brake dust from bonding with the wheel`s clear coat. After sealing I like to drench my wheels in 425, makes future cleaning effortless. btw, I recommend the Michelin tire dressing if you like a dark matte look vs. the usual shiny greasy of cheaper stuff.



for cleaning the dirtier parts of the car like lower portions of front and rear bumpers and the edge of the wheel wells I would aovid using the sea sponge or sheepskin. Go to Home Depot and pick up some grout sponges for washing those dirtier areas. You can get a six pack for less than $5 usually. Spray the sponges with 425 for some extra lubrication before making contact with wet paint, you can never be too careful with black paint and Porsche uses softer paints which scratch easier than some Japanese and American cars.

[racingbeat]

p.s.

I would definitely look into adding a clear vinyl bra for at least your front bumper. No doubt it will get full of chips and those look terrible with touch up paint. Check Rennlist.com in the 997 and 996 sections for installers in your area. I have seen entire cars like the CarreraGT covered in clear vinly and you would never tell the difference. But definitely DON"T get it done at the Porsche Stealership.

My clar vinyl bra is on my bumper and the lower 1/4 of my hood.

For your interior I recommend using 1Z leather and 1Z vinyl and rubber top notch for Porsches.

You can order them at Openroadmotoring.com with very very fast delivery in the North East.

[winders]

racingbeat,



Okay, here is my current plan for my black Porsche 997:



1. Wash the car with mild shampoo/cleaner and dry it with Poorboy`s Waffle Weave Drying Towels.



2. Use Sonus SFX Ultra-Fine Detailing Clay to clay the paint using FK 425 as a lubricant.



3. Polish the paint with Werkstatt Prime and a microfiber applicator. If this does not eliminate the swirls and scratches, I will try Menzerna Final Polish II with a microfiber applicator. I will use Poorboy`s Deluxe Mega Towels to wipe off the residue.



5. Apply Poorboy`s EX Sealant with Carnuba using a microfiber applicator. I will use Prestige Polishing Cloths to buff it out.



6. Apply Natty`s Blue paste wax with a microfiber applicator. I will use Prestige Polishing Cloths to buff it out.



7. Finish it all off with a wipe down using FK 425 and a Prestige Polishing Cloth.



How long should I wait between steps 5 and 6? Would it be good to apply more than one coat of EX? If so, how many? If I decide to apply another coat or two of Natty`s blue, how long should I wait between coats? Can I apply Natty`s Blue on top of Natty`s Blue and FK 425?



In between major detailing, I will use Optimum No Rinse Wash to wash the car and Duragloss Aquawax as a refresh with a FK 425 wipe down. FK 425 will be my QD.



Does this look like a good plan? Should I wash the car again in between any of the steps?



Thanks,



Scott