Advice for detailing 1987 Porsche 944 - red

[hplaceap]

Looking for advice (and confirmation of what I found after searching the forums).



I am going to help a friend with his 1987 Porsche 944 - it is red.

He is the original owner.

I have done GM cars and trucks at various stages of neglect, but I have never done a Porsche.



It has lightly oxidized and dull paint on the sides;

more heavily oxidized on the top areas: hood, roof.

I can see that the paint appears to be good on some areas of the car that are not too badly oxidized, so I think the paint will come back.



From what I read in the search results, older model Porsche paint (like from the 1980s) is `soft` and maybe `single stage` in that it does not have a clearcoat `on top of` the paint, but instead the clearcoat is mixed `in` with the paint.



Is this true? And if yes, what approach is best to use given the condition of the car.



I was going to use the PC and maybe a white pad with m205 to see what kind of results that produces - thinking I can always go to the m105 and an orange pad later. Since it is my friend`s `baby` I want to be extra extra careful.



Any first-hand advice from anyone who has done a 1980`s era Porsche would be appreciated.



Thanks

[BostonDuce]

I believe that during that time, clear coat was only used in metallic paint. If you have Guards Red, there`s a good chance that it is not 2 stage if its OEM. My `82 was single stage Guards Red.



Be very careful with abrasives that are meant for todays paint. Back then the ultimate detail was a rotary with lambs wool bonnet and Blue Coral.



Start slow in a test area before you dive in.



What ever you do, stay away from the back window. No offense to your friend but it may be worth more than the car.



BD

[mhuf]

I suggest using Clearcoat Red Moose Glaze followed up with a good lsp.

The Guards Red is a single stage paint, pretty hardy, will hold up under pretty

good rubbing with a medium to light compound. I have used 3M Imperial Hand Glaze

with good results,although the Red Moose is my favorite. 3M 1500 grit compound

will get out the really bad stuff,but be careful with it. I`ve used Natty Red and

One Grand Blitz wax, also used Griots Best of Show on Guards Red with good results.

My new favorite is the DoDo Juice Banana Armour. Works great on Guards Red!

I only do Porsches, mostly the 78 thru 89 911`s Done a couple of 944`s....same paint.

That oxidation will come off, I`d suggest starting by hand, it`s not that big of a car!

Hope this helps and good luck !

[gmblack3]

Looking for advice (and confirmation of what I found after searching the forums).



I am going to help a friend with his 1987 Porsche 944 - it is red.

He is the original owner.

I have done GM cars and trucks at various stages of neglect, but I have never done a Porsche.



It has lightly oxidized and dull paint on the sides;

more heavily oxidized on the top areas: hood, roof.

I can see that the paint appears to be good on some areas of the car that are not too badly oxidized, so I think the paint will come back.



From what I read in the search results, older model Porsche paint (like from the 1980s) is `soft` and maybe `single stage` in that it does not have a clearcoat `on top of` the paint, but instead the clearcoat is mixed `in` with the paint.



Is this true? And if yes, what approach is best to use given the condition of the car.



I was going to use the PC and maybe a white pad with m205 to see what kind of results that produces - thinking I can always go to the m105 and an orange pad later. Since it is my friend`s `baby` I want to be extra extra careful.



Any first-hand advice from anyone who has done a 1980`s era Porsche would be appreciated.



Thanks



If you are using a PC, you are on the right track by starting with M205. The non-diminishing polishes (105/205) are pressure dependent for the level of cut you want. If 205/white wont produce the level of cut you want, try 205 with the orange pad. Next would be 105/white, then 105/orange. If the paint is SS, keep the pads as clean as possible. Brush the pads and compressed air as often as possible.

[imported_pdsterns]

I`ve been working on a couple of black 86 944`s the last few days (I detail in an independent Porsche shop) and they are indeed single stage paint. Orange pad and some Sonus paintwork cleanser and they clean up very well with one pass but keeping you pad clean is a never ending job. Usually I end up cleaning the pad after 2 or 3 passes. Actually I did my first wet sanding with 2000 grit paper and those sections came out with great depth and shine and very little polishing afterwards.

[Accumulator]

If it`s original paint I`d err on the side of caution and leave it nice and thick, even if that means not attaining "Autopian level perfection". They`re only original once and IME that ss paint is a bit fragile to begin with. My ss Guards Red Porsche was a bit older than that, but FWIW it`s paint was kinda soft and not as thick as I woulda expected. More "porous" seeming that b/c too, so I wouldn`t have have reached for M205.



Qs for those of you who`ve worked on those cars with M205:



-I like the Meguiar`s TSO approach on ss, but the oils in M205 seem to dissipate quicker/more dramatically that I expected them to. Just, I dunno...different from how the TSOs in the older Mirror Glaze products behave. Is this ever an issue?



-If you strip the M205 oils off ss, any "drying" or othersuch effects?