Pads and polishes for DIY correction of Porsche Cayenne?

[DWPC]

My 06 black Cayenne has moderate swirls from a dealer buff-out and general finish dullness/oxidation from age, plus a few light scratches around the handles. I`ve read that Porsch clear coat is relatively soft so I don`t want to be too aggressive. Picking pads & polishes from the dozens out there is a real maze for an amateur. I`m leaning toward either Einszett (1Z) Paint Polish + 1Z Glans Wax or Menzerna 3000 followed by their Power Lock. Are these polishes too light for moderate swirls? My priorities are ease of use, preservation of clear coat mils, and finish protection.

[Beemerboy]

My 06 black Cayenne has moderate swirls from a dealer buff-out and general finish dullness/oxidation from age, plus a few light scratches around the handles. I`ve read that Porsch clear coat is relatively soft so I don`t want to be too aggressive. Picking pads & polishes from the dozens out there is a real maze for an amateur. I`m leaning toward either Einszett (1Z) Paint Polish + 1Z Glans Wax or Menzerna 3000 followed by their Power Lock. Are these polishes too light for moderate swirls? My priorities are ease of use, preservation of clear coat mils, and finish protection.

By hand or machine? makes a difference

[DWPC]

By hand or machine? makes a difference

Oops...by DA machine; Griot to be exact.

[psynx]

have you considered sonax perfect finish on a white or green buff n shine polishing pad?
menz pf2500 and sf4000 would be nice as well on a blue or black b n s foam pad

[DWPC]

Attached are shots of the worst areas. The graininess in the first image is the reflection of the blocktop pavement.

[Ronkh]

I love the LC variable contact pads (hard to find) but well worth the patience finding. They do great on flowing curves.

As far as colors/and polishes, we all have our "favorites" and I`m sure if you have a gg da, you have already some idea of what you like to use.

Good luck, and remember pics are required

[Stokdgs]

A very nice Porsche !

Do you know how many times it has been Detailed professionally/other, in the past?

This will help you get an idea about how much paint is still there...

It looks fine to me, and I could turn that into a rolling mirror pretty easy..

Also a fan of Sonax Profiline Line Perfect Finish with the Lake Country Hydro-Shred Twins - Cyan-ara and Tangerine-a-see-ya..

Good luck with this !
Dan F

[DWPC]

A very nice Porsche !

Do you know how many times it has been Detailed professionally/other, in the past?

This will help you get an idea about how much paint is still there...

It looks fine to me, and I could turn that into a rolling mirror pretty easy..

Dan F

Thanks. I want to err on the safe side so I`d assume it was detailed a couple times before the dealer`s guy buffed it. I want it to look good but I don`t need a show car perfecto shine. The Sonax polish is verrry expensive. What do you think of Menzerna IP then FF finished with a glaze and a wax?

[Stokdgs]

Thanks. I want to err on the safe side so I`d assume it was detailed a couple times before the dealer`s guy buffed it. I want it to look good but I don`t need a show car perfecto shine. The Sonax polish is verrry expensive. What do you think of Menzerna IP then FF finished with a glaze and a wax?

If it was me, and Sonax Perfect Finish not a choice, I would try Menzerna PO203S and if needed then PO106FA.. The last Cayenne I did was that beautiful metallic blue and the paint was extensively hammered way worse than yours, and it turned out stunning, and still is years later. I used PO203S with the HydroShred Cyan-ara/Tangerine-a-See-ya..

Believe PO203S was Menzerna`s answer to German Car manufacturer`s request for a 1-step compound to use on the Assembly Line. They use Rotary power.
I looked it up here and it says you can use dual action and rotary power.

I have never tried Menzerna FF; have only used PO106FA and PO85RD extensively for years and always had great results..

The Pad/s you use will have an affect on how this works too.

Are you reading up on Microfiber pads ? Foam pads ?

If you get the amount of defects out of the paint that meets your criteria, then you may not need a Glaze at all...

I know very little about Glazes since I go for the best correction and dont need them. Awhile back I heard everyone talking up a product by Chemical/Guys - EZ Creme Glaze/Acrylic Shine..

Whatever wax you choose after this process should be just fine. However, if you wanted to take advantage of the newer technologies, I have used and absolutely love Sonax Polymer Net Shield.. unfortunately, not inexpensive either... If you DO get this, you will not be applying it very often, depending on if you use the Scratch-em-Up Drive through or not... :)

There are a zillion wax choices and many are just great for as long as they last.. I dont care for waxes because they tend to attract and hold more dirt than the newer acrylic products, but that`s just me..
Dan F

[JSFM35X]

If you spend the time to correct a big car like yours, it would be a crying shame to put it into a car wash. Literally wasting all this time correcting the car IMHO. Especially since it is black.

If your not going ot baby it, get someone who knows what they are doing to apply opticoat. Not something you should try if your not familiar with it. It is not hard, just technique. I had someone apply it for me the first time and it is easy once you see it done.

Good Luck

[Todd@RUPES]

Without a doubt, BLACKFIRE SRC Compound followed by BLACKFIRE SRC Finishing Polish. I have used this combination on a number of black Porsches -from GT3 RS`s to Cayenne Turbo`s - and it always deliver`s the same, swirl-free, easy-to-achieve results on Porsche`s sometimes difficult paint systems.

Team BLACKFIRE SRC Compound with a orange light-cutting pad for the defect removal and work into the paint. This will leave the paint near perfect, with only the slightest haze remaining.

Finish with BLACKFIRE SRC Finishing Polish with a white polishing pad for a crystal-clear, swirl-free finish and high-gloss reflections.

If you really want to bring out the best in shine and protection, consider topping with BLACKFIRE`s Wet-Ice Over Fire combination kit.

[valleyrider]

Without a doubt, BLACKFIRE SRC Compound followed by BLACKFIRE SRC Finishing Polish. I have used this combination on a number of black Porsches -from GT3 RS`s to Cayenne Turbo`s - and it always deliver`s the same, swirl-free, easy-to-achieve results on Porsche`s sometimes difficult paint systems.

Team BLACKFIRE SRC Compound with a orange light-cutting pad for the defect removal and work into the paint. This will leave the paint near perfect, with only the slightest haze remaining.

Finish with BLACKFIRE SRC Finishing Polish with a white polishing pad for a crystal-clear, swirl-free finish and high-gloss reflections.

If you really want to bring out the best in shine and protection, consider topping with BLACKFIRE`s Wet-Ice Over Fire combination kit.

Would there be a discernible difference between finishing with Menzerna 4500 or does the Blackfire product do a great enough job to not need a finer polish on Porsche paint?

[DWPC]

Thought I`d close the loop on this one. I decided to be conservative in my first attempt and used Einszett Paint Polish followed by their Glanswax. A few areas had deeper swirls that didn`t respond to the mild PP so I had to run down to OReillys and grab some Meguier Scratch-X (the only more aggressive stuff they had). I was going to apply 3M Imperial Glaze before the Glanswax, but I had forgotten how hard that stuff is to buff and gave up on it. I was generally happy with the results but next time will use also have a more aggressive polish and pad on hand for problem areas. I really liked the Glanswax results...it applies effortlessly and wipes off with almost no residue leaving a super deep shine.

A note for sellers...one reason I chose Einszett products was because they sell their products in 16 oz. cans vs the quarts sold by others. I`ll never use up a quart of polish. I`m a DIY and will polish out my own cars maybe once a year (wax about 4x/yr) so I wasn`t going to buy a $40 bottle of polish just to have 3/4 of it sit on the self for years; I`d prefer to buy fresh polish next year. I`d like to try some other brands...but at $40+ a quart, trials are too pricey.

[spiralout462]

^^ You can get all Wolfgang polishes in small sizes. That is the route I would have taken for what it`s worth.