2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S

**Scottwax** · 10-21-2008, 07:24 PM

520 hp SUV.

This was one of the most difficult details I have done. I already knew from a regular who has a black `04 Cayenne Turbo that the paint is real finicky but it never needed a really hard correction. The owner just purchased it a few weeks ago. The original owner is from Atlanta but not sure if he picked it up from that person or bought it through a dealer. Like an M5 I looked at earlier this summer that was also bought used from someone in Atlanta, it had acid rain damage that simply laughed at Meguiars #105 and a rotary. It *may* be possible to wetsand it out but not having a paint thickness gauge, I really didn`t feel comfortable wetsanding a $130,000 black SUV. Not to mention that the black paint on the Cayenne, while very tough to polish the swirls out of, also has a nasty tendency to haze. The owner had tried to polish the car out (Menzerna 106 with an orange, then a white LC pad), plus it had rotary swirls in the hood as well so that also was a reason to not start sanding without a paint thickness gauge. No telling what had already been removed.

This is pretty representative of the whole vehicle:

Fender with #105 and a yellow Meguiars polishing pad @ 1000-1200 rpm, #80 Speed glaze with a Meguiars polishing pad @ 1400 finishing at 1000 rpm, then 3M Ultrafina using a blue Ultrafina pad, 1000-1800-1000 rpms. Door is the same as the picture above.

The pitting you see was all over the horizontal panels and the top of the sides (where they angle in towards the windows). I`ve seen that on other cars too, never really have heard what causes it but it was there before I started polishing...some of that is dust too though. Really only visible right around the sun spot, otherwise you don`t see it. :nixweiss

What was really odd is that even though I used #80 on the fender after #105, it was making worse holograms than #105 was. So did #83 (really awful!) and Optimum Polish. Just driving me nuts trying to find a step down from #105. I finally tried #105 with a Meguiars finishing pad and that did a pretty good job. Washed the dust off with ONR and I then went with 3M Ultrafina and a yellow Meguiars polishing pad @ 1200-1400 rpm over the whole car.

These are after the above steps:

Another ONR wash, touched up a few areas with the UF/yellow Meguiars combo

Another ONR wash and then 3M UF with a blue UF pad, 1000-1800-1000. This is as much sun as was left...and I had started at 9:30 AM! Still some dust (in the crevices and on the rear pillars) and residue around the lettering but the sun wasn`t waiting on me to get to it.

Another ONR wash (I think I washed it 4 or 5 times total!) and then I put on a coat of Clearkote`s Carnauba Moose. The sun was pretty much right on the horizon when I took these pictures.

**Scottwax** · 10-21-2008, 07:30 PM

I talked to Anthony Orosco today about this Cayenne since I know he does probably more Porsches than any other detailer in the country. He said he has had similar problems with black Cayennes. Says next time someone calls to have him detail one, he is retiring! :lol

He told me he has to use #105 or 3M Extra Cut with a foamed wool, then again with a blue foam finishing pad, then step down a light polish like Ultrafina, pretty much what I had figured out after a lot of trial and error. I should have called him first, would have saved me some time. Live and learn!

**somebody** · 10-21-2008, 07:46 PM

Hum interesting read, it looks like you fought a hard battle but the end results look great.

Brandon

**Thomas Dekany** · 10-21-2008, 08:02 PM

Scott, that came out amazingly wet and glossy

**dsms** · 10-21-2008, 08:08 PM

Deep a$$ gloss Scott, looks terrific

**stiffdogg06** · 10-21-2008, 08:24 PM

Awesome job Scott.:woohoo:

What dressing did you use on the tires? Looks good!

**uzj100** · 10-21-2008, 08:26 PM

Scott-any of those body panels aluminum?

**Scottwax** · 10-21-2008, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by stiffdogg06

Awesome job Scott.:woohoo:

What dressing did you use on the tires? Looks good!

Armor All. Unless specified, that is what I normally use.

landcruiser-honestly, I have no idea if any body panel or the hood is aluminum. I know the Cayenne is pretty heavy for its size. My understanding is the suspension is beefed up so it can handle pretty much what a Range Rover can.

**Cleaning Fool** · 10-21-2008, 08:35 PM

You need a couple nerve pills with this job....Can I get an amen bruther!

**KMHAWAIIDH** · 10-21-2008, 08:42 PM

Nice job! I`m glad I never had to deal with that sort of problem.

**Labster** · 10-21-2008, 08:52 PM

As usual scott, great work. I need to start collecting numbers of people I chat with routinely in these forums in case I come across something like this.

**uzj100** · 10-21-2008, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by Scottwax

landcruiser-honestly, I have no idea if any body panel or the hood is aluminum. I know the Cayenne is pretty heavy for its size. My understanding is the suspension is beefed up so it can handle pretty much what a Range Rover can.

I was just wondering, as the hood on my `06 Porsche is aluminum and it`s a bit "finicky" (at least for me) to polish out and it`s got the pitting on it similar to what`s in your pictures. Seems to be common on the aluminum hoods that I`ve seen. The steel hooded Porsches get the chips, but I don`t see as much "pitting". Possibly due to a different paint formulation.

BTW, fantastic detail!

**Deanski** · 10-21-2008, 09:07 PM

Cayenne Turbo S is one very sick SUV! Just viewed a new one at my dealer with PCCB (Porsche Composite Ceramic Brakes) which I thought was overkill on an SUV, but hey, it`s the Turbo S!

As for the paint, yes, Porsche paint is soft (black) and even so, seems very difficult to correct anything from minor marring to full swirls. It`s hit and miss have the time, but so far, Menzerna has done well with this paint. You`re right, it has a nasty habbit of haze if the polish was too agressive, but at least the marring or swirls are gone, but then you have to take more steps to finish polishing. Very minor marring can be done with 106FF, but if it`s borderline marring/swirls, then go up to SIP. Never used the 3M UF on this paint yet, but it seems to do well from the pics. I`m still partial to Menz PO85RD for finishing, but have to wash down after due to some leftover oils.

I`m now trying Zaino PC (ZPC) as this seems to do correction well enough and finishes up good, but we`ll see when I get to it.

If it`s been polished and damaged prior by someone not knowing what they were doing, you did the right thing! Never assume and always be careful on paint thickness. I would take every precation on this paint as it`s thin in several areas.

To drive these is like sitting in a sports car only high up as it does not have the normal body roll associated with SUV`s when cornering hard, it`s really amazing to drive. Serious amount of torque on this model.:woot2:

For a whole lot less the GTS version will give you the same benifits of the handling and you can get one with a stick if you do not want a slush-box.

But wait.... The Cayenne will come out soon with the new PDK transmission, which would be a wonderful thing for the line.

Deanski

**Scottwax** · 10-21-2008, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by Labster

As usual scott, great work. I need to start collecting numbers of people I chat with routinely in these forums in case I come across something like this.

Trust me, it is worth having a few other detailers in your speed dial. Paint can be so different from car to car, it is nice to talk to others who have been through the same thing and can offer suggestions.

Dean-thanks for the polish suggestions.

I wasn`t so much worried about my customer having used a PC + 106 but whoever used the rotary on it before. Definitely had holograms on the hood, so I suspect that person was trying to remove the water/acid rain etching too.