Lately, I`ve been having a lot of people asking me how much I charge to detail and I tell them all the same thing "go see [insert detailing company name], their professionals, I`m just an enthusiast". But people insist they want me to detail their car to look just like mine. The thing is people don`t understand that I`ve literally spent 100`s of hours detailing my car.

Money isn`t the issue for me it`s time it takes. People seem to think that it will take a few hours (like a correction is done in one pass).

Reluctantly I accepted to detail a Porsche Cayenne for an in-law who`s really gone out of his way to help me out. As there`s a learning for each paint type I was hoping a professional could give me an idea how hard/thick the clear is on a 2004 Navy Blue Porsche Cayenne that`s in poor condition. I have a feeling the owner can`t tell a swirl from a squirrel.

My game plan is to use the hood as a testing ground for CarPro Essence starting with a polishing pad, then cutting pad, and finally MF cutting disk. I also have some HD Speed that I could try. Or I could do a real two step using Menz FG400 or Meg`s M101 as my compound on foam cutting pads and CP Essence as my second step.

I would appreciate any advice.
Note: I don`t own a paint thickness gauge so I`m leaning towards doing a one step correction or AIO.

Questions recap:

  • How thick is the paint on a 2004 Porsche Cayenne on average (thin/medium/thick)?
  • How hard is the paint on a 2004 Porsche Cayenne (hard/medium/soft)?
  • What compound and polish, combo, would you typically reach for when doing a production detail on a Porsche (2004 Cayenne)?
  • Any tips or recommendations?