New Porsche detailing

[Mondrian]

Hi guys, 1st time pos(t)er so go easy on me.

About to take delivery of my new 911 and has several questions for you experienced detailers;

1 - Will the car need a complete detail including clay bar?
2 - Is it something I could do or is it worth paying a professional to do it given that I have never polished before (I do & would like to get my hands dirty but not sure if I should attempt the first one).
3 - If I get it done professionally what would be deemed as reasonable price (Cardiff area) and is it something I should do immediately or after a few hundred miles?
4 - I am not a fan of clear bra but also not a fan of getting stone chips so thinking about doing just the front bumper - any thoughts and recommendations?

[Winky151]

Mondrian said:

Hi guys, 1st time pos(t)er so go easy on me.

Hi. Love the self-deprecating in your first post - well done.

Mondrian said:

1 - Will the car need a complete detail including clay bar?

Impossible to say without pics or knowing the car. What does it look like (cue pics of squashed VW Beetles )?

Mondrian said:

2 - Is it something I could do or is it worth paying a professional to do it given that I have never polished before (I do & would like to get my hands dirty but not sure if I should attempt the first one).

I'd maybe not choose it as my first car to do properly assuming you're talking machine polishing & not just claying & re-waxing. If claying & waxing, fill your boots yourself, no point in paying someone else to do that. Maybe find someone that also does training sessions & pay him to train you on your own car - two for one type of thing, get your car detailed & whilst learning 'on the job'.

Mondrian said:

3 - If I get it done professionally what would be deemed as reasonable price (Cardiff area) and is it something I should do immediately or after a few hundred miles?

I don't know if detailers prices are area dependent but I pay circa £500 for a full detail which takes 2-3 days (I'm in Reading). If you're gonna get it done it's only the first impression on your mates/family that determine when. If yu want them to see it at its best, get it done before they see it.

[Mondrian]

Its a new car delivery from Porsche so that should give an idea of the condition. I have read that some detailer recommend colour correction but that doesn't make sense on a new car, in my mind all the car needs is a good wash, clay bar & wax. Wheels/Calipers would need removing (obviously not calipers) and waxing for ease of washing and possibly some form of spray treatment (3m?) for added protection of fabric (seats have fabric inlays, leather sides & top) as well as leather treatment. I can do all that but not a detailing expert so would be great to have some input.

I do like the on-the-car training, will look into that.

[Winky151]

Ok, so its new new not just new to you.

Agree it won't need colour correction but even new cars can/do/will come with marring & swirl marks (tiny scratches that you can only see at certan angles) so would benefit from some paint correction. Whilst your car will look shiny & new (after all it is), these will detract from the overall shine. As an example, heres my VXR8 after I bought it last year. At this point I'd done nothing to it bar wash it (this is about two weeks into ownership & looks okish)



That weekend I gave it to my detailer who took these before & after shots:-




& full car:-



Now your new car isn't going to be that bad but a full professional detail will enhance the look & help you keep it looking that way longer. Maybe have a look around 'Detailing World' http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/index.php at some of the 'new car' details on there.

Edited by Winky151 on Sunday 29th June 20:20

Edited by Winky151 on Sunday 29th June 20:20

[Mondrian]

Thanks Winky. That's a beast of a car you got there!

[Chris_VRS]

Mondrian said:

Hi guys, 1st time pos(t)er so go easy on me.

About to take delivery of my new 911 and has several questions for you experienced detailers;

1 - Will the car need a complete detail including clay bar?
2 - Is it something I could do or is it worth paying a professional to do it given that I have never polished before (I do & would like to get my hands dirty but not sure if I should attempt the first one).
3 - If I get it done professionally what would be deemed as reasonable price (Cardiff area) and is it something I should do immediately or after a few hundred miles?
4 - I am not a fan of clear bra but also not a fan of getting stone chips so thinking about doing just the front bumper - any thoughts and recommendations?

1 - I wouldn't recommend claying a car if you aren't going to follow up with a machine polishing stage afterwards. As it's inevitable that you'll inflict some marring regardless of how light of touch you are with the clay bar.

2 - Unless you have the relevant products I'd recommend getting a Pro to do the initial Detail & then with the advice gleaned from them regarding safe washing etc, it'll make the process of keeping it clean & protected a doddle. Saying that I may be biased

3 - A new car protection detail would in theory be all that would be required which is a days work.
For me this involves every surface that you can see or touch being thoroughly cleaned, decontaminated & dressed or protected accordingly.

4 - I'm not a fan of PPF generally speaking as I've never seen an application where it's been fitted properly and/or is unnoticable.

cheers

Chris

[Craikeybaby]

I picked up a new MX-5 a few years back and it must have had some sort of transport wax on it, as it looked much better after I'd gone over it with a clay bar, and even more so after I'd polished and waxed it. Also, I'm not sure how the Porsches are transported, but some cars get a lot of fallout, such as metal filings on the bodywork when they are transported from the factory to dealer, so worth sorting out now.

The "learning on your car" route sounds like a good idea if you're a complete beginner, but there are also plenty of guides online, so it is entirely possible to do this yourself.

With regards to clearbra, that is personal preference, I've never had a car worth protecting like that, so haven't bothered, but can understand why you would want to on a Porsche.

[Johnthepotter]

Why do you want to detail a brand new car ? If you have any paint problems further down the line you are giving Porsche a very good excuse to avoid any warranty claims and remember, paint on a new car is still quite soft for several weeks after delivery. I have had three brand new Porsches and they have all been perfect on delivery - and believe me I am fussy!!

Edited by Johnthepotter on Friday 4th July 22:11

[Mondrian]

That's what I thought, I mean you should really expect a perfect coat on a car of this caliber but then you read all the forums and you start questioning it. In my mind all I would need is just a wash & wax so hear to see if I am missing something or its just marketing hype for the detailing industry.

As for clear Bra, I was dead set against it, why would you ruin such a perfect paint job with a clear film! However it seems very popular in states, I assume due to the condition of roads & dry weather (lots of road debris), so just trying to get a feel of what the general consensus is here in UK.

[PoshTwit]

The most important thing be it a brand new Porsche 991 or a half-century old 911, is to ensure that there is a good protective coating on the cars surfaces to protect and preserve the finishes for future.

Believe what you will about the standard of Dealer-fresh paintwork, but have a really good look at it in direct sunlight, or with a swirl-spotting torch and then come back to us with your findings.

Always bear in mind that Factory-fresh and Dealer-fresh are not the same. Once it leaves the factory a car is transported by truck/train/boat for long distances and it will undoubgtedly pick up contamination along the way. Unfortunately most Dealers do not employ highly skilled "Detailers" but rather minimum-wage-paid car cleaners that just want to get cars through quickly and easily to stay up with the throughput put upon them. Unfortunately this means that it is inevitable that corners will be cut in preparation as the poor chaps do not have sufficient time to clean, prepare and seal the things as carefully and thoroughly as a "Detailer" would.

Another thing to note is that Dealer-applied Coatings are often of inferoior quality to those that a "Detailer" would use and corners are cut in the preparation that leads to improper surface bonding that will effect the longevity of the protective qualities.

I, and I'm sure most other local specialists - Chris_VRS included? - would be pleased to do a free appraisal of the car for you and provide a schedule of recommendations.

[Mondrian]

Don't get me wrong I am all for having the car protected professionally but what is the level of service it requires? I don't want to make that decision based on finances but needs and I don't know enough to make that decision. I would probably get a fair idea if I went to several detailers and had a chat after their inspection but trying to avoid that due to a very hectic summer and lack of time. So trying to figure out what would be the norm on a brand new Porsche 911 & their standard quality of delivery!

[Mondrian]

As an example, my problem is not just who but also what as per below listing;

http://www.miracledetail.co.uk/services.html

Which coating would I choose, as the service provider would naturally point towards his top offering, the 3k+!

Gtechniq coating from £750+ | Modesta BC-03 glass coating from £1250+ | Modesta BC-04 glass coating from £1500+ | Modesta BC-05 glass coating from £1750+ | Modesta BC-03, BC-04, BC-05 multiply glass coating application from £3000+

[Craikeybaby]

It depends on how durable you want the coating to be and if you are willing to "top it up" up yourself. The colour of the car also determines what wax/sealant is best, warm colours, such as red or yellow will probably look better with a wax, cool colours, especially whites, tend to look best with a sealant.

[Mondrian]

The car will remain in storage over Autumn/winter and only sporadic use in spring and summer. The colour is Geyser (light beige I suppose). Is it true that wax provides more depth (tones) than sealant?

[Johnthepotter]

Hi again Mondrain. I had Ventureshield applied to my car from new - front bumper, wing mirrors, door sills and panels in front of air intakes (Boxster Spyder) . It cost £480 and was really worth the money. The paintwork remains unblemished and it makes removal of dead flies very easy. Mine is a white car and after four years there is no hint of discolouration of the film.

I have also just bought a new BMW 3 Series touring and had that treated by the dealer with a paint sealant as it lives out of doors - under a lime tree. I have had previous cars tretaed in this way and it does protect the paint finish fro bird lime and tree sap. You still have to remove bird lime within a couple of days tyhough.

Edited by Johnthepotter on Saturday 5th July 11:07

[Mondrian]

Did you notice any difference in depth of colour before/after sealant or film protection John?

[Craikeybaby]

Mondrian said:

The car will remain in storage over Autumn/winter and only sporadic use in spring and summer. The colour is Geyser (light beige I suppose). Is it true that wax provides more depth (tones) than sealant?

Generally yes.

In your position I'd:
Wash
Clay
Paint cleanser
Wax

Or get a detailer to do something like that. My view is that if it isn't a daily driver the more expensive coatings are a bit OTT.

[Johnthepotter]

Hi Mondrain No I didn't. If you really look close you can see the film but I feel this is better than stone chips! There are some new products on the market since I had mine done which I understand are even less visible and some are "self healing" so do a little web research. By the way I should have congratulated you on your new car. I am sure you will enjoy it. I am a long term Porsche owner - I am on my ninth - they are wonderful cars

Edited by Johnthepotter on Saturday 5th July 18:34

[Mondrian]

Thanks, I found a good comparative review here;
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=112...
Given my limited use of the car 3K on XPel Ultimate falls outside my comfort zone but I was only thinking of front bumper, front of rear arches, wing mirror & headlights which I assume would bring it down to 1k-ish but wondering if the contrast in those vs rest of car would be apparent. Looks nice in the pics but perhaps black is the least challenging colour.

[Johnthepotter]

I was advised by the Porsche Centre not to have the headlights treated as they can break if/when the film is removed. (They are not allowed to sell a car with protective film and had broken several headlights removing film prior to sale)