Looking after my 911

[PMacanGTS]

I’m shortly taking delivery of my first 911. It’s been my dream to own one since I was about 12, and although I’m now swiftly approaching 50, now I have a firm delivery date from the OPC, I feel like that excitable 12 year old again.

Anyway, I’m considering PPF to the front end, and ceramic coating the rest, but my question is about regular maintenance/washing etc.

How often do you wash your car? And do you do it yourself, take it to a local hand/jet wash place or have a mobile detailer visit you?

I obviously want to keep it as spotless as possible, but I also want to drive it and not become too obsessed with keeping it clean.

Thanks

[arcamalpha]

I’d say less is more. I only wash cars when I've got time to take care and do it properly. If I don’t it’ll just stay dirty and wait for next time.

Never let the £10 5 minute places do it, never let a supermarket place do it etc.

[RSVP911]

Firstly congratulations and I hope it was worth the wait.

I always do mine myself - I don’t trust anyone else and I do so using a 2 bucket method , etc so I don’t damage it; there is a whole world of obsessive car cleaning online - google it Basically it’s very easy to damage your paintwork if done badly.

Re PPF; yes if stone chips are going to bother you and you plan to keep for a decent amount of time - but don’t do this on the cheap as there is really good PPF and really bad - the application of the PPF is as important as the PPF itself (maybe more so) Some people who are good : Paintshield , Topaz & Maxprotect.

Ceramic coating is a good idea if you wash your car a lot as it speeds up the process - doesn’t really protect it though - PPF does.

Hope that helps .

Edited by RSVP911 on Wednesday 16th January 07:52

[BrotherMouzone]

PMacanGTS said:

Anyway, I’m considering PPF to the front end, and ceramic coating the rest, but my question is about regular maintenance/washing etc.

How often do you wash your car? And do you do it yourself, take it to a local hand/jet wash place or have a mobile detailer visit you?

I obviously want to keep it as spotless as possible, but I also want to drive it and not become too obsessed with keeping it clean.

Congratulations!

I’d have front end PPF’d. And mobile detailer can be very reasonably priced; worth posting in the the regional PH section for recommendations.

[EGTE]

Also, if you don't want scratches, wash it yourself, preferably after watching some good videos on how to do it well.

Here's one : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWmtLSQYbys

Here's the RR one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WEQItBaEfY

[Porsche911R]

wash it on nice days when it's dirty your self !

Not washed mine for 2 months, it's dirty, who cares.

Forget PPF and coatings imo you are just making it nice for the next owner ! you never see £500k to £3 million classics with PPF and you see these guys at events all year round !! some massive priced cars at the last Sunday scramble, funny no new RS or Ferrari's, it's too wet, they are tucked up in garages with PPF and coatings protecting values !!!

PPF and coating is a fad for the rich it seems on brand new cars to protect values.

Wax your car twice a year on a Sunday afternoon and wash it on nice days, it's very basic.

[alfapork]

Porsche911R said:

Forget PPF and coatings imo you are just making it nice for the next owner ! you never see £500k to £3 million classics with PPF and you see these guys at events all year round !! some massive priced cars at the last Sunday scramble, funny no new RS or Ferrari's, it's too wet, they are tucked up in garages with PPF and coatings protecting values !!!

PPF and coating is a fad for the rich it seems on brand new cars to protect values.

What a load of rubbish.

Plenty of high end classics have ceramic coats, you won't "see" it. It's not expensive unless you go to the places where the YouTube vlogger idiots go, figure on about £650 these days for a correction and coat.

If stone chips on a low car will bother you and stop you using it (for many it will) PPF is cheaper than respraying the bonnet and front wings every two years.

The ceramic coating won't stop stone chips but it does mean people brushing against your car with clothes and bags, and even gives the paint a chance if sometimes the occasional foreign object falls from your garage roof onto the car (ahem). The right type of coat does offer some protection it's not just about it staying cleaner and being easier to wash.

If anything both of these things make me use my cars more usable not less, I've had ceramic coating done on my last four cars now and it means I worry about them less when parked up. PPF was already done on my 14 year old GT3 when I got it and the front end is perfect, I'd not considered it before but I might if I had a new 100k car and wanted to keep it looking good.

Here is my 911 with before and after shots of a correction. Look very carefully at the swirls before and after. This was done in 2016 and the ceramic coating means it looks very similar 3 years and 15k miles later. Judge for yourself whether I added the £500 I spent to the value (not my motivation BTW).

https://reflections-detailing.co.uk/detailing-gall...

Obviously you have a new car but my point is you can keep it looking that way and use it.

There's a very good reason RPM, JZM and all the other good dealers have on-premesis detailers these days.

Edited by alfapork on Wednesday 16th January 10:11

[Porsche911R]

alfapork said:

What a load of rubbish.

Plenty of high end classics have ceramic coats, you won't "see" it. It's not expensive unless you go to the places where the YouTube vlogger idiots go, figure on about £650 for a correction and coat.

you won't really see classic's with ceramic coatings, as you cannot repair a chip or like wise very easy, the only way to remove a ceramic coat is to wet sand it off, and also the coatings look over glossy and a bit fake on a classic and totally wrong.

It's all personal at the end of the day ,but it's funny the fad on new cars spending £5k upwards on PPF and ceramic coats when you have old cars worth 5x as much being used., it's like printing money for these fitters.

[Porsche911R]

alfapork said:

There's a very good reason RPM, JZM and all the other good dealers have on-premesis detailers these days.

yes it's a very easy way to add £££ to the bank account.

[alfapork]

Porsche911R said:

you won't really see classic's with ceramic coatings, as you cannot repair a chip or like wise very easy, the only way to remove a ceramic coat is to wet sand it off, and also the coatings look over glossy and a bit fake on a classic and totally wrong.

It's all personal at the end of the day ,but it's funny the fad on new cars spending £5k upwards on PPF and ceramic coats when you have old cars worth 5x as much being used., it's like printing money for these fitters.

Are you kidding? You don't need to sand the coating off to repair a stone chip!

As for how it looks on an older car that is personal preference and whether or not it is a new restoration or the value is in the "patina" of an original looking aged car. In which case yes pretty pointless - but I don't think that arguement applies to the OP.

BTW If you're spending 5k on this you're doing it wrong.

Porsche911R said:

yes it's a very easy way to add £££ to the bank account.

If it adds to theirs, it adds to yours too come resale. I sold my 997 to the first viewer for asking price, he'd been to see many others but thought my 74k example looked like a new car.

Edited by alfapork on Wednesday 16th January 10:54

Edited by alfapork on Wednesday 16th January 10:57

[PMacanGTS]

Thanks to all the above. Some differing opinions, but that's what I was after.

I might go down the washing it myself route, as I think I'll find it quite therapeutic. But I'm also a clumsy tt, so we'll see.

[WizzBang]

Porsche911R said:

....Forget PPF...

^^^ What he said. +1
Wearing a £5k condom on a car 24/7 to protect it from what? A chip or two.

[alfapork]

WizzBang said:

^^^ What he said. +1
Wearing a £5k condom on a car 24/7 to protect it from what? A chip or two.

The invoice from Topaz in my GT3's history folder was for £1500 for front end.

[Steve Rance]

Whatever lights your candle. Some like cleaning them, some like driving them and some like both

I have a Kamikaze ceramic coating on my cars simply because it makes them a lot quicker and easier to clean - which to me is the most boring job ever

[foresterlad]

A little off topic but I am surprised the amount of leaves etc that get into the front scuttle area beneath the windscreen . My 991.2 is left out and whilst I regularly clear stuff out I do wonder what’s happening to leaves etc that get into the wing rain channels

[foresterlad]

A little off topic but I am surprised the amount of leaves etc that get into the front scuttle area beneath the windscreen . My 991.2 is left out and whilst I regularly clear stuff out I do wonder what’s happening to leaves etc that get into the wing rain channels