Ychaudhary

So now that I got the car I wanted to hear some thoughts on how people plan on keeping there cars clean?

I am no expert by any means when it comes to washing or detailing but the basics do apply, especially with black paint.

No wiping in circles, microfiber cloth, etc.

Any other tips new owners may have?

sunnyr

First and foremost install a good quality clear bra protective film to cover as much of the car as you can afford. I have it on almost the whole car (everything except rear quarter) covered.

Get a detailer to apply CQuartz Finest or Opticoat protective coating. I prefer former cause it is more glossy but latter lasts longer (lifetime vs 2 years is what the manufacturers claim).

When you wash the car do not touch the car as much as possible. Most washes I just use a spray bottle like to spray on a mild shampoo, and then rinse it off. If your car is really dirty and you have to scrub/wipe, use a good quality mitt and follow the 2 bucket wash procedure. Read all about it here - http://www.detailedimage.com/Auto-Detailing-Guide/Washing-and-Drying/#two-bucket. They also have other good guides there.

I then blow dry it with a electric leaf blower like . That will dry 95% of the water. You will only have to wipe dry some nooks and crannies, but don't wipe, dab! Also get good quality waffle weave drying towel.

Every 3-4 months right after I wash I apply .

Also if you live in a hot area, get a water filtration system to prevent water spots. I use a
Most washes are done within the hour, unless I am applying Reload which takes couple of hours. Of course if you car already has micro scratches and or swirl circles get a good professional detailer to fix those first.

I dreaded owning a black car, but not anymore. But to be fair, it is not my DD either, I have a silver car for that.

0Q991

@sunnyr -- you have OC or CQF on top of your film?

MaxLTV

Awesome! I'm going to use this info on Saturday. I've noticed GR is great in hiding minor dirt and swirls. Not as good as silver, but better than most other colors.

kencollinsjr

that is one clean GT3...

llstuey

OP - we need to see some pics of your black gt3! (or maybe I missed them?). I have a black one on order but have not been lucky enough to see one in the flesh yet.

Macca

Here is another perspective (no offence SunnyR, your car is beautiful - Im very Jealous - after 14 years of owner a similar shade Im just over the plastic films and the Virgo detailing routine - white has been a revelation!).

Dont bother with plastic film. Its expensive and as soon as your kid goes and scratches your front bumper with his bike pedal you will now not only have to repaint the bumper but also replace the film which despite the claims of new product I have heard and used over the last 15 years (its a real fashion industry or what?) they do change chemically with age become softer, get affected by chemicals in the water and mark, get stained by bug guts, go yellow with UV). Of course that only matters if you are keeping it 10 years and of not then you are really protecting the point for the next owner....nice of you! Remember plastic film after sitting in teh sun 3-4 hrs is very soft (much softer than hard lacquer) and it will scratch if you then wipe it whist its dirty - marks very easy then....and bugs guts stick to it and become one...

Putting polish over plastic seems banal. But Ill let you have that one....

Dont buy black or midnight blue cause its a pig to keep clean (see my signature - 14 years ownership how do I know...) EDIT = Sorry didnt realise you had a black car so ignore this...

Flat colours high swirl and easy to touch up as they dont use metallic with flip and also clearcoat.

Wash it in the shade with warm water and a clean sponge. Use Mothers or Meguiers wash good is good and not expensive. Wash it off afterwards. Dry it by hand quickly while its still wet with a high quality leather (not synthetic) chamois. Put a high quality sealer and wax system on it by hand every 6 months. Every few years take it to the panel shop, have it taped up and machine polished then apply wax afterwards.

Save your $2000 in wrap money for replacing the front bumper and guards/bonnet before flicking it on and buying the 992.1 GT3 in 2018....

Just ask yourself how many concourse cars you have ever seen at the show with plastic clear wrap? bet you wont see any at Pebble Beach eh? Its a track car. Drive it, have fun, gravel rash is a badge of honour means you arent cafe racing it....

Just my 2C worth. Here's the evidence....somewhere on a winters day in Italy!

LateBrake911

... Excellent. Practical & Efficient. Time is precious.

mooty

sunnyr 's car is immaculate. i have seen in person. he's crazy.
macca's car has character of its own. he too is crazy.
i am sort of in btwn.
witness my dirty 4.0
i plan to wash it around xmas 2014

sunnyr

CQF

None taken. Different people, different criteria, different expectations. I am pretty lax when it comes to my silver M3. I probably washed it myself twice in the last 14 years. Now I just take it to the local car wash. That is the the thing with silver, spend all day washing/polishing or a quickie at the car wash, in the end it looks the same. Black on the other hand I find it very rewarding to detail it myself. Only thing I regret is not putting a clear bra on the M3, now the front has more poke marks than a person with small pox. Didn't want to make the same mistake with the GT3.

Lol, my wife would be in complete agreement. The 4.0 looks sexy even with all the dirt, like right out of a rally stage.

AbsolutelyNobody

Well said and couldn't agree more... just say no to film wraps!

NVRANUF

IMO.. Black is stunningly beautiful when clean and shiny! BUT it's definitely a vocation to keep it this way!! sunnyr has it covered pretty well.

I'm also coming off 15 yrs of black/dark Pcars and while I've enjoyed every minute with them, my new incoming is white.... not sure if it will be a revelation, but am happy to change it up!

serpico1

OP I own a silver 2010 GT3 since new. Like you I'm obsessed with keeping it looking like it came off the showroom floor all the time. I have a friend who is in the industry for many years now and he wanted to pass along a few thoughts after I showed him this thread:

As far as maintaining the car, washing it weekly or bi-weekly is important to prevent excessive contamination/dirt build-up on the surface. Cars that are not washed often eventually are plagued with excessive dirt build-up that becomes a pain in the butt to remove. Here's his guide on how to wash a car properly:

http://www.cpcardetailing.com/how-to...-car-properly/

Macca...
I must say, MODERN clear bra technology is very durable and beautiful. They will not yellow when treated with care. More importantly, all the rockchips in your front end will result in an eventual repaint. A repaint on a car will DROP the resale value of the car, whereas the replacement of clear bra will NOT. $2k for clear bra or $1000 for a repaint and then at least $5k drop in the value of the car…I'd choose clearbra every time.

To the OP…a straight BLACK Porsche is one of the industry's most infamous colors. Usually it's super soft clearcoat means they swirl when the wind blows in the wrong direction!! Follow the tips in the guide religiously and you shouldn't have a problem. A one step polishing process to clean up the paint an the application of a quality sealant like Blackfire Wet Diamond or a Coating like OptiCoat or 22PLE are all good ways to protect the paint from excessive buildup of contamination on the paint. But even with these products on the paint, you still need to wash it at least 2-4x a month to minimize dirt build-up. Best of luck with the new ride it's gorgeous!

AudiOn19s

While white cars are certainly easier because they don't show swirl marks as easily they come with they have different issues that you need to address and keep after.

Bonded contaminants from brake dust, exhaust, etc show up as little rust spots on white cars where you would never see them on darker colored vehicles. Because of this you need to clay and light polish quite a bit more to keep the car free of those defects. So while you won't necessarily need to do heavy correction work as often they still require a good bit of upkeep to keep them looking new.

Nick

I have gone from being **** about cleaning and protecting the exterior of my cars to just enjoying the damn thing. This much I have learned. No matter how much time and expense I spend cleaning my car, in a VERY short time it is dirty again. I quit worry about it and wash it when I think it needs to be washed. Just drive it and the dirtier it is when you come back the bigger the smile.

OH, I agree with Macca. Plastic wrap is an unnecessary expense. Spend your hard earned money on something else.