I bought a low mileage 2014 C2 last December that was not a perfectionist’s car.
The price was acceptable and I wanted a Porsche, so I bought it knowing that I’d have to overlook the things I couldn’t polish out or fix easily.

Turns out that is a great way for me to enjoy the car. I’ve been relaxed driving it, I don’t feel like I have to wipe it down after every drive, and I am comfy hauling my dog back and forth to work in it. In the past I’ve worried about putting excessive miles on my cars, and this one hasn’t bothered me to drive almost daily.
In short, I’m really enjoying the car.

That said, I made the decision to put a clear bra on the car without fixing the stone chips, which we all know doesn’t provide great results. I just wanted to keep it as best I could without doing paintwork.
Then, I did a weekend track event on a track that had a lot of pea gravel which pitted the windshield and beat the crap out of the PPF (which did a heck of a job protecting the paint, but there still may be some additional damage), and then a couple of nights ago I hit something in the road that put a pretty nasty 4” long scratch in front of the drivers side rear wheel. It’s down low where the rough paint meets the finished paint, so not right up where it’s glaringly obvious, but it’s there just the same.

Im considering having the bra removed, the paint touched up or maybe a respray of the front, and new PPF installed, along with a new windshield. I have no real numbers for cost, but I’d guess 7-10k when it’s done.

Anyone want to talk me out of this? It kinda makes my great deal an average deal, but makes the car look better to my (very) picky eye. I’m not sure I’ll be as relaxed driving it if it’s perfect, and I can’t decide which is more important to me.

Thoughts?

 

If you’d be happier with the car looking better, go for it. Just so long as you don’t get to the point that the car is so “good” that you are not fully enjoying as you are now.

 

I would leave it alone for now and enjoy it without worry. Set a date well into the future to fix the cosmetic stuff because other cosmetic damage will happen if you drive it, if you have my luck.

 

$5200 for a complete respray of the front end, r&r, complete PPF after 90 days of front end $ mirrors.

 

Wait. There are people who wipe their cars down after every drive?

 

I used to buy them new or near new, not drive them, and polish them even when they hadn't moved out of the garage.

Yep... its a sickness, but one I've overcome with this car.

 

This seems pretty reasonable to me.

 

That’s what I’d do. While I’m reasonably picky about cosmetics, if I got the car too perfect cosmetically then I’d worry more every time I drove it. You just have to decide what your tolerance level is for stuff like this. But most of all, enjoy that great car of yours!

 

it's more fun with the battle scars. leave em and drive it.

 

Agree with the posts above—and have come to view road rash as tiny badges of honor. Even the chips that kinda bug me are usually related to a great drive.

 

i'm a firm believer in it's not a party until something gets broken. chips/nicks etc. happen. no way am i gonna chase my tail trying to keep up with it all. am a watch collector too and feel the same way about my watches.

imho.....you don't own it until you put some marks on it =)

 

I'm in a similar predicament. If you plan to keep your car for a while, I think it may be worthwhile to fix everything; I'd still drive it like it was meant to be driven though, at least you know the PPF will protect your car.

 

End of the day. I feel the PPF does prolong the paint finish of the car. I use it to make me happy and keep the chips off the paint.

What I don't do is PPF for the next owner. I could honestly care less.

 

 

Screw it. Scratches can be fixed by a black sharpie.

Keep the maintenance up but drive and enjoy guilt free.

Use the money saved from not repainting for some new tires.