Zeus993

Hi guys - just starting to look a paint correction on my C2S.

When I purchased it (some of you know the story) it was covered with 3M half-way up the hood and on the mirrors. On removing this it is apparent that the first or second owner applied the film over top of a bunch of rock chips. Nutty but true.

So how best to correct this? I'd rather not do a respray as I believe the paint is original up to this point.

Thoughts anyone? Ceramic?

Thanks in advance...

samurai_k

You can only correct a pit and chip with paint. So you try to touch-up or do nothing. If you go down the touch-up a technique that has worked for me is using a toothpick and carefully and slowly layer the new paint in the pit/chip without it flowing into the original paint. This video does a good job explaining the correct way to do it.
The ceramic coating or vinyl wrap protects the paint so it is ok to do it on old paint as it maintains the paint from getting more pitted and chipped. Doesn't do anything to correct. If you decide on protecting the paint you will want to correct the paint so it looks good through the potection. The paint correction removes minor clear coat imperfections like swirls, scratches, oxidation/haze, etc... so you get that nice deep mirror shine. Again, correction still won't do anything about pits and chips.

I recently corrected my paint and I would say the factory paint clear is softer to other cars I have polished so doesn't take much to get the surface corrected. Meguiar M205 polish/M105 cutter, a dual action polisher, and some orange and white pads is all you need. Top if off with a M21 sealer comes out great (but does amplify the pits and chips as a consequence). Once it is corrected then put a coating like a ceramic or wrap to protect it longer.

fatmike

Marine Blue

Zeus993

Excellent advice. Tku.

I'll give it a try. Tku.

Thanks Afshin. I'll do that later this week. Appreciate you help.

I ran into a fellow local 993er and his Turbo in black looks absolutely gorgeous. Incredible in fact and he actually re-sprayed the front end of his before putting on XPel and a ceramic coat. His thoughts were that unless it's a < 20 K mile car then why not have it looking good and drive it. There's some truth in this. Mine has 68K miles on it and it's all original as far as I know.

Have you seen then paint pen to touch up?

georgemautner

screameleons

_snowbird_

If you're set on maintaining originality and not repainting, you can use touch-up spot treatments to minimize the appearance of the existing stone chips. The goal is to create color consistency, but it can't really fix the mottled texture. Then do a paint correction to bring out its best, but know you'll never get it perfect. Then you can further mask the stone chips by adding new paint protection film over top - since it essentially overlays a new smooth, consistent texture. Then add a ceramic coating on the film, and it'll be the best you can do with original paint.

Unless your car(s) are only used rarely, and under ideal weather/road conditions - I will always advocate for using PPF on the front panels and rear bumper. Nothing else provides the same level of rock-chip protection, and it will look great for years. And if you do want to refresh the film in the future, you just remove the old and replace it with new. Your paint beneath will be a perfect base to start all over again.

If you were in Toronto, I'd be happy to help you out ;o)

Knight

Sounds like first thing to do Joel is have one of the top shops locally determine and confirm is this actually original paint?

_snowbird_

good idea. A paint thickness gauge will help, and look closely along the trim or panel edges for flaking or tape seams.

lostcolorado

I’ve started paying attention to PPF talk now that I’m putting my configuration together. So....... you guys are going to kill me. I never, ever wash my vehicles. My sport cars get washed maybe once every 3 to 6 months. That being said. Would something like Xpel ppf just get totally discolored?

Marine Blue

I’ve owned my 964 Targa for nearly 4 years and have NEVER washed it with soap/water since purchasing it. That’s nearly 8k miles and a trip to Monterey (1500 miles) and no water wash. I’ve owned my Spyder for 10 years and have washed it with water exactly 3 times over 20k miles. PPF was 10 years old when removed in March of this year and was slightly yellowed but nothing drastic. If you’re good about cleaning your car after drives with quick detail and quality microfibers you’ll be fine.

ClassicAndy

Lots of experience and good advices already given here.

I support the thought of confirming if its original paint on the car to start off with. Once that is settled then you need to anwser to this question: what is most important to you as a owner? 1. Beeing true to to original paint or 2. the car looking flawless/good?

As its a 68k mile car, I would say if the denisity of rockchips is too high (<50+ rockchips), respray is the only option no matter what. Like other have said, too many rockchips that is filled and paintcorrected, will be visible in direct sunlight no matter what else you do. It will look good at a distance but up close or direct sunlight will reveal it.
If this is ok for you, then filling the rockchips is your answer.
if not, repaint it is.

I have used that pen you linked to and find that superior to all the other tools I have tried during paincorrection on 964s and 993s. I use it on all my own work. It leaves paint once it contacts to the chip cratre, and you stop it but lifting it up breaking the contact. After the crater is filled and dried with enough paint (preferably a bit more paint than necessary), you can cut/compound it back down to smooth out with the old paint. Whats worth noticing is that you should be confident on how to use this pen before using it on your precious paint. Also allow the filled rockchips to have enough time to dry and bond to the paint. A stady hand also helps a lot.

As mentioned before, a picture of the rockchips density and size helps alot to further giving you the right advice.
As a comparison, I never take on a paint correction job on a car without seeing the areas that need correction with my own eyes to start off with.

Best advice ever is: PPF the whole front once done. These cars are prone to rock chips on the front bumper, fenders and lower front of hood due to the design of the cars. Once all chips are fixed, get some PPF on and save yourself the trouble of another round of chips in the future.

stevensivak

So if a front bumper has been resprayed, or any part for that matter, no PPF?

71-3.0-911

Disagree. If properly resprayed, PPF will be fine.