mrsullivan

for those on the board that know me, i go through painstaking processes to keep my car looking fresh, showroom new... you could eat off the undercarriage.

however, during my weekly detailing today, i noticed some bubbles on the paint where the engine lid meets the car... i cant tell whether its just a paint flaw area that i never noticed, or whether these little bubbles are the beginnings of rust...

the first pic gives you an idea of the area where i found it... the second pic shows the bubbles up close, the third shows the other side for comparison, which has none...

i should mention that my car has never had any body/paint work except for a repaint of the front spoiler...

993inNC

Looks more like trash in the paint to me. I know Ford (and probably most mfg's) are notorious for that in the areas under hoods, spare wheel compartments and so forth. Do they feel hard or do they give when you touch 'em? I'm thinking trash.

jaf996cab

Look too hard and close at Porsche paint (particularly pre-996) and you will get a headache if you are a perfectionist. These cars were painted by a human beings. I went to the factory many times in the mid-late 90's and learned a lot about how these cars were built. The 993 was truly built using old school production methods that were supplanted when JIT type 996 production spooled up.

Dirt and contamaination in paint is not uncommon in 993s (I have owned 4 over the years), and shows up easily in the darker colors.

I think what you show is just a result of poor surface preparation during production.

Good luck.

Jeff
MY03 996TT, Black/Black, Aerokit (now)
MY98 993 C2S, Black/Cashmere, Aerokit (in 4 days...)

RS man

Other area you may see paint appearing like that include where the door skin is folded over.

Harry

mrsullivan

never so happy to hear about a bad paint job

seriously, i love all the little imperfections and nuances of our hand-built cars.... people still freak out when I show them the wood under the pedals...

so, if this is just trash in the paint, that is good news to me...

and, no - they dont give when i touch them...very hard when i run my finger over them...

grmnxtc

Jonathan.

Also the possibility of a weld "splash"??

Look about 6 inches up and the there's a panel weld...

Dunno for sure, just guessing?

Clive.

ceboyd

...so you don't remember seeing it or not seeing it before???

AOW162435

Jonathan,
I'd be willing to bet that what the others have said is true. On the other hand, are you 100% certain that the car has never had any bodywork/paintwork done to it? I ask, as the spot weld 'divots' look slightly different than on the other side. Almost smoother, or under more paint.

Incidentally, what products do you use to keep your engine compartment so clean?

Andreas

Dudley

Jonathan,

Ignore it. I had the same issue in the very same area on my black MY05. I tried to compound it out and made it worse. I touched it up with a little plack paint and now I try not to look in that area while detailing.

Texas993

Acne. Our cars are getting close to those pre-teen years.

Jastx

It's rust. Yep, definitely.


(Jon & I are friends)

mrsullivan

i dont remember seeing it before, but that doesnt mean it wasnt there...maybe i just didnt notice it...

when i had a ppi done on the car, i also had a paint/body guy that specializes in Porsches look for any paint/body work...he said there was none and i trust him... plus, i purchased it from the original owner and got to meet/talk to him before purchase (physician)...trust him too.

in terms of the engine compartment detailing, i use a few things -- 3M adhesive cleaner for the really stubborn areas, einszett plastic cleaner for the black plastic parts, simple green and elbow grease for the rest of it... Griot's Garage engine gloss as final step...

Monique

Nix tavarricht! Looks like a value enhancing flaw to me.

Plus... if it is rust... it is surface only and not at a rolled point. Buy a Varsteiner and have a good German beer!

SKM

Jon,

As Andreas points out, the paint and divots do appear different from the left side. Have you had someone with a paint thickness gauge verify the paint is original? Even if the quarter panel or jamb area was painted, the paintwork might have been done at the factory or prep. center near the U.S. port.

Steve

Jastx

You can often see the same type of "effect" in 911 rain gutters.