porschemikeandnancy

My 993 clearly shows its age (road rash). My question is have any of you used a high end detailer to go over the paint? Does it produce results? My paint has lots of luster but it has little I call them "nits" all over especially the front end. The are not actually paint chips - just more road rash. I wonder if a high end detailer will get a lot of these imperfections out.

IXLR8

I have...myself!

I sent mom to Oz for a few months some years back during the winter months. When she got back her red faded car was concours. So was the interior.

KMASS993

Mike,

I see you are local to New England. I recommend you talk to Rick Nelson at Unique Car Care in Wakefield, MA. Rick is probably the best detailer in New England and does absolute wonders. A couple of others have used him on the board and I think would recommend him as well. He won't pretend to be able to do something that he can't deliver and will be upfront on the results. You will not be disappointed. My car is a 1996 and the black paint looks better than some new cars out there.

Kevin

paa502

+1 for Rick, clearly the best. Transformed my 964 (black as well). Glad to provide more info.

IamSMC

Many here have used high end detailers with great results.

See some of their results here:
https://rennlist.com/forums/concours-and-car-care-86/

ryguy993

I am looking for a local detailer to go over my 96 C4S this spring. Any info for rick's business would be great!

cpdjfd107

I am also interested, maybe we could drop both cars off. Looking at Rick's work especially on black cars, he clearly is a perfectionist.

paa502

I purchased my car March 2008, sight unseen. At that time it could have easily won a "Miss Swirl" contest. Only 31k but a lot of improper washing and waxing on a black car had really made a mess. Spring 09 it went to Rick for an extended stay.

The picture below gives you a little idea of the results. He was mentioned in AutoWeek as one of the top 9 detailers in the country. He has many posts on Autopia.org, go to Pro Details Before and After. I can go on...

paa502

Here..

mrsullivan

the short answer is, oh...yes...definitely.

I have this done when I take in a new car. Depending on how perfect you want it, you can drop $1k fairly easily. For that amount of money they spend days with the cars, going through multiple different paint correction processes. You end up with something as good or better than off the line. Deep, deep, wet, perfect paint. I only have that level of detailing done in the begining, then its just maintenance. For the guy I use, that amount buys absolute perfection. Door jambs, engine, wheels, trunk, interior/exterior, everything. He usually has it for about 3 days and uses a lift.

None of this helps you since I am in Texas, but the point is that there are definitely people that do this, it is worth it (in my opinion), and there are several points along the scale where you can spend less than this or more than it...

johzev

So my black car also has a lot of "nits" which I would define as very slight nicks in the paint but deep enough to reveal the white undercoat.

The only way to fix these "nits" is to fill them with paint and color sand smooth. Not something I've dared to tackle myself.

I've never found anyone in the west mi area that does that kind of work? Will the superior detailers discussed above go to that extreme of paint correction? Or just polish and fill "nits" with some black wax?

mongrelcat

Mike--

1) Update your location
2) Pay a visit to NorthWest Auto Salon and talk to Blake (they're in Magnolia but moving soon to Lynnwood)
3) Pay a visit to Metropolitan Detail and talk to John (they're in Edmonds but moving soon to B'vue.)

Either shop will do a good job. Enjoy.

MoeMistry

if the "nits" are little pin-*****-type imperfections in the paint, then there nothing short of sanding or painting that will fix that. It's basically wear-and-tear on the paint from rock chips. So, actual paint material is gone, or more specifically, clear coat.

Doing a high-end detail that includes paint correction, legitimately removing imperfections such as scratches and swirls, will require time, detailer skill, and money. For us, a typical detail and paint correction can take 1.5-2 days. The results are quite remarkable and most street people will think you got a new car. Now this all depends on the current condition of the car, but more often, your car should be transformed and a WOW!!! factor will be evident.

I also recommend Rick in your area. I've never met the guy, but he comes highly recommended by the forums and professional detailers.

Good luck and let us know how it all works out.

Spidey 993

I have "swirls" on my paint, midnight blue so it shows. I was waiting for a detail job in the springtime. I would not consider myself handy in this so I was hoping to find a detailer around Denver, or Boulder preferred if anyone knows of one.

Also, how much do you expect to pay? Probably not a realistic question so ignore if so.

Thanks-
Tony

MoeMistry

What it would cost to do such work depends on many factors. But the biggest thing to remember is price of a detail isn't really about the products. It costs $30-100, depending on products, for everything needed for a proper full detail. The rest of the cost is labor. That is where you have to decide if it's worth having someone that specializes in your car and knows how to do the job right the first time. That's where rates will vary greatly. Also, geographical costs, insurance costs, overhead, etc. play a role too. I think most high-end detailers that are in the business for many years, and do this for a living and not a side job, will demand more, in the $85-175 /hr range.

Best advice I can give the consumer is get educated on the detailing PROCESS that a detailer will perform and ask "WHY" he/she does it that way. From there, you'll find a detailer that will meet your needs.