If everything goes well, on Monday I will own my first Porsche. Hope I'm not jinxing myself.

I need to buy a lot of stuff, so here goes in no particular order - what should I buy?

Leather polish, or protectant? For black leather
What do I clean the interior with, just for a wipe down? What cleaner, what kind of cloth?
Any old glass cleaner and paper towels ok for glass?
What do I clean wheels with? I use glass cleaning wipes on my Camaro wheels haha
I need buckets, like the two bucket system for washing the car?
Washmit?
Bug scrubber? Or do they scratch paint?
I need something to dry the car with? Should I buy more than one towel for drying? Or is one towel ok?
What kind of soap for washing the car?
Do I need to spray anything on the convertible top to protect it?
I'm looking for a tiny little rechargeable vacuum that I can use to quickly vacuum up small gravel. Not a Dyson
General cosmetic care tips (link?) appreciated
My jack might be too tall to fit under the 911?
My regular old jacks stands are definitely ok though?
I have sockets galore from years of wrenching, but not a ton of um allen or T (torque?) sockets - and that's what Porsche uses for everything right? What should I buy?
I've got decent ratchets, but I think I'm going to buy a Milwaukee ratchet...or do you think the impact driver would be more useful? When I watch people take the skid plates off the bottom, or when they're removing the bumper, or trim, I see them using a Milwaukee tool (looks like a drill) and it seems EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
Any other tools that are must have for wrenching on 997.2?
I should probably keep some fluids on hand, feel free to link recommended coolant, oil, brake, or any other fluids I might need around to top things off.
When it's time for brakes, should I stick with OEM parts? I'm guessing yes. Where do you shop for them?
I don't think I'll need a battery tender, but could anyone link that really good one? I think Jay Leno said the new ones don't keep the battery fully charged, they let it go down a little bit, then charge it up, and it makes the battery last longer.

Do I need wheel and tire insurance? Will my insurance company offer that? If not, who does? I ask because these Turbo II wheels are immaculate right now and I've seen lots of videos on youtube about small potholes destroying Porsche wheels and tires. If I'm approaching a pothole, take it very serious? Slow waaaaay down? Just general driving tips would be so helpful, as silly as that sounds, haha! I've never even sat in a Porsche

Anything else you'd wish you'd known? Common mistakes?

Thank you SO SO much!! Hopefully I'll be back with pics in my next post

 

Watch AMMO detailing vids on YouTube. Helped me.

 

Plus one on AMMO videos. Use all his techniques and some of his products. Use the Ragg Top products in your convertible top...cleaner and protectant.

I use an air blower to dry but not necessary. You will need more than one towel and AMMo will help with that.

 

Get all of the maintenance up to date. Both time and mileage. If you don't have receipts for it then it needs to be done.

Yes - on a convertible top you'll want to clean it and then use the Porsche top conditioner. Then avoid soap and strong sprays and of course ever putting the top down when wet.

Use lightweight painters tarp and scotch blue to mask off car when applying -
I use this on the leather - a little goes a long way
Don't get in a rush - make a list of things to do and try to get a few done each week or weekend. In 2-3 months you'll have the car just as you wanted it.

 

Congrats on your new-to-you car. Tell us year, mileage and what maintenance history you have on it. Get familiar with it before you start doing anything, especially if you get some service history. Make a written list of things you think need to be done, then work on arranging tasks in order of importance.

Mechanical: Get familiar with the DIY section of this forum for some of the basic tasks. Additionally there's lots of help available elsewhere on the net and YouTube. Website ecarguide.com is an example, and he's also has good YT video channel. Be careful when lifting this car. I use a QuickJack but there are less expensive methods.

Exterior/Interior upkeep: Tons of advice available on internet. Eliminate use of drive-through car washes and do it yourself. Use better cleaning products to get best results. There are hours of YouTube detailing videos, and many sources for detailing products. I've bought lots of different products from Griot's, Chemical Guys, Rag Company, Detailed Image and Adam's. My current faves are P&S Bead Maker, Brake Buster and Leather Conditioner.

Parts: Lots of sources. I'd say first learn the difference between Genuine Porsche, OEM and aftermarket. FCP Euro has good explanation of that. I use Genuine or OEM for my parts needs. Suncoast Parts is frequently mentioned for Genuine Porsche; I've bought from them, and also FCP Euro, ECS Tuning, Pelican Parts. There are many others.

Tools: It's easy to go nuts. As you learn your car you'll see Torx fasteners, both male and female. The oil drain plug is 8mm Allen bit. Aside from that a decent set of hand tools suffices. Torque wrenches in 3/8 and 1/2 drive, maybe 1/4. I do like my Milwaukee M12 Stubby 3/8" impact driver for lug nuts. The rear wheels are heavy; look on Amazon for a pair of wheel guide pins. Remounting a rear wheel without them will convince you.

 

HI, I am Mr Downer....

I recommend not buying anything. Save your money. Wait a few months and what is important will emerge. We consumers blow way to much money in our excitement with something new. My buddy warned me when I purchased this house... "give it time before you spend"... boy was he right. What was important at the start was not after one year. What a dope I was.

With regard to cleaners and waxes... I am a big Zaino fan... but really whatever you have on your shelf right now is fine. These cars are no Faberge Eggs... nor are they delicate pieces of origami.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

 

I agreed with Bruce. Take it easy and you will see what you want and need for the car.

 

I at least gotta get some buckets and washmit haha!! I took my Camaro through the carwash and the 911 literally won't fit in any of the carwashes in my area. After the drive home it's going to be covered in bugs. SO I need to figure out something soon. Some of the other replies have some good suggestions. So I'll be ok. Thanks for the advice!!

 

Two bucket wash method is a good starting point. Get a good wash mitt and decent car wash soap. Chemical Guys has some starter kits, and also a YouTube channel to get plenty of tips.

 

I agree about not spending a bunch on things you might not need. But the Chemical Guys 2 bucket kit with their grit guards is a good setup that you would keep. The other things you need are a wheel cleaner and a brush. Porsche semi metallic brake pads create a lot of dust. You don't want to use anything you use on wheels on the paint. And a separate bucket for that isn't a bad idea, but it can be a cheap one.

Ammo NYC is good for well produced quality information, but the products are priced high and don't always test well. Pan the organizer and auto detailing podcast also have some useful information.

Learn about car interior leather. It is not made like shoes or bags. Most products sold for leather don't clean modern leather automotive interiors well and don't help keep it clean. Watch the Ammo episode on re-dying an interior to understand why. Modern leather needs care more like paint.

 

Well, the first thing I would recommend is relax, it's just a car. If you maintained your Camaro I am guessing your tools are metric. If you didn't do the routine maintenance on your Camaro then you might want to find a good Indy. You can ease into it. I would recommend having the first maintenance and fluids changed by a dealer just to have a good baseline. You can also have the dealer run a maintenace check for you to see what has been done to the car. If you know someone that works at a dealership they could run the history and give you a copy. In the Mercedes world they call it a VMI. I don't know Porsche's technical term. Some dealers are reluctant to provide that info.

I recommend Hawk ceramic brake pads. Your wheels will thank you. Stock pads throw off a lot of dust. You'll hardly even notice dust with the Hawk pads.

Your post doesn't say what color the car is. If it's black or a color that shows scratches then the cleaning and drying becomes more critical. If so, then I would recommend a . I have a master blaster I purchased when I had black cars. I love black cars but I don't think I will ever own another. Litterally ten mintes after washing it's dusty again, or atleast the dust shows again. As soon as I finished drying the car I had to put it in the garage with a car cover. I would never take my 911 through a car wash even if it did fit. The 911 deserves to be treated better.

As for leather care, most Mercedes owners are sold on . They slather the stuff on and park the car in hot sun for a few hours with the top up and windows up. The heat opens up the leather pores and allows the oil to penetrate. This company also makes leather dye to bring the color back. These are extreme processes but the stuff does work. I have used it on a couple 1900's Mercs and works wonders. They have a slew of other products for general care.

I would recommend a set of for getting under the car. With four ramps you can eaily do oil changes without the instability of jack stands. Four posts lifts are surprisingly affordable these days. I highly recommend it if you have enough height in your garage. You can also set them up outside if you have space. Doing a brake job on a lift is such a different experience then sitting on the ground. I'm not a fan of jack stands, but I understand sometimes it's unavoidable and did my maintenace that way for 30 years before buying a lift.

Just my humble opinions.

 

I would definitely address everything mechanical/service related first. Regarding detailing, I had to (re)educate myself on auto detailing when I bought my 911 a few months back. The "two bucket method", ceramic coats, and newer water filtration systems were all new to me.

If you're that particular about the exterior of your car and the appearance, I would consider a ceramic coat. I was initially skeptical, especially due to the price, but I've been pleased with the results. Plus, it makes an auto detailer newb like me actually look like I actually know what I'm doing.

The water where I live is extremely hard and left terrible water spots. I was looking into auto detailing water filtration systems, but they're expensive. I saw a couple of YouTube videos about using an RV water filtration system in-line with your hose to help address water spots. I gave it a try and I'm glad I did! For $29, I can achieve about 80% of the water filtration that the high end units achieve. If you avoid direct sunlight and dry quickly, you'll get great results with this.
The detail shop I brought my car to do the ceramic coat and Xpel wrap turned me onto the Gyeon line of car care products, and I've been real happy with them. I use the two-bucket method with the Gyeon mit and dry with their micro-fiber towels. I use the Gyeon Bathe soap, Iron (for the wheels), Tire, and the Quick Detailer for the occasional water spot or bug splat that doesn't justify a full wash. Their products are reasonably priced and produce great results.

Best of luck. Post pics when you get 'er.

 

@snaphappy welcome! Excited for you. I was there not long ago.

Here are some of the things I learned:

- dont take it to the car wash. if its mechanical the wheels are side wide you will scratch the inside of your rims

- ive tried a couple different products for cleaning the wheels and found soap and water is the easiest (use a separate bucket). Get a wheel woolly for the barrels, low profile brush for the tires and sponge for the spokes. I found most tire dressings make the tires slimy and blotchy but got a recommendations for Adams VRT and that stuff is the bomb. Its a matte finish that makes them look like new.

- I found two microfiber towels works best for drying the car. If you only use one you will get streaks.

- for the windows my recommendations is using nothing! I would get streaks using windex or other window cleaners. I just wash the car, dry the windows and then have this microfiber window cleaner pad I bought at oriellys. That thing is amazing.

- what frustrated me the most with the 997 was the brake dust. within two days of washing the car my wheels were black again. the best purchase ive made is Hawk Ceramic pads. they eliminate the brake dust complete. like gone.

- you jack should likely work if you aren't lowered. use a hockey puck if it doesn't have a pad.

- most the jack stands will work but there is one brand (forget the name) that works better with the circular jack points in the 997. the standard ones are the V type and those are a little tricky to position on the jack pads. Do use rubber pads.

- as for tools, the basics are a torque wrench, set of torx and star sockets, rubber lug nut socket, low profile oil bucket, and oil filter socket. That will get you set for all the first projects.

- find a good local indy and learn everything you can from them.


And like the other guys said, make sure the maintenance is up to date. Checking your pollen and engine filter can give you an indication.

Enjoy!

 

The guy I had detail, paint correct, and ceramic coat my 911 uses quite a few different brands, but the single brand he uses the most is CarPro. I used to use Zaino and appreciate it for what it was. But product technology and quality has improved quite a bit since Zaino did any updating to their products or introduced any new ones. I'm thrilled with the performance of my CarPro products, especially Reset shampoo, Ech20 and Reload. My daily touch-up detail spray is a mix of 10 parts water, 1 part Ech20 and 1 part Reload. I use that on every exterior surface including the windows. Shine + hydrophobia last and last.

 

This should be an sticky thread... lots of good advice for all Porsche DIY beginners as myself...