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Well done Bruce! I have a brand new griots polisher sitting in my garage for the last few months aching to be used but I just know it’s going to be so much work! Car is looking fantastic, I have been debating the lip kit for my own car but I am nervous it will rip off going through a dip in these bad LA roads!
Yea, I always dread polishing... but.... if you paint is not bad, then you can go quickly. One of the biggest reasons I like Maguires Ultimate Compound is that you can actually make a fast pass on the car, it has a great impact, and be done with it. Below is a really good video on the product where you can see how much time he spends over bad paint, and what it actually cuts. So here are some tips / information I learned using this product over the years:
1 - The word "compound" is an industry word that implies a physical cutter in the product (either aluminum or silica or....)
2 - Ultimate Compound contains both chemical and physical abrasives (super fine aluminum powder) ... sounds scary, but the aluminum is so benign that it is, IMO, a perfect product where it will get you results but easy for a beginner to not screw up
3 - If after you wash your car, you see super fine swirls and scratches, there is only one way to remove them: you have to cut the surface down through polishing with a mild abrasive. Wax will fill them and hide them but that is temporary. Products like Miracle Glaze contains a high oil content and that really hides them well but again, very temporary.
4 - Polishing with an abrasive will wear your paint away. Technically this is true, but those scratches etc are not as deep as you think, the paint is thicker than you think, and I've been polishing my paints many times over the life of the car (both Porsches since 2000) and never did damage.
5 - With Ultimate, you don't need to then use a finishing polish, this product will leave a mirror finish... one pass and you are done. More passes are needed for real scratches.
6 - Tip: don't use a lot of product and do sections. For example, your hood can be done in three sections, left top, right top, then lower front.
7 - To set the speed of your polisher, start on the slowest speed, and start turning it up with the pad on your car... just use a medium pressure... you do have to apply some pressure.... when the pad is slowly spinning (one rev per second), you have the correct speed for that pressure (I am assuming you are using an orbital and not a pure spinner tool)
8 - Wipe the polish off immediately... Maguires is pretty easy to remove unlike the 3M stuff but don't let it dry. If you can't rub it off easily, you waited to long, or polished too long. Don't freak, leave it alone and when you are done, wash the car with Dawn and it will come off easily with your sponge.. don't break a sweat trying to rub it off.
9 - Seriously, if you polish slowly with one pass, you should be able to polish a 997 in 45 minutes
10 - After you are done, I recommend either wiping the car down with alcohol or a quick re-wash with Dawn. This will get of any chemical residues left behind (there is some wax in the product as an emulsifier)
11 - Don't be afraid, you will find Ultimate Compound to be easy and almost idiot proof and you will be amazed at the results.
12 - How often should you do this? Of course depends on how much you drive etc, but once every two years (I drive in the winter) or 20-25K miles. If I am driving a lot, leaving the car outside at train stations etc, once a year in the spring.
13 - Use an "orbital" with a foam cutting pad (medium)
14 - The ONLY way to get a maximum shine from whatever product you put on your car, wax/polymer/ceramic, is to have a mirrored surface underneath
15 - Forget claying... polishing with a mild abrasive like Ultimate will get the dirt out so you are just creating another time-consuming step.
Peace
Bruce in Philly
Really good video where he uses different grades of sandpaper to show you how much this cuts.... he is a bit critical in that he feels it doesn't cut enough, but that is good for beginners and light work. BTW, he is not using an orbital.. I don't recommend this tool for a beginner... get an orbital, they are idiot proof. Oh, and notice the mirror it leaves behind.. not need for a finishing polish.
Oh, one more thing... more ranting..... turn away!!!
My approach to most things, including car detailing are the following:
1 - Forget 100%, or best, or maximum - this will lead to your own unhappiness, others won't like you, and whatever you pursue will not be sustainable. Yes, push, but 90% is way more achievable, farther, etc. than 100% Ignore those detailing videos or products where they have seven steps..etc Are you really going to do all of that?
2 - If it ain't easy, it is not sustainable
That is why I loved Zaino and Ultimate Compound et al.... easy with 95% results. I don't care if something will give me anther 2%... I just don't care.
Peace
Bruce in Philly
Last edited by Bruce In Philly; 09-18-2020 at 11:23 AM.
She looks really, really good Bruce. Thanks for the leather tips. I leave my top down 90+% of the time and honestly, have been afraid to get too aggressive with the surfaces. This gives me a bit more confidence that I can go at it a bit harder.
Exactly... you don't need "leather cleaner" either. If you do keep your top down, I would do a bit of research into a protectant with UV protection.. sorry no recommendation there. I only say this given that I know sun is a terrible friend.
I do use leather conditioner once a year but honestly, I am not sure it is really needed as the leather comes coated from the factory. I use Zaino because I like the smell, but IMO, any of the major brands are good. I don't like Lexol.. smelly, and caused the leather in Boxster to "relax" and look loose... yikes!
As always, this is my opinion... others, feel free to flame away, you won't hurt my feelings.....
Peace
Bruce in Philly
Last edited by Bruce In Philly; 09-18-2020 at 11:28 AM.
Exactly... you don't need "leather cleaner" either. If you do keep your top down, I would do a bit of research into a protectant with UV protection.. sorry no recommendation there. I only say this given that I know sun is a terrible friend.
I do use leather conditioner once a year but honestly, I am not sure it is really needed as the leather comes coated from the factory. I use Zaino because I like the smell, but IMO, any of the major brands are good. I don't like Lexol.. smelly, and caused the leather in Boxster to "relax" and look loose... yikes!
As always, this is my opinion... others, feel free to flame away, you won't hurt my feelings.....
Peace
Bruce in Philly
(Not being directed back at you with flames) - but, you do need a leather cleaner.
Your leather may be coated, but it is still porous. Sweat from your back gets into the leather. When it dries, it leaves behind salts that in turn over time will dry, crack, and harden the leather. You need to clean the leather to remove those salts. Conditioning alone will not get that part done.
Last fall, I tried detailing my 997.2 using Poorboys Super Swirl remover and Chemical Guys VSS scratch remover, topped by the Klasse twins. Applied using a Porter Cable random orbital.
While the paint ended up nice and shiny, I was disappointed because it only got rid of about 50% of the swirls (if that), and the paint still looked pretty swirly under led and gas station lighting — especially the tops of the rear hips and the roof.
Per suggestions from Rennlist and Bruce, I picked up some Meguires Ultimate Compound, and had another go today. This time I used a Mother’s clay bar (sorry Bruce) followed by two passes of Ultimate Compound, and then the Klasse twins again. The end result turned out great! I would say about 90% of the swirls are gone now. Not bad for a $12 product! Thanks for the great post and suggestions Bruce!
Those are Weather Tech. I put them in at the start of last winter but I ended up keeping them in all the time. Yea, they look like hell.... but my hobby is photography... wildlife ... birds and such... and I am always driving over dirt and sand... in and out... boots... just a mess.
Hey Bruce! Big fan of your and I too use Zaino's pretty religiously and love the smell of his leather cleaner. The Grand Finale is my go to polish but my car is garage kept and doesn't see bad weather or even much rain. I am not a fan of the lip and prefer if I were to add one the lip with two open vents on each side. Its on some turbos but don't know where to get it so I don't have it. I have the hard top for the winter and that adds a little pizzazz for me. Its quiet inside as well and looks good too. I think you should add the Zunsport grills to your car that helps keep the leaves and stuff out of that area in those cubby holes in front. If your ever around the Jersey Shore in the Brick or Toms River area definately give me a call. Private message me for my phone number. Peace my brother!
Ruby Red Metallic with Natural Brown leather.. the premium stuff. Hard to see the real colors as our monitors, Apple, Microsoft et al use different rendering.... I use a color-calibrated monitor, LightRoom and my own camera color profiles so in my photo software, I get it real close to reality... then when I display under Windows 10, it don't look right... too red. I am not sure what you see. .... hmmm that last sentence was more profound than you realize... read here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualia
09-18-2020, 10:11 AM
