Anthony Orosco

Detailed these beautiful machines last weekend. Both owned by close friends.

After I detailed them we took them to a scenic country club and took a few pictures as the day was just to beautiful.

For the yellow GT3 I polished it with Menzerna IP followed by FP, sealed with FMJ and then it was given a wipe down with Optimum.

For the silver C4S it was also polished with Menzerna IP and then a light coat of Victoria paste wax and again wiped down with Optimum.

Poorboys Bold and Bright was used on the tires.

The silver Porsche got some new shoes and rubber. Gives the car a whole new look. I used Rolite metal polish to buff out the aluminum and for the powder coating just plain soap and water.

Enjoy the pictures,
Anthony

mac993

great pix anthony. thanks

Anthony Orosco

You are very welcome, glad you enjoyed them

Anthony

jdoc7

Beautiful cars, beautiful pics!

kcl

Definitely nice lookng cars.

Anthony Orosco

Thank you again for the compliments. It was not only a great time I had detailing the cars but driving cars like these is just wild!

Anthony

I'll be posting up some more Porsche pics soon

billatlanta

Anthony - for the Concours uneducated such as myself I would like to get some information on the products you noted that you used adn the process: "Menzerna IP followed by FP, sealed with FMJ and then it was given a wipe down with Optimum. I have a Speed Yellow GT3 and have been strictly using PS2 products (just wash and wax have not yet polished) and have been happy

Thanks,

Bill

Tony356993

Very nice pix.

Anthony Orosco

Hey Bill,

Glad to help out if I can.

First, polishing is a term thrown around alot and there are many different definitions given when one is speaking about polishing. Some detailers define polishing as adding depth and gloss to the paint while others, myself included, define polishing as "removing paint imperfections". Many detailers that think polishing means adding depth and gloss are usually using products that fill and hide imperfections instead of correcting those problems. These products are in reality "glazes".

To polish something means to clean and abrade away impurities until a high gloss is left. Proper polishing has two effects. The first is that it levels the paint, which means that as you polish (as in seeking to remove swirls) you are not really removing the swirls/scratches but you are removing or "leveling" the paint around the swirl/scratch down to the level where the scratch or swirl is. The second effect is that it will naturally add gloss and depth to the paint.

This is accomplished with a high speed rotary, sometimes a PC or Cyclo, which are obital polishers (far safer than a rotary but not as much power) can also remove them but they need to be rather light. So if you are seeking to "polish" your paint correctly then you will need a polisher. If you seek to use a glaze to temporarily fill or hide paint imperfections then you can use Meguiars #7 or 3M's Imperial Hand Glaze. Meguairs #9 works well also as it contains some slight cleaning properties.

The Menzerna products are designed to be used with a polisher, Menzerna Powergloss being the most abrasive, Menzerna Intensive Polish is mildly abrasive while Menzerna Final Polish is extremely mild. These work off of "diminishing abrasives" which means they start out abrasive, for cutting or leveling purposes, and as the heat and friction from the polisher works, it breaks down the abrasives into a finer and finer polishing creme. Most cars respond well with just the IP then follow up or clean up with the FP. The FMJ (Full Molecular Jacket) is a polymer, not a wax, sealant. It is used to seal and protect and also enhance all your hard polishing work.

The Optimum Car Wax is a liquid polymer/wax cocktail that is so easy to work with that I some times feel like I am cheating when I use it. It can seal paint and when used after something like FMJ, it can further enhance the shine and protection.

I am sure this little bit of info leaves you with even more questions now So ask away, I hope to be able to answer them.

Anthony

billatlanta

Anthony - thank you for your detailed reply. I am trying to learn about detailing, as I love a well cared for car. Polishing was always a mystery to me although you shed significant light on it. My question: My car is about a year old. I have used exclusivly P-21 products (body shampoo, wheel cleaner, and wax). The car is speed yellow and garaged. Do I need to polish this car every once in a while? If so, I am scarred to death utilizing any mechanical devices on it as I have seen swirl marks burnt into cars by guys who do not know how to use orbital polishers. I know P-21 sells a polish that I can apply by hand. The car has several cool coats of wax so I hate the fact this will remove it all. I don't currently have any marks or debris that can't be removed.

Thanks again for the education.

Anthony Orosco

Hello again,

P-21 makes some very nice products and their paste wax is a great beautifier although it lacks in a durable, long lasting finish (more on this later).

I would consider polishing your car at least 2 times a year. Since it is garaged and well cared for you will most likely only need to go very mild in the abrasive category.

I would highly recommend Menzerna Intensive Polish http://www.topoftheline.com/meninpol.html and you really shoudn't fear an orbital polisher, like the Porter Cable PC or the Cyclo dual head polisher. These are extremely safe for your paints finish. The polishers that you may want to stay away from (for now) are the high speed rotary polishers. These spin at a high RPM rate and create alot of heat and friction. Orbitals on the other hand generate little to no heat, hence there is little to no risk of burning or swirling your paint.

Orbital polishers are not made so much for paint correction but rather for applying glazes, liquid waxes and sealants. A great starter set up for you would be a PC http://www.topoftheline.com/porcabpolpac.html This is a great package and with it you could do your entire car and have it looking really sharp. I already recommended the menzerna IP (Intensive Polish) which can be applied with the PC and the Lake Country white polishing pad (included in the above linked kit). This step will help reduce or remove the light surface scratches.

After this step you can then apply Menzerna Final Polish II (FPII) using again the PC and a Lake Country black finishing pad. This polish is just amazing, it will brighten your yellow paint and also prep the paint for your wax.

You can now apply your P21S and to keep the appearance up between waxes I HIGHLY recommend Optimum Car Wax http://www.topoftheline.com/spray-wax.html You can use this spray after each wash. It can be used on glass, chrome, wheels and it leaves a super slick surface, extending the life of your waxed finish because it is a formulation of polymers and waxes. I use it as a stand alone sealer and have found it can last up to 6 weeks with one application.

I hope this helps, but again if not please feel free to ask more questions. Tell the gals at Top of the Line I said "Hello" and for them to treat you right!

Take care,
Anthony

Tony356993

Anthony,
I'm going to give this Menzerna Intensive Polish and fine polish a try. Thanks for sharing your all your experience.
Tony