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I recently purchased a 2016 Cayman GTS in Carrera White. It has the GTS (alcantara) package. I’ve not been great at maintenance in the past, but given this is my first Porsche, I’m turning over a new leaf.
I have a couple of questions. I don’t really want to go PPF, as cost is a concern. I was considering ceramic to keep the paint as new as possible. Is doing ceramic on a six year old car worth the investment over a good wax/sealer a few times a year?
Second, do you have recommendations on keeping up the interior? I’ve been told that Sonax Alcantara cleaning products are a good weekly/bi-monthly option. So vacuum and then apply. But should I also do a cleaner and conditioner for the leather as well? Wondering if one of your videos may cover some of that already.
I recently purchased a 2016 Cayman GTS in Carrera White. It has the GTS (alcantara) package. I’ve not been great at maintenance in the past, but given this is my first Porsche, I’m turning over a new leaf.
I have a couple of questions. I don’t really want to go PPF, as cost is a concern. I was considering ceramic to keep the paint as new as possible. Is doing ceramic on a six year old car worth the investment over a good wax/sealer a few times a year?
Second, do you have recommendations on keeping up the interior? I’ve been told that Sonax Alcantara cleaning products are a good weekly/bi-monthly option. So vacuum and then apply. But should I also do a cleaner and conditioner for the leather as well? Wondering if one of your videos may cover some of that already.
Mark
Hi Mark - congrats on the new Cayman!
PPF is really the only way to keep sand-blasting and stone chips away, but yes, it's somewhat costly. Ceramic coating is a very practical replacement for wax since you don't have to constantly reapply it like you do with a wax (every couple of months). If keeping up with cosmetic maintenance is a concern for you, it might be a good choice. Otherwise, yes, keeping your car protected with semi-frequent applications of a good quality wax will work too.
And since the car is 6yrs old, you might consider Paint Correction before investing in PPF or ceramic coatings. It will surely have some haze and swirl marks that would be best to fix before investing in the preservation of the finish.
Yes, the Sonax Alcantara is our go-to product for this material. But don't over do it. It's a cleaner, so only use it when you think your Alcantara is getting dirty. Use a soft bristled brush to gently agitate, and wipe it down after with a damp MF towel. Then let it dry.
Thanks for the advice. I have two follow up questions. First, are the conditioning products safe for use on both the leather and the alcantara?
Also, do you have any suggestions for cleaning/conditioning an alcantara steering wheel? I’m assuming the same products, but not sure if there’s a technique.
Thanks for the advice. I have two follow up questions. First, are the conditioning products safe for use on both the leather and the alcantara?
Also, do you have any suggestions for cleaning/conditioning an alcantara steering wheel? I’m assuming the same products, but not sure if there’s a technique.
Thanks again!
Mark
No - do not use leather conditioning products on Alcantara. Alcantara is fabric and will absorb the leather conditioner and become blotchy and greasy feeling. For Alcantara - ONLY use the Alcantara cleaner when its dirty, and that's it. No conditioning product.
Same for the steering wheel. It will become worn and matted much faster than any other surface because of the amount of abuse it gets vs the other surfaces - but that's natural. The Alcantara cleaner will help fluff it up a little, but don't expect miracles.
Gerard and Mike did the removal of the heavily pitted, yellowed, 13+ year old 3M headlight PPF and installed a new set for my Boxster today. There were some initial concerns about the old film being very difficult to remove and many detailing shops will not do this.
Result came out much better than expected. I can see at night finally!
These guys know their stuff and the overall process was painless. Highly recommended!
Any before pics by chance? I have some haze on my DD (> 10 years old) which I have tried to spruce up with some over the counter kits but I am not thrilled with the end product. Thanks.
Any before pics by chance? I have some haze on my DD (> 10 years old) which I have tried to spruce up with some over the counter kits but I am not thrilled with the end product. Thanks.
Slightly different case here because he had PPF on the lenses since new. When we removed the sandblasted old PPF, the lenses were like new. We reapplied PPF and they'll be good for another 10yrs.
If your lenses do not have PPF and they're cloudy/yellowed, you need to do a multi step sanding and polishing process to get them looking good again. Then apply PPF to the exposed lenses to prevent the oxidation from returning.
We have several examples of 996, 997, Cayenne, and Boxster/Cayman lense restorations:
Exactly what I was thinking. And what process did they use to remove the PPF. I'd still get them PPF'd again after removal of the old film.
We heat the PPF to restore some flexibility to the film and soften the adhesive. With really old PPF, we'd prefer if it left the adhesive on the lens - even though it makes clean up much more difficult. On headlights, you don't want a ton of tension when removing the PPF in case the top coat of the polycarbonate lets go. In this case, there were no issues with the top layer and the lenses looked like new - the PPF did its job exactly as designed.
Over the years, I have read on the web that the 3M PPF would yellow. If true, I do not know if 3M changed their PPF since then.. I believe I have XPEL and it being a 2015 and not stored in the sun, the PPF still looks like the day it was applied.
Over the years, I have read on the web that the 3M PPF would yellow. If true, I do not know if 3M changed their PPF since then.. I believe I have XPEL and it being a 2015 and not stored in the sun, the PPF still looks like the day it was applied.
Hi Alex - yes, older gen PPF (and some current brands) had a reputation of yellowing over time. XPEL has a 10yr warranty against the material yellowing.
However, modern non-yellowing PPF can still stain if the surface is not properly sealed with wax/sealant/ceramic coating. The pores in the PPF can absorb the color from pollen, clay, rust etc. We recently replaced the hood and fender PPF on a 911 that had a rusty pipe dripping on it in an underground garage. The orange stain (on white car) could not be removed with chemicals or gentle polishing. The pigment was now part of the film. The moral: keep your PPF well sealed just as you would with your paint
Hi Gerard - any thoughts on 'slowing down' some rust that has started to show on the tailgate of my 2010 Honda Pilot (around trim area). I would include a pic but it's horrendously dirty at the moment. Thanks.
any thoughts on 'slowing down' some rust that has started to show on the tailgate of my 2010 Honda Pilot (around trim area).
Paul, I had the same problem on my Honda CR-V. Thanks to the non-glossy paper-thin paint used in that area, it rusted from the paint side inwards. Although the Krown works well (car is 23 years old), it would not work on an outside surface at a rubber seal.
Thanks Alex - oddly enough I have actually already had the tailgate replaced once as part of a recall (well actually I missed the recall and ended up going 50/50 with Honda after a fairly lengthy back/forth). This was approx. 5 years ago so I was assuming the tailgate would be the last place to start going on me as the rest of the car is in good shape. My wife lost her last CRV to rust (bottom of both front doors inside-out). I miss the days on my old Volvo's that never seemed to rust, albeit had a plethora of other mechanical issues!!!
07-09-2022, 08:07 AM
