The Porsche 911 is still one of the most desired sports vehicles available even after its launch in 1963, although the modern production models are far more refined and offer a lot more creature comforts that their predecessors. That aside, the fan club of the Porsche 911 has always continued to grow with each chassis model that is released from the original 901 models to the current 991 series (which is the chassis featured here). Of course the latest models are now in use of the water-cooled engines, more specifically the Porsche Carrera 4S has a 3.0L flat six cylinder engine that is able to provide 420bhp and 368ft/lbs of torque whenever the urge may arise to bury your foot into the carpet (there's also an electronic exhaust valve if you wanted to unleash the full noise potential). Alongside this, Porsche offer the Carrera 4s in four 'special colours'. These colour being 'Carmine Red', 'Chalk/Crayon' (grey), 'Lava Orange' or 'Miami Blue'. The 911 we are working on is in the beautiful 'Miami Blue' finish. Background done, lets move onto the service..
The rear licence plate of the Porsche appeared unlevel upon its arrival, before beginning the detail it was carefully removed from the car and placed to one side. The front plate, being attached to a plastic surround, was left in place for this service - both due to us not being able to dress the plate bracket due to the adhesive not adhering and also avoiding damage to the surround due to excessive sticky pads being used.
The satin black alloy wheels were sprayed with a liberal coating of Gyeon Quartz Q2MIron and was left to dwell on the surface for a few minutes. A dedicated wheel-soap bucket and an assortment of wheel brushes and wheel woollies were then used to agitate the Q2MIron prior to a thorough pressure rinse to carry away the lifted brake dust and product residue. The rear retractable wing was then electronically lifted in order to gain access to the underside before entire vehicle was then thoroughly pressure rinsed and covered in a layer of foam pre-wash to lift surface grit particles. At this point the rear engine clam was lifted and this area was foamed to lift very minor dust without the need to agitate with any brushes.
Two-to-three minutes were allowed for the foam to dwell on the vehicle, in which time the badges and intricate areas were agitated with a boar hair detailing brush. Once again a thorough pressure rinse carried away any surface grit and dirt leaving the paint surface safer to physically wash using two buckets and a high-quality lambs wool wash mitt. Auto Finesse Lather shampoo gently cleansed the remaining surface dirt working the upper panels through to the lower panels to reduce the possibility of causing swirls and wash damage. Completing the bucket wash by rinsing away the suds, the next step would be to begin the decontamination. As the Porsche is an almost-new example it appeared to be in a fairly clean condition with only a few tar and fallout deposits visible (to the eye). A dedicated solvent-based tar remover was sprayed onto each panel individually. After approximately 30-60 seconds a microfiber towel sprayed with the same tar remover was used to massage the deposits away. Each treated panel was then rinsed meticulously to remove any residues. Continuing this process until all necessary panels were removed of the tar spotting, Gyeon Quartz Q2MIron was sprayed liberally on to all exterior paint surfaces and left to dwell for 5-8 minutes. Any ferrous particles found on the paint would trigger a chemical reaction with the Q2MIron and cause the chemical to transform into a deep purple shade.
The chemical reaction allows the initially stubborn particles to become soluble, allowing them to be either rinsed away with a strong stream of water or easier to abrade away with the use of a claybar. Again the entire car was pressure rinsed thoroughly prior to the third and final decontamination stage using a surface prep towel (a claybar alternative). Massaging the towel over the paintwork using soapy water, any remaining contaminants such as remaining fallout particles, paint overspray and general surface impurities were removed effortlessly to ensure the paintwork was smooth and totally clean. A secondary foaming covered the car to ingress into all water traps and crevasses, forcing any remaining tar and fallout products out preventing them dripping out later on in the detail.
With a final pressure rinse once the foam had dwelled for around two minutes the Porsche was moved indoors and dried down using a combination of warm filtered air and drying towels in readiness for the preparation stage of its Protection Detail. The rear licence plate adhesive pads were then removed carefully by soaking a cotton pad with tar remover and leaving to weaken the glue, after a few minutes the pads simply peeled away with no glue remains. The 'Miami Blue' paintwork was then treated with Auto Finesse Tripple which cleanses, enhances and prepares the paintwork in readiness for its two wax layers, in this case Auto Finesse Desire. Once the Tripple polish had dried, the hazing was then gently buffed away with a clean microfiber cloth before applying the wax over it. Each wax layer was applied in thinly and evenly, leaving it to cure for ten minutes before a second microfiber was used to wipe away the residue. Between wax coats a one-hour cure period was required to allow the product to potentially secondary haze (this is where thicker areas may not have cured fully before buffing the first coat away, thus spreading rather than removing the residue).
During the hour between the removal of the first wax coat and the application of the second, the satin black wheels were buffed of any remaining water droplets and Auto Finesse Mint Rims was then applied to the wheel faces. A few minutes to allow the wax to form a bond with the paint surface before buffing away the residue prevents any greasy smudges forming on the non-gloss finish. Using a handheld sun-imitating light source the wheels were checked for any missed residue before the tyres were dressed with Auto Finesse Gloss tyre dressing applied with a foam applicator (this provides a superb over-satin 'as-new' look instead of a high gloss). Plastic arch trim was misted liberally with Auto Finesse Dressle spray dressing to add depth and add the finishing touch to each of the four corners. Auto Finesse Revive trim dressing was used to restore and protect all exterior plastics including lower skirts, air ducts and window surrounding trim. At this point the areas found to the underside of the rear retractable wing, engine compartment covering and front storage compartment surround were also treated.
The final surface to protect on the exterior of the Porsche would be the exterior glass. Firstly cleansing the glass free of dust and water spotting, Gtechniq G5 glass treatment was meticulously applied to each glass panel using overlapping circular motions for the best coverage. After a few minutes the glass was buffed with a clean suede cloth to level the sealant and remove excess residue before being left to cure for fifteen minutes. Buffing the glass to a clear and smear free finish using Auto Finesse Crystal glass cleaner left only the final exterior buff down of the exterior. However, to allow the second wax coat time to secondary haze, much like the first, our attention was then turned to the interior where all surfaces were thoroughly vacuumed free of dust and light debris. An interior detailing brush ensured panel gaps and switches were cleared of any entrapped dust before Auto Finesse Spritz was used to wipe the dashboard and all interior trim surfaces. Spritz being a product that does not change the texture or finish of the dashboard, a perfect option for clients who dislike satin or glossy finished interiors but still look to add some UV protection. Interior glass was cleansed free of smudges and fingerprints before turning our attention back to the final buff of the exterior.
A fresh microfiber was folded into a square and misted with a few sprays of Auto Finesse Finale quick detailer. Each panel was then carefully buffed with the microfiber and then re-buffed after flipping the cloth to its dry side. Any remaining wax residue would be safely removed whilst simultaneously boosting gloss levels and ensuring no wax smearing occurs. Exterior glass was given another buff to remove any smear/overspray from the quick detailer to complete this beautiful vehicles Protection Detail...
