Porsche Paint Quality?

Mighty planet 9 members - is it just me or is the paint on Porsches seemingly more suseptable to scratching / marking than other brands. I know this is subjective but I have only had my car for a 5 months (3200 miles on the clock) but have noticed a lot a fine scratches and marks that I haven't seemed to get on my last audi or other cars. My car is Black (as are the last 2 cars I have had so I understand it tends to show more). Views?

Every car forum thinks its respective brand has soft paint (maybe not American car companies though).

No I wouldn't say so.... (i had a black Audi before my black Cayman ) I reckon it could just be that the many curves on a Porsche , as opposed to large flat pannelled areas, may be showing this up a little more. Plus, you probably spending too much time looking at your Porsche if you're new to the club! Enjoy!

Yes - well I'm defo looking at it more. It just seems everytime I touch it I get a scratch... driving me bonkers.:crazy:

Most companies are using similar formulations for their paint. I don't find the Porsche paint to be any worse than the paint on other cars that I have owned.

You're observations are not isolated. All the paint formulations today are water based and the finish is more fragile than in the old days where enamel based finishes were the norm. I think Porsche owners typically expect more than most in terms of quality, but as stated above, all the formulations are pretty much equal due to environmental regulations.

yup, it scratches really easily. definitely quite softer than a mercedes.

I don't find the Cayman paint to damage more readily than my other cars. Isn't "softer" better than brittle, which would be more prone to chipping?

I think this is the real issue; today's water based paint is not as durable as the paints used years ago. I decided not to get a clear bra based on my experience with a '79 928 that I had for over 25 years. Very few chips or scratches. My '08 Cayman has not held up as well even over this short time. Of course, it didn't help that one week after delivery the town chip-sealed just about every road around my house. So if you are thinking back to cars previously owned, the present ones are not as resistant to chips and scratches

I too have a black Cayman . It seems prone to micro scratches. Clean mits and micro fiber towels helped me plus a clay bar and lubricant.. Also using separate mits and towels for wheels, and other lower parts of the car. A clear bra really helps with all the sand and rocks around here. But when clean and polished, it is drop dead gorgeous. Ed

Yeah - most of the scratches I'm getting are micro scratches - seems when I clean it - even though I do the right thing and seperate washing materials, rinse in different buckets etc etc Also - it snowed heavy and when it melted off I noticed scratches from what seem like dirt emmbedded in the snow slidding off. Might get the clay bar on to it and a detailer to machine buff it every six months or so... The paint just seems very soft...

I haven't noticed poor paint on my Cayman . I have a G37 that has some serious rock chips. The paint on that car is a disaster.

Sagen, Greetings. I understand your concerns. I have had several black cars (from Chevy to Infiniti) and ALL show towel and micro-scratches. I would think Porsche paint might be some of the finest quality available - but, I cannot confirm this. I'm just assuming that Porsche would use only the best. I also have a black Cayman. After the first two months of ownership, I noticed a few towel marks (even though I use microfiber mitts and towels to wash and dry my car). My neighbor who is a professional detailer recommended a product called Triple - M, Clear Coat Magic with Teflon specifically designed for black cars. This product is sold to auto detailers in Southern California. The cost is approximately $21 for about 20 ounces. I have used this product for years and highly recommend it. I know that many on this forum have their favorites, but this product has a special blend of polymers and fine polishing compounds and specifically formulated for black cars. Use a cross hatch method for applying and wipe immediately with a soft microfiber towel. You will be amazed. No more towel or micro-scratches. Griot's Garage also has a wide range of products including waxes, polishes, paint sealants and tools to apply. Good luck. Semper Fi

Ed, I too have a clear 3M bra and could not agree with you more. They are a lifesaver for the bumper. Especially since the Cayman sits low to the ground and chows down on road rash for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Semper Fi

Thanks for the tip. I live in the UK so I'll have look for it out here and if I can find it I'll look on the web in US and maybe pick some up when I'm out there next . Cheers PS - Good to hear from Military types....I'm an ex Australian Army Para / Int guy myself...

Any Mercedes owners with newer models care to chime in on this? A few years ago, Mercedes began using nano-particle automobile paint on their cars. The clear lacquer contains microscopically small ceramic particles that harden in the paintshop oven and form an extensively cross- linked network making the paint significantly greater scratch resistant. I have owned Mercedes that used conventinal water-based, not nano-particle paint, and it was quite soft.

Not much we can do about our low-slung cars with their environmentally-friendly paint, but one thing we CAN do is not follow too closely the cars in front of us. I'll second/third/whatever the vote for a clear bra, which I have and which helps considerably. Dave

I have a 2010 E350 4matic in the dark navy metallic and it seems more scratch resistant then my new black caymen. I just 2 boxes from Griots delivered and will begin to play with it next week.

Aren't these micro-scratches and towel marks all just in the clearcoat? I don't think these marks are in the paint itself.

My wife's 2010 Mercedes has MUCH better paint than my current 2008 S2000 ----both cars are black, and I of course use the same procedures for cleaning both cars-----the Mercedes paint job looks perfect, even under the UV light that's in my garage, and I've never once waxed/buffed it out. The Honda looks bad under the same light (clear coat scratches/swirl marks all over), and I've buffed/polished out the entire car multiple times. Unfortunately the paint looks bad w/in a few weeks again. Well, not BAD, but not perfect to my eyes, like that of the Mercedes. I'm REALLY hoping the Cayman S I get has a much better paint job than the S2000 . It will help that I plan on getting red instead of black this time, but still!

On the subject of those infuriating fine scratches I would add that the car does sit lower compared to your average car and is more prone to microscopic debris hitting the sloping front/wings, especially if you're travelling at naughty speeds ! As I undestand it, 'soft' paint does not necessarily translate to the car being more scratch sensitive. I believe Porsche paint and clear coat come from BASF Glasurit.

Scratches can often be created while washing or waxing the car. I have noticed my Cayman 's paint seems to be more sensitive to polishing clothes than other cars I have owned. Something I'm curious about is the thickness of the clearcoat. Assuming scratches and swirl marks are not too deep they can easily be compounded and polished out of the clear. I have a background is classic car restoration (big cars, Packards, Pierce Arrows, Cords etc.) I rarely used clearcoat but compounded and polished the daylights out of the colored lacquers I used. I'm curious about the thickness of the Porsche clearcoat because I would like to cut and buff it like I did the lacquers. I afraid it may not be thick enough and would break through to the color coat (bad problem). I have yet to see any new Porsche with factory paint that has the quality I am acustomed to on classic cars. Has anyone out there tried to cut and buff the clearcoat on their Cayman ?

Don't mean this to be snarky, but hit Google with " porsche " and "detailing" and you'll be rewarded with more information than you can imagine about paint care. FWIW, many of the intense detailers seem to categorize Porsche paint as softer than some others.

It is my understanding that Blacks and Reds are considered "soft" paints compared with White which is hard. I have definitely noticed that my cars- even those from the 70's through to the most recent- were more prone to scratching if they were Red or Black. My 06 cobalt blue CS seems quite prone to scratching . I put it down to the very dusty conditions here in Oman. I always carefully wash her myself using plenty of water to rinse off before shampooing and waxing. I have found Meguiars "x" Scratch to be excellent in removing these whirls and scratches.

The clearbra is highly recommended. Some folks even wrap their entire car, which is a bit insane. But doing the front 1/4 of the fenders, front bumper and nose, front 1/3 of the hood, and the back of the mirrors is very much worth it.