Thought I would share my ultimate detail experience

I just did my ultimate detail. It lasted about 7 hours!!! I started by dawning the car and detailing the rims inside and engine with p21s cleaner. Next I used blackfire clay kit. I think their clay might suck but my paint might just be clean. In any event the clay was easy enough to need. Then I went to the perfect it 2 as my car is black to get the swirls off. Started with the 7.5 yellow and my new porter cable. Then went to blackfire protectant with the 7.5 white. I then hit it again with a 7.5 grey with a second coat. Man did it give depth!!! I then hit it with 2 coats of p21s with a grey 7.5 pad. It was a pain to get the p21s on. I had to nuke it in the microwave to soften it up then used their foam applicator and apply it to the paint. Then I spread it evenly with the grey pad at 1 then worked in at 3 and then removed with mf ultra towels. Initially I did the perfect it at 3 then went to 5 and it was a ***** to get off!!! to fast and got to hot I guess. I had to remove in some spots with the blackfire lubricant for the clay, basically a quick detail. In any event I applied all subsequent coats at 1 and then worked in with 3. Great results otherwise. BTW I tried the mf bonnets and they sucked! I did however use them on the perfect it 2 that I rubbed in at 5 so..... yeah. In any event my car has never looked so deep or good and my lower back has never hurt as bad! Drinking beers now!!! I have to give it up to that pc. Man that thing is the best!!! I also have to say that the blackfire protectant gave sooo much depth that meguires of any and all combos and systems never gave! Also no f**king haze that meguires like to leave! I love it. Now I must die as I am so tired! Thanks everyone.

Pictures?

Good job on the detail. 7 hours is pretty good amount of time, but it worth the effort once you see the final results. My fiance thinks I am obsessed (and she is right) after I spent a total of 9 hours over two days on my C2 (wash, clay, 3M SMR, Klasse AIO, and Sovereign paste wax). Good thing it does not take that long every time I wash. PHOTOS!!! <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" />

SPR, I found some inexpensive R/T airfare to the Cape and back....so whenever you have a weekend free... WOW, I have never spent that much time at one time with anything, including my wife and kids Can't wait for the pics!

Yeah I will take some pics today. Just woke up and boy am I sore and tired. The depth of the paint has never looked so good. I will be interested to see how well the perfect it 2 got out the swirl marks if at all or whatever. I really wanted to hit it with smr after to smooth out the process as perfect it 2 is more abrasive, but I was apprehensive about the fillers that smr uses in conjunction with the blackfire system. In any event DON, yeah I would be glad to sit on a lawn chair with a beer and megaphone and supervise your detail. Isn't your 993 dark colored, might check into that blackfire stuff if so? I don't remember. I like the second reply very funny! How do I post pics after take them other than putting them on my site and posting the link? Thanks going to get into gear and go do that-

Alright guys the day was crappy but check the pics!!!! <a href="http://gallery.rennlist.com/gallery/albuo89" target="_blank">http://gallery.rennlist.com/gallery/albuo89</a> I have my own rennlist gallery for it! I hope the link works but if not just search under Sean's 996!!! Let me know what you guys think!

VERY NICE!!! You should look into some undercarriage spray. It makes the inside of your wheel wells a nice shiny black. You can get it a Griotsgarage.com -no affiliation-

I used some p21s in there but didn't really focus on it. I mainly wanted to get the inside of the rims clean. Not a bad idea. I will clean the snot out of that as well as the underside of my engine when I install my pss9's when the new versions come out. Thanks.

SPR, I was viewing your picture gallery and noticed some light blue material on the front of your car in picture 13 "Button Willow Paddock 1 My car in blue". I assume that is some sort of protective material for track time, what is it and how do you put it on. I just got my C2 a couple of weeks ago and was contemplating going to track events but am concerned about paint damage. <img src="http://www2.direcpc.com/gb/jpg_blue6.jpg" alt=" - " /> Myersville, MD 18" Turbo Look II Wheels Pirelli PZero N4

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by 02 Blue C2: <strong> I just got my C2 a couple of weeks ago and was contemplating going to track events but am concerned about paint damage. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">You should look into getting a clear bra installed.

Yeah just taped the front for the event so I wouldn't get rock chips. For the street there are some cool 3m or stoneguard coatings that are clear. The only problem with those that I have heard, is that if and when you remove them the paint will be fresher than the rest and or the film will yellow over time.

Sean, I'd love to do that level of detailing but I have never done anything before other than wash & wax (by hand). Can you give me a list of what you used (in the order you used them) and whether each was by hand or with an electric buffer? Thanks, Mark P.S. Also, does anyone have any experience buffing out minor scratches in the clearcoat? Is it hard to learn how to do? I figure if I can learn how to do it, I'd probably do it with more care than any shop. What's the best way to learn how to do this? Maybe try it out on my wife's car when she's not around?? : ) Thx.

That was the main reason why I did my detail in the first place. Contrary to popular belief, dusting with those california dusters etc will scratch the paint on any car but will show on a black moreso. I made the mistake of washing the car a few days earlier going through the canyons then using the cheapo mobile brushless rinse and then quick detailing the car after. It scratched the **** out of the paint. I will list my entire process in the next reply

dawned p21s wheel cleaner for rims and engine used microfiber mit from cma for paint and crap old sheep mit for rims cma mf drying towels blackfire clay kit used 1/2 clay that came in kit. Split first part in 2 and used on half used other part other half 7.5 yellow pad with 3m perfect it 2 speed 3 to even, then 5 to work used ultra mf to remove and some areas requried blackfire clay lubricant used with clay kit- basically quick detail 7.5 white with blackfire protectant 1 to even 3 to work used ultra mf to remove - greem from cma btw- 7.5 grey with blackfire protectant 1 to even 3 to work used ultra mf to remove - greem from cma btw- had to apply p21s initially by hand after nuking the pure carnuba from kit 7.5 grey with p21s. 2 coats- 1 to even 3 to work used ultra mf to remove - greem from cma btw- then removed crap left on windshield using 3 and grey pad already on there and removed with used ultra mf to remove - greem from cma btw- that is my setup!!! My paint has never looked so deep. Also another note. That p21s wax was a pain to remove with the mf but worth the protection and even spread when applied with the pc Supplies: Porter cable random orbital yellow 7.5 pad from classic motoring accessories white 7.5 pad 2 grey 7.5 pad blackfire clay kit p21s kit- wax wheel cleaner paint cleaner etc. mf towel kit - cma their ultra kit or whatever biggest one with most junk 3m perfect it 2- agressive swirl mark remover, if swirls are less deep use 3m smr - less abbrasive but has more filler oils to hide scratches blackfire protectant/glaze that's about it. I got almost everything from cma and I got the porter cable from - costal - cheapest <a href="http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/a/port/pr7424.htm?L+coastest+wnqz0163ff5c3b5c+1051666816" target="_blank">http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/a/port/pr7424.htm?L+coastest+wnqz0163ff5c3b5c+1051666816</a> I also used 303 protectant on all surfaces inside. Best stuff ever! Blackest finish and lasts longer than anything I have ever used. Otherwise only other product is meguires tire gel to black them out and some windex for the windows. Btw I would never go back to hand waxing or otherwise after using the pc. The results are amazing, consistent, and even. I have had many friends remark at how rediculous the paint looks now and that before it needed help. It was better than most new cars' paint before, but meguires paint products only take it so far and have the problem of leaving weird hazing. OH yeah and it took 7 hours, but it was worth it.

OH concerning your apprehension or whatever. I wouldn't worry about it. It's really hard to mess up the paint with a pc as it is random and it doesn't allow the paint get hot enough to burn through it, as long as you don't got past 3 and sit on a spot etc. I have never used a random orbital before and it was very easy and rewarding. I would go check out this site first: <a href="http://www.autopia.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=58&daysprune=28&sortorder=&sortfield=lastpos t&perpage=30&pagenumber=2" target="_blank">http://www.autopia.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=58&daysprune=28&sortorder=&sortfield=lastpos t&perpage=30&pagenumber=2</a> They have tutorials on eveyrthing and are a huge knowledgebase. That is where I came up with my combo and it left me speachless afterwards. I would use smr most probably on your swirls then go to perfect it 2 if they still aren't coming out. Basically it's all about using the least abrasive product to get the job done so you aren't taking out or feathering too much clearcoat. I already has some really deep ones hence the perfect it 2.

I just detailed my car this weekend. I used Klasse All in One and topped it off with Pinicale Souvern. If you have a black car, you'll love the outcome. Plus it's effortless to remove the wax, and doesn't leave a haze. I use to use Zymol, but I'd always have to spritz watewr on teh car to remove the haze.

I would definitely suggest the Porter Random Orbital. Got it for Christmas and love the results! I will admit uncertainty initially, but I am now a true believer. . .

Sean, Thanks for the breakdown of how you get your perfect shine. And thanks to everyone else for your inputs. I'm going to take a leap of faith and go for it. Besides, a shop isn't going to care about my car more than I do! Mark

Sean, What are the following initials you use in your posting above: "cma" and "mf"? Thanks, Mark

cma is classic motoring accessories they are linked off autotopia and have a bunch of great stuff almost one stop shopping. mf is micro fiber towel. Also concerning my detail products/steps, I had no haze whatsoever and the deepest most reflective serface ever. Blackfire is where it's at. A lot of people don't give it credit but it gives more depth and reflection than anything else.

Thanks again. BTW, I checked out the autotopia website and it really does have a TON of great info. Mark

it is THE MECCA

Other than on the Web, where retail can some of these great products be purchaesd?? I've started looking everywhere around town with no luck at all. I've been especially looking for 1500 - 2000 grit sand paper, the porter cable orbital buffer and the 3M polishes and waxes with zero luck so far. Thanks, Mark

I just purchased the Porter Cable Polisher here: <a href="http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/a/port/pr7424.htm?L+coastest+xqxx8309ffd9a5d9+1056160515" target="_blank">http://www.coastaltool.com/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/a/port/pr7424.htm?L+coastest+xqxx8309ffd9a5d9+1056160515</a>

that's where I got mine hence the link. Dude, don't use sand paper. You would only use that to remove fish eyes or color sand. Color sanding is definitely best left to a professional. NO SANDPAPER!!! You can achieve all the results you want with a yellow 7.5 pad and perfect it 2 or if actually needed a slightly more abrasive 3m rubbing compound. I highly doubt you will even need to get that crazy though. For most swirl marks you can remove them with a white pad and either the dacp kit or preferably just smr which will also fill the ones it doesn't 100% remove.

Sean, When you talk about a "yellow 7.5 pad" what is it and where do I get one? You also mention a gray one too. Thanks, Mark

yeah I spoke of this before but you can get them all from cma, classic motoring acessories which happens to be linked off autopia for lazy sake.

it is a corser textured pad 7.5 inch denoted by colors ala corseness. 7.5 inch is supposedly better than the standard 6. I went that route and it worked great. Just make sure you add the correct counterweight to the porter cable

Got it. Thanks Sean. Mark

np

Sean, What counter weight are you using with the porter cable 7424 and the various 7.5 inch pads you mention? Thanks, Mark

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by SPR: <strong>when I install my pss9's when the new versions come out. Thanks.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">I'm also planning to install PSS9's and GT3 bars. What is different about "the new version"?

I use the 6 inch counterweight? It is one higher than the one that comes with it which I think is the 5 inch counterweight stock? I believe that is it. I will check into it for you. As far as the pss9's, here we go. I really am somewhat mad at SOME people about it as they won't tell you that the current and available pss9's for the 996 have inherent problems that are serious enough for Bilstein to thwart the entire production run and revise their product. This is what I am told. I am the consumer and only want the best product. I have been told countless times that the 996 versions, dunno about any others including turbo etc, were rushed and because of which, have some problems that make them definitely not worth buying when the new ones are going to be out soon. This information has come from MANY different sources. I am NOT bad mouthing Bilstein or any of their products. In fact I am going to be the first in line for the NEW versions as soon as they come here. As far as I have heard they were just released in Germany but are not yet ready for export or whatever. In any event that is all I can tell you and this is what I found out when I was going to buy a set but did my RESEARCH and stumbled upon this fact. It was alluded to me by some very knoweldgable people beforehand but I took the time and double checked it. I will say this, the people who will tell you the truth will not sell you these inferior units. Others will at the cost to the consumer. I was flamed big time over this but you know what? It is wrong to sell products knowing that they are not right and or because you have an inventory of them and need to liquidate them before the GOOD versions are released.