Brand New Boxster S - Should I Wait to Give Full Treatment?

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boxsterman

New member
By 2003 Polar Silver Porsche Boxster S is being built next week with an expected delivery the first week of April. I was thinking of doing a full treatment with Klasse and PS21, but am a little concerned that the paint may be a little soft and am thinking that I should just stick with a good wax now and then do the full treatment in 6 months.



Any thoughts??
 
You can start right away, the paint will be ready.

I suggest good claying first and you can go straight to Klasse SG, skipping AIO on a new car. This is exactly what I did on my new car with great results, here are some pics with 3 coats of Klasse SG only:



304204.jpg




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Later I added 2 coats of P21S.
 
If Porsche would release a factory paint which is still soft I would ask for a refund:D



You can go through the whole works the day you bring her home and I would also recommend that tomorrow you call your Porsche salesman at the dealer where you are taking delivery and tell him or her to do no detail prep to the car at all:nono



No dressing on the tires, no buffing, no dressing on the leather or dash.



I would recommend a cleaner/polish/(glaze depending on the color) and then a sealant of your choice.



Do you own a polisher, an orbital or Porter Cable?



Oh, and congrats on the new Porsche:bounce



Anthony
 
I don't own an orbital and, given the small size of the car, am inclined to do things by hand.



Why would I want to clay a brand new car? The paint in the showrooms at this dealer is smooth as silk.
 
boxsterman said:
Why would I want to clay a brand new car? The paint in the showrooms at this dealer is smooth as silk.
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New cars are subjected to damaging contamination like rail dust and brake dust during transport then, like your Porsche they'll sit in ports in the cities with heavy industrial pollution.

Even tough they are covered some of the contaminants can reach the paint so claying is done to make sure your paint is in the best possible shape. I wouldn't be surprised if dealership is doing this during their vehicle preparation so you may ask them about it.
 
Boxter,



Since your Porsche is going to be the Polar Silver, which by the way is a beautiful color (the one in my avatar is Seal Gray), I would recommend for the cleaning stage P21S's cleansing lotion or Pinnacle's Cleansing Lotion. I have more experience with Pinnacles and use it for new cars by hand or orbital.



It leaves the paint silky smooth and also removes all previous waxes and polishes. This stage then sets you up for a polish, like Meguirs #9. You can skip the glaze since your car is a Silver and after rubbing #9 in well by hand top it off with a nice wax.



Many here would recommend laying down Zaino for added protection, which is smart, but is this going to be a daily left in the elements driver or a pampered garage queen?



If you want a nice protection of polymer then you can purchase Meguirs #20 and then lay on top of that a wax that really makes Silvers stand out. Pinnacle Paste Glaz is a great choice as is P21S.



Please post some pics when she is all done.



Anthony
 
boxsterman- Definitely do the clay, or even look into AutoInt's ABC system. Imbedded ferrous contaminants can cause quite noticeable rust specks on silver paint. I used ABC and clay on my new S8 (a car I'm VERY careful with) and all subsequent cars- it worked great. Some of my previous silver cars had tiny rust spots that seemed to appear out of nowhere, but I never got them after the ABC/clay treatment.



The Klasse + wax works well, as do the others that have been suggested. You might also consider Blackfire. Lots of products look good on silver, but there are subtle differences in HOW they look.



If you can, have the dealer notify you when the car comes in so you can see it get unloaded and you KNOW what they do/don't put it through. Get your preferences (e.g., "do not cosmetically prep vehicle") WRITTEN on the car's prep order. On the other hand, some Porsche dealers DO know what they are doing when it comes to new car prep. Stoddard Imported Cars, in Willoughby OH, doesn't mess them up at all. So get to know your dealer, if you haven't already. You want to know what to expect when they have the car for service anyhow.
 
I will probably put under 5,000 miles on per year and it will be garaged at home and at work.



As a mentioned it is a 2003 Boxster S, polar silver exterior and natural gray (almost) all leather interior.



I have two more questions.



First, is there any one of the mentioned sealants/waxes that are thought to be best on silver?



Second, I don't want my leather to be shiny. Dull to satin is my preference. I have read conflicting reports on this board and elsewhere as to which conditioners leave a shinier finish. Some say Lexol is shinier. Others say Pinnacle is shinier.



All comments would be greatly appreciated. I am counting the days!!
 
To be honest, everything looks good on silver. Some say that on a silver car, reflectivity should be emphasized over depth. A product like Zaino, which is highly reflective, should be selected over, say, a carnuba wax, becuase silver benefits most from reflectivity.



My wife's C280 is silver, and I have been equally impressed by both approaches. It looks fantastic with Zaino. It also looks fantastic with a three-step combination of P21S GEPC, Mothers Glaze, and P21S carnuba wax. Both approaches look equally great. The Zaino is highly reflective, and the carnuba 3-step gives the paint a deep, wet look that has to be seen to be believed. My wife's car is parked outside, so I am currently using Zaino, but if it were garaged, I might well go with the P21s, because there is something about the wet look that is really compelling.



Anyway, anything you choose will look great. Experiment with the different products and see which one you like best.
 
boxterman,



If your leather has a vinyl top coat, which I doubt it does (ask your dealer), then 303 would be a good choice as it does not leave a shiny finish but more of a satin sheen.



If your leather dos not have a vinyl top coat then Hide Food would give you the least shine compared to Pinnacle. Pinnacle does give a high shine but personally I feel it is one of the best leather conditioners out there.



Anthony
 
I apply 303 AP to my BMW leather and have been for 3 years. It does leave a bit more sheen but it is by no means glossy! And frankly I would rather have a slight sheen than years of UV damage. My car is a convertible and is often left with the top down in summer. So far the leather looks supple and as black as the day it first hit the road.
 
boxsterman said:




First, is there any one of the mentioned sealants/waxes that are thought to be best on silver?
Click to expand...



Your intended combination of Klasse and P21S should look fantanstic on silver. P21S alone looks great on silver. Anthony's suggestion of Paste Glaz is also an excellent choice.



Like the others recommended, definitely clay the car and definitely don't let the dealer wax it, unless you like buffer swirls and white junk stuck in all the emblems and between body panels. I've yet to see a dealer that can wax a car without messing it up.



Second, I don't want my leather to be shiny. Dull to satin is my preference. I have read conflicting reports on this board and elsewhere as to which conditioners leave a shinier finish. Some say Lexol is shinier. Others say Pinnacle is shinier.
Click to expand...



I'd use Tanner's Preserves. Soaks in real fast, very light sheen and it has a real nice leather smell-best of all, it isn't very expensive and even a lot of grocery stores carry it. The main thing though....keep the leather clean!



====================



One final suggestion-have me do the initial detail and I will test it at top speed to make sure the wax stays on at 140+! ;)
 
I like Zaino for silvers and metallics, it really makes the paint "pop":eek:



I'm not positive if 303 is okay for your leather dash, but I've been using on vinyl forever, and I love the look. It just seems to maintain that 'factory fresh' look. No gloss, no sheen really.:xyxthumbs



I'm slowly but surely saving my pennies for a Boxster S. They've always been my favorite(attainable:p ) cars...



Good luck with whatever you do, and PLEASE:bow post pics!!!



:wavey
 
I've got one more comment on 303 Aerospace Protectant. You can safely use it weather your leather has a top coat or not, UV protection, especially on an open top car is very important and 303 clearly has an advantage here.

It leaves very little shine but the application is also important. Do not spray it straight on the seats or dash, spray it on a slightly damp foam or cotton applicator and then apply to a surface. It absorbs very quickly, let it sit maybe 5 minutes and then wipe everything clean with a damp microfiber towel, it will minimize the shine even more and will leave even surface. I do this every few weeks but wipe the interior clean at least once a week.

I still condition my leather at least twice a year with leather conditioner after good cleaning.
 
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