New Porsche - What to use?

[ossi]

Hi all!

i have been reading all the wonderfull tips and tricks that are posted here. this is a great forum and i would like to thank everybody who take the time to write stuff.

i have recently taken delivery of a brand new porsche carrera which is "Seal Gray". with the arrival if my new car, i would like to get into detailing, right now i am mostly interested in information on how to wash and seal/wax the paint.

i have been reading that many here have their own preference regarding what products to use in combination. there seem to be a lot of 3-letter aliases that are use in this forum but i have a hard time understanding what products you guys refer to. therefore, it would be great of anyone who responded to this, could use the full product name instead - thank in advance!

now to my questions:

* since this a new, "european" paint, are their any special things to keep in mind regarding paint care/cleaning
* what shampoo to use?
* how do i know if i need to clay?
* is Kalsse AIO a good general choice as a preparation step? any other suggestions?
* is 4 star UPP a good general choice as a sealer over Klasse AIO?
* where does klasse SG come in? between AIO and UPP or after UPP?

ans as a last question: this car is my daily driver and i understand that non-synthetic waxes, have a tendency to be less wear resistant than 100% synthetic stuff. what is a good synthetic wax ontop of UPP to get the wet look?

again, i am a total newbie and not all of what i have written above may make sense. there is just so much general info out there that i hope i can get some specific recomendations for my "Seal Grey" case.

thanks in advance,
-r

 

[JaredPointer]

there seem to be a lot of 3-letter aliases that are use in this forum but i have a hard time understanding what products you guys refer to.

Hey ossi, most of the acronyms are listed HERE . Hope this helps you understand some of the product names a little better!!

 

[awd330]

now to my questions:

* since this a new, "european" paint, are their any special things to keep in mind regarding paint care/cleaning
* what shampoo to use?
* how do i know if i need to clay?
* is Kalsse AIO a good general choice as a preparation step? any other suggestions?
* is 4 star UPP a good general choice as a sealer over Klasse AIO?
* where does klasse SG come in? between AIO and UPP or after UPP?

ans as a last question: this car is my daily driver and i understand that non-synthetic waxes, have a tendency to be less wear resistant than 100% synthetic stuff. what is a good synthetic wax ontop of UPP to get the wet look?

Welcome to Detail City ossi! :welcome

I also have a Seal Grey Porsche. The good news is that the Seal Grey color is fairly easy to care for and looks good with any number of car detailing products.

As far as your questions go -

- European paint characteristics differ from marque to marque. Porsche paint is very hard, so it can be difficult to repair scratches and marring once they have occurred. Your main objective should be to take care to not create scratches and swirls through improper washing, drying, and buffing techniques. Take the time to invest in some high quality wash mitts (I like 100% cotton chenille mitts) and waffle weave microfiber drying towels. A couple dozen high quality microfiber (MF) general purpose towels would also be good for buffing off residue from your polishes/sealants/waxes. Try using the search feature for threads discussing preferred microfiber vendors. [Note: Many of Detail City's sponsors have excellent microfiber towels. You may also be eligible for discounts for being a forum member.]

- There are many excellent shampoos available. Look for one that has high lubricity and rinses cleanly. My personal favorites are Poorboy's new Super Slick and Suds Shampoo, BMW Autoshampoo, and Sonax Gloss Shampoo. For a locally available product, it's hard to beat Meguiar's Gold Class Shampoo ($9.99 for a gallon at Target).

- Most new cars could benefit from claying. After washing the hood, run the palm of your hand across the surface. If you can feel tiny bits of roughness (like small grains of sand), claying might be a good idea.

- Klasse AIO is an excellent prep product. It has chemical cleaning abilities and leaves the surface ready for most sealants and waxes. Since this is a new car, you probably (hopefully) won't need any type of abrasive polish at this time. Stick with a chemical cleaner, preferably one that is designed to work with your sealant of choice. If you want to use Klasse SG as your sealant, then definitely use AIO as the base.

- 4* UPP would be a very good choice for a sealant. If you go this route, I would recommend using UPP's companion cleaner (UPC) for prep. UPP leaves an exceptionally slick feel, and it is clear enough to let the Seal Grey metallic flakes shine through.

- UPP and SG are both sealants. I personally have not had luck layering different types of sealants on top of each other. I feel like I get better results when I choose one sealant which matches my preferences for looks. I can then top with a quality carnauba (non-synthetic) wax to tailor the end result. For the Seal Grey Color, I like the look of UPP better than SG.

- For a wet look carnauba topper, Poorboy's Natty's Wax would be a good choice. Clearkote Carnauba Moose is also very wet, but may sacrifice a bit of clarity.

FWIW, my personal favorite combo for Seal Grey is Clearkote Vanilla Moose for prep, Poorboy's EX Sealant (2 layers) for protection, and S100 paste wax for a carnauba topper.

 

[Luv-N-It]

Hey ossi, most of the acronyms are listed HERE . Hope this helps you understand some of the product names a little better!!

I've been reading and enjoying this site for the past week since I've found it. That is a great link. IMO (in my opinion-ha) I think the site administrator could/should take that link and sort of make it a "site link" to help others more????

 

[JaredPointer]

I've been reading and enjoying this site for the past week since I've found it. That is a great link. IMO (in my opinion-ha) I think the site administrator could/should take that link and sort of make it a "site link" to help others more????

I made it a sticky at the top of three threads. Hopefully more people will notice it up there and can get to understanding the lingo a little better. I know it was hard for me to catch on!!

 

[Don]

I agree with awd330 Amost ALL cars, whether new or a few years old can benefit from claying, the 'baggie test' is a good one, but some contaminates are too small to feel or are not of a 'solid clump' nature...more of a coating type...like a hardened fluid that isn't easily 'felt.' Clay can remove both types with minimum risk to the paint.

Personally, I usually clay a car as a "second half" of the wash...wash & rinse the car, then use the cash wash solution in the bucket for lube, clay the car & "rewash" the panel & rinse before moving to the next one. Then once the car has been dried, I inspect to see what level of product is needed next. Typically on a car in excellent condition, I start with a mild swirl removal product (Megs #9 or #82) then use my last step product.

I use CLay Magic 'blue' clay and I notice a VERY MILD wetsanded look to my Millenium Yellow paint, so the swirl remover is the next logical step (for me).