Porsche paint advice

[987CS]

Hi everyone -- I was hoping to get the input of the pros on ceramic coating my 2007 Porsche 987. I've read in some places that Porsche has softer paint (softer clear coat perhaps?) than other German cars and I'm wondering how that will impact my process to coat with Cquartz UK 3.0?

Other than the expected rock chips in the front bumper and hood on a 13 year old Porsche, overall my clear on 85% of the car is very good and even with a flashlight on it shows very very minor imperfections. In a flood light it's clear as glass in most areas. Some areas show a bit more imperfections than other areas under the flashlight.

Based on another thread on this site and based on talking with Luis in customer service, this is my plan and I have all of this arriving tomorrow .... anyone have any thoughts on this with the Porsche paint? I guess the clay bar and the polishing steps would be where I'm most curious about your thoughts, but open to any other suggestions you might have.

1. Reset
2. Iron-X snow foam
3. Clay bar
4. Reset again (If needed)
5. Essense with Lake Country HDO Black Pad
5a. If not satisfied, Fixer with Lake Country HDO Black Pad
5b. If not satisfied, Fixer with Sky's the Limit Purple Spider Pad
5c. If Fixer used, second polish with Essence to pre for CQuartz UK 3.0
6. Cquartz UK 3.0, 2 coats 45 minutes apart -- buff each section with CarPro 2 Face blue as CQUK flashes
6. Gliss, 4 hours after 2nd coat

Thanks !

[Merlin]

Let's start with the basics...

What machine do you have?

Every automotive paint on every year, make and model (for me) has been different.
Always start with the "least aggressive method to polish the paint".

Dr. Color Chip is a great resource for the small rock chips.

The ScanGrip Essential Detailing Kit is a great place to start with inspection lighting.

IMHO Inspection and correction is first. Applying the coating is the final and last thing to do.
Try to safely polish the paint to the best it can be before applying the coating.

If it were me, I'd wait a bit longer before applying Gliss.

[987CS]

What machine do you have?

Porter Cable 7424xp

If it were me, I'd wait a bit longer before applying Gliss.

How much longer?

Thanks for the advice on the inspection lighting kit.

[Merlin]

Porter Cable 7424xp

How much longer?

Thanks for the advice on the inspection lighting kit.

Have you ordered the pads?

I suggest a 5" backing plate and 5" pads for a PC.
Meguiar's® 5" Soft Buff DA Backing Plate, DBP5

[987CS]

Have you ordered the pads?

I suggest a 5" backing plate and 5" pads for a PC.
Meguiar's® 5" Soft Buff DA Backing Plate, DBP5

Yes I ordered 5-1/2" Lake Country HDO Black and Sky's The Limit 5-1/2" Purple Spider pads from Luis in customer service and I got the Chemical Guys backing pad ...

[Reflection 5-0]

If I remember correctly when you switch to the 5" backing plate on the PC, you have to change the counterweight. I'm pretty sure mine came with one, but has been a long time since I used one.

[Merlin]

If I remember correctly when you switch to the 5" backing plate on the PC, you have to change the counterweight.
I'm pretty sure mine came with one, but has been a long time since I used one.

Yes, you should change the counterweight but in my case I did not and I have not found any differences.

[The Guz]

Hi everyone -- I was hoping to get the input of the pros on ceramic coating my 2007 Porsche 987. I've read in some places that Porsche has softer paint (softer clear coat perhaps?) than other German cars and I'm wondering how that will impact my process to coat with Cquartz UK 3.0?

Other than the expected rock chips in the front bumper and hood on a 13 year old Porsche, overall my clear on 85% of the car is very good and even with a flashlight on it shows very very minor imperfections. In a flood light it's clear as glass in most areas. Some areas show a bit more imperfections than other areas under the flashlight.

Based on another thread on this site and based on talking with Luis in customer service, this is my plan and I have all of this arriving tomorrow .... anyone have any thoughts on this with the Porsche paint? I guess the clay bar and the polishing steps would be where I'm most curious about your thoughts, but open to any other suggestions you might have.

1. Reset
2. Iron-X snow foam
3. Clay bar
4. Reset again (If needed)
5. Essense with Lake Country HDO Black Pad
5a. If not satisfied, Fixer with Lake Country HDO Black Pad
5b. If not satisfied, Fixer with Sky's the Limit Purple Spider Pad
5c. If Fixer used, second polish with Essence to pre for CQuartz UK 3.0
6. Cquartz UK 3.0, 2 coats 45 minutes apart -- buff each section with CarPro 2 Face blue as CQUK flashes
6. Gliss, 4 hours after 2nd coat

Thanks !

It is hard to say how soft or hard the paint is without doing a test spot. I am not familiar with the spider pads as I don't use them. But I would start with Essence on a polishing pad and go from there. IF you need to go with Fixer on a polishing pad then you can finish with Essence on the finishing pad to refine the finish.

I always recommend a prep wipe with Eraser even if using Essence to remove any residual oils left behind.

Porter Cable 7424xp



How much longer?

Thanks for the advice on the inspection lighting kit.

You will have no issues applying it 4 hours after. That is the minimum time to apply that is recommended by CarPro.

If I remember correctly when you switch to the 5" backing plate on the PC, you have to change the counterweight. I'm pretty sure mine came with one, but has been a long time since I used one.

I have had my PC for years and have never changed the counter weight to run a 5 inch backing plate. It works fine just swapping the plate. I no longer use it as much since I transitioned over to a different machine.

[987CS]

Thanks for the tips guys. I ended up returning the Porter Cable and the Chemical Guys 5" backing plate and bought the Griots GC9 and Meguiar's backing plate model that was recommended above.

My first test spot I tried is where I removed the OEM original (2007) stone guards from the front of the rear fender wells. Plan is to replace with XPEL, but the XPEL pre-cut kit covers a larger area than the original stone guards so I"m trying my best to get that entire area to look the same. The paint underneath the original stone guards is immaculate, obviously not so much in the surrounding areas - although the clear on much of the rest of the car is in much, much better condition.

So last night I tried the following combinations ... still left with some scratches and pitting though -- and as a complete novice at this I'm wondering how good can I actually get the clear down there that wasn't under the original stone guard?

1. Essence with LC HDO Black
2. Essence with STL Purple Spider
3. Fixer with LC HDO Black
4. Fixer with STL Purple Spider
5. Again with Essense with LC HDO Black

And although the gloss is incredible I still have quite a bit of defects -- again, wondering how good can I actually get this area? Should I get more aggressive or be content with not taking off too much more?

Original stone guard location for reference, although my test area for polishing was on the passenger side:


Paint under the original OEM stone guard after the polishing steps above - flawless, as expected since it was protected:


Paint next to the oringal OEM stone guard after the polishing steps above, some pits and there are some deeper scratches but swirls and light scratches are gone -- and you can even see the faint line where the OEM stone guard was in the lower left of the inspection light reflection as it goes to the "perfect" paint:

[DIANA LYNCH]

If you’re looking to paint your Porsche, you’ve got some awesome options. First off, stick with factory colors if you want to keep that classic look—shades like Guards Red, Carrara White, or Racing Yellow always look stunning. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can go for a custom color, but make sure to get it done by a pro who knows Porsches. Also, consider a ceramic coating or paint protection film to keep that paint job looking fresh and guard against chips and scratches. And, of course, always use high-quality car care products to maintain that beautiful shine.