2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo Detail
10-24-2009, 08:20 AM
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2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo Detail
I believe this Panamera Turbo is the first one in Southern California and it was a real joy to work on. First, this is one AMAZING Porsche. I liked it on paper and on the computer screen and now I'm in love with this sedan. IMHO, it's hands down THE sedan of choice for me at the moment. The fit and finish is second to none. The attention to detail and design is second to none. Porsche definitely did its homework and hit it out of the park with this one.
As you'll see, this Panamera did come with the usual flaws from the dealer. I can only assume it was from washing the car. How a dealer can send out a $150000 car in this condition is beyond me. To this day I have yet to find a dealer do a proper prep on a new car. It infuriates me to no end; but that's another thread.
This detail was suppose to be a full interior/exterior detail but once I started, I decided to shift gears. The client is going to take this car to a few runs before taking it to SEMA in a few weeks. I originally wanted to do a paint correction as well as a full detail but the client was hesitant on machine polishing since he knew the car would get hammered in the next few weeks. I thought I could simply hand polish the exterior and minimize some of the imperfection. To my dismay, hand polishing didn't get me the desired effect. Knowing how special this car is and the attention it was to receive, and my rep being on the line, I decided to do a one-stage polish instead of a full interior detail. This way I'd stay within budget, stay within time allocation, and make a dramatic improvement in the overall appearance of this car.
I'd say the exterior is about 85% of the way there, but I'm very happy considering the circumstances. With that said, here's an education on our process at Glistening Perfection and what we feel to be a proper New Car Prep.
Initial Condition
As you'll see, this Panamera did come with the usual flaws from the dealer. I can only assume it was from washing the car. How a dealer can send out a $150000 car in this condition is beyond me. To this day I have yet to find a dealer do a proper prep on a new car. It infuriates me to no end; but that's another thread.
This detail was suppose to be a full interior/exterior detail but once I started, I decided to shift gears. The client is going to take this car to a few runs before taking it to SEMA in a few weeks. I originally wanted to do a paint correction as well as a full detail but the client was hesitant on machine polishing since he knew the car would get hammered in the next few weeks. I thought I could simply hand polish the exterior and minimize some of the imperfection. To my dismay, hand polishing didn't get me the desired effect. Knowing how special this car is and the attention it was to receive, and my rep being on the line, I decided to do a one-stage polish instead of a full interior detail. This way I'd stay within budget, stay within time allocation, and make a dramatic improvement in the overall appearance of this car.
I'd say the exterior is about 85% of the way there, but I'm very happy considering the circumstances. With that said, here's an education on our process at Glistening Perfection and what we feel to be a proper New Car Prep.
Initial Condition
10-24-2009, 08:21 AM
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Initial Wash (90 Minutes)
I first begin by cleaning the door jams using a citrus-based cleaner. This helps loosen the dirt and grime in the door jams and seals
Then the engine bay is cleaned using same citrus cleaner. The trick to remember is to run the engine for a while to warm up. Rinse using deionized so there's no water spotting. Use a soft horse-hair bristle to clean components
Wheels are cleaned using a safe pH balanced wheel cleaner that will not harm the clear coating on the wheels. Various brushes are needed such as horse-hair wheel brush and the EZ Detail brush to get inside the wheels and clean in the wheel well
The exterior is rinsed, washed using an organic and natural auto soap that is safe for the paint and the environment. My choice for a wash mitt is the GP Australian Sheepskin Mitt. I work in small panels, washing area no larger than where my arms can reach. Once the panel is washed with the mitt, I then rinse the panel washed and rinse the mitt. This way, the paint is flushed from the soap that is holding all the dirt and my mitt is always clean when dipped back into my soap bucket
The paint is dried using our GP MicroDry Towels. These are high-quality foam-core microfiber towels that do an excellent job of drying. Two towels is enough to dry the whole car. I then blow-dry the exterior to get all the water out of the nook-and-crannies using an Airmax Filtered Blower
I first begin by cleaning the door jams using a citrus-based cleaner. This helps loosen the dirt and grime in the door jams and seals
Then the engine bay is cleaned using same citrus cleaner. The trick to remember is to run the engine for a while to warm up. Rinse using deionized so there's no water spotting. Use a soft horse-hair bristle to clean components
Wheels are cleaned using a safe pH balanced wheel cleaner that will not harm the clear coating on the wheels. Various brushes are needed such as horse-hair wheel brush and the EZ Detail brush to get inside the wheels and clean in the wheel well
The exterior is rinsed, washed using an organic and natural auto soap that is safe for the paint and the environment. My choice for a wash mitt is the GP Australian Sheepskin Mitt. I work in small panels, washing area no larger than where my arms can reach. Once the panel is washed with the mitt, I then rinse the panel washed and rinse the mitt. This way, the paint is flushed from the soap that is holding all the dirt and my mitt is always clean when dipped back into my soap bucket
The paint is dried using our GP MicroDry Towels. These are high-quality foam-core microfiber towels that do an excellent job of drying. Two towels is enough to dry the whole car. I then blow-dry the exterior to get all the water out of the nook-and-crannies using an Airmax Filtered Blower
10-24-2009, 08:21 AM
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Paint cleaned and decontaminated (20 Minutes)
Now that paint is washed and dried, it's time to decontaminate and deep clean the paint to prep for polishing. This wasn't all that bad as you can see not much contaminants were picked up by the clay. A very mild clay was used
Paint is polished to remove imperfections and prep for wax (180 Minutes)
As I mentioned, I ended up doing a one-stage polish using Menzerna Super Intensive Polish and GP CCS White polishing pad using a FLEX at setting 5.5. The results were stunning considering a one stage process. The panels were wiped with alcohol to assure proper correction
Polishing is complete. You can see how the polish is broken down and has a slight haze that can almost be seen through
Final polishing results prior to waxing
Exterior is waxed using a carnauba wax (20 Minutes)
Final attention is addressed to tires, wheel well, and wheels (30 Minutes)
Door jams are waxed, engine bay is wiped down and conditioned, any rubber trim is cleaned and conditioned (30 Minutes)
Glass is cleaned and Final Inspection is done (15 Minutes)
Interior is vacuumed, leather is cleaned using Organic Natural Leather Cleaner. All interior panels were then conditioned using a spray that applies a UV coating to protect against sun. We will condition the interior in a few weeks with the proper leather and vinyl conditioner. (50 Minutes)
Now that paint is washed and dried, it's time to decontaminate and deep clean the paint to prep for polishing. This wasn't all that bad as you can see not much contaminants were picked up by the clay. A very mild clay was used
Paint is polished to remove imperfections and prep for wax (180 Minutes)
As I mentioned, I ended up doing a one-stage polish using Menzerna Super Intensive Polish and GP CCS White polishing pad using a FLEX at setting 5.5. The results were stunning considering a one stage process. The panels were wiped with alcohol to assure proper correction
Polishing is complete. You can see how the polish is broken down and has a slight haze that can almost be seen through
Final polishing results prior to waxing
Exterior is waxed using a carnauba wax (20 Minutes)
Final attention is addressed to tires, wheel well, and wheels (30 Minutes)
Door jams are waxed, engine bay is wiped down and conditioned, any rubber trim is cleaned and conditioned (30 Minutes)
Glass is cleaned and Final Inspection is done (15 Minutes)
Interior is vacuumed, leather is cleaned using Organic Natural Leather Cleaner. All interior panels were then conditioned using a spray that applies a UV coating to protect against sun. We will condition the interior in a few weeks with the proper leather and vinyl conditioner. (50 Minutes)
10-24-2009, 08:22 AM
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Final Results
Slight haze you may see is from the wax. I had to apply the wax on the hood in direct sunlight and since I used a carnauba wax, it has a lower melting point than the paint temp at time of application. No matter what you do, the wiping will leave a slight haze until the paint is cooled down and wiped
Slight haze you may see is from the wax. I had to apply the wax on the hood in direct sunlight and since I used a carnauba wax, it has a lower melting point than the paint temp at time of application. No matter what you do, the wiping will leave a slight haze until the paint is cooled down and wiped
10-24-2009, 08:22 AM
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Thanks to the client, will remain anonymous, and the boys at BBI, Betim and Joey. You guys were great to hang out with and your facility and dedication is second to none. I appreciate you accommodating me and making me feel at home. Glad we had a chance to finally meet and I look forward to many more details at your facility.
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10-26-2009, 10:13 AM
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Good exercise, immediate gratification, and excellent therapy.
11-02-2009, 11:09 PM
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Looks great, White has so much orange peel Zaino-ing your new 550 is a waste of time. You need to have that thing wet sanded and 2 stage power polish. I did this and wow - looks fantastic.
11-03-2009, 09:54 AM
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Just make sure whomever is doing the wetsanding specializes in it. Most paints today are very thin as is. Mercedes is on the thicker side, however, it doesn't take much removal of clear to compromise the integrity and UV protection of the clear coat. But nothing beats a finish that is void of orange peel and reflects light perfectly.
11-23-2009, 11:46 PM
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