# Enhancement Detail - Porsche 911 - 996 Carrera 4S in Lapis Blue finished in Glasur!



## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

This car is owned by a DW member and was originally booked in for a quick spruce up ahead of a wedding but I was unable to fit it in, so we rescheduled for today as the owner is now thinking of selling it (possibly to me!) so wanted to see what I could do with it in the space of a day... I've fallen in love...

A quick before:


DSC05573 by RussZS, on Flickr

Wheels were up first:


DSC05574 by RussZS, on Flickr

Nothing too bad, but of brake dust.

Pressure rinse to remove loose dirt:


DSC05575 by RussZS, on Flickr

Autobrite's Very Cherry applied liberally:


DSC05577 by RussZS, on Flickr

VP brushes used on spokes:


DSC05578 by RussZS, on Flickr

Calipers:


DSC05579 by RussZS, on Flickr

G101 and VP brush used on tyres:


DSC05580 by RussZS, on Flickr

EZ Brush on the rear of the wheels:


DSC05582 by RussZS, on Flickr

Wheel Woolie on the arches to ensure the paint edge isn't scratched:


DSC05583 by RussZS, on Flickr

IronX next:


DSC05586 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05587 by RussZS, on Flickr

and rinsed...


DSC05588 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next I foamed with Bilt Hamber's AutoFoam:


DSC05589 by RussZS, on Flickr

Then worked around the car with VP brushes and surfex:


DSC05590 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05592 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05595 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05597 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the car was rinsed, and hand washed with Britemax CleanMAX:


DSC05598 by RussZS, on Flickr

Then the car was assessed for fallout and tar but very little was present (the owner had recently spent a great deal of time claying the car), so the car was moved inside for the claying stage. I used AF clay and Citrus Bling as lube:


DSC05599 by RussZS, on Flickr

It didn't pick up much aside from some sap/pollen from the roof/bonnet:


DSC05600 by RussZS, on Flickr

Then the paint was dried with a CG Wooly Mammoth:


DSC05601 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next paint readings were taken, and showing a healthy average of around 150 microns:


DSC05627 by RussZS, on Flickr

I was a little surprised when I first saw the paint under Halogen lighting!!


DSC05602 by RussZS, on Flickr

:doublesho:doublesho:doublesho


DSC05604 by RussZS, on Flickr

A bit swirly then... knowing that I only had this in for a single day enhancement, I was getting a bit concerned and knew I had my work cut out.

After trialling a few combinations, I was getting amazing results from Megs D300 and Megs MF Cutting Discs, however this was leaving a very slight haze/hologram to the paint so this was finished down with BriteMAX BlackMAX

Some correction pics...


DSC05605 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05606 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05607 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05610 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05611 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05614 by RussZS, on Flickr

A few deeper defects remained but as you can see - this is certainly enhanced... not bad for a part timer... :thumb:


DSC05615 by RussZS, on Flickr

Bonnet:


DSC05622 by RussZS, on Flickr

Front Wing:


DSC05625 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05628 by RussZS, on Flickr

I was having quite a few issues with the dreaded sticky paint however, so had to adapt my usual MF technique to allow for this.


DSC05633 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05637 by RussZS, on Flickr

Front Bumper:


DSC05638 by RussZS, on Flickr

It was looking sharper already...


DSC05640 by RussZS, on Flickr

There was also quite a severe scuff on the rear bumper:


DSC05641 by RussZS, on Flickr

After:


DSC05647 by RussZS, on Flickr

Still present but reduced in appearance significantly!!!

I finished up with Opti Seal on the wheels:


DSC05651 by RussZS, on Flickr

Mercury on the exhaust:


DSC05653 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05652 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05654 by RussZS, on Flickr

Crystal on the glass:


DSC05655 by RussZS, on Flickr

The plastic trim was also looking a bit tired, so I used the ever impressive GTechniq C4!


DSC05657 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05658 by RussZS, on Flickr

Awesome!!

I finished with Zymol's excellent Glasur wax:


DSC05650 by RussZS, on Flickr

and finally, some afters...


DSC05661 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05662 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05665 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05670 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05671 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05672 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05673 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05674 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05675 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05676 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05686 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05687 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05689 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05690 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05692 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05693 by RussZS, on Flickr

Total time - 9 hours.

What a beautiful car, and with the optional sports exhaust it sounds awesome. I may be buying this for myself... need to go and try one back to back with a few other things and see how I get on, but I loved it!! Running costs aren't toooo scary either.

Next up, an incredibly rare facelifted Alpina B3S!!

Thanks for reading:


DSC05696 by RussZS, on Flickr

Russ - Midlands Car Care.


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## OGGYsri (May 12, 2010)

An amazing transformation mate in less than 12 hours!!


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## mattc (Aug 12, 2008)

Wow.

I so need to get my car booked in with you


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## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

FANTASTIC - awesome results. Some fantastic hues exposed too.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

OGGYsri said:


> An amazing transformation mate in less than 12 hours!!


Thanks mate, we'll get your Astra sorted too, just give me a few weeks please 



mattc said:


> Wow.
> 
> I so need to get my car booked in with you


Thanks 

Sounds good Matt - what do you have?


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## ford nut (Dec 12, 2011)

great finish Russ...... Go for it , you know you want too...:thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Ns1980 said:


> FANTASTIC - awesome results. Some fantastic hues exposed too.


Thanks Nick, kind words as ever 



ford nut said:


> great finish Russ...... Go for it , you know you want too...:thumb:


I think I might be... £18,500, most options on it, spare set of tyres, recent rebuild of the engine, uprated clutch... looks good now too 

Such an amazing car and noise. The traction in the wet... :doublesho


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## OGGYsri (May 12, 2010)

That's no worries mate. Really can't wait to get it done knowing what you can do to a cars paint!!! Gunna b ordering a few things soon, do I need to buy anything for the wetsanding?


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

OGGYsri said:


> That's no worries mate. Really can't wait to get it done knowing what you can do to a cars paint!!! Gunna b ordering a few things soon, do I need to buy anything for the wetsanding?


I'll give you a call tomorrow at some point :thumb:


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## North east Car Care (Jan 14, 2008)

Stunning turnround Russ


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## OGGYsri (May 12, 2010)

That's sound mate, cheers.


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## Dwayne (Jul 27, 2010)

awesome!!Again!! lol


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Very nice mate

Looks as good as the pics in the flesh :thumb:

The exhaust with the sports option is unreal - DO IT !!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Concours Car Care said:


> Very nice mate
> 
> Looks as good as the pics in the flesh :thumb:
> 
> The exhaust with the sports option is unreal - DO IT !!


You should hear it full chatter launching off some lights!!


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## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

MidlandsCarCare said:


> You should hear it full chatter launching off some lights!!


Such a distinct sound - a colleague had practically the same car a couple of years back. I was jealous then. I still am!


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## Serkie (Dec 8, 2007)

Great detail on a lovely car. I'm looking to return to Porsche ownership soon and one of these is also on my radar. IMO the best looking 996 version. Go for it, looks very tidy.


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## petefinlay9 (Dec 1, 2009)

Fantastic work as always ! Reflections are awesome ! Is zymol your most used wax ? Seems to be really popular


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## markamo (Sep 26, 2010)

Very nice:thumb:
like i said today mate that colour is awesome:doublesho
Thanks for the wax nice meeting you today:thumb:


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## Alzak (Aug 31, 2010)

Great work Russ looks like nice replacement for Your golf ...


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## [email protected] (Apr 28, 2011)

Nice work Ross them 50/50's was amazing nice turn round in just 12 hours


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Cracking job as always Russ :thumb:


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Fantastic work..


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## b21playa (Apr 1, 2007)

Looks the business..................

................what a transformation

great 50/50 shots


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## AaronGTi (Nov 2, 2010)

Amazing car, great work Russ. Some awesome 50/50's as well.

You need that car in your life :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks all


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## CJ1985 (Feb 21, 2011)

Great work as always Russ. Any plans on going full-time?


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Stunning turn around on the correction great 50:50 shots 1M Black or 4S now thats making the decision tricky


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## Dingo2002 (Apr 4, 2007)

Stunning results for a one day'er. Very impressed.


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

Stunning results there, i can't believe you can do a decent correction detail in the time allowed, you must flying, but the results look very good.

As of the car, Go for it Russ, suits you well and you deserve it.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

CJ1985 said:


> Great work as always Russ. Any plans on going full-time?


Well... no :lol: Technically I am because I'm doing 3 cars per week which is totalling around 40 hours... so not far off full time!

I like it this way - it means I can keep the passion levels high and do it because I want to, not because I 'have to'. It's a hobby gone very wrong lol, but I love detailing so intend to carry on the way I am 

Thanks all!

Russ.


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## MRH72 (Mar 22, 2012)

Great work as always!! enjoy reading your posts..

About the car, i had the exact same model in the the same colour, what i did notice was the lapis blue seemed to mark so easy it was unreal. I had it brand new and took it back to porsche because i thought i had a duff paint job on mine. I found out that a few other people with this colour had the same problem. It was too much for me in the end, seemed to have a new mark on it every day, so got rid after 18 months.

Cracking car though


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

Nice work, everyone should own a Porsche once ... I'm still waiting for my first one


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## Mad Ad (Feb 7, 2011)

looking sharp Russ nice finish


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## leemckenna (Oct 11, 2011)

great job in short time


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

great 50/50 shots... lovely colour and great work as always.... 


:thumb:


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## MR.Q (Apr 19, 2010)

Maybe a 'part timer' but a "pro fo sho"  That's lovely work Russ - looks 1000 times better. I would defo book my car in with you but Im a wee bit far away :lol:


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## dhiren_motilal (Apr 3, 2011)

WOW, you just brought it back to life again. awesome work mate


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## gb270 (Aug 22, 2008)

Nice work there


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## cotter (Aug 31, 2008)

Great turnaround, looks fantastic :thumb:

I look after a 911 Turbo in the same colour, it's a stunning colour. X50 upgrade, GT2 exhaust, free flow cats and some other work, putting out about 510 bhp. Beast!!!!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

MR.Q said:


> Maybe a 'part timer' but a "pro fo sho"  That's lovely work Russ - looks 1000 times better. I would defo book my car in with you but Im a wee bit far away :lol:


Indeed but that's a huge compliment - thank you 

Thanks all - I really enjoyed this one! Alpina time now!

Russ.


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## steve D (Oct 5, 2010)

More praise here, great work in time frame. Helped out on a 911 in this colour a while back and loved how it went from blue to purple, as shown in your pictures. Thanks for sharing.


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## moosh (May 8, 2011)

Hey Russ fantastic job in only 9hrs :thumb: if your planning selling the edt30 drop me a pm


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## alan_mcc (Oct 28, 2008)

Epic work Russ. Them 50/50's are amazing!

What do you think to britemax cleanmax then? Were you tempted to drink it?


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## Hoppo32 (Nov 18, 2008)

You shot yourself in the foot there Russ, you done such a good job that you bumped the price up by a couple of grand :lol:
Seriously though you really should treat yourself, it's a stunning piece of machinary.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks all, very kind words indeed 

Moosh - will do


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## President Swirl (Oct 23, 2011)

Awesome work mate. That could be a poisoned chalice, as he will want more now to sell it.


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## alexj (Apr 12, 2012)

Wow that was seriously swirly, a great result in a day !

Have you bought the car or did your sensible side win in the end ?


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

not really keen on porkers but i'd buy one at the drop of the hat if you'd polished it. looks amazing :thumb:


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## Saqib200 (May 13, 2008)

Very glossy, and great before/after shots!


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## VMP (Aug 10, 2010)

And all this whit the MF System from Meguiars?


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

VMP said:


> And all this whit the MF System from Meguiars?


Yes but it needed refining afterwards - it's not suitable for every paint type but sometimes is a good choice


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## Ali (Apr 5, 2006)

The PSE system really is cracking! Lovely note!


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## Socal Brian (Dec 4, 2011)

Beautiful work Russ and nice 50/50's.


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## ckeir.02mh (Jan 5, 2012)

Nicely done as usual Russ! :argie: the car 

Chris


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## Wax-IT.be (Feb 3, 2011)

great picture!


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## fatty (Aug 23, 2010)

Russ, great work as usual!

love the car also. I'm looking into porsche ownership too, got to be the 996 turbo for me tho!!


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## Miglior (Feb 12, 2006)

nice work russ, I love working on lapis blue porsches


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Fantastic work in a days work correction was fantastic, i can see why you want to buy it know, top work as usual Russ and speedy job as well , how have you found the opti coat to last on daily driver Russ.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks all, appreciate the kind words.

Derek, I used Opti Coat 2.0 on an A4 which is very local to me and it's still behaving like it was applied yesterday. It's been on for 6-7 months or so. Very strong product indeed.

Russ.


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

MidlandsCarCare said:


> Thanks all, appreciate the kind words.
> 
> Derek, I used Opti Coat 2.0 on an A4 which is very local to me and it's still behaving like it was applied yesterday. It's been on for 6-7 months or so. Very strong product indeed.
> 
> Russ.


That's sounds great Russ have you tried topping it with a wax i have a tub of Autobahn sitting to try, i hear opti coat has a new sealent due any news on it Russ


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