# Polished Bliss®: 5 day detail - Ocean Blue 993 Turbo...



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Some of you may know by now that I am rather fond of my Porsches, so when the owner of this one dropped in by a couple of months ago with a view to booking it in it goes without saying that I was rather looking forward to it 

The car by the owners own admission has had a hard life up to now, it's done over 90,000 miles, gets driven daily (even in winter) and pretty much every panel on the car has been painted at some point (to be fair 95% of it was done well although the after prep left a lot to be desired which we'll see in a minute!). He basically thought that most of the car was going to need a re-paint but I told him to leave the car with us for a week and hopefully by the end he'd be pleasantly surprised :thumb:

Anyways, enough of the blurb - let's see some before shots:

One tired looking 911:










Someone's cat obviously likes to go for walks over the bonnet:










Couple of bird bombs:










Very "milky" looking paintwork in places:














































The "big reds" were looking more a sad pinky colour!










The interior was pretty grubby in places too:



























































































First job was to remove the wheels to clean the arches properly:



















For some reason I don't have an after pic at this stage  but you'll see later on that they were actually done :lol:

The wheels were put back on but not cleaned yet as the sealant I was going to use can't get wet for several hours so they would get done once the car was inside.

So, APC through the foam lance at a temperature of approx 60/70 degrees:










Then rinsed off thoroughly:



















APC was then applied and agitated with Raceglaze Detailing brushes to clean all exterior trim/badge/shuts etc:























































Engine bay was cleaned with Meguiars Super Degreaser:




























Not the most exciting engine to look at really!

The car was then washed with the 2 bucket method, Autosmart Tardis was used to remove some large tar deposits and then Iron Cut was applied to remove any iron contamination - no pics of this stage as it was really heavy with rain by now.

Inside, the car was clayed with Meguiars Mild which removed a little bit of contamination but not a huge amount:










After drying with PB towels and the Black Baron I turned my attention back to the wheels:










Process was as follows:

- Gloss-It wheel gel (4:1)
- Autosmart Tardis
- Iron Cut
- IPA wipe down
- Nanolex Professional Sealant

Unfortunately, the wheels had all been refurbished at some point and while the faces were pretty good the inner rims were really rough and a lot of dirt was trapped under the clear 

They came up pretty well considering:



















However, you can see where old weight residue had been painted over:










Seriously, how difficult would it be just to give the *whole* wheel a clean before painting?? This is one of the things that frustrates me the most and it's probably the same for detailers up and down the country.

While the wheels were off I decided I needed to do something about those calipers, so we went from this...










...To this...










This was achieved by removing any flaking bits of clear coat (if there's any left!)...



















Then touch in any chips (Ford Colorado Red is a 99% match for these by the way :thumb and apply several (think I applied 6 to each!) coats of lacquer...










Et Voila!



















Once all 4 corners were done it was finally time to turn to the paintwork:









































































That "milky" look on the roof was actually DA sanding marks!














































Mmmmm nice! 

Paint thickness readings were all over the place with this car, the lowest readings were mid 200's with the highest spots up and over 1000 microns!

With the roof being one of the worst places for defects I chose this as a good start for a test section to determine what polish & pad combo I would need.

In the end, 2 hits of Menzerna 3.02 with an Orange Lake Country Hydrotech pad @1800rpm's gave surprisingly good results...





































That's the good thing with a resprayed panel, sometimes it won't always be as hard as the original paint would have been and this was the case with the 911 - I'd say it was of medium hardness over the majority of the car and not once did I have to go any more aggressive than 3.02 

This was typically the level of defect left in:










Paint levels being what they were, it would have been possible to safely remove these if it had been a Ne Plus Ultra level of detail but the owner wanted it capped at 5 days to stay within budget so we had to find a good compromise :thumb:

Here's a before and after showing the difference in the clarity of the paint:

*Before*:



















Milkyness gone 










A few more before and afters:

*Before*:










*After*:










*Before*:










*After*:










*Before*:










*After*:










Few 50/50's:














































Bonnet under the Sun Gun:










And under the Aquartz light:










The paint protection film on the rear quarters were polished with Menzerna 203S @1200rpm's:

*Before*:










*After*:










The Passenger side one didn't correct as well as the driver's side though. I tried a few different things with no change other than the slight increase of clarity:

*Before*:










*After*:










The smaller pads were handy as ever on this one:





































Rear bumper after, again showing 1 or 2 deeper randoms which were left:










*Before*:










*After*:










The Turbo spoilers are always a 2 second job to mask up! Not...










The top part with all the vents can actually be unclipped but this one had the "pull me much further and I'm going to snap in half" feel about it so I left it in place 

*50/50*:










Gloss-It Light Cut spot pad was used for these bits:










*Before*:










*After*:










I always try to get the masking tape as close to or even tucked under the trims where possible as it prevents you from leaving a slightly duller masking line once removed:










Top part corrected, lower part untouched:










*Before*:










*After*:










*Before*:










*After*:










*Before*:










*After*:










C Pillar before:










After:










Once all the correction work was done I refined the finish with a Lake Country polishing pad and Menzerna 85RE @1500rpm's:










The paint was then dusted down and given a thorough IPA wipe down...










...followed by an application of Nanolex Professional:










Nanolex was also applied to the exterior glass while 3M Glass cleaner was used for the interior:



















The interior was then thoroughly hoovered and dusted:



















The leather was cleaned and conditioned with products we can't name yet and any grubby marks on the carpets were cleaned with APC:




























303 Fabric Guard was then applied:










Same process for the mats:










All Plastic and Vinyl surfaces were cleaned with APC and then protected with Werkstat Satin Prot and all the other various details such as the tailpipes (Raceglaze Alutec), shuts (Werkstat Prime Strong) & engine bay (303 Aerospace Protectant) etc were attended to.

A final wipe down of the paintwork with Nanolex Spray in the morning removed some light hazing and left us with the following:

Wheel bolts painted black again:




















































































































































































































































You may have guessed that I quite enjoyed this one and the owner was pretty pleased with it too :thumb:

Thanks for looking!

Clark


----------



## UBRWGN (Nov 25, 2007)

:argie: Outstanding!:argie:


----------



## tdekany (Jul 22, 2006)

Superb!!!!!:thumb::thumb::thumb:


----------



## 888-Dave (Jul 30, 2010)

WOW, WOW and WOW! What a car :thumb: 
Pretty good job on the tidy up as well there  
Your studio is an inspiration clark. Nice one


----------



## Joeya (Jul 6, 2010)

Great work!! 

What you think of nanolex?


----------



## wookey (Jul 13, 2007)

Fantastic job Clark :thumb: 993 Turbo in midnight blue :argie:

I can't believe how lazy some people can be. How could they repaint the wheels with out cleaning them, let alone leave the remains of the weights!


----------



## M40COO (Mar 21, 2006)

Fantastic turnaround....made it into a beautiful colour !


----------



## Dmac1969 (Sep 12, 2010)

Oh yes , now thats a proper Porsche , lovely job!!


----------



## Rgk Detailing (Dec 6, 2006)

Excellent work Clark, i'm also a big fan of the old 993's!.


----------



## jpmcc (Mar 3, 2007)

Bloody hell that looks awesome. Thanks for taking the time to post the process, amazing turnaround :argie::argie::argie::argie:


----------



## Andy. (Apr 11, 2010)

Stunning turn around done there, well impressed. The colour of the paint really pops, cursed back to its former glory & probably better. :thumb::thumb::thumb:


----------



## Ronnie (Nov 15, 2006)

stunning Clark nice write up as well!


----------



## scooby73 (Mar 20, 2007)

Just fantastic! Your details are very informative giving the rest of us a good insight as to the products and processes involved, to achieve the results you do!!:thumb:

Big respect to the owner for using the car properly!:thumb:


----------



## GlynRS2 (Jan 21, 2006)

Stunning work :thumb:

You have restored a very tired looking car to it's former glory.


----------



## A20 LEE (Feb 20, 2007)

Superb Clark:thumb:


----------



## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Fantastic Work Clarke:thumb: Just cant beat the shape of a 993 Turbo, possibly the best looking of them all IMO. Some great pics as always. So this is 2 now, looks like Nanolex is your new sealant of choice???


----------



## WHIZZER (Oct 25, 2005)

Top Work as always


----------



## athol (Oct 3, 2009)

Stunning as always


----------



## Gleammachine (Sep 8, 2007)

Gorgeous work mate, car is truly stunning, and all the best detailers are Porsche nuts!!


----------



## Doc (Feb 2, 2008)

Nice to see a well used car getting some TLC
Loverly work.


----------



## paranoid73 (Aug 5, 2009)

Wow :argie:, superb work and write up again Clark


----------



## gb270 (Aug 22, 2008)

Stunning work clarke great finish in the end


----------



## sim L (Jan 3, 2010)

Fantastic work as usual Clark! :thumb:

Have to admit, I really didn't like Porsche until I found DW, now I really want one!


----------



## remonrace (Jan 13, 2009)

Wow! The owner must be proud to drive that car as a daily.


----------



## RaceGlazer (Jan 10, 2007)

So, put us out of our misery - is he going to get a respray then ?


----------



## lucky_paddy (Feb 14, 2010)

Brilliant!


----------



## Nivaue (Mar 15, 2010)

Sex on the street !!!


----------



## big ben (Aug 25, 2009)

what a turn around, and as said, thats a real porka right there!


----------



## yamaha (Feb 17, 2006)

Wow :d


----------



## 500tie (Oct 15, 2009)

That is one fantastic detail great work as always clark


----------



## Olly1 (Feb 21, 2010)

Awesome work :thumb:

I love the 993 Turbo and being an S its even more special. :car:


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Joeya said:


> Great work!!
> 
> What you think of nanolex?


Well I rate it pretty highly, otherwise it wouldn't be getting used 



wookey said:


> Fantastic job Clark :thumb: 993 Turbo in midnight blue :argie:


It's ocean blue mate :thumb:



slrestoration said:


> Fantastic Work Clarke:thumb: Just cant beat the shape of a 993 Turbo, possibly the best looking of them all IMO. Some great pics as always. So this is 2 now, looks like Nanolex is your new sealant of choice???


It's certainly one of them :thumb:



Gleammachine said:


> Gorgeous work mate, car is truly stunning, and all the best detailers are Porsche nuts!!


Though't you'd say that mate 



RaceGlazer said:


> So, put us out of our misery - is he going to get a respray then ?


Absolutely not :thumb:



Olly1 said:


> Awesome work :thumb:
> 
> I love the 993 Turbo and being an S its even more special. :car:


It's not an S, look closer and there's a few tell tale signs :thumb:

Thanks for the comments/questions as always guys


----------



## Simoni (Mar 21, 2006)

Superb write up once again, i just love your work!


----------



## Motoract (Feb 18, 2010)

amazing work, what a stunning colour! on the first pictures I thought it was a rubbish colour!


----------



## cfherd (Jan 14, 2010)

How a 993 Turbo should look and in this colour. Top Job as always and a good lunchtime read!


----------



## Baker21 (Aug 7, 2007)

Fair play to the owner for using it as a daily..........:car:

Fair play to you guys for the work put into it, couldn't agree more on the wheel weights issue, such a shame but expected with most wheel refurbishers.........

Smaller details make all the difference on this one, the calipers and wheels bolts for example, top work and the final shots look great.......


----------



## Olly1 (Feb 21, 2010)

Clark @ PB said:


> It's not an S, look closer and there's a few tell tale signs :thumb:
> 
> Thanks for the comments/questions as always guys


You know what, I thought it wasn`t an S at first but then thought surely the owner wouldn`t put S on the back if it wasn`t. Figured the changes (non- yellow calipers, rear wing etc, Stolen S from the carrera etc etc) was just a sign of its hard life. Figured may it had been in an accident at some stage.

Either way, its still a great looking car.


----------



## Jorge (Oct 12, 2009)

Top Job whit a top Detailer!!!! :thumb:

Great attention to the details, and fantastic report!


----------



## ianFRST (Sep 19, 2006)

awesome 

wheels were obviously done at a bodyshop, thats how most do it sadly. the last lot we had done, didnt even clean the insides AT ALL, just painted over the dirt!!


----------



## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

stunning work as always!


----------



## Simonhi (Jun 6, 2009)

Outstanding ... 

Really like your posts Clarke, this is one to bookmark to show people what detailing is. It just goes to show how much value you have added to the car, although the owner is probably just chuffed that his price and joy is better than brand new. 

I bet you've got a client for life.

Cheers, 


Si.


----------



## Incredible Detail (Sep 26, 2007)

Love these cars. Great work and good job on the calipers.


----------



## danb21t (Aug 30, 2010)

the end result is pure sex wee!


----------



## ALANSHR (Jun 29, 2007)

Fabulous as always Clark, well done, and a nice motor to boot!


----------



## andyd73 (Jun 17, 2009)

Fantastic work!!! :thumb:

Great write up and pictures


----------



## Auto Detox (Dec 22, 2007)

Gorgeous motor Clark, looks outstanding now 

Baz


----------



## perfectcar (Jul 22, 2010)

Wooooow


----------



## magpie27 (Nov 3, 2009)

what a turn around on such a great car


----------



## EthanCrawford (Jan 7, 2010)

Good work clark :thumb: are you guys going to start stocking the nanolex stuff soon??


----------



## Nanolex (Jun 8, 2008)

Another outstanding job, love details you took care like the hubs and the calipers!


----------



## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

that looks awsome mate :thumb:

i know what you mean about the wheels and people painting over dirt etc, really winds me up :wall:


----------



## sfstu (Aug 3, 2010)

beautiful, simply beautiful..!:argie:

love your attention to detail with the masking up and calipers..
2 questions tho, how did you paint calipers leaving the white porsche writing and how do you put wheel bolts back on after painting without marking them..?

inspirational mate..:thumb:
rgds stu


----------



## ksm1985 (Dec 27, 2008)

sfstu said:


> how did you paint calipers leaving the white porsche writing


new decals id guess?
and did i spot a new rs500 in one of the pics?? :argie:
great work though,looked really miserable in the before pics


----------



## markcoznottz (Nov 13, 2005)

sfstu said:


> beautiful, simply beautiful..!:argie:
> 
> love your attention to detail with the masking up and calipers..
> 2 questions tho, how did you paint calipers leaving the white porsche writing and how do you put wheel bolts back on after painting without marking them..?
> ...


When Porsche calipers go pink you just spray them with clear lacquer, works a treat trust me :thumb:.


----------



## glendog74 (Jan 11, 2009)

Simply stunning! :thumb:


----------



## TCD (Jan 27, 2009)

Wicked, amazing!!


----------



## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Looking good there Clark!!!!


----------



## Evosid (Apr 7, 2007)

Clark,
STUNNUNG WORK SIMPLES
Had to laugh only you could look forward to getting excited about getting a car in THAT condition.
Also you make me think get a nice car and drive it daily wihout a care as PB will bring it back to life every time they touch it..........makes me look at older cars on a new way

Sid


----------



## Carn (Apr 13, 2007)

Truly fantastic work, I am sure the owner was blown away!


----------



## -tom- (Jan 27, 2009)

fantastic work :argie:


----------



## Defined Reflections (Jun 4, 2009)

Awesome work!


----------



## Keir (Aug 31, 2010)

This is outstanding work!


----------



## fozzy (Oct 22, 2009)

Owner was pleased? he ought ta be ecstatic, awesome turnaround there. How can someone let a stunning motor get in that condition, sacrilege! Don't know what he paid you but it wasn't enough.


----------



## mr cooper (Apr 15, 2010)

Stunning.


----------



## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Great job mate :thumb:

What a lovely Porker (Well now it is anyway )


----------



## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Savage job mate, thats what detailing is IMO.


----------



## Mr Face (Jan 22, 2009)

Outstandind, beautiful work, & sensational colour (but I would say that, its the colour my TVR was sprayed with)


----------



## KKM (Dec 10, 2007)

Nice one Clark, the car certainly looked tremendous in the flesh at the Open Day.

Just goes to show what can be done transforming an old neglected daily driver.

:thumb:


----------



## steve from wath (Dec 12, 2008)

what an outstanding piece of work
your attenton to detail and the finish you acheived is first class
this is how i would like to progress my skill level to
very very nice:thumb:
when i was scrolling through the pictures and write up found myself smiling at the screen
cracking work


----------



## 3976 (Nov 20, 2006)

Simply outstanding as always, Clark.

As someone who has had cars in this state sat in my garage before, I can guarantee that the best part of the five days was watching the eyes of the client light up and the knowledge that you have really added to the driving experience of the car - how it looks!

Great work as per!


----------



## lego_man (Mar 29, 2007)

Stunning...Im speechless...:thumb:


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

EthanCrawford said:


> Good work clark :thumb: are you guys going to start stocking the nanolex stuff soon??


We are indeed, keep your eye on the site in the next day or two :thumb:



ksm1985 said:


> new decals id guess?
> and did i spot a new rs500 in one of the pics?? :argie:
> great work though,looked really miserable in the before pics


No new decals, just applied clear straight over the top of the existing lettering 

As for the RS500, there may or may not be a write up coming shortly....


----------



## cheechy (Nov 23, 2006)

Good work Clark - I see you went back and fixed that door :buffer:


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

cheechy said:


> Good work Clark - I see you went back and fixed that door :buffer:


Of course, just didn't want people hanging around getting bored while I did a 3rd hit on the panel


----------



## 3976 (Nov 20, 2006)

Clark @ PB said:


> Of course, just didn't want people hanging around getting bored while I did a 3rd hit on the panel


I thought the car looked familiar from the photos of the open day :thumb:


----------



## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

Stunning car and great write up. Do you ever get bored with making classics look brand new again? :argie::argie:


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

PaulN said:


> Stunning car and great write up. Do you ever get bored with making classics look brand new again? :argie::argie:


Time for a career change if that ever happened mate :thumb:


----------



## B&B Autostyle (Apr 4, 2010)

Mega as always. The best write-ups and the best photo's on DW.


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

B&B Autostyle said:


> Mega as always. The best write-ups and the best photo's on DW.


Don't know about that mate but nice of you to say all the same, thanks


----------



## manolik (May 30, 2010)

lovely car, lovely job


----------



## Ali (Apr 5, 2006)

Simply amazing Clark! Well in!


----------



## horned yo (Feb 10, 2009)

another amazing job


----------



## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

Must say I am not a Porsche fan but that does look good


----------



## Dave182 (Feb 15, 2008)

One of the best details to date!


----------



## dsms (Feb 1, 2008)

Eddy said:


> Must say I am not a Porsche fan but that does look good


I think most non porsche fans still love the 993, that car has transcended time!

Again great work Clark!:thumb:


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

dsms said:


> I think most non porsche fans still love the 993, that car has transcended time!
> 
> Again great work Clark!:thumb:


Agreed, if you dont like the 993 then you're wrong  :lol:


----------



## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Evening Clarke,
Have noticed you applying the nanolex with a microfibre pad, have you found this a more effecient way of application as apposed to the make up style pad? Do you wash or simply dispose of the applicator afterwards?

Regards Nick


----------



## El_Cid (Jun 14, 2010)

really really fantastic !!! Congratulations Detailing bliss !!!!!!!!


----------



## Jay (Oct 25, 2005)

I love those 993's. Such a nice looking car. You've done an amazing job on that one!!


----------



## GSVHammer (Feb 7, 2009)

Awesome turnaround!


----------



## NL-J (Jun 14, 2008)

:thumb: Awesome, car looks fantastic now:thumb: 993 Turbo is a gorgeous car.


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

slrestoration said:


> Evening Clarke,
> Have noticed you applying the nanolex with a microfibre pad, have you found this a more effecient way of application as apposed to the make up style pad? Do you wash or simply dispose of the applicator afterwards?
> 
> Regards Nick


Pretty much mate yeah, just seems to go that bit further with a MF pad and it feels kinder to the paint too. It's all down to personal preference though really. I throw the pads into a bucket of warm water untill they go in the washing machine and they get washed twice, otherwise it's just safer to bin them


----------



## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Thanks for the tip Clarke, would have imagined it to use a bit more product on a MF but in agreement with kindness to the surface. Great tip for the wash method:thumb:
Regards Nick


----------



## Dwayne (Jul 27, 2010)

Beautiful, you have transformed this into one of the finest examples i have seen in years!!

was in quite a mess! Well done, awsome effort put in:thumb:


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

Dwayne said:


> Beautiful, you have transformed this into one of the finest examples i have seen in years!!
> 
> was in quite a mess! Well done, awsome effort put in:thumb:


Thanks very much :thumb:

The car is now for sale too: http://pistonheads.com/sales/2196166.htm


----------



## Amagoza (May 22, 2009)

Very stylish.


----------



## Deeg (Mar 30, 2009)

simply stunning work once again Clark.


----------



## Arfman (Sep 13, 2009)

Stunning car and top job!


----------



## Posambique (Oct 20, 2010)

................... :argie:


sfapgnrwgpgn...... :argie:


----------



## tartanhaggis (Jan 3, 2011)

stunning job there mate.
the car is better than brand new


----------



## pjavon (Jan 2, 2011)

That is really impressive, the best turn around I've seen so far.
Fantastic effort mate, I've linked the thread to another forum to show ' how it should be done' Rave reviews there as well, well done a credit to you mate


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

What forum did you link it to mate?


----------



## Brooklands (Jun 12, 2010)

Wow what a transformation! Incredible!!


----------



## uberbmw (Jan 31, 2006)

Stunning, great work as usual!


----------



## pjavon (Jan 2, 2011)

Clark @ PB said:


> What forum did you link it to mate?


Two Supra one's, hope you don't mind. One members has a Boxster as well and is asking approximately how much to detail but unfortunately your the other end of the country to him


----------



## OGGYsri (May 12, 2010)

Hi
Can I ask what process you went through when repainting the brake callipers?

Thanks


----------



## Guest (Jan 8, 2011)

My favourite porsche ever!!!!! Stunning work on the paint,being an ex painter those wheels are a god da* disgrace!!!


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

OGGYsri said:


> Hi
> Can I ask what process you went through when repainting the brake callipers?
> 
> Thanks


Removed all the flaking bits of clear coat, touched up any chips with red paint and then applied a few coats of clear - easy as that :thumb:


----------



## 3976 (Nov 20, 2006)

D'ya know Clark, I spent at least half an hour reading through this when you first posted up.

And I tell you, it should be stickied! Thanks for filling another half an hour of a Euston bound Virgin train journey.

OUTSTANDING work, superb car - love it!


----------



## natjag (Dec 14, 2008)

Amazing transformation. I think I'd just leave the car in the garage, sit on my chair with a glass of red and look at it all day.



Clark @ PB said:


> The leather was cleaned and conditioned with products we can't name yet and any grubby marks on the carpets were cleaned with APC:


Can you tell us now what these products were.


----------



## JJ_ (Oct 26, 2005)

You've added a serious value back to that porky. It was a mess before.


----------



## Clark @ PB (Mar 1, 2006)

natjag said:


> Amazing transformation. I think I'd just leave the car in the garage, sit on my chair with a glass of red and look at it all day.
> 
> Can you tell us now what these products were.


It was the Swissvax products - we didn't want to say at the time as nothing was confirmed between us at that point :thumb:


----------

