How Do you Dust / Clean Your Porsche without Scratching its Soft Paint?

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Jul 31, 2014 | 01:19 PM
  #1  
I have a jet black 991 and its been a real b_tch to keep clean, and I assume it always will be.

When I wipe it down it is incredibly prone to micro-scratches.

I use super plush microfiber towels now so maybe it will be better now,.

But the other day I saw a tiny bit of bug or sap and wiped it with a bit of pressure and saw a few scratches appear.. really illustrating how soft this paint is.

Is there any detailing resource online specifically for porsche?

Id also love to hit it with one of those duster things, but I assume they're probably pretty bad for it, since its basically moving dirt all over the car.
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Jul 31, 2014 | 01:30 PM
  #2  
Not specifically for Porsche, because all good car maintenance applies to all nice vehicles.

Try www.DetailedImage.com

They have incredible write ups on washing and everything else.

The black paint is very touchy as is all paint, but the black shows a lot more!
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Jul 31, 2014 | 02:04 PM
  #3  
I never wipe a dry car. If you need to clean dust off, spray it first with a quick detailer and never use pressure. The liquid will help lift the dirt off the surface to be more safely wiped away.

Yes, the paint is exceptionally soft and things like fingernails will scratch it.

I'm not a fan of those duster things. It just keeps trapped dirt in there for later scratching of the car... Just some some really plush microfibers with a good quick detailer spray, and always use a new surface of the towel (never go back over a section with a dirty towel surface).
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Jul 31, 2014 | 02:18 PM
  #4  
What you really mean is that the paint is really "hard," making it prone to scratching. Modern clear coats are baked on at high temperatures rather than sitting for days curing. This makes them rather hard. In my experience Porsche paint is moderately hard in comparision to others.

I rarely ever wipe the car down instead of washing it, but I do occasionally using crap load detail spray. I always end up having to wipe floor down as well to clean up the extra spray. The trick is to fold a thick, plush, clean microfiber towel into fours. Spray down the paint, wipe very gently pulling toward you. Only wipe in one direction and only wipe a small area. Then spray some more, flip the towel, wipe gently again. You should have more all of the dirt off the car now. Rotate the towel again, spray again, and now you out to be able to work out the bug juice.
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Jul 31, 2014 | 02:54 PM
  #5  
My car is Opti-Coated, so if I don't have time to wash it, I just spray it down with a hose (sometimes pressure washer) and then dry with a leaf blower. No need to touch the paint to keep the car clean.
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Jul 31, 2014 | 03:07 PM
  #6  
Porsche paint is actually "soft" and more prone to swirl marks and holograms. Hard paint is more resistant to marks. We are actually talking about is the clear coat here. I assume the water based paints and clears contribute to this.

If you have dry hands, you can actually run your finger across Porsche black paint and scratch it.

Soft paint also scratches easier.

Soft paint is easier to do a paint correction on to take away a lot of these imperfections which is good I suppose.

There was a mention of coatings, and these are amazing and virtually puts another temporary clear coat over your existing paint protecting it. The high end ones should only be put in by professionals after proper prep work.
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Jul 31, 2014 | 03:12 PM
  #7  
before I detail I take the leafblower to the outside, inside and engine....gets rid of ALOT of the dust,,makes detailing so much easier.. flamesuit on
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Jul 31, 2014 | 03:20 PM
  #8  
I rarely actually touch the paint (actually it is the clear coat you are referring to that is soft). And NEVER ever touch when it is dry... forget about dusting brushes etc.. and never put a cover on unless it is clean.

Porsche finishes (especially black) will look swirly very quickly if you aren't careful.

Bottom line is I avoid any towels/drying and wiping on the car surface.

1) When washing I only use a very soft microfiber or lambs wool mit.
2) I only use DI (CR Spotless) so I don't have to worry about spots, and more importantly wiping the spots off.
2) When necessary I clay, but only use very fine and when necessary
3) When drying I NEVER use a towel.. I only air dry (using an Airmax)
4) I have a nano-coating applied to entire car, and touch it up about every 2 weeks.
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Jul 31, 2014 | 04:13 PM
  #9  
Use a blower but never dry wipe any car, but especially not a dark or black car. I learned the hard way.
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Jul 31, 2014 | 04:18 PM
  #10  
Mine is black also. I wash it with a lambs wool mitt. blow it off and use a micro fiber towel. Use Wolfgang's swirl removal and a white pad, followed by Wolfgang's polish and a black pad. Black ice wax removed with a borderless micro fiber towel. In between washings, I use Pinnacle detailing wax. Also use it after every wash.

No swirls!

Only Money may be more **** than me when it comes to my cars!
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Aug 1, 2014 | 07:44 AM
  #11  
as far as dusting: My problem is if I use more detailing spray, then I feel I have to use more pressure on the car to dry it off.

Instead I've recently been using a very plush clean microfiber to dust it off.

My entire process is pretty lame though since im up in a dark parking garage in a condo building.

Also maybe my quick detailer is old or something because it keeps leaving a bit of a haze.
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Aug 1, 2014 | 08:07 AM
  #12  
I have the same problem but with a metallic blue car. My detailer scolded me from cleaning too much and told me to let it go for a few days and then with a water filtering system wash off the dust and let dry.
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Aug 1, 2014 | 08:46 AM
  #13  
About 130mph gets most of it, at 175mph it's pretty dust free.
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Aug 1, 2014 | 11:59 AM
  #14  
Quote: I have the same problem but with a metallic blue car. My detailer scolded me from cleaning too much and told me to let it go for a few days and then with a water filtering system wash off the dust and let dry.
How's the new nano holding up? Sorry for scolding you...just making sure you're not paying for services that can be prevented

Quote: I rarely actually touch the paint (actually it is the clear coat you are referring to that is soft). And NEVER ever touch when it is dry... forget about dusting brushes etc.. and never put a cover on unless it is clean.

Porsche finishes (especially black) will look swirly very quickly if you aren't careful.

Bottom line is I avoid any towels/drying and wiping on the car surface.

1) When washing I only use a very soft microfiber or lambs wool mit.
2) I only use DI (CR Spotless) so I don't have to worry about spots, and more importantly wiping the spots off.
2) When necessary I clay, but only use very fine and when necessary
3) When drying I NEVER use a towel.. I only air dry (using an Airmax)
4) I have a nano-coating applied to entire car, and touch it up about every 2 weeks.
What he said +1
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Aug 1, 2014 | 12:02 PM
  #15  
Quote: Not specifically for Porsche, because all good car maintenance applies to all nice vehicles.

Try www.DetailedImage.com

They have incredible write ups on washing and everything else.

The black paint is very touchy as is all paint, but the black shows a lot more!
Another Site with an incredible amount of detailing info is:

http://www.autopiaforums.com/index.php
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