Just detailed and Clear Bra'd!
 

I just picked up my car today from the detailer and clear bra installer and thought I'd share my experience.

Disclaimer: I have no association with them, other than being a very satisfied customer :)

I picked up my car this morning from Bodystyle in San Jose'. Cecil, the owner, is a very nice guy and did an excellent job detailing my car to a shiny mirror black finish. It helps that he's a Porsche guy too, so he knows how picky and neurotic we can get about the details on the car.

Right after picking up, I went straight to Premier. Sam and company already covered my Ruf front bumper in the past, but now I wanted them to cover the hood as well. Here's a few pics:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2021/...58359330_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2101/...0dbf73e7_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2156/...71a8d5b6_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2225/...4c66ea0b_b.jpg

Showtime!

Overall, I had an excellent experience at both places. Cecil was nice enough to tell me what NOT to do anymore in regards to my paint finish and detailing, and even gave me a couple of free microfiber towels :)

Sam and crew at Premier are THE EXPERTS at clear bra installations. As you can see from the pics above, the car is back to its detailed state and I now have piece of mind while I'm killing bugs on the freeway :p

If you are in the bay area, I highly recommend both places.

Your car looks great. What did your detailer recommend that you NOT do?

Car looks awesome and super shiny! Thanks for sharing - I must see it in person one of these days at SR.

I'm looking forward to my appt with Premier now on 4/21! Can't wait!

Ok, you guys are allowed to slap me and call me a dummy, but here it goes:

-When the car was dusty, I'd get a towel and wipe off the dust. Apparently this causes more scratches, so it's a no-no.

-I didn't always use terry cloth towels when doing the above mini-detail :(, so the rough surface would contribute to making more scratches

-I'd use the same cloth for dusting and buffing, regardless of the dirt it picked up.

-I'd always have it hand waxed every month or so. Nothing wrong with this if it is done correctly, but apparently, my old detailer would leave old wax build up in the crevices :(

Ok, I feel stupid now. But I've learned from my above mistakes.

I'll try to make it out to Santana Row tomorrow morning. If you go tomorrow, you can take a look at the great work they did.

What are you having done? Custom or kit?

Either choice, you are in good hands :)

Spyder -

I'm on my 4th black Porsche out of 8 . The Porsche black has got to be the most difficult color to maintain swirl free that i have ever seen on any car . I've got it down to the softest loofas and gentle cleaning. There is no way to avoid completely. Each year a professional detail (other than my own ) and if i keep it more than 2 it gets wet sanded .

In comparison I have had both silver and white and the ease of cleaning is major. Silver has got to be the easiest to clean of all . The car looked clean even when it was dirty .

Why did I buy a black car knowing all this ?

Because I think its gorgeous. Cleaning it is more a labor of love than anythig else.

I think that Midnight Blue beats Black as far as difficulty in washing/drying. It might not look as bad when dirty but it is nearly impossible to get it near perfect and wow, how easy it is to swirl. Never had such a problem with black.

What a car it looks extremely good so long you take care of it, the last time I polished the car was around 7 months ago and it still looks great as long as I use a suede towel and clean the car at the least as possible so that it still shines rather than fade away from the increased washing.

I agree, yrralis1, it is a labor of love. And when it's all done being detailed, it makes it all worth the trouble :)

I really need to spend more time on the detailing forum. Detailing has its own language, so to speak. What does "wet sanded" mean? Is this similar to clay bar?

I had a black car before, and currently my daily is a black (swirly) Lexus IS hilarious From this point on, I plan to practice on my Lexus to see what works and what doesn't. I'll reserve the professional detailing for the Porsche and attempt small touch up details here and there. What do you recommend as far as minor touch ups and dusting?

BTW, I love the way you set up your Turbo. Black 997TT with HRE's is the best combination.

Doh! I'm outta town this weekend :(

I'm looking at a full custom front wrap - bumper, hood, fenders...

Good choice. Full protection for the front is the way to go. The best thing about it though, is the fact that most dirt and debris just wipes off with ease. It's an added benefit to the chip protection.

Spyder -

Thanks . I like your car too. Clear bra is next for me but I am so careful about the roads I drive it on and have two other cars . From what I have read Premier is outstanding . Too bad I live on the other side of the map .

Wet sanding is a process which body shops use to eliminate swirl . It takes an extremely practiced and qualified person to do the detail on the car . The sanpaper used is so very fine and it is wet and it removes the miniscule swirl . Swirls are scratches which can be removed as it does not penetrate the entire clear coat . That's where wet sand comes it .

You need a wing! (Car still looks great tho)

Premier can't be beat.

Charles, your car looks awesome!

FYI, Sammy has someone he can partner with to do a concours quality detail right at his facility prior to applying film. That's what I did. Looks amazing!

wow ur car is just amazing