Porsche 911 GT2 (997) Extreme Paint Correction!!!

[seech]

The Porsche 911 GT2 (997) Equipped with a 3.6L twin turbo 523hp flat 6 in 6-speed manual in rear drive only will do the zerotohundred in a blistering 3.6 seconds and this example is one of only 4 units here in Malaysia. It deserves a detailing job that is second to none





Only 6611 km on the clock... but...



Some of the worst swirls and RIDS...





A 50/50 shot of the corrected/uncorrected paintwork...



For more of this epic correction, click the link below:

The GT2 actually belongs to a private car collection and was hardly used. It was recently purchased by its new owner and we were called in to rescue the paint. It was kept in a warehouse and wiped clean regularly (unfortunately the cars weren't wiped down with Optimum No-Rinse). As the car was hardly used, all of the swirls and RIDS were inflicted by the cleaning process itself.

The original factory Porsche paintwork was very soft and this turned out to be an epic detail. Thankfully one of my detailing buddies, Mun aka muyo (http://hypergloss.blogspot.com/) was able to help me out with this detail.

As you can see from the dust that has accumulated.... the cars need regular cleaning.





Even the air-scoop is not spared...



The first step was to clean off all of the surface contamination with Optimum No-Rinse (ONR).



The signature blue color of ONR and the signature daytime LED running lights of the GT2.



ONR 50/50. All of the dust and surface contamination cleaned with just the ONR.



Wipe clean with ONR and wipe dry. Revealing the condition of the paint underneath all of that dust... The warehouse had metal-halide lights which were great for showing up any paint defects.



All of the scoops and vents were also cleaned with ONR.






Including the petrol cap...





Door jams...



Closeup of some more stubborn paint contaminants.






After washing and drying with ONR. The surface of the paint was cleaned with Optimum OptiClay. The surface of the paint felt like sandpaper with plenty of contaminants bonded to the surface of the paint.



After just one panel...



After claying and drying it was time to inspect the paint again.



Some deep scratches in certain areas.



This one was too deep to polish out.





The two smaller scratches on top of the A-pillars were superficial and were easily removed.





After... all gone.



The rear spoiler was also not spared and had a stain that was probably caused by tree sap. The carbon fiber weave of the rear spoiler can be seen under the paint...





The paint looked pretty good after just the ONR and clay. ONR not only allows you to safely clean the surface of the paint but it also leaves behind an awesome shine!







The wheels were the cleanest wheels I have ever detailed. This is the condition before even cleaning.



Carbon ceramic brakes.... cost a fortune!!!





You can see the are where the dirt was removed by my finger. Very minimal dusting. Having carbon ceramic brakes probably helps.





There were some stubborn stains that required some Optimum Power Clean to remove.







After cleaning and a layer of Optimum Opti-Seal. Nice gloss to the rims.



The tires were dressed with Optimum Tire Shine.



Michelin Pilot Sport Cups!!!



Great for trackdays but maybe not so good for our Malaysian rain!



Some wax residue trapped in the rear brake light.



Removed with Optimum Power Clean and a brush.



All done after Optimum Opti-Seal and Optimum Car Wax (OCW). One of the main benefits of OCW is that it gives great shine and protection but does not stain plastic or rubber and does not leave any residue behind.



Taping up with newspaper and 3M masking tape. This step is often overlooked but is critical to minimize cleanup from splatter from compounding.



Mun taping off the rear of the GT2.



Removing the front license plate holder.



I love how the blue tape contrasts against the black paintwork. The air-scoop was also taped off.





Taped off for a 50/50 and to try out the steps required to achieve the results we are after.



Compounding with Optimum Hyper Compound (OHC) and polishing with Optimum Hyper Polish (OHP) with wool/foam and the Makita 9227C/Flex 3401.



Priming the wool pad with OHC.



Great shot of the swirls and RIDS from the metal-halide spotlights.



The paint was VERY soft and these were the holograms left behind after compounding.



We followed up the compounding with OHP and the Optimum Red Foam and finishing was carried out with the Flex 3401 and OHP.



Pretty good result.



Extreme 50/50.



Before:



After:



On with the rest of the car...



Mun at work...



I love the wider 'hips' of the GT2 and this was also a great place to carry out another 50/50.

Before:



After:





Love the clarity of the paint after correction. The Porsche metallic flakes really pop and shine under the halogens.





The rear spoiler was also in very bad shape with some deep scratches across its surface.



Before:



After:







Some of the areas required the 'boot' to be opened and the heart of the GT2 was covered to prevent any dust and splatter from entering.



The GT2 was then given a quick rinse.





And compressed air was used to blow dry the gaps and crevices.



The condition of the paint after compounding. The factory paint was very soft and was easily marred.



The compounding marks were removed with OHP/Optimum Red Foam on rotary and finished with the OHP on the Flex 3401.



Areas which were not machine accessible were done by hand.







There were some water marks caused by water collecting and drying on the engine cover. Very hard to remove as the area had to be corrected by hand.





The carbon fiber is clearly visible through the vents...



And also under the paintwork of the engine cover.



There were also some water marks on the inlet manifold.







Some last minute touch-ups.



The interior was also given a quick clean with Optimum Opti-Clean. As the Opti-Clean is a waterless cleaner, it does not require rinsing and is very convenient for cleaning interior surfaces such as these carbon fiber seat backs...



Beautiful..



Scuff marks on the leather?





On plastic..







The paint was given an IPA wipe down to ensure the surface was completely clean before it was sealed with Optimum Opti-Seal.





Check out the gloss and definition!



Glass surfaces were also Opti-Sealed.





After allowing the Opti-Seal to cure for a few minutes. A layer of Optimum Car Wax was applied for additional protection.



Check out the gloss and depth of the paint!



Zebra stripes?



Just the reflection of the roof.



Some after shots:









While soft black paint is very difficult to finish... it does produce an awesome shine and reflection when completed.

















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All done and parked next to another black beauty... a DB9.



....!!!



Same condition as the GT2 before we started.



Some final reflection shots of this awesome ride!















I'll leave you with my favorite shot of this detail...



ProDetailing: Porsche 911 GT2 (997) Extreme Paint Correction!!!

And also Mun's post at:
http://hypergloss.blogspot.com/2012/01/porsche-gt2-my-first-exotic-hands-on.html