In-Progress: 1986 Porsche 951 (Guards Red)

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Slowcorrado

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Hi all,

Here's my initial thread on the forums about my 1986 Porsche 951. I purchased it about 10 years ago and haven't driven it over 500 miles in that whole time. It was my dream car when I was in high school, so I had to get one. :-) When I purchased it I just "knew" it needed a new paint job. So; I never really did anything to the paint, just let the car sit in the garage for 10 years. Well, recently I was asked to detail a car for sale and was surprised at how nice the newer detailing products were. I looked over at the Porsche and decided to give some paint restoration a try. The Internet directed me to Autogeek and Meguiars Online. I read thread after thread of other people having great success. Over time, we'll see if I can count myself as one of them! :-) Here are a few pics to show its current condition.

The whole car... FLAT red/pink/orange
​


A close-up of the paint's condition. FLAT pink, rough as 800 grit sandpaper, lots of defects
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The previous owners must have buffed through the paint on the gas flap. In this pic, you can see some of the original color in the hatch area
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A great example of the mismatched colors. Look at the flat-orange trim. Of course, the stone guards need to be replaced as well.
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Hope that gives a basic overview, thanks for reading. I look forward to any suggestions everyone may have to get it back into shape! My next post will explain what products and tools I currently have and my current test plan.​
 
My recent detailing of a sale car had me purchasing a few items. At the moment, I have a selectrion of washes, clay bars, interior cleaners, dressings, etc... But my "better" products are (All Meguiars): Cleaner Wax, Tech Wax 2.0, Mirror Bright Polishing Wax (use to polish my guitars!), M7 Show car glaze and Ultimate Polish. For tools, I have a Porter Cable DA, a AG white wax foam pad and a AG black polishing foam pad, standard foam applicators and many microfibers.

As a start, my research taught me about the differences between single-stage (what the Porsche has), and Basecoat/clearcoat paint. This led me to some discussions on how best to restore single-stage paint. One of your members "Mike Phillips" (Who I've since learned is a big deal at AG!) has some amazing insight and experience on the topic and this convinced me to try his methods on a test panel.

The left rear quarter-panel got a waterless wash and then a thorough pass with a clay bar using soapy water as a lubricant. Already, the 800-grit sandpaper feel was gone. :-) I then worked some M7 into the paint by hand using moderate pressure and was surprised to see the color starting to return. There was some mild paint (oxidation) transfer to my cloth, but not as much as I expected. In keeping with Mike's directions, I let the M7 sit on the paint overnight. (Of course, by this time I decided to start disassembling things to make this easier, so I took the sidemarker out, opened the hatch, pulled the turbo rear bumper trim, and removed the rear arch paint protection stripe.) The following day I did 3 more applications of the M7 by hand and was left with this:

Click the pics to see them in Full size/resolution



Not too bad for a single product applied by hand on 30+ year old neglected paint! Needless to say, I am shocked and excited. The paint's color is back and about 75% of the dull haze is gone. The M7 is really hard to remove properly and doesn't leave behind a nice smudge-free finish, so the pic shows lots of haze and product swirls. As you can see by the next pic though, I still have a LOT of correction to do to get that last 25% of shine and remove at least some of the defects.



Now is where my questions come in: What should my next step be? I was always taught to start with the least aggressive technique and that would lead me to the Meguiars UP applied with the PC and the black pad. I just don't think that'll cut it though (pardon the pun). I'm open to purchasing something stronger like UC and trying that, but I'm a bit scared that may be too much in my inexperienced hands. All suggestions are welcomed and thanks for reading!
 
Try using cotton towels with M7. You need the extra bite to remove it. Also try apply M7 several times. You can actual see the paint swell over that time period.
 
DBAILEY said:
Try using cotton towels with M7. You need the extra bite to remove it. Also try apply M7 several times. You can actual see the paint swell over that time period.
Click to expand...

I'll try the cotton towels, I've been using microfibers. (You can see one on the trunk edge in the pic above) Look at the brownish/red oxidation transfer on it! I've applied the M7 "heavy" about 4 times so far and that's what got me to the results above. Thanks for the suggestions!
 
Sorry, I missed the part about you applying 3 times already. I see that blue towel now. That is some serious crud removal!
 
Welcome to the site and great first post/thread! This is an excellent project and it will come out fantastic when done! Can't wait to see the completed pics!
 
Thanks for the replies! Today I was able to continue around the corner and onto the back left side of the car. I removed the ruined rubber trunk lock seal, then the back got a good wipedown and clay bar treatment. In Picture #1, you can see just how bad the oxidation is. On the turbo cars, the rear bumper is an amazingly smooth aluminium extrusion. I'm scared that the paint there will be so thin I can't do anything with it. Also, you may notice the bumper cap is a different color (more orange) than the rest of the car. I have no clue how to treat that.... When this was all done, I did a heavy wipedown of M7 and left it overnight.

Click the pics to see them in full size/resolution

Horrible oxidation before the M7.


Found remnants of where it was purchased originally... :-) (before the M7)
 
OK, on to something MORE exciting... Heh. I stopped after work and picked up some Ultimate Compound. After I treated the back of the car to another M7 wipedown I decided to try the compound on the original area I started on the left rear quarter panel. I was apprehensive, but tried to be careful and gentle. It turns out, you can be aggressive (without being straight stupid) and it's OK. I'm liking the product. After I finished the area, I went over it with the Ultimate Polish using the same process. Don't let anyone fool you; some people advocate skipping the polishing step. This step made a WORLD of difference in my case. Where the UC corrected much of the small scratches, etched stains, water spots, etc... The UP really cleaned up any micro scratches and brought the color up even more. Below are some pics of the finished product. No, the paint isn't perfect, but it's SO much better than where I started, I honestly never thought it possible.

Click the pics to see them in full size/resolution

Same shot of the top of the rear fender as before. Look, actual reflections!


An overall view of the improvement. (and a little teaser of what the M7 did for the bumper)
 
Sizzle Chest said:
Welcome to the site and great first post/thread! This is an excellent project and it will come out fantastic when done! Can't wait to see the completed pics!
Click to expand...

BTW Scott, your work on the 86 911 (exact same paint) was one of the reasons I decided to give this a shot.
Thanks! ​
I may have a few questions I'll send over in PM if you approve. :-P
 
Slowcorrado said:
BTW Scott, your work on the 86 911 (exact same paint) was one of the reasons I decided to give this a shot.
Thanks! ​
I may have a few questions I'll send over in PM if you approve. :-P
Click to expand...

Thanks! Absolutely. Feel free to contact me!
 
Weekend update: I was out of town, but got a chance to go a little bit further. I had left the M7 on the left side of the back for a couple days and had applied it at least 3 times. Now it was time for the UC. This area has many more complex shapes, hollows, stickers (PORSCHE), etc..., so it is testing my skill limits. I have particular trouble getting into recessed corners (by hand, no chance with the DA) and into concave places (like just below the taillights). I can clearly see that I need more correction there, but I'm not sure how to do it! (suggestions welcome!) You can see in the pic though that it looks MUCH better at this point. The aluminum bumper that was so oxidized it was white in the middle cleaned up and now shines nicely. My only other real question is on the bumper caps. As you can see in the 2nd picture the paint has faded to an orange color. This picture is after 3 coats of the M7 and a pass with the UC. The part of the cap that was covered over the years looks perfect, but the rest isn't really even shiny. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm certainly scared to hit it harder.

Click the pics to see them in full size/resolution

Improvement! Check out the bumper, it actually came out great!


Color and gloss problem: Any hints?


I'm going to start disassembly of the passenger's side rear and complete the same process there. Updates to follow.
 
Awesome work and write up and pictures!

This is very fun to follow your progress.

The corner plastic part could be painted with another kind of primer paint and paint. Since it's plastic and more flexible from heat and cold and to withstand the plastic to bend or how to describe it. The downside is that the paint used there is often more prone to fade the pigment in the color of the paint than the paint on the car.
I don't know any DIY solution to this problem. And plastic is not so easy to repaint as they use a special kind of paint on there. A bodyshop that can do a color match when you are done with the correction. Would be my best bet.
A thought to DIY it some. Could be to use a LSP with a high darkening effect from it. So it turns down that bright orange/red color some. This is just a thought though.

/Tony
 
Great article, great write-up and you're doing an amazing job with before and after photo's. For sure you will have a build-book to display with the vehicle.
I think you're on the track, with the right products. More so, I think you're doing the right thing by taking your time and not rushing this. I would say stay the course, and continue at the pace you're going. You have no deadlines, you are the customer and like you said the car sat for 10 years anyway.

I'm with Swetm (Tony) on the side bumper trim pieces. Polish them as best as possible, worse case, you have to pull them off and bring them to a body shop for respray. But I think you're spot-on with your efforts and approach.

As far as those rear chip-guards, looks like it was once some form of clear-bra that dried up and cracked? On normal clear-coat I'd suggest a little heat, and some goo-be-gone and a plastic razor to see about getting it off.. But, you have 30+ yr old single stage, thus you might try some steam. Either way, if it were my car, I would consult with few body shops (not just one -as opinions will vary) as to how to remove that without damaging the paint underneath.

Wondering if Mike has looked at this thread yet... I'm sure he'll chime in soon!
 
For those hard to reach areas: rupes iBrid!!!

Rear bumper, take some paint readings and see what you've got. If you are comfortable with the 'thickness' hit it once more and see how it turns out. I agree with the thought of the bumpers being faded/different type of elastomers added to the paint on plastic parts...

Keep us up to date!
 
Thanks so much for everyone's responses! LSNAutoDetailing, this post is because you reminded me to document the stone guard removal. :-)

On to today's update! I realized while disassembling and preparing the rear and passenger's side that I never showed how I removed the rear arch stone protection. The key to this was MILD heat with a good plastic scraper. In the pics below you'll see the process. I used my wife's strangely shaped hair dryer to heat the area while simultaneously using the plastic scraper to peel the old broken film off. It was best to take it in small strips instead of all at once. In my case, the film came off as basically a brownish "glitter". You're left with an adhesive area shaped exactly the same as the original sticker. I soaked that with standard "goo gone" and let it sit for about 2 minutes. Then, used the plastic scraper to peel sections of the adhesive off. Once you've gone over it once, reapply the goo gone and repeat until 95% of the adhesive is gone. I was able to use moderate pressure without damaging the paint. When done, I used a goo gone dampened paper towel to gently remove the remainder of the adhesive. Then, the area was cleaned with soap and water. Lastly, I used a clay bar to remove any residue and bonded contaminants. Voila! Removed!

Click the pics to see them in full size/resolution

Tools used:


Peeling the old film off



Peeling the adhesive off


The "before" shot (Yes, the paint is really that bad on the rest of the car)


The "after" shot
 
Sizzle Chest said:
Keep it going!!!!!
Click to expand...

Thanks! I'm on it. :-) It's so rewarding to see it come back from how bad it was after 10 years.

4th of July update.

I've gotten the right rear disassembled, cleaned, smoothed with the clay bar, and have 3 of 4 coats of M7 applied by hand. It's looking so much better than before, it's crazy. In the pic below, the left rear has been hit with the UC once (after all the above steps) and the right is as described. My next challenge comes with the "turbo" script badge. What to do? Pic 2 is it all cleaned up before any product, and the 3rd pic is it after 3 applications of the M7. I'm open to suggestions as the paint hasn't really ever been touched around the badge. Removing the emblem would be the easiest way to correct the paint, but at the cost of possibly breaking the emblem. I would try q-tips if that's appropriate and "finish safe". Or, are there other tricks anyone would suggest?

Click the pics to see them in full size/resolution

Looking better!


Badge area "before"


Badge area "during treatment"
 
Awesome project! Throughly enjoy these threads.

Another suggestion for the recesses would be an extension bar on a rotary and a one or two inch pad/backing plate. Flex’s pads work well, but are spendy.

That plastic scraper is something I’ve never seen. I looked them up on TCP global. Very handy looking tools and very reasonably priced. Add it to the list of 1000’s of tools I “need”:)
 
If you don't have a 'micro' polisher to get into the badge, you very well may need to remove it and replace it with a new one (check to see if available prior to removal).
 
Small update today:

I'm sorry this is a little/boring one. I had spent some time with cotton swabs and microfibers and tried to use many of the suggestions I've gotten here and around the web. In the end though; I could tell it wasn't going to come out as good as I would like. Grabbed the trusty dental floss and took the risk of pulling the badge. (They are available Sizzle Chest, but I'm not willing to pay what they want for a new one!) :-) Since I'm the customer, it was in my hands. Luckily, I sawed it off with ease. The adhesive tape was a completely different animal though. The hair dryer and plastic scraper didn't even touch it. Goo Gone had little effect. It came down to my thumbnail + goo gone + TIME. Once I had all the adhesive off I went over it with the clay bar. After all the rubbing/scraping/wiping/clay bar, etc... it still is as clear as day exactly where the badge was. Let this be a lesson to anyone wondering what type of difference they may find if they pull their emblems. I've treated the area with M7 for the night and will hopefully start doing some correction tomorrow.

Click the pics to see them in full size/resolution

Dental floss works wonders on "foam adhesive" taped badges


Just prior to the M7 treatment
 
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