Prepping Wife's Car for a Show

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ctpj

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My wife has entered her 2007 Atlas Grey Metalic Porsche Cayman S in a concourse this weekend. In February I did a complete detail on it including:

Two Bucket Wash
Clay
Machine Polish
KAIO x 2
KSG x 3



Since then I have used Sonus Acrylic QD and Acrylic Glanz to maintain it. The car is always garaged and has been driven only in good weather (it is her baby). In preperation for the show I want to make it pop. I don't feel the car needs everything above but would like to know what would be appropriate. Should I:
  1. Just wash it and apply a coat of Acrylic Glanz?
  2. Wash and reapply 1 or 2 coats of KSG?
  3. Top with wax? If so what?
  4. Clay it and do one of the above?
  5. Something else?
This is her first show with the car and she really wants to do well. Thanks for the help.

Todd
 
My suggestion is to give it a wash (in some form) and perform a baggie test. That should give you an idea if you need to detail it again. Fusion may be a good LSP if you are entering it in a show.

What benefits do you get from the 2nd pass with KAIO?
 
A concours-detail is way, way more entailed,
than the processes that you have listed.

You gotta go:
"Over, Under, Sideways, Down!!" (~The Yardbirds)

Bob
 
FUNX725 said:
A concours-detail is way, way more entailed,
than the processes that you have listed.

You gotta go:
"Over, Under, Sideways, Down!!" (~The Yardbirds)

Bob
Click to expand...


Exactly. If its a true concourse then they will be checking with a white glove! LOL!! Engine bay, door jambs, back side and inside the wheels, wheel wells, etc etc...
 
ctpj...This is her first show with the car and she really wants to do well. Thanks for the help. Todd[/QUOTE said:
This statement alone to me mean it gets the full fledge treatment from top to bottom, including clay, if needed, but definitely I would lay a machine polish on it, glaze and wax. No detail left undone.

Man, you got your work cutout for sure.

Just One Man's Opinion
Click to expand...
 
Thank you all for your replys. I probably should have provided a little more infomation. The judging is "top-only" and the above list are not the only things being done. I am very familiar with the judging process, having won Best of Show at the last two big concours I attended with other cars.

I am also planning a full interior, engine detail and removal of the wheels to detailing them as well as the wheel wells. On top of that, as this is my wife's car, it is maintained at a concours level of cleanliness. The car has only been driven under 1,000 miles (never in the rain) since I spent about 30 hours doing the last detail and only about 200 miles since I did the engine (another 4 hours). It is completely cleaned and washed with Optimum NRW and wiped down with Sonus QD after every drive and an application of Glenz is applied ever 2-3 weeks.

With that said, I dont feel like I need to strip everything off and start from scratch; just need to freshen it up. One additional question I have is, if I top the KSG with a wax, will I be able still use the Sonus products on it or apply another coats of KSG in a couple of months or will I have to strip everything off and start from scratch?

Todd
 
BTW, I use very different process on my show cars. This is the only car on which I'm currently use the Klasse Twins. Thus the reason for the questions.
 
Thanks for the additional information:
You have everything under control.

Tell your Wife we said:
Good Luck at the Show!


Bob
 
ctpj said:
With that said, I dont feel like I need to strip everything off and start from scratch; just need to freshen it up. One additional question I have is, if I top the KSG with a wax, will I be able still use the Sonus products on it or apply another coats of KSG in a couple of months or will I have to strip everything off and start from scratch?

Todd
Click to expand...

I come from the school of thought that sealants go under wax's due to the way the sealant bonds to the surface.

I would think once you go with the wax, further layering of the SG is out. You might be able to continue with a spray product like the Sonus, but I don't know how well that would work with the Fuzion.

If you go with wax topper, my vote would be to switch over to a spray wax product of some sort to use as a booster in the future.
 
My suggestion (for paint prep) is for you to create a really slick surface to impress the judges.

Clay it, for sure, and make 1-step polish (at least) with a finishing polish like Menzerna SF4000. Everything should start from a smooth foundation.

After that, I'd apply some glaze (maybe optional depending on your polishing results), and on the week of the concours, 3 layers of the highest quality carnauba wax you can find, 1 every 2 days.

I know it sounds overkilling, but you'll have a glowing porsche that will turn heads.

Another suggestion:

Clay (for sure), 2 or 3 steps paint correction being the last step a 'jeweling' step. Coat the car with Pinnacle Black Label coating at least 1 week before concours. After 2 days, put a layer of Pinnacle Black label Sealant. 1 day before concours, put a layer of Pinnacle Black Label Synergy Wax. Wipe the dust and enter for the win.

Overkilling again, but the glow would be at it's best, and slickness may be felt 'just looking at the car'.

I don't know what your ambitions are, but I'd do something extraordinary if you want to be detached from 'the rest'.

(Just suggestions to help you out reasoning what you can do towards 'Concours Looking', of course this is not something to be done in production detailing!).

Kind Regards.
 
Definitively read the suggestion link you received earlier, as well.
Confessions of a Concours Judge

From what I've read, regarding exterior, you'll need a careful approach on trim, rubber (even behind them), perfect the door handles, and let the glass in perfect shape (remove waterspots if any), I'd recommend pinnacle surface cleansing polish on glass because it'll let the glass absolutely clean.

I'm excited for you mate, good luck!

Kind Regards.
 
Very cool car!

How is the paint condition as far as swirls? I would doubt that it has many if any, but a shot of the paint condition would allow the forum to give more complete advice.

Great looking car though, very clean and sleek. Love it.

Edit: What Tato said! haha :D
 
Again, thank you for your advice. Yes, the article is extremely informative and especially relevant in my case. The paint is in extremely good shape. When I last detailed the car, I uses my PC with Lake County pads and various machine polishes to remove all the paint defects prior to applying KAIO (I did two coats just to make sure I didn't miss anything). I will try to take a close-up of the paint under my Brinkmann Dual Xenon light when I get home tonight. Fortunately there is no chrome on the car (unlike some of my others) to worry about and all rubber trim and tires are cleaned using Griots rubber cleaner and carefully dressed using 303. The entire wheels themselves are regularly cleaned prior to Optimum Opti-Seal being applied. I do need to do some cleaning of the wheel wells, brakes and visible suspension parts though. When I arrive at the show, I will be applying Optimum Opti-Bond Tire Gel, Go over the car with Griots Speed Shine, Clean the glass one more time and check for bugs and any other crud from the drive there.
 
Tato, thank you very much for the detailed suggestions! I will try them in the future. Unfortunately, I don't have enough time before the show this Saturday. I like the idea of jeweling the car. I have often thought of getting a polisher that can do it. My PC cannot.

Todd
 
You're welcome. Although I don't have experience with car shows (none in my region), I'd follow some intensive approach like I've said earlier.

Also, your thread was great for me to learn many new things regarding this subject.

Like I've said, my comments above were mere suggestions, trying to give you some 'keywords' for you to look further, after.

Thanks for that.

Kind Regards.
 
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