Unfortunately, I had to collect the car, and drive it to the workshop. Nope, didn't enjoy that, oh no, a burbly porker on a summers evening...nope, hated every mile



got it back to the unit, and assessed the paintwork - it was in a sorry state, the genuine porsche cover had bruised the paint on virtually every panel













it was scratched in a few places...



and a bit swirly








it was a generally clean car, at least, the customer thought it was clean...



we decided it wasn't, and Karissa took on the task of sorting out the wheels





and I cleaned up the arch liners and brake calipers






We then spent several hours on the paintwork, with 3 compounds, a polish, a wax, and 2 sealants!
















we removed the scratches



and all the marks from the cover









gave the interior a quick clean, as a freebie - no engine bay to clean on this



and polished the headlights



Not a bad day really

Great work, as usual, Marc and Karissa, nice colour and some lovely pics.

must have been a real hardship to offer to collect it

Hope that the owner now understands how wonderful and clean the Porker can look

Thanks mate

yes, it was...the customer asked if I enjoyed the journey over, I said I didn't hate it

He's bringing it back later this year for a winter protection detail, and to clean it up after he's put some miles on it this summer

lovely work Marc.

thanks Ayrton, I have to say, we were pretty pleased with the results

I don't often post pics on here, I usually stick to the facebook page...but I was quite chuffed with this one

Awesome results, as usual. I really REALLY can't wait for my turn......

stunning work as ever , amazed by the disappearance of the scratches, was this through compound or touch up with spray?

thank you

scratches were removed with several stages of compound, generally swirls etc are gone in the first couple of stages, and then the deeper marks are treated individually

i gotta say, the results are stunning they really are, my bonnet is scratched too, looking like possibly the same depth as on this car, but im unsure how to use compound as its not something ive done before.

ive never really been a fan of the boxter, but i can look at these pics all day long

It's a shame you're 300 miles away, I could have done it for you

It isn't hard to compound and polish a car, but then, it isn't hard to ruin the paintwork either...my advice would be to use the right tools, and take your time.
It is imperative that you measure the paint before you start, in several places on the panel, and also in the door shuts - these don't get polished much, and are a good indication of the original thickness some areas, like under the bonnet, are not lacquered, which can be useful in gaining some knowledge on how the paint is applied. A paint thickness gauge isn't cheap, but it could save you a respray, which is more expensive than the gauge. Paint Detective one will be ok. If you can't afford one, just go very carefully, after all, it's your car, nobody to shout at you if it does go wrong

Start with a gentle pass with a mild compound - as you are working on 90s Jap paint, it's safe to say meguiar's ultimate compound will work well, and you'll only need to buy one product. Work it with a dual action polisher (not a cheap nasty one, simply not worth it, there are a few good ones to be had for well under £100) using a medium pad. Slowly pass over the panel in straight lines, in 4 directions (left to right, up an down, and then diagonally) - we call this one pass. Then wipe off the compound, check the difference, and measure the paint again. If you still have scratches, and have only taken a couple of microns off the surface, give it another pass, with a little more pressure. After each pass, clean, inspect, and measure. Be careful on any edges or raised parts, the paint will be thinner here, and easy to miss a rub through.

Try not to achieve perfection - most cars that are a few years old will have some blemishes that really are too deep to remove - or if you do remove them, the paint will be so thin that you won't be able to compound it again without going through - not worth it on a daily driver - I prefer to achieve 95% perfection, and leave a serviceable coating...there's sure to be some marks to remove again 12 months down the line

After you have applied the compound, use a good polish to prepare the paint. Again, you will get the best results using a DA, but use a softer pad, and slow the speed down. Don't work the polish too much, just enough for it to cut into the paint a little. This will make the paint take a wax or sealant a lot better, and the shine will be greater.

Top the process off with some protection. There are hundreds to choose from. Some people prefer a wax, some a sealant. I tend to use both - I apply a sealant, and then top it with a good wax. The wax gives me a better finish, and also helps to protect the sealant, sounds daft, but it allows it to work for longer, definitely a good thing.

Meguiar's light and dark waxes are pretty good. I like the chemical guys range, the Jetseal 109 topped with the 50:50 is usually a very good combination

I've rambled enough now, so I'll stop - feel free to message me if you want any more help or advice...and good luck - the results are always well worth the effort

thanks mark for the quick guide , ive been on the lookout for a DA polisher the past week or so now and i think i might have tracked one down...so, i can now attempt this with a little more confidence now
thanks very much for taking the time to write this one up, its greatly appreciated