Diffractoids

View Original

911 Detail

After purchasing my 911 last year, I had done a paint correction on the whole car in preparation for XPEL paint protection film to be applied. Now I’m definitely not the most patient person when it comes to working on cars (which is why I leave most of the work to professionals) but I did a decent job removing most of the swirling and after the whole front end of the car was protected, I was happy to drive it around for the remainder of the year without much worry.

However, I did not realize the combination of the 997.2’s direct injection 9A1 engine and the central muffler delete completed by the previous owner would cause another problem: a combination of soot, road grime, and grease that would build up on the rear bumper. For most colors, this wouldn’t be much of an issue. However, on a white car, it started to discolor the paint pretty quickly. It was removable, but required vigorous scrubbing (definitely not good for the paint) as well as generous application of goo gone. After dealing with this for a few months, I decided that it was time to bite the bullet and do a full paint correction and ceramic coating on the car, to make maintenance easier. The last thing I wanted to do was continue to mar the paint while cleaning the bumper.

You can see the grime above the exhaust tips. Gross!

While trying to find a reputable detail shop that would take good care of the 911, Terence mentioned that he talked with Tanner at Osiris Autoworks, a detail shop nearby to his own. They were doing a full interior+exterior detail plus a spray coating on the F430’s Paint Protection Film. Having seen work from some “detailers” and being largely unimpressed, I decided to meet with Terence on a Sunday to look at the F430 afterwards to see Tanner’s handiwork. Needless to say I was very impressed with the results. We chatted a bit and he took a look at the 911 and I booked the car in for an appointment the next week.

The plan was to do a paint correction on the surfaces not covered by PPF, followed by a ceramic coating. The coating would be GTECHNIQ CSL followed by EXO on the painted surfaces, and GTECHNIQ Halo on the PPF, which is a new product specifically designed for PPF.

Unfortunately, since the shop does not have its AMVIC license yet, we weren’t able to take the wheels off for a full wheel detail and coating. However, Tanner did put a spray coating designed to last 6 months on it, with plans to do a full wheel detail and coating in the winter while the car is in storage.

Wash & Decontamination

During the 911’s time at the shop, I got regular updates from Tanner who posts progress stories and photos through his instagram @osiris_autoworks. It’s nice knowing how things are going and the before and after shots really got me excited to see the car.

Fast forward a few days later and the car was ready for pickup. After taking a look, I was shocked at how much better the car looked. There were no halos, scratches or marring on the paint. It looked pristine. The coating also made the paint very slippery to the touch. I can only imagine how well it’ll repel dust and grime and make washing so much easier. I was so excited that I proceeded to take the car out for a quick evening photoshoot to show off the results. Check ‘em out below.

To sum up my experience, it was stellar. Tanner is a man with a discerning eye for detail and the patience required to do the job right. He went above and beyond to ensure that the car looked as good as possible. I would definitely recommend him and if you do decide to take your car to him, tell him I sent ya!

In the meantime, the 911 is gonna get driven lots since it’s so easy to clean now!

Cheers,
Gary