Finally had sufficiently decent weather for my first attempt at cleaning my new to me 991.2 (bought it in December 2023).
Started with the tires (passenger front for example). I used Chemical Guys Diablo Gel wheel cleaner.
Before:
After:
Then moved to the whole car:
Before:
Soapy goodness using KochChemie Gentle Snow Foam:
All cleaned up and ready for the road:
After the first wash, I've decided that I need to invest in a good ceramic coating. I have that on my 718 Cayman and the water just rolls right off. Not so much with the 911, lots of water spots if you look closely. I'm planning on tackling the interior tomorrow, so no glamour shots of that yet. It was optioned with a full leather interior, which should be fun to clean.
Wash Day Today
- Tom
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Nice work, that makes a huge difference!
- 911-Purist
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I do not go overboard on a lot of overpriced car wash products and just use Meguiar's Ultimate Wash & Wax liquid (yellow) that I get at Walmart using a dedicated microfiber wash mitt. The wheels get Wheel Woolies and another microfiber wash mitt.
For drying, I use a Cobra Guzzler Waffle Weave 20" x 40" Drying Towel from Autogeek. One towel with a slight wring dries my 911. I use smaller ones to dry the doors, front hood and engine lid areas. These towels are incredibly absorbent.
And for air drying to get the water drops out from under trim and drying your wheels, I bought the cheapest and most compact (less than 3 feet long) Black & Decker leaf blower (LB700?) for under $40 at Home Depot. I only use it on my cars.
Alex
1995 911 Carrera (993) 6-speed manual.
2015 911 Carrera 4 GTS (991.1) 7-speed manual.
2017 Acura RDX Elite - daily driver.
BMW: 1986 R80 G/S PD, 1990 R100 GS, 2016 R1200 GSA LC and a 2003 Kawasaki KLR 650.
1995 911 Carrera (993) 6-speed manual.
2015 911 Carrera 4 GTS (991.1) 7-speed manual.
2017 Acura RDX Elite - daily driver.
BMW: 1986 R80 G/S PD, 1990 R100 GS, 2016 R1200 GSA LC and a 2003 Kawasaki KLR 650.
Looks great, we had a warmish day here a few weeks back and I got to do the same to mine. I just picked mine up in January so seeing it dirty is killing me ! Ceramic coat is worth every penny, I had my BMW done over 5 years ago and the coating is just wearing off. Find someone who does a thorough correction beforehand otherwise you’ll just be locking in all of the flaws in your finish. It isn’t cheap but the depth and shine is outstanding.
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mkrporsche
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To 911-purist.
If one towel dries the whole car, what's with other towels to dry certain areas?
If one towel dries the whole car, what's with other towels to dry certain areas?
- 911-Purist
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The large 20" x 40" drying towel does the outside of the vehicle. It is large and I bundle it up so that if does not make contact with the ground when drying the lower panels. Maybe I should have just bought more of the smaller 16" x 24" drying cloths.mkrporsche wrote: Fri Mar 01, 2024 2:51 pm To 911-purist.
If one towel dries the whole car, what's with other towels to dry certain areas?
The smaller ones of the same material are used to dry the areas under the hood, engine compartment and panels (doors and rocker panels) once the doors are open.
I am sure any detailing shop carries this type of waffle weave towel. They have 16" x 24" ones as well. Totally impressed with them.
https://www.autogeek.net/cobra-waffle-weave.html
Alex
1995 911 Carrera (993) 6-speed manual.
2015 911 Carrera 4 GTS (991.1) 7-speed manual.
2017 Acura RDX Elite - daily driver.
BMW: 1986 R80 G/S PD, 1990 R100 GS, 2016 R1200 GSA LC and a 2003 Kawasaki KLR 650.
1995 911 Carrera (993) 6-speed manual.
2015 911 Carrera 4 GTS (991.1) 7-speed manual.
2017 Acura RDX Elite - daily driver.
BMW: 1986 R80 G/S PD, 1990 R100 GS, 2016 R1200 GSA LC and a 2003 Kawasaki KLR 650.
- Belgian951
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I need to invest in some quality cleaning products. My 951 is filthy!
1986 944 Turbo Garnet Rot Metallic
Try Griots Garage products. They are in Washington and ship to the US and Canada. Their products are all tested and I have found them to work as advertised. If you have never tried one a good foam cannon is a great tool to begin deep cleaning. Every spring I clay my 996 followed by carnuba wax 2 or 3 times before fall. A thorough cleaning is necessary first but once this is all done my car looks better than showroom. Check out their demo videos.
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