1985 Porsche 911: Colleen's Concours Prep

Colleen Stein says she was always crazy for cars. When a college girlfriend couldn’t drive the Porsche 914 that she’d been given, Stein drove it around instead. She became a Porsche person, even if she couldn’t afford one. For years, she longed for one, but couldn’t quite get there. Finally her husband bought a black-on-black 911, but he didn’t really drive it much and didn’t want her to drive it either.

Finally she bought her own car, this 2001 Porsche 996. She didn’t have any help doing it. It was just a used car with some issues, but it was all she could afford. She joined the Porsche club because she wanted to do Porsche stuff with her car. Since all that typical guy talk about Porsche models and specifications didn’t hold much charm for her, she decided she would enter her car in a concours — a car show. There’s a wash-and-shine class at every one, so anyone can get into the game.

Then she went into the garage and looked at her plain white 911. It looked a little tired. Hardly anyone ever looks at 996-generation car anyway, as Porsche design director Harm Lagaay’s attempt to strip away a couple decades of surface styling gimmicks from the 911 went unappreciated. So she decided to get serious if she wanted to do well in a concours.

“Once I made the decision to enter the Greystone concours,” she says, “I made a plan. First I attended classes at Smartwax in Inglewood, California. Once a month, there’s a class on Saturday — an intensive, all-day introduction to detailing techniques and products. I attended two Saturday classes. Smartwax also has a Detail University, a five-day course primarily for those interested in starting a detail business. My car was a model for Detail University, so I was there for the day and participated in a class specifically for the paint and headlight restoration.

“My car needed a full paint restoration. I worked from the top of the car down, a couple of square feet at a time. I did it all in my garage, and sometimes I would lie awake at night and think about what I would be doing next. It gives you a feeling of accomplishment, because you know that there’s at least one part of the day where you’re in control and can accomplish something. What follows is everything I did.”

The Car:

1. Prepare car by removing license plates front and rear and any backing. Empty car of paperwork, CDs, any jewelry hanging from rear-view mirror, etc. Wash car, including high-pressure spraying of wheel wells and front bumper. Tape off all rubber and glass.

2. Using a Porter-Cable polisher on speed setting 6 with an orange pad, I buffed the entire car with the Chemical Guys V36 Optical Cut compound, beginning at the top of the car and proceeding gradually to the bottom. Took the car out of the garage and into the sun for inspection and then did touch-ups before going on to the next step. Time: 10 days, 3 hours per day. (This is a slow process.)

3. Using a Porter-Cable polisher on speed setting 6 with a white pad, I buffed the entire car with less-abrasive Chemical Guys V34 Optical Cut compound. Time: 10 days, 3 hours per day. (This is a slow process.)

4. Using Porter-Cable polisher on speed setting 3 with a blue pad, I applied EZ Cream. Allow to dry, then wipe off. Time: 3 hours (including time for wax to dry).

5. Using Porter-Cable polisher on speed setting 3 with a red pad, I applied sealer. Allow 20 minutes to cure and dry, then wipe/buff. Time: 2 hours (two applications over two days).

6. Apply wax by hand, then allow 20 minutes to cure and dry before wipe/buff. Time: 3 days, 2 hours per day.

7. Dress rubber exterior trim/surfaces.

The Wheels:

1. Clean with mild detergent using hand-held spray bottle. Use tooth brush to clean around wheel balance weights and artist’s brush around lug nuts. Apply wax to wheels.

2. Use toothbrush to clean brake calipers with special attention to Porsche logo. Dress calipers.

3. Clean tires with spray cleaner and stiff brush. Dress tires, allow to dry and wipe off excess.
Time: 6 hours.

The Interior:

1. Remove all floor mats. Vacuum entire interior, including anything with a lid/cover. Make sure to vacuum beneath rear window and beneath rear seat cushions. Shampoo any carpet if necessary.

2. Clean interior side of windows.

3. Dress interior upholstered surfaces, carefully inspecting all crevices and nooks for any dirt or lint. Use a hand mirror to look behind pedals and under the dash.

4. Check door hinges, rearview mirrors, gas-cap compartment, and door locks for dirt, grease and lint. If found, clean and dress.

5. Use white cotton glove or a thin piece of white cotton fabric and test areas to see if any dirt, lint or grease is present.

Concours Day Prep:

1. Light waterless wash of exterior.

2. Vacuum interior.

3. Wear booties to drive to event.

4. Pack: towels, spray bottle of distilled water, spray bottle of exterior cleaner, polish, dress for wheels, dress for leather, lint roller, mirror, magnifying eye glasses (I have magnifying sunglasses because they cut down on the glare from my car’s white paint) paper towels (for wheels), gloves, window cleaner, plastic trash bags, white cotton gloves for final inspection, Q-tips, and a foam piece for kneeling while I do the last minute detailing when the car is parked.

5. If I have to carry anything in my car, it sits on microfiber towels so that no lint can be found.

Products Used:

Smartwax V36 Optical Cut
Smartwax V38 Optical Cut
Smartwax EZ Cream
Smartwax Jetseal109
Smartwax 50/50 Wax
Smartwax Blue Detail Wash (gallon size)
Smartwax Smartleather
Smartwax Smartgel (for rubber)
Smartwax Bare Bones dark-shine undercarriage spray
Rustoleum flat-black brush-on indoor/outdoor water-base paint

High-quality microfiber towels color-coded to areas of the car (i.e., blue for windows, yellow for top three-quarters of car, red for bottom one-quarter of car). Wash only with liquid detergent as powder may not dissolve and scratch, then always air dry.

Finally, Colleen concludes, “Here’s my mantra whenever I’m looking at my car and thinking about whether it needs detailing or not: ‘If it can be seen or touched, it will be judged.’”

Michael Jordan, Executive Editor, Edmunds.com