I've been anal retentive about vehicle care since, well, forever. Growing up, that yellow tin of Simoniz was always in the garage. And I knew how to use it. 😂. My father insisted on it. 😖. That was almost 60 years ago; we had the best looking 1965 Chevy Impala in the neighborhood.
I eventually graduated to Zymol, at the time an exotic blend that came in a glass container you stored in the refrigerator; it smelled like coconuts. 😂
Now, like tech in every other aspect of our lives, we've moved on - paint protection film and ceramic coatings are today's state of the art. Because we're planning on keeping Otto for a long, long time, some cutting edge protection seemed worthwhile.
While we were waiting for Otto, I educated myself on all the new paint care/cleaning tech. Rinseless wash, foam guns, drying aids, detailing sprays, microfiber towels, special sponges, yada, yada, yada. Enzo has been the beneficiary, and frankly, he's never looked better! He'll be a teenager in a few months. 😂
Paint Protection Film
I had this on my Boxster S; the front half of the hood and fenders were done. It worked well to eliminate rock chips on the nose and sloped hood. Here in the desert, there are rocks and sand everywhere, all the time, and chips are a huge issue...maybe only in my head, but still, that's where I live...😂
Was never fond of the "edge" left halfway up the hood on the Boxster. Just last year, my friend Bill who now owns the car, had the PPF replaced, and did the whole front using a product from Ceramic Pro, one of the leaders in the industry. That recommendation started my research for Otto.
Met with the Ceramic Pro Elite dealer here in Tucson, Recon Auto Detailing, saw his shop and decided to do what they call the "Ultimate Armor" package: PPF on the front clip (windshield forward) and ceramic coating on the rest of the vehicle, including the wheels...more on that later. Lifetime warranty, which means something given how long we keep our vehicles.
The Magic Maker...computer controlled digital die cutter. Load up your vehicle, it has the pattern.
Doing the entire front not only increases the protected area, but it eliminates that unsightly edge. Basically, PPF is an optically clear film that stretches over the paint and protects it from damage. There's a lot more to it than that, but the end result is in the name itself: paint protection.
Ceramic Coating
Think of this as "the best wax ever." A hydrophobic coating that sheds water and dirt, while adding hardness, gloss, and UV and scratch resistance to the paint. Yes, please. 😂. Otto got fully coated; paint, plastic, windows and wheels.
Interior Protection
Otto has screens and piano black plastic trim - both look good but are fingerprint, dirt and scratch magnets.
Brett at Recon Auto Detailing was able to cut templates to cover everything likely to be scratched: both screens, the small piece to the left of the driver where the start button is located, the entire right of the center screen, and all the piano black on the center console.
Window Tint
The desert sun is brutal. Window tint today can block more than the light, it blocks UV and IR too, meaning it keeps the interior substantially cooler while preventing fading. We tinted the doors and the rear hatch; although the rear doors and hatch have privacy glass, we added the tint for the heat rejection.
Unfortunately, you can't tint the panoramic roof because it can overheat the structural glass causing it to crack. We'll have to use the sunshade. Note to Porsche: there should be an option to have the shade close automatically when you exit the vehicle. 😎
Ready to go, right on schedule.
Brett and his team did a fantastic job. Paint looks flawless, you cannot see the edges of the PPF and the tint ties the roof and all the black trim together. Very happy with the result!
Otto gets parked for about 10 days so everything can cure. Ceramic Pro just announced a new windshield protection film, should start shipping in a couple of weeks. We'll likely be Brett's first client...we've replaced Enzo's windshield twice, had numerous chips repaired on him, Nigel and the Boxster. Literally, a couple each year.
An ounce of prevention, as they say...
We continue to be a little amazed by how Chalk changes with the light...just when you thought it was white...
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