Removing Car Wash Swirls and Scratches – 2016 Porsche Targa 4S

Zach McGovern

8 years ago

This gorgeous 2016 Porsche Targa 4S was brought to us because the owner was interested in having his car coated for added protection, gloss, and easier maintenance.

Upon inspection, it was apparent that despite the low mileage and new model year, the paint had not been properly cared for. There were a considerable number of swirls and moderate scratches, and some tell-tale signs that the vehicle had been taken through the car wash on more than one occasion.

We started off with a thorough cleaning of the wheels & tires. After a pressure rinse, the tires were cleaned using Tuf Shine Tire Cleaner & Tire Brush.

The wheels were then soaked with a generous amount of P21S Gel Wheel Cleaner to help break down the large amount of buildup on the wheel faces and barrels. We really like the P21S Gel because it really clings to the wheel and does not have a harsh smell like many wheel cleaners do. The wheel cleaner was left to soak while I cleaned the tire on the rear wheel.

Next, the barrels were cleaned, and thanks to the P21S Gel Wheel cleaner, all of the heavy buildup that could not be removed with the pressure rinse was easily removed with a large (3″) wheel woolie.

Wheel faces were then cleaned with several wheel brushes and the end result was a very good looking wheel.

Next the paint was washed with Meguiar’s Hyper Wash and then decontaminated with detailing clay.

The owner then decided that he wanted to add our premium wheels-off service, so the car was put on the lift and the wheels were removed. While we had the wheels off, the wheel wells were cleaned with some all purpose cleaner and then dressed with 303 aerospace protectant. Brake calipers were cleaned up as well, and then coated for added protection.

Since we had already done a pretty good job cleaning the wheels while they were installed on the car, they were not too much trouble to completely clean once removed. The end result is a wheel that looks brand new inside and out.

The wheels were then wiped down with Eraser and sprayed with CQuartz for added protection and easier maintenance.

Now that the vehicle is clean, the paint was inspected for defects. Swirls and scratches were easily visible with our LED inspection lights (check out my article on inspection lighting here).

We had originally planned on performing a one-step correction process, however after testing numerous combinations of products and pads, I found that a two-step process was going to be necessary to make the type of improvement we were after. We were able to remove the majority of defects with Fast Correcting Cream & Microfiber Cutting Pads, and then polish the finish to a deep finish with CarPro Reflect on a White Rupes Pad. The color was greatly enhanced with this process making the uncorrected areas appear hazy in comparison.

Here is a collection of before/after photos captured throughout the compounding process. Notice we were able to remove the majority of defects, however some scratches were too deep to be removed with this process. This is a daily driven vehicle, so chasing RIDS was not worthwhile as we believe preserving clear coat thickness is far more important than achieving a flawless finish.

The paint was then coated with 2 coats of 22ple Mistico Elemento. This is a professional grade coating product that produces incredible gloss & durable protection.

The end result was a beautiful finish with metallic flake that really came to life in the afternoon sun.

I absolutely love this color. Now this vehicle looks like a low mileage 2016 should, and will continue to look great for years with proper maintenance.