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Porsche GT3 - By Oakes - Reversing Years of Track Days
I am a car guy at heart, and that means I feel that performance vehicles should be used for their purpose. Few vehicles fully embody the purpose built feeling to be driven, and driven hard, like the Porsche GT3. This particular 997 GT3 is an exact example of being used for what it was meant for, track days and back roads.
The only downside to enjoying our vehicles, is the mechanical and cosmetic wear and tear. Unfortunately, we can’t always have our cake and eat it too in regards to driving these machines to their limits while maintaining that showroom look. However, it doesn’t mean there can’t be a balance or happy medium! As you will see here.
I was contacted by the owner of this first generation 997 GT3 in the hopes to “freshen” her up. After many seasons of track days and auto cross events, it was time to return his prized machine to it’s former glory. This is where the fun starts, and I did my best to document the journey. You can’t blame a man for enjoying this kind of machine the way it was meant to be driven! My OCD may argue otherwise, but the enthusiast in me would have done the same.
As she arrived, looking a little tired and used, and rightfully so.
There was an existing partial clear bra on the front end, which will later serve as a testament to the protection of clear film over time. Also serve as an example of the benefit to spring for full panel coverage rather than partial as well.
The scrape seen here was in the film only, the paint underneath was protected even though it looks as though it may have been worse.
Lots of old brake dust and rubber taken residence on the wheels and body
The wheels were then taken off after the initial prep of the body. My goal was to get them as spotless as possible, and then have them refinished to both fix the existing chips on the spokes and remove the silver lip and completely black them out.
The second round of the surface prep, when you have a vehicle covered in years of track days and outside storage, a normal wash and clay isn’t going to cut it. The initial deironizing wash took care of a bit of the caked on grime, but I need to get gritty with mild clay and really get in to the wells and jambs.
This was just the sides of the rear bumper!
Already looking like an improvement before I started the underside. The old film was safely removed and completely cleaned of glue as well.
Which I was a little weary of, as the 997 brake calipers are prone to fading and peeling and I had no idea what the condition was going to be. Here are the befores of the calipers!
Fortunately however, aside from a few scrapes and knicks, they cleaned and polished up extremely well!
With the preparation done, it was time to revive the paint, and this could have gone any direction, as the condition was rather dire. However, I’ve tackled worse and was very hopeful of this one. First order of business was removing the etching from the track day numbers on the doors! I also removed the factory rock guards, as they were well past their prime, but certainly did their job!
The next pictures show what I was up against, who knows the last time it was properly washed, let alone detailed.
Here is my reasoning for always recommending a full panel film protection over a partial piece. There is an obvious difference in where the film protected the paint, and the rest of the panel was left exposed to damage. A full piece would have get the whole hood perfect!
NOW! For everyone’s favorites. The before and after correction shots, with a few 50/50 photos to show just how dramatic of an outcome was achieved.
After paint correction was completed, and before CQuartz Finest was applied, the factory clear guards were replaced. I also re wrapped the front bumper in Xpel Ultimate clear film, to continue protecting it.
Some photos of the fully corrected paint showing no more swirls and marring!
Always need the sunlight test!
And of course, the finished photos. Showing a completely renewed vehicle, looking as proper as she performs! I get to thank CQuartz Finest for really giving the paint that depth and gloss on top of its protection
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