d56tuye

80 Living the Legend – 911 owner reports
Lee Sibley
Poole, UK
@lee_sibs
Model 996.1 CARRERA
Year 1998
Acquired JAN 2019
I’ve now done more
than 2,000 miles
since ‘Little Irish’,
as it’s now known,
got its new paint.
In that time I’ve
done a track day, a
European visit, shopping trips, and drives
out to the muddy New Forest to walk the
dog. The 996 was absolutely hanging as
a result, because despite all that I’d still
not managed to wash it.
Mad I know, but the reality is I’ve
never had a car with box-fresh paint
before. I’ve been petrified I was going to
blemish the pristine paintwork by doing
something wrong. I went to see Jake at
First Choice Detailing, Dorset’s go-to
venue for sports and supercar paint
protection, to chat through my options.
As I was reluctant to get Paint
Protection Film, Jake suggested a
ceramic coating. It won’t be the same,
but can protect the paint underneath
for up to 18 months with proper
maintenance, and will make washing
my car quick and easy. This was a huge
plus point for me, as I just haven’t got
the time or patience to stand around
detailing my car. Before the Gtechniq
ceramic coat could be applied, Jake and
his team gave the car a comprehensive
wash (a 21-stage process, I kid you not!)
before being whisked inside to the FCD
inspection bay. Here, under intense
LED lights, we inspected my paintwork.
I was shocked to discover all sorts of
blemishes and swirl marks over the new
paint. Jake told me not to worry, as it
turns out most cars straight from the
factory arrive in this condition.
Jake soon got to work with an
‘enhancement’, giving the car a onestage
pass with a heavy cut compound
and soft pad. This cut the paint back
slightly, taking out those blemishes. A
swap out to a different compound and
pad refined the finish.
After a wipe down, the Gtechniq
ceramic coat was applied. Left for a
few hours afterwards to bake off, I then
had Shane at FCD apply some choice
‘PORSCHE’ decals to the doors and
decklid, which I’d wanted for weeks. To
my mind it breaks up the green a little
and really finishes the car off.
The results are stunning. The paint is
deep, rich and completely unblemished.
The car is already covered in dirt again
of course, but I’m looking forward to
giving it a wash this weekend, where
hopefully the hydrophobic ceramic coat
will do its job and let the water – and dirt
– run right off with minimal fuss. Cheers
for a stellar job, FCD!
Gina Purcell
Oxford, UK
@ginapurcell1
Model 911 SC
Year 1982
Acquired APRIL 2014
My SC was dropped
off at Fenn Lane
Motorsport in late
October to get the
rear suspension
repaired. As Dr. Chris
was out, I chatted
with the chap who’ll be doing the work:
the cheery and amenable Vince. To show
me the process, he dug out one of the
specially designed, spun steel cups
that will sit in the ends of the torque
tube and carry the F-series’ smaller
wheel bearings. It looks simple, strong
and elegant, like most good solutions
to engineering problems. When the
work is complete, the excellent Center
Gravity guys and girls will pick Steffi
up and whisk her onto their lifts for the
alignment work to begin.
Wolfi the 964 C4 (remember him?)
has sat in storage for over a year now.
My husband’s plan for the 964 was to
go a bit ‘outlaw’ with the car, with a
2WD conversion and lightweight interior
with sound-deadening removal, but
he’s cooled off that idea due in main to
the car’s excellent condition, even five
years post-restoration. It would seem
a shame to alter the car’s character so
fundamentally. The greater shame is to
let the car just sit under a cover unused,
though. First World problems, eh?
Sabine the Carrera 3.2 was pressed
into service for one of our regular
Porsche Enthusiasts Club early-bird
drives out to Burford for a fried breakfast
at The Priory Restaurant. There were
nine cars involved, but ourselves, and our
friend Andre who was following us, had
to split from the gang and return to the
coffee shop start point as I’d dropped my
mobile. This led to a great game of catch
up across the Oxfordshire countryside,
dicing with some slippery conditions on
the way. We managed to stay in convoy
from Burford to another coffee stop at
The Milk Shed cafe near Bicester – a
journey that elicited the usual positive
public reactions to seeing nine Porsches,
and mostly 911s, in tight formation.