A friend of mine checked his car today with a paint measuring device, i believe it was the Paint Detective. He got scared when he saw 80-87 microns in some areas and asked me to post here in case someone knows what are the paint levels on a "right out of the factory" Porsche 996 Turbo

Thank you.

 

Paint Removed by Polishing
When an abrasive polish works on the surface of paint it uses aluminium oxide spheres, suspended in an oil / water emulsion that provides surface lubrication, and uses a mechanical process to abrade the surface of the paint down to the level of the bottom of the scratch.

Experience will teach you how your polish/pad combination ‘feels’ as it goes through the various stages; i.e. cutting, to polishing stage and finishing stages, where the polish lubrication has dried up, this is where you stop, wipe off the polished area, inspect the paint surface and either clean the pad, apply more polish or change it for a clean fresh one.

Using a medium abrasive polish and a rotary polisher will remove approximately 0. 1 Mil (3µ ) Range 0.8 – 1.1 Mil (20 – 28µ) from the paint surface (typically 4 passes at 1500-1800 RPM) but there are many variables such as the abrasive grade of the polish or compound and speed and pressure used that may affect the paint removed) These numbers should be checked with a paint thickness gauge (PTG) There comes a point when you must judge wither removing a scratch will compromise the clear coat and if so you’ll have to ‘live’ with the imperfection.

A paint thickness reading of 4 Mil < ( 100 µ (Microns) is reasonably safe for polishing. 3 – 3.5 Mil ( 80-90 µ) I wouldn't use anything stronger than > 2000 grit polish, 2.75 – 3.0 Mil (70-80µ) > 2500 grit polish and under 2.75 Mil (70 µ) use a glaze.

Note: 1 µ (micron) is 1/1000th of a millimetre or 0.0393700787 Mil or 0.001of an inch

· 100 – 200µ 4 – 8 mil - normal paint thickness
· 80 – 100 µ - 3 – 4 mils, thin paint
· 80 µ < - less than 3 mil, very thin paint

If you have reservations about the amount of paint surface removed or the amount of paint coating remaining the use of a paint thickness gauge (PTG) is arbitrary

These numbers are offered as a guide only, as there are too many variables to provide any more than an approximation



An extract from “Polishing Paint (Surface Correction / Renovation)”,one of a series of unbiased Detailing Technical Papers, a library of educational materials that has become the #1 reference for car care on the Internet

Chances are you'll learn something about detailing if you read any of these; although these articles will not improve your detailing skills, lead to a successful business or change your life. Applying what you learn from it, however, will. That's where your commitment comes in - you need to make a commitment to yourself right now that you will take action on what you learn.

 

thanks !

 

That's very thin...porsche paint is usually in the low 100s

 

Here are the measurements for a 996 GT3 (ignore the rear doors.)

 

That's great! Thanks for the visual. That's about the typical reading you should see on a Porsche that hasn't had its paint thinned over the years by improper machine polishing. Those are great numbers to start with and you can usually get a good paint correction by removing a few microns,1-3, of clear.

 

wow that is some useful info !