Change History

I will let Grant chime in here as he now owns my 2000 Boxster S.... Grant, what do you think of the condition of the blue car?

I used 303 fabric guard for most of my ownership and the top looked great; say mostly twice a year. To be fair, I had a hard top on it for 4-5 months per year, but the car was not garaged, but in a semi-covered car port for most of its life. I chose 303 since it is popular with boaters, protects from UV, if you know anything about marine environments... well if it is good for boaters, then it is good for me. By the way, I believe the real damage to tops comes from UV and not water and therefore, if I am right on this one, a UV protectant will help prolong the life and look of a top.

For the interior leather, I used a combination of Lexol and Zaino's leather stuff. I had "viturally" little cracking although it was tough to get the dirt out of the creases. Dirt lines will appear to some as cracks. The side bolster showed wear from entry/exit, but even then I've seen seats that are a mess at 50K miles and not as bad as mine. I was going to get some dye and try to patch it up a bit. To get that dirt out, I would use car exterior soap and water and rub with a hard sponge. Rub while pulling the leather open along the crease.

For the interior vinyl/plastic, I used a combination of products that were silicone based and had UV protector in it. I tried to get matte finish stuff. Remember the "silicone eats plastic" scare a while back????

For the exterior I used Zaino in the summer, a heavy coat of Mother's carnauba wax in the fall, and would buff it out with a chemical abrasive once or twice a year using an orbital (burned out two Pep Boys models until I purchased a real tool: Porter Cable Orbiter).

My point here is not to push any product, but to show that I used car care products pretty religiously, and some of them were considered evil for a while such as silicone products, buffers, and chemical abrasives. The only thing I will say is evil are clay bars. I scratched my hood with one. Yes, you can rationalize and say I was stupid, but I have no idea how a chunk of something got under there and it takes only one swipe.... Later that year I had the hood replaced from a storm window falling off the building in a storm so problem was solved.

Here is the exterior at ... I think around 175K miles. The paint doors to back is all original. Tell me that years of machine buffing and chemical abrasives will wear away and burn my finish? Go ahead.....

https://plus.google.com/photos/101334518573666809964/albums/5540699272667615009/5540699417049830594?banner=pwa&pid=5540699417049830594&oid=101334518573666809964

Found some interior and not so clear top pics at 197K miles:

https://plus.google.com/photos/101334518573666809964/albums/5798175179731559073/5798175783483840722?banner=pwa&pid=5798175783483840722&oid=101334518573666809964

Peace
Bruce in Philly.

I will let Grant chime in here as he now owns my 2000 Boxster S.... Grant, what do you think of the condition of the blue car?

I used 303 fabric guard for most of my ownership and the top looked great; say mostly twice a year. To be fair, I had a hard top on it for 4-5 months per year, but the car was not garaged, but in a semi-covered car port for most of its life. I chose 303 since it is popular with boaters and , protects from UV, if you know anything about marine environments... well if it is good for boaters, then it is good for me.
By the way, I believe the real damage to tops comes from UV and not water and therefore, if I am right on this one, a UV protectant will help prolong the life and look of a top.

For the interior leather, I used a combination of Lexol and Zaino's leather stuff. I had "viturally" little cracking although it was tough to get the dirt out of the creases. Dirt lines will appear to some as cracks. To get that dirt out, I would use car exterior soap and water and rub with a hard sponge. Rub while pulling the leather open along the crease.

For the interior vinyl/plastic, I used a combination of products that were silicone based and had UV protector in it. I tried to get matte finish stuff. Remember the "silicone eats plastic" scare a while back????

For the exterior I used Zaino in the summer, a heavy coat of Mother's carnauba wax in the fall, and would buff it out with a chemical abrasive once or twice a year using an orbital (burned out two Pep Boys models until I purchased a real tool: Porter Cable Orbiter).

My point here is not to push any product, but to show that I used car care products pretty religiously, and some of them were considered evil for a while such as silicone products, buffers, and chemical abrasives. The only thing I will say is evil are clay bars. I scratched my hood with one. Yes, you can rationalize and say I was stupid, but I have no idea how a chunk of something got under there and it takes only one swipe.... Later that year I had the hood replaced from a storm window falling off the building in a storm so problem was solved.

Here is the exterior at ... I think around 175K miles. The paint doors to back is all original. Tell me that years of machine buffing and chemical abrasives will wear away and burn my finish? Go ahead.....

https://plus.google.com/photos/101334518573666809964/albums/5540699272667615009/5540699417049830594?banner=pwa&pid=5540699417049830594&oid=101334518573666809964

Found some interior and not so clear top pics at 197K miles:

https://plus.google.com/photos/101334518573666809964/albums/5798175179731559073/5798175783483840722?banner=pwa&pid=5798175783483840722&oid=101334518573666809964

Peace
Bruce in Philly.

I will let Grant chime in here as he now owns my 2000 Boxster S.... Grant, what do you think of the condition of the blue car?

I used 303 fabric guard for most of my ownership and the top looked great; say mostly twice a year. To be fair, I had a hard top on it for 4-5 months per year, but the car was not garaged, but in a semi-covered car port for most of its life. I chose 303 since it is popular with boaters and if you know anything about marine environments... well if it is good for boaters, then it is good for me.

For the interior leather, I used a combination of Lexol and Zaino's leather stuff. I had "viturally" little cracking although it was tough to get the dirt out of the creases. Dirt lines will appear to some as cracks. To get that dirt out, I would use car exterior soap and water and rub with a hard sponge. Rub while pulling the leather open along the crease.

For the interior vinyl/plastic, I used a combination of products that were silicone based and had UV protector in it. I tried to get matte finish stuff. Remember the "silicone eats plastic" scare a while back????

For the exterior I used Zaino in the summer, a heavy coat of Mother's carnauba wax in the fall, and would buff it out with a chemical abrasive once or twice a year using an orbital (burned out two Pep Boys models until I purchased a real tool: Porter Cable Orbiter).

My point here is not to push any product, but to show that I used car care products pretty religiously, and some of them were considered evil for a while such as silicone products, buffers, and chemical abrasives. The only thing I will say is evil are clay bars. I scratched my hood with one. Yes, you can rationalize and say I was stupid, but I have no idea how a chunk of something got under there and it takes only one swipe.... Later that year I had the hood replaced from a storm window falling off the building in a storm so problem was solved.

I don't have pics of the interior, but hHere is the exterior at ... I think around 175K miles. The paint doors to back is all original. Tell me that years of machine buffing and chemical abrasives will wear away and burn my finish? Go ahead.....

https://plus.google.com/photos/101334518573666809964/albums/5540699272667615009/5540699417049830594?banner=pwa&pid=5540699417049830594&oid=101334518573666809964

Found some interior and not so clear top pics at 197K miles:

https://plus.google.com/photos/101334518573666809964/albums/5798175179731559073/5798175783483840722?banner=pwa&pid=5798175783483840722&oid=101334518573666809964

Peace
Bruce in Philly.

I will let Grant chime in here as he now owns my 2000 Boxster S.... Grant, what do you think of the condition of the blue car?

I used 303 fabric guard for most of my ownership and the top looked great; say mostly twice a year. To be fair, I had a hard top on it for 4-5 months per year, but the car was not garaged, but in a semi-covered car port for most of its life. I chose 303 since it is popular with boaters and if you know anything about marine environments... well if it is good for boaters, then it is good for me.

For the interior leather, I used a combination of Lexol and Zaino's leather stuff. I had "viturally" little cracking although it was tough to get the dirt out of the creases. Dirt lines will appear to some as cracks. To get that dirt out, I would use car exterior soap and water and rub with a hard sponge. Rub while pulling the leather open along the crease.

For the interior vinyl/plastic, I used a combination of products that were silicone based and had UV protector in it. I tried to get matte finish stuff. Remember the "silicone eats plastic" scare a while back????

For the exterior I used Zaino in the summer, a heavy coat of Mother's carnauba wax in the fall, and would buff it out with a chemical abrasive once or twice a year using an orbital (burned out two Pep Boys models until I purchased a real tool: Porter Cable Orbiter).

My point here is not to push any product, but to show that I used car care products pretty religiously, and some of them were considered evil for a while such as silicone products, buffers, and chemical abrasives. The only thing I will say is evil are clay bars. I scratched my hood with one. Yes, you can rationalize and say I was stupid, but I have no idea how a chunk of something got under there and it takes only one swipe.... Later that year I had the hood replaced from a storm window falling off the building in a storm so problem was solved.

I don't have pics of the interior, but here is the exterior at ... I think around 175K miles. The paint doors to back is all original. Tell me that years of machine buffing and chemical abrasives will wear away and burn my finish? Go ahead.....

https://plus.google.com/photos/101334518573666809964/albums/5540699272667615009/5540699417049830594?banner=pwa&pid=5540699417049830594&oid=101334518573666809964

Found some interior and not so clear top pics at 197K miles:

https://plus.google.com/photos/101334518573666809964/albums/5798175179731559073/5798175783483840722?banner=pwa&pid=5798175783483840722&oid=101334518573666809964

Peace
Bruce in Philly.

I will let Grant chime in here as he now owns my 2000 Boxster S.... Grant, what do you think of the condition of the blue car?

I used 303 fabric guard for most of my ownership and the top looked great; say mostly twice a year. To be fair, I had a hard top on it for 4-5 months per year, but the car was not garaged, but in a semi-covered car port for most of its life. I chose 303 since it is popular with boaters and if you know anything about marine environments... well if it is good for boaters, then it is good for me.

For the interior leather, I used a combination of Lexol and Zaino's leather stuff. I had "viturally" little cracking although it was tough to get the dirt out of the creases. Dirt lines will appear to some as cracks. To get that dirt out, I would use car exterior soap and water and rub with a hard sponge. Rub while pulling the leather open along the crease.

For the interior vinyl/plastic, I used a combination of products that were silicone based and had UV protector in it. I tried to get matte finish stuff. Remember the "silicone eats plastic" scare a while back????

For the exterior I used Zaino in the summer, a heavy coat of Mother's carnauba wax in the fall, and would buff it out with a chemical abrasive once or twice a year using an orbital (burned out two Pep Boys models until I purchased a real tool: Porter Cable Orbiter).

My point here is not to push any product, but to show that I used car care products pretty religiously, and some of them were considered evil for a while such as silicone products, buffers, and chemical abrasives. The only thing I will say is evil are clay bars. I scratched my hood with one. Yes, you can rationalize and say I was stupid, but I have no idea how a chunk of something got under there and it takes only one swipe.... Later that year I had the hood replaced from a storm window falling off the building in a storm so problem was solved.

I don't have pics of the interior, but here is the exterior at ... I think around 175K miles. The paint doors to back is all original. Tell me that years of machine buffing and chemical abrasives will wear away and burn my finish? Go ahead.....

https://plus.google.com/photos/101334518573666809964/albums/5540699272667615009/5540699417049830594?banner=pwa&pid=5540699417049830594&oid=101334518573666809964

Found some interior and not so clear top pics at 197K miles:

https://plus.google.com/photos/101334518573666809964/albums/5798175179731559073/5798175783483840722?banner=pwa&pid=5798175783483840722&oid=101334518573666809964

Peace
Bruce in Philly.