Ben Przekop
Mercer Island, WA
I’ve been thinking about taking my 996 40 AE to the track. My original thought when purchasing it a year ago was that I wouldn’t track this special-edition car, but lately I’ve felt the itch to finally push it to its limits and really appreciate what it can do.
Before heading to the track I will definitely want to have a protective film installed, as I have on all my past track cars. It’s been a few years since I have had film installed, and I know that technologies have changed, so when I
saw that my PCA region was hosting a Tech Ed event at Metropolitan Detail, the Seattle area’s premier detail shop and installer of protective film and ceramic coatings, it seemed like a great opportunity to update my knowledge.
Co-owners John Kleven and Benjamin Nussbaum gave a great presentation on how they have grown their ten-year-old business from very humble beginnings in a small rented garage to their brandnew facility in Redmond, WA. Their secret? Hard work, long hours and fine attention to detail. No ‘detail’ is too small in their pursuit of perfection, from the operating-room cleanliness of the entire facility to the way everything in it has been designed to ensure every task can be done in the most efficient and highest quality manner possible.
They have a purpose-built wash area that can handle four cars at a time, eight lifts for detailing and a larger area with ten lifts for application of ceramic coatings and film. Every car is placed on a lift to ensure the ideal ergonomic position for every task, and the lifts in the film area are spaced even further apart so they can more easily position large sheets of film onto the cars.
The lighting throughout the facility uses the best LED system available, allowing them to spot the slightest imperfection that would blemish their work. The film they use is STEK Dynoshield, the most advanced paint protection film on the market. It’s selfhealing, ultra clear, ultra glossy and hydrophobic. Their ceramic coating of choice is C.quartz, which provides months of paint protection from things like surface contaminants, but not the kind of ‘impact’ protection film provides.
For track use they recommend installing protective film to the front of the car and ceramic coating on the rest. The cost of both? $2,495 for the ‘Full Front’ Dynoshield, and $1,250 for C.quartz Professional on the rest.
It might sound expensive, but it is certainly much cheaper than repainting a car, especially a classic Porsche with original paint. And looking at the gorgeous cars they had on display showcasing their handiwork, there’s no doubting the quality of the materials or their workmanship. So, whether I take my 996 or another car to the track this year, I will definitely be making a return visit in the very near future!