Oakes Detailing Documentary of a 2007 Subaru STi

[OakesDetail]

It`s obvious that most of us are enthusiasts, and enjoy our cars, no matter what make, model, year and so on. However, there comes a time in our vehicle`s lives that they begin to look tired, or maybe even aged and just not the same anymore. Some just trade in and get something new, some put it in the back of the garage and drive their other toys and some revive them to bring back that new look to their prized posessions. I had the priviledge to do just that with this 2007 Subaru STi, with 44k miles on it, it wasn`t in the worst shape in the world however it could definitely look worlds better. Over the course of the week, we were able to bring this car, in the owners words, "looks better than when I bought it with only 500 miles on it"



Nothing was un done on this car, as with most of my details, however we went the extra step everywhere with this car. The wheels came off, the control arms were even polished up, the wing and the hood scoop came off, even the foglight surrounds. With one goal, make it flawless. It`s our goal with every car, but we usually don`t have the time to truly document every step of it, so we change that for this thread to really give you all an in depth look at what exactly goes into a complete renovation detail. Some may see it as over the top, some may see it as not enough, as long as the owner leaves with a smile and that geniunely thrilled look it`s all worthwhile.



On to the thread itself: The process was as follows:



Front end Clear bra removed due to severe oxidation and aging

Passenger fender and door dents removed, due to car wash damage

Full degrease using Total Auto Wash, in two applications

All jambs and creases sprayed down with TAW

Three bucket method, with grit guards using Citrus Auto wash

Clay bar using Clay Magic aggressive and Mild clay

MF Waffle weave dry, all jambs dried with MF towels

Removal of rear wing, front hood scoop, BBS wheels, windshield sprayers and fog surrounds

Degrease and wash using TAW/Citrus wash with Swissvax brushes and Colgate toothbrush :thumbup:

Once cleaned, treated using Adams Undercarriage spray, Brake calipers sealed with Rejex

Wheels cleaned using Meguiars Wheel Brightener, P21S Wheel gel, clayed and sealed with Rejex

Reinstall wheels, lowered car, taped off all trim and edges



Paint correction peformed using:

Porter Cable 7424XP

Meguiars G110

Hitachi Rotary

Menzerna PowerGloss: Yellow LC pads

Menzerna 203: Orange LC pads

Menzerna 85RD: Green LC pads

Menzerna 106FF: White LC pads

P21S Paint Cleanser

BlackFire Wet Diamond Paint Sealant: Black LC pads

Pinnacle Souvreign Wax



Trim treated with Poorboys Natural look

Tires treated using Poorboys Bold and Bright

Windows cleaned inside and out



Onto the pictures!



Exhaust before and after







Silicone spray in the door jambs that was removed







Wheel photos, starting with the before:









The clear bra before removal:







Wing removed, hood scoop removed, fog surrounds removed in the followin pics!











The car itself in the air:









Rear wheel well before/after









Front wheel well before/after:









Paint photos after the full prep, definitely a lot to tackle here! Starting off with a complimentary car wash scratch:























Paint photos under the same spot lights after, BEFORE any sealant/wax:

[OakesDetail]

The paint under direct sunlight:













Now for the final results, the reflection photos and then the over all profile photos:





























Profile photos of the car outside:































Feedback appreciated! Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I have!



-Oakes

[gdal]

outstanding work man ... looks so factory fresh.



If you don`t mind me asking ... do you mind sharing your process for cleaning the door jambs? I spent several hours detailing mine door jambs a few weeks ago. Cleaning 10-year old white lithium grease ain`t no joke.

[alwaysbored786]

wow that is just outstanding work! Awesome, keep it up!

[Nagz]

Awesome work!! Menzerna polishes do wonders on that paint, i was able to get amazing finish with 106ff and a white LC pad on my last subaru.

[JohnKleven]

Fantastic work. Was the paint sticky.

[AV6NHBP6SPD]

^^paint was not sticky if you refering to kind that infinity uses(self healing clear coat),



Nick copy and paste pics into your thread then ill remove it from this one



spoiler and hood scoop first, areas under them done as well.



















some correction shots















50/50 pics were taken after first polishing stage and are not the final pics































rear bumper

before



after





you forgot the tail lights

[blackout5599]

Absolutely gorgeous! 2 STi...

[imported_RyansAutoDetail]

i love subarooze !

[imported_Todd]

Outstanding work, but without replacing the clear bra that Subaru paint won`t last 3 months before major paint chipping and pitting occurs.



I have a 2005 crystal grey STi with 2nd generation 3M paint protection film that looks as good as the day it was installed 4 years ago. I suspect the owner of the above STi has an Avery paint film. My wife`s Infiniti has the Avery brand, and the clear bra luster is failing after only 2 years.

[OakesDetail]

That was the first of 4 STi`s for this week, finished the 3rd today, and the 4th will be done tomorrow. As well as a Camaro SS, and EVO X and two E46 M3`s.....a lot of write ups to come!