My first detail - suggestions?

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imprezal2345

New member
I just placed an order for some detailing supplies to begin "work" on my 2008 WRX.



Here's a picture from the day i brought it home. already plagued with swirls before i even took it home!



IMG_0875copy.jpg




here's a list of what i bought. I figured I'd also order some accessories that i don't have/been meaning to replace.



Blackfire Wet Diamond with Polycharger - 16 oz 1

DI Accessories Sheepskin Wash Mitt w/no thumb 1

DI Microfiber reTHICKulous Towel - 16" x 16" 1

DI Microfiber Waffle Weave Drying Towel - 36" x 24" 1

DI Packages DI Clay Bar and Clay Lube Combo 1

Lake Country Blue Fine Finishing Pad - 6.5 inch 1

Lake Country Orange Light Cutting Pad - 5.5 inch 3

Lake Country Snappy Clean Pad Cleaner 3

Meguiar's Professional DA Polisher Backing Pl - 5" 1

Meguiar's Ultra Finishing Polish M205 - 32 oz 1

Porter Cable 7424XP Random Orbital Buffer 1



main purchase being the PC. So do you think i did good? I didn't want to get anything too harsh to begin with, like M105, because I want to preserve my CC and simply don't think I'll need that much cutting power. I bought the smaller pads for the polishing and a 6.5" pad for the application of the sealant.
 
Just remember that subaru paint is pretty soft and thin. M205 will be all you need to get rid of those swirls. Congrats on the new purchase from a 09 owner
 
I second that. I have an 09 Suby as well and the clear is really soft on my car, which in turn makes it easy to correct. The M205 should take care of those swirls just fine, I'd first try it with your finishing pad as that may get the job done. If you need more cut, throw the orange pad on there and go to town. I would finish with the blue pad if you end up using the orange, should give ya a little extra gloss. And BTW, the BFWD is going to look amazing on your red!
 
subygirl said:
Just remember that subaru paint is pretty soft and thin. M205 will be all you need to get rid of those swirls. Congrats on the new purchase from a 09 owner
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thanks! Its good to hear i wont be needing anything stronger.



strauss said:
I second that. I have an 09 Suby as well and the clear is really soft on my car, which in turn makes it easy to correct. The M205 should take care of those swirls just fine, I'd first try it with your finishing pad as that may get the job done. If you need more cut, throw the orange pad on there and go to town. I would finish with the blue pad if you end up using the orange, should give ya a little extra gloss. And BTW, the BFWD is going to look amazing on your red!
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since i only bought one blue pad, would i be able to flip the pad over to apply sealant? or do i need to wash it before using it? I can't wait to get started on this



heres one more after a wash and wax



IMG_0892copy.jpg
 
door before:

IMG_4185copy.jpg




door after:

IMG_4189copy.jpg




and my FAVORITE turnout...

c pillar before:

cpillarbefore.jpg




50/50:

IMG_4191copy.jpg




IMG_4192copy.jpg




after:

IMG_4193copy.jpg




fender 50/50:

IMG_4181copy.jpg




fender v door

IMG_4183copy.jpg




it was getting too dark to take any more pictures but i will get some tomorrow. i used M205 w/ orange pad @ 6 on the PC. the pictures are before the sealant
 
The Rex looks great!! Nice to see you have the sport grill installed, it was one of the first things I did to my 09.



From looking at the pics you took and knowing how soft the clear is on our cars, you would get more gloss by using 205 again but with a finishing pad this time. Trust me on this, it will be well worth your time in going back over it, the car will look even better if you polish with a finishing pad now that you removed all your swirls.



Once again, your car looks great!
 
strauss said:
The Rex looks great!! Nice to see you have the sport grill installed, it was one of the first things I did to my 09.



From looking at the pics you took and knowing how soft the clear is on our cars, you would get more gloss by using 205 again but with a finishing pad this time. Trust me on this, it will be well worth your time in going back over it, the car will look even better if you polish with a finishing pad now that you removed all your swirls.



Once again, your car looks great!
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thanks! gotta love the sport grill



ill most likely go back over this, while i LOVE the results i obtained yesterday, since it was my first time, i feel i could have done better in some areas. I got most of the paint corrected and now i want to concentrate on making it perfect.
 
imprezal2345 said:
..ill most likely go back over this, while i LOVE the results i obtained yesterday, since it was my first time, i feel i could have done better in some areas. I got most of the paint corrected and now i want to concentrate on making it perfect.
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You did a nice job :xyxthumbs



One more pass on the residual marring is about all I'd do, no point in thinning it more than that (right now) IMO.



As noted, if you want to refine the finish a bit, try redoing the M205 with a finishing pad as the final polishing step, it'll be different from the LC orange.
 
I'd pick up some LC white pads, to finish out any hazing, as previously stated. The blue isn't for polishing out haze, only applying product, and jeweling
 
RyanFlemington said:
I'd pick up some LC white pads, to finish out any hazing, as previously stated. The blue isn't for polishing out haze, only applying product, and jeweling
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That is true in most cases, but the clearcoat on his Subaru is EXTREMELY soft! I just polished out my car(09 Subaru Impreza) with M205 and an LC white pad with the PC and it left behind a very slight haze. I had to follow with a finishing pad to get the finish as close to perfect as I could get, and the results spoke for themselves.



Most polish jobs that I do I can usually finish with an LC white pad, only using a finishing pad for "extra" gloss. Not with my Subaru, it's the only car I have done lately that had a haze from LC white and M205. The newer Subarus have very soft clear on them!
 
straus- Interesting, sounds like Subie clear is softer than it used to be. Oddly enough, back when I had my last one (~2002) there were diffs in the clearcoat softness between the different colors :think: Doesn't make sense to me but maybe it was like the BMW Jet Black thing :nixweiss
 
thanks for the complement. When i go back over it ill make sure to use the blue + m205. Driving to the store today i got stuck at red light. luckily the landscapers from Hardees were blowing all of the dirt and grass onto my car :down Why do they think thats okay to do?!
 
Accumulator said:
straus- Interesting, sounds like Subie clear is softer than it used to be. Oddly enough, back when I had my last one (~2002) there were diffs in the clearcoat softness between the different colors :think: Doesn't make sense to me but maybe it was like the BMW Jet Black thing :nixweiss
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Very possible. I know the clear on my Subie is much softer than the clear on my Dad's Honda S2000. Honda's are known for their soft clearcoat, and my Subie is much softer. Sort of a pain in the rear-end keeping wash induced marring off my paint, but the plus side is that it's a breeze to remove. I've polished my car out 3 or 4 times now, and I have yet to use any compound to get all the defects out. Needless to say, my Makita rotory hasn't even been introduced to my new car yet :lol
 
strauss- Huh...see, both my WRX and my earlier Outback had nice, medium clear. Easy enough to keep marring free but still soft enough that I could do spot-correction by hand.
 
Accumulator said:
straus- Interesting, sounds like Subie clear is softer than it used to be. Oddly enough, back when I had my last one (~2002) there were diffs in the clearcoat softness between the different colors Doesn't make sense to me but maybe it was like the BMW Jet Black thing
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I currently own 2 Subarus. My '03 WRX is Midnight Black Pearl and my '08 Forester Prem. is Topaz Gold Metallic. IMO, while both are relatively soft, the paint on my DD Forester seems more resistent to scratches than my '03. ....even taking the lighter color into consideration. What's a little odd though (and likely in my head) is that I could swear my '03 has become even softer over the years (requiring a lighter touch while removing polish/LSP's, QD'ing, etc.). Regardless, I really don't consider Subaru paint that soft when you take into account some of the other nightmare scenarios people talk about on these forums (i.e. BMW Jet Black). ….it’s all relative I guess. The same complaints about Subaru paint I used to hear back in ’02 when I bought my first one are the same complaints I hear now.
 
Matter of fact, I just found out today that using a sheepskin washmitt with ONR was marring my paint!!! I just bought the mitt about 4 weeks ago, and it's only been one week since I washed it last so it wasn't that dirty at all. I switched to a monster fluff microfiber towel to wash the rest of the car with, and no more marring. I can't believe how sensitive my paint is on this car. FWIW, my color is Paprika Red. I have a grout sponge on the way for ONR washing, so I will have to give that a try once before I polish my doors out again.
 
strauss said:
Matter of fact, I just found out today that using a sheepskin washmitt with ONR was marring my paint!!! I just bought the mitt about 4 weeks ago, and it's only been one week since I washed it last so it wasn't that dirty at all. I switched to a monster fluff microfiber towel to wash the rest of the car with, and no more marring. I can't believe how sensitive my paint is on this car. FWIW, my color is Paprika Red. I have a grout sponge on the way for ONR washing, so I will have to give that a try once before I polish my doors out again.
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uh oh. i just bought a sheepskin mitt to wash with from now on
 
imprezal2345 said:
uh oh. i just bought a sheepskin mitt to wash with from now on
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Like most detailing tools, not all "sheepskin" mitts are created equal. There are a number of other factors that play a role as well even if both parties were using the same wash media on identical vehicles. ....technique/process(es), product(s), etc.
 
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