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Old 06-03-2009, 03:16 AM   #1
itskrees
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Join Date: Aug 2006
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2007 WRX OBP
I turn cars into mirrors

Default Ultimate Detailed: My 2007 OBP WRX - Detailing Obsession (Picture HEAVY)

I've spent a lot of time this month detailing other people's cars in the Chicagoland area; from Honda Odyssey's to EVO's (which I will make more write-ups on later), that I haven't been able to make time to keep my own WRX defect free. Last weekend I finally got the chance, and I found that "correcting" my car was quickly turning into a detailing obsession. I recently purchased a whole new set of detailing products, and while they definitely were able to make customer's cars look good, I was urging to see what type of results they can give to my own car. Onto the detail!

Here's my 2007 OBP WRX.



Step 1: Wash and Clay
Wash Materials:
TS Grout Sponge
Chemical Guys Citrus Wash n Clear diluted to wax stripping ratio.
Two 5-Gallon Buckets with Grit Guards
E-Z Daytona Wheel Brush
Meguiar's Slide Lock Brush
Tire Scrub Brush
Bleche-Wite Tire Cleaner

Clay:
32 oz distilled water with 1/2 oz of Meguiar's #00 Hi-Tech Wash
DP Detailing Clay
Blackfire Claybar Extender






Unfortunately, there were no pictures taken at this point since I was the only one taking pictures and didn't want to wet the camera too much. Rest assured, after the wash and clay the paint/wheels were clear of any surface contaminants.

Step 2: Correction
Those that know me personally know that I'm VERY anal about keeping my car clean, and while the car may have looked decent to someone else after the wash/clay, 30 seconds under the halogens revealed a completely different car.




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Old 06-03-2009, 03:18 AM   #2
itskrees
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Join Date: Aug 2006
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2007 WRX OBP
I turn cars into mirrors

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Here's a quick pic of my work area:


The tools of the trade:




As you can see from the pictures, I definitely had my work set out for me. The car had its share of RIDS, swirl marks, and holograms that inhibited the paint's gloss at its full potential. Before taking the buffer to the entire car, its important to first utilize a test spot and figure out the least aggressive process that will remove all the defects without sacrificing any more clear coat than needed. In this case, I chose a ~18x18" area on my rear driver's side door.





FYI...Subaru's paint is soft. STUPID soft. As in the type of paint that will scratch if you look at it wrong. This meant that great care needed to be taken when wiping off the excess polish residue in order to avoid inducing a new scratch onto the paint. However, the good thing about it was that the paint was able to get corrected with relatively mild abrasives.

The process that worked for me went as follows:

Rotary Application (Major parts of the body):

Meguiar's M105 Ultra-cut Compound on 6.5" Lake Country White Pad
Menzerna 106FA Nano Polish on 6.5" Lake Country Blue Pad
3M Ultra-fine Finishing Polish (Ultrafina) on 6.5" Lake Country Blue Pad

DA Application (Front bumper, Rear deck, Spoiler, and Trunk)

Meguiar's M105 Ultra-Cut Compound on 4" Lake Country White Pad
Meguiar's M205 Finishing Polish on 4" Lake Country Black Pad

Here's the test spot after M105 and 106FA (Ultrafina was used at the very end of the detail to remove any holograms left behind by the rotary and further enhance the gloss of the paint)




After developing the system to be used around the entire car, I proceeded to compound the entire car. This removed the deepest scratches on the paint, and the non-diminishing abrasives found in M105 made the process very efficient (roughly 1-1.5 hrs, 8-10 seconds each pass @ 1500 RPM). However, since the compound is a very aggressive polish, it left behind marks of its own that needed to be removed with a milder polish (similar to sanding). What amazes me is that there are a few people out there that are able to work M105 and leave the paint's finish nearly ready to apply wax. As you'll see in the next couple pictures, I'm not quite there yet .

After compounding:
Notice that although there are a large amount of swirls/holograms present, they are very mild and uniform relative to the scratches that they removed. This made it much easier to follow up with a milder polish to further level the paint.


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Old 06-03-2009, 03:19 AM   #3
itskrees
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The sideskirts were particularly scratched up, and decided to do a quick application of M105 on a LC 4" orange pad followed by 106FA on a LC 4" white pad.



Once the entire car was compounded (I was even more motivated to reach full correction since the car looked terrible at this point), I proceeded to do my second time around the car with 106FA on the blue pad. This process took significantly longer, since the polish used diminishing abrasives that needed to be fully broken down to reach it's maximum potential without leaving any marks behind. Each application took about 2 minutes per 18x18" section, starting at 900 RPM to spread, 1200 RPM to work in the polish, then slowly decreasing the RPMs down to 600 RPM to refine the finish.

After finishing this process, I went around the car a third time with 3M Ultra-fine finishing polish to remove any minor traces of holograms and further enhance the gloss of the car. In fact, the finishing process took longer than the other two processes, since the polish stayed wet for a long time and allowed me to really work the polish to produce a mirror-like finish. Once I was sure that all the defects were completely removed, I gave the car a solvent wipedown with Denatured alcohol to remove and polishing oils that had the potential to fill in any more defects. After one more time around the car to confirm that there still were no defects remaining, I topped the car off with Wolfgang's Fuzion and Meguiar's Ultimate Quick Detailer.

Here's the result:










Last edited by itskrees; 06-03-2009 at 03:25 AM.
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Old 06-03-2009, 03:20 AM   #4
itskrees
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I turn cars into mirrors

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I found this to be a pretty cool shot. Compared the reflection of the glass to the reflection of the car.









Under the halogens:


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Old 06-03-2009, 03:21 AM   #5
itskrees
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Gotta love orange peel


Remember this?






The wheels and brakes were not forgotten:



Plast-X was also applied to the tail lights to remove any swirls present:
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Old 06-03-2009, 03:22 AM   #6
itskrees
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2007 WRX OBP
I turn cars into mirrors

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Final reflections:


All that's left is one more cleanup before I can finally rest.


One big thing that bothered me was the fact that the SLR I had at home died out on me before I could document the progress of the detail, and was unable to locate the charger for it . Once i'm able to get the SLR back and running i'll take more pics and try to give the car more justice. Thanks for reading!
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Old 06-03-2009, 04:27 AM   #7
nation1979
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finally something to go off of.my paints in the same condition and it pisses me off.its nice to see that a great job can be done with very few tools/products
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Old 06-03-2009, 04:50 AM   #8
neat-0-wrx
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wow... wow... words cant describe how amazing that transformation is
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Old 06-03-2009, 06:57 AM   #9
ctrent86
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How do you like Fusion?
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Old 06-03-2009, 09:56 AM   #10
spartanVR4
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How was the dusting with the m105? When I used it on wagon, the amount of dust that I got was crazy, and I was using the new formula safe for DA application.
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Old 06-03-2009, 10:37 AM   #11
invisiblecity
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Sick shot, man. Does it get any better?
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Old 06-03-2009, 10:41 AM   #12
smithrcing17
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PSM

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=O im pretty sure my mouth is on the floor from awe! where do you live and how much do you charge??? haha. any suggestions for a psm colored car?? i wash mine religiously once a week but ive never seen a car as shiny as yours!
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Old 06-03-2009, 11:10 AM   #13
ryan2.5
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wonderful job. your right subaru paint is such a pia cause its so soft....but kinda nice that it polishes out easier...

how about the engine?
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Old 06-03-2009, 11:32 AM   #14
Bad Noodle
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Since you know your stuff ... is there anything that fixes the copious amounts of rock chips and scratches on the front bumper?
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Old 06-03-2009, 12:36 PM   #15
itskrees
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2007 WRX OBP
I turn cars into mirrors

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Quote:
Originally Posted by smithrcing17 View Post
=O im pretty sure my mouth is on the floor from awe! where do you live and how much do you charge??? haha. any suggestions for a psm colored car?? i wash mine religiously once a week but ive never seen a car as shiny as yours!
Thanks! I'm in Skokie, IL..right on the border of Chicago. As far as pricing goes, I'm not allowed to post that since I'm not a vendor. For any colored car, its the same process. What makes it difficult is actually SEEING where the swirls are on the car (silver, gold, and white cars definitely make it difficult). I personally shine the light source at the section of paint you're trying to correct and look at it from a very low angle. For example, when inspecting your hood near the windshield, try looking at it from the bottom of the hood near your headlights. Washing also plays a huge part in the maintainence. If done incorrectly, you'll definitely be seeing another polishing session in no time. The safest way IMO is using two buckets with grit guards in both of them. After each panel, dip the wash mitt into the rinse bucket and agitate it against the grit guard to remove any particles on the mitt. Then, dip it into the soap bucket and agitate it one last time before taking the mitt back onto your car. Also make sure to reapply wax once you start to notice your paint is no longer beading water!

Quote:
Originally Posted by ryan2.5 View Post
wonderful job. your right subaru paint is such a pia cause its so soft....but kinda nice that it polishes out easier...

how about the engine?
Thanks! Yeah, in a way it's easier, but more care also has to be taken when removing the polish to prevent inducing new scratches (THAT part made it even more of a PIA, especially when the polishing oils were tough to get out). As far as the engine i'll try and get pics as soon as I can. By the time I was done with the detail I just wanted to collapse in bed!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bad Noodle View Post
Since you know your stuff ... is there anything that fixes the copious amounts of rock chips and scratches on the front bumper?

If you can physically feel the scratch, chances are you're not going to be able to get it out by polishing/compounding. Wetsanding may be possible, but it really depends on how deep it is. For those rock chips and scratches, using touch-up paint is probably the safest way to go.
I would follow the process described in here:

http://www.autopia.org/forum/click-b...-56k-owie.html
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Old 06-03-2009, 12:44 PM   #16
itskrees
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I turn cars into mirrors

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Quote:
Originally Posted by nation1979 View Post
finally something to go off of.my paints in the same condition and it pisses me off.its nice to see that a great job can be done with very few tools/products
Thanks man!

Quote:
Originally Posted by neat-0-wrx View Post
wow... wow... words cant describe how amazing that transformation is
Thanks!

Quote:
Originally Posted by ctrent86 View Post
How do you like Fusion?
Fusion is definitely a good last step product. Not only is it a wax/sealant hybrid (longevity of a sealant, shine of a wax), it's really easy to apply and remove. Honestly though, I'd only recommend it for people that have dark colored cars, due to its price.

Quote:
Originally Posted by spartanVR4 View Post
How was the dusting with the m105? When I used it on wagon, the amount of dust that I got was crazy, and I was using the new formula safe for DA application.
Yup, I was using the same formula. If you work the polish in too long, it starts to dust like crazy and is almost impossible to come out. Make sure that once the pad is primed you don't use more than you need. Only a couple pea sized dots are needed. Regardless though, the M105 will dust more than a milder polish simply because compounds have the tendency to dust more. EXCELLENT product nonetheless! There were some cases were I used it to "spot treat" certain deep scratches, and due to the nondiminishing abrasives I was physically able to see the scratch getting worked down with each time I passed over it!

Quote:
Originally Posted by invisiblecity View Post

Sick shot, man. Does it get any better?
Thanks man. I'm sure with an SLR, it may look better. Or you can swing by and have a look
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Old 06-03-2009, 01:23 PM   #17
invisiblecity
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Quote:
Originally Posted by itskrees View Post
Thanks man. I'm sure with an SLR, it may look better. Or you can swing by and have a look
Can I bring my swirl-ridden red OBS with me?

You know what to do
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Old 06-03-2009, 01:47 PM   #18
Smoke
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Wow, that's probably one of the best details I've seen yet on this site.

It's like a ****ing mirror!

I wish I had the time and knowledge to that!
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Old 06-03-2009, 01:50 PM   #19
ryan2.5
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yay, i have fuzion arriving ups on Fri. I stoped using Klasse on my car because i found its really difficult to remove if left too long. And like you said, when its hard to remove product you are just chancing leaving marks.
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Old 06-03-2009, 03:19 PM   #20
96accord
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Looks great!

OBP is hard to keep clean and free of swirls tho. . .
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Old 06-03-2009, 04:22 PM   #21
itskrees
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Da-Risin-Smoke View Post
Wow, that's probably one of the best details I've seen yet on this site.

It's like a ****ing mirror!

I wish I had the time and knowledge to that!
Thanks man

Quote:
Originally Posted by ryan2.5 View Post
yay, i have fuzion arriving ups on Fri. I stoped using Klasse on my car because i found its really difficult to remove if left too long. And like you said, when its hard to remove product you are just chancing leaving marks.
Yup! Even with the ease of removing fuzion, I always use a quick detailer to aid in wax removal. Not only does it prevent inducing any scratching, it adds another layer of protection and leaves the car completely dust free.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 96accord View Post
Looks great!

OBP is hard to keep clean and free of swirls tho. . .
Thanks!

...don't remind me. I don't even want to drive the car anymore
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Old 06-03-2009, 05:09 PM   #22
AdamMc
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jesus. The first rainfall is going to make you CRY.

How do you even drive the car after getting it to that level of perfection!? Thats a beautiful detail job.


If you do happen to take'er out for a spin, make sure you dont blind oncoming traffic by reflecting all Light sources back into their eyes at night!
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Old 06-03-2009, 05:19 PM   #23
ctrent86
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Quote:
Originally Posted by itskrees View Post
Fusion is definitely a good last step product. Not only is it a wax/sealant hybrid (longevity of a sealant, shine of a wax), it's really easy to apply and remove. Honestly though, I'd only recommend it for people that have dark colored cars, due to its price.
Have you ever tried FK1000P? That is what I am currently using that has similar properties and you described. If I remember correctly fusion is supposed to have more a nuba warmth to it with FK1000P looking wetter.
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Old 06-03-2009, 07:03 PM   #24
itskrees
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AdamMc View Post
jesus. The first rainfall is going to make you CRY.

How do you even drive the car after getting it to that level of perfection!? Thats a beautiful detail job.


If you do happen to take'er out for a spin, make sure you dont blind oncoming traffic by reflecting all Light sources back into their eyes at night!
Haha! I guess I'm limited to side roads from now on .

Quote:
Originally Posted by ctrent86 View Post
Have you ever tried FK1000P? That is what I am currently using that has similar properties and you described. If I remember correctly fusion is supposed to have more a nuba warmth to it with FK1000P looking wetter.
Actually no, I haven't. A quick search on it makes me want to go purchase a jar though. As far as Fuzion having the warm look to it, I've heard more reviews about Souveran giving the warmth, while Fuzion gave the wetter look. I wonder if FK1000P takes it a step further?
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Old 06-03-2009, 10:59 PM   #25
gaveup
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Fuzion is such a rip off. It's more marketed to the people with money who don't know any better. If you people knew the production cost of that $120 bottle, you would punch yourself for wasting the money.

On a side note, looking at the car, and knowing Subaru paint, I don't see why you needed to pull out a rotary. It could have all been done with 105 and the PC if you know how to use it correctly, and you wouldn't need to clean up any holograms.

BUT

the end result is freaking awesome. Good detail!
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