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Old 02-03-2011, 08:12 PM   #1
foolycooly
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Exclamation 2011 WRX - Scratch Analysis (WARNING: HIGH-RES IMAGES)

Hey guys,

If any of you took a look at my wash/wax thread, you might remember me noticing a small scratch when I was applying my sealant...well I was thinking about it more and more today and finally got a good look at it tonight. My thought initially was that it was caused when I got boxed in by salt trucks and had to drive through a shower of whatever it is they pre-treat the roads with around here...upon closer inspection, i'm not so sure. It looks like it might have taken more than flying salt to have done this.

it doesn't seem to be too deep...my fingernail does catch on the major part of it, and I can feel it if I just run my finger over the surface. Is there any way to gauge its severity and communicate it over the interwebs?

I don't own a PC and don't really plan on buying one in the near future. A few of questions:

1. Can anyone tell by these pictures if this would be fixable by hand?

2. Do you think flying rocks/salt could have caused this?

3. If it can be fixed by hand, can anyone recommend products/pads?

Thanks.


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Old 02-03-2011, 08:29 PM   #2
3rdsubaru
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It looks like you may have brushed against a bush or some branches that may have been near the side of the road. I did this with my 08 STi and had similar scratches.
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Old 02-03-2011, 08:40 PM   #3
AutoAesthetica
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Man the '11 WRB boys are getting banged up with their new cars.


I will try to answer your questions in order.


1. Can anyone tell by these pictures if this would be fixable by hand? I would say with a little patience you can reduce these SIGNIFICANTLY if not completely improve them. Clearcoat when it is scuff or scratched gives a pretty sore-to-the-eye appearance however Subaru paint is soft enough that it can be repaired pretty easily. The bad side to Subaru paint is if you are removing it by hand you may inadvertently leave some very mild haze(which you may not even ssee standing by the car because of the way most products on the market are

I am also assuming(please correct me) you would want to source something locally before purchasing online but Meguiars 105 and 205 are glorious by hand, their OTC parallels are Ultimate compound and SwirlX. ScratchX is pretty good too, however it doesn't seem to leave as nice as a finish.

2. Do you think flying rocks/salt could have caused this?Possible, but considering they are clustered it looks like something bumped or was dragged over it. That rock salt would have to be flying at a ridiculous speed to be able to gouge the paint like that scratch, without deflecting off. Maybe you drove through a little extra snow and there was an ice chunk you didnt see? The cluster tells me it was something bigger than a salt rock.


Plus if you look at the bottom deeper scratch, it stops, then overlaps and starts again so it definitely was something bigger than a lightweight pebble that was dragged over the fascia instead of just hitting it.

3. If it can be fixed by hand, can anyone recommend products/pads? This depends on where you would look for products. As I mentioned up top 105 and 205 by meguiars are great and we have them(I think a few left) in 8oz size. However locally found OTC options are Meguiars Ultimate compound for reducing it and then following with swirlX from Meguiars for polishing back the UC haze. Your applicators could be something as simple as meguiars foam yellow, something like a good quality MF applicator(which would have a little more bite to it). Ultimately I would try to finish with a foam applicator as that would be the closest to a "finishing" pad on a polisher.

Its important to note that this paint is so soft that you need to use firm, yet EVEN pressure on your applicator. Don't dig in with your fingers(leaving tracer marring) but use flat pressure - it may take more than 1-2 applications but the results will be even and smooth.

EDIT: Then again this could have been something left over from the dealer.. VERY common

Last edited by AutoAesthetica; 02-03-2011 at 08:53 PM.
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Old 02-03-2011, 08:43 PM   #4
drummerboy827
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You'd probably do more harm than good if you tried to fix this w/ an unexperienced hand.

Who knows how it was caused...doesn't really matter at this point.

I'm thinkin' you're gonna need some wet sanding.

If it's your DD just get used to it - these water-based Subaru paints are soft like butter. This is the first of many imperfections to come.
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Old 02-03-2011, 09:12 PM   #5
foolycooly
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Thanks for the replies.

I'm thinking it's most likely that someone brushed against it or swung a bag/briefcase by it when I was parked in a public garage...i can't recall any situation driving where I was putting the paint in danger in any way other than those salt trucks.

It doesn't seem like we have a lot of places around here that carry a good selection of products...would walmart have UC and swirlX? Applicator pads?

If I go through with trying to correct his by hand, will I need to strip the sealant (freshly applied ) in order to effectively address it?

Theoretically, if I perform the process correctly on just a localized area, it won't look any different than the surrounding, un-polished areas?

And yes, this car is my DD and my commute consists of mostly highway -- I fully expect to have my front bumper be a complete disaster in a couple of years. Yay subaru paint.
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Old 02-03-2011, 09:21 PM   #6
AutoAesthetica
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The mechanically action of the polishes would remove any and all sealant. If finished down progressively the surrounding areas will not look any different. You may need something really fine though just because the paint is very soft.


Trust me guys, if you stop driving so close to people your bumpers will look fine. I have a vehicle(2006 year) with soft, brittle paint like subaru paint and I drive 3-5 car lengths back and my bumper as noted by my wheel/tire installer "it looks brand new". I have 3 stray chips what were rocks kicked up by large trucks - thats it.


Driving habit is what causes road rash and massive chipping, not the paint itself.
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Old 02-03-2011, 09:35 PM   #7
rallyespec
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AutoAesthetica View Post
The mechanically action of the polishes would remove any and all sealant. If finished down progressively the surrounding areas will not look any different. You may need something really fine though just because the paint is very soft.


Trust me guys, if you stop driving so close to people your bumpers will look fine. I have a vehicle(2006 year) with soft, brittle paint like subaru paint and I drive 3-5 car lengths back and my bumper as noted by my wheel/tire installer "it looks brand new". I have 3 stray chips what were rocks kicked up by large trucks - thats it.


Driving habit is what causes road rash and massive chipping, not the paint itself.
This is true, but Subaru paint is terrible. I paint cars for a living and was surprised just how thin the clear coat was on my WRX when I made a repair.
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Old 02-03-2011, 11:55 PM   #8
olazy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AutoAesthetica View Post
Man the '11 WRB boys are getting banged up with their new cars.
lol i feel your pain bro

in addition to the zipcar incident i also have a few scratches on the side of the car, picked up some 105 & 205 like Mike suggested, haven't gotten a chance to try it yet though, i'll also be using a PC polisher
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Old 02-04-2011, 01:40 AM   #9
wongjonsilver
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rallyespec View Post
This is true, but Subaru paint is terrible. I paint cars for a living and was surprised just how thin the clear coat was on my WRX when I made a repair.
I totally agree. I have so many spots/chips on the bumper from the highway. The windshield seems really susceptible rock chips (comparing the same commute w/ a Camry, which didn't show any rock chips) It's as if there is no clear coat on there.
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Old 02-14-2011, 01:22 PM   #10
Da Sola Setter
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I just picked up my 2011 WRX and on the second day of ownership it is already scratched


Last edited by Da Sola Setter; 02-14-2011 at 04:50 PM.
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Old 02-14-2011, 01:42 PM   #11
foolycooly
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yay, join the club.
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Old 02-14-2011, 01:57 PM   #12
olazy
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newest addition, passenger side skirt



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Old 02-14-2011, 02:27 PM   #13
foolycooly
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owwww...how did you manage that?
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Old 02-14-2011, 03:16 PM   #14
olazy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by foolycooly View Post
owwww...how did you manage that?
thats the problem, i have no idea how it got there, it look like something was crushed against it, doesn't look like a scrape, so weird.
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Old 02-14-2011, 03:53 PM   #15
zzyzx85
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I found my first "where'd that come from?" scratch yesterday, plus some swirl marks. I'm tossing that chamois or at least removing it from car washing duty.

I'm still in the denial stage of getting scratches. This is the first car I've bought and I've had it for not even a month yet.

I've already got a basic kit of meguiar's 205, swirl x, and scratch x ordered. I've already got a P-C DA so I'm all prepared lol. All the scratches look like clearcoat scratches.
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Old 02-14-2011, 11:31 PM   #16
olazy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zzyzx85
I found my first "where'd that come from?" scratch yesterday, plus some swirl marks. I'm tossing that chamois or at least removing it from car washing duty.

I'm still in the denial stage of getting scratches. This is the first car I've bought and I've had it for not even a month yet.

I've already got a basic kit of meguiar's 205, swirl x, and scratch x ordered. I've already got a P-C DA so I'm all prepared lol. All the scratches look like clearcoat scratches.
Haha I did the same thing, dropped $350 on detailing products. Unfortunately all the damage since can't be buffed out.
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Old 02-19-2011, 01:21 AM   #17
TheJtizzle24
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not related to him but for my personal use. how much does it cost to get your car buffed?
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