Strange STi.

[Aaryn NZ]

Hi guys & girls. :xyxthumbs:

Still patiently awaiting my Autogeek order - so thought I would share another show n shine with ya'll.

This one was a strange one. A fresh Japanese import Black Subaru STi. Cannot remember the year or how many km's were on it but it didn't look all that flash when it turned up.

As you will see in the photos the paint was covered in water spots. Figured it was going to need some serious compounding to fix . . . how wrong was I. The bonnet scoop was terribly oxidized & I even doubted my ability to restore any shine at all to it.

Wash etc done it was time for test spots. The tops were the worst condition, so chose the boot lid for testing. Now Mike Phillips would, & admittedly - deservedly - kick me in the pants for not starting with the least aggressive method. :props:

Silly me assumed that the paint being in such a poor state, that I went straight to Megs 101 on orange LC Hybrid. Thus resulting in an utter nightmare. The pads stuck like crazy, the 101 was almost impossible to remove & results were pretty much non-existent.

Working backwards, I switched out for Megs 205 on white LC hybrids . . . almost went to Rotary & wool. Now - what happened next was STRANGE & I'm not even sure I understand "why" it worked but it did. My guess is that the STi had been coated with some type of permanent coating that had been severely neglected or had some type of chemical reaction happen?

Megs 205 with 6 passes removed the water spotting & restored the finish beautifully. Now - I'm unsure if I was polishing the coating, or was I polishing the paint? Even wiped a polished panel down with IPA to check I wasn't playing tricks on myself.

Anyhow, here are the pictures -


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84085&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84094&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84095&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84096&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84097&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84098&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84099&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84100&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84101&size=1


Pretty ugly looking huh?

Some 50/50 shots during polishing -


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84083&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84086&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84087&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84088&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84089&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84090&size=1


Done polishing. Ready for LSP - went with Autoglym Hi Def wax. Left to dry over night as was winter & it takes ages to dry.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84091&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84092&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84093&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84102&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84103&size=1


Early morning & outside for some pictures in the sunshine after removing wax.


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84104&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84105&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84106&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84107&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84108&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84109&size=1

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/watermark.php?file=84110&size=1


Another happy customer & a happy detailer. :xyxthumbs:

Thank you for taking the time to check this out . . . & remember - start with the least aggressive method!

Aaryn NZ. :dblthumb2:

[thebamboo23]

Awesome!

[Kamakaz1961]

Beautiful work!!

[tdekany]

Fantastic work, but why not protect it with a coating? That soft paint will be swirled up in no time unfortunately.

[fly07sti]

Great comeback Aaryn. And yet some people say Subaru paint isn't that soft. Again, great work!

[Aaryn NZ]

Awesome!

Thank you the bamboo23. :xyxthumbs:

Aaryn.


Beautiful work!!

Cheers mate. :dblthumb2:

Aaryn.

[Aaryn NZ]

Fantastic work, but why not protect it with a coating? That soft paint will be swirled up in no time unfortunately.

Thank you. :xyxthumbs:

Yeah, I understand what you're saying & that would be my option also. This car belonged to a used car dealer who had just imported this STi from Japan. This dealer is a small dealership - may have 20-25 cars on his lot at any one time. Normally for him they get a basic wax - spending $ isn't his favourite past time. The STi was bad enough that (to my surprise) I was asked to fix it for him. So getting him to spend the extra $ for me to do this is a rare occasion, trying to convince him to spend a bit more on a coating would be nigh on impossible - in fact - after explaining how soft the paint was on the STi & talking through how to wash it whilst on his lot, to him & his yard hand, all I got was a WT#?! look from them both. Sometimes theres just no way to convince people you know what you're talking about.

So - no coating for this one sorry. Good pointing it out though bud.

Aaryn. :xyxthumbs:

[Aaryn NZ]

Great comeback Aaryn. And yet some people say Subaru paint isn't that soft. Again, great work!

Thank you mate. :dblthumb2:

Yeah - I've only done a handful of Subaru's that haven't had soft paint & trust me - I've done a lot of Subaru's. Most do have soft paint - the only car I have done that I think had softer paint was an Alfa Romeo 147 in single stage red.

Cheers bud.

Aaryn. :xyxthumbs:

[AZ Mike]

101 as your first step! What were you thinking? Great finish though. Keep the posts coming. I get my order on Monday. Hope yours arrives soon.

[blkSRT]

Nice 50/50 shots

[VISITOR]

what machine(s) were used? nice save btw...

[Aaryn NZ]

101 as your first step! What were you thinking? Great finish though. Keep the posts coming. I get my order on Monday. Hope yours arrives soon.

Hey Mike. :xyxthumbs:

Yeah, I know! :buffing: The feel of the paint while claying was weird - kinda sticky & rough feeling, which is why I believe there was some type of coating on the paint that had maybe gone off. Even an IPA wipe didn't remove whatever was on the paint.

Reminded me of a Jaguar XJ6 I encountered years ago that the owner let his Son & mates drive around in on new years eve - alcohol was involved & one of the sons friends vomited out the window & down the side of the door.

This left a dull spot down the door on this single stage maroon Jag & as the son & his friends panicked - tried to fix it. With no idea & assuming they had no access to any type of polish etc - one of them wiped cooking oil on the paint (i know right!) therefore making that door seemingly shiny.

Didn't match the rest of the car though did it . . . so - they wiped down the rest of said Jaguar. (c'mon, I didn't say it was a happy story.) Next day, being summer time, 30+ degrees, Jag parked outside looking all shiny, sun baking the cooking oil onto the paint - Dad see's car wearing its now shiny, bubbly new coat of cooking oil. It had set like cement! :props:

I got the pleasurable job of removing the cooking oil. Couldn't move it with any chemical cleaner, didn't want to be as aggressive as a rotary with wool & compound seeing as this was a relatively old car with delicate paint. Ended up hand polishing it inch by inch until all the cooking oil was gone. 16 hours in total but made a great customer for years until he moved away.

Anyway - the look & feel of the paint on the STi I never once thought of anything less than M101 . . . but it just plain didn't work. Speed, pressure, less product, more - could not get it to remove the defects or "coating" type stuff. Barely able to wipe off the compound! It stuck like cooking oil! Haha. I expected to do a couple of passes with 101 & being Subaru paint - also expected to do a follow up with a fine polish to remove hazing etc from compounding seeing as they're so soft but nope!

I'm not sure why it was like this & may never find out - heck - I'm not even sure if I was polishing the paint or polishing the coating that may or may not have been there?

Yay your Autogeek order will be there soon Mike. I should get mine mid week I'm thinking . . . after customs has a poke around in it & adds all their tax to it. :props:

Aaryn. :dblthumb2:


Nice 50/50 shots

Cheers mate! :xyxthumbs:

Aaryn.


what machine(s) were used? nice save btw...

Thank you sir. :xyxthumbs:

Sorry - Flex 3401 & LC Hybrid white & Kestrel DAS6 with LC CCS 4inch white for the smaller bits.

Aaryn. :dblthumb2:

[07rs]

Nice job that subaru looks great!

[originalgoods13]

Great work.

I've seen this condition before and it is years of industrial fallout, city dirt and full neglect



It should feel exactly as underneath your stove top vents caked with old cooking oil

I wonder if a strong decontamination soap would have helped prior to correction

[Aaryn NZ]

Nice job that subaru looks great!

Thank you. :xyxthumbs:

Certainly a whole lot better than before.

Aaryn. :xyxthumbs:


Great work.

I've seen this condition before and it is years of industrial fallout, city dirt and full neglect



It should feel exactly as underneath your stove top vents caked with old cooking oil

I wonder if a strong decontamination soap would have helped prior to correction

:props:

You could be absolutely right my man. Did feel fairly similar too that yes. I did try a few different options chemical wise, even IPA didn't do anything other than make it sticky. A strange one for sure but got the result I was after . . . just unsure how & why?

Thanks for the input buddy. :props:

Aaryn. :dblthumb2: