SAAB-aru 9-2x Aero Interior & Headlights

**TTQ B4U** · 09-28-2018, 09:30 PM

So a fellow Racing Forum Member has had this car for about 2 weeks and is going to use it as a daily. It's a 2006 with a lot of miles and owned previously by someone that enjoyed smoking in his car and had a dog that shed a lot! Both added up to a huge need to clean it up so that the new owners significant other would finally ride in it with them

Keeping budgets in-check the interior and the headlights were the two areas targeted to begin. Down the road a strong Clean and Protect detail will do this ride wonders on the outside.

Goals were to completely clean up the interior and remove all traces of smoke and then to make it so the headlights could actually cost some light on the road without having to be replaced. I failed to capture any shots of the light gray color headliner but let's just say it lightened up by a few shade of gray after it was cleaned.

On to the show...

BEFORE Shots:

The passenger side was bad but the driver side was much worse.

The back seat served as an ashtray. Common when smoking with the windows open.

Seats were worn as it's old, but they were also stained with lots of dye transfer from clothing.

The headlights were pretty badly oxidized. Thankfully not so bad that would have crazed inside yet but they weren't far off.

AFTER:

After a good cleaning things improved dramatically

The floor matts and carpet came out like new

Let there be light...

**Sizzle Chest** · 09-30-2018, 10:47 AM

Nicely done. They will be blown away now that they can see at night as they are sitting in a pristine interior!

**LSNAutoDetailing** · 09-30-2018, 05:33 PM

Looks great! Nice job.

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**java** · 09-30-2018, 06:04 PM

Great job! The owner is going to be thrilled.

What did you used on the headlights?

**TTQ B4U** · 09-30-2018, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by java

Great job! The owner is going to be thrilled.

What did you used on the headlights?

1000 then 2000 grit wet sand to cut through the oxidation. Then some old HD Headlight polish. Coated them with CQUARTZ UK 3.0

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**java** · 10-01-2018, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by TTQ B4U

1000 then 2000 grit wet sand to cut through the oxidation. Then some old HD Headlight polish. Coated them with CQUARTZ UK 3.0

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Do you think that you can achieve the same result without wet sanding?

**TTQ B4U** · 10-01-2018, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by java

Do you think that you can achieve the same result without wet sanding?

On these in this condition, yes, but I like sanding as I can simply pull out my drill and knock-it-out in just a few minutes each. Start to finish on these was less than 30 minutes including clean up. Time is money as they say.

I've worked on much worse that take more sanding and a little longer though.

**java** · 10-03-2018, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by TTQ B4U

On these in this condition, yes, but I like sanding as I can simply pull out my drill and knock-it-out in just a few minutes each. Start to finish on these was less than 30 minutes including clean up. Time is money as they say.

I've worked on much worse that take more sanding and a little longer though.

Thanks for the replies!

**Setec Astronomy** · 10-04-2018, 07:30 AM

I'm not getting the SAAB-aru joke...help me out?

**Desertnate** · 10-04-2018, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by Setec Astronomy

I'm not getting the SAAB-aru joke...help me out?

Except for the badges and the grill, the car is a Subaru WRX hatchback from the same era. It was built by Subaru in Japan. This is very similar to the "Toyobaru" twins we have today with the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 (a.k.a. Scion FRS)

The car looks amazing. Great job from end-to-end.