Ask a detailer!

[Thomistopheles]

As many of you know, I get great satisfaction out of making things shiny and clean.

After reading Dead's thread here viewtopic.php?f=3&t=25447 I thought I'd give a bit back to the SL-i community in the form of a detailing Q&A thread. Some things do require hands-on instruction, but most jobs you might need to tackle can be done by anyone with patience and the right products/tools.

So... do you have a mystery interior stain? Trouble getting stubborn pet hair off your upholstery? Swirl marks in your paint? Yellow headlights or faded tails? Engine bay an eyesore?

[camroncamera]

Yes!! My question has to do with Subaru paint... Our BK is in overall very nice original condition, extremely straight with barely a ding, Black Granite Pearl paint polishes up nicely, however, the hood (and to a much lesser extent, the top edges of the fenders and a couple other small portions on the roof) has a paint defect that is difficult to describe; it is a sort of micro-crazing or "crackly" appearance in the clearcoat. These cracks cover the entire hood, and are particularly noticeable on the front portion (along with several small chips). When light-colored polishing compound gets into these tiny cracks, the defect is exaggerated. My suspicion is that the only way to "detail" the problem away would be to strip and fully repaint. Have you seen this before? I've heard on the forums about "crappy Subaru paint" - is this one example of a typical Subaru paint issue? These cracks have been on the car since we've owned it (less than 2 years). The car has spent it's life in the PNW/Portland Metro area and has virtually zero rust, other than tiny specks in chipped paint damage.

This seems to be the best picture that I have (plus a 100% crop) - you can ignore the badly chipped bumper:

[greenspeed]

Yes!! My question has to do with Subaru paint... Our BK is in overall very nice original condition, extremely straight with barely a ding, Black Granite Pearl paint polishes up nicely, however, the hood (and to a much lesser extent, the top edges of the fenders and a couple other small portions on the roof) has a paint defect that is difficult to describe; it is a sort of micro-crazing or "crackly" appearance in the clearcoat. These cracks cover the entire hood, and are particularly noticeable on the front portion (along with several small chips). When light-colored polishing compound gets into these tiny cracks, the defect is exaggerated. My suspicion is that the only way to "detail" the problem away would be to strip and fully repaint. Have you seen this before? I've heard on the forums about "crappy Subaru paint" - is this one example of a typical Subaru paint issue? These cracks have been on the car since we've owned it (less than 2 years). The car has spent it's life in the PNW/Portland Metro area and has virtually zero rust, other than tiny specks in chipped paint damage.

This seems to be the best picture that I have (plus a 100% crop) - you can ignore the badly chipped bumper:

My 98 LGT with the same paint did exactly the same thing. They looked like little snowflakes. I think it was a defect in Subaru's paint/primer...

[Thomistopheles]

That looks like the beginning of clear coat failure. The cracks will eventually grow and interconnect until the clear starts flaking. The only guaranteed method of fixing that is a respray. Anything else will just be an attempt at hiding the damage.

I've used the following method to revive panels with complete CC failure, but it requires machine polishing with a DA or rotary polisher and a rather expensive (but awesome) sealant. My test panel lasted 18 months before the car went out of state. That was large areas of bare base coat, though. I am not certain if it will fill in cracked clear. Opti-coat 2.0 is usually used in place of wax on freshly corrected paint, it's a layer that protects the clear. It cures hard, resists scratches and repels dirt + contaminants to an extent. It's also expensive, $60 for a 20cc syringe that will do a few cars.

If you decide to attempt it, the steps would be as follows...

1 - Wash using two bucket method
2 - Clay to remove bonded contaminants before polishing
3 - Machine polish to remove swirls/defects and slightly blend cracks
4 - Wipe thoroughly with 15% IPA solution and a microfiber to remove any residue/oils
5 - Repeat step 4 again, because the paint must be absolutely naked for the opti-coat to bond
6 - Apply opti-coat, following included instructions to the letter

My recommendation? Save your money for the inevitable re-spray if you intend to keep the car for a while.

As far as subaru paint sucking... Yeah. It really does. The clear is soft, which makes it difficult to correct defects without putting new ones in...and I have seen some with cracked paint.

[Dead91silvia]

Cameron... That paint is F***ED... no fixing that. Red85celica has the same thing going on. We might be re-spraying his paint the end of summer. Luckily my car has never had that problem.


I was gonna be a smart ass but I wont... oh wait, no I do! hahaha


How do you get 10 years of farts out of cloth seats?

On a serious note... Whats the best way to get tree sap off paint (other then wax and grease remover)? I have never had to deal with it till this summer...

[camroncamera]

Cameron... That paint is F***ED... no fixing that. Red85celica has the same thing going on. We might be re-spraying his paint the end of summer. Luckily my car has never had that problem.

Pretty much what I figured. The silver lining to my situation is that I'll be adding JDM mirrors, JDM grille, JDM spats, JDM GT-B Limited front bumper, and - if I can find one - a JDM GT-B rear bumper, all of which will need to be painted. So once I've got all my JDM items sorted, I can get the JDM bits plus the hood and possibly fenders painted as well... but the smartest thing to do may be to paint the entire car all at once... I'm actually considering changing the color slightly to the JDM BG Black Mica, since I'm not crazy about the purple/maroon push that the USDM Black Granite Pearl shows. The two colors are similar, but the Black Mica has quite a bit less reddish and would be nice to have.

[Thomistopheles]

How do you get 10 years of farts out of cloth seats?

Are we talking normal farts or chipotle farts? If it's the latter of the two, it's best to nuke your seats from orbit and issue Subaru of America a formal apology for the years of cruel and unusual punishment.

As far as tree sap goes, I'd imagine you're having issues with pine or fir sap. Try Stoner Tarminator. If you can't get that, mineral spirits or isopropyl alcohol can do the job. You can heat the sap to soften it and remove a majority with a plastic razor, then follow up with IPA to finish the job.

[Dead91silvia]

Cameron... That paint is F***ED... no fixing that. Red85celica has the same thing going on. We might be re-spraying his paint the end of summer. Luckily my car has never had that problem.

Pretty much what I figured. The silver lining to my situation is that I'll be adding JDM mirrors, JDM grille, JDM spats, JDM GT-B Limited front bumper, and - if I can find one - a JDM GT-B rear bumper, all of which will need to be painted. So once I've got all my JDM items sorted, I can get the JDM bits plus the hood and possibly fenders painted as well... but the smartest thing to do may be to paint the entire car all at once... I'm actually considering changing the color slightly to the JDM BG Black Mica, since I'm not crazy about the purple/maroon push that the USDM Black Granite Pearl shows. The two colors are similar, but the Black Mica has quite a bit less reddish and would be nice to have.

There are 2 variants of that color, more red and less red... Just FYI...

How do you get 10 years of farts out of cloth seats?

Are we talking normal farts or chipotle farts? If it's the latter of the two, it's best to nuke your seats from orbit and issue Subaru of America a formal apology for the years of cruel and unusual punishment.

As far as tree sap goes, I'd imagine you're having issues with pine or fir sap. Try Stoner Tarminator. If you can't get that, mineral spirits or isopropyl alcohol can do the job. You can heat the sap to soften it and remove a majority with a plastic razor, then follow up with IPA to finish the job.

I'm talking Taco Time farts! Oh wait... do you guys have those? Anyway, they are much worse then Chipotle farts!

It's fir.... damned cones! Thats good to know! Like I said, havent had to deal with it on my own cars till now.

[Thomistopheles]

Any worse than chipotle farts, and we need to forget odor elimination and start thinking about installing a fire suppression system in the car to handle the flames shooting out of your ass.

[Dead91silvia]

Any worse than chipotle farts, and we need to forget odor elimination and start thinking about installing a fire suppression system in the car to handle the flames shooting out of your ass.

Maybe thats why I have a hole in the seat?!

[chrish8r]

This is the roof of my SVX. It looks as if there are water spots on there but it doesnt come off. How should one go about fixing this???


Thank you

[Thomistopheles]

Have you tried claying it? You can get clay bar kits at most parts stores, just give it a good wash and follow the directions on the box. Be sure to apply wax after you're done. If the clay bar doesn't take it off, the water spots are etched into the paint and will require polishing.

Try claying and let me know how it goes. I'll walk you through hand polishing and recommend products if necessary at that point.

[chrish8r]

I have a clay bar kit. Just never thought about using it

[02_Legacy]

cleaned out the inside of my car today and I was wondering if there is an easy way to get all the dead bugs and other crap out from where the rear window meets the rear dash in a sedan. I used a small vacuum attachment and was able to somewhat get in there but I could not get alot of stuff out. Any suggestions?

[camroncamera]

cleaned out the inside of my car today and I was wondering if there is an easy way to get all the dead bugs and other crap out from where the rear window meets the rear dash in a sedan. I used a small vacuum attachment and was able to somewhat get in there but I could not get alot of stuff out. Any suggestions?

http://www.micromark.com/miniature-vacuum-kit,7651.html
Or compressed air?

[Thomistopheles]

Compressed air will do the trick, just try to avoid blasting a dead hornet into your eye.

You can use a brush with long bristles to sweep them out of the corner and into a more accessible area if your vacuum's crevice tool can't reach them.

[kimokalihi]

I've gotta take some pics of my paint and see if you think it's restorable or not. It's on my 91 legacy and it's mica white which is pearl white but the paint is yellowing in places and looks dirty even when it's not. I'm planning to wash it real good, clay bar it and cut and buff then wax it.

[kimokalihi]

Snapped some pics just now. Camera phone. Broad daylight so I couldn't even see the screen while I was taking them but you can get an idea of what I'm dealing with. There's a bit of dirtiness in the paint in places and the paint is yellowing.

[02_Legacy]

Compressed air will do the trick, just try to avoid blasting a dead hornet into your eye.

You can use a brush with long bristles to sweep them out of the corner and into a more accessible area if your vacuum's crevice tool can't reach them.

I will try these methods, although I would think that compressed air would wedge the crap even deeper into the corner. Thanks!

[Thomistopheles]

When the air hits that corner, it'll blow those dried up dead bugs right back out. Keep the nozzle low so it's lifting the bugs up and not pushing them into the interior panel, and attacking from the sides can help as well.

I've gotta take some pics of my paint and see if you think it's restorable or not. It's on my 91 legacy and it's mica white which is pearl white but the paint is yellowing in places and looks dirty even when it's not. I'm planning to wash it real good, clay bar it and cut and buff then wax it.

Looks like your plans for it would be appropriate. If the paint isn't in bad shape other than the discoloration and yellowing, I'd substitute Klasse AIO instead of compounding and polishing. Since your paint is older, it's likely that it has been polished before and the clear may not be very thick...so use caution and utilize the least agressive polish and pad/applicator that will remove the defects and discoloration. You don't want to cut through your clear.

Good luck, and let me know how it turns out!

[bulldozer24]

I got a question for you, why do you wipe a car down with IPA after using m105?

[Thomistopheles]

Some compounds and polishes leave oils behind which can hide defects when you go to inspect your work.

You want to be absolutely certain that there is no compound/oils on the panel when you move on to the next step. If you're using a rotary and there's a trace of M105 left on the panel, when you hit it with M205 on a polishing pad to restore clarity and finish it off... you'll have holograms or buffer trails chasing you all day long.

[bulldozer24]

Okay thanks, I also assume to do the same after m205 and then its ready to wax.

[Thomistopheles]

Correct. That way your wax is adhering to the paint and not to leftover polishing oils.

[Wiscon_Mark]

I forgot to ask you when you were over - is it OK to leave the Spar Urethan/Mineral spirits mixture sit for a while? Or do I need to mix a fresh batch every time. I didn't have any problems with my week old batch on the Legacy, but better safe than sorry.

[Thomistopheles]

It should be fine for a decent amount of time, just limit its exposure to air so it doesn't dry up on you.

[Wiscon_Mark]

Well, I've got plenty, so I can probably remix every month or two (small amounts is all it takes). I did 4 coats on the Legacy headlights and barely made a dent in the 3oz. or so that I had.

[bulldozer24]

What are your feelings on opti-coat 2.0?

[Thomistopheles]

Deep gloss, very slick, and it acts as a hard sacrificial layer above the clear. Shallow scratches and swirls won't penetrate into the clear, so you can polish them out and recoat without worrying about eating through the clear. Car washes won't take it off. Time won't take it off. You can clay it. Even all purpose cleaner or dawn washing won't take it off. I love the stuff and feel it's worth the steep price tag.

If you enjoy playing with different waxes, it's probably not for you... nothing will stick to it, and you're stuck with the look opti-coat gives until you compound it off to expose bare paint again.

[kimokalihi]

Would opti-coat 2.0 be a good idea for my old paint once I clean the paint and polish it?