2008 Subaru Legacy Spec B: My first major paint correction w/ the Flex

Discussion in 'Show and Shine' started by DirtyWeRX, Oct 13, 2011.

  1. DirtyWeRX

    DirtyWeRX DB Forum Supporter

    I've done a few paint corrections before using my PC7424XP. Ive never really dealt with cars that needed a major paint correction that would require a rotary polisher.

    I was at a point in my little detailing career where, in order to go to the next level, I would have to start thinking about a rotary polisher. Soon enough, i bought one used from here and bought the 3M backing plate and some new pads.

    I practiced the new rotary on a scrap panel i keep around and then polished my car (it is the official guinea pig after all)

    A friend of mine from the local subaru forum in called me and asked if I could correct the paint on his Legacy because it had some swirls. I was eager to try it out on a black car, so I agreed and this is how it went.

    What was done:

    - Wheels were prepped with Lane's Safe Wheel and cleaned with various brushes
    - Tires were cleaned with Meguiar's APC
    - Tires were dressed with Adams VRT
    - Wheel wells were cleaned up
    - Washed with Wolf's Chemicals car shampoo
    - Door jambs were cleaned
    - Clayed with Riccardo Yellow Clay
    - LSP: Collinite 845 & Lusso Oro
    - Rubber and trim treated with Adams VRT
    - Leather treated with Zaino leather cleaner and conditioner
    - Exhaust tips cleaned
    - Carpets vacuumed
    - Spot cleaned with Adams Carpet and Upholstery where needed
    - Dashboard was cleaned with 1Z Cockpit Premium
    - Glass cleaned with Adams Glass cleaner and Uber Glass towels
    - Polished with M105 and Menzerna Power Finish (mainly used Uber yellow and green pads)


    Interior before:
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    Interior After:
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    Washing:
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    Swirls galore:
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    Masking: :D
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    Polishing and 50/50 shots:
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    Final Product: (some of these photos may have been before the final wipedown)
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    Took about 32 hours. I love my Flex polisher to say the least
     
  2. Frankastic

    Frankastic Detail Photographer

    looks great!! sucks no sun out... I love my flex also, but I barely use it.
     
  3. Danny

    Danny Nuba Guru

    Nice work man!
     
  4. kakeuter

    kakeuter DB Forum Supporter

    Excellent work from top to bottom, the car turned out great.

    -Kody-
     
  5. hamza7

    hamza7 Welcome to Detailing

    GLossy, nice work
     
  6. corrswitch

    corrswitch Jedi Nuba

    Outstanding work, I know first-hand how hard it is working on this car and color since I have one. I always enjoy seeing Subarus.
     
  7. Upper Class Detailing

    Upper Class Detailing DB Pro Supporter

  8. v|nsan|ty

    v|nsan|ty Obsessive Detailer

    Wow excellent restoration.
     
  9. EvoFire

    EvoFire Birth of a Detailer

    I love the SpecB, been trying to find a good one for a long long time. Black ones are very rare.

    That one was hammered! How was the paint to work on? I know that Subaru paint is very soft, any extra precautions?
     
  10. 05coupedriver

    05coupedriver Virgin Detailer

    Agree with EvoFire I like those SpecB a lot but the only thing is that are expensive...


    How do you like the Zaino Leather soft and the conditioner looks like it works well?
     
  11. Socal Brian

    Socal Brian DB Forum Supporter

    Great work!
     
  12. sal329

    sal329 Nuba Guru

    Looks great nicely done
     
  13. DirtyWeRX

    DirtyWeRX DB Forum Supporter

    As far as using a rotary to polish the paint, I can't really say if it was harder or easier than most cars, only because it was my first. I practiced rotary polished on a junk panel and then my own car.

    However it was a little harder to do than my car. Even thought they are both Subaru, the wrx is made in Japan and the legacys are made in Indiana. So, the paint was different than mine. I had to use M105 because Menzerna Powergloss wasn't quite up to the task.

    I was laying down large towels on surfaces that were already polished because I found that for some reason spent polish dust was a real paint to remove. It kept sticking to the surface.

    I want a spec B so bad. The owner was a friend of mine and I told him he might not get the car back because I wanted it so much. LOL

    I have used quite a few leather cleaners and conditioners and I can say that Zaino is by far my favorite. They weren't messing around when they named the conditioner "leather in a bottle".

    It might be sad to say that I Zaino'ed my white adidas shoes the other day...
     
  14. SilverGTV8

    SilverGTV8 Jedi Nuba

    Looks great!

    Don't feel bad about the Zaino... I am dying to get some myself, if only for the smell!
     
  15. SpecC

    SpecC Wax on..Wax off

    Started out on Subaru black?! You are a brave one.

    Car looks great. How did you like the flex?
     
  16. DirtyWeRX

    DirtyWeRX DB Forum Supporter

    Well, sorta started out with. I have a junkyard test panel, then kinda hit up some areas on my white wrx... then a black subaru LOL. I love the flex. I cant really say its better than any other rotary polishers, but thats because I havent used any of them lol. It went pretty well.
     
  17. Stokdgs

    Stokdgs Detail Master

    That is an incredibly beautiful job for your 2nd Rotary Power Detail !!
    Congratulations ! I bet the Client fainted ! :)
    That dirty car about ruined your claybar too! I hate that when that happens ! :)
    The clarity you achieved is really great ! The different color metallic particles are beautiful - kind of looks like carbon black metallic.

    Glad you like the new Flex; I have had one for over a year for sure, and it's been outstanding to use - not that my Makita 9227c is not, but the Flex is just way easier to move around. The Makita is so much heavier than the Flex, it took me a little bit to get used to the lighter machine. I love mine and use it all the time.

    Also glad that you use Zaino Leather Cleaner and Conditioner - I use it all the time too. The cleaner is really outstanding, and removes stuff out of leather I cant get out with anything else. Its darn near amazing.
    The conditioner is also very good and I use it for Clilents that want the "leather smell", and for those that dont, I use Spinneybeck.

    Thanks for sharing your great work here !!
    Dan F
     

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