First proper attempt at a machine polish detail

[doggy]

The genesis of this detail is way back in December when I got a nice package from the lads in cleancar.ie, containing a DAS-6 and some Hex-Logic & Menzerna goodies.

As we all know, January wasn't a great month for detailing given the fact that the country's road salt supply was expended in a matter of days and lots of it ended up stuck to our wheelarches. We had justabout finished stockpiling milk, bread and teabags when the thaw came, pipes burst and our taps ran dry. Again, not very conducive to detailing.

So, when a free weekend came up, it seemed the perfect opportunity to give the WRX some TLC. Apologies in advance for the photos, they are from my phone but hopefully give a good account of the detail.

The before pictures show a car in good nick, but paintwork a bit lifeless. Also lots of dust and bugs from the recent good weather.









(Come on the hoops)

Friday evening 1
First up were the shuts. I regularly clean down the shuts so they were in reasonable condition, more dusty than anything else.


My method here was to use APC cut 20:1 applied with a sprayer.


Then agitated with a paintbrush.


Rather than rinse off, I wiped off the residue with a valeting cloth before using Meguiars NXT2 Quick Detailer to finish it off. Probably not ideal but I can't do that trick with the powerwasher where the residue is rinsed off - I tried it once and nearly saturated the interior.


Leaving the shuts looking like:


The other job I did on Friday evening was to spruce up the interior. I cheated here by detailing the interior the previous weekend. Steps are as follows:
Befores:






Remove mats and beat the dust off them, followed by hoovering.


Spray Autoglym Interior Shampoo on the mats


Agitate the shampoo with a valeting cloth


Small detailing brush used to clean the logo on the mats


Before hoovering any further dirt liberated and apply striping.


Saturday morning 1
My best laid plans went awry as it lashed rain all day. So I had to abandon until the following weekend...

Friday evening 2
The hot weather had meant a mass of flies and bugs were welded to the front of the car with paintwork, lights and windscreen affected.


So, it was a case of loading up a sprayer bottle with Autoglym Intensve Tar Remover, and spraying liberally to loosen up the bugs. As the sticker shows, local motor factors can be a helluva lot cheaper than Halfords with this stuff.


I also used a lambswool mitt and some hot water to soften them up, after which my wash bucket looked like


Next up was the wheels. These had been polished,detarred and waxed recently so it was a case of a mild wash to bring them back.

Some befores:




APC cut 40:1,applied with a spray bottle


Agitated with a Meguiars wheel brush


Followed by the Autoglym Hi-Tech wheel brush for the details


Wheel then rinsed and washed with Autoglym Bodywork & Shampoo Contitioner


Similar job on the mudflaps


APC


Tar remover at work


I had forgotten the fuel filler when doing the rest of the shuts


Same as the others, APC and agitate, before rinsing clean this time


Soaked the body with a mild solution of APC


Saturday afternoon 2
I was making loads more progress this weekend, and washed the car with Zymol AutoWash.

Then it rained.Again.


So, the machine polisher debut was deferred again.

Saturday morning 3 (Third time lucky)
Picked up where I left off with the Zymol Auto Wash...


..before claying with Sonus Green using Meguiars NXT Quik Detailer as a clay lubricant.

Surprisingly good in some areas..


...but as expected lower down the bodywork


The hot weather was evaporating the QD in seconds, leaving a few streaks.




Saturday afternoon 3
Washed once more, no pic this time as I was so anxious to get the machine polishing done. Finally, with the weather holding up it was time to crack out the DAS6. My experiences with the polishes and pads are detailed here: http://www.carcare.ie/forum/showthre...=2616#post2616

The car was done once over with Menzerna P203s on a Hex-Logic Green Polishing Pad. This seemed to leave a little hologramming so I refined with a Black Finishing Pad and Menzerna P85RE5.

When using the finishing polish, each panel was wiped with a MF towel to clear residual dust from the P203s.


Then polish applied to the pad


and onto paintwork



Worked into the paint until it breaks down (the slight haze of the broken down polish should be just visible here)



Finally buffed off with a MF



Finally, the LSP was applied, Autoglym HD Wax on this occasion.

Then it was time to protect the alloys using Poorboys Wheel Sealant
Applied using a Meguiars Foam Applicator


Left to cure


Buffed off with a microfibre towel


Leaving this


And Meguiars Endurance Tyre Gloss added to the tyres (2 coats), applied using a Meguiars foam applicator


These are the 'afters', albeit with a basic camera and overcast light.








On my first go with machine polishing I would say it was difficult to achieve full paint correction.



I could have been more agressive on the pads/polish which would have helped but that would have been risky for the first detail. Maybe next year.

Thanks for reading!

[VinnyTGM]

Great job, car looks lovely.

[doggy]

Updated after shots, a further coat of wax later:
Flake pop


Reflection shots

[green-blood]

hey

thats a great write up... and lovely results

as the man says you go always go up in the correction stakes, but you cant put paint back in.

sweet impreza too

[Robbie]

Good job mate

[vectra]

Looking good bud.
Nice job

[Feens]

Fine job well done