I have a MY95 WRX in 406 silver... and to be fair the paint is ok, however it is getting old and needs a thorough clean.
I have been using Meguiars previously, but thought I'd try the Poorboys swirl remover stuff...

What would you recommend for a 12 year old car?

was thinking of the ssr3 and some poorboys polish with carnuba wax...

So many on the market, it s hard to choose!

 

Are you working by hand or by machine? And do you like a warm wet glow or would you prefer a shinier and more reflective look? The products you list are fine, but I can think of better ones given your car. Post up some answers below and I'll offer some recommendations... to help, here's some piccies to help...

Warm, wet glow...





Shinier, more reflective look...

 

To be honest I sway a bit more to the warm and wet...
Unfortunately I am currently working by hand. . . however I go to the States quite often and if I get a chance I'll pick up a PC

But until then, I shall be like Karate Kid. Wax on, Wax off.

 

Lol, ok, good job you asked, then, because SSR3 by hand would be a complete nightmare, and would in all likelihood make your paint look worse, as you wouldn't be able to break down the abrasives properly. Here's some thoughts...

1. After washing and drying, clay the car first with Meguiars Quik Clay; this alone will greatly improve the look of the paint. There is a full guide to how to clay safely on our website, link here...

Polished Bliss - Car Care Advice - How to clean your paint in preparation for polishing or protection

2. If the paint just needs a deep clean, I would go with Jeffs Werkstatt Prime Acrylic, topped with Poorboy's Natty's Blue. The Prime Acrylic is a deep paint cleanser that will lift out deep seated dirt and grime, whilst at the same time laying down a tough basecoat of sealant protection. The addition of the wax over the top will soften the finish and add wetness, whilst obviously also adding even more durability. The prime Acrylic is best applied with the white side of a German Pad, and buffed off with a Super Thick n Plush Towel, using a spritz of quick detailer (ideal choice if Jeffs Acrylic Glos) or water to help loosen the residue if needs be. The Natty's goes on best with the red side of a German Pad, and is best buffed off with a Deluxe Mega Towel.

3. If you paint needs more than a deep clean, i.e. it has swirls and other sub-surface defects, then an abrasive polishing step after claying and prior to the work outlined in stage 2 above will help (although might not improve the paint 100%, as often only a full machine polish can give full paint correction). My hand polish of choice for Subaru paint is Menzerna Intensive Polish, as it has enough cut to enable a good level of correction, but the abrasives can still be broken down well by hand to give a good finish free from micromarring (smaller, fine scratches caused by rubbing in of unbroken down polish - this is what the SSR3 would cause if used by hand). The best method of application is firm rubbing in using the white side of a German Pad, until the residue turns clear, at which point it should be buffed off with a Super Thick n Plush Towel.

Hope that helps,

Rich

 

Thanks Rich...
I shall give these a try - when I get back from my holiday... hopefully it wont be p*ssing down with rain as much !

 

Couple of questions Rich.

- Is the same true for Poorboys SSR1 or can this be worked by hand on light swirl marks?

- Mazerna Intensive Polish, is this too strong for light swirling on an 05 blue mica STI

- you have 2 different Mazerna IPs on your site, is it just pack size that differs?

Car is currently waxed with Swissol Shield so would this be OK to go over the Mazerna assuming it's not too strong or the SSR1?

I live 5 mins from Puppetmaster so might be a buffing day ahead?

Thanks in advance.

 

- Is the same true for Poorboys SSR1 or can this be worked by hand on light swirl marks?

Yes it can, as the abrasives in SSR1 do break down fairly easily, but a better bet is Menzerna Final Polish II, which breaks down even more easily and gives a glossier finish.

- Mazerna Intensive Polish, is this too strong for light swirling on an 05 blue mica STI

Hard to say, as it's impossible to tell how severe swirling is in advance. The Intensive Polish is certainly fine to use on Subaru paint by hand, but might be overkill - better off starting with Final Polish II and only dropping down to the Intensive Polish if needs be.

- you have 2 different Mazerna IPs on your site, is it just pack size that differs?

No! They are very different animals; the old style in the pink labelled bottles is very fragile and works best on older paints and by hand, whereas the new Pro bottles are at the cutting edge of polish technology and designed for the new generation of clear coats (although they work damn well on everything!); full descriptions have been added to the pages, if you can't see then try CTRL+F5 to refresh your cache.

Car is currently waxed with Swissol Shield so would this be OK to go over the Mazerna assuming it's not too strong or the SSR1?

Whatever polish you use (no matter how light), it will strip off the wax, so you will have to reapply it again afterwards.

Hope that helps,

Rich

 

Rich you're a star !

Thanks for the advice and expect an order soon...

 

I'll get in touch as well...

Will speak over the weekend Chris about an order