What to use on WR Blue (UK300)
 

Hi

Great new part of the forum, the cleaning guide is superb and has inspired me to get the pressure washer out and clean the car this week at some stage

The question is, having not really done anything other than basic clean and whack some meguirs on what would you suggest for the UK300 colour? (think its called WR Blue)

I need to clay the car etc

Pic of my car here

http://www.showoffyourcar.com//cars/SUBARU/9180.jpg

Cheers :)

What does that mean?

Need to rub the whole car down with a clay bar, remove all the tar and muck from the paintwork!

id be interested in recommended products to get a nice wet glossy shine on this colour car too as i have a WR blue MY03 WRX, and its looking a bit sorry for itself after a hard winter so far!

Yeah, mines looking sorry for itself too. Swirl marks everywhere :o

Needs some TLC this week

Polished Bliss? Help!

Ok guys, I had JohnS pay me a visit on Sat, and after giving his car a quick wash down I got my first look at this colour paint up close. The flake is very fine, giving the appearance of a flat colour, but the shimmer is very nice all the same. I have a couple of ideas which I'm hoping to try out on John's car in a couple of weeks time, when we spend a whole day on it (machine polish and engine bay detail). Here's my initial thoughts (which I also e-mailed to Rasher, as he's asked the same question)...

The first option is the full Menzerna USA range. This range has only just hit UK shores, but it's been around in the US for 4 years now, and it's already legendary. And for good reason, as it gives the most insane reflections I've ever seen - so much depth and clarity it's almost unreal. However, there is no glow, and only a middling amount of wetness. In terms of ease of use, all of the products are a joy. The polishes can be used by hand or machine (Menzerna Werk are a German company, and renowned for the quality of abrasives they produce - all major car manufacturers use Menzerna polishes on the production line - Menzerna Werk are not interested in the consumer market, but an offshoot company, Menzerna USA, has licenced the abrasives and produces the range I stock). The Full Molecular Jacket sealant is simply awesome, and it's shown on a similar shade of blue on the S3 shown in one of the example detail threads I posted in the car care section.

The second option is a wax finish, and for this colour, I feel the best product combination would be Clearkote Vanilla Moose Glaze, then two thin coats of Poorboy's EX-P sealant, and then finally two coats of Poorboy's Natty's Blue paste wax. This is an all time classic combination for metallic finishes, as it gives a very wet, glossy look whilst still allowing the metallic flake to sing out in the sun. The EX-P isn't the easiest product to use, but the results it gives makes it worthwhile. Adding the EX-P beneath the wax improves the depth in the reflections no end, meaning that you get the best of both worlds - a wet, glossy finish with great reflections.

One final option from the range I do is one I haven't yet tried on this colour blue, but I did a test panel on JohnS's car (the roof), so when I see him again in a couple of weeks time We'll see what he thought of it (it was cloudy and dull on Sat, so hard to tell how good it looked after application).

Hope that helps, the choice is really down to the Menzerna vs the Clearkote/Poorboy's combination, and ultimately to whether you want mental reflections or a dripping wet, glossy look.

Keep your eyes peeled, after I've done JohnS's car I'll post a detailed write up on here so you can see one of the finishes in detail.

Cheers, Rich.

Found a better image of the S3 I did last November - still not the best pic, but it gives you an idea of what FMJ looks like on this shade of blue.

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f2...05/audis3j.jpg

:)

Rich thanks for the options you gave me, can you let me know how John S's car looks like after you apply the various options you mentioned to me.
Also what is best to use to clense the paintwork before waxing,to help get rid of swirls. I understand the claybar is good for getting out marks and impurities from everyday use, I have used this item once but because the car isnt always subject to the extremities it doesnt need this too often.

thanks again

Nige

I want to get the order sorted in one go:D

Hi Nige, the clay bar only removes firmly bonded surface contaminants (tar spots, baked on bug guts, etc), whereas polishes only remove sub-surface defects (swirls, scratches, etc) - have a read of the guides to cleaning and polishingh on my site for full details, and to find out how to test if you need to clay before polishing. The best clay I do is Clearkote's clay bar - it's twice as nig as the others and comes with a bottle of decent lube. For the two options outlined above, recommended polishes are as follows...

Menzerna - Final Polish II, followed by Finishing Touch Glaze, then FMJ.

Clearkote/Poorboy's - the Vanilla Moose has a light polishing action, but if you need something more substantial I'd go with Poorboy's SSR1.

In both cases you could go more abrasive if needs be, but it will be damn hard work by hand. Oh, and don't go more abrasive unless you need to. :)

just ordered a waffle weave towel to be going on with :D

Ta!

Have you managed to do John's car yet?

Tony.

Not yet, date arranged for this coming Sunday, but the weather looks like it might snow again. Pics up as soon as it's done - promise! :)

I'll keep my eyes peeled.

I need to make this shine....

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...3/efea05c8.jpg

Tony :D

Was just going to say we had it scheduled for this Sunday, but weather forecast is looking a bit grim. I'll wash my car on Saturday anyway on the off-chance that the weather holds out, but we may have to postpone to another weekend or find a large double garage nearby!

Aye, not looking good - I'd rather postpone if it's bad, as although we could do the work inside, we won't get good pics, and I need good pics to demonstrate the types of finish that can be achieved using different product combinations. Roll on spring, beginning to get fed up with the weather just now... :rolleyes:

just ordered a bit of stuff Rich to see how I go with it:D