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Subaru Crew - Cleaning Interior & Exterior Surfaces

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Comments

  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    The catch is that you cannot use this kind of rack with carbon, as you are likely to crush the downtube in the jaws. Steel, Aluminum or Titanium only.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,747
    Bah. Get rid of it. :mad:
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • gmginsfogmginsfo Member Posts: 116
    Hey, nice pix! That bike trail in the lower one looks awfully inviting! Agree re: no roof racks. Much easier, quieter, efficient, and safe to load the bike into the rear. Besides, I kind of like the wheel's spinning and clicking along as it sometimes does. You've got a nice drive, now have a good ride!
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    I didn't pick up on your comment for a while. That 'bike trail' is the lower part of my driveway! I have about 500 ft of blacktop from house to road. Sufficient for riding up and down with my little one, but unfortunately the real road is totally unsuitable for bicycling. It is a steep hill with no shoulders. We have to rack up the bikes and travel to do any kind of family cycling.
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    edited May 2012
    Wow long time since somebody posted in this thread.

    Any ways all the long term members know how anal I am about keeping my car clean. I have always washed and waxed regularly. I have always been skeptical though of the hard-core detailers, how much better could they get the paint than what I have been doing, my car always looked great I thought.
    However I decided to buy a Porter Cable Random orbit buffer and in the interests of proving I could do just as good job by hand, I assembled all the products needed to do a four step process.
    First I washed the car with dawn soap, to remove all wax, then I clay barred the paint, first smack in the gob, you would think after washing the car it would be clean, WRONG, after claying the clay bar was black with dirt , I skipped the swirl removal process as I didn't have any swirls.

    I power buffed it out with Optimum Poly seal, and then waxed with Meguirs Ultimate wax, all I can say is WOW! I am now a believer, what I thought was shiny before ,is almost dull in comparison to the paint now.
    The shine is so deep you would almost be tempted to try go for a swim in it.
    The Poly seal is mildly abrasive so all the minor scratches are removed in the process.
    This is on a silver car which is hard to have a really deep shine on.

    I don't know how to post pictures here now, I have tried adding links from tinypics but all I get here is a red X. I don't why it is so difficult on this site every other site I just post the link and the picture shows up. However even the pictures do not do the result justice.

    Cheers Pat.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sounds cool, Pat.

    Any advice for a water stain on the hood of my Miata? Not even sure how it got there, but the paint is dull in a one foot square area, shiny everywhere else.

    Waxing only helps temporarily.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,747
    I kneel down before your greatness, Pat!

    I picked up a clay bar last summer to try and deal with a problem spot on my '10 Forester, and after working on just that one area, I don't know how anyone could have the stamina to do a whole car with one of those things, let alone all the other work in that 4-step-process you detailed.

    I feel like i am doing well if I can get a single wash/wax cycle in per year. :sick:
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    My minivan gets rinsed every time it rains.

    Actually, even less than that. It's under a car port.

    It gets rinsed when it rains and I'm out driving. ;)
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    juice, you could try Meguiars Ultimate Compound. Now I know in the bad old days compound and clear coat did not go together. But the Meguiars is clear coat safe. If it is only a small area you can do it by hand. Buff it out then wax. Hopefully that should take care of it. You do need a bit of elbow grease to buff it by hand.

    Cheers Pat.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I need to go get some.

    Had luck with their other products in the past.
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    Actually this is my way of unwinding, so I don't look on it as a chore. Different strokes for different folks.

    Cheers Pat.
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    edited June 2012
    Actually clay bar is misunderstood, it will not remove imperfections. It will however remove dirt and contaminants in the paint like rail dust, and brake dust. It will also take care of over spray.

    You don't have to lay into it hard either, this is another misconception, you don't rub until your arm falls off, you spray a lube like a quick detailer, and then rub the clay lightly over the paint.

    If you are doing it right you can actually feel the clay grabbing the dirt particles. and you won't be worn out in the process.
    You will actually like me, be amazed at how dirty the clay gets even after starting with a freshly washed car.
    As a test do one side of a hood and then feel the difference by rubbing your hand over it, the clayed half it should feel much slicker than the untreated half.

    Cheers Pat.
  • xwesxxwesx Member Posts: 16,747
    I was trying to use it to remove some sort of resin-like substance from the surface of the paint. I don't know where it came from, but it was spattered on one portion of the rear quarter, just above the driver side rear wheel. I never noticed it until I washed it, then it was dull and sticky to the touch. After a few days, the stickiness was gone due to dust and whatnot adhering to it, making it look dirty. Once the rest of the car caught up (in dirtiness), you wouldn't know it was even there until the next washing.

    I scrubbed until my elbow was noodly, but, whatever it is, it is impervious to cleaning attempts. The clay bar had no effect either, though it did, as you noted, make the surrounding area smooth as a baby's rear.

    I actually didn't wax the car last summer due to that spot, but I really would like to get it done this year.
    2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250
  • hondafriekhondafriek Member Posts: 2,984
    When I get crap like that, I usually wash the area with a strong solution of dawn dishwasher liquid or some other brand if that is not available, then just use a little laquer thinners on a rag. Since the clear coat is a urathane formula, laquer thinners won't harm it as long as you don't go nuts with it.

    After you clean be sure to wax.

    Cheers Pat.
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