New Car Prep: Subaru BR-Z

It finally came in!

And boy was the paint thrashed from some rain storms and being on a hauler for a couple of days.  Unfortunately I had to pick up this beauty on the way to work so no room to clean it or really do anything but get the license plate on and hit the road.

So with this car being transported by ship, rail, truck it was bound to see some less than perfect environmental conditions so I gave it a thorough decon that I'll outline below.

Here's a few pictures of the situation at hand.

First off, started with the wheels and wheel wells, these were actually in pretty great shape and I used some diluted Adam's APC with assorted brushes.

Then I moved on to the usual foam gun wash to get rid of loose dirt and grime, as well as start to break down remaining surface dirt.  For added effect I threw in car shampoo and some all-purpose cleaner to give it some extra kick. 

Followed by that since the foam wash got it quite a bit cleaner than I had expected, I moved on to a rinseless wash.  Standard ONRWW (Optimum No Rinse Wash and Wax) and 700gsm towels per the standard.  This went over pretty easily and didn't find anything out of the ordinary.  Overall the paint was in pretty great shape.

And finally the glass.  My Fast Glass towel before and after.

Then I moved on to a step I usually skip, IronX treatment.  And does this stuff smell...it is not pleasant to say the least.  It gets stuck in the air and clings to clothing, but with white paint (Satin White Pearl to be exact) IronX really showed it's form.  The iron bled right out.

My car is bleeding!!!

Following the iron decon step I moved on to claying the vehicle.  Using the Nanoskin Fine Grade towel.  The lube of choice was regular Optimum No Rinse and for the towel a Cobra Guzzler HD.

Well now we are all set to polish.  First to do a thorough check of RIDS (random isolated deep scratches) and areas to hit heavier.  Now whether you consider this fortunate or unfortunate white paint hides scratches extremely well.  Overall pretty impressed, there were a few areas where the paint needed special attention.  But for the most part a finishing polish and light-medium cutting pad did the job.

Here's a few shots of the RIDS we were dealing with.

Nothing too crazy minor scratches.  Bu then again I picked this car up with 6 miles on it.


The heavier scratches I used HD Adapt paired with an Uber Green (medium cut) 5.5" pad.  I tried out HD Polish and Menzerna SF4000 on a Blue Uber pad, and decided on Menzerna SF4000.

Here's a quick before and after

Next I moved on to touching up the hidden areas.  So door sills, trunk area, and nooks and crannies.  Quite a bit of grim that required some special brushes and ingenuity to get into.

And now the engine bay.  Just a simple wipedown then moving on with a Sonus Trim and Motor Kote spraydown.

Now to seal everything up.  For the glass Sonax Polymer Net Shield.

And the wax of choice.  Bouncer's Sherbet Fizz.

When waxing especially around trim and areas that are hard to reach.  Wipe away from trim and rubber weatherstripping where you dont want wax to go.  And for areas that you can't reach with a machine, push the wax that way so you ensure proper coverage.  For wiping off I use two towels, one initial one that I'll use for 2-3 panels, then a second towel to ensure it's wiped clean and buffed to a nice shine.

And the sun shots and final product!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to post up any questions or comments!

Review: Bouncer's Sherbet Fizz

Well I am nothing less than absolutely impressed with this wax.  From application to smell, packaging, the only downfall is that it was night out by the time I got done so I didn't have time to get pictures of it.  But alas I will tomorrow when I apply a second coat. UPDATED below with pictures

Product Link

I applied this wax by hand and by machine to compare both application forms as well as see how easy the can accepted a 3" pad.

A basic foam applicator was used.  Cliche picture of wax pot and applicator below.

The smell on this wax is fantastic, a citrus-type smell that is pleasing to use and be around.  The form of this wax is very soft and feels like it melts as you swipe it out, it is not as soft as Wolfgang Fuzion but similar in form and feel.  A slight gel type feel to it when it bunches up.  It swipes very easily but less is absolutely more, the first couple times I applied by hand and machine I over applied and when I went to buff it off (roughly 1-3 minutes depending on temperature per the can) it slightly smeared over the paint but was not at all difficult to work with.  It was just surprising and unexpected, but was remedied once I got used to using it.  Here is an example of the amount that could easily cover a large panel and then some.

This may be my favorite wax so far, and from the numerous pictures and videos I've seen of sheeting and beading I almost hope it rains on my car so I can see the results.  Long-term durability will be the largest factor but from my research that shouldn't be an issue at all.

Thanks for reading!

Update: Pictures of said car below.

My Latest Haul

These are the items I picked up this week in my first order in quite a while.

Links are provided for each items and reviews will follow when I get a chance to check them out.

Starting from left to right.

These are 700gsm towels from Microfiber Tech made for waterless and rinseless washes.  I like the longer nap and these towels have it on both sides and have different colors which make it easier to know which sides have been used.  This should cut down on the number of towels used for a wash for me at least because I prefer to not use short nap on a rinseless wash.

Next is Sonus Trim and Motor Kote from the reviews I've read it's a fantastic engine and trim detailer.  I plan on dressing the engine bay with it when I have a chance.

Continuing is a wax I've wanted to try for quite a while.  Bouncer's Sherbet Fizz.  It's a handcrafted wax from the UK. And since one can never have too many waxes, what's the harm in another one.

Finally just a basic foam applicator, personally these are some of my favorite, simple and effective.

Stay tuned for reviews and post up any questions or comments!