[06naSTI]

The paint on my 06 OBP is a mess. The FL sun is brutal plus I have a few scratches. I know sanding will take some clear off and I don't know how thick the clear is on these cars.
I can get it done for $150 at my friends shop.

[chaos311clarity]

take it to a pro detailer and see if they can fix the scratches... i wouldnt just randomly sand it.. it needs to be done properly

[inSTIgate]

go buy some mcguiars scratch X, and use that elbow grease you were born with.

some dip-stick keyed my car and in less then an hour it's virtually gone with no damage to the clearcoat of the car, the abrasive is so mild you wont hurt it with your own strength.

[Nachos Libres]

I'd say it's probably time to spend a day with your car. I'd suggest buying a good orbital and a good polish, wax, and sealant system (I prefer Zaino but other gurus like Meguiars and other products). You would want to wash your car, then clay bar it (this removes any contaminants on your paint, which there will be), then wash it again to remove any clay residue (I skip this step personally because I make sure to immediately clean the areas I clay before they can dry), then polish your paint with your orbital and polish (this removes a thin layer of paint and removes most of those small scratches and spider webbing you see on your paint), then wax it (which makes your car shiney and glossy), and then use a sealant to protect the paint and the wax. Peleg is a master at this stuff and I'm sure there are some stickies on this subject but nothing feels better than seeing your car after you do all this. It will make a huge difference, trust me.

[chaos311clarity]

Originally Posted by SVT Amateur

I'd say it's probably time to spend a day with your car. I'd suggest buying a good orbital and a good polish, wax, and sealant system (I prefer Zaino but other gurus like Meguiars and other products). You would want to wash your car, then clay bar it (this removes any contaminants on your paint, which there will be), then wash it again to remove any clay residue (I skip this step personally because I make sure to immediately clean the areas I clay before they can dry), then polish your paint with your orbital and polish (this removes a thin layer of paint and removes most of those small scratches and spider webbing you see on your paint), then wax it (which makes your car shiney and glossy), and then use a sealant to protect the paint and the wax. Peleg is a master at this stuff and I'm sure there are some stickies on this subject but nothing feels better than seeing your car after you do all this. It will make a huge difference, trust me.

+5
this is how i would do it:

wash
clay
correct/buff
polish
seal
last step aka carnuba

[astaticwinter]

I'd second SVT's idea of picking up a random orbital buffer and giving it a shot yourself. Learning how to detail was probably the best auto-related decision I've ever made.

Poke around on some detailing forums like Meguiar's and Autopia, and get some ideas. See what products people use, what equipment, methods, etc.

Personally, I use the Porter Cable 7424, which is a random orbital buffer...basicially, it doesn't spin in a circle, but rather an eliptical orbit...this means that it is much less agrssive than a normal rotary buffer, but much easier to use and safer. Better suited for the weekend warrior type detailer. There is also the Ultimate Detailing Machine which you can find for sale on some detailing websites...sort of right in between the PC and a rotary....I'd suggest going with the PC though if you're just getting into buffing.

As for as procedure and products, everyone has their own way of doing it, but I usually do the wash, claybar, re-wash, dry...then polish, seal, and top with wax.

There are thousands and thousands of different products out there...do some research and find out what suits your needs. Start with a good quality soap, a good wash mit, and a nice bucket with a grit guard in it. I'd also clay the car...it removes all the little contaminants in the paint that you can't see, and washing wont get rid of. Start with a fine cut claybar...I'd stay away from an agressive bar until you 100% know what you're doing.

If you're looking to remove some spiderwebs and swirl marks from the paint, for the most part a decent polish will work for you. Start with something fine, such as Meguiars #80-Speed Glaze...start out with the least agressive method, and if it doesn't quite do it, then go to something with a little more bite to it, like Meguiar's #83. After using a medium polish to get out the major defects, you should follow it up with the finer polish to smooth out and micro-swirls left by the heavier cut. Last step is optional, but I usually follow up with a glaze....basicially it's a polish with no abrasives in it. All it does is add shine and depth, and depending on the glaze, can help fill tiny swirls and scratches. Something like Meguiar's #7-Show Car Glaze works pretty well for this.

Once all the swirls and such are gone and the car is looking pretty, you'll need a way to protect it. Again, thousands of choices, but it really boils down to two different types of protection on a car...caranuba wax, and sealent. Most "waxes" will fall into either of these catagories. They basicially do the same thing, just different ways. Caranuba based wax is the longer lasting of the two...depending on the wax, it will last for around 3-6 months or so depending on weather, washing, etc. It adds a deep finish to the paint...hard to explain, but it's a warmer color. It does tend to kill a bit of shine and pop from any paint with flakes in it. The second, sealent, gives a more glossy, clear, wet looking finish, that makes flakes pop out a little more. The only drawback is that it doesn't last near as long as caranuba based waxes.

Waxes and sealents can also be layered...Zaino & Zymol for example, are popular high end brands which layer very well, adding depth and gloss wih each layer. Waxes and sealents can be applied by hand, or by a buffer. The advantage with a buffer is you get a more even coat, and because it's not applied too heavily, it's a bit easier to remove.

I usually use 2 coats of Meguiar's #21-Synthetic Sealent for the shine and gloss, then follow it up with 2 coats of Meguiar's #26-Hi-Tech Yellow Wax for the added protection and durability.

Thats basicially it...wash it every week or so after it's detailed, or give it a wipe down if it's just dusty with some detailing spray and a good microfiber towel.

[06naSTI]

Thanks for the advice. The water restrictions we have in FL are killing me.

[desertsubby]

just use a clay bar and good wax....but if you dont know how to use a clay bar then pay for someone to do it and then nexted time you can do it...just watch how they do it...but my buddy used to own a detail shop and he know whats hes talking about...i have an 06 sti and just have some scratches in the clear coat and he used clay bar and good wax..trust me it looked better then new...if you need help on products i could find out for you...i live in palm springs cali and it is sunny every day plus i live in a desert..so trust me but yeah just let me know and i will ask buddy what he used. have a good one

[KrazyKarl]

Originally Posted by 06naSTI

Thanks for the advice. The water restrictions we have in FL are killing me.

Then this is what you need:
http://www.autogeek.net/optimum-no-rinse.html
There was a thread about this about a month ago maybe, and I actually just used it for the first time yesterday and give it a it works 100% as good as any car wash i've ever used, but without rinsing. I watched closely for any scratches from the unrinsed dirt, but there were none. i used about 8 gallons of water in total, not counting what i used to spray the dirt out of my wash mit half way through.

If it worked for my DIRRRRRRTY CAR (I hadn't washed it in quite a while, and the last two months we've had probably 45 days of fairly heavy rain here) then it will work for you.


Back on topic:
the only time to have your car sanded and buffed would be if you're prepping for new paint. atleast thats the case with subbies. The paint is extreemly thin. It doesn't take much sanding to get through the clear.

[jtrafidlo]

I had great results with meguiars scratch X. I use Zaino products,but their swirl mark and scratch remover didn't really work for me. I used the scratch X on the whole car and it got rid of the marks.

[touchofdetail]

Get yourself a random orbital like a porter cable and purchase some products thru autogeek.net. also visit autopia.org for some advice, tips, tricks. You should be able to take most of your scratches,swirls,blemishes out by just doing it yourself.