How easy/difficult is it to keep WRB "clean"?

[Subaruwrxfan]

Originally Posted by bimmerboy

+10 on paying for a high quality/install clear-bra, as this cars front bumper/hood is so low, it will surely be attacked by rocks/salt..

As has been said in the clear bra discussion, the front black "mustache" part will take a majority of those rock chips, and it's black plastic all the way through, so the front bumper shouldn't look too awful.

[TheRipler]

Originally Posted by djdnz

Polish does not 'adhere' to the paint, a good polish doesn't have fillers. It is used to cut the clear coat and break down with heat. When you polish you're effectively removing the peaks and valleys on the clear coat, or at the very least softening their hard edges. This in turn reduces the thickness of your clear coat by a small amount every time you polish, but the upside is that you've removed your swirl marks and softened the appearance of deep scratches to the point that your paint looks like it is brand new.

Wax on the other hand is a filler, and stays on top of the clear. If you notice after you wax, it looks pretty good - but wash it a few times and your scratches begin to re-appear. Polishing removes the hard edges, and no matter how many times you wash (assuming you don't damage the paint while washing), you will not get the scratches to re-appear as they used to.

One of the best things you can do to maintain your paint is proper washing technique. The majority of swirl marks are from you washing your car with little fine pieces of dirt caught under your wash mitt. Without contacting the paint, cover the entire car in soap suds. You can do this with a foam sprayer/lance, or by wringing out your wash mitt over the entire car. Follow with a two bucket wash (rinse the wash mitt in a water bucket, and THEN dip it into your clean soap bucket). This will help a lot with swirl marks.

If you're interested in learning more, have a look for JunkMan's videos on youtube he's great.

This is all good info.

I had a 2002 WRX in WRB. The color looked good dirty, and fantastic when clean. On more than one occasion, I had people chase me down to ask what the paint code was so they could use it on their vehicle. Nothing looks better than a clean WRB.

I got the best results with the following:

Annual: Wash, clay bar, scratch remover (if required), polish, wax, quick detail

6mo: Wash, scratch remover, wax, quick detail

1-2week: Wash, quick detail

Wash: As above, using two buckets
Clay bar: Cleans paint, removes wax and embedded dirt
Scratch remover: obvious
Polish: While this does knock the minor edges off the clear coat, it also leaves a thin synthetic coat that protects the paint.
Wax: Deepens the shine, protects the polish, and get the water beading
Quick Detail: builds a layer of synthetic over the wax with each application, so it gets better with each wash.

Keeping a good base underneath keeps the weekly or bi-weekly washes quick and easy.

[bimmerboy]

Originally Posted by Subaruwrxfan

As has been said in the clear bra discussion, the front black "mustache" part will take a majority of those rock chips, and it's black plastic all the way through, so the front bumper shouldn't look too awful.

how do you know this for sure? have you driven the car extensively on public highways??

based off all my previous cars, the front of the hood ALWAYS develops paint chips. The fact that the BRZ is lower than any car i've owned only makes matters worse. The only hope we have is that the front bumper section carries over to the hood, however once chipped it will still show...

Once again this is just speculation however its better to be proactive in protecting your paint than reactive. Just my $0.02

[Subaruwrxfan]

Originally Posted by bimmerboy

how do you know this for sure? have you driven the car extensively on public highways??

based off all my previous cars, the front of the hood ALWAYS develops paint chips. The fact that the BRZ is lower than any car i've owned only makes matters worse. The only hope we have is that the front bumper section carries over to the hood, however once chipped it will still show...

Once again this is just speculation however its better to be proactive in protecting your paint than reactive. Just my $0.02

I worked at a Porsche dealer for 5 years as a detailer. Saw lots of Boxsters, Caymans and 911s come in (same size and height as the BRZ roughly), and the ones without clear bras hardly ever had paint chips on the hood, even the ones with high miles. And since the bumper normally gets most of the abuse, as I saw in the Porsches, and the BRZ has a huge piece of black plastic in the most common area of chipping, that is why I say that I'm not worrying. If buying a clear bra gives you piece of mind then that's fine. I'm just speaking from experience with similar cars.

[bimmerboy]

Originally Posted by Subaruwrxfan

I worked at a Porsche dealer for 5 years as a detailer. Saw lots of Boxsters, Caymans and 911s come in (same size and height as the BRZ roughly), and the ones without clear bras hardly ever had paint chips on the hood, even the ones with high miles. And since the bumper normally gets most of the abuse, as I saw in the Porsches, and the BRZ has a huge piece of black plastic in the most common area of chipping, that is why I say that I'm not worrying. If buying a clear bra gives you piece of mind then that's fine. I'm just speaking from experience with similar cars.

Please don't compare Porsche paint to Subaru paint.. Coming from an 04 WRB WRX, I already know what to expect... Talk to other subaru owners, they will all share how crappy the paint quality is...

Also I do think where you live plays a big factor. For example So-Cal/Nor-Cal owners prob don't need to worry as much as people in New-England do...

[Subaruwrxfan]

Originally Posted by bimmerboy

Please don't compare Porsche paint to Subaru paint.. Coming from an 04 WRB WRX, I already know what to expect... Talk to other subaru owners, they will all share how crappy the paint quality is...

Also I do think where you live plays a big factor. For example So-Cal/Nor-Cal owners prob don't need to worry as much as people in New-England do...

I own a 2006 Legacy GT, it has 74k miles on it, at least half of those are highway miles, I can count on one hand the number of chips in my hood, the front bumper is not quite as good, but it's not horrendous either. You guys must be following a monster truck on a rally circuit, I dunno where all these horrendous chip stories are coming from. I've taken a power washer on full blast within 2 inches of my paint and it's been fine.

[bimmerboy]

Originally Posted by Subaruwrxfan

I own a 2006 Legacy GT, it has 74k miles on it, at least half of those are highway miles, I can count on one hand the number of chips in my hood, the front bumper is not quite as good, but it's not horrendous either. You guys must be following a monster truck on a rally circuit, I dunno where all these horrendous chip stories are coming from. I've taken a power washer on full blast within 2 inches of my paint and it's been fine.

Can't speak to the US manufactured cars such as Legacy, but for cars made at the Gunma plant (WRX and now BRZ) paint quality is subpar. Hopefully subaru stepped their game up with the paint on these cars...

Also where do u live?


Anyways- Didn't mean to derail the thread. Back to OP topic, WRB isn't that bad to keep clean

[Subaruwrxfan]

Originally Posted by bimmerboy

Can't speak to the US manufactured cars such as Legacy, but for cars made at the Gunma plant (WRX and now BRZ) paint quality is subpar. Hopefully subaru stepped their game up with the paint on these cars...

Also where do u live?


Anyways- Didn't mean to derail the thread. Back to OP topic, WRB isn't that bad to keep clean

Pittsburgh, we have pretty crappy roads.
I'm confident that these new cars will have better paint quality. The WRX is not built in the same plant as the BRZ, before building BRZs that plant was building kei cars, if they haven't improved the painting process from those crappy little cars then we really are in for some trouble.

Originally Posted by TheRipler

This is all good info.

I had a 2002 WRX in WRB. The color looked good dirty, and fantastic when clean. On more than one occasion, I had people chase me down to ask what the paint code was so they could use it on their vehicle. Nothing looks better than a clean WRB.

I got the best results with the following:

Annual: Wash, clay bar, scratch remover (if required), polish, wax, quick detail

6mo: Wash, scratch remover, wax, quick detail

1-2week: Wash, quick detail

Wash: As above, using two buckets
Clay bar: Cleans paint, removes wax and embedded dirt
Scratch remover: obvious
Polish: While this does knock the minor edges off the clear coat, it also leaves a thin synthetic coat that protects the paint.
Wax: Deepens the shine, protects the polish, and get the water beading
Quick Detail: builds a layer of synthetic over the wax with each application, so it gets better with each wash.

Keeping a good base underneath keeps the weekly or bi-weekly washes quick and easy.

What kind of wash mitt do you use? I normally use a wool mitt because it lathers up better than microfiber mitts, but I've seen wool mitts put swirls in dark color cars too...

[TheRipler]

Originally Posted by Subaruwrxfan

What kind of wash mitt do you use? I normally use a wool mitt because it lathers up better than microfiber mitts, but I've seen wool mitts put swirls in dark color cars too...

I would generally have gone with the microfiber. The soap is there to break down surface tension of the water, and I don't think lather means much.

[blu_]

Originally Posted by bimmerboy

+10 on paying for a high quality/install clear-bra, as this cars front bumper/hood is so low, it will surely be attacked by rocks/salt..

Thanks. I think the people trying to talk everyone out of getting a clear bra, based on assumptions that make no sense to me, should have to pay to repaint their victims front hoods in 2 years.

[blu_]

Originally Posted by bimmerboy

Can't speak to the US manufactured cars such as Legacy, but for cars made at the Gunma plant (WRX and now BRZ) paint quality is subpar. Hopefully subaru stepped their game up with the paint on these cars...

Also where do u live?


Anyways- Didn't mean to derail the thread. Back to OP topic, WRB isn't that bad to keep clean

I have a 2011 Legacy. Paint seems fine so far, but had a few chips that i touched up before I put the clearbra on the front. Car only has 5k miles on it though. Biggest issue on this car seems to keeping door dings off of it. It has the thinnest body panels I have ever had on a car and they ding if anything touches the door. Even considerably thinner than the ding happy panels on my 2007 STI.

My WRB STI was a complete pain to keep looking good though IMO.... but not as bad as my friends black STI.

[Subaruwrxfan]

Originally Posted by blu_

Thanks. I think the people trying to talk everyone out of getting a clear bra, based on assumptions that make no sense to me, should have to pay to repaint their victims front hoods in 2 years.

Lol we can compare paint in the member's car journals sub-forum in 2 years. I'll probably have more chips than you, but not enough to warrant a thousand dollar piece of plastic either.

[Lordharding]

Chemical guys 50/50 keeps mine shiney




Still prefer the classic in mica green though




My Subaru twins

Hopefully they will mate and have a baby BRZ next

I use a 2bucket method ,sheepskin mitt and CG medium waffle towel &miracle dryer to pat dry

It does show a few swirls though and I have an odd stone chip but that soft Subaru paint for you

[blu_]

Both look great