2.5x_sleeper

I've tried Armor All low shine, Griot's Vinyl & rubber dressing & the one I use now is Mother's Back-to-Black. This stuff is low shine & even works on the black metal roof rails! The roof rails on my '03 takes a beating from the sun, so it was looking funky. I put on Mother's Back-to-Black & it looks like new! You can use this stuff on anything, not just black surfaces. It looks great on tires, makes them look like new, not like they've been greased.

BTW, I just ordered some 303 Aerospace Protectant on eBay. I want to see if it's better than Mother's Back-to-Black...:)

**UPDATE**
I got the 303 Aerospace Protectant & tried it. My first impression is that its milky color liquid is very much like Armor All or Griot's Vinyl & rubber dressing. I'm not saying it's the same, it just looks the same. Mother's Back-to-Black is the same milky color, but is thicker & not watery.

I'm all for trying new things, since I'm allways looking for something better! I was not impressed with 303 Aerospace Protectant. It didn't seem to soak in as quickly & this stuff is "slick", which makes wiping off the excess a chore. In the morning, it showed streaks, which I had to buff off.

Bottom line, I'm going to keep using Mother's Back-to-Black. It soaks in quickly, wipes off easily & is not as slippery. Of course this is my opinion...:)

Bobby...

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2003 Pacifica Blue Pearl Metallic 2.5X 4EAT +AVO turbo kit!

Aluma

do any of you guys know what autoparts store items I could use to clean/polish the nasty yellow headlight syndrome? I tried the plastic polish bottle, but its not working...also tried the walmart headlight restore pack, and it looks like junk.

Enjoi

Some of my family and a major general's wife are coming out to Colorado to visit and do some other stuff. I will be picking them up and shuttling to and from places when I'm not busy. I beat my car pretty hard and do not give it the attention it deserves. Frequent amateur rally's, offroad excursions, and a general lack of care has left my car looking pretty bad from a detailers perspective. I have never washed the car by hand (one of the many benefits of uncovered parking) nor vacuumed. There is a pretty nice film of dirt covering the dash and there is dust in all of those hard to reach areas. My question to you all: should I just take it to a professional detailing service or is this job within my league? I have never really experimented with detailing products or tools. In high school I hand washed my car every week and cleaned/vacuumed the interior. The car looked pristine and most people had a hard time believing it was as old as it was.

My biggest concern is not having the experience to do this. I do not know which products to buy or how to even start a project of this magnitude. If possible, I'd like to bring this car back to life and have people notice it for its good up keep vice its loud exhaust and dark windows.

So, in summary: should I attempt this myself or would I be better off bringing it to the detailer and then attempting to maintain it from there on out? I know there is a lottttttttt of work to be done.

Thanks,
Matt

Geezer

Give Turtle Wax ICE Interiors formula a try. It leaves a low lustre polymer protective layer on everything including the dash, leather seats and plastic parts (including the clear plastic). I have thrown out all my Armour All products and use this.

Geezer

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Griff (The Geezer)
Drives a 2009 Forester XS Ltd.

vintage42

It depends.
If you just want the car to look presentable for the family visit and will then not touch it again, do it yourself.
If you want the car to look new for the family visit and will then keep it clean as you did with your high school car, take it to a detailer and pay to have the engine, interior and exterior done.

However, the first approach seems to fit with your current lifestyle. Why pay for an expensive detailing if you use the car recreationally and off road, and don't now have the time or interest to keep it clean after such use? "Attempting" to keep it clean will be just that.

If doing it yourself, be careful of the dash. I would use a round detailer brush and a shop vac with a brush attachment to get all the loose dust and dirt off and out of the recesses. Then use a mild soap dish soap solution and a rag to wipe the dash. Then after the dash is dry, consider whether you want to apply any chemical treatments. Don't clean the dusty dash with Armorall, for instance, and create a paste to wipe off the textured surface.

I used to slather Armorall on my dashes, but now prefer the clean dry factory-new look. Gloss looks so ghetto, and is reflective, too.

Enjoi

Thanks for the response! I have given up my rally roots for a more street approach (STi suspension, wide/sticky tires, etc...) and the Fozz will not be experiencing the same level of maltreatment as it has in the past. My goal is to get the car looking great and then maintain it for a long period of time afterwards. I do take pride in how my car looks but as previously stated, function followed form. I know maintaining a well detailed car is time consuming and requires great efforts, but my logic was as follows: bring it to a professional and have it done right the first time so that anything I do from that point out will take less time and the foundation will already be built. Thanks for the input though, I greatly appreciate it.

Matt

subxt

Everyone has thrown in .02 on sealers/waxes etc. but no one touched on the very first step of paint preservation – washing!
Through years of personal research and trial I’ve came across rather amazing formula that not only washes your car but also coats it with a protective silk-like-layer (w/ UV shield) that you can see and feel while rinsing off.
It’s a Zymol the all natural concentrated auto wash.
I’ve been using this on all of my vehicles for over a decade, and MY 04’ looks like 08’ not a one swirl or paint fading, and no I’m not selling/marketing nor making any profit from it (just want it to share product with my fellow Subie owners) this will preserve your vehicles paint for years to come.

Zymol Natural Concentrated Auto Wash (16 oz.)

Official Zymol Website - Home

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.....race snails only, no time for others.

JasonLI25T

the ICE line is way too overpriced.


my favorite interior detailer right now is armor all MATTE FINISH detailer. it is a non-oily, non-sheen interior detailer that does light cleaning and protects. it's cheap too. it's the only armor-all product that i use.

Geezer

I like the Mr. Clean car wash system with the hose attachment, soap and final rinse filter. It leaves a polymer coating that resists water spotting and the car shines nicely when finished.

Geezer

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Griff (The Geezer)
Drives a 2009 Forester XS Ltd.

vintage42

If I was buying your car, that is what I would do.

vintage42

I ordered a bottle, sounds too good to pass up.

subxt

Every Christmas Zymol webside has specials and intro packages for first time buyers, I was able to pick up 6 bottles of their infamous auto wash concentrate for $50 shipped. It truly is one of if not the greatest formula for the money.

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.....race snails only, no time for others.

jbleee

Thanks for that im going to give this a try

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-Jeff
04 forester x mt gold

JasonLI25T

car wash solution is likely the least important aspect of your detailing colletion. i wouldn't spend much time or money when it comes to researching/buying car wash. It's the way you maintain your car...waxes, polishes, sealants, etc. that makes the difference.

James

How about removing the Gas smell from the car.

I bought this "ECO leak free" gas can, and it leaked like hell. It was so bad that one block from the gas station, I pulled over to check that the cap was on tight and the can was upright. It was, and it still dumped out even more. Even when I poured it out, the can leaked all over through the threads. Took it back to the store 30 minutes lated.

I bought an air freshener, but now the car stinks of gas AND lemon sent...

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2007 Forester 2.5x 4EAT Special Edition
2001 Mazda Protege 2.0l 5M LX (SOLD!)