[Speed]

This is my first attempt at capturing the finish on the hood. The car's graphite paintwork isn't very reflective, making the task more difficult for a poor photographer like myself. I'll be updating the thread with more pics.

[Aaron]

Looks great!1!!

[Speed]

Thanks! Here's another.

[Aaron]

Looks awesome, I think I am pretty certain which car that is now.

[bromo]

Now you make me feel bad. I REALLY need to wash my car.

[Speed]

Aaron, on 19 June 2009 - 10:07 PM, said:

Looks awesome, I think I am pretty certain which car that is now.

I've said what it was before. I figured someone dropped the name into Google image search and saw a pic.

There was a thread about the car on CA.com a couple of days ago. Some kid was thinking about buying one that was beat to a pulp, but was selling at an affordable price. I stumbled onto the thread by accident and tried to help out. I searched the forum for more and found quite a bit. In some ways it was interesting to see what the typical ricer thinks and I wasn't surprised by the sheer quantity of false information, bordering on an urban legend. Hell, even Top Gear made mistakes describing the AWD system. Mine looks a lot like this, but it's a IX and it's quicker, lighter, and better balanced with a an upgraded stereo system:

http://videos.street...II-VS_33959.htm

This post has been edited by Speed: 20 June 2009 - 04:48 AM

[Speed]

bromo, on 20 June 2009 - 02:36 AM, said:

Now you make me feel bad. I REALLY need to wash my car.

I enjoy washing, but drying isn't one of my favorites, not unlike doing interiors. FWIW, washing and drying are arguably the most crucial parts of exterior maintenance. Most paint damage - swirls, spiderwebs, light scratches - are generated during washing/drying the paint. Here is a good, quick tutorial:

http://www.properaut...ashingtips.html

[Aaron]

Speed, on 20 June 2009 - 07:31 AM, said:

I've said what it was before. I figured someone dropped the name into Google image search and saw a pic.

There was a thread about the car on CA.com a couple of days ago. Some kid was thinking about buying one that was beat to a pulp, but was selling at an affordable price. I stumbled onto the thread by accident and tried to help out. I searched the forum for more and found quite a bit. In some ways it was interesting to see what the typical ricer thinks and I wasn't surprised by the sheer quantity of false information, bordering on an urban legend. Hell, even Top Gear made mistakes describing the AWD system. Mine looks a lot like this, but it's a IX and it's quicker, lighter, and better balanced with a an upgraded stereo system:

http://videos.street...II-VS_33959.htm

An evo MR or WRX Sti would be awesome for me and my year round daily needs. Plus the wagon version of the WRX would give the trunk space for audio fun that I would like. But I feel I am too deep into the B/W metro area that will not allow the space or much in ways of roads to really enjoy the sporting limits of these types of pocket rockets. Not to mention it is hard to find one of those models untouched in this area it seems in decent shape.

I think I could watch Top Gear 7 days a week.

[Speed]

Aaron, on 20 June 2009 - 09:32 AM, said:

An evo MR or WRX Sti would be awesome for me and my year round daily needs. Plus the wagon version of the WRX would give the trunk space for audio fun that I would like.

There was a limited number of IX wagons made for the home market. Here's a quick vid of the IX:



One was imported into Germany. There's a video on Youtube from the German version of Top Gear testing it against the new twin-turbo V10 Audi RS6 wagon. It wasn't very close.

Quote

But I feel I am too deep into the B/W metro area that will not allow the space or much in ways of roads to really enjoy the sporting limits of these types of pocket rockets. Not to mention it is hard to find one of those models untouched in this area it seems in decent shape.

As I found out after I bought my first Evo, there are two kinds of people who buy these cars. There are guys like me, and then there's a much younger crowd that buys the cars to turn them into their own versions of the Fast and the Furious. Typically, those cars are massacred with dumbass mods, beat to a pulp, and traded in within a year or two of purchase. Many buyers, who get into these cars as as a fashion statement, find that they're difficult to live with - raw, brutally mechanical, unforgiving, uncomfortable, VERY loud - unless one thrives on that sort of thing. They get passed on from owner to owner, each modding on top of previously modded stupidity, and eventually the car gets wrecked. At this point, there's maybe 60% of the Evos sold on the road in the US. I'm willing to bet that number will be halved in the next few years. Darwin had a point.

Quote

I think I could watch Top Gear 7 days a week.

You bet!

[Speed]

Speed, on 20 June 2009 - 10:05 AM, said:

One was imported into Germany. There's a video on Youtube from the German version of Top Gear testing it against the new twin-turbo V10 Audi RS6 wagon. It wasn't very close.

This is it:





Here's a (stock) car similar to mine tested against an S5:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU4Mx7bT5po&feature=related

[Aaron]

Yikes, in car shows:

Pompous and silly English >>>>> Trying too hard Germans.

[Speed]

Aaron, on 20 June 2009 - 11:12 PM, said:

Yikes, in car shows:

Pompous and silly English >>>>> Trying too hard Germans.

Yea, the Germans don't exactly present a thrilling program. The narrator sounds like the background voice on old health education films.

[Speed]

Burnished the driver's side. There's no LSP on the paint; it's as bare as it gets.

This post has been edited by Speed: 21 June 2009 - 11:25 AM

[bromo]

I think I'm driving my car over to Speeds house to get it washed.

[Speed]

bromo, on 21 June 2009 - 03:03 PM, said:

I think I'm driving my car over to Speeds house to get it washed.

You're welcome anytime.

[Speed]

Full sunlight after LSP.

[sadistic_customs]

Speed, on 21 June 2009 - 01:58 PM, said:

Full sunlight after LSP.

sweet god i am blind from the light bouncing off the mirror like finish on those cars oh the pain. lol's sweet work there speed like the no swirl marks on those cars keep up the awesome work.

[Aaron]

The after picture looks excellent.

[Speed]

Thanks for the kind words, guys. I'm going to make some time tomorrow and finish burnishing the other side and the hood. That's a good 4-5 hours behind the polisher with grey LC pads with Manzerna FPII. Once done, the paint will be sealed with DG105, perhaps a few layers, before going to a yet undecided fancy 'nuba.

BTW, just saw the Mothers banner. Very cool.

[Speed]

I have a presentation on Thursday that I really should be working on, but I decided to finish burnishing the paint. Took me ~4 hours to do the passenger side and the hood. I applied a layer of DG105 (sealant) about 15 minutes ago. I'll add another layer late in the evening to cure overnight, and tomorrow we should be ready for the yet undecided wax. I'm kind of leaning toward Dodo Juice Supernatural.