Brand New 08 Sti Detail

[Mike M]

Picked up the wife's new car a few weeks ago and initially thought I'd give it a wee hand polish and fit all the accessories I'd bought, but after looking at the finish (someone at the dealers had machine polished it, even when I told them not to bother as I'd prep it myself), there were too many swirls and buffer trails to ignore, so out came the machine polisher to do the whole car!!!

Before with 65 miles on the clock!!!

So decided to give it a wash, but no need to clay bar as it's virtually not been driven, just from S&S in Ayr back home to Stirling

Then all taped up for machine polishing

Once it was fully polished it was time to add the accessories, strangely when the 08 STI came out I didn't like it much but when I saw it in the flesh and had a drive, I hanged my opinion, but I was still disappointed they didn't do it in black for the Type UK. However, S&S managed to get hold of a special order black, but there were still a few things I didn't like -

moustache front grill

lack of fogs

17 inch wheels

max power style rear lights

lack of mudflaps (white stonechips up the sides didn't seem appealing and I didn't like the mudflaps Subaru UK were selling for £150,

so whilst on holiday got a set of rally armor mudflaps for £65 - result!!

mudflaps

on the car

17's

18's

At the rear, not only do I not like the rear lights, but not keen on all the badging, I know it's an STI, you know it's an STI

so what do I need all the badges for???

Before

After, debadged and rear lights tinted (will go a bit darker another day, but didn't want to go too dark initially as it is the wife's car (honest)

Finally, on the front I fitted fog lights, mesh grill and sorted my final pet hate - dealers details on the number plates!!!! It may seem a bit petty, but if I'm paying all that money to them for a car, I don't see why I should do free advertising as well

From this

To this (used german pressed metal plates, nice but different)

The final finish, what a brand new STI should look like (in my opinion)

Hope you like

Mike

Edited October 1, 2008 by Mike M

[scouk]

Really is shocking the state some new cars come from the showroom these days..

Damn good work there! Tidy!

Liking the smoked rear lights

I like the badges myself.....

Edited October 1, 2008 by ScoUK

[terzo neil]

ya fancy polishing mines for me ?

yours looking very good

[bogie]

Looking really good! How a new car should look when you collect it. I think they only give them a quick buff with a cheapo buffer and cheapo polish after removing the shipping wax.

Nice transformation.

[neil_joyce]

Everything looks great, I`m impressed, the de-badge is cock on.

Apart from the wheels which really let the car down, sorry

[drb5]

Not sure about the flaps, but the other details really make the car.

[Mike M]

Cheers for the comments guys.

[C_WRX]

Nice work as usual Mike. Shame when you need to machine polish so early on. Most people wouldn't look at the finish as closely as you do but that's no excuse when someones spending their money on a brand new vehicle !

Wifes new pre-reg'd 6month old car is on my list for next week - in a worse condition (up real close) but it has sat about somewhere since March!

Like the "improvements" you've made to your wifes car so far....no doubt they'll be more soon enough !? Go on, tell us what your thoughts are ?

[b4z]

looks great ur little changes add up 2 make a big differance rear lights look much much better now

[Boyakasha]

Great job Mike, shocking service from the dealer though.

PS watch that front plate as it's illegal so you may get pulled for it.

[Mike M]

  Boyakasha said:

Great job Mike, shocking service from the dealer though.

PS watch that front plate as it's illegal so you may get pulled for it.

Yeah, I know mate, but as it's completely legible, hopefully they'll leave it alone!!

[stevenhiggster]

Great job, thats how it should look Especially the rear lights, they look much better now!

Litchfield do some nice red rear clusters too ya know.

Edited October 1, 2008 by stevenhiggster

[st3ph3n]

Sweet. The Rally armor mud flaps are nice. Saw a few cars sporting them down at the gathering. As you said - bit more tints on the rear lights and the microwave will ding because that'll be it done.

[colzo]

Hope you complained to S&S about the bodywork Mike, that truly is shocking! Car looks great with all the additions (they really need to change the rear lights at the next face lift though or offer a substitute!) especially the wheels. Did you get the Aeroblades as standard? Only 2 things missing though - front splitter and exhaust surrounds, but I'm sure they will come in the future. Top work as usual mate.

[craig-A]

car looking great Mike, like the front fogs alot.

[bigbird]

Really like it, well done.

However, keep your old plates- the car will fail it's MOT and it's an offence NOT to display the supplying dealers details and their postcode.

[fraser_allan]

Sweet, lookin good Mike!!!!!!

[emoe]

WOW!!

was that really the way they delivered the car to you?????? Thats appalling!

Absolutely excellent job on the recification though!! and those rally mudflaps really work with the car too.

The numberplate looks cool too, although i wonder how the local plod will react. Its not as bad as some i have seen so hopefully they will leave you alone on that!!

[mystery machine]

The rear tint and debadge clean things up nicely. The flaps and plates aren't to my taste, but hey - it ain't my motor

I'll keep an eye out for you and/or the missus...

[mystery machine]

P.S. Don't go darker with those lamps, they're just the right side of 'tanned Nova GSi' as they are

[oobster]

Absolutely stunning Mike - should have got a red one though

[seafar99]

Big thumbs up from me, especially the mud-flaps, need to get you to sort out mine sometime.

craig.

[Mike M]

Just a few wee points to add -

Personally the 18's are my favourite's from the current range, as it's the wife's motor, I'm sticking to Subaru parts, so no messing about with the warranty ( wouldn't say no to a set of Advans if someone is feeling generous!!)

I'd rather not need the mudflaps, but have to be realistic in this country. Subaru in America started fitting the paint protection panels on the cars as they suffered terrible from road rash up the sides and so I reckon mudflaps are the only way to go and tbh the rally armor are really good quality and look the best that I've seen.

May go for a front splitter Colin, but I'm undecided on the exhaust surrounds as they seem overly chunky.

Original plates are in the boot (just in case) but I specifically picked these ones as the last time I got pulled they reckoned the letters couldn't be recognised by ANPR, think you'd have to be blind not to notice these letters (unoficially the copper said he didn't mind the subaru badges at the side and bottom, although he obviously never told me this!!)

Andy, the wife's favourite from the range was red, then the black one came up!! Couldn't resist having one of the only black type UK's in the country at the mo, although that will change as they bring more in!!

Craig, as you know mate, I don't mind detailing people's cars, but the weathers starting to head wintery and although I have a garage you can get a car in, it's not big enough to get around, so probably will have to wait until early next year before I can do any more. Colin (playsatan 2) got really lucky as it was heavy rain in the morning, the rain went off just before he arrived, then started again when he left. lucky or what?? May have to consider one of those collapsible Gazebo's, like Halfords has!! Oh, and also, my wife's pregnant, so come April next year I may be very busy and it'll have nothing to do with cars!!

Again, thanks for all the comments guys

Mike

[coulty]

  Mike M said:

Just a few wee points to add -

Personally the 18's are my favourite's from the current range, as it's the wife's motor, I'm sticking to Subaru parts, so no messing about with the warranty ( wouldn't say no to a set of Advans if someone is feeling generous!!)

I'd rather not need the mudflaps, but have to be realistic in this country. Subaru in America started fitting the paint protection panels on the cars as they suffered terrible from road rash up the sides and so I reckon mudflaps are the only way to go and tbh the rally armor are really good quality and look the best that I've seen.

May go for a front splitter Colin, but I'm undecided on the exhaust surrounds as they seem overly chunky.

Original plates are in the boot (just in case) but I specifically picked these ones as the last time I got pulled they reckoned the letters couldn't be recognised by ANPR, think you'd have to be blind not to notice these letters (unoficially the copper said he didn't mind the subaru badges at the side and bottom, although he obviously never told me this!!)

Andy, the wife's favourite from the range was red, then the black one came up!! Couldn't resist having one of the only black type UK's in the country at the mo, although that will change as they bring more in!!

Craig, as you know mate, I don't mind detailing people's cars, but the weathers starting to head wintery and although I have a garage you can get a car in, it's not big enough to get around, so probably will have to wait until early next year before I can do any more. Colin (playsatan 2) got really lucky as it was heavy rain in the morning, the rain went off just before he arrived, then started again when he left. lucky or what?? May have to consider one of those collapsible Gazebo's, like Halfords has!! Oh, and also, my wife's pregnant, so come April next year I may be very busy and it'll have nothing to do with cars!!

Again, thanks for all the comments guys

Mike

Love the look of the car now. Not so sure about the illegal number plates!!

[mystery machine]

  Mike M said:

also, my wife's pregnant, so come April next year I may be very busy and it'll have nothing to do with cars!!

Sounds like you've already been busy and it had nothing to do with cars...