Well I got rear ended for the second time in a month and a half. The first time it was purely cosmetic, but this time it left some damage to the sheet metal around the tail light mount and also in the gas struts that absorb impact. The engine cover also has some damage so that'll be new too.

While the car was there I told the shop, who is very reputable, to leave the bumperetts in the center off and fill the holes. I think it will look much better! They're also going to give the entire car a color sand an full polish to get rid of some light swirl marks in the clear coat and really make it shine. After that I'll give it a full Zymol treatment with the concourse wax and it should look brand new!

To make myself feel better about my favorite toy getting hurt I did a little retail therapy in the form of a set of AWE cats. I cant wait to install them! I'm looking forward to a little more noise from the Awe mufflers (Or a lot more...I don't really care) and more importantly a small benefit in upper rpm power. I've taken to only driving this car for pure fun so the noise isn't an issue for me at all

My only questions are: any CEL light issues? Also is the noise level change really noticeable? The AWE mufflers are a little tame for my tastes and I hope these help give the P car the edge it deserves.

Sorry about the long post.

JT

 

What color is your car? Driver's tend to not see silver or gray cars because it supposed to blend in with the road..

 

Actually it's black. Both drivers just weren't paying attention! Damn cell phones.

JT

 

The AWE cats are awesome, no CEL problems with mine.

 

Why are you wet sanding for swirl marks? That seems extreme. A good detailer might only need to do some compounding or polishing with at most a rotary (although a dual action polisher may be enough) in a multi-step process.

As regards Zymol, eh, what can I say- lots of hype, and I personally don't think it comes close to living up to it. You'd be better off with Zaino (a synthetic sealant), or even Souverain if you insist on a carnauba. Today's Zaino is very deep and wet looking- not as plasticky as it used to be, and it'll last for months. A carnauba in the sun of LA won't last you more than a couple of weeks.

Just my $.02, and I'm an obsessed detailer.

 

Thanks for the info regarding the cats! I'm pretty excited. Plus it'll be fun to have a nice weekend project!

Cattman, thanks for the heads up man. The car has been detailed by an expert who took 12 hours to do the job and the paint condition was still unsatisfactory. My car used to be driven a lot before I got an s4 avant as a daily. By a lot I mean 30,000 miles in the first year I had it. I drive between Montecito and LA on a regular basis as well as to Colorado and Utah at least 3 times a year. Throw in a trip to or two to texas and there you have it! The paint has marks and swirls that I would love to get rid of and the guys at the shop said that they do this process a lot, and I don't think it is a full hard core wet sand? I'll call and ask for more details as the car is still being repaired and they wont start the detailing until next week. Maybe Ill try the Zaino. I've used the Zymol before and have loved it. The car is garaged most of the week, and only comes out for road trips or weekend fun. Again, thanks for the heads up!

JT

 

No CEL...
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...d.php?t=128326

 

Thats funny (well not really) but i am doing the same thing as you. My car got rear ended and all of the exhaust was damaged (came out to over 12 grand in repairs) anyways i decided to go with AWE cats, PSE "hack" mufflers, and AWE tips plus i threw a GT3 front bumper into the mix, car should be done by friday