Above 1200 Sq/FT DFB's Garage

thomfr said:

Hi!

What a lovely topic and nice to see the totally different cars around your continent (which I was lucky enough to visit for 5 weeks in 2008, still fond memories).

I normally use Maguiars rich leather feeder/cleaner for the seats of our 09’ Volvo V70 as there is not much offered (at least off line) else at car shops. Still recommended?

Click to expand...

I have VERY specific preferences for leather/artificial leather in cars. I used that Gold Class stuff for a while, but I can't say its something I'd ever recommend, primarily because of what I've learned since. The problem is, most of the leather care products sold in automotive stores is junk. Harsh words, but I think its justified. In my expirience, most of the leather conditioners create gloss, slickness and a greasy feel.............not nice. Clean leather is never shiny, rather a lovely matte to natural sheen finish.

thomfr said:

And now I drive a ’25 Volvo XC60 T6 as company car which has the comfort seats with so called “bio-attributed Charcoal Nordico non vet material” which I call a modern fake leather. I want to keep also this material clean and nice mat looking. What kind of maintenance do you suggest?

Click to expand...

My sister has an XC60, so I know the subject case here. From new, Volvo use a matte finish to their leather/vinyl/pleather, very understated and classy. I have only ever used ColourLock on this car, primarily because its one of the best available, from a company who only makes products for leather or leather-like materials, which is unlike most car care brands who simply cannot devote their full attention to a single area.

(Links are for a guide)

Being new, you would clean with Mild Leather Cleaner, then apply Leather Shield. You could alternatively go with their Artificial Leather Cleaner and Artificial Leather Conditioner. I favour ColourLock because of the soft, natural looking finish they leave behind.

Alternatively, take look at Geist, which was founded by a former ColourLock employee, so the ethos is the same. I have found their leather conditioner has a more pronounced sheen.

Leadermax are another leather-only company, which follow a similar look and feel to ColourLock -

The final option would be Koch Chemie Pol Star and Leather Star. Pol Star is a dilutable pH neutral cleaner, Leather Star is the protectant.

thomfr said:

Thank you in advance for your feedback and sorry for hijacking your topic.

Click to expand...

No need to be sorry, happy to help.

This is a spreadsheet containing every single car wash soap I've used since 2002.

Products highlighted green are winners, those in peach are sinners. Overall, these are my usage notes, observations and measurements that I achieved, your milage may vary.

D.F.B said:

This is a spreadsheet containing every single car wash soap I've used since 2002.

Products highlighted green are winners, those in peach are sinners. Overall, these are my usage notes, observations and measurements that I achieved, your milage may vary.

Click to expand...

Thank you! I bookmarked this...

The Jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag made a visit for some electrical sustenance.

Nothing about Croftgate products...I use then since I can get them free as I am married to a dealer. I think Croftgate is better or good as Meguires, Chemical Guy, and most other brands. Having said that, the differences are pretty small so I thought your spreadsheet was interesting. Talk about dish pan hands!!! Par for the course in your line of work. I suppose in your neck of the woods Croftgate isn't even on the radar. Interesting thread to see your take on products available from down under as most can be purchased in the states too! Following.

ambenz said:

Nothing about Croftgate products...I use then since I can get them free as I am married to a dealer. I think Croftgate is better or good as Meguires, Chemical Guy, and most other brands. Having said that, the differences are pretty small so I thought your spreadsheet was interesting. I suppose in your neck of the woods Croftgate isn't even on the radar. Interesting thread to see your take on products available from down under as most can be purchased in the states too! Following.

Click to expand...

Croftgate is not sold in Australia, and I've never heard of them until now. If sold here, I can almost guarantee it would be marketed as an upmarket brand, same as Shine Supply, Ethos, Adam's. There are many of these smaller boutique brands in the industry, quite often sharing similar chemistry and blending. From what I've been told, in the US the vast majority of detailing chemicals come for a handful of blenders, and most others source pre-blended chemical ingredients and blend inhouse.

Of that massive list of soaps I tested, I can guarantee that many of those apparently different brands come from the same source.

Talk about dish pan hands!!! Par for the course in your line of work.

Click to expand...

My hands are like sandpaper and covered in cuts, a combination of garden work and............................a puppy with sharp teeth. You can always tell a tradesman by their handshake, they don't have the ultra-soft hands of an office worker.

Following the same formula as the soap spreadsheet, this is a collation of every tyre dressing I've used since 2003. Again, this is a condensed version of my thread on the topic -


Just keep in mind that tyre dressing appearance is subjective. From my point of view, I don't want that super glossy "wet look" for cosmetic reasons, but also because gloss typically translates to sling. Having said that, I want to see a before and after, so a completely matte finish doesn't win me over either. My preference therefore is somewhere in between, a satin finish. So, my overall rating number probably reflect that view. Having said that, the spreadsheet provides a wide range of attributes, and hopefully you can get something out of it no matter your preference.

I have Gyeon Bath and P&S Pearl.

I hate them both. Just very lack luster IMO.

P&S Pearl is shockingly thin. Like nothing else I've used.

Mark_17 said:

I have Gyeon Bath and P&S Pearl.

I hate them both. Just very lack luster IMO.

P&S Pearl is shockingly thin. Like nothing else I've used.

Click to expand...

OMG, you're talking my language!

I initially liked Bathe, but over time I found it very meh. Foams nicely though. Also, all the product images show a blue liquid, yet every bottle I've had was clear with a blue dye stuck to the bottom of the bottle that would NOT redistribute.





Press image -



Pearl *****. Considering the excellence of other P&S products, I had high hopes for it. I often here people complimenting Pearl, but clearly they haven't used much else.

1. It does not foam, even with waaaaay too much soap in the cannon. I even tried using less, but it just won't foam.
2. Slickness is meh
3. Scent is meh (I know it has no bearing on function, but its nice to have)
4. Cleaning ability is meh





The same people will say how Pearl is great value for money. No its not. Because of the poor concentration, you need to use 2 to 3 times more soap per application than a competitor product. That has the "value" metric flying out the window. And even then, soaps around the same price point outperform Pearl across ALL scoring metrics.

P&S Pearl - $14.30 (32-oz) or $26.20 (gallon) (USD)

Adams Car Shampoo - $17.99 (32-oz) or $39.99 (gallon) (USD)

Meguiar's Hyper Wash - $19.99 (32-oz) or $36.99 (gallon) (USD)

While the Adam's and Megs cost more, you use way less per application. Hyper Wash in particular can be diluted to 400:1. I'm not saying Adam's and Hyper Wash are the best out there, but they prove there are nice soaps at this price point without having to make too many functional/performance sacrifices.

@D.F.B do you have a recommendation for a plain, disposable workshop towel/wipe for wiping up spills (e.g. oil, grease etc.) and or those that are infused with a citrus base to aid with cleaning your hands?

kitdoctor said:

@D.F.B do you have a recommendation for a plain, disposable workshop towel/wipe for wiping up spills (e.g. oil, grease etc.) and or those that are infused with a citrus base to aid with cleaning your hands?

Click to expand...

I use three different towels for this sort of thing -

1. Old microfiber towels I've deemed past their best for use on cars. These are used for oil changes and dipstick checks.

2. Basic "shop towels" sold at Bunning's. These are nothing special, just something to soak up oil or something to lay parts on.

3. Bulk Quantity Microfiber Towels that are sold in a box or roll. I have the fancy ones from The Rag Company, which come in at about 0.80c each. You can get something cheaper at Bunnings or Repco, just with lower absorbency.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/all-set...lti-purpose-microfiber-towel-50-pack_p0918303

I also bought a bundle of the below, again low quality but totally acceptable for oily/dirty jobs. These work out at about $1.30 each.

Went into a large automotive chain store this afternoon to buy some oil. Found what I wanted and walked up to the counter. Clearly, I was interrupting some sort of conversation between four staff members, my presence seemed like a nuisance to the guy who ultimately served me. My item was scanned and payment processed. Before the guy could even hand me the receipt, they had resumed their conversation as if I had already left. No thanks, no "see you next time", no "have a nice day", no smile, nothing.

When I worked in retail, that sort of thing was a no-no. From the moment a customer walked through the doors, their presence was to be acknowledged. I never liked hunting down customers as it's something I hate having done to me when shopping, if I need help, I will ask. Even still, at the very least a smile or head nod was my compromise. And if you were actually serving them, they had your attention, no "let me just answer this call..........", no "let us finish our gossip session before we take your money".

THIS is just one of the reasons why retail is dying a slow death. That bottle of oil I could have just as easily bought online in the comfort of an airconditioned home, had it delivered to my door without sitting in traffic, or finding a park..............or nearly being wiped out by an idiot truck driver as happened today. And crucially, not having to deal with morons who don't appreciate your business. But hey, "shopping locally" is very important.

D.F.B said:

The same people will say how Pearl is great value for money. No its not. Because of the poor concentration, you need to use 2 to 3 times more soap per application than a competitor product. That has the "value" metric flying out the window. And even then, soaps around the same price point outperform Pearl across ALL scoring metrics.

P&S Pearl - $14.30 (32-oz) or $26.20 (gallon) (USD)

Adams Car Shampoo - $17.99 (32-oz) or $39.99 (gallon) (USD)

Meguiar's Hyper Wash - $19.99 (32-oz) or $36.99 (gallon) (USD)

While the Adam's and Megs cost more, you use way less per application. Hyper Wash in particular can be diluted to 400:1. I'm not saying Adam's and Hyper Wash are the best out there, but they prove there are nice soaps at this price point without having to make too many functional/performance sacrifices.

Click to expand...

Hyper wash and Adam's aren't the best, I completely agree and agree with your other points, I think they set the standard of what a car wash "shampoo" should be.

Considering their price, Adam's is regularly $34.99 but has dropped to $29.99 per gallon roughly every other month (at least in the US), its just so hard to beat. A gallon will last me a couple years, minimum.

Far out mate just caught up on your thread. Hope Olly is keeping you on your toes.

Thanks for the detailed spreadsheets on the product reviews. This will come in handy.

Thanks again.

For today's project, it was time to polish the Ranger's headlights...................again.





The above images don't fully display how bad the hazing had become, or how it was dragging down the appearance of the vehicle. In previous treatments, I simply polished the UV damaged sections, typically the horizontal edge facing the sky. This time I just went ahead and polished the entire headlight.

After taping up, I started with Sonax Cutmax on a Rupes blue wool pad, the most aggressive combination at my disposal. Machine choice was the 3-inch ShineMate EB212, and the Rupes iBrid Nano in rotary mode with a 1-inch pad for the edgework. That EB212 is absolutely brilliant for this role, primarily because it just won't stall out on what is a complex surface like a headlight.



Following the cutting stage, I switched to a ShineMate orange foam pad and Carpro Reflect to jewel them up. From there, a thorough wipe down with Eraser. There are still some imperfections, but I'm happy with the finish.

It was then time to try yet another miracle potion in an attempt to slow down the return of oxidation. The ultimate solution here would be to have PPF applied, but no one does it around here, and I just don't have the skills or patience to do it myself (which is way harder than it looks due to the multi-dimensional shape of these lights). Applying a clear coat to headlights is not recommended, mainly because you need to be a wizard painter to get a uniform finish. And if you don't get it right, you end up with a distorted light distribution.

I've tried various methods for protecting headlights, including spray sealants, ceramic paint coatings, dedicated polymer sealants, even a VERY expensive headlight coating from Opti-Coat. All but the Opti-Coat would last a few months at best. Having said that, Opti-Coat suggest 12-months protection for their solution, I got about 9-months.

Enter Carpro's new Cquartz DLight, which is a dedicated ceramic coating for plastic. Compared to other ceramic coatings, DLight offers significantly higher resistance to UV, which provides a high-level of protection for plastic surfaces and in turn will prevent fading, yellowing and cracking. Carpro put a focus on protecting headlights, but they also suggest it can be used on PPF, clear plastics, textured black plastic trim and bumpers, vinyl, and even as a top-coat to a base layer coating for ultimate protection in high-UV environments.

Carpro claims DLight can last "up to 3-years". We shall see..................

NOTE - Unless you are a professional detailer, all you need is the 10ml bottle. Also note that the 10ml size doesn't come in the pretty box, just a sealed bag.






Application method and amount vary depending on the surface being treated. For headlights, Carpro recommend two layers for ultimate durability and protection. Like any ceramic coating, prime the supplied applicator with product, then apply in crosshatch pattern to ensure full coverage. Allow to flash for about 5 minutes, then level off with a towel, followed by a final wipe with a secondary towel. Carpro suggest the product rainbows as it flashes, but I found it sweated.

After an hour, the second layer can be applied in the same manner.







The finished result certainly looks the goods. I've always loved these headlights with the black bezels, which differ from the tacky chromed out XLT and Wildtrak models.

I also went ahead and coated two replacement windscreen wiper arm trims for the XR6. I recently discovered one of these had broken, but the OEM originals are NLA. These replacements are 3D-printed using durable "high-quality ABS plastic". Coating them seemed like a logical thing to do, especially with an already used applicator with product on it.





It will be interesting to see how this coating performs going forward.

Mark_17 said:

Hyper wash and Adam's aren't the best, I completely agree and agree with your other points, I think they set the standard of what a car wash "shampoo" should be.

Considering their price, Adam's is regularly $34.99 but has dropped to $29.99 per gallon roughly every other month (at least in the US), its just so hard to beat. A gallon will last me a couple years, minimum.

Click to expand...

I'm in envy of those prices. Adam's is (was) sold as a premium brand in Australia................with prices to match. It would seem the Australian importer for Adam's is backing away from the brand, which is such a shame as I really like the product. However, when the full line was available, a gallon of the blue shampoo was around $150, which is just ridiculous. No wonder they are winding it down.

Same goes for Meguiar's. I like Hyper Wash, but at $100+ for a gallon, it just doesn't add up. The same quantity of NV Snow is 20 - 30% cheaper, is easier to measure out and mix, rinses freely and smells better. No brainer.

This guy knows what he has..........................

D.F.B said:

I use three different towels for this sort of thing -

Click to expand...

@D.F.B thanks for the speedy and comprehensive response. Now back to catching up on your awesome thread.

Another little refresh task on the Ranger today. This is something I've had on the to-do list for over a year now, I just kept telling myself I'd get to it when I had a moment...................you know how it is.

A black unpainted plastic deflector is mounted to the bottom of the front bumper. This part was designed to improve aerodynamic properties and deflect road debris and stones. Certain owners of these vehicles think they are smarter than the highly trained Ford engineers who designed the car, then go ahead and remove these deflectors. So, I'm not going to remove this thing for absolutely no reason at all.

Anyway, 10-years on the road and this deflector looked like it could use some enhancement. Other than regular washing, I've never touched this area of the car, I don't even dry it with a towel and drying aid. Solution Finish to the rescue....................



Prep is key with products like this. I soaked the deflector down with Green Star and agitated with one of those interior scrub pads. From there, I flushed with rinse-less wash (ONR), then two rounds of 99% IPA. With textured plastics like this, it's best to leave the material to fully dry for at least 30-minutes before applying the product. The Solution Finish is then loaded into a small foam block and worked over the plastic. After 10 to 15-minutes, level off any excess with a towel.


I absolutely love what Solution Finish does to black plastic. Yes, it can be a little messy to work with, but then its also forgiving to use and leaves a deep, dark, as-new OEM finish. The shot below doesn't fully illustrate the difference it made to this deflector.



With refreshed headlights and deflector, its given my nearly 10-year-old workhorse a nice little facelift.

You may question the point of putting this sort of effort into a daily driver. And fair enough I suppose. When I purchased my first Ranger in 2010, I never intended to be this detail-focused on what is effectively a tool-of-trade vehicle. But..............that's just not how I operate on pretty much any high value purchase I make, from tools to vehicles, phones to audio systems.



For several reasons, that "keep it looking nice" mentality flowed into my current Ranger..............

1. I didn't intend on keeping this vehicle for so long. However, Ford no longer make this low-ride model, and even if I did accept the high-rider, the replacement cost would be north of $45,000 and up to $60,000 for the engine I want. For context, I paid $30,000 on the road with a custom tray for this PX MK II. I've toyed with "upgrading" to the latest model many times over the last few years, but the sums just don't add up.

2. With that in mind, at this stage I've decided to keep it for quite a bit longer.

3. Considering both of the above, it means I want to keep it looking as good as I can for as long as I can. Hence regular washing, coatings, refreshment of aging parts ect.

4. I often use this vehicle as a product and tool testbed. Testing would happen regardless of it was new or old.

5. When it comes to product testing, there is an element of enjoyment and curiosity at play here. So those questioning the point of spending so much time and effort detailing this vehicle just don't understand this isn't "just a work car".

Getting ready for the next in line..................

HOW TO CLEAN POLISHING PADS – THE EASY WAY

Surely one of the worst parts of polishing, cleaning used pads can be time consuming and messy. Needless to say, it’s not a part of detailing that I look forward to.

How easily a pad releases the polish within the material will depend on the pad material and chemical make-up of the products used. A solvent based compound will naturally take longer to clean than a water-based product, likewise wool and microfiber pads.



PAD CLEANING SYSTEMS -

There are many ways to wash pads with varying degrees of effort, time and investment required. Companies like Lake Country and Detail Guardz sell specialised pad washing systems, generally paired with specific cleaning chemicals.

The Lake Country Pad Washer is geared towards high-volume detail shops and probably not worth the $350 for the occasional user. A great setup though.
https://www.waxit.com.au/products/l...sq=pad+washer&_ss=e&_v=1.0&variant=1202289632

The Detail Guardz version retails for about $140, which you pair with an existing bucket. I have one and………………….never use it.
https://detailingshed.com.au/product...m-attachment-1
https://detailingshed.com.au/products/dirt-lock-filter





So, the following is how I wash polishing pads without the assistance of expensive pad washers and tools. This applies to foam, wool and microfiber pads.

WHAT YOU NEED -

- Wash bucket

- All Purpose Cleaner (such as KCx Green Star) or Microfiber Detergent (such as Rags to Riches), or High pH Soap (such as Carpro Lift).

- Access to a washing machine

THE PROCESS -

1. Fill a clean bucket ½ to ¾ full with water. Warm water is nice but not essential.

2. Add a generous amount of APC, or Microfiber Detergent or High pH soap.

3. As you finish with each pad, plunge the pad into the bucket of water/soap solution. Continue working, adding pads as you go.

At this point, I normally leave pads to soak overnight in this bucket. The idea here is to prevent compound from drying in the pads as you work, allowing you to get to them when you have time.





4. Agitate each pad under running water to flush the compound and detergent from the pad by squeezing and releasing until the water runs clear.

5. Place the pads in your washing machine. Ideally, don’t wash microfiber and wool pads with foam, likewise don’t wash foam pads with other towels.

6. Add your microfiber detergent and run your usual machine cycle.

The washing machine really isn’t doing much “washing” at this stage, rather making sure you’ve properly flushed any remaining detergent and compound residue.



7. From the machine, air dry pads indoors.

8. Store away your now clean and dry pads. If you store in sealed containers like I do, they must be FULLY dry beforehand to prevent mould.



PADS USED FOR ALL-IN-ONE & PRIMER POLISHES –

These products would include old-school cleaner waxes, modern primer polishes like Carpro Essence, and polish and protect compounds like Rupes Uno Advanced. DO NOT let these pads dry! As soon as you’ve finished with a pad, plunge it into a bucket of water, ideally with some APC or high-alkaline soap. The goal here is to prevent the sealants from setting up in the pad material. You can then return to these pads after your polishing session. My process above accounts for this.

PADS USED FOR APPLICATION OF WAXES & SEALANTS –

The waxy/oily nature of these protectants means they are highly resistant to water. You have two options here, guess which one I go with…………..

- Wash the pad as best you using APC. You will spend considerable time doing this with multiple chemical and rinsing cycles.

- Throw it away!



I’m sure there are different and probably better ways to clean polishing pads. But for the occasional user who polishes perhaps one or two cars a year, this method requires nothing more than a bucket, running water and some APC.

Got an email earlier in the week announcing the closure of Adam's Australia. I could see this panning out over the past year, mainly from the range dwindling and not being restocked.

https://adamspolishes.com.au/

In Australia, I'm fairly sure the Adam's brand was distributed by a sole operator, which was more of a customer relationship with Adam's rather than a full-blown distributor. I eventually discovered the business address for the company was in a residential area, so I also suspect it was someone's side hustle. I don't say all that to be dismissive or degrading, but it explains why they (he) could no longer sustain the business.

Why are we closing?

- Over the past few years, the landscape has changed significantly: The change of ownership of the global business from founder Adam Pitale to Recochem has shifted the structure and direction of the brand internationally.

- Exorbitant and continually rising import costs have made it increasingly difficult to bring products into Australia at viable prices.

- Regulatory restrictions around certain formulas have added further complexity and cost.

- Ongoing cost-of-living pressures have understandably impacted retail spending across the country.

- To be clear, this closure applies only to the independent Australian branch. Adam's Polishes in the USA will continue operating as usual.

Click to expand...

I've always liked using Adam's products. They may not have been the absolute best, but I liked each product I managed to try over the years. Their rubber and tyre cleaner is absolutely amazing, the Graphene Tire Dressing superb, Slick & Slide a pure joy to use, I also loved their soaps. But as outlined in the quote above, the pricing just didn't add up here, at least under this import/reseller model.









I've said this many times, but when you take a product and more than quadruple the price, it's not a recipe for success. For example, a gallon of that rubber and tyre cleaner has an RRP of $44.99 in the USA. Currency converted, that's $63.80. That same product was sold in the AU store at about $170 AUD. I have no doubt they never wanted to sell it at that price, its waaay uncompetitive, but were forced to because of shipping costs. For perspective, the same quantity of the also US-made Shine Supply Wise Guy is $112.95 AUD. Making it even worse, the Adam's is RTU, Wise Guy is a concentrate that can mix up to 2-gallons of product. Who is going to pay $57 MORE to buy a gallon less of product?

Same story played out with the soaps. A gallon of Car Shampoo (the blue one) is $39.99 USD, in AU it was about $150. Mega Foam is $69.99 USD, translating to about $170 AUD. And so on and so on. I really like these two soaps, but were they worth paying more money over the longstanding Carpro Reset benchmark? No, not at all.







I'd say with how Chemical Guys and Griot's Garage have been picked up by the large automotive stores in Australia, the Adam's brand may end up heading down a similar path. Perhaps the added buying and shipping power of these large companies will deliver a superior cost equation.

Out raising hell..............





At this time of the year, it's nice to see the orchards full of fruit. This year has been kind to the orchardists with very little wild weather to contend with. Hail at any point in the development of fruit growth can destroy a season's worth of work and income within a few minutes. In the photo above, those trees are heavily laden with apples, but the orchards surrounding town produce several varieties of pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, figs, and cherries. A lot of this is grown for the cannery, but chances are the fruit you buy in Australia is grown in the farms surrounding my hometown, both fresh and canned.

My little sweetie...................

what great pics of Olly, looks like 'oh dang you found me' followed by 'I'm just sniffing this........honest'

Mr. Olly had his third vaccination shot this morning. He's also doubled in weight since his last visit 4-weeks ago, my little boy no longer fits in one arm. And he had everyone smitten, the staff all knew his story and were keen to meet him. Olly loves meeting new people, so he was all too happy to accept the hugs and kisses.



At the moment, there is a lot of parvovirus and kennel cough going. My clients' golden retrievers picked up kennel cough two weeks ago, which meant avoiding their garden until it cleared. Even though both dogs are vaccinated, it doesn't cover the current strain of the virus, rather limits how bad it can progress..................hmmm, why does that sound familiar?

With that in mind, I've been holding off introducing Olly to other dogs, walking and even limiting who he comes in contact with. And while I'll probably wait another week, it means he can now start to socialize and explore the wider world.

After yesterday's orchard run, it was the XR6's turn for a wash.

Foamed Brake Buster was used on the wheels and tyres, followed by some Hydr02 to top off the coating, and Atom Mac for the rotors. I then thoroughly rinsed the car and moved inside for a rinse-less wash.

Product of choice today was good-old Optimum No Rinse. I know there are newer contenders in this space, some will clean more, some provide protection, some smell better, some are slicker, some are even marketed better.................but I still like ONR. Compared to some of those newer and flashier products, ONR requires no special treatment (cough, Labocosmetica), nor is it a watered-down soap (think surfactant-based contenders), nor a spray sealant in disguise (again, cough, Labocosmetica). ONR mixes up easily, feels lubricated and slick, dries with ease, and if some does happen to dry on the surface, it wipes off during the drying phase. It's just easy, forgiving and reliable.



After the wash, I used ADS Adapt as a drying aid, cleaned the glass with Eraser (so good), then wiped the engine bay down with Amplify. The interior got a very quick once over with Pilot. Because I applied ADS Ghost to the tyres last wash, it left them alone this time.

It was then time for musical chairs cars, Mustang out, XR6 in.



I then took my stallion for a RIDE!

I've been gradually increasing the performance demands of this car, of which I can say that 7200 rpm sounds so intoxicating. This Coyote is easily the highest revving car I owned or driven. Reving Heaven!

Probably not smart blasting around in a V8 muscle car when fuel is in limited supply and $2.29 a litre, but stuff it.





Other than a tour of the front garden, today Olly and I went for our first walk. And OMG, he absolutely loved it, and I loved how much he loved it. To get started, we aren't going overboard, just down and around the reserve at the end of the street and back. He walks with confidence and intrigue, even stopping and sitting before crossing the road. Not bad for our first try.

Today I was given this Austral-Villiers RM16.









These mowers had a 16-inch cut and were made from 1956 for the 1957 season. This one would appear to be a 1956, primarily because it has an unpainted alloy chassis without the later strengthening ribs. It also lacks the height adjustment and "Adaptomatic" PTO feature that allowed users to power other tools via a flex shaft.

The engine is a 70cc 2-stroke that is started by a "kick starter". It also features a clutch to protect the crankshaft under extreme load or hitting objects. The carb is similar to that used on the early Victa's.









Nothing sexist going on here.................



The Adaptomatic system allowed users to power other garden tools. I guess you also needed to buy a suit to use them..................















The kick starter on this example isn't working very well as it doesn't return properly. Even so, it feels like it has compression, and surprisingly has spark as well. With some fuel down the intake, all I could get was a couple of VERY faint pops. So, it's either down on compression or has a massive pressure/vacuum leak.

To be honest, I'm not sure what my plans are for this mower, mainly because I'm not that interested in old mowers other than the OG Victa's.

PRESSOL PRO-SERIES + ARMOUR DETAIL SUPPLY LEBELS

Labelling these Pressol sprayers is not new. For a while now, Obsessed Garage have been offering labels for the household bottles in both 500 and 750ml sizes. The goal was to create unity across multiple product brands by having a matching bottle and label. In addition to looking good, you also get a much better user experience than the crappy 50-cent plastic sprayer and generic bottle most detailing products come in.

While I still think the Kwazar's have a smoother trigger action and finer atomization, I just couldn't resist the look of this bottle and label combination.



When Armour Detail Supply began selling the new Pressol Pro-Series sprayers, they followed the same path as OG by having a matching label set. There is a difference here though. Unlike OG, ADS is a brand and not a retailer of many brands, meaning they can use the proper product name rather than generic wording such as “wheel cleaner”, “tire dressing”, or “drying aid”. This also means a matching back side label with usage instructions and information, mirroring what you’d get when buying the 473ml bottles. The OG’s are single sided. Also, ADS only sells the 750ml version of the bottle and label, OG offers 500 and 750ml versions.

https://armourdetailsupply.com/collections/tools/products/armour-pressol-proseries-label
https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/pressol-1

So, with these labels now being offered in Australia, I thought I’d put some high-use ADS products into these Pressol bottles with matching labels. At the moment, I’ve had Pilot and Amplify in Pressol’s with OG’s “Interior Cleaner” and “Paint Sealant” labels. In theory, you’d just buy the labels and swap them out…………….except all of my Pressol’s are the smaller 500ml size. Cue 6 new Pressol’s in 750ml sizes.

https://detailingshed.com.au/collec...ressol-proseries-label?variant=48340251312343
https://detailingshed.com.au/collec...-double-action-sprayer?variant=47256150016215
https://autobuff.com.au/collections/pressol-sprayers



Putting these products into a bottle like this has two benefits -

1. User Experience. A nice bottle and sprayer makes the task easier, and when things are easier, you enjoy the process more. Also, these Pressol’s have a double action trigger for added efficiency, meaning they spray on squeeze and release.

2. Aesthetics. This bottle and label combination creates a uniform, clean, and classy look. I get it, the way a bottle and sprayer looks has no bearing on functionality. Will a $5 bottle do the same thing, absolutely! But we all value different things, we all have that THING in life we are happy to sink money into because it makes us happy, this is no different.



While I’ve found the ADS lineup to be universally excellent, some products stand above others. I’d also say that there are products from other brands that I favour over the ADS equivalent, be that for function or price factors. For example, Carpro Eraser over Panel Prep or Reset instead of Shampoo+. For that reason, I’ve invested in Pressol bottles and labels for the ADS products that I like and use the most. This includes Pilot, Adapt, Amplify, Tire+, Ceramic Spray Sealant, and Hero.





I’ve applied labels to these Pressol bottles many times now. While not especially hard, you do need to be patient. I’ve found its good practice to clean them with IPA or prep spray first, then gently heat the bottle to make it easier to lift and re-position if needed. The below videos are worth watching before applying for the first time. (Jeff buddy, you need a haircut!)













With the labels applied, it was then time for the fun part, filling with product. In my case, I had to swap out a few existing Pressol bottles, namely Amplify and Hero. This bottle and label order coincided with a restock of several ADS products, including Tire+, Adapt (so good), Amplify and Ceramic Spray Sealant (the easiest spray sealant going).



I don't care who you are, the end result is ****** brilliant. Having said that, its almost a shame to replace the classy ADS smoked bottles and their matching black and green labels, especially the most recent versions with the metallic effect highlights. I'll say it once again, but the ADS brand is beautifully presented, which now translates into these Pressol bottles and labels.



I had to re-organize the chemical cabinet to accommodate these taller 750ml bottles. Side by side with the OG versions, you can clearly see the size difference between 500ml and 750ml Pressol's. I have to say, I probably prefer the blue labels, but then there is a restrained elegance going on with the black ADS items.



I'm not going to detail the combined price of these bottles and labels, or the added cost of the chemical to go in them, I don't want to know! To be brutally honest, it's silly money to spend for what a $4.99 spray bottle can also do. What's harder to put a price on is the enjoyment I get from doing super OCD stuff like this, which then flows into every single time I use one of these sprayers.

PRESSOL PRO-SERIES SQUEEZE BOTTLES

These are another Obsessed Garage visionary, Matt wanting the soaps from multiple brands in matching bottles. In this case, the solution was to create a squeezable version of the Pro-Series spray bottles. These new items are only available in the 750ml size, and due to the squeezability, a matching label isn’t really possible.

https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/pressol-1/products/pressol-proseries-squeeze-bottle



At the moment, the only way to get these in Australia is via Obsessed Garage and a hefty international shipping charge. At some point, I’m hoping Detailing Shed brings them into their store. But……………………….

In an act of pure generosity, a group of followers from Mustang6g banded together and sent a few of these squeeze bottles, and a couple of extra goodies.







As you can see, these squeeze bottles carry the same profile as the 750ml Pressol Pro-Series. Where the spray bottles are made from fluorinated HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) plastic, the squeezers are made from translucent LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) plastic. In place of the spray head is a generic black plastic pop top dispenser. The only downside, the fancy OG labels don't work with the squeezable nature of the bottles. While the labels stick, they end up all wrinkled.





The primary role of these squeeze bottles is for holding and dispensing soap. However, they'd also work really well with thicker dressings such as Obsessed Garage's own tyre dressing, NV Onyx, ADS Tire+ and ADS Ghost. For now, I'm focussing on the soaps that I have in high rotation and stocked in bulk. That includes Koch Chemie GSF, Koch Chemie Active Foam, NV Snow and Carpro Reset.



Words can't describe how satisfying it was filling those bottles. While some would fine this tedious and say to just wash the ****** car, I actually look forward to this sort of thing. I think it's called tinkering.

At this point I'm annoyed that I didn't have enough GSF on hand for the photoshoot, cue an order being placed shortly after.







My life is now complete. I just wish they had the matching labels, that would make them absolutely perfect.

A very special thankyou to Evolvd, kilobravo, MAGS1, skinnyb and WD Pro for hooking me up with these bottles, an extremely generous and lovely gesture.

@D.F.B Can you recommend something to deep clean an interior? I have a new acquisition that was sitting for 20?30? years. Interior has mold/musty. Vinyl seats, mix of plastic and AL surfaces. I know I'll likely do this a few times, but something more powerful to cut thru this would be awesome.

Thanks for posting all you do....I've been following along and trying different products. Slowly getting my favorites!


Jim

JSGAuto said:

@D.F.B Can you recommend something to deep clean an interior? I have a new acquisition that was sitting for 20?30? years. Interior has mold/musty. Vinyl seats, mix of plastic and AL surfaces. I know I'll likely do this a few times, but something more powerful to cut thru this would be awesome.

Thanks for posting all you do....I've been following along and trying different products. Slowly getting my favorites!


Jim

Click to expand...

When it comes to mold, you have to be careful for your own sake, but also know it's a multi-stage process to do it properly. Another thing to consider is the age of your vehicle, you probably don't want to be hammering down with heavy cleaners if you can avoid it.

When it comes to mould, you need treatments and cleaners to kill off the spores. I'd suggest having a look at the video below, which goes through a start to finish treatment of a mouldy interior. Now, he uses and sells his own line of products, which are an excellent starting point, but you could substitute them with the below products at the appropriate steps.

Enzyme Remover - P&S Terminator

General Cleaner - Koch Chemie Pol Star, which you'd dilute between 6:1 to 10:1. I like this because its pH neutral for safety and can be used on any interior surface except glass (which you need to treat as well).

General Cleaner (Alternative) - Gtechniq Tri-Clean combines a cleaner with anti-bacterial agents. Again, use across multiple surfaces.

Odour Neutralizer - P&S Finisher, which is final step product.


Hope that helps, certainly don't envy the task ahead.

D.F.B said:

Hope that helps, certainly don't envy the task ahead.

Click to expand...

Thank you sir! I ordered some cartridges for the respirator as well. It won't be fun, but I am looking forward to the results.

It's a '67 Corvette w/ 25K miles....so worth the pain!

JSGAuto said:

It's a '67 Corvette w/ 25K miles....so worth the pain!

Click to expand...

look forward to seeing the before/after pics - with DFB onboard as product guru all should be well

PRESSOL PARTY!

Considering the previous posts this week, it was only natural to go full Pressol for today's detail.



First up, tyre cleaning with P&S Undressed. After cleaning the wheels with Brake Buster, Hydes Rust Inhibitor went on the front brake rotors. Both Undressed and Hydes came from the v1 Pressol's, the former using the grey Industrial spray head.





After a pre-wash with Active Foam and a contact wash with NV Snow, drying aid of choice was ADS Amplify. This was followed by ADS Adapt on the roller tonneau and door jambs. If you are wondering how/why my door jambs are always this clean, it's the result of regular (as in after each wash) attention. That's it.







After a vacuum, the interior was wiped down with the transcendent ADS Pilot. That included the plastics, vinyl, leather, touchscreen and instrument cluster. Easily my most favourite ADS product. From there, the glass was cleaned with ADS Hero mixed at 128:1.





The finishing touches, a wipe down of the wheels with Amplify, then some ADS Tire+ on the rubber.





The final result, one clean Ford Ranger and a very satisfied detailer!

Nice work mate.

PRESSOL STAINLESS SPRAY TIPS -

One of the early problems with these Pressol spray heads was the failure of the plastic spray tips. The reason why they had such a high failure rate, well I say it was mixture of poor atomization and user error.

These tips had a narrow window of adjustment, the spray pattern went from a mist to pinpoint within a ¼ turn of the tip. Exaggerating the problem, the tip needed to be cranked right down to provide the sort of fine atomization most users expected. But wind them down too firmly, the tip would crack and split. Considering the price of these bottles, you have to wonder why the Germans signed off on these things.

And yet, I have never had a single one of these plastic nozzle tips crack or fail. I think there are two reasons for this. Firstly, I tend to go for a slightly heavier flow with sprayers, which limits chemical drift and allows for a more targeted application. That means I wasn’t cranking down on those tips. I also tend to set and forget spray heads. When I’d watch Matt, he was forever messing with the spray tip, winding them in and out over multiple different bottles. No ****** wonder they were breaking, people just kept fiddling until something had to give.

With the Pro-Series update, the solution to the cracking spray tips was typical Obsessed Garage excess. Out with plastic tips, in with stainless steel tips. No doubt the manufacturing cost of stainless over plastic would be significant. Throw in the knurled grip and frosted Pressol logos, these stainless-steel tips alone would partially explain why these spray bottles are so expensive. Either way, good luck splitting or cracking these new tips, actually you’d be more likely to kill the plastic spray outlet instead.







In addition to the increased durability, the added benefit of these new tips is the vastly superior spray pattern. The tip still needs to be firm to achieve a fine mist, but you now have the ability to adjust the pattern over a wider range of adjustment. I’ve also found the stainless tips produce a superior distribution rather than the often-lopsided pattern of the plastic versions.



The great thing about these new stainless-steel tips is they are a direct retrofit to the older Household and Industrial spray heads from the v1 Pressol’s. And so here we are…………………

https://www.obsessedgarage.com/coll...ucts/pressol-precision-stainless-steel-nozzle

These stainless-steel tips were included in the care package from my friends at Mustang6g forum. At the moment, the Australian Pressol distributor doesn’t carry these tips, but I’m told they will arrive in the next shipment.





A quick stocktake of my now expanded Pressol collection reveals the following -

Pressol v1 -
- 16 x 500ml Household
- 2 x Household Spray Head (spare replacement)
- 1 x Industrial Spray Head (spare replacement)

Pressol v2 -
6 x 750ml Pro-Series
1 x 500ml Pro-Series

Oops! I didn't think it was THAT many!

Selecting which of the existing v1 Pressol's to get a stainless-steel tip was quite simple, the ones I use the most or where fine atomization isn't required.

- Wheel Cleaner (P&S Brake Buster)
- Surface Prep (Carpro Eraser)
- All Purpose Cleaner (KCx Green Star)(Industrial spray head on its last legs)
- Glass Cleaner (P&S True Vue)
- Waterless Wash (Carpro ECH20)









So there you go, another 500+ words talking about a plastic spray bottle. Welcome to my obsessed world.

Again, a special thanks to the guys at Mustang6g.

Late last month, I placed an order with Big W online. Now, I would have gone and got this from the local store because I wanted the item pronto, but they were an online-only product and nothing else matched what I wanted. Said order was dispatched the same day and turned up 48-hours later. Nice.

Ever since, I've been get AT LEAST one email a day from Big W wanting to sell me something. So, that's at least 7 emails a week, or 364 emails a year. Too many guys, TOO MANY......................



I've mentioned this before, but one or two emails a week, fine. But being bombarded daily? Yeah, I'm not even opening the email, it goes straight to the trash file...................or I unsubscribe. Sounds counterproductive on their part doesn't it. I mean, who in their right mind sits around anticipating a daily email from a discount department store?

Stocking up on the lovely Koch Chemie GSF.

https://www.waxit.com.au/collection...-neutral-cleaning-foam?variant=42059435704409



So, a few things to mention with GSF -

- Don't buy this soap if your primary requirement is ultimate cleaning power, GSF doesn't really do that. Instead, this is a highly lubricated soap for maintaining well maintained cars.

- This is not a high value product, be that the purchase price or concentration of the soap. Compounding that, you need to use way more than what Koch Chemie suggests in order to get good foam or suds.

NOTE - Prices are in AUD



So, if cleaning ability and value are important to you, then you'd be better served by my two other benchmarks, Carpro Reset or NV Snow. Reset in particular can put on a good foam show right down to about 60ml, which is what the cost per foam cannon figure above is based on. NV Snow is quite potent, so you can afford to lean it out a little and not hamper foam or cleaning ability. But the KCx suggested dilution ratios for GSF are way off. According to them, you'd only use 20ml to 980ml of water. The Germans must have a different idea of what foam looks like because at those numbers, expect soapy water and not "foam".

I watched a video earlier this week where the presented claimed GSF is the most overrated detailing product on the market. And if you're a professional detailer like the presenter in question, then yeah, it's not going to be cost effective or offer enough performance to be time efficient. Despite Koch Chemie's "Excellence For Experts" tagline, GSF is not meant for the professional detailer who needs value, performance and time efficiency.

So, who is GSF aimed at then? The clue is in the name, GENTLE SNOW FOAM. GSF is for the pro-sumer who enjoys the process more than a price tag. This type of user has a well-maintained car that doesn't need a nuke at each wash, which is where the GENTLE in GSF comes from. You can use it as often as you like without stripping protection or causing long-term degradation to trim and plastics. Then there is the amazing signature cherry scent. So, GSF trades some ability for a high user experience and safety.

So, next time someone says GSF is overrated and overpriced, there is more to the story than those two negative words would suggest. What a professional detailer and a hobbyist want and need are not always the same, and I think that's where many get stuck when trying GSF, they are expecting something different.