DFB's Garage

Mustang Monday!

Woke up this morning and decided with only two jobs scheduled, that I would knock off early and indulge in a little detailing. In this case, an Absolute rinse-less wash of the Mustang.

The car was only dusty from it's service last week, so this is all it really needed. Once upon a time, it would have been a full-blown pressure washer-foam cannon-bucket wash. This is where rinse-less has become an important part of my process.



I also wanted to try out a new leather care product from Geist. Like ColourLock, Geist is another brand that focuses on leather care. The key focus for the brand is on producing products that are safe for leather, and safe on the user and the environment.

In this case, I decided to try the Leather Conditioner, designed for leather that is 3 or more years old. Key benefits in my eyes are the lack of scent and the satin finish it creates.

First step, clean the leather prior to application. In my case, this involved ColourLock Mild Leather Cleaner and the ColourLock brush.



With the seats, steering wheel, gear knob, handbrake lever and the console lid cleaned, it was time for the conditioner. The recommended application is to use a "lint-free cloth", but I found using a ColourLock applicator sponge much better suited. This product is somewhat thicker than expected and doesn't atomize, so the spray head is largely useless. You then coat the leather and allow it to dry. Level with a dry towel if needed.



Geist Leather Conditioner is very similar to ColourLock Leather Protector, in consistency and application. But the Geist has a touch more gloss, as such I'm not sure I love it.



I would say that if you prefer a glossier appearance from leather, and a more defined before and after, Geist Leather Conditioner could be for you. I also like that it can actually benefit/penetrate artificial and top-coated leather. I need to try it more, but at this stage, I think the ColourLock version is better.
 
Keep us posted on Geist, I have the regular conditioner and haven't noticed the gloss but then again my leather is coated with Colour Lock and a different quality I'm sure

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
 
Klasse Act said:
Keep us posted on Geist, I have the regular conditioner and haven't noticed the gloss but then again my leather is coated with Colour Lock and a different quality I'm sure

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Which conditioner do you have? I can only see the version I have and the little tin preserver on my local supplier.

I would suggest the leather in your Hyundai is better than the stuff Ford uses.

And should clarify that the finish is closer to a satin sheen than glossy, probably a poor choice of words on my part. This is most noticeable on the vinyl bolsters (the only leather here is the perforated center sections).
 
DFB said:
Which conditioner do you have? I can only see the version I have and the little tin preserver on my local supplier.

I would suggest the leather in your Hyundai is better than the stuff Ford uses.

And should clarify that the finish is closer to a satin sheen than glossy, probably a poor choice of words on my part. This is most noticeable on the vinyl bolsters (the only leather here is the perforated center sections).
Click to expand...
I have Geist leather conditioner

Is there a difference between the vinyl and perforated inserts when Geist dries

Not sure about quality, my car is econobox afterall

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
 
Meguiar's Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner is something I have wanted to try for a while now. At a RRP of $45 for 946ml, the price is what made me hesitate. For perspective, I can get a gallon of Brake Buster for same price.

Knowing my luck, I bought my bottle at full price a few days before it went on clearance for $24! :doh



This product is from the Detailer range and appeared in RTU bottles a few years ago. Think of it as the competitor to P&S Brake Buster or Adam's Wheel & Tire Cleaner. In use, it cleaned up these wheels and wheel arches with no problem. Although, it didn't completely remove the Carpro Darkside applied to the tyres at the last wash.

This product seems to be on clearance at the chain-store I bought it from, but the gallon and RTU size are still available at online retailers. But.............Brake Buster is better.

Meguiar's Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner is another one of those products from the brand that really doesn't make economic sense in Australia. In the USA, D-143 has price parity with P&S Brake Buster. In Australia, there is a $15 price gap. That plays out across other Meguiar's Detailer products, and that gap doesn't necessarily buy a better product.

Today was round-two for the Geist Leather Conditioner.



These seats cop a beating, as in the car is actually used as a daily rather than a garage ornament. I cleaned the seats with Koch Chemie Pol Star at 6:1 and a leather brush. I then applied the Geist with a microfiber applicator, followed by a towel after 5 minutes to level it down.



The finished result is a smooth and soft finish that is not sticky. These seats have a slight sheen to them in natural state, especially the driver's side which has been abraded/polished over 3+ years, so anything that goes on them does seem to amplify that. Overall, this product is easy to apply and levels down nicely. It does have a slight satin sheen, but nothing like some of the crap I have used in the past.
 
DFB said:
Meguiar's Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner is something I have wanted to try for a while now. At a RRP of $45 for 946ml, the price is what made me hesitate. For perspective, I can get a gallon of Brake Buster for same price.

Knowing my luck, I bought my bottle at full price a few days before it went on clearance for $24! :doh



This product is from the Detailer range and appeared in RTU bottles a few years ago. Think of it as the competitor to P&S Brake Buster or Adam's Wheel & Tire Cleaner. In use, it cleaned up these wheels and wheel arches with no problem. Although, it didn't completely remove the Carpro Darkside applied to the tyres at the last wash.

This product seems to be on clearance at the chain-store I bought it from, but the gallon and RTU size are still available at online retailers. But.............Brake Buster is better.

Meguiar's Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner is another one of those products from the brand that really doesn't make economic sense in Australia. In the USA, D-143 has price parity with P&S Brake Buster. In Australia, there is a $15 price gap. That plays out across other Meguiar's Detailer products, and that gap doesn't necessarily buy a better product.

Today was round-two for the Geist Leather Conditioner.



These seats cop a beating, as in the car is actually used as a daily rather than a garage ornament. I cleaned the seats with Koch Chemie Pol Star at 6:1 and a leather brush. I then applied the Geist with a microfiber applicator, followed by a towel after 5 minutes to level it down.



The finished result is a smooth and soft finish that is not sticky. These seats have a slight sheen to them in natural state, especially the driver's side which has been abraded/polished over 3+ years, so anything that goes on them does seem to amplify that. Overall, this product is easy to apply and levels down nicely. It does have a slight satin sheen, but nothing like some of the crap I have used in the past.
Click to expand...
How was the perf of Geist here compared to the first time around?

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
 
DFB said:
Meguiar's Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner is something I have wanted to try for a while now. At a RRP of $45 for 946ml, the price is what made me hesitate. For perspective, I can get a gallon of Brake Buster for same price.

Knowing my luck, I bought my bottle at full price a few days before it went on clearance for $24! :doh



This product is from the Detailer range and appeared in RTU bottles a few years ago. Think of it as the competitor to P&S Brake Buster or Adam's Wheel & Tire Cleaner. In use, it cleaned up these wheels and wheel arches with no problem. Although, it didn't completely remove the Carpro Darkside applied to the tyres at the last wash.

This product seems to be on clearance at the chain-store I bought it from, but the gallon and RTU size are still available at online retailers. But.............Brake Buster is better.

Meguiar's Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner is another one of those products from the brand that really doesn't make economic sense in Australia. In the USA, D-143 has price parity with P&S Brake Buster. In Australia, there is a $15 price gap. That plays out across other Meguiar's Detailer products, and that gap doesn't necessarily buy a better product.

Today was round-two for the Geist Leather Conditioner.



These seats cop a beating, as in the car is actually used as a daily rather than a garage ornament. I cleaned the seats with Koch Chemie Pol Star at 6:1 and a leather brush. I then applied the Geist with a microfiber applicator, followed by a towel after 5 minutes to level it down.



The finished result is a smooth and soft finish that is not sticky. These seats have a slight sheen to them in natural state, especially the driver's side which has been abraded/polished over 3+ years, so anything that goes on them does seem to amplify that. Overall, this product is easy to apply and levels down nicely. It does have a slight satin sheen, but nothing like some of the crap I have used in the past.
Click to expand...

Does the old man's bus have LED headlights and fog lights and if so how are they?

Pol Star at 1:6 or as you mentioned 6:1 i can never get it right cheers mate
 
Klasse Act said:
How was the perf of Geist here compared to the first time around?

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I used a microfiber brick/applicator today, that made it much nicer to use. The suggestion on the bottle for using a towel didn't work well for me, nor did the small ColourLock sponge.

I really like how it offers great coverage, so a little goes a long way. And a follow up wipe down with a dry towel made for a more consistent finish. And I really appreciate the lack of scent. Usually, I like having a scented product, but not with leather for some reason. I think that stems from some of the terrible smelling leather products from my past, products that had sickly synthetic leather scents.

Overall, its a very nice product, it redeemed itself today.
 
Tasmania said:
Does the old man's bus have LED headlights and fog lights and if so how are they?

Pol Star at 1:6 or as you mentioned 6:1 i can never get it right cheers mate
Click to expand...

I never know what orientation to put dilution ratios at, I'm a gardener, not a math teacher. :laughing:

The Ranger is a Wildtrack, so comes with LED daytime running lights in the headlamp cluster, and then separate incandescent fog lamps in the bumper. Fog lights would have never been used, so can't comment on their performance.

 
For a little leather conditioner context, this is the sort of thing I came from..................





Products like Autoglym Leather Care Balm and Meguiar's Gold Class Rich Leather Cleaner/Conditioner are excellent for making your leather surfaces slick, slippery, shiny and oily feeling. In other words, horrible looking.

I went from those into products like Bowden's Leather Love, NV Cleanse and NV Nourish.







The key with those products is they leave the surface soft, but without any slickness or oily feeling.



Similar story with the ColourLock system, just clean, soft, matte leather.
 
Yeah you've come a loooong way since using CG's products, I'm sure those products have been given away a long time ago

I don't mind their interior scents though, every gets "something" right

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Klasse Act said:
Yeah you've come a loooong way since using CG's products, I'm sure those products have been given away a long time ago

I don't mind their interior scents though, every gets "something" right

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Click to expand...

I bought those CG products out of curiosity, and unsurprisingly, they lived up to their reputation. The only one I liked was VRP, which was ok but nothing more.

Of all the products, the only remaining is one of their interior scents.
 
DFB said:
Meguiar's Non-Acid Wheel & Tire Cleaner is something I have wanted to try for a while now. At a RRP of $45 for 946ml, the price is what made me hesitate. For perspective, I can get a gallon of Brake Buster for same price.

Knowing my luck, I bought my bottle at full price a few days before it went on clearance for $24! :doh
Click to expand...

Props for giving it a try. I’m surprised you gave the nod to Brake Buster. Maybe it’s because they mix those RTU bottles @1:1lol.

The real shame is missing out on the clearance price. I know that had to suck because we all love scoring a deal more than anything. Lol.
 
DFB said:
I bought those CG products out of curiosity, and unsurprisingly, they lived up to their reputation. The only one I liked was VRP, which was ok but nothing more.

Of all the products, the only remaining is one of their interior scents.
Click to expand...

My neighbor loves CG products and it drives me nuts. He has a white 2020 Mustang and I usually go over and talk to him while he’s cleaning it. He puts VRP on the trim, rims and tyres. He puts hydro slick on the paint, then maintains it with butter wet wax. Then he puts that interior ceramic crap on the dash. Every now and then I will bring something over to let him try it, but he always goes back to CG. I don’t know if it’s because CG is easily bought or if he just truly likes it

We need to give the man an intervention.


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With the cold weather setting in and halting the growth of lawns, I had this week's schedule of jobs delayed. So, I decided to take a mental health day!

I tell you what, I have had a gutful of people. I don't mean this offend readers, its more of a reflection of some very ungrateful people around me. Since when is it ok to throw someone's hard work and dedication back in their face like it means absolutely nothing. Since when is it ok to flat out offend someone with tactless judgement, delivered with a virtual sledgehammer. And people wonder why I get so grumpy, so angry. I'm left with the feeling of why bother. Why bother trying to please people. You never will. So, I won't bother going forward, I'll please myself thank you very much! No doubt then I'll then be labelled self-absorbed.

So, after a sleep in and a little (ok, a LOT) of retail therapy, it was time to put on the noise cancelling headphones and shut out the world.



The XR6 was on daily duties on and off over the last two weeks. Tires were scrubbed with Wise Guy, wheels and the rest of the car with GSF.

Today's drying aid was the new P&S Inspiration Defender.



This is P&S's competitor to spray sealants like Carpro Reload, Gyeon Cure or NV Boost v2. As a standalone product, Defender will approach 6 months of durability. In my case, I'm using it as a drying aid/topper.

Defender has a mild scent and is much "waterier" than Reload. I loaded the towel up with product before use, then applied two sprays per panel, worked it in, then followed by a quick wipe with a dry towel. I found Defender easy to work with, and while it doesn't offer the same gloss and slickness of Bead Maker, I would hardly say it was lacking in either department. Like a lot of the P&S line, Defender is a workhorse product that is simple to use without compromising the end result.

I also had a chance to play with P&S's new interior detailer, Swift.



Swift is a competitor to Carpro InnerQD, Megs QID and Gyeon Interior Detailer. It offers mild cleaning ability and UV protection, while also providing just the right amount of dressing. Due to the compromise between cleaning and protecting, you won't transform filthy interiors with Swift, that's what P&S Express is for. Think of Swift, and other similar products, as a quick detailer for the interior, removing light soiling, dust and fingerprints on plastic, rubber, vinyl and screens. Unlike other interior QD's, Swift's cleaning power can be ramped up with a brush, foaming up under agitation. It's also pH neutral.

The mild orange fragrance, which P&S calls "orange-sickle", is pleasant and something other than the usual lemon scent that a lot of interior products have. I used a singular towel, spraying the product directly into the towel before wiping over the interior surfaces. The initial wipe offers a very visible clue to where you have been, it then levels down to a rich, matte finish. Out of all the interior detailers, Swift seems to offer the most visible "dressing" aspect, producing a deeper appearance. If you like a more obvious before and after, Swift will deliver this more so than, say, InnerQD. I can see this product being a very useful item for detailers doing a quick interior detail, combining two steps into one.

I will also say the new sprayer P&S recently introduced is much nicer to use than the older version.



I still love driving this car! Yes, it takes a little to reacclimatize to the awkward driving position, but every time I get back into it, the XR6 just fits me like a glove. No, it doesn't turn heads like the Mustang or Jag, and no, it can't keep up with the XR8. But the naturally aspirated Orion is so much nicer to sit behind than the gutless 2.2 Ranger, producing more torque in a lovely linear way, and without the all-or-nothing delivery of a turbo engine.

In fact, jumping in the Jag this morning confirms my love of naturally aspirated engines. Again, the torque just rushes at you too early, which can make smooth driving harder. Want to rev it out for a little fun, well it just falls on its face above 5,000rpm. I can but dream of this Jag fitted with a 2000's era BMW naturally aspirated inline 6. For arguments sake, let's say the final incarnation of their naturally aspirated 3.0 litre with 200 kw and 315 Nm, as fitted to the 130i, X5, 3-Series ect. Combined with the lightweight aluminum body of the XE, it would be a most delightful combination of power, noise and handling. A Jaguar with an inline 6, a match made in heaven!

Speaking of the Jag, it's back to spend the night on the charger before a wash tomorrow.

 
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