DFB's Garage
- Thread starter DFB
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Tasmania
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- Jan 12, 2017
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Vonixx Native Carnuba spray helps and thank you for the comment.
Just under 100k on the clock.
I personally like silver not a fan of white/Black car's
Tasmania
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- Jan 12, 2017
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Have you been getting the dirty rain almost mud like?Because of the dry and windy conditions this summer, it doesn't take long for the cars to be covered in film of dust. Throw a light shower into the mix, which happed to the Ranger while I was cleaning the Mustang last week, well the car was looking filthy.
Today, I decided on an Ethos theme. These products are made by B&B Blending for Ethos, which is under the same umbrella as Adam's. I'm a big fan of Adam's products, they just seem to work with my methods and our climate. No wonder I find Ethos products so agreeable.
After cleaning the wheels and tyres with Brake Buster, I started the Ethos theme by using their Ceramic Shampoo.......................
After the wash, I used Ethos Pro Shine (Finish Shine) for the paint, door jambs and tray. I've said this before, but they need to back off on the colorant as it's a little too rich and has the potential to stain. It's otherwise simple to use and produces some nice gloss and slickness.
For the interior, I went with Ethos Interior Detailer. This product is closer to P&S Swift in that it offers more dressing potential when compared to something like InnerQD or Pilot. I really like the coconut scent too.
From there, I finished off a bottle of Gyeon Q2M Glass, then dressed the tyres with the excellent 3D Ceramic Matte Tire.
Klasse Act
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Tasmania
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Cheers Mate!Damn...that's WHITE
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Texchappy
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Finished Prima Clarity (bought in circa 2005) this morning.More product testing today, mainly to compare and verify.
Test Subject - The Wildtrak
Like last time, I decided to use Koch Chemie Active Foam, again used to clean the wheels and tyres. The ADS Ghost is doing very well on these tyres, they stay cleaner and are easier to clean, the Active Foam was all I needed here. I then used the Active Foam as a pre-wash.
For the contact wash, I decided to use Koch Chemie Nano Magic, mainly to compare with the Ceramic Effect Shampoo CES I used last time.
A few things to note here -
- Nano Magic feels slicker than CES.
- The hydrophobic properties left behind after using CES last time are extremely impressive. Not just the water beading, but how fast it sheds those beads.
- Nano Magic on the other hand has a more pronounced water sheeting effect.
Overall, I think I still prefer CES, mainly because of the scent but also the impressive hydrophobic characteristics.
For the drying aid, I went with Koch Chemie Quick Finish. This product is similar in concept to the Quick & Shine I used last time, but is free from silicone oil, presumably to make it body-shop safe. Comparing the two, Quick & Shine has more lubrication, more gloss and more slickness, which kinda makes sense. Very easy to use, but I prefer the feel and finish of Quick & Shine better.
During the pre-wash phase, I also deep cleaned the rubber window trims to hopefully address a long-term annoyance. These have been discolored for a long time now, taking on a grey to white appearance instead of dark black natural rubber. This is a common Ranger/Everest/BT-50 issue, one that I've tried a few things to improve but with limited success. These can't be disguised with a trim dressing as the white still shows through, and while I have seen where the right polishing compound can strip away the oxidation, the results are short lived. So, I decided to see what a trim dye like Solution Finish would do for them.
Cleaning involved hitting the trims with Nexzett Plastic Deep Cleaner (which is a suitable replacement for the now discontinued Meguiars M39) and a boars hair brush, then a hit with a magic eraser. Prior to application of Solution Finish, I went around with IPA to remove any lingering chemical residue, taped along the painted edge and dropped all of the windows to prevent residue getting on the glass.
From here, I applied the Solution Finish using a folded towel. On a material like this, you tend to apply it thickly with several passes to get a consistent finish. If you do end up getting some on the paint or glass, it easily wipes off with a towel. After letting sit for 10-minutes, you then follow with a separate towel to level any high spots. The TRC Rip-n-Rag were made for jobs like this!
Solution Finish is termed a "semi-permanent" product. From here, you can apply a spray sealant or even a ceramic coating to lock in the finish.
It took a few applications and plenty of product to get them decent, but I'm not totally happy. Having said that, this is the best they have looked in years, it will be interesting to see how long it will last like this. I'm suspecting the only real solution will be to replace with new items and ceramic coat them from brand new. With how quickly these trims and the headlights oxidized, its a shame spending so much money on one of these doesn't buy you quality parts to last beyond 2 - 3 years. But this is Ford we are talking about............
I also finished off a few bottles today, Gyeon Interior Detailer (smells nice, underwhelming to use) and Gyeon Prep (great product). It's always satisfying finishing off a bottle, not sure why though.
DFB
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- Aug 12, 2019
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In the box seat today, the mighty XR8!
A question I've been asked a few times over the years, how do I clean the intricate grills on a modern vehicle? Front end designs have only gotten more and more complex over the years, to the point where they can be a nightmare to clean properly. I'd say this is even worse when car companies fill in the front grills to improve aero properties, meaning these fake grills allow bugs and grime to accumulate rather than passing through.
Compounding the issue, these areas are hard to apply protection to...............unless you get off on using a Q-Tip to coat each and every grill opening. Despite what you might thing, even I wouldn't find that a fun time.
Now in the XR8's case, I wasn't needing to remove bugs or caked on road grime, rather a light buildup created over time. However, the treatment would be the same. After an initial rinse, I applied Koch Chemie Green Star APC mixed at 6:1, which is a relatively strong dilution. You could also use something like Koch Chemie Insect & Dirt Remover or Carpro Bug Out as these do a similar job but better target bug enzymes.
From here, agitate with a brush. In this case, the XR8 has a matte finish on the grills surrounded with a gloss accent. You could use either a boars hair or synthetic brush here, but I went with the gentler synthetic version. If your grill has a gloss finish, I'd stick with the synthetic to be on the safe side. What I like about Green Star is how it lathers up beautifully when agitated with a brush.
After a rinse, you have a few options in terms of enhancement and protection. Obviously, the best solution would be to use a spray sealant or ceramic coating, but that will be extremely time consuming. In the past, I've used Autoglym Instant Show Shine, which is an aerosol product that can be used on matte, painted and glossy plastics.
Another option would be an aerosol trim dressing such as P&S No Rub or 3D Instant Shine. However, you would only use these on unpainted plastics. However, today I simply used Carpro Hydr02 to quickly and effortlessly coat and dress the grills. Spray on, rinse off, job done!
I also decided to give Armour Detail Supply Ghost a try on the XR8's tyres. This meant some deep cleaning to prepare the sidewalls, starting with Capro ReTyre during the wash.
Once the wheel and tyres were blown dry, I grabbed one of my favorite products to ensure the sidewalls were totally clean of any remaining dressing and chemical residue. You can also use mineral spirits to do this job, but I like the unorthodox use of Tarminator.
The traditional advice when deep cleaning tyres has been to repeatedly apply, scrub and rinse with a tyre cleaner until the product no longer turns brown. However, even with the use of a powerful tyre cleaner and the product not turning brown, there will often be something still on the sidewalls, as shown above. Although I will say that this is very dependent on the tyre brand and tyre model.
With the sidewalls totally clean, I then applied ADS Ghost using a foam applicator pad. In this case, I only applied a single layer, but you can add additional layers 10-minutes apart if desired.
You can see some of the blue tracer in this image, which quickly dissipates as the product cures.
I've been extremely impressed with this product. It can be a little glossy on certain tyres, but on these Dunlop's, the finish is simply perfect with juuuust the right amount of enhancement. Over the longer term, Ghost is proving to be quite capable of repelling dust and grime, which means subsequent cleaning is simply a case of rinsing and giving a light scrub with car soap. Afterwards a wash, I've been giving the tyres a very light wipe over with Tire+ to refresh the finish.
A question I've been asked a few times over the years, how do I clean the intricate grills on a modern vehicle? Front end designs have only gotten more and more complex over the years, to the point where they can be a nightmare to clean properly. I'd say this is even worse when car companies fill in the front grills to improve aero properties, meaning these fake grills allow bugs and grime to accumulate rather than passing through.
Compounding the issue, these areas are hard to apply protection to...............unless you get off on using a Q-Tip to coat each and every grill opening. Despite what you might thing, even I wouldn't find that a fun time.
Now in the XR8's case, I wasn't needing to remove bugs or caked on road grime, rather a light buildup created over time. However, the treatment would be the same. After an initial rinse, I applied Koch Chemie Green Star APC mixed at 6:1, which is a relatively strong dilution. You could also use something like Koch Chemie Insect & Dirt Remover or Carpro Bug Out as these do a similar job but better target bug enzymes.
From here, agitate with a brush. In this case, the XR8 has a matte finish on the grills surrounded with a gloss accent. You could use either a boars hair or synthetic brush here, but I went with the gentler synthetic version. If your grill has a gloss finish, I'd stick with the synthetic to be on the safe side. What I like about Green Star is how it lathers up beautifully when agitated with a brush.
After a rinse, you have a few options in terms of enhancement and protection. Obviously, the best solution would be to use a spray sealant or ceramic coating, but that will be extremely time consuming. In the past, I've used Autoglym Instant Show Shine, which is an aerosol product that can be used on matte, painted and glossy plastics.
Another option would be an aerosol trim dressing such as P&S No Rub or 3D Instant Shine. However, you would only use these on unpainted plastics. However, today I simply used Carpro Hydr02 to quickly and effortlessly coat and dress the grills. Spray on, rinse off, job done!
I also decided to give Armour Detail Supply Ghost a try on the XR8's tyres. This meant some deep cleaning to prepare the sidewalls, starting with Capro ReTyre during the wash.
Once the wheel and tyres were blown dry, I grabbed one of my favorite products to ensure the sidewalls were totally clean of any remaining dressing and chemical residue. You can also use mineral spirits to do this job, but I like the unorthodox use of Tarminator.
The traditional advice when deep cleaning tyres has been to repeatedly apply, scrub and rinse with a tyre cleaner until the product no longer turns brown. However, even with the use of a powerful tyre cleaner and the product not turning brown, there will often be something still on the sidewalls, as shown above. Although I will say that this is very dependent on the tyre brand and tyre model.
With the sidewalls totally clean, I then applied ADS Ghost using a foam applicator pad. In this case, I only applied a single layer, but you can add additional layers 10-minutes apart if desired.
You can see some of the blue tracer in this image, which quickly dissipates as the product cures.
I've been extremely impressed with this product. It can be a little glossy on certain tyres, but on these Dunlop's, the finish is simply perfect with juuuust the right amount of enhancement. Over the longer term, Ghost is proving to be quite capable of repelling dust and grime, which means subsequent cleaning is simply a case of rinsing and giving a light scrub with car soap. Afterwards a wash, I've been giving the tyres a very light wipe over with Tire+ to refresh the finish.
Klasse Act
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- Feb 21, 2012
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Glad your liking Ghost Deyon
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DFB
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I think the interesting point with this new powertrain is they have boosted engine capacity from 3.0 to 3.6. Are we starting to see a reversal of engine downsizing? Mazda have sort gone with 3.3 inline 6's, a two cylinder and 800cc hike over their previous largest engine.
The idea of a tiny engine that's heavily boosted to make the power, then ends up boosting fuel consumption in real world driving. I know someone who recently bought a used 2013 XR6 Falcon who was astonished it was returning sub 7.5 L/100 (31 MPG) consumption from a huge 4.0 inline 6. Robust low rev torque and tall gearing mean the engine doesn't work hard, in turn returns the sort of fuel economy of a smaller engine.
Big Dave
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- Jan 7, 2018
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I had noticed the same thing, and the new Mazda engine made me laugh, my first Commodore was a 1979 VB with a with the 3.3 Inline 6, but everyone still called it the 202 back then. It wasn't even fuel injected, so fuel economy wasn't great, it still had a manual choke as well.
Speaking of unstressed larger motors, when I first bought the FJ I could get it below 10L/100km on a cruise quite regularly, but that was before lifting it and putting the bullbar and more off road tyres, now that same cruise is around 11L/100. My old Pathfinder was a 3.3 V6, it was a lighter vehicle, but that thing wouldn't go below 12L/100.
I don't doubt the 7.5 figure for the Falcon, back when I had my VZ SV6 I had to drive from Sydney to Melbourne, it had a 75L tank, and I was getting close to Seymour and the trip computer told me I had 80km to go and a range of about 70km, so I stopped and filled up. It averaged 6.35L/100 for the trip, so I would have made it without filling up. I used more going back though, I guess I had a tail wind.
Coatingsarecrack
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- Dec 9, 2018
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[mention]DFB [/mention] Did the wheel fitment on the s650 fit the same offset wise on the wheels you put on from the s550.
I found a smoking deal on a 2024 and may pick it up. Wondering if my old wheels will fit?
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I found a smoking deal on a 2024 and may pick it up. Wondering if my old wheels will fit?
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DFB
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Ooooo, what color?
Your old wheels should fit just fine, S650 has the same wheel specs as S550.
However, I remember being told Ford changed the TPMS sensors for S650, so the older S550 TPMS won't talk to the car. The only remedy for this is remove the tires and fit the new sensors, the old ones can't be re-trained. I was bummed because I had just fitted the HP wheels from my S550. However, I discovered this doesn't apply to export Mustang's as the S550 was already using the new sensors.
S650 TPMS - F2GZ1A189G (433Mhz)
S550 TPMS - F2GZ1A189A (315Mhz)
Ford Performance TPMS kit
Has anyone else tried to use the Ford Performance TMPM kit with their S650? I used to this kit M-1180-B with my winter wheels and no luck. I have tried everything I can think of to train the new sensors. I finally gave up and made a trip to the dealer this morning. According to the tech these...
www.mustang7g.com
DFB
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A know of a fellow Ford forum member who had an FG Falcon XT sedan fitted with the optional 6-speed auto, so the lightest (base) model with the most efficient powertrain. He used to get the number down to around 6.2 L/100 (38 MPG), which is stunning for such a big and heavy car with a very basic large capacity engine, those 4.0's were not direct injected. For perspective, the 2.0 EcoBoost Mondeo we had with half the capacity, two fewer cylinders and a DCT would do a similar number in the same highway conditions. In town driving, that EcoBoost would produce only a minor improvement in economy compared to the big Falc.
Funny you mention bull bars and big off-road tires blowing out the fuel consumption. Going back a couple of years, one of the boss's was looking for a dual cab pickup of some kind, tax time write-off in other words. The idea was for it to be a work vehicle, but also usable to carry his family when required, so basically a commuter/sometimes delivery vehicle.
So, what did they buy? A used Toyota Hilux SR with about 90,000 km on the clock, and because of the Toyota tax, it wasn't cheap either. The one they chose had a massive steel bull bar, steel roof rack, steel side steps, steel front brush bars, a steel tray with ladder racks, a tow bar, front winch and steel wheels with massive mud-terrain tires. Completely overkill for what he uses it for, not to mention being very heavy and very cumbersome to drive. Actually, a previous or current generation Ranger would drive rings around the current Hilux.
Pretty soon after buying the thing, he was complaining how thirsty the Hilux was. He assumed because it had a diesel engine, it would be as efficient as his diesel Mazda CX5. I was like, no wonder, it's all that steel hanging off the thing, and those mud tires............................. as a chronic tight arse, he seemed very deflated.
Coatingsarecrack
Well-known member
- Dec 9, 2018
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- 570
Ooooo, what color?
Your old wheels should fit just fine, S650 has the same wheel specs as S550.
However, I remember being told Ford changed the TPMS sensors for S650, so the older S550 TPMS won't talk to the car. The only remedy for this is remove the tires and fit the new sensors, the old ones can't be re-trained. I was bummed because I had just fitted the HP wheels from my S550. However, I discovered this doesn't apply to export Mustang's as the S550 was already using the new sensors.
S650 TPMS - F2GZ1A189G (433Mhz)
S550 TPMS - F2GZ1A189A (315Mhz)
Ford Performance TPMS kit
Has anyone else tried to use the Ford Performance TMPM kit with their S650? I used to this kit M-1180-B with my winter wheels and no luck. I have tried everything I can think of to train the new sensors. I finally gave up and made a trip to the dealer this morning. According to the tech these...
It’s actually same color. Non premium but has almost everyrhing. Night pony package (would prefer bronze) but active exhaust and PP1 package were musts. 6 speed. It’s used but only 3k miles and 25k less than MSRP. They want 40k US I offered 37k. Anything less than 38500 I’ll pick it up.
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Big Dave
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- Jan 7, 2018
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Good luck.
DFB
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My latest project.........................
At the end of 2001 for my 15th birthday, I asked for and was given a brand-new Victa Corvette. A year later, this time it was a Ryobi Weed Wasp line trimmer. Shortly after, my father helped me buy a leaf blower, which I paid off by mowing and cleaning up the carpark at his office. This trio of tools helped me start my business, initially as a Saturday morning job that morphed into something much bigger.
Of those three tools, the Ryobi is long gone, they were cheap and disposable tools, mine started to make an alarming buzz from the engine and was replaced with a Stihl FS 45. The mower and blower however are still with me. The little red Corvette has seen some love recently, now its time for the blower to get a new lease on life. This BG 55 has done a power of work. I eventually retired it when I bought an updated BG 86, it's sat in the shed for 15 years or so.
Back in the early 2000's, the Stihl BG 55, BG 65 and BG 85 were all-new models, replacing the old BG 75 "Air Broom". I still have the period brochure, the BG 55 list price was $345, or in my case, $395 with the vacuum attachment. Today, a BG 56 will set you back $379, the BG 86 $479 and the BG 86C-E (easy start) is $499. And when I say all new, I mean from the ground up new. Stihl went from a 25.4cc engine to an all-new 27.2cc engine, which went on to power a large range of line trimmers and hedge trimmers. Stihl also reversed the fan orientation, which was handy for right-handed users as it prevented clothing from blocking the air supply to the fan. The new models also looked much better, with more classic Stihl orange.
At some stage, Stihl updated the blower line to offer the BG 56, BG 66, BG 86 and BG 86C-E. These models came with a new body design, which was to incorporate anti-vibration handles for the BG 86 / BG 86C-E. However, Stihl continue to make the older model for the US market, which is now called the BG 50 and is offered as a low-cost entry level option.
https://www.stihlusa.com/products/b...s/bg50/?aqid=e6d4aa2a3e14c8654136335a72eef9d3
The earlier BG 55/65/85 models were the better machine, the later 56/66/86 models don't rev as hard. I've also found the newer models really dislike hot and humid conditions, which I suspect is from the tank vents not venting properly in an attempt to curb evap emission standards. After trying the equivalent Husqvarna petrol blower, these Stihl's are still the best blower on the market. In fact, I sold the Husqvarna with very little hours on it.
So, my Stihl BG 55.........................
After throwing some fresh fuel in the tank and giving the rope a few hundred pulls, all I got was a very brief fire. Of course, the purge bulb crumbled the first time I pressed it. And no doubt the carburetor diaphragms are toast. I considered rebuilding the carb, but I did what most people do these days and just bought an aftermarket carburetor, which comes with new fuel lines, fuel filter, air filter, gaskets and spark plug. Now, you hear good and bad things about these aftermarket carbs, so I guess I'm making a gamble here. But, I didn't really want to invest too much into it considering the age and amount of work the machine has done. In addition to that, the throttle cable (newer models have a throttle rod) needs freeing up, replacements are hard to find. And I'm going to either drill out the exhaust outlet or replace it for the larger BG 85/86 version to boost engine performance.
So far, all I have done is given the unit a clean using Bilt Hamber Surfex (see, there is some detailing content here), the removed the recoil and throttle housings to get a better view of the carb. I'm now waiting for the parts to arrive.
At the end of 2001 for my 15th birthday, I asked for and was given a brand-new Victa Corvette. A year later, this time it was a Ryobi Weed Wasp line trimmer. Shortly after, my father helped me buy a leaf blower, which I paid off by mowing and cleaning up the carpark at his office. This trio of tools helped me start my business, initially as a Saturday morning job that morphed into something much bigger.
Of those three tools, the Ryobi is long gone, they were cheap and disposable tools, mine started to make an alarming buzz from the engine and was replaced with a Stihl FS 45. The mower and blower however are still with me. The little red Corvette has seen some love recently, now its time for the blower to get a new lease on life. This BG 55 has done a power of work. I eventually retired it when I bought an updated BG 86, it's sat in the shed for 15 years or so.
Back in the early 2000's, the Stihl BG 55, BG 65 and BG 85 were all-new models, replacing the old BG 75 "Air Broom". I still have the period brochure, the BG 55 list price was $345, or in my case, $395 with the vacuum attachment. Today, a BG 56 will set you back $379, the BG 86 $479 and the BG 86C-E (easy start) is $499. And when I say all new, I mean from the ground up new. Stihl went from a 25.4cc engine to an all-new 27.2cc engine, which went on to power a large range of line trimmers and hedge trimmers. Stihl also reversed the fan orientation, which was handy for right-handed users as it prevented clothing from blocking the air supply to the fan. The new models also looked much better, with more classic Stihl orange.
At some stage, Stihl updated the blower line to offer the BG 56, BG 66, BG 86 and BG 86C-E. These models came with a new body design, which was to incorporate anti-vibration handles for the BG 86 / BG 86C-E. However, Stihl continue to make the older model for the US market, which is now called the BG 50 and is offered as a low-cost entry level option.
https://www.stihlusa.com/products/b...s/bg50/?aqid=e6d4aa2a3e14c8654136335a72eef9d3
The earlier BG 55/65/85 models were the better machine, the later 56/66/86 models don't rev as hard. I've also found the newer models really dislike hot and humid conditions, which I suspect is from the tank vents not venting properly in an attempt to curb evap emission standards. After trying the equivalent Husqvarna petrol blower, these Stihl's are still the best blower on the market. In fact, I sold the Husqvarna with very little hours on it.
So, my Stihl BG 55.........................
After throwing some fresh fuel in the tank and giving the rope a few hundred pulls, all I got was a very brief fire. Of course, the purge bulb crumbled the first time I pressed it. And no doubt the carburetor diaphragms are toast. I considered rebuilding the carb, but I did what most people do these days and just bought an aftermarket carburetor, which comes with new fuel lines, fuel filter, air filter, gaskets and spark plug. Now, you hear good and bad things about these aftermarket carbs, so I guess I'm making a gamble here. But, I didn't really want to invest too much into it considering the age and amount of work the machine has done. In addition to that, the throttle cable (newer models have a throttle rod) needs freeing up, replacements are hard to find. And I'm going to either drill out the exhaust outlet or replace it for the larger BG 85/86 version to boost engine performance.
So far, all I have done is given the unit a clean using Bilt Hamber Surfex (see, there is some detailing content here), the removed the recoil and throttle housings to get a better view of the carb. I'm now waiting for the parts to arrive.
