DFB's Garage

I'm sure it's done already as I post this

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As a mere formality, naturally the new dust shields were coated! I even considered hitting them with polish, but these are not clear coated so the ice would have been thin.

First, a wipe down with KCx PPS, followed by a final wipe over with IPA (these were stored in sealed plastic but they had an oily smell to them, so I wanted to be through here.)



Next, the coating, applied front and back. Because these are effectively matte black, every smudge ends up looking like a high-spot.





After curing for 15 hours, I applied a coat of Carpro Reload.

New vs Old............









Naturally, I could have painted the hub too, but even I have a limit.

With the wheels back on, I gave the rest of the car a rinse-less wash using the new version of ONR.



I think you would have to be using these back to back to really tell the difference between old and new. The classic ONR scent is still there, as is the general ease of use, I also think this version lives up to the claim of easier drying.

After waiting for the dust shields to arrive, I finally re-dressed the tires. THAT was driving me mad by the way, they just looked naked without the dressing. I know some like the bare, natural rubber look, but in my opinion, even a lightly dressed tire will highlight the wheels so much better. Prior to dressing, I was struggling to see my efforts. Dressed, they were popping!

I'll sum up this project with the following picture, the result of 15 years of careful ownership and several (more than several) hours of nitty-gritty detailing.......................



It's funny, it's been a week working on the XR6, always with the garage door open. Today, while washing the car, the usual suspects passed by and commented. The old guy that walks past every day at about 11am, who's name I have no clue, told me that I would wear the wheels out! :rolleyes: The lady who delivers sales pamphlets commented "weren't you doing that last week", yes, yes I was! :props: And it would seem I have a new postman that is surprisingly down to earth, who told me that if it's something I enjoy doing, go for your life! :bowdown:

Oh, and I still want a lift!

And no, it doesn't need to be lowered!
 
DFB said:
It's the engine I'm most looking forward to. My current S550 has the gen-2 Coyote, so I basically skipped the gen-3 upgrades which brought more hp and a higher rev limit. So instead of 410 hp and 6,400 rpm to play with, I'm looking forward to 470 hp and a 7,500 rpm limit. I'm all about induction note, so the updates all right up my alley.

I can't believe the negativity toward the S650 from the wider Mustang community, so much cattiness and defensiveness over a car that some aren't even going to buy. Is it just sour grapes for those who bought a late S550 and now have the old model? I get it, the styling is divisive, and the car is not as all-new as perhaps people were expecting. But when has a Mustang been truly all-new? S550 was probably the biggest step forward in a long time, setting the bar much higher. In this climate of electric car expansion and all the development dollars that is soaking up, we as a car community should be thankful for the likes of Ford, Nissan and Toyota even bothering to invest any money into dedicated sports cars/coupes.
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Early on when the S650 was announced it was suppose to be an all new platform, motor.

I think that changed when switching to investing in EV’s. The sell enough to continue producing but not enough to develop a whole new car

I’m not sold on the looks but waiting to see in real life.


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DFB said:
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$



I hate excessively lowered cars, just looks stupid in my opinion.
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Klasse Act said:
I couldn't agree with you more about lowered cars just to be low, looks stupid and not practical ️


5c35cb366562043a8a97ec7d44900e08.jpg


4be7a8715675f107ad291980a42c9713.jpg



aca8cfb738d17ce3b6be27445ed9770e.jpg


Hey I feel attacked all of a sudden!

No i get it. We like what we like. I personally can’t stand a car at stock height and factory wheels. Wheel well gap makes me wanna

. I want mine to stand out in a crowd of other same cars. But that is just me. Shoes for my persons and cars has always been a priority.

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Klasse Act said:
I will say this, LOVE that OEM wheel, is it available in silver

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I’ve seen silver and bronze. Personally I feel about silver as you do about gloss black. For me to plain.

If I do one I’m thinking red or white with the bronze

9cef21f208b4deccfc7d5595f7a74617.jpg


Edit: saw DFB post these. Get the Bronze package…. We could maybe be twinsies

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DFB said:
Used Optimum Instant Detailer & Gloss Enhancer for the first time today.



From what I can gather, Optimum and Opti-Coat ceramic coatings tend to lack slickness, so using this product helps remedy that. Like all quick detailers, I really like how easy this is to use, able to be applied across all surfaces as a drying aid or final step after washing. Another sleeper product by Optimum.

Finally, the replacement dust shields arrived at the dealer today.





What do think, should I ceramic coat these too?
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Of corse…


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Coatingsarecrack said:
Really? I think that looks gorgeous. Different folks and strokes and all..


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That color combo is basically what I have on order. It's the slammed ride height that I find vulgar.

Coatingsarecrack said:
Early on when the S650 was announced it was suppose to be an all new platform, motor.

I think that changed when switching to investing in EV’s. The sell enough to continue producing but not enough to develop a whole new car

I’m not sold on the looks but waiting to see in real life.


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The early reports were that Ford would use modular subsystems from the RWD Explorer platform on the S650 Mustang. A lot of people took that report the wrong way, as in slapping a Mustang body on top of a heavy SUV platform.

However, the idea was to take the big-ticket subsystems from that new RWD/AWD platform to provide economy of scale to the Mustang. Think electrical architecture, suspension subframes, engine bay box/mounting points, firewall ect, then added to the Mustang body/floor pan. This would have taken the pressure off volume expectations for the Mustang and perhaps allowed them to spend development dollars on build and material quality.

Instead, they gave the existing platform a new top-hat and a refreshed mechanical package.

I DONT say all that to be negative. The whole concept of "top-hatting" and updating an existing platform is basically what happened to every single new-gen Ford Falcon sold in Australia, right up until they shut the factory and discontinued the model in 2016. Ford Australia didn't have the budget to do a new platform every 6 to 8 years, so they worked with what they had and made it better. As such, I'm used to this sort of thing and frankly, I'm happy to still have the chance to buy an old-school V8, RWD Muscle Car.

Coatingsarecrack said:
I’ve seen silver and bronze. Personally I feel about silver as you do about gloss black. For me to plain.

If I do one I’m thinking red or white with the bronze

9cef21f208b4deccfc7d5595f7a74617.jpg


Edit: saw DFB post these. Get the Bronze package…. We could maybe be twinsies

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So, in addition to a variety of packages and personalization options, Australian customers are not allowed to have the Bronze Package. Its silver or black wheels only, we don't even get to a choice of wheel design, it's take it or leave it. I would also love to be able to order an interior in anything other the boring black.





 
Coatingsarecrack said:
Hey I feel attacked all of a sudden!DFB's GarageDFB's GarageDFB's GarageDFB's Garage

No i get it. We like what we like. I personally can’t stand a car at stock height and factory wheels. Wheel well gap makes me wanna

I want mine to stand out in a crowd of other same cars. But that is just me. Shoes for my persons and cars has always been a priority.


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Your cars are tastefully lowered, just the right amount of drop to clean up the look. That compares to the silly "bagged" look I posted earlier.
 
DFB said:
Two things come to mind -

- First, a blocked exhaust port or spark arrestor in the muffler. This is mostly applicable to 2-stroke engines, but it you don't run the machine at full or high revs often, the carbon doesn't burn off properly and eventually causes it to build up and block, ultimately preventing the engine from exhaling.

I haven't pulled down a small GX25 / GX35 Honda before, but you would need to inspect the small muffler outlet screen, which your unit may or may not have as there are a few different designs for these engines. Remove any built-up carbon with a wire brush or by heating it with a flame and again agitating with a brush.

For the exhaust port, you will need to remove the muffler and inspect the port for carbon build up. Remove by gently scraping the carbon away. In both cases, you will need to remove the engine shrouding. While the muffler is removed, make sure the inlet is not blocked either.

- Secondly, it could be that engine is not getting enough fuel at full throttle. In which case, check the fuel filter in the tank. Otherwise, you will likely need to rebuild or replace the carb. These are a diaphragm carb, which become hard with age and don't pump fuel properly. Usually, you will have starting issues as well. On my GX25 powered Atom Edger, I had the carb rebuilt and fuel line replaced to solve this issue.
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Issue solved - finally.


Once I replaced the carburetor, the GX25 now works like charm.

I can go full throttle, without chocking or loss of power.

:xyxthumbs:
 
Danube said:
Issue solved - finally.


Once I replaced the carburetor, the GX25 now works like charm.

I can go full throttle, without chocking or loss of power.

:xyxthumbs:
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Excellent!

The GX25 and 35 are nice little engines, very rorty with excellent throttle response. Is it weird that I love the sound of them? These also have an OHC, which I think is what makes them so responsive and fuel efficient.

I have the GX25 on an Atom edger, great for laser straight edges, which I bought this second hand off a neighbor. Because it had sat for a while, the carby needed to be overhauled and the fuel lines replaced.



The are only two failings of these engines. First, they are pretty heavy for the cubic capacity, which in turn makes handheld tools like trimmers and bowers a little more taxing to use. For someone who uses the machine occasionally, as in once a week, then that's not so much a problem. For someone using the machine all day long, then it becomes a bit harder on the body.

Secondly, you need to check and replace the oil. That tends to catch a lot of people out accustomed to two-stroke small engines that never require that sort of maintenance. This is what happens when a GX35 runs low on oil.......................



That machine is not mine but one that is now a permanent smoker because those responsible for it never checked the oil, it ran low, got hot and burned up the cylinder.

Having said that, anyone that is mechanically minded won't have that issue and will instead be rewarded with a fuel efficient, smooth and quite engine that doesn't shower you in two-stroke smoke.
 
And for those interested, this is THE BEST two-stroke trimmer on the market................

https://www.husqvarna.com/us/string-trimmers/522l/
Husqvarna 522L Grass Trimmer | Husqvarna AU







The Husqvarna 522L is certainly not the most powerful on the market, but close to the lightest straight shaft trimmer going. As I alluded to before, lightness is what you want on a machine that is basically welded to your body for extended periods. Also, check out the anti-vibration handle, something that I didn't realise I needed. Previous to this machine, I was getting terrible pins and needles in my hands, but the lack of vibration on this unit solved that. I have only occasionally wanted for more power, but for the sort of regular trimming I do, its more than powerful enough. And it sounds good too, very throaty sounding! Not to mention the reliability of the thing, over the years I have been thrashing it, I've replaced one air filter and greased the gear head, that's it, not even a spark plug!

And I say all that as more of a Stihl rather than a Husky boy.
 
While I'm talking mowers, we have a brand called Bushranger in Australia who allow buyers to pimp out their new zero-turn.................

Just a moment...




A pretty normal looking zero turn it would seem, but how does this sexy looking chrome exhaust tip look?

Just a moment...




Or what about a rear spoiler to increase downforce and traction?

Just a moment...



For the record, I'd be all in for the exhaust tip, not so much the rear spoiler as it would probably hamper access to the engine for servicing.
 
DFB said:
Excellent!

Secondly, you need to check and replace the oil. That tends to catch a lot of people out accustomed to two-stroke small engines that never require that sort of maintenance. This is what happens when a GX35 runs low on oil.......................
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I actually change oil on both my trimmer and lawn mower quite regularly.

Funny thing, I use Motul 7100 for my GX25, the same oil that I use in my Honda bikes (yes, I like Honda bikes the best, after owning every single major brand in the last 40yrs).
 
Coatingsarecrack said:
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Prior to my 2004 Mach 1, I had never lowered my Mustangs. When I got my Mach, something just didn't look right. I kinda figured it had something to do with the tires moving to better performace (lower profile, etc). I ended up lowering it with springs about 1.5" and it just looked SOOOO much better. Not low, by any means, but much better.
 
Well, I'm getting deeper and deeper down the XR6 brake upgrade rabbit hole! :doh:

For the record, Falcon's were never known for braking performance, Ford simply spec'd the brakes to be as cheap as possible to keep cost down. Models with the Brembo systems were much better but were restricted to the very top end of the range. To me, brakes shouldn't be nickeled and dimed.

The standard Falcon brake system on my XR6 is pretty overwhelmed by the size and weight of the car, you really only get one or two big hits out of them before they start to shudder. Previous XR6's were offered with the choice of a premium brake package, but by the time the FG model arrived, the naturally aspirated XR6 was basically the fleet and rental model and Ford dropped that option.




Ideally, I would love to replace them with Brembo's. A few vendors offer a variety of different Brembo caliper and rotor upgrades for the front and rear, in both 6 and 4 piston variations and choice of red or black paint. But..................Brembo's brakes don't fit behind those wheels and I'm not prepared to sacrifice them for a set of brakes that would show their worth only occasionally.

I did have someone tell me that Brembo's do in fact fit behind those wheels, but I think he had his wires crossed. Having a set fitted to the XR8, I guess I could easily find out myself.

The basic Falcon brake setup on my naturally aspirated XR6 has a PBR twin piston caliper and a (tiny) 298mm x 28mm ventilated disk on the front................




...........and a single piston PBR caliper with a 303mm x 16mm solid disk on the rear.




For the XR6 Turbo and 5.4 XR8, Ford changed the front rotor to a 322mm x 28mm ventilated disk. The front caliper and entire rear setup remains the same.

So, the easiest brake upgrade for my XR6 would be to change the caliper support bracket to the high-series item, which would then allow for the use of a larger 322mm disk.




Rotor wise, I would then replace all four corners with DBA T3 slotted items, 322 x 28 on the front, 303 x 16 on the rear. Then change to Project Mu NS-EP pads all round, which are apparently low dust/noise street performance items.






So, I'm hoping the higher quality rotors all round (larger on the front) with upgraded pads and a fluid change will get the brakes to a standard I'll be happy with. I also have the option of changing the brake lines to braided stainless steel for an additional $298, but I might see what pads and rotors delivers before doing that.
 
I remember back in the 90s I used to take my car to a workshop that also serviced the local HWP cars, both Fords and Holdens, and the owner always told me that cop cars didn't always need to be faster, but they definitely had to have better brakes. That was how they caught most people, first they'd run out of brakes, then they'd run out of talent. If they were available, I always fitted the police spec pads to my Commodores, they were the same backing plate, but they had a larger area of pad material, I even fitted them to my Cross 8 after some disc warping issues.

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Big Dave said:
I remember back in the 90s I used to take my car to a workshop that also serviced the local HWP cars, both Fords and Holdens, and the owner always told me that cop cars didn't always need to be faster, but they definitely had to have better brakes. That was how they caught most people, first they'd run out of brakes, then they'd run out of talent. If they were available, I always fitted the police spec pads to my Commodores, they were the same backing plate, but they had a larger area of pad material, I even fitted them to my Cross 8 after some disc warping issues.

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When the BA Falcon was launched in 2002, the XR6 Turbo and XR8 both came standard with the 298mm front, 303mm rear entry level brake setup. For context, those tiny brakes were tasked at keeping the 240 kw (322hp) Turbo and 260 kw (348hp) XR8 in check. Way, way under done for the speed potential of those cars. This was when Ford was offering the optional "Premium Brakes" which featured 325mm front rotors and larger black painted calipers that were fitted off-line at FPV. Take rate was low, but I'm sure most Police-Spec cars got that system.

Obviously, not being fitted online and subcontracting the Premium Brakes out to FPV was not cost effective for Ford. So that's when the Premium Brakes were discontinued for the 2005 BF Falcon, and the larger 322mm front rotors fitted as standard to all XR6 Turbo and XR8 models going forward. Actually, those early BF models also got a larger rear caliper and ventilated disk, but cost cutting for the BF MK II meant Ford reverted to the standard non-ventilated 303mm disk. That then carried through FG, FG MK II and FG-X.

Police spec Falcon's also had a police-specific brake pad and rotor, same sizes, just more aggressive. NSW Highway Patrol cars on the other hand had the FPV GT Brembo package, which also necessitated FPV wheels. You can spot an ex-NSW HWP car by the F6 Typhoon wheels and red Brembo brakes. In either case, the use of higher spec brake systems for Police use was because the standard setup was not up to police requirements.



Some people think that buying one of those ex-HWP cars is a shrewd move to get the bigger brakes, completely discounting the abuse those cars got being slammed into curbs, thrashed at high speed and left idling/running almost 24/7. In my mind, just buy a non-police example, buy a new set of wheels and Brembo's.
 
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