DFB's Garage

DFB said:
I always found I never learnt anything from Pan because he never really shows what he is talking about in action, but that's just me as I'm a visual learner. The only time I would watch a video of his would be to see a brand-new product, quite often he would be sent the product early and would then be the first to have a video out. But then how credible was that review, especially after the Turtle Wax scandal, I gave up after that?

It's pretty obvious I have taken inspiration from OG, there is no denying some of what he had done is either pretty cool or extremely influential. But just like any influential person, you have to know when something is the real deal, and when commercial reality dictates an opinion. Some fail to understand that and either drink the Kool Aid unquestioned, or end up completely writing the person off.

For example, I side with him on pressure washing, Swisstrax flooring, and certain products he uses and endorses. Like him, I also struggle with anxiety and OCD tendencies and would much rather be playing with my toys in the garage than jet-setting around the world. But then I personally think he has wasted so much time and effort on products and endeavors, only to still be in the same position several years down the track.

Those Pressol sprayers for example. I have a fleet of the original versions, they are expensive and not as "functionally excellent" (see what I did there) as the Kwazar equivalent. In that I mean they don't spray as nicely, the trigger action is stiffer and the bottles panel in with extended. But they look amazing with the matching labels, and I actually quite like the click-click sound they make. Personally, I haven't had issues with the tips splitting, but if you watch his videos, he is always cranking on them so no wonder they fail, I set and forget.





The latest Pro-Series versions were supposed to fix ALL of the issues, from split tips to paneling, improved chemical resistance of the bottle and spray head, upgraded internal seals, a flexible pickup tube with a weighted filter for 360-degree spraying. Apparently, these changes had "undergone rigorous, in-depth chemical durability testing". And yet.....................................................

Why do these new and improved versions still suck? As in, the bottle turning brown when filled with alkaline chemicals (which the old ones didn't do). Why does that new pickup tube fall off the head despite the wire spring clip that is supposed to fix that issue? Why were the first batch released with steel instead of stainless-steel spray tips, in turn rusting within hours? And why do the spray heads still fail with certain chemicals? And all this for $20 USD each!

I can't help thinking that a basic plastic bottle and Tolco/Canyon sprayer has NONE of these issues...................for less than $5 USD. So why does a bottle 4 times the price have these issues. It's not acceptable. And yet, he still says these are the "best sprayers on the planet". Worth mentioning, none of these issues have affected my Kwazar's, which I have ran back-to-back with the v1 Pressol's for many years now. The don't leak, they don't panel, they spray finer, the pickup tube doesn't fall off, they have a smoother trigger action, and like the Pressol, they also have double action and and 360-degree spray potential. In Australia, a 500ml Kwazar is $15.00 (less when I use my wholesale discount), a 500ml Pressol v1 is $24.00, plus another $15.00 if you want the chemical resistant "Industrial" spray head.

I'm not saying all this to take the man down, but rather point out that I'm not so blinded by his influence that I can't find fault. I also personally think he has wasted so much time, money, effort and his reputation on these bottles for no return. He is 6-years in on this project and is still treading water.
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Yeah I like him at 1st and can deal with arrogance… he’s said some things that’s led me to believe he’s narcissistic. Even then if you build/create a good product I can be in. I’m Ok with unilateral pricing as it keeps it fair but to then gouge on “handling” I’m good.

But I’ll still check out his site from time to time because the man does strive for quality…


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Coatingsarecrack said:
Yeah I like him at 1st and can deal with arrogance… he’s said some things that’s led me to believe he’s narcissistic. Even then if you build/create a good product I can be in. I’m Ok with unilateral pricing as it keeps it fair but to then gouge on “handling” I’m good.

But I’ll still check out his site from time to time because the man does strive for quality…


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He knows the shipping costs are holding the company back from becoming a true powerhouse. In recent months he has spoken about this, as in needing to gain volume so that they can start offering free shipping. I don't think its OG that's specifically over-charging on shipping, they are just passing the real cost onto the customer instead of absorbing it like larger retailers can. The reality is, low priced or free shipping has to be made up somewhere.
 
Coatingsarecrack said:
Yeah same I say about the THOR guys. Awesome line up and if I can get it from them for 20% off and no shipping…. Done. About the product and price… even Matt has got some of my money.

I was gonna go with new Pressol bottles but for 12 it was $60 shipping. Too much bro. You can take my money on the products because I get the investment and somebody’s got to make that GT4 payment but common man… not the shipping too.

I tried to watch him in the early days but just personally didn’t find him useful…but I get it I’m sure a few of us have learned from Pan in the early days….


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FREE SHIPPING seems to be a significant motivator in many purchases, even more so than X % off…the Amazon effect perhaps?

Being on the other side of the shipping scale for a few years now it’s always been interesting to me that often a FREE SHIPPING promo seems to eclipse a 15% OFF SITE WIDE promo as far as order volume goes (and AOV too). Throw in the fact that our normal policy is FREE SHIPPING on orders over $99 and that most orders eclipse that threshold anyway makes it slightly even more curious.

The phrase FREE SHIPPING certainly has a widespread allure…


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DFB said:
He knows the shipping costs are holding the company back from becoming a true powerhouse. In recent months he has spoken about this, as in needing to gain volume so that they can start offering free shipping. I don't think its OG that's specifically over-charging on shipping, they are just passing the real cost onto the customer instead of absorbing it like larger retailers can. The reality is, low priced or free shipping has to be made up somewhere.
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$60 for 10 plastic bottle seems high but I haven’t shipped something out in a while.


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Despite feeling off colour today, I forced myself to go outside and make the most of the lovely late winter sunshine. The plan was to wash the XR6 before swapping places with the Mustang and it cover going on.

The wheels were given a quick once over with OG Decon Soap, the tyres scrubbed with Brake Buster, Atom Mac on the rotors. I then rinsed the whole car and drove back into the garage for a rinse-less wash with ADS Hero, then dried using ADS Adapt.

Adapt is termed a water-less wash, which I think tends to limit its appeal. In reality, Adapt is just so versatile and has the potential to be used on just about every vehicle surface, inside and out. On paint, it's super forgiving to use with little to no streaking and a lovely slick finish. Oh, and the scent is a real treat as well.

In addition to drying aid duties, I also used Adapt for the door jambs and engine bay.





With the wheels wiped over and the tyres dressed, the old girl was moved into position and covered up for a few weeks. It's the Mustang's turn!

And I'm calling it, spring is on the way, I can smell it in the air! And not just the air, but several fragrant late winter flowering plants have begun doing their thing, think Wattles, Early Cheer, Osmanthus and the delightfully intoxicating Daphne. Scent is probably my most alert sense, so I tend to be ruled by it. So, when I comment on a product scent, it's not because of hype or marketing, it's purely me following true to type.
 
It's been a while................................





I've been experimenting with Drag Mode, specifically how it affects manual shift speed. The actual speed at which the shift is completed is extremely impressive. But I just wish there wasn't such a lag time between flipping the paddle and the gearbox responding. At least when in Drag mode, the shift is quicker, which tends to give the impression of a faster response.
 
DFB said:
Despite feeling off colour today, I forced myself to go outside and make the most of the lovely late winter sunshine. The plan was to wash the XR6 before swapping places with the Mustang and it cover going on.

The wheels were given a quick once over with OG Decon Soap, the tyres scrubbed with Brake Buster, Atom Mac on the rotors. I then rinsed the whole car and drove back into the garage for a rinse-less wash with ADS Hero, then dried using ADS Adapt.

Adapt is termed a water-less wash, which I think tends to limit its appeal. In reality, Adapt is just so versatile and has the potential to be used on just about every vehicle surface, inside and out. On paint, it's super forgiving to use with little to no streaking and a lovely slick finish. Oh, and the scent is a real treat as well.

In addition to drying aid duties, I also used Adapt for the door jambs and engine bay.





With the wheels wiped over and the tyres dressed, the old girl was moved into position and covered up for a few weeks. It's the Mustang's turn!

And I'm calling it, spring is on the way, I can smell it in the air! And not just the air, but several fragrant late winter flowering plants have begun doing their thing, think Wattles, Early Cheer, Osmanthus and the delightfully intoxicating Daphne. Scent is probably my most alert sense, so I tend to be ruled by it. So, when I comment on a product scent, it's not because of hype or marketing, it's purely me following true to type.
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Adapt on paint gives you no streaking issues? Man i wonder if im doing something wrong. I will not use on dark paint cuz it will streak and look like a fresh chem trailed sky haha.

If its a waterless wash then i better be able to soak thepaint and have no worryaboit streaks. Heck i cant even use a minimal amount. Ill just use it for everything but the paint.

So adapts main use for me is keeping a stubby spray bottle in my dinner bucket for cleaning of all interior and the exterior glass on machines at work. Its slicker than using sprayway glass cleaner, also it beads on the glass whenever we have to work in rain.
 
After I detailed this 2012 Toyota Landcruiser back in April, I noted that the headlights were needing attention due to heavy oxidation and crazing. The owners have been using the vehicle more and more for caravan towing, doing some big distances in the process. I mentioned the headlights weren't very roadworthy in that condition and would probably need to be addressed at some point.

This image from April doesn't fully depict just how bad they were..............



Initially, I suggested the headlights could be polished out to buy some time, but the results would be short lived. Oxidation like this returns within a few months due to the degradation of the UV coating that is baked into the plastic at the factory. In the end, rather than investing time and money into something that would only yield short-term results, they decided to have the headlights replaced.

So, two brand new genuine Toyota headlights were installed yesterday. This was not a quick replacement, the job also involved removing that huge steel bull bar. With the bar out of the way, they could then remove the grill and truncated plastic bumper, which then gave access the headlight mounting hardware. So, two brand new genuine headlights, plus all of the labour to remove and re-install the bull bar, there wasn't much change out of $2000.

Before they took the vehicle in for this work, I asked if they could keep the old headlights so that I could have a go at re-finishing them. But when I went to pick them up this morning, I discovered just how truly massive these things are! When fitted to the vehicle, the headlight size is disguised by the sheer massiveness of the Landcruiser itself.

First off, I taped up the bulb locators to prevent getting moisture inside the lens. I then took some Green Star and a brush to clean off 13-years worth of dirt and grime from behind the unit and around the edges. For reference, this vehicle has been parked outdoors its whole life.



Again, the camera hides how bad they are. While the oxidation covered the entire lens, the top edge facing toward the sky had become yellowed and crazed. Now, I knew I wouldn't get all of that out, not unless I disassembled the entire headlight unit, and that wasn't happening.













I normally just polish headlights like this. In most cases a set of passes with a wool pad and a heavy compound knocks down the oxidation, then a pass with a finishing polish on a foam pad cleans them up. You won't get perfection, but considering how quick and simple this method is, the results are hardly disappointing.





As a general rule of thumb, you should never polish headlights unless needed. Just like paint, the more you polish, the more UV clear coating you remove, which in turn speeds up the decline. The thing is, if your headlights are showing signs yellowing or have a cloudy finish, that means the UV coating has already began to fail. In which case, polish away...............or replace them.

Just know that because the coating is compromised, the damage will continue to return, and return faster and faster after each polishing. The only way to stop this would be to lock in the finish with a clear coat or PPF. However, achieving a flat/uniform finish with clear coat is virtually impossible on headlights, and PPF is not always a readily available option for many. Also, ceramic coatings and dedicated headlight sealants only delay the inevitable, I know because I've tried them all.

On this occasion, I wanted to use these headlights as a learning platform, in particular wet sanding. This method requires considerably more time and effort, but is often required when the oxidation has progressed beyond what polishing alone can achieve. Also, if the UV clear coat has begun peeling or the headlight has a patchy look, wet sanding is your only option. In this situation, wet sanding will remove the remainder of the UV coating, in turn leveling the finish down to bare, smooth plastic.

First step, I stared with 400 grit. For lubrication during the whole sanding process, I used P&S Absolute at 128:1.





From there, I worked my way through 1000, 2000 and 4000 grit. In hindsight, I would probably start with 600 or 800 grit in the future.





The image directly above was taken after the 4000 grit. It was then time for polishing. I started with Sonax Cutmax on a Rupes blue wool, the most aggressive combo I have. From here, I switched to Sonax Perfect Finish on a ShineMate orange foam pad. This was my first time using the EB212, and wow, this thing is brilliant! Pad stall? What pad stall?



The side-by-side comparison is night and day!



Some crazing remains, which is locked inside the lens.









The process was then repeated for the second headlight. At some point, I'll ceramic coat them to provide at least some UV protection. Having said that, they won't be going back on the car anyway.

This was my first attempt at wet sanding headlights, so the finished result is far from perfect. In the future, having another grade or two of sand paper would likely produce a better finish. But as I said, I was using these as a learning tool, the owners knew this as well.

But, clearly I did a good enough job because the owners were impressed with the night and day before result. I was then told I could keep or sell them.
 
Big Dave said:
One of my taillights is starting to get some crazing on an upper facing part. It's the one that catches the afternoon sun in summer.
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From what I understand, taillights don't get (or need) the same UV clear coating applied to headlights. In theory, that means you can polish them earlier in the vehicles life.
 
DFB said:
From what I understand, taillights don't get (or need) the same UV clear coating applied to headlights. In theory, that means you can polish them earlier in the vehicles life.
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Unfortunately, it's on the inside, so nothing I can polish. But only visible when the light hits it at the right angle. I took this back in May.PSX_20250815_194419.jpg
 
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