DFB's Garage

For the ride on mower I wear shorts long sleeve shirt a hat hearing protection and safety glasses when the grass is dry.

Plus like a face sock the type people wear when fishing so i don't get sunburnt and it stops the grass going up the snozz.

Wipper shinper i add long pants and gloves.

The neighbours get this bloke in to brush cut and he's in shorts AFL type and even takes phone calls at the same time! I said his skin must be like leather or a woman's face that smokes 🚬 3 packs a day. 😆
Some people would pay hundreds of dollars to get a tan like mine from working outdoors during summer. No tan-in-a-can here, all-natural tan for me. :ROFLMAO:
 
Despite the heat today, which as I type is sitting on 41-degrees on its way to 42, I still managed to get in some detailing.

With it being quite dry and windy over the week, the Ranger's white paint was looking quite dull from a layer of dust. A trip to the green waste facility didn't help things.

For the wheels, tyres and paint, I decided to use P&S Wide Open.



Drying Aid was a product I keep forgetting to use, Optimum Instant Detailer & Gloss Enhancer. This is a product that doesn't shout about itself via a fancy bottle or label, an enticing colour or fruity scent, it just makes paint slick and glossy. Considering the heat out there today, I was surprised how easily it worked.

https://detailingshed.com.au/produc...1&_sid=6f4c902d4&_ss=r&variant=39264423936159



The tray and door jambs were wiped down with DIY Waterless Wash, glass via KCx, interior got the InnerQD treatment.

At the previous wash 12 days ago, I used ADS Ghost for the first time. As a recap, this was the result...............



The tyres on this occasion had a layer of dust on the very outer rim of the sidewall from the trip to the tip, most of which was removed by a simple rinse. It was also interesting to see the hydrophobics created by Ghost. Instead of hitting the rubber with a tyre cleaner, I decided to just give them a scrub with the Wide Open shampoo mentioned earlier. Dried, this is what they looked like.....................





There was some degradation around the outer rim, which is understandable given it makes contact with the road, but hopefully you can see the rest of the sidewall has hung on very well. While I certainly didn't need to, I gave the tyres a very light brush over with ADS Tire+ to top them off.

Contrary to what some people seem to think, this post was NOT sponsored or paid for by a detailing company.
How do you like Wide Open? I was looking at that last year as an option after I go off-road.
 
Tire+ plays VERY well with Ghost

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How do you like Wide Open? I was looking at that last year as an option after I go off-road.
100% P&S's best soap, but nothing remarkable. It has a slightly elevated pH like Megs Hyper Wash so it cleans well, and unlike Pearl, it actually foams. But its not a standout for slickness and the scent virtually non existent.
 
Today's fettling involved fitting the original air cleaner/choke housing.

Back tracking a little, when I got the mower, the original intake tube had been repaired with what looked like masking tape. Clearly, a crack had developed at the elbow at some point and the original owner patched it back together.



Upon removal to get access to the carb, the repaired end fell apart in my hands. The mower actually came with a replacement intake, as pictured above, but I'm fairly sure it came off a VC Mustang and just wasn't suitable to work properly.

Researching, it seems someone one has been making reproductions of both long and short tubes. Thing is, the short one just isn't the right shape either, it has an extra bend in it.

vintage victa 18 Snorkel Tube "short version" aftermarket free shipping | eBay



The correct item has a single bend exiting the carb.



It would seem Victa only used this setup for a short period, then at some point reverted back to the high mount arrangement. At some point in the 1970's, the round air filter element became NLA and Victa dealers were instructed to retrofit a long tube and stubby paper filter when machines came in for service.



Hence why I've found tracking down parts to fix the choke switch and finding an air filter. In the interim, I fitted a long tube with a very basic mesh filter housing/restrictor. Last week I tracked down an original short tube, then fashioned up a makeshift choke lever using a long M4 bolt, nuts, washers and a small doorknob. Primitive, but it seems to work. Because Victa discouraged washing these filters, and with them being NLA, I just blew out the original. I do have a lead on a suitable replacement.

So, off with the temporary solution and the original re-installed. The switch looks goofy, but it does the job. If I ever find a replacement, I'll swap it out for the factory correct look.



I also figured out the deck height adjustment. This is done by slackening the nut, then winding the dial to take the deck up or down. In my case, I needed to raise it up quite a bit, settling on about 55mm from floor level to the bottom of the deck, or 35mm between the floor and blade.

Take note of the instructions for women and children. Hmmm, well what does that say about me and how I chose to adjust the cutting height? :frown:







I then took the old girl out back to cut the lawn. Thankfully, I had set the deck perfectly, then got on with cutting. On light growth, the engine just putts along without breaking a sweat. On some thicker growth, you just lever the throttle open, and the engine just knuckles down and powers through. On a modern engine, the governor senses a loss of engine speed and opens up the throttle to prevent stalling, all done in a smooth manner. On these early Victa's, there is NO governor, so it's entirely up to the user to account for heavier growth. You just have to keep in mind to throttle back once you clear the taller grass. Victa actually alludes to this in the instruction manual..........................





I'm very surprised at how well this mower cut. The blade and deck design mean you are never going to get a manicured look on taller grass with this machine, it just cuts and runs. But for tipping regularly maintained grass, it might just surprise you how well it finishes out. But most of all, I loved having the ability to fully control the engine speed compared to how modern engines bog down.

Still on the to-do list, fit an inline fuel filter, and track down an original spanner. These were supplied with Model 5 Special's and would clip onto the handlebars. Mine has the clips attached to the bars, but I'd dare say the spanner got thrown out when the original owner passed away.



 
Wash day for the Mustang!

Tyres were scrubbed with Undressed, wheels and body cleaned with GSF. Following the blow off, I used Amplify on the paint, wheels, exhaust tips and door jambs. OG TD for the rubber, and a damp towel was used for the interior wipe down.

As the car continues off-gassing, I also wanted to give the interior glass another hit to remove that hazy film. This meant an undignified entry to the back seat armed with Invisible Glass the Clean & Reach Tool.



Just about to hit 800 km.................yeah, I know. :rolleyes:
 
I also did a bit of mower detailing today in preparation of a little photo shoot.

The little MasterCut 460 got a pre-soak with Bilt Hamber Surfex mixed at 1:1, the rinsed with the pressure washer. I then went back in with an old detailing brush and Surfex, agitated, rinsed again, then applied Hydr02. I followed with a liberal dose of KCx Motorplast and dried it off with the EGO. Almost brand new.



This was in preparation for a photo shoot between old and new. Just over 60-years separates these two Victa Utilities. Despite one being very obviously bigger, both offer an 18-inch cut.













Old vs New Specs -



I said this before, despite the 60-year age gap and additional 35cc, I find it amusing that the 2018 Victa doesn't have the power advantage you might expect over the 1950's Victa. Obviously, one is considerably more fuel efficient and significantly quieter, while one revs to the moon and sounds amazing doing it.
 
Well, summer is making a belated appearance. In the past few summers, we haven't had long stretches of above 38-degrees, just the odd hot day followed by a cool change. However, the next 7-days doesn't look pretty, with the lowest temperature predicted being 35 on Wednesday and Saturday. Otherwise, it's going to be a string of 38 and 40-degree days. Have I mentioned I hate summer, there is just no escaping the heat. And no, the air-conditioning still hasn't been fixed. :oops:



I'm trying to get what I need done early in the day before retreating back inside. I have a bunch of lawns to do this week as well, which is hard on the body and the machinery. So, I spent some time this morning doing some maintenance on my most used tools.

First up, an oil change on the Rover. This machine has been working hard since I got it back in October, and with the hot weather, I decided it wouldn't hurt to have some fresh oil in there. Before that, I decided to give it a clean, using Bilt Hamber Surfex as a pre-soak.



No agitation was needed, so I just pressure rinsed it, then applied Carpro Hydr02. With the mower still wet, I soaked it down with Motorplast then dried with the Ego. I'm not the biggest fan of Motorplast as I find it too glossy on cars, so this is a good alternative use for it.



Considering the heat, I probably didn't need to warm the engine oil up before draining it, but I did anyway. While the oil was draining, I removed the blade carrier and put an edge back on the blades. I don't normally bother sharpening blades, mainly because I wear them so quick that it's just easier to replace.



New oil added and the air filter cleaned, hopefully its ready for tomorrow.............I'm not. :confused:



I also went through the 2-stokes. The Stihl BG86 blower got its air filter blown out and a new spark plug. I also removed the spark arrestor in the muffler and burnt off the carbon. The BG86C I have set up as a vacuum got the same treatment as the blower, except the spark plug which was still pretty new. The Husqvarna 522L trimmer got its air filter and spark plug cleaned, I also removed the exhaust screen but it was clean and clear, this engine never seems to carbon up. Finally, I went around nipping up various T27 screws.
 
Well, summer is making a belated appearance. In the past few summers, we haven't had long stretches of above 38-degrees, just the odd hot day followed by a cool change. However, the next 7-days doesn't look pretty, with the lowest temperature predicted being 35 on Wednesday and Saturday. Otherwise, it's going to be a string of 38 and 40-degree days. Have I mentioned I hate summer, there is just no escaping the heat. And no, the air-conditioning still hasn't been fixed. :oops:



I'm trying to get what I need done early in the day before retreating back inside. I have a bunch of lawns to do this week as well, which is hard on the body and the machinery. So, I spent some time this morning doing some maintenance on my most used tools.

First up, an oil change on the Rover. This machine has been working hard since I got it back in October, and with the hot weather, I decided it wouldn't hurt to have some fresh oil in there. Before that, I decided to give it a clean, using Bilt Hamber Surfex as a pre-soak.



No agitation was needed, so I just pressure rinsed it, then applied Carpro Hydr02. With the mower still wet, I soaked it down with Motorplast then dried with the Ego. I'm not the biggest fan of Motorplast as I find it too glossy on cars, so this is a good alternative use for it.



Considering the heat, I probably didn't need to warm the engine oil up before draining it, but I did anyway. While the oil was draining, I removed the blade carrier and put an edge back on the blades. I don't normally bother sharpening blades, mainly because I wear them so quick that it's just easier to replace.



New oil added and the air filter cleaned, hopefully its ready for tomorrow.............I'm not. :confused:



I also went through the 2-stokes. The Stihl BG86 blower got its air filter blown out and a new spark plug. I also removed the spark arrestor in the muffler and burnt off the carbon. The BG86C I have set up as a vacuum got the same treatment as the blower, except the spark plug which was still pretty new. The Husqvarna 522L trimmer got its air filter and spark plug cleaned, I also removed the exhaust screen but it was clean and clear, this engine never seems to carbon up. Finally, I went around nipping up various T27 screws.
I don't know how you can do it with no A/C we had 28°c here in Tassie and i had the portable A/C singing. I would like to be at the beach it's a 15 minute drive but I don't like swimming by myself.

29°c on Tuesday.... I'm not a summer fan either 🫠
 
I don't know how you can do it with no A/C we had 28°c here in Tassie and i had the portable A/C singing. I would like to be at the beach it's a 15 minute drive but I don't like swimming by myself.

29°c on Tuesday.... I'm not a summer fan either 🫠
I've got the A/C on here today as well, sorry to rub it in Deyon, it's only 28 but humidity is over 60% and rising.
 
I don't know how you can do it with no A/C we had 28°c here in Tassie and i had the portable A/C singing. I would like to be at the beach it's a 15 minute drive but I don't like swimming by myself.

29°c on Tuesday.... I'm not a summer fan either 🫠
I couldn't stand it any longer, so I went and bought a portable air conditioner. Noisy, but at least I'm comfortable.

I had the a/c guy here today. The original visit was basically a service call out, the units were condemned and was told someone would follow up with another visit to quote out repairs or replacement.

The units that were installed when the house was made 20-years ago are not a typical split system. They are a bulk-heat mounted fan and outlet, with the condensers powering two outlets on the other side of the house. Because of how the lines run through the walls, you would need to tear the plaster out to find where the refrigerant has been leaking from. I suspect it's not leaking internally, but you then run the risk of installing new condensers and then having the same thing happen and end up back where you started.

In the end, I've determined it's just going to be quicker, easier and less costly to install new (traditional) split systems rather than tearing the place to bits to gain access to the lines, then having to re-plaster (drywall) and paint. Big money, but we got 20 years out the old ones. And after working in the sun (or cold) all day, I value my comfort when I get home.
 
Fitted an inline fuel filter on the Victa 18 today.



I tried to get these locally, but my options are limited with small engine shops, and the one I went to of course doesn't bother stocking these very common Briggs & Stratton ones. Once again, online shopping to rescue.

These are a 1/4-inch barb Sten's branded aftermarket filter, OEM Briggs is hard to find in Australia. There are two types of these bi-directional filters, the white ones are for engines fitted with a fuel pump, the red ones for gravity fed fuel systems.

https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...th-a-fuel-pump
https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...ton-motors-298





It obviously looks a little out of place on such an old mower, but it's at least functional, unlike the rope material used on the fuel tap submerged in the tank. I'm not happy with the fuel line supplied with the carb kit, its already ultra hard, which has me wondering if its fuel grade hose, would be grateful for opinions on that.
 
I've been looking forward to this! A day in the garage with two cars to detail and nowhere else to be! Despite the heat, nothing was going to stop me getting out there!

I decided to start on the Ranger. Like last week, no rain for several weeks now and everything is just so dry and dusty. The amount of brown that came off the crisp white paint was alarming. I gave the tyres a scrub with Brake Buster, the wheels got cleaned with NV Snow+. I then hit the paint with Megs Hyper Wash before finishing off a bottle of NV Boost v1 for the drying aid. I then vacuumed the interior and wiped everything down with Pilot. Glass with classic Invisible Glass, the engine bay given a quick wipe down with ECH20. I then topped the wheels with Amplify and dressed the tyres with Tire+.

With the Ranger sorted, it was the Jaaaaaag's turn next. Yep, it's on the road again........................

Today's theme was to focus on using NV products, kinda like a refresher after using mostly Amour stuff recently. You will note the Ranger was part of that, but the Jag got it more liberally.



I've been using NV Snow+ for many years now, but this is the first time I've sampled the latest version which is now colored in a vivid blue rather than clear, still unscented thought. Snow+ produces a runnier foam compared to Snow, but it has excellent dwell time to help break down dirt and grime.

With the Jag having recently done a 500km road trip to Geelong, I felt the need to be a little more thorough today. The engine bay was part of that, which was foamed with Snow+ and then agitated with a Detail Factory synthetic brush and EZ-Detail brush.......................





Rinsed, the entire engine bay was doused with Meguiar's Hyper Dressing mixed at 5:1 for a super subtle finish. If you have the 1:1 pre-mixed RTU bottle of Hyper Dressing, you will need to further water it down to achieve that natural finish. If you are using Carpro Perl, I'd probably use 2:1 or 3:1. Motorplast, use undiluted but know that it will be a more pronounced enhancement.



Don't stress about getting it on the painted sections, it's totally fine and doesn't harm anything or look greasy.



From here, you can simply close the hood and walk away, but I like to go over the engine bay with the EGO first. This removes excess water and helps distribute the Hyper Dressing. I then lower the hood and start the engine to help with drying. I typically leave the engine running while I clean the wheels, long enough to get things 95% dry under there. I will then return to the engine bay at the end of the detail.



With the rolling stock, I scrubbed the rubber with Wise Guy, needing two rounds as they were producing quite a bit of brown. The wheels were cleaned with NV Snow+. I then topped up the Hydr02 and spritzed the rotors with Atom Mac.



Dirtier than normal, I decided to pre-soak the car, again with Snow+............



After rinsing, it was time for the contact wash. Sticking with the NV theme, I switched to Snow. This version produces much thicker foam and has a lovely subtle scent. This is a world-class soap that I tend to forget how good it is.



S for Snow.....................



Clean and blown down with the EGO, I then grabbed another NV product, Boost v2. It's been a very long time since I used this product, and I'm sad to say, Boost has been left behind. It's easy enough to use, but after grabbing ADS Amplify to wipe down the door jambs, Boost just doesn't have the user experience. Amplify is far slicker, far easier to work with and smells absolutely epic.



Overall, Boost v2 feels and behaves much like P&S Defender, as in it doesn't have much lubrication underneath the towel and feels quite grabby to use. So, while longevity is supposed to be decent, the user experience just isn't good enough.

From here, I vacuumed the interior then wiped everything down with ADS Pilot. I also needed to clean the driver seat and steering wheel, selecting Carpro Cleanse. What a dud of a product, one of Carpro's worst. Likewise, the matching Lotion that followed. Actually, I'm annoyed at myself for wasting time using these two. After cleaning the glass, it was time to return to the exterior.

The Wise Guy did a great job resetting the tyres, ready for dressing.



Once again, NV was in the box seat, with Onyx being chosen for the tyres. Compared to Boost which has fallen behind, Onyx is still one of my absolute favorite tyre dressings. It's velvet smooth to apply, offers a just-right enhancement, and smells divine.







Finally, I returned to the engine bay with a towel to level off any Hyper Dressing high spots. I used to detest engine bay detailing, but the method I have adopted makes it a breeze. And doing it like this on a periodic basis, it means you don't need to spend hours fastidiously cleaning nooks and crannies.



Back to spec........................



Returning to NV, it's amazing how fast things move. Five years ago, the NV brand was punching well above it's weight across most of the product line. But other than Boost v2, not much has changed. Without doubt, the soaps are still class leading, as is Purge, Purify and Onyx. However, I think its time for some reformulation elsewhere.
 
How do you compare ADS soaps to Nv's

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How do you compare ADS soaps to Nv's

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

Even though I like both ADS soaps, I'd probably rate the NV soaps higher. But there isn't much between them to be honest. For me, the NV brand holds a significant price advantage, which is kinda important as soap is such a high consumption category.

These are prices in AUD -

PH Neutral -

NV Snow

500ml - $21.95
1 liter - $33.95
4 Liter - $78.50

ADS Shampoo+ -
473ml - $37.95
3.8 Liter - $149.95

Alkaline soaps -

NV Snow+ -

500ml - $21.95
1 Liter - $33.95
4 Liter - $78.50

ADS Decon -
473ml - $35.95
3.8 Liter - $128.95
 
Even though I like both ADS soaps, I'd probably rate the NV soaps higher. But there isn't much between them to be honest. For me, the NV brand holds a significant price advantage, which is kinda important as soap is such a high consumption category.

These are prices in AUD -

PH Neutral -

NV Snow

500ml - $21.95
1 liter - $33.95
4 Liter - $78.50

ADS Shampoo+ -
473ml - $37.95
3.8 Liter - $149.95

Alkaline soaps -

NV Snow+ -

500ml - $21.95
1 Liter - $33.95
4 Liter - $78.50

ADS Decon -
473ml - $35.95
3.8 Liter - $128.95
Since the price difference is so significant and the fact the performance is so close, Nv would be my choice as well there

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Even though I like both ADS soaps, I'd probably rate the NV soaps higher. But there isn't much between them to be honest. For me, the NV brand holds a significant price advantage, which is kinda important as soap is such a high consumption category.

These are prices in AUD -

PH Neutral -

NV Snow

500ml - $21.95
1 liter - $33.95
4 Liter - $78.50

ADS Shampoo+ -
473ml - $37.95
3.8 Liter - $149.95

Alkaline soaps -

NV Snow+ -

500ml - $21.95
1 Liter - $33.95
4 Liter - $78.50

ADS Decon -
473ml - $35.95
3.8 Liter - $128.95
That's a substantial price difference! 🤑
 
The Wildtrak came back from the panel shop earlier this week. There were four areas of repair after damage caused by vandalism, an elderly unlicensed driver running into the right rear, a bird strike taking out the left rear-view mirror, and a careless driver clipping the front bumper.

This was caused by some drug fu.ked degenerate walking the streets late at night. This happened quite a while ago, but with Dad getting sick, floods............time got away.







The below happened late last year and necessitated another insurance claim, only a few days before it was due to go in to have the above repaired. Some old guy who wasn't paying attention run into the right rear, crushing the bumper and shattering the taillight.



It also had a new set of tyres fitted before it made the 1500+ km round trip to the Tour Down Under a few weeks ago..............Dad's a cycling nerd, he likes pedal power, I like horsepower. A fresh set of Bridgestone Dueler H/T fitted by the Bridgestone dealer...............who also scraped the face on two wheels. Why is it so hard for people to do their jobs without destroying someone else's property. I'm so fu.king fed up with the sheer incompetence from people who work on cars for a living. They just don't bloody care, so long as they get paid at the end of the day, why should they care how the job gets done, so long as it gets done.

Apart from needing a wash, I also had to deal with those new tires. Yes, in addition to ruining two wheels, they also slathered that hideous silicone stuff on the tyres.

First, I did two rounds with Shine Supply Wise Guy, diluted at the suggested 1:1. The first round produced moderate browning, the second came back clear. I also gave them a third scrub when I foamed the wheel and wheel arch with Brake Buster.





After dealing with the rest of the exterior and interior, I returned to the tyres.

At this point I would normally get out the Tarminator for one last scrub of the tyres, but today I decided to try using mineral turpentine/mineral spirits for the first time. Tarminator and mineral turpentine are both solvents that work in the same way on tyres, helping to strip away any lingering grime and delivering a completely bare rubber surface. Simply spray into a towel and rub the sidewall until it flashes away.



This is NOT something you should do regularly, but as a periodic reset, it can save a lot of time and effort scrubbing with a traditional tyre cleaner. In this case, the solvent also easily removes the manufacturing paint dots that a tyre cleaner will not even touch.

Next, I went around with a set of clippers and de-nibbed the sidewalls. Completely pointless, but once you've done it, there is no going back.



With the hard work done, the tyres were completely clean and bare. Time for the finishing touch, this time ADS Ghost. Compared to the Michelin Agilis on my Ranger, these Bridgestone's seemed to soak up the product. As such, after 10-minutes I decided to apply a second coat for a more uniform finish.





That second coat did increase the gloss though, taking it from a matte finish to a satin sheen. Still, I really like the finish Ghost leaves behind.

At some stage, I really need to get stuck into the Wildtrak. I've been limping it through on spray sealants to buy me time, but now that it's been repaired, I want to get it recoated. The paint also needs to be clayed. So, once the weather cools down, I'll be giving it a full chemical and mechanical decontamination, followed by a light polish and applying Can Coat EVO. I got about 15-months out of it last time and really appreciated how much easier the vehicle was to clean each month.

Bring on Autumn! 🥵
 
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