DFB's Garage

Got an email earlier in the week announcing the closure of Adam's Australia. I could see this panning out over the past year, mainly from the range dwindling and not being restocked.

In Australia, I'm fairly sure the Adam's brand was distributed by a sole operator, which was more of a customer relationship with Adam's rather than a full-blown distributor. I eventually discovered the business address for the company was in a residential area, so I also suspect it was someone's side hustle. I don't say all that to be dismissive or degrading, but it explains why they (he) could no longer sustain the business.

Why are we closing?

- Over the past few years, the landscape has changed significantly: The change of ownership of the global business from founder Adam Pitale to Recochem has shifted the structure and direction of the brand internationally.

- Exorbitant and continually rising import costs have made it increasingly difficult to bring products into Australia at viable prices.

- Regulatory restrictions around certain formulas have added further complexity and cost.

- Ongoing cost-of-living pressures have understandably impacted retail spending across the country.

- To be clear, this closure applies only to the independent Australian branch. Adam's Polishes in the USA will continue operating as usual.
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I've always liked using Adam's products. They may not have been the absolute best, but I liked each product I managed to try over the years. Their rubber and tyre cleaner is absolutely amazing, the Graphene Tire Dressing superb, Slick & Slide a pure joy to use, I also loved their soaps. But as outlined in the quote above, the pricing just didn't add up here, at least under this import/reseller model.









I've said this many times, but when you take a product and more than quadruple the price, it's not a recipe for success. For example, a gallon of that rubber and tyre cleaner has an RRP of $44.99 in the USA. Currency converted, that's $63.80. That same product was sold in the AU store at about $170 AUD. I have no doubt they never wanted to sell it at that price, its waaay uncompetitive, but were forced to because of shipping costs. For perspective, the same quantity of the also US-made Shine Supply Wise Guy is $112.95 AUD. Making it even worse, the Adam's is RTU, Wise Guy is a concentrate that can mix up to 2-gallons of product. Who is going to pay $57 MORE to buy a gallon less of product?

Same story played out with the soaps. A gallon of Car Shampoo (the blue one) is $39.99 USD, in AU it was about $150. Mega Foam is $69.99 USD, translating to about $170 AUD. And so on and so on. I really like these two soaps, but were they worth paying more money over the longstanding Carpro Reset benchmark? No, not at all.







I'd say with how Chemical Guys and Griot's Garage have been picked up by the large automotive stores in Australia, the Adam's brand may end up heading down a similar path. Perhaps the added buying and shipping power of these large companies will deliver a superior cost equation.
 
You can add more to anything now, food fuel postage and detailing supplies coming out of America with this new "War" going on.

Take me back to 2020
 
Deyon, the Adam's products you spoke about you couldn't be more spot on about

My one buddy here is almost 100% Adam's️

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Klasse Act said:
...only if you follow me down to the TOTD with that in the fall of 2027

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If I put a supercharger on the mustang I think it would be you following me lol
I have spoke to my wife about adding it on there and she's not opposed to it. So it might be something we look into it. I know it won't be my local stealership that installs it if it does happen.
 
Big Dave said:
I'll take 2000, I had my V8 Commodore, we were living in Sydney and getting ready for the Sydney Olympic Games, and my beard wasn't mostly white.
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I was 19 then so I was doing well chasing girls getting drunk, my beard is a mix of ginger and white now well.....what i can grow
 
Out raising hell..............



At this time of the year, it's nice to see the orchards full of fruit. This year has been kind to the orchardists with very little wild weather to contend with. Hail at any point in the development of fruit growth can destroy a season's worth of work and income within a few minutes. In the photo above, those trees are heavily laden with apples, but the orchards surrounding town produce several varieties of pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, figs, and cherries. A lot of this is grown for the cannery, but chances are the fruit you buy in Australia is grown in the farms surrounding my hometown, both fresh and canned.
 
After yesterday's orchard run, it was the XR6's turn for a wash.

Foamed Brake Buster was used on the wheels and tyres, followed by some Hydr02 to top off the coating, and Atom Mac for the rotors. I then thoroughly rinsed the car and moved inside for a rinse-less wash.

Product of choice today was good-old Optimum No Rinse. I know there are newer contenders in this space, some will clean more, some provide protection, some smell better, some are slicker, some are even marketed better.................but I still like ONR. Compared to some of those newer and flashier products, ONR requires no special treatment, nor is it a watered-down soap, nor a spray sealant in disguise. ONR mixes up easily, feels lubricated and slick, dries with ease, and if some does happen to dry on the surface, it wipes off during the drying phase. It's just easy, forgiving and reliable.



After the wash, I used ADS Adapt as a drying aid, cleaned the glass with Eraser (so good), then wiped the engine bay down with Amplify. The interior got a very quick once over with Pilot. Because I applied ADS Ghost to the tyres last wash, it left them alone this time.

It was then time for musical chairs cars, Mustang out, XR6 in.



I then took my stallion for a RIDE!

I've been gradually increasing the performance demands of this car, of which I can say that 7200 rpm sounds so intoxicating. This Coyote is easily the highest revving car I owned or driven. Reving Heaven!

 
Probably not smart blasting around in a V8 muscle car when fuel is in limited supply and $2.29 a litre, but stuff it.



Other than a tour of the front garden, today Olly and I went for our first walk. And OMG, he absolutely loved it, and I loved how much he loved it. To get started, we aren't going overboard, just down and around the reserve at the end of the street and back. He walks with confidence and intrigue, even stopping and sitting before crossing the road. Not bad for our first try.

 
Those first walks are special, I still remember Buster and Ziva's first walk, same as Olly it was after they were fully vaccinated. I got less than 100 metres from home and we ran into Buddy, one of the biggest German Shepherds I've ever seen, he was actually a Husky cross, and he loved little puppies, he was very gentle with them, I like to think that's why they are very good with puppies.
 
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PRESSOL PRO-SERIES + ARMOUR DETAIL SUPPLY LEBELS

Labelling these Pressol sprayers is not new. For a while now, Obsessed Garage have been offering labels for the household bottles in both 500 and 750ml sizes. The goal was to create unity across multiple product brands by having a matching bottle and label. In addition to looking good, you also get a much better user experience than the crappy 50-cent plastic sprayer and generic bottle most detailing products come in.

While I still think the Kwazar's have a smoother trigger action and finer atomization, I just couldn't resist the look of this bottle and label combination.



When Armour Detail Supply began selling the new Pressol Pro-Series sprayers, they followed the same path as OG by having a matching label set. There is a difference here though. Unlike OG, ADS is a brand and not a retailer of many brands, meaning they can use the proper product name rather than generic wording such as “wheel cleaner”, “tire dressing”, or “drying aid”. This also means a matching back side label with usage instructions and information, mirroring what you’d get when buying the 473ml bottles. The OG’s are single sided. Also, ADS only sells the 750ml version of the bottle and label, OG offers 500 and 750ml versions.

So, with these labels now being offered in Australia, I thought I’d put some high-use ADS products into these Pressol bottles with matching labels. At the moment, I’ve had Pilot and Amplify in Pressol’s with OG’s “Interior Cleaner” and “Paint Sealant” labels. In theory, you’d just buy the labels and swap them out…………….except all of my Pressol’s are the smaller 500ml size. Cue 6 new Pressol’s in 750ml sizes.



Putting these products into a bottle like this has two benefits -

1. User Experience. A nice bottle and sprayer makes the task easier, and when things are easier, you enjoy the process more. Also, these Pressol’s have a double action trigger for added efficiency, meaning they spray on squeeze and release.

2. Aesthetics. This bottle and label combination creates a uniform, clean, and classy look. I get it, the way a bottle and sprayer looks has no bearing on functionality. Will a $5 bottle do the same thing, absolutely! But we all value different things, we all have that THING in life we are happy to sink money into because it makes us happy, this is no different.



While I’ve found the ADS lineup to be universally excellent, some products stand above others. I’d also say that there are products from other brands that I favour over the ADS equivalent, be that for function or price factors. For example, Carpro Eraser over Panel Prep or Reset instead of Shampoo+. For that reason, I’ve invested in Pressol bottles and labels for the ADS products that I like and use the most. This includes Pilot, Adapt, Amplify, Tire+, Ceramic Spray Sealant, and Hero.





I’ve applied labels to these Pressol bottles many times now. While not especially hard, you do need to be patient. I’ve found its good practice to clean them with IPA or prep spray first, then gently heat the bottle to make it easier to lift and re-position if needed. The below videos are worth watching before applying for the first time. (Jeff buddy, you need a haircut!)













With the labels applied, it was then time for the fun part, filling with product. In my case, I had to swap out a few existing Pressol bottles, namely Amplify and Hero. This bottle and label order coincided with a restock of several ADS products, including Tire+, Adapt (so good), Amplify and Ceramic Spray Sealant (the easiest spray sealant going).



I don't care who you are, the end result is bloody brilliant. Having said that, its almost a shame to replace the classy ADS smoked bottles and their matching black and green labels, especially the most recent versions with the metallic effect highlights. I'll say it once again, but the ADS brand is beautifully presented, which now translates into these Pressol bottles and labels.



I had to re-organize the chemical cabinet to accommodate these taller 750ml bottles. Side by side with the OG versions, you can clearly see the size difference between 500ml and 750ml Pressol's. I have to say, I probably prefer the blue labels, but then there is a restrained elegance going on with the black ADS items.



I'm not going to detail the combined price of these bottles and labels, or the added cost of the chemical to go in them, I don't want to know! To be brutally honest, it's silly money to spend for what a $4.99 spray bottle can also do. What's harder to put a price on is the enjoyment I get from doing super OCD stuff like this, which then flows into every single time I use one of these sprayers.
 
I only have 1 Pressol spray bottle, use it for ADS Tire Cleaner and bought the sticker too. That said, once you use this spray bottle once you'll know why their so popular

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PRESSOL PRO-SERIES SQUEEZE BOTTLES

These are another Obsessed Garage visionary, Matt wanting the soaps from multiple brands in matching bottles. In this case, the solution was to create a squeezable version of the Pro-Series spray bottles. These new items are only available in the 750ml size, and due to the squeezability, a matching label isn’t really possible.



At the moment, the only way to get these in Australia is via Obsessed Garage and a hefty international shipping charge. At some point, I’m hoping Detailing Shed brings them into their store. But……………………….

In an act of pure generosity, a group of followers from Mustang6g banded together and sent a few of these squeeze bottles, and a couple of extra goodies.







As you can see, these squeeze bottles carry the same profile as the 750ml Pressol Pro-Series. Where the spray bottles are made from fluorinated HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) plastic, the squeezers are made from translucent LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) plastic. In place of the spray head is a generic black plastic pop top dispenser. The only downside, the fancy OG labels don't work with the squeezable nature of the bottles. While the labels stick, they end up all wrinkled.





The primary role of these squeeze bottles is for holding and dispensing soap. However, they'd also work really well with thicker dressings such as Obsessed Garage's own tyre dressing, NV Onyx, ADS Tire+ and ADS Ghost. For now, I'm focussing on the soaps that I have in high rotation and stocked in bulk. That includes Koch Chemie GSF, Koch Chemie Active Foam, NV Snow and Carpro Reset.



Words can't describe how satisfying it was filling those bottles. While some would fine this tedious and say to just wash the bloody car, I actually look forward to this sort of thing. I think it's called tinkering.

At this point I'm annoyed that I didn't have enough GSF on hand for the photoshoot, cue an order being placed shortly after. :rolleyes:







My life is now complete. :ROFLMAO: I just wish they had the matching labels, that would make them absolutely perfect.

A very special thankyou to Evolvd, kilobravo, MAGS1, skinnyb and WD Pro for hooking me up with these bottles, an extremely generous and lovely gesture.
 
PRESSOL PARTY!

Considering the previous posts this week, it was only natural to go full Pressol for today's detail.



First up, tyre cleaning with P&S Undressed. After cleaning the wheels with Brake Buster, Hydes Rust Inhibitor went on the front brake rotors. Both Undressed and Hydes came from the v1 Pressol's, the former using the grey Industrial spray head.





After a pre-wash with Active Foam and a contact wash with NV Snow, drying aid of choice was ADS Amplify. This was followed by ADS Adapt on the roller tonneau and door jambs. If you are wondering how/why my door jambs are always this clean, it's the result of regular (as in after each wash) attention. That's it.







After a vacuum, the interior was wiped down with the transcendent ADS Pilot. That included the plastics, vinyl, leather, touchscreen and instrument cluster. Easily my most favourite ADS product. From there, the glass was cleaned with ADS Hero mixed at 128:1.





The finishing touches, a wipe down of the wheels with Amplify, then some ADS Tire+ on the rubber.





The final result, one clean Ford Ranger and a very satisfied detailer!

 
PRESSOL STAINLESS SPRAY TIPS -

One of the early problems with these Pressol spray heads was the failure of the plastic spray tips. The reason why they had such a high failure rate, well I say it was mixture of poor atomization and user error.

These tips had a narrow window of adjustment, the spray pattern went from a mist to pinpoint within a ¼ turn of the tip. Exaggerating the problem, the tip needed to be cranked right down to provide the sort of fine atomization most users expected. But wind them down too firmly, the tip would crack and split. Considering the price of these bottles, you have to wonder why the Germans signed off on these things.

And yet, I have never had a single one of these plastic nozzle tips crack or fail. I think there are two reasons for this. Firstly, I tend to go for a slightly heavier flow with sprayers, which limits chemical drift and allows for a more targeted application. That means I wasn’t cranking down on those tips. I also tend to set and forget spray heads. When I’d watch Matt, he was forever messing with the spray tip, winding them in and out over multiple different bottles. No bloody wonder they were breaking, people just kept fiddling until something had to give.

With the Pro-Series update, the solution to the cracking spray tips was typical Obsessed Garage excess. Out with plastic tips, in with stainless steel tips. No doubt the manufacturing cost of stainless over plastic would be significant. Throw in the knurled grip and frosted Pressol logos, these stainless-steel tips alone would partially explain why these spray bottles are so expensive. Either way, good luck splitting or cracking these new tips, actually you’d be more likely to kill the plastic spray outlet instead.







In addition to the increased durability, the added benefit of these new tips is the vastly superior spray pattern. The tip still needs to be firm to achieve a fine mist, but you now have the ability to adjust the pattern over a wider range of adjustment. I’ve also found the stainless tips produce a superior distribution rather than the often-lopsided pattern of the plastic versions.



The great thing about these new stainless-steel tips is they are a direct retrofit to the older Household and Industrial spray heads from the v1 Pressol’s. And so here we are…………………

These stainless-steel tips were included in the care package from my friends at Mustang6g forum. At the moment, the Australian Pressol distributor doesn’t carry these tips, but I’m told they will arrive in the next shipment.





A quick stocktake of my now expanded Pressol collection reveals the following -

Pressol v1 -
- 16 x 500ml Household
- 2 x Household Spray Head (spare replacement)
- 1 x Industrial Spray Head (spare replacement)

Pressol v2 -
6 x 750ml Pro-Series
1 x 500ml Pro-Series

Oops! I didn't think it was THAT many! :rolleyes:

Selecting which of the existing v1 Pressol's to get a stainless-steel tip was quite simple, the ones I use the most or where fine atomization isn't required.

- Wheel Cleaner (P&S Brake Buster)
- Surface Prep (Carpro Eraser)
- All Purpose Cleaner (KCx Green Star)(Industrial spray head on its last legs)
- Glass Cleaner (P&S True Vue)
- Waterless Wash (Carpro ECH20)









So there you go, another 500+ words talking about a plastic spray bottle. Welcome to my obsessed world.

Again, a special thanks to the guys at Mustang6g.
 
Stocking up on the lovely Koch Chemie GSF.



So, a few things to mention with GSF -

- Don't buy this soap if your primary requirement is ultimate cleaning power, GSF doesn't really do that. Instead, this is a highly lubricated soap for maintaining well maintained cars.

- This is not a high value product, be that the purchase price or concentration of the soap. Compounding that, you need to use way more than what Koch Chemie suggests in order to get good foam or suds.

NOTE - Prices are in AUD



So, if cleaning ability and value are important to you, then you'd be better served by my two other benchmarks, Carpro Reset or NV Snow. Reset in particular can put on a good foam show right down to about 60ml, which is what the cost per foam cannon figure above is based on. NV Snow is quite potent, so you can afford to lean it out a little and not hamper foam or cleaning ability. But the KCx suggested dilution ratios for GSF are way off. According to them, you'd only use 20ml to 980ml of water. The Germans must have a different idea of what foam looks like because at those numbers, expect soapy water and not "foam".

I watched a video earlier this week where the presented claimed GSF is the most overrated detailing product on the market. And if you're a professional detailer like the presenter in question, then yeah, it's not going to be cost effective or offer enough performance to be time efficient. Despite Koch Chemie's "Excellence For Experts" tagline, GSF is not meant for the professional detailer who needs value, performance and time efficiency.

So, who is GSF aimed at then? The clue is in the name, GENTLE SNOW FOAM. GSF is for the pro-sumer who enjoys the process more than a price tag. This type of user has a well-maintained car that doesn't need a nuke at each wash, which is where the GENTLE in GSF comes from. You can use it as often as you like without stripping protection or causing long-term degradation to trim and plastics. Then there is the amazing signature cherry scent. So, GSF trades some ability for a high user experience and safety.

So, next time someone says GSF is overrated and overpriced, there is more to the story than those two negative words would suggest. What a professional detailer and a hobbyist want and need are not always the same, and I think that's where many get stuck when trying GSF, they are expecting something different.
 
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