DFB's Garage

Looking forward to more and/or follow up to Clarify Phobic

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New. New mod looks great. I would eyeball the routing/securing of the new lines as ## happens, make sure it's properly routed and secured. Sometimes the mechanic can have an oversight and the line not be secured and next you know the line is rubbing when it shouldn't.
 
Black Friday Sale 2- Obsessed Garage

I have to say, I ordered this last Monday, 7 days later it arrived from Lady Lake Florida!

When OG launched their vacuum solution, think of it like the wall mounted vacuum version of their pressure washer system, the comment was that "no one makes or sells good vacuum accessories". I thought, well will see about that, and then proceeded to spend multiple hours discovering that in fact, no did sell a good accessory package for car detailing.

Sure, after trawling the internet, I found most of what I wanted spread across several vendors, all asking for varying amounts of shipping to piece it all together. In the end, I just waited until the OG package was in stock and on sale for Black Friday, then just splurged and got it all in one hit.



I have to say, this is an underserved market in Australia. As mentioned, nothing like this exists in total, and even with my online shopping prowess, I was left unrewarded.

I would say vacuuming is my least favorite detailing task, so having the good attachments to make the job quicker and easier is a high priority. Of the above, I love how the round brush attachment has longer bristles than what I could find locally, and the white brush attachment looks like it would be very useful. As is the turbo attachment for cleaning floor mats and the extra-long and flexible crevice tool, ideal for dealing the narrow space between the center console and seats.

Not pictured, but I also splurged another four of the Griot's dispensing spouts, so so good.

And because I'm completely stupid, I think this may be the only two bottles of the special edition Koch Chemie GF-X in Australia. One bottle for use, one to keep.



This limited edition version of GSF was launched specially for the US market only, Obsessed Garage getting the lions share of supply. It smells like cinnamon and pine, a heady aroma that is certainly unique among car wash soaps.

And I say all that as someone who positively hates Christmas. :mad:
 
I've got one of those extra long crevice attachments, but mine is bent, came that way in the packaging. Still works fine though.
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The Mustang's turn this week, and chance to try some new products.

Wheels first as always, trying out the Carpro WheelsMitt that I have had in the cabinet for a while now.



First of all, the quality of this mitt is amazing, the orange fluffy microfiber is super soft, the reverse side is a semi-abrasive material, similar to the Carpro InnerScrub mitt, which is for light cleaning of the tyres.





But it's just too big, especially compared to the already a touch too big TRC Wheels Mitt. This is compounded by my hatred of full wash mitts in general. On paint, a mitt is tolerable, but for wheels where you are swapping between other tools and the pressure washer gun, putting the mitt on and taking it off gets old. I also don't like the idea of scuffing up my wheels by making contact with the tyre side of the mitt.







Onto a new product that was not intended for the Australian market, the Christmas edition Koch Chemie GFX.



Launched for the US market only, GFX is based on the excellent GSF, but rather than sweet cherries, this is heavily scented with cinnamon and pine for a heady Christmas themed aroma when foamed. It's as slick as regular GSF, although the pH of 8.0 is slightly higher than the pH 7.5 of GSF. Having ordered two bottles, one to use and one to keep, this is about as festive as I get!







Moving to the interior, I also had a chance to play with Carpro's new leather products, the SkinCare Kit, which contains a leather cleaner (Cleanse) and conditioner (Lotion), along with a brush, two towels and an applicator pad.



As you can see with the above press image and my own below, the Cleanse was sent with a crappy sprayer and not the pump foam dispenser. As such, when applying the product into the brush, it doesn't spread very well. From experience, when a product like this is foamed, it improves coverage and working time. I also don't like the rather strange scent Carpro chose for this product. It did clean quite well though.





Next, with the leather clean, it was time to apply Lotion. Again, the scent is not winning me over. I harp on scent a lot because I have a sensitive sense of smell, meaning I can detect things others don't, but also associate scents with the user experience, be that good or bad.

Apart from the scent, the gel-like consistency of Lotion applies quite easily, a little going a long way. In this case, I used the supplied applicator, which is butter soft. Lotion goes on quite oily, but levels down to a satin/matte sheen. But it also creates a slippery and squeaky surface to sit on.





Sadly, both Cleanse and Lotion get a hard no from me. The lack of the foaming trigger on Cleanse, combined with the scent of both and the slipperiness of Lotion seal its fate. ColourLock and NV Cleanse/Nourish easily eclipse this duo, both free of tacky scents and the slippery finish.

Continuing the Carpro disappointments, I tried the new ClarifyPhobic glass cleaner again today, but again had to re-do the glass due to smudging and ghosting. Glass can be tricky, so I say keep it simple and stick with an IPA based glass cleaner for best results.

Finally, I also had a play with the new vacuum attachments. The standouts being the turbo attachment, making short work of the floor mats, granted not all that dirty but it did fluff up the fibers quite nicely. The longer white brush attachment is fantastic for doing cloth trimmed seats, and the rectangular brush attachment great on the rubber floor mats in the Ranger. The floor attachment is not detailing related, but the head is better suited to Swisstrax compared to the Karcher item I had been using. The adjustable metal tube is fantastic as well.



So, a few winners and a few losers today.
 
I have some more observations regarding Clarify Phobic:

1. The hydrophobicity is pretty good, the FJ has been rained on a couple of times and it runs off the side glass particularly easily, but it's a little weird with the wipers, they seem to drag some water with them when they return, but I haven't driven in heavy rain.

2. I'm not a big fan of the banana scent, it's not strong, so I guess I can put up with it.

3. I think Ech2o is better, wipes away easier, no streaks left behind, that's if you're comparing Carpro products. I'm not sure if there is much difference in hydrophobicity.

4. If you get over spray on the paint, it will leave spots, they do come off, but not as easily as they should. I found some over spray around the rear door windows on the Qashqai, I used NV Boost V2 to remove them, but it took more effort than I liked. Carpro Eraser may have worked better, but I didn't want to remove any of the NV Jet/Lustre coating.

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Big Dave said:
I've got one of those extra long crevice attachments, but mine is bent, came that way in the packaging. Still works fine though.
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Click to expand...

I got one of these a few years ago to vac out my clothes dryer and underneath the fridge.
 
Ranger Paint Correction & Coating

Unlike my other cars, the Ranger is an all-weather vehicle. Rain, hail, or shine, parked outdoors in the summer sun, driven across the muddy green waste tip, lugging around my gardening tools, and transporting landscape materials, a true workhorse and the perfect daily for me.

Photos for proof of the above! :laughing:









I invested my hard-earned money into this vehicle, which in turn helps me to earn a living and pay for the four-wheeled toys in my life, along with the stuff to wash those toys. The Ranger is the most expensive “tool” I have in my business, and despite the “daily driver” or “beater” designation, I try to look after it as best I can. Does a base model Ford Ranger designed for the working man need to be paint corrected and ceramic coated, probably not, but that’s how I roll.

Washed on a weekly or fortnightly basis and maintained with a drying aid, the paint is in ok condition. April 2022 was the last time the Ranger was polished, so it's time for a refresh and a change of direction.

Decontamination & Polish Prep

Although a full decontamination was probably overkill, I have the chemicals and tools for this task for a reason, so it's only natural to follow the process for thoroughness. For a change, I’m going to format this step by step style.

1- Apply iron remover to the whole vehicle from dry. In this case I’m trying out Bilt Hamber Korrosol. Leave to dwell for 5 minutes.





2- Using a foam cannon, apply the alkaline Obsessed Garage Decon Soap over the top of the iron remover. Again, allowed to dwell for 5 minutes.





3- Thorough rinse.

4- Apply the acidic Carpro Descale with the foam cannon, then proceed with the contact wash.



5- Rinse

6- Optional, this would be where you clay the car. I thought I would get away without claying, but I could feel some mild roughness to the paint.

Today, I used the new Ultra Clay Scrubber from The Rag Company and Gyeon Clay Lube, both new additions for me. Traditionally, I had used Meguiar's M34 as clay lubricant, but the Gyeon stuff seemed way less grabby and smelt nice too. The bottle seen below is a concentrate, the product is then diluted to suit. And the Ultra Clay Scrubber is brilliant too, perfect for mild to moderate contamination like this.







7- Rinse again to remove the clay lubricant.

8- Dry thoroughly, using air and towels. I combine the towel drying step with my prep spray, in this case the brilliant Rupes Reveal Lite.





9- Taping. I hate this step, but it’s completely worth the bother. Applied to all black unpainted plastics, trim and rubber. I also lay a towel across the windscreen cowling to prevent dust accumulation.





With that, the car is now ready for polishing.

Polishing

Continuing my exploration of the Rupes DA system, I decided to trial both DA Fine and DA Course using various pads. In the end, I settled on DA Fine with the fabulous Rupes Yellow Wool.





Machines were a combination of the 5-inch ShineMate, the 3-inch Rupes LHR75 pneumatic, and the Rupes iBrid Nano Long Neck in rotary mode. I also used my new polishing cart for the first time, with handy rubberized cutouts to hold polishers upright.





With the polishers all laid out and ready to grab, I work sections at a time, swapping to the appropriate polisher as I work around the car. With a wool pad, you also need to keep on top of pad blow outs and brushing.





With the car polished and the tape removed, I did get some polish staining, that always happens here or there, which I followed up with Meguiar's M39. I then moved the car outside, foamed again with Decon Soap, rinsed, dried and wiped down with Gyeon Prep. I then covered the car with microfiber blankets, ready for coating in the morning.
 
Klasse Act said:
Aussie BF Falcon Daily turned Rally car | Guys Garage - YouTube

Deyon, I'd like to see this guy stop by your compound for some sprucing up I would've suggested Scott's place but that a bit far

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I've put many, many hours into sprucing up a Falcon sedan in that colour, Mercury Silver.







This car was from the era where Ford allowed you to pretty much order or spec your car any way you wanted, think of it how US Mustang owners get to play with different options and specs. This BA Futura was bought off the lot in late 2003, stock standard, although this one was wisely ordered with the Warm Charcoal (black) interior rather than the drab Medium Stone (grey/beige). I then had the Momo steering wheel and gear shifter fitted, which you could have in blue, red or grey. I also fitted blue XR floor mats to replace the absolutely terrible dealer specials.





Check out the tissue box ahead of the gear shifter, Ford actually had Kleenex produce a Ford branded box to fit that slot exactly. I still have two boxes of those hidden somewhere. Early BA Falcon's like this all came with the tissues thrown in, and with my uncle head of the Ford parts department, I always got them for free.



That car was so comfortable to ride in, I don't think you could wish for a plusher ride quality in a car. The counter to that was it would roll around a bit. I also loved the engine, although you did have to wind it out, 1st gear would run to 88 kph / 55 mph, second would (allegedly) run to 148 kph / 92 mph.

I also loved how ergonomic the vehicle was to use. In that I mean big, simple dials for the climate control and audio, the perfectly integrated steering wheel buttons that controlled the cruise and audio. These were designed with detents to allow them to be used without looking. I've driven fancier and newer cars that failed to master that.
 
Deyon, you don't mess around with the decon phase

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Ranger Paint Correction & Coating - Part Two

Ceramic Coating

In the seven years of ownership, I have used a variety of waxes and spray sealants to protect this car. Back in April 2022, the chosen LSP was Collinite 845, which was then maintained with a huge variety of spray sealants used as drying aids. Who knows what is doing the protection element at this point.

So why transition to a ceramic coating on this car? Firstly, I want to further see how a ceramic coating performs on a daily, I want to continue honing my coating skills, and I have enough Gyeon Pure EVO remaining from the Jaguar detail earlier this year. So, no formal introductions to Pure EVO.





With a 37 degree (97 deg f) day forecasted, I started early to get the coating laid down before the heat arrived. First step, wipe the car down again with Gyeon Prep. While I have a bunch of similar products, I like to stay within the family and use the prep product designed side by side with the coating, in this case Gyeon Prep.

With the day already warm, the coating was flashing quite quickly, although Pure EVO does have a nice long working window. In this case, I was able to apply the coating to one section, then onto another, then the first was ready to be leveled, then the next. And so on and so on. In the end, the coating was applied to the paint and most of the black plastic trim, the glass I left for Gyeon Quick View.

Pure EVO needs 12 hours to cure before seeing water, and with rain predicted tomorrow, I went ahead and applied Gyeon Cure as a precaution. In any case, I probably would have done this anyway as it safeguards against water spotting in the first 14 days as the coating fully cures. Cure also adds some slickness, which is missing from Pure EVO.



Conclusions

With the windows coated with Quick View and then cleaned, tyres dressed, and the interior cleaned up for the week ahead, I now have a ceramic coated daily driver..............



White can be such an unrewarding colour to work with, it really does hide the effort put into it. A similar process and the same coating on the Jaguar's Odessey Red is completely different story.







I've had two white daily drivers now, and this will be my last. Yes, white can hide a lot, but it's also incredibly boring and I wish I had gone for the blue or red offered at the time, or even silver. Yes, it's a work car, but considering I wash the car weekly anyway, having a colour wouldn't be any more work.

I've said this too many times, but I can't exactly replace this vehicle. Yes, Ford are (for now) still offering single cab models, but not with the low ride suspension, or at the price point I paid for this PX MK II. At this point, the car has just under 38,000 km on the clock. It's been reliable save for the glitchy Sync system that needs a hard reset every few months.

I would also like to replace the wheels; the cheap silver paint has been slowly disappearing for a while now. (Yes, as a lot of people have warned me, I wore the paint off the thing.) This particular spec was fitted with narrower wheels than the high-ride and 4x4 models, having 16 x 6.5-inch wheels rather than the 16 x 7.0-inch. So finding a new set in that spec has proven hard, plenty of the 16 x 7.0 though. I'm also considering the 16-inch wheels offered as an accessory or on the XLS. These are also in the 7.0-inch wide spec but will still fit the standard size 215/70/R17 tyres.



Do I need to do the above. Of course not. Am I thinking about it? Is the Pope Catholic?
 
Just as I finished the ceramic coating step on the Ranger, and while staging an image, I heard two very loud noises that sounded like something had fallen off the back of a truck, two very loud whacks. I wish that was the case.

I walked out to the footpath to discover a VY Commodore resting on the pavement in front of a power pole at the end of the street. It took me a few seconds to comprehend what was happening, but I took off towards the car, but was beaten by a neighbor around the corner who was reefing at the crushed driver door. The occupant was freaking out and was held in the car by the belt. I was asked for a knife, I ran back to my garage and got a pair of scissors to cut the lady free before she was dragged out of the car.



The strange thing is, by the time I got to the car first time, there were two men approaching from a white Toyota Kluger. By the time I got back the second time, the two cars involved in the accident were surrounded by unmarked police cars and several plain-clothes detectives were on the scene. With sirens approaching, the fire brigade and then two ambulances arrived on the scene very quickly. From what I can gather talking to another neighbor, the person in the Commodore is a known drug addict and was clearly under the influence. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that detectives were on the scene within seconds of the incident. They were also extremely blasé about the situation, clearly more interested in searching the car.

Piecing it together, I gather the lady in the red car would not have looked when going straight ahead, the second car (an early Landrover Discovery) t-boned the driver’s side of the Commodore and landed in a front yard (the first whack). The Commodore owner then skidded into the power pole (the second whack). Both drivers looked unhurt, the older guy in the Discovery appeared ok, it was hard to know about the lady as she would have been so agitated by the smash, compounded by the apparent drug problem.

The sad thing is, the older guy had his car destroyed by an inconsiderate person who should not have been driving. I have to say, I'm pretty rattled by the situation too.
 
DFB said:
Just as I finished the ceramic coating step on the Ranger, and while staging an image, I heard two very loud noises that sounded like something had fallen off the back of a truck, two very loud whacks. I wish that was the case.

I walked out to the footpath to discover a VY Commodore resting on the pavement in front of a power pole at the end of the street. It took me a few seconds to comprehend what was happening, but I took off towards the car, but was beaten by a neighbor around the corner who was reefing at the crushed driver door. The occupant was freaking out and was held in the car by the belt. I was asked for a knife, I ran back to my garage and got a pair of scissors to cut the lady free before she was dragged out of the car.



The strange thing is, by the time I got to the car first time, there were two men approaching from a white Toyota Kluger. By the time I got back the second time, the two cars involved in the accident were surrounded by unmarked police cars and several plain-clothes detectives were on the scene. With sirens approaching, the fire brigade and then two ambulances arrived on the scene very quickly. From what I can gather talking to another neighbor, the person in the Commodore is a known drug addict and was clearly under the influence. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that detectives were on the scene within seconds of the incident. They were also extremely blasé about the situation, clearly more interested in searching the car.

Piecing it together, I gather the lady in the red car would not have looked when going straight ahead, the second car (an early Landrover Discovery) t-boned the driver’s side of the Commodore and landed in a front yard (the first whack). The Commodore owner then skidded into the power pole (the second whack). Both drivers looked unhurt, the older guy in the Discovery appeared ok, it was hard to know about the lady as she would have been so agitated by the smash, compounded by the apparent drug problem.

The sad thing is, the older guy had his car destroyed by an inconsiderate person who should not have been driving. I have to say, I'm pretty rattled by the situation too.
Click to expand...
Cue the video of someone saying to the Commodore driver "You can't park there".

A guy I worked with a couple of years back had a seizure driving in to work in his Discovery one morning, drove straight off the highway into a service station ( gas station ), missed the tanker that was refilling the tanks, and t-boned a parked Ford Everest. Everyone was okay, but he got taken away in an ambulance and had to get a medical clearance before he could drive again. It was a close thing with the tanker there.

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Back when I had power routed to the pressure washer, I asked about the possibility of fitting more lights to the garage, which I booked then and there. That was back in mid-July! Seems to be the thing with tradesmen, so much work in the cue that it's just a matter of waiting your turn. That's compounded by all of the flood damage repairs that continue to be a factor 12 months on.

Today, I finally had my lights installed!



Because my garage is technically considered outdoors, I had to use weatherproof fixtures. These are colour and output selectable and have made a massive difference.









And today marks the 9th anniversary of taking delivery of my XR8. With 7210 km (4480 miles) on the clock, that's 801 km's (502 miles) a year! :laughing:







 
Have I mentioned that I hate summer, in particular, summer humidity. I swear it gets worse every year where I am in Northern Victoria. Hence the use of the EGO fan today...................



The fleet spent yesterday afternoon in the street while the lights were installed. The XR8 hadn't been driven since the last wash and was merely dusty, so it got an Absolute rinse-less wash and put back to bed.

It did give me a chance to try out the Microfiber Madness Chipmunk Jr. driving towel. This towel is similar to the brilliant Gauntlet from TRC, a hybrid twist loop/plush microfiber towel, with the twist loop (shorter pile) providing the absorbency, the plush microfiber (taller pile) providing smoothness across the paint. I have mentioned in the past that I really don't care for 100% twist loop towels, they are just too grabby.







While I absolutely love the TRC Gauntlet, the 30 x 30cm which I use for wheels is too small, the medium 38 x 60cm is just a touch too big for my style of drying. So, the Chipmunk Jr. is the proverbial Goldilocks at 40 x 40cm. I only used just the one of those to dry the whole car. I think I've found my primary drying towel!

Onto the Mustang, which was actually driven since the last wash. :laughing:

Starting with the wheels, it gave me a chance to try out The Detail Factory Wheel Brush Kit.









I have been using the Microfiber Madness IncrediBrush Flat since I fitted these wheels to the Mustang. Shortly after that, The Detail Factory launched their version of a microfiber wheel brush. I mean, it's a miracle that I resisted this purchase for so long! :laughing:

The best part of The Detail Factory version is the ridged handle and stem, giving more control compared to the flexible Microfiber Madness equivalent. That was something I was never a fan of with the IncrediBrush as it didn't allow for consistent pressure to be applied.









That doesn't mean you should throw away your IncrediBrush because its very good, excellent even. I just micro analyze things, and overall, the quality of that brush is impressive.

Onto the wash, and I did that in garage today, too hot in the sun for both me and the car!



Once again, another new item to try, the Microfiber Madness DeliPad.







The DeliPad was designed for ultra delicate and soft paint. I wouldn't say any of my cars have soft paint but I wanted to try it anyway. It does what it says on the pack, being ultra plush and soft to touch, gliding across the paint with the help of KCx GFX. It's a touch too thin for my liking, but overall I liked it and can see why this thing costs so much. If you have a car with soft Japanese paint, particularly black or darker colours, then this thing would be at the top of my shopping list.

And finally, onto something I don't normally do.........................



Making my own concoctions by mixing two chemicals is not something I normally do or recommend, but when the chemical company in question goes ahead does it, then perhaps that makes it ok?

https://psdetailproducts.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/clean-maker-jamie-the-cleaner-pint



Clean Maker is the result of a Pro Detailer and Youtuber mixing P&S Bead Maker and Dream Maker to create a supercharged topper and gloss enhancer. Jamie The Cleaner has been involved with The Rag Company as an ambassador for a while now, he even hosted the half time slot at the most recent TRCMA Rag Company trade show earlier this year. As happens with social media influencers, his efforts mixing and promoting the concept of Clean Maker got him noticed by P&S, who have now teamed up to produce a limited run of the Bead Maker/Dream Maker blend.



With a run of about 1500 bottles for the US only, there was little chance of getting one in Australia. However, I do have both products in my cabinet. I have been vocal in my hatred of Dream Maker, it's supposed to be an any easy-to-use gloss enhancer, but I just never managed to get it to play nice. I couldn't even give away the bottle that has sat in my cabinet for a long time now. Bead Maker on the other hand I do thoroughly enjoy for its looks, smell and feel.

The suggested Bead Maker to Dream Maker ratio is 10:1, which I mixed and added to a Kwazar sprayer. At this mixture, the predominant scent is of Dream Maker, which is strange considering the heavy Bead Maker content. In this case, I loaded up the towel before applying two sprays per panel, and wow, yes I think I like this stuff!



For whatever reason, this combination of polymer sealant (Bead M) and gloss enhancer (Dream M) works so nicely together. Don't expect this to be a durable paint sealant, it will likely be removed at the next wash, but that's not the point. The dopamine hit brought on by the slickness and gloss is all I care about.
 
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