DFB's Garage

[dgage]

They did that so you’ll want the latest Ranger. Did it work? And you thought they were being nice giving you a loaner.

 

[Tasmania]

The car got rained on while I was driving it back from the dealer this afternoon, was very entertaining watching the water race across the bonnet. When I got home, I rinsed the car and then blew it down with the EGO. I will give it a rinse-less tomorrow before swapping it back for the XR6.

My service loan car for today was the all-new Ranger...........

Thoughts on the new Ranger? There has been a couple lemons and a recent story on ACA

 

[DFB]

They did that so you’ll want the latest Ranger. Did it work? And you thought they were being nice giving you a loaner.

Thoughts on the new Ranger? There has been a couple lemons and a recent story on ACA

First of all, ACA are parasitic hacks and while I'm definitely a Ford man and somewhat biased, it's not like other companies competing in this segment are entirely trouble free either. DPF's on Hilux's comes to mind.

As for the all-new Ranger, I actually typed a review that I posted elsewhere and didn't think to include it here, so below is that review and I think it will paint a picture of how conflicted I am about it. Let me say before we get there that I am extremely analytical, so I notice things other people would never even think twice about. I also believe 100% the Ranger is STILL the segment leader here in Australia, Ford just reached higher than the competition who underestimated the effort they needed to invest.

For USA readers, the "mid-size pickup" segment is the most popular on the market, the Ranger and Toyota Hilux swap places for number one each month. These vehicles basically replaced the Falcon and Commodore for the "multi-purpose" / do-it-all family vehicle. The prices in this segment have skyrocketed over the last decade and the car companies know they are sitting on a goldmine, and because they are all made in Thailand for slave labor, they are extremely profitable. Would you believe a Ranger Raptor with the new twin-turbo V6 is a $100,000 (AUD) proposition now. So that sort of translates into the review below, that the prices they ask for them are out of the ballpark.

Ford Ranger XLS 4x4 Review

Today I had the Jaguar in for it's 75,000 km service...........with 13,277 km on the clock.

This dealer is combined with Ford, Honda, VW and Audi so the loan cars can be varied. I was actually booked for a Puma but ended up with a new Ranger XLS instead.



This particular example was finished in Aluminum Silver and fitted with the 2.0 Bi-Turbo Diesel / 10-speed 4x4 powertrain and was showing just on 6,000 km on the clock. Full retail on this vehicle is $60,178 (AUD).

So, I had a chance to drive this car around a bit today and these are my notes -

Positives -

- The seats and overall ride are brilliant. Yes, you know it's a commercial vehicle but it's clear Ford put effort into tuning the ride to seats. The cloth trim undoubtably contributed to this factor over the leather clad PX III Wildtrack I'm comparing it to. (My father has a previous gen Wildtrack, mine is a XL base model)

- The effort put into the little things is pleasing. Finally, rear air vents! The sidestep on the tub is a nice touch, as is the silly but novel measuring scale molded into the tailgate.



- The little touches made to the user interface are nice, the animated Ranger and Built Ford Tough logo's offer a little theater to the cabin, especially pleasing as this is considered an entry level spec. (Model line consists of XL, XLS, XLT, Sport, Wildtrack, Raptor & Platinum.)





- Say what you will about a tiny 2.0 diesel powering a 2.4 tonne pickup truck, but this engine and gearing are plenty powerful. I will say that the way Ford have "plumped" up the styling of the car has really increased room under the hood, there is a LOT of spare room under there, making space for the new V6 engines.



- The overall driving experience is pleasant, steering feels good, brakes are fine and as mentioned, rides decently.

- This will be subjective, but I have come to really like the styling, especially at the rear. I even kinda like the cheap halogen headlights. Again, you can see where Ford have made gains in overall size, the cabin remaining static while the tub and front quarters have really been pushed out to gain width.



Negative's -

Sadly, there is so many areas where Ford have made change for change sake. Many little details that I'm sure you will adapt to over time, just keep in mind I'm coming from driving a previous gen Ranger of some sort for nearly 10 years now.

- The door handles are stupid, compounded by having a blanking piece where they used to be. I'm told you get used to this but again, change for change sake.





- The location of the headlight controls which are obscured by the steering column is silly, especially considering they prioritized a useless storage slot over a more logical placement of these basic controls. Although, being automatic headlights, I'm guessing you adjust this once and never touch it again. Still, stupid oversight.



- The 10-speed transmission selector has lost the S or Sport mode function. Now, this may sound trivial on a pickup truck, but I have found this mode to useful for towing or when on winding roads as it stops the gearbox from laboring the engine or hunting. The manual function is basically useless, taking far, far too long to respond to inputs and will override the driver anyway. What was wrong with the up-down sequential shifter function the early PX Ranger's had, they were even orientated it correctly with forward for a lower gear and backwards for a higher one.



- Engine vibration. This seems worse than the same powertrain in our Wildtrack. The calibration of the gearbox was also quite firm in its shifting when coming to a stop.

- Interior material quality is absolutely crap. I know this is an entry level model, but I couldn't help feeling even my previous gen PX II XL had nicer materials. The overall build quality is fine, but the materials are hard as a rock and have that nasty scratchy feeling to them. I remind readers at this point that the vehicle costs over $60,000 without options. Not good enough!

- The lack of proper gauges bothers me. Sure, it looks cool, but the simulated fuel, temperature, revs and speedo lack clear legibility. Form over function. Saying that, I'm sure you would get used to them.



- The large central screen, again, looks cool but was way too laggy for a vehicle in this era. Why can't car companies get this right?

- The tray had no lining and this example was already scratched and dented fairly badly. Think of this way, in 1999 Ford put a plastic tub liner in EVERY Falcon Ute they made, on a vehicle that started at about $25,000. And yet, this $60,000 pickup doesn't! No excuses here, this is unreasonably cheap on Ford's part.


I can't help thinking if a little less money was put into the glitter of fancy screens and "easter eggs" and little more spent on the basics that this would be a more complete vehicle. I think the most egregious aspect was the animated welcome screen depicting a higher spec Sport or XLT.......on an entry XLS, as if to remind the customer every time he didn't have the flagship model. :doh:



Overall, I liked driving this particular vehicle, and I have no doubt it would be fine workhorse. However, the interior's nasty materials really let the side down, to the point where I don't see this being $60,000 (AUD) vehicle, $45,000 (AUD) tops in my opinion. No wonder Ford are having trouble selling these models.

I've gone to the trouble of writing all that because, ideally, I would like to upgrade my current previous generation PX II XL to the new model, but this experience has me questioning that desire.



My current Ranger, a single cab chassis with a custom steel tray, cost me just on $30,000 (AUD) in 2016. The cheapest new Ranger now starts at $36,180 (AUD) before on-roads and a tray, so let's say $40,000 (AUD), meaning a 10k leap in cost. Admittedly, that includes an automatic transmission and a large increase in standard features. It also includes high-ride suspension, something completely useless on a 4x2.

Frankly, I don't want the single turbo 2.0 and 6 speed auto of the base model, meaning I need to get the 4x4 Bi-Turbo 10-speed. That spec starts at $47,280 (AUD) before on-roads and a tray. That's $50+k for an entry level single cab chassis work truck.

The reality is, the Ranger is the best of the bunch, which would justify a price premium, just not the one Ford are asking, especially with that interior. I think for now, it's best to wait this out and run up a few more km's on my current model, which still fulfills my needs and I have been very happy with.

 

[DFB]

Relaxed day of rinse-less washing while listening to podcasts and music. The only thing annoying me was the smoke generated by a neighbors wood fired heater. We had a cool change here over the last couple of days, not enough that warrants a wood fire burning green wood and smoking out the neighborhood though. Moron! :bat:

That cool change brought rolling showers yesterday, so the Jag got caught in that. Today, I decided to use Optimum No Rinse and the Ultra Black Sponge. Pre-spray administered by the iK sprayer.



I usually use Bead Maker or Paint Gloss as the drying aid after a rinse-less, but I mixed things up by using a new product, Carpro Release.



Carpro Release is a spray wax that was designed as a ceramic coating topper to protect a new coating from water spots, bugs, bird droppings and other contaminants while it cures. Carpro also state that it can be used as a standalone quick detailer, or drying aid in my case. Longevity is minimal as it's been designed wash away with soap, revealing the true characteristics of the ceramic coating underneath.

Application wise, this is like many spray waxes and requires a little more attention than a regular quick detailer. You will need two towels to apply Release streak free, the first towel distributes the product, the second levels it down to perfection. The scent is pleasing, and in my case, added some slickness to the relatively unslick Pure EVO. Overall, I liked using Release and it's price point is extremely competitive.

Finishing off the Jag, I cleaned the exterior glass with Carpro Clarify, wiped the interior with Auto Finesse Spritz and dressed the tyres with OG Tire Dressing.

With the Jaguar done, I went and swapped it for the XR6, which is next in line for service on Tuesday. Having sat in the storage facility uncovered for a month, it needed a wash to remove a thick layer of dust. Again, rinse-less wash was the chosen method.



For the XR6, I switched to P&S Absolute teamed with my rinse-less wash towels.

Drying aid was Bead Maker, my go to for use with Absolute. This is such a satisfying combination that always make me smile for the gloss and slickness it creates. Same combo was used to clean the wheels.

The glass got cleaned inside and out with Koch Chemie Speed Glass, the engine bay wiped with Absolute and dressed with Hyper Dressing (gotta have it looking good for the mechanic), the interior wiped over with ONR and the tyres dressed with OG Tire Dressing.

With that, I covered the XR6 to keep it fresh for Tuesday.

 

[Coatingsarecrack]

Was still looking at this TRC brush and the curveball still. I was going to order the Black Friday set but for some reason they just couldn’t envision using these then i remembered.

After the Mustang wreck I still had my rag top convertible brush that was fairly new. Tried to repurpose as I figured if it was good for a cloth top should be soft enough for other jobs.

Looks same or similar ar TRC’s brush. Couldn’t find anything I liked using for. Now I realize I don’t like the hand interface and prefer a (good) handle.


CarPro Clarity didn’t make your top 3? I’ve only used that, stoners Griots ceramic glass, stoners and Sprayaway foam.

Clarity got the top spot with Stoners a close second.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Big DaveBig Dave is verified member.]

First of all, ACA are parasitic hacks and while I'm definitely a Ford man and somewhat biased, it's not like other companies competing in this segment are entirely trouble free either. DPF's on Hilux's comes to mind.

As for the all-new Ranger, I actually typed a review that I posted elsewhere and didn't think to include it here, so below is that review and I think it will paint a picture of how conflicted I am about it. Let me say before we get there that I am extremely analytical, so I notice things other people would never even think twice about. I also believe 100% the Ranger is STILL the segment leader here in Australia, Ford just reached higher than the competition who underestimated the effort they needed to invest.

For USA readers, the "mid-size pickup" segment is the most popular on the market, the Ranger and Toyota Hilux swap places for number one each month. These vehicles basically replaced the Falcon and Commodore for the "multi-purpose" / do-it-all family vehicle. The prices in this segment have skyrocketed over the last decade and the car companies know they are sitting on a goldmine, and because they are all made in Thailand for slave labor, they are extremely profitable. Would you believe a Ranger Raptor with the new twin-turbo V6 is a $100,000 (AUD) proposition now. So that sort of translates into the review below, that the prices they ask for them are out of the ballpark.

Ford Ranger XLS 4x4 Review

Today I had the Jaguar in for it's 75,000 km service...........with 13,277 km on the clock.

This dealer is combined with Ford, Honda, VW and Audi so the loan cars can be varied. I was actually booked for a Puma but ended up with a new Ranger XLS instead.



This particular example was finished in Aluminum Silver and fitted with the 2.0 Bi-Turbo Diesel / 10-speed 4x4 powertrain and was showing just on 6,000 km on the clock. Full retail on this vehicle is $60,178 (AUD).

So, I had a chance to drive this car around a bit today and these are my notes -

Positives -

- The seats and overall ride are brilliant. Yes, you know it's a commercial vehicle but it's clear Ford put effort into tuning the ride to seats. The cloth trim undoubtably contributed to this factor over the leather clad PX III Wildtrack I'm comparing it to. (My father has a previous gen Wildtrack, mine is a XL base model)

- The effort put into the little things is pleasing. Finally, rear air vents! The sidestep on the tub is a nice touch, as is the silly but novel measuring scale molded into the tailgate.



- The little touches made to the user interface are nice, the animated Ranger and Built Ford Tough logo's offer a little theater to the cabin, especially pleasing as this is considered an entry level spec. (Model line consists of XL, XLS, XLT, Sport, Wildtrack, Raptor & Platinum.)





- Say what you will about a tiny 2.0 diesel powering a 2.4 tonne pickup truck, but this engine and gearing are plenty powerful. I will say that the way Ford have "plumped" up the styling of the car has really increased room under the hood, there is a LOT of spare room under there, making space for the new V6 engines.



- The overall driving experience is pleasant, steering feels good, brakes are fine and as mentioned, rides decently.

- This will be subjective, but I have come to really like the styling, especially at the rear. I even kinda like the cheap halogen headlights. Again, you can see where Ford have made gains in overall size, the cabin remaining static while the tub and front quarters have really been pushed out to gain width.



Negative's -

Sadly, there is so many areas where Ford have made change for change sake. Many little details that I'm sure you will adapt to over time, just keep in mind I'm coming from driving a previous gen Ranger of some sort for nearly 10 years now.

- The door handles are stupid, compounded by having a blanking piece where they used to be. I'm told you get used to this but again, change for change sake.





- The location of the headlight controls which are obscured by the steering column is silly, especially considering they prioritized a useless storage slot over a more logical placement of these basic controls. Although, being automatic headlights, I'm guessing you adjust this once and never touch it again. Still, stupid oversight.



- The 10-speed transmission selector has lost the S or Sport mode function. Now, this may sound trivial on a pickup truck, but I have found this mode to useful for towing or when on winding roads as it stops the gearbox from laboring the engine or hunting. The manual function is basically useless, taking far, far too long to respond to inputs and will override the driver anyway. What was wrong with the up-down sequential shifter function the early PX Ranger's had, they were even orientated it correctly with forward for a lower gear and backwards for a higher one.



- Engine vibration. This seems worse than the same powertrain in our Wildtrack. The calibration of the gearbox was also quite firm in its shifting when coming to a stop.

- Interior material quality is absolutely crap. I know this is an entry level model, but I couldn't help feeling even my previous gen PX II XL had nicer materials. The overall build quality is fine, but the materials are hard as a rock and have that nasty scratchy feeling to them. I remind readers at this point that the vehicle costs over $60,000 without options. Not good enough!

- The lack of proper gauges bothers me. Sure, it looks cool, but the simulated fuel, temperature, revs and speedo lack clear legibility. Form over function. Saying that, I'm sure you would get used to them.



- The large central screen, again, looks cool but was way too laggy for a vehicle in this era. Why can't car companies get this right?

- The tray had no lining and this example was already scratched and dented fairly badly. Think of this way, in 1999 Ford put a plastic tub liner in EVERY Falcon Ute they made, on a vehicle that started at about $25,000. And yet, this $60,000 pickup doesn't! No excuses here, this is unreasonably cheap on Ford's part.


I can't help thinking if a little less money was put into the glitter of fancy screens and "easter eggs" and little more spent on the basics that this would be a more complete vehicle. I think the most egregious aspect was the animated welcome screen depicting a higher spec Sport or XLT.......on an entry XLS, as if to remind the customer every time he didn't have the flagship model. :doh:



Overall, I liked driving this particular vehicle, and I have no doubt it would be fine workhorse. However, the interior's nasty materials really let the side down, to the point where I don't see this being $60,000 (AUD) vehicle, $45,000 (AUD) tops in my opinion. No wonder Ford are having trouble selling these models.

I've gone to the trouble of writing all that because, ideally, I would like to upgrade my current previous generation PX II XL to the new model, but this experience has me questioning that desire.



My current Ranger, a single cab chassis with a custom steel tray, cost me just on $30,000 (AUD) in 2016. The cheapest new Ranger now starts at $36,180 (AUD) before on-roads and a tray, so let's say $40,000 (AUD), meaning a 10k leap in cost. Admittedly, that includes an automatic transmission and a large increase in standard features. It also includes high-ride suspension, something completely useless on a 4x2.

Frankly, I don't want the single turbo 2.0 and 6 speed auto of the base model, meaning I need to get the 4x4 Bi-Turbo 10-speed. That spec starts at $47,280 (AUD) before on-roads and a tray. That's $50+k for an entry level single cab chassis work truck.

The reality is, the Ranger is the best of the bunch, which would justify a price premium, just not the one Ford are asking, especially with that interior. I think for now, it's best to wait this out and run up a few more km's on my current model, which still fulfills my needs and I have been very happy with.

I am seeing more and more of the new Rangers on the road, and I do like the new exterior treatment, the new DRLs make it obvious it's a new model. The rear looks good too, looks tough enough, so that box is ticked for all the posers out there.

The new Everest has the same front, so that's fine, it also has the new flashy screens inside, but the rear styling is wrong, it's too boring, looks like something Chinese. If you've got a distinctive front treatment, you need to do the same at the back. The previous model was good front and back, you knew they were on the same vehicle. These look like they're off different vehicles. The front looks wide and stable, the rear looks too narrow, like it might tip over.

Sent from my motorola edge 20 fusion using Tapatalk

 

[DFB]

Was still looking at this TRC brush and the curveball still. I was going to order the Black Friday set but for some reason they just couldn’t envision using these then i remembered.

After the Mustang wreck I still had my rag top convertible brush that was fairly new. Tried to repurpose as I figured if it was good for a cloth top should be soft enough for other jobs.

Looks same or similar ar TRC’s brush. Couldn’t find anything I liked using for. Now I realize I don’t like the hand interface and prefer a (good) handle.


CarPro Clarity didn’t make your top 3? I’ve only used that, stoners Griots ceramic glass, stoners and Sprayaway foam.

Clarity got the top spot with Stoners a close second.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Try using the brush for applying dressing to SUV tires, should work pretty good for that role.

As for Carpro Clarity, nothing wrong with, in fact I like using it a lot, especially for the scent. Overall, I feel like Gyeon make a better glass cleaner with True Vue and Invisible Glass are winners for their value.

 

[Tasmania]

I didn't want to start anything with ACA but when they helped two people that paid over 75k for their Rangers and they were lemons, get brand new ones because of the attention being brought about the lack of help or care from Ford Australia i would call it a successful outcome.

 

[DFB]

I didn't want to start anything with ACA but when they helped two people that paid over 75k for their Rangers and they were lemons, get brand new ones because of the attention being brought about the lack of help or care from Ford Australia i would call it a successful outcome.

It's certainly a good outcome, and certainly should not have taken the attention of a D-grade "news" program to lead to that outcome.

Ford have prior form in regard to this sort of poor customer service, and have largely improved greatly sinse they were fined a large sum of money by the ACCC. From what I have been told, issues as depicted on ACA generally come down to a dealer vs Ford HQ sort of argument and sadly, the customer gets caught in the middle. Frankly, both the induvial dealer and Ford as company are to blame here. The dealer won't commence warranty work without approval from Ford as the dealer doesn't want to be left holding the bill for what is clearly a warranty issue. And Ford don't want to be left with the bill either, even though it's their product. So it becomes a round and round in circles situation.

So, you may have a dealer on your side, but unless they get Ford to pay for it, they will also hold out on the customer. It should not be like this, and as I said, Ford and their dealers have been much better in this regard over recent years, but clearly old habits die hard. On the plus side, I have heard of people having had issues dealt with swiftly and with extra compensation. Each dealer is different, some are better than others at addressing product issues.

All of the above also applies to other car companies too. I listened in on a conversation where a dealer principle was scathing in their assessment of how Jeep conduct themselves with warranty issues, leaving the dealer high and dry and then having to deal with angry customers. I also know of a Hyundai dealer taking advantage of an older couple when their two year old Tuscon was having transmission issues, charging them for it in the process.

I'm a Ford man to the core, and I know they have had and will continue to have issues. But they are not alone in that regard................making cars is complex and hard.

 

[Big DaveBig Dave is verified member.]

Did you hear about the Range Rover Lemon case. A woman bought a top of the line Range Rover and over to the next 18 months it had numerous issues, usual thing, back in the workshop more than it was on the road, the dealer wanted to help out, but Range Rover Australia said no. So she sued them, and won. End result, they had to give her a full refund, and pay her legal costs. I heard this a few months back, so some details may vary slightly, but the full refund is correct.

Expensive lesson for Range Rover, but I bet they didn't learn.

And what was said earlier on Jeep, and Jeeps in general, so true. I really want to like them, and I would love a V8 Grand Cherokee, but there's no way I would ever have one. By comparison to my FJ, they are unreliable, and the dealer support is rubbish.

Sent from my motorola edge 20 fusion using Tapatalk

 

[DFB]

Did you hear about the Range Rover Lemon case. A woman bought a top of the line Range Rover and over to the next 18 months it had numerous issues, usual thing, back in the workshop more than it was on the road, the dealer wanted to help out, but Range Rover Australia said no. So she sued them, and won. End result, they had to give her a full refund, and pay her legal costs. I heard this a few months back, so some details may vary slightly, but the full refund is correct.

Expensive lesson for Range Rover, but I bet they didn't learn.

And what was said earlier on Jeep, and Jeeps in general, so true. I really want to like them, and I would love a V8 Grand Cherokee, but there's no way I would ever have one. By comparison to my FJ, they are unreliable, and the dealer support is rubbish.

Sent from my motorola edge 20 fusion using Tapatalk

When Jeep was under the FCA umbrella, and before the ridiculous "Stellantis" thing, FCA were aggressively increasing their sales and market share by forcing dealers to take on stock that they didn't even need or want. The result was rapid market share growth spurred on by very aggressive pricing and dealers desperate to get the stock off their hands.

That rapid increase in sales had an undesirable byproduct of the dealer network not having the capacity to service and maintain those vehicles, especially with warranty repair. So, people would rightly take their car in for warranty issues, only for them to left stranded by a non-existent spare parts supply chain and/or a dealer without the capacity to deal with it in a timely manner. /

And still, FCA kept forcing dealers to take stock without spending any money on the back end of the business. And in that, I mean spare parts and warranty repairs. It was all about sales volume, volume, volume. In the end, the dealers launched legal action against Jeep/FCA.

 

[Tasmania]

Did you hear about the Range Rover Lemon case. A woman bought a top of the line Range Rover and over to the next 18 months it had numerous issues, usual thing, back in the workshop more than it was on the road, the dealer wanted to help out, but Range Rover Australia said no. So she sued them, and won. End result, they had to give her a full refund, and pay her legal costs. I heard this a few months back, so some details may vary slightly, but the full refund is correct.

Expensive lesson for Range Rover, but I bet they didn't learn.

And what was said earlier on Jeep, and Jeeps in general, so true. I really want to like them, and I would love a V8 Grand Cherokee, but there's no way I would ever have one. By comparison to my FJ, they are unreliable, and the dealer support is rubbish.

Sent from my motorola edge 20 fusion using Tapatalk

I like how if you buy a brand new fridge/freezer or a $10,000 dollar tv if it plays up or is a dud you ring up HN and get a brand new one.

But when it's a car different story, a gentleman at a car yard said to me once car's are a disposable item now day's.

 

[DFB]

Last day off.

With the XR6 in for the 90,000km service for the umpteenth time (with 31,309km on the clock, the car is a 2008 by the way), I settled into a rinse-less wash of the Mustang. No photos of the process, I was too wound up in the podcast I was listening to about a 22-year-old guy killing it at running his own detailing business, getting to work on some pretty expensive machinery.

I feel like in the last two weeks there has been a constant flow of subtle signs in regard to what I do for living. I'm miserable where I am, only staying for the comfort factor of the money it brings in. The longer I have let this go on, the harder it is for me to break the ties. Nothing changes, I get angrier and angrier, explode and then the cycle repeats.

Perhaps that thought train was why I ended up washing the service loan car for something to distract me? :doh:









This Ford Puma ST-Line was dirtier than I would normally like to attempt using rinse-less, but I have had a number of people challenge me to try using the method on a truly dirty car compared to what I normally deal with. So, what better car to try this out on than someone else's? :laughing:



In this case, I decided to use McKees N-914, each section was pre-treated beforehand, the TRC UBS as the wash media. I also used an ultra-soft brush on the grills.





I then dried the car using Bead Maker to add a little pop to the paint, N-914 isn't really good for that sort of thing.

Let me say that I was not entirely comfortable doing this wash with the car so dirty. I also decided not to pre-rinse the car before hand, so I was really testing the method to its fullest. Frankly, when a car gets to this point and beyond, I much prefer the use of LOTS of water, soap and rinsing. It just feels safer to me. That doesn't mean I hate rinse-less washing, I love it in fact.

After the paint, I pre-sprayed the wheels and used a towel soaked in N-914 to give the wheels a superficial clean. I vacuumed the interior and then wiped everything down with P&S Express, cleaning the glass with Invisible Glass. I then dressed the tyres with Duragloss 253.







I love the taillight design of the Puma.........







For the small amount of effort I put into the car, it came up very nice.

And what about the Puma? I really liked it in fact! The Puma is not offered in the US, it being based on the current generation Fiesta and manufactured in Romania. Think of it like a way, way improved EcoSport that I believe is still offered for sale in the US. The Puma does not have the availability of AWD, so is front wheel drive or nothing.

This is not the first Puma I have driven, or even the first ST-Line. The way Ford tuned the throttle and torque curve makes the car feel super eager. Granted, the grumpy sounding 3-pot EcoBoost has absolutely no top end grunt, but it's got character, I just wish they gave it a little more induction note to go with the sporty nature of the car.

The 7-speed DCT gearbox is very torque converter-like in how it slurs the gears, which I assume is to make it feel more "normal". It does have that usual DCT feel when launching from rest. That paddles are pretty snappy, the rev matching is good, but the gearbox upshifts automatically at about 6200 rpm, it also ignores driver inputs when turning, a weird characteristic. Having lived with a DCT equipped car before, I know that certain characteristics of the gearbox become second nature after a while.

Overall driving dynamics are great, the ride is excellent, the steering a touch over assisted on initial turn-in but pleasantly weighted and responsive. At speed, the road noise refinement was excellent. The engine does have a little trouble pulling the tall 7th gear from say 80 kph.

While the ST-Line is a mid to high spec for the Puma, I couldn't help noticing that this $30,000 hatch has better interior materials than the $60,000 Ranger I had last week. The steering wheel is a real highlight, feeling great to hold and trimmed in lovely soft leather. I also preferred the dial cluster screen layout in the Puma better than the Ranger too, having a clearer and more logical appearance. Depending on the drive mode selected, normal, sport, eco, slippery or trail, the gauge cluster colouring changes to suit the mood, the blue normal mood is pictured, red for sport.



As mentioned, the Puma is a brilliant little car. I refuse to call this an SUV, it's a hatchback to the core and even the seating position and ride height being hatch-like. I also love the softer, organic styling direction Ford took with the Puma, they look even better in red or blue.

I was asked if I wanted to buy a Puma on my return, to which I replied that I liked it so much I washed it for them. Apparently they are looking for a service department detailer. Hmmm.........................

 

[DanaDetailingPros]

Do I hear a subtle inclination to start a shop? I know the $ wouldn't be what your use to at first. But when I see your so passionate about detailing that you would actually do a quality wash in and out on a loaner. That says allot!
I'm a true believer in doing what makes you happy and the $ will follow!
I just saw the latest Unpack posts and CRAP DFB you have more than most detailer's I see. That will squash allot of overhead right off the bat. I think the only thing I haven't seen posted by you are a steamer and extractor. I'm looking at grabbing a Mytee 8070 soon. My method is a little shy of smooth sailing in that department. Good results but more effort.

 

[DFB]

Do I hear a subtle inclination to start a shop? I know the $ wouldn't be what your use to at first. But when I see your so passionate about detailing that you would actually do a quality wash in and out on a loaner. That says allot!
I'm a true believer in doing what makes you happy and the $ will follow!
I just saw the latest Unpack posts and CRAP DFB you have more than most detailer's I see. That will squash allot of overhead right off the bat. I think the only thing I haven't seen posted by you are a steamer and extractor. I'm looking at grabbing a Mytee 8070 soon. My method is a little shy of smooth sailing in that department. Good results but more effort.

I have everything I need to do this for a living to a high standard, except the steamer and extractor that you mention. Ideally, I would like to do this from my own garage so that I can spend more time at home. If there was one thing I learnt from the Covid lockdowns, its that spending more time at home is not a bad thing for me personally. I have understanding neighbors, so in theory running a small business from my garage should not be an issue. Ideally, I would like to replace my 4 day a week 9-5 job with detailing, while maintaining my current list of gardening clients I service 2 days a week. This would in theory level out my income as I build a detailing customer base.

Can you tell I have thought about this for a long time now? The reliable income factor, combined with a lack of courage from me and the strong desire to not ruin my hobby by turning it into a drudgery is what's stopping me. The reality is, I am tired of being a slave to the man, three of them to be precise, the lack of positive feedback, the anxiety that builds inside me physically and mentally.

Sorry for venting all this here, I don't tend to speak about this to people in person, so it builds and builds and generally leads to depressive episodes.

 

[DanaDetailingPros]

Absolutely start as a side gig in the garage. Which is allot nicer than most shops. You've truly made the right investment there. Just word of mouth in the beginning. I also started making my garage into a temporary location until I feel comfortable enough to get a brick and mortar location. I already have been looking for an ideal location. I just want enough client base traffic that will at least help keep the lights on and spread the word. I never thought I would get back into this full time. But like I said doing what you love and being passionate about it, is the recipe for success. I do hear you loud and clear about getting burned out. It is inevitable without help. Than you are the man! And know what it takes to make people happy and feel appreciated. When I had a place and a handful of great guys, I always went out of my way to pay them well and kept it fun and real all the time.

 

[Klasse Act]

Deyon, so looking back, how did you like using the method on a truely dirty car?

I know you personally have just gotten into RW and I can tell you I've washed my own cars using RW's for well over a decade now. I just pre-treat the hell out of the panel and use either my grout sponge/BRS/multiple towel method and just knock it out. I always make a little more product as well as make it a little stronger too

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[BlakeC]

I have always gone to the local coin op to blow off the first layer during the winter months. Last weekend my car was covered in salt from recent snows and it was very dirty. I couldn’t get into the coin op and decided to give it a go without blowing off the crap. I used 914 and pretreated the car with a stronger mix in an IK foamer. Rather than use the UBS I went back to using mf towels and lots of them. I was quite amazed as to how well the rinseless wash worked. It certainly was against my better judgment to wash such a dirty vehicle without soaking it down with lots of water first but it worked extremely well. I have been doing rinseless washing for at least ten years but this really showed how good they are.

 

[oneheadlite]

I have everything I need to do this for a living to a high standard, except the steamer and extractor that you mention. Ideally, I would like to do this from my own garage so that I can spend more time at home. If there was one thing I learnt from the Covid lockdowns, its that spending more time at home is not a bad thing for me personally. I have understanding neighbors, so in theory running a small business from my garage should not be an issue. Ideally, I would like to replace my 4 day a week 9-5 job with detailing, while maintaining my current list of gardening clients I service 2 days a week. This would in theory level out my income as I build a detailing customer base.

Can you tell I have thought about this for a long time now? The reliable income factor, combined with a lack of courage from me and the strong desire to not ruin my hobby by turning it into a drudgery is what's stopping me. The reality is, I am tired of being a slave to the man, three of them to be precise, the lack of positive feedback, the anxiety that builds inside me physically and mentally.

Sorry for venting all this here, I don't tend to speak about this to people in person, so it builds and builds and generally leads to depressive episodes.

Shoot man, you could start a YouTube channel if you could get past the hurdle of putting yourself out in front of folks; not just for detailing stuff but anything you're passionate about. Yours are threads on here I make sure to keep up on - your writing is clear and eloquent, and your knowledge and enthusiasm are evident. I'm mostly joking about starting on YouTube as I could see the stress being high on executing a video to the standards you operate at, as well as the whole being-on-the-other-side-of-the-camera thing; but in seriousness I'd watch whatever you put up.

I think/hope I've mentioned this in the past, but I really appreciate your openness and sharing of some your experiences with anxiety and depression. In today's world where it seems like everything is telling us to be perfect, I'm grateful for your sharing that reminds us - "Hey - we're all working through something, and that's ok."

Don't beat yourself up for having stayed where you're at - I worked at my first major job for 9 years, and when I put in my notice my stomach was in knots. Even though I was looking forward to the change, there's still comfort with the Devil You Know.

You mentioned the dealership looking for a detailer; the biggest thing I see on that would be the strong push for production vs perfection. (On that note, my first major job was as an Auto tech at a dealership; I left because it had grown enough to lose the "small dealer" feel and had turned into feeling like a money machine.). If you're doing it on the personal front, while your time is still valuable, extra hours put in above and beyond are working towards the satisfaction of a car leaving with your name on it delivered at a caliber that will impress anyone.

 

[dgage]

:iagree: What the guy missing a headlite said. I love reading your posts and if you parlayed that to video, I’m sure you’d do well as long as you stay away from a sales agenda. I also understated that turning a passion into a job removes it as a release and enjoyment. But enjoying what you do means you don’t have a job or some such nonsense.