DFB's Garage

Klasse Act said:
Nv Boost v2 is slicker than Lustre

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It's been a while since I have used Lustre, but I would say it's slicker than Boost v2.

What draws me to Boost v2 is the easier application, while sharing some of the formular with Jet.





This is not to be confused with the original version of Boost, which was designed to be removed with a soap wash, in theory taking contaminants with it. I still use this as a topper on my Mustang's wheels.
 
DFB said:
It's been a while since I have used Lustre, but I would say it's slicker than Boost v2.

What draws me to Boost v2 is the easier application, while sharing some of the formular with Jet.





This is not to be confused with the original version of Boost, which was designed to be removed with a soap wash, in theory taking contaminants with it. I still use this as a topper on my Mustang's wheels.
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I will get Nv Boost v2 on my next order around, thanks Deyon!

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DFB said:
You need to try NV Boost v2 now!



Agreed, which is what I have done with the Cure EVO on the Jag.
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Can’t believe you haven’t pulled the trigger on some PA Cosmic Spritz. On another level in performance and user experience.


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Coatingsarecrack said:
Can’t believe you haven’t pulled the trigger on some PA Cosmic Spritz. On another level in performance and user experience.


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Don't encourage me! :laughing:
 
After a cold snap, spring has been slow to take off, so I got an unexpected day off today. NOT complaining about that, the past week has been rough.

Despite not having been washed for a while now, sitting at the dealer for 4 weeks undriven meant I didn't have much to do on the Wildtrak today.

Having enjoyed using Opti-Coat M-Wash last week, I went straight back to it for today.



For the drying aid, I grabbed Shine Supply Punch It for a change. I really like using this product, it's very easy and forgiving to play with. The colour and scent are a little overwhelming, but otherwise, this is a bit of a hidden gem. I'm also using these Creature Edgeless towels more and more for this role. For me, there is no need to be using a bigger and bulkier towel. I really tried to love the small FTW's, but in general I don't love edged or twist loop towels. The Creature's are easier to manage and smoother across the paint.



Again, the interior didn't need much, so I decided to put some attention towards the steering wheel. This being my Dad's car, as a smoker, the wheel is always pretty nasty. Even ColourLock Strong had its work cut out here. Afterwards, I hit it with some Giest Leather Conditioner and called it good, knowing full well that it will be back to shiny/sticky in no time. :doh





I found the Griot's Fine Leather scent to last quite well over the last week in my own Ranger, so it got the nod again today as well.



Tires dressed with Opti-Coat Tire Gel. This is a high gloss product, so be warned. You can knock it back a little, but it's natural state is a wetter/glossier appearance.





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



I also gave the engine bay a quick rinse down and applied some Motorplast during the wash stage. I leveled down the Motorplast with a towel after letting the engine run for 5 minutes to speed up the drying process.



I needed this. I'm struggling more than normal, mostly from dealing with Dad's illness in less-than-ideal ways. My support network is pretty thin, so I'm holding it in and then exploding...........as I always have. Dealing with stress has never been a strong suit of mine, and I typically take it out on others. I of course know that is not healthy for myself or those around me and there are no excuses for that. We all deal with things differently, some better than others, and I guess that's simply human nature.

Everyone has a natural, ingrained character trait that is often very difficult to change. Sometimes, that is good, sometimes that is bad. You can't change a naturally quiet, reserved person into an outgoing life of the party. My default mode is to regress, shut down and want to hide. This tends to rub people the wrong way. If you know someone like this, it's not you! That person probably needs to talk, probably needs someone to ask them how they are going, help them vent.

Something I have observed over a number of years dealing with depression is that despite there being a lot of "noise" about mental health in the media and from relevant "experts", no one really wants to talk about it. All the flow charts and special phone numbers to call in the world is simply just passing the buck, dusting hands of a problem that no one wants to have on their books. I'm not blaming anyone with this last paragraph, just an observation that this is STILL a taboo subject.
 
These things can be difficult to deal with, but you need to look after yourself as well, do what works for you, some therapeutic detailing, as you have been, or going for a long drive, or walking your dog, always with some Kylie playing in the background.

I've never had depression, that I know of, but I have had a bit of anxiety from time to time, although people say I seem so calm. I came home from work one day, many years ago, for my grandmother to tell us she had terminal cancer. She'd been diagnosed 2 years before but didn't tell anyone, she wanted to go without anyone knowing about it. It was a rough period, and sort of broke our extended family a little bit. Some don't understand that our grieving started the day she told us, but theirs didn't start till she passed.

I've worked with several people who were getting treatment for cancer, all of them said "don't treat me any differently", they still wanted people to joke around and talk to them, include them in things, don't give them the silent treatment. While I don't know your particular situation, I'd say treat your dad as normally as you can, but explain what you're feeling, if he's open to those conversations of course.

And take my advice on conversations with your father with a grain of salt, I've never met mine, or had a conversation with him, never will. I didn't know who he was till I was in my 30s, and then I was told he had died, but found out in my 40s he was still alive, but had no idea where he was. I found out where he was with the help of my half brother, on my mother's side, a few years later, but he died a couple of years ago before I could contact him. Not sure I wanted to, my Mum didn't seem to want me to, and he never tried, so I'm not that bothered by it. But I'm pretty certain I have some other half siblings out there though. Families can be complicated.

Also, steering wheels can be bad, my Mum likes to apply hand moisturizer before she goes out, so the steering wheel in the Qashqai can get pretty bad.

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These newer Brigg's & Stratton OHV engines are still pretty new to me, so it's taking me a while to figure out the ins-and-outs.

The key with these engines that replaced the old L-Head/Side valve engines is that they are supposed to run cooler and use less fuel. The fuel use in standard form is in easily better than before, and they seem quieter as well. But they don't rev high enough for my liking. Now, this is in no way restricted to Briggs & Stratton, or even the newer OHV engines.

After running it for a while, I couldn't stand it any longer................



Briggs were cunning in how they hid the governor spring tab on these engines compared to the older designs. But I found it and gave it a little tweak, it's now running nice and strong................


Now, do this at your own risk, preferably once the engine has been run in and had the oil changed. The low running revs of these engines in standard form is designed to meet noise and emission standards, not cutting performance. I probably went a touch too far, but I can easily dial that back. The key thing is that it's cutting much nicer now, powering through rather than bogging down under load.

If you want to do this on your newer B&S 125cc, 140cc, 150cc and 163cc engine, this shows how to do it. You don't need to remove the fuel tank as shown, that was to better show the parts in question -

 
At least if something goes wrong it won't break the bank fixing it, but I'm sure you'll be checking the oil on that one very regularly.

I saw a story the other day about a guy with a BT-50 that was still under warranty, he fitted a throttle controller and then some time later the engine blew up. The throttle controller manufacturer says it has nothing to do with them or their product, and Mazda has rejected his warranty claim as the throttle controller fitment voids the warranty. Apparently it's almost $20k for a net engine. I know a few guys who have them, but they're all older vehicles.

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Big Dave said:
At least if something goes wrong it won't break the bank fixing it, but I'm sure you'll be checking the oil on that one very regularly.

I saw a story the other day about a guy with a BT-50 that was still under warranty, he fitted a throttle controller and then some time later the engine blew up. The throttle controller manufacturer says it has nothing to do with them or their product, and Mazda has rejected his warranty claim as the throttle controller fitment voids the warranty. Apparently it's almost $20k for a net engine. I know a few guys who have them, but they're all older vehicles.

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I'm happy enough to play backyard tuner on something like a lawnmower or leaf blower. The rev increase on that engine was only about 500 rpm, and certainly not as hard running as some of the contractors going around, their Honda GXV's sounding like they are going to take flight! In any case, if it blows up, it means I get buy another one! Im the MAN

On a car, I'm not that confident, be that me or someone else doing the work. Just too complex and too expensive to fix if it goes wrong. Nothing against tuning for more grunt, if done from a reputable company. More so the older gentlemen who thing they know better than a team of fully qualified powertrain engineers.

One scenario that comes to mind, a member on another forum was swearing black and blue that Ranger's needed an aftermarket upgraded automatic transmission cooler. A Ford engineer who worked on developing the vehicle chimed in to explain that the gearbox was designed to work in a set temperature range and that the OEM cooler was intended to maintain those temps, tested in abusive scenarios to ensure it worked as intended. But no, old mate wouldn't back down, he knew best after driving cargo trucks for living. Apple with apples comparison then? :nomore:
 
I've fitted an aftermarket trans cooler to the FJ, on the recommendation of a trusted Auto Transmission shop. The logic was that towing, which I don't, or off-roading, which I do, puts a higher strain on the components. And when you're off-roading you're travelling at a slower speed, or you should be, and an external cooler will have better air flow. It has an AT Temp warning light, but I've never seen it light up.

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Big Dave said:
These things can be difficult to deal with, but you need to look after yourself as well, do what works for you, some therapeutic detailing, as you have been, or going for a long drive, or walking your dog, always with some Kylie playing in the background.

I've never had depression, that I know of, but I have had a bit of anxiety from time to time, although people say I seem so calm. I came home from work one day, many years ago, for my grandmother to tell us she had terminal cancer. She'd been diagnosed 2 years before but didn't tell anyone, she wanted to go without anyone knowing about it. It was a rough period, and sort of broke our extended family a little bit. Some don't understand that our grieving started the day she told us, but theirs didn't start till she passed.

I've worked with several people who were getting treatment for cancer, all of them said "don't treat me any differently", they still wanted people to joke around and talk to them, include them in things, don't give them the silent treatment. While I don't know your particular situation, I'd say treat your dad as normally as you can, but explain what you're feeling, if he's open to those conversations of course.

And take my advice on conversations with your father with a grain of salt, I've never met mine, or had a conversation with him, never will. I didn't know who he was till I was in my 30s, and then I was told he had died, but found out in my 40s he was still alive, but had no idea where he was. I found out where he was with the help of my half brother, on my mother's side, a few years later, but he died a couple of years ago before I could contact him. Not sure I wanted to, my Mum didn't seem to want me to, and he never tried, so I'm not that bothered by it. But I'm pretty certain I have some other half siblings out there though. Families can be complicated.

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It can take me a while to process things, but thanks for the words, much appreciated.

You seem to know me well............. yes detailing, yes some Kylie (ok, a lot of Kylie) and a drive this afternoon helped a lot.

Dad has cancer. They seem to think they got it in time before being allowed to spread. He may or may not need treatment but is open to anything. He has been to more appointments and procedures in the last few months than he has his whole life. So, I know he is scared and has been very brave, even if he doesn't show it. I've been holding it all in, I don't want to make it about me even though I'm struggling with it.

I only found out very late in the piece, part from being told very early on that it wasn't cancer, part of that trying not to worry and not probing for information, part of it from Dad not wanting to tell me about it. I feel terrible about this, feeling as if I failed him, especially considering how he has had to take me to more surgeries and appointments than he probably should have.
 
Number plate fitment has been a tricky thing with S550 Mustang's, the crease in the front bumper making a clean installation of the number plate a bit hit and miss.

Prior to delivery, it's also important to insist on the dealer NOT using the hideously ugly OE black plastic number plate bracket. This may not apply to S650, but definitely something I'm being proactive about.

Thankfully, my S550 didn't come fitted OE bracket as pictured below.................



The above is especially important for those using slim-line number plates, the bracket making the plate look lost and more of an eyesore than it already is.............

There are a number of different solutions to this aspect of the car. The stow-n-show type seem to be popular, but they end up looking goofy in my opinion. For me, I want the number plate to be a clean install and in the correct position, rather than an afterthought, crooked or located where it ends up looking out of place.

I came across this company that are making number plate brackets from black anodized aluminum. This solves the issue of variation between Australian and US-spec number plates, meaning the bracket and not the actual plate is attached to the bumper.

Buy Number Plate Brackets - By Flow Designs Australia



They make brackets to suit the various plate designs from each state, supplied with black stainless hardware and deliver a clean, floating fit. I also like how they also sell an adaptor to allow simple vertical adjustments.

Buy Number Plate Brackets - By Flow Designs Australia

So, I took the plunge and ordered one, along with the adaptor kit just in case.









It's very nicely made! I think I want one for the rear now too.

Yes, an expensive solution, but one that I think matters on a car like the Mustang.
 
Very nice piece of kit, I don't mind paying for quality. Not as expensive as my front number plate mounting bracket, powder coated steel and it comes with fog lights, and a mounting point for my light bar.

There are a lot of custom storage solutions available for the FJ on eBay, cool looking stuff, but very expensive. You can even get gun racks for the suicide doors, so you have quick access to your AR-15.
572987c36f115f9e57ba89ada6f7efbc.jpg


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No pictures today, it wasn't the place for that. Took the old man for a drive in the Mustang today. Nowhere special, just the loooong way to the supermarket.

Recent events have sort of scared us all, and it's making me be much more conscious of being present. I somehow managed to get us both talking.

I'm not sure he liked a 2nd and 3rd gear pull to the redline, but I certainly enjoyed showing/sharing with him why I love this car so much.
 
DFB said:
Can't say I'm surprised.

Came across this S650 GT online the other day, can you spot the screw up in this picture?

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Took me a while, but I found it. I'm guessing they were covered in plastic till they reached the dealer.

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DFB said:
Can't say I'm surprised.

Came across this S650 GT online the other day, can you spot the screw up in this picture?

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One blue Recaro and one white

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Klasse Act said:
One blue Recaro and one white

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Correct!

Not an isolated case though, I've seen similar things on S550's as well, one guy ended up with non-matching door trims, whole back seats not matching the front trim, the wrong tail lights (as in pre-facelift items fitted to post facelift car.).....................and so on and so on. Makes me wonder if I'm doing the right thing buying a new one.
 
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