TheWolf

Just checked out their website, some very nice cars. Looks like he will have lots of fun with those. Thanks for the info, Rich.

Most of my best gifts I have bought myself, saves my wife from having to figure out what to buy. Go ahead and post what you want/need, even if your peeps won't buy it for you, I would still like to see some good gift ideas.

Since it has been a few weeks since I found out Nick was leaving AP, and there have been no official announcements, I decided to start up a thread so we can all thank Nick for everything he has done for us. While not an officially authorized thread, I figured since Nick is no longer listed on the Our Story page of the website, that it was no longer a secret or anything. I know that I would not be a customer, or on this forum, if it had not been for Nick posting good information on the Ford Raptor Forum, answering all my emailed questions, and giving encouragement and positive feedback. I also enjoyed his excellent detailing write-ups and really had some good laughs at his witty humor. So thanks Nick! I wish you the best of luck in your new adventure, keep in touch and let us know how you are doing in your next chapter.

Really? You guys don't want any detailing stuff for Christmas?

Right now it is $114 on Amazon, which is a few bucks less than when I ordered it. I may have to get a second one so I don't have to keep sharing this one with the kids! http://www.amazon.com/Traxion-2-700-ProGear-Mobile-Gear/dp/B00M2QMHK6/ref=pd_sim_auto_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0NA86J654PMRWXX35NTY

Yes, the five inch wheels go over stuff much better than the smaller casters. They roll over cracks and expansion joints in the concrete much better, rolling over cords is a little better but still takes a push, better off keeping the cords out of the way if possible.

Hanging upside down, during the daytime.

Hey Dan the goat man - here is a side-by-side of the Craftsman Professional stool that you have and the Traxion ProGear, both at their lowest position. The ProGear is a few inches shorter. Also, I had switched out the castors on the Craftsman to a softer wheel, but they were about the same size or maybe just a bit taller.

I run the CR Spotless and use it for the entire wash process. I got about 12 washes out of the resin, which makes for some pretty high ongoing costs. It would last longer with just using it for rinses but it is easier if I don't have to worry about sun or trying to hurry before the wash water dries. The life of the resin also depends on how hard your water is. Mine is not too hard, about 140 ppm. From your descriptions and pictures, I would guess your water is harder, maybe in the 250-300 ppm range. If you are interested in a DI system, first test your water and then use their tables to figure out how many gallons you will get for each resin refill. The last thing you would want to do is drop the big money on the unit only to find that the cost per wash is too high. Here's a link to the info on the CR Spotless and there is a table showing the total gallons that can be made based on your hardness. The big variable is how many gallons you would use for each wash. http://www.crspotless.com/spotless-water-facts/

Tried out my new Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine. While it will work great on my truck, I had to do the house first to justify buying it. "See honey, it makes the carpets really clean. I will store it in the garage so it is out of the way." This thing is way better than the homeowner grade Bissell machines like Costco sells. Being commercial grade, it has way more suction than a standard one. Carpets dried in just a few hours, with the old one it took overnight to dry. After watching Adam's video, I used his brushing technique to show off on the stairs.

I would test your water for hardness, as hard water will impair how well the soap rinses off. You can get a TDS meter like this one: HM Digital TDS-3 Meter I assume you are using CWS, but try adding a few ounces of RW to your bucket, along with the CWS, and see if it helps with getting a clean rinse after you are done washing.

I also ended up with some very fine scratches after doing a Detail Spray wipe-down at a car show a few months ago and the Single Soft Towels were brand new. When I noticed the scratches at the next wash, I just figured I had picked up too much dust on the drive to the show. I just checked my Single Soft Towels and most of them have this same problem where the edge seaming ends and is melted. It scratched the CD, but I also was able to scratch the CD with the edge threads on any type of towel, if I rubbed the CD hard enough. I think for polishing, I will stick to the Double Soft Towels.

Thanks Greg! Yes, it seems like it did make the paint cleaner. Using APC with a wash pad doesn't seem like it cleans as well as using the Revive with a machine. While the APC did strip most of the remaining protection off, the mechanical action of the machine along with the cleansers in the Revive would be sure to leave the paint completely clean. Using it with the white foam finishing pads on the Cyclo, it did make some improvements to very minor scratches. I don't think the very minor correcting would be the same applying the Revive by hand. This was my first time using Revive and I found that it did add some depth to the paint. My goal with the strip washes, Revive polish and IPA wipe-down was to see if having super-clean paint results in the LPS lasting longer. When I did the first detail this spring, I don't think the paint was clean enough since there was likely some wax left over from the DS used during the claying. After 6 months, I was still getting decent beading but did notice an increase in beading if I dried with DS, rather than just air-drying with the Sidekick.

It was time for the Fall Detail to add some fresh layers of protection before it starts to snow. While there were a some very minor scratches and scuffs, I did not do any paint correction as I plan to only do that for the Spring Details. With the snow, ice, road sand and deicing chemicals, there will be some inadvertent paint damage that will need to be addressed next time. Also, since I did the wheels a few weeks ago and did a full interior detail last weekend, the steps shown only addressed the exterior body of the truck. FALL DETAIL AND WINTER PROTECTION Strip washed the truck with pressure washer and foam cannon containing 4oz CWS and 2oz APC, used a wool wash pad and rinsed it in the grit guard bucket between panels, thorough rinse with DI water. Clay bar treatment with DS. Rinsed off residue with pressure washer, wiped down with 50% APC dilution and wash mitt, DI rinse and then dried with Metro Sidekick. Finish drying with Great White Drying Towel. Applied Glass Sealant to the windows. I did this first to make is easier to remove residue when I put QS on the window trim. Applied QS to all plastic and trim, leveled with foam applicator and wiped residue with Singe Soft Towel. Polished with Revive, using the Cyclo and White Foam Finishing Pads. Removed residue with Double Soft Towels. Used the Metro Sidekick to blow off the polish dust that collects in the nooks and crannies. Wipe down paint with 50% IPA dilution and Single Soft Towels. Sprayed the towels rather than the paint to keep from stripping the QS off the trim. Applied another coat of QS to the trim to add additional protection from staining and to seal the paint right next to the trim. LPS with Black Machine Sealant Pads on the Cyclo, removed residue with Double Soft Towels. Americana Paste Wax with Black Machine Waxing Pads on the Cyclo, removed residue with Double Soft Towels. Since I did not want to strip the sealant off the wheels, I covered them with cardboard to keep the foam off. Here's the lineup. Since I rinsed with DI water, I did not have to dry or worry about water spots before using the clay bar. And some Revive Polish to clean the paint so the sealant gets a good bond. The towel on the left removed the residue from the Revive, but the two towels on the right show additional residue removal with a wipe-down using the IPA dilution. I think having the paint as clean as possible is important for the longevity of the sealant. One big benefit to the Cyclo on a truck this big is that I can reach the middle of the roof without having to lean against the side. Time to do the laundry. I will give these a rinse and then presoak them overnight in a wash bucket with 3oz of MFR&B. Then I will run them through the washer and dryer. And the required "Product Reflection Photo". Photos of the final results to follow...

What? No pics? I want to see this "Boo boo van" with a fresh coat of QS.

See Rule #4. Also, I tried to PM you and it said you cannot receive any new messages, maybe your inbox is full?

That would be nice! Please post the make, model, price and a link.

How do you like your new ProGear Race Seat stool?

Traxion ProGear Race Seat, $118 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M2QMHK6/ref=ox_ya_os_product_refresh_T1 http://www.traxionproducts.com/products/progear/ProGear-Race-Seat

Gift Ideas for the Adam's Detailer For all the spouses, friends, parents, relatives, neighbors and bosses who are blessed to have a serious detailer in their life, here is a thread with all the things they might want or need. So for Christmas, birthday, anniversary, holiday, graduation, or any Friday that you need to show your appreciation to your special detailer, choose an item from this guide and they will be forever grateful. A FEW RULES (for those who like order in their lives) Post only one item, it can be something you have and love or something you want/need, include price and link(s) to make it easy for the shoppers. Items should generally be specific to detailing; such as tools, equipment, storage and organization, shop/garage décor, etc. Only non-Adams products please, obviously we would all want more of any Adam's product! Please do not post competitor's products (violators will be banned and their entire Adam's collection will be confiscated and sent to me). Attempt to stay on topic, to make it easy to scroll through the ideas. Pictures are helpful.

Nice work Brian! What did you use on the tires?

Way to go Dave!

Do you use Quick Sealant on your wheels? With weekly washes and maintaining a protective layer of sealant, try just using CWS. That's all I have been using this summer. When they get too dirty and the CWS is not getting them clean, then go to one of the wheel cleaners. Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I do believe the GWC will strip the QS off the wheels, which would require re-sealing the wheels after each wash.

Good work. Clean wheels are happy wheels!