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I don't have any pics from today and it's dark out at the moment, but here's one from earlier. I can't wait for Spring to get here so I can get out my new polisher and really perfect the paint.

I've had a bottle of H20 Guard & Gloss for a while but haven't taken the time to try it out. I'd heard that it works really well and is easy to apply. My Alpine white 2011 BMW Z4 was needing a new application of LSP, so I figured I'd give it a try. I used the dry method in my garage and it couldn't have been easier. Just spray it on a damp towel, wipe it on, and buff it off with a dry towel. I really didn't expect it to make a lot of difference; my Z4 was pretty shiny already. But it really did give it an extra boost of gloss. People say white cars are boring, but when it comes to a bright white Z4 with this kind of shine, I have to disagree.

Harbor Freight has a nice polypropylene cart that is 30in x 16in ($100, but you can usually find a 20% coupon on their web site). That's what I've been using. I'd like to add locking casters on it though. If you want it even smaller, you could probably assemble it without the handle.

I'm not saying that the hex grip applicator is bad by any stretch of the imagination. It's still better than any of the other applicators I've tried. The turtle-back shape just feels a bit more natural to me, and I can get into the groove around the rim better. Having your fingers near the tip just gives you a bit more control. As with any tool, some just feel more natural to people than others. But if you haven't tried the turtle-back shape, you might be surprised after you try it.

Sorry, I should have included some action shots. This is the part where this type of sponge really shines. Getting that small lip around the rim on wide tires.

While I love almost all of the tools from Adam's, I like to use a tire dressing applicator idea I got from another site. This person uses a turtle-back grout sponge cut in half. The shape of the sponge fits into your hand perfectly and allows you to get into tight areas better than any other applicator I have tried (the tire dressing applicator from Adam's is my second choice). The grout sponge isn't perfect though. It generally only works well if you get it damp first, and then after it dries, it hardens and has to be wet down again to use it. It also soaks up a lot of product. I had a couple of Adam's foam blocks and realized that it was almost the same size as the 1/2 grout sponge, plus it didn't have any of the problems that the grout sponge has. So I figured I'd hack it (literally) into the same shape as the grout sponge. Now I have the best of both worlds! Here is the full grout sponge. This is what the applicator looks like when you cut the sponge in half. Using an electric knife, I was able to carve the same shape from the Adam's foam block. Here is the final product compared to my previous applicator.

I was just wondering what surfaces the interior and exterior detail sprays are safe to use on. I've started using the exterior detailer in the house for dusting coffee table, speakers, woodwork, etc. It does a great job, although the cats aren't as fond of the slippery tables. It seems like exterior detailer would be safe for any exterior car surface including convertible tops and trim, so that would include vinyl and plastic. For the most part, that's what car interiors are made of as well; the one difference would be that leather is likely only going to be found interiors. With the similarities in materials, So what are the primary differences are between the interior detail spray and exterior detail spray?

The Final Version I sewed some elastic straps into the CD case that I had shown previously. There wasn't a good spot to sew to in the spine, so I used some hairpins (which worked surprisingly well) to hold the elastic down in the fold. I also added some simple labels to the bottles, and viola! With everything reorganized, I was able to get the fourth bottle back in. I also added a travel toothbrush to handle spot scrubbing. The only thing I think I would like to change would be to get a smaller utility towel. I'd rather have two small ones rather than one full size one. The full kit is for my Z4, but I wanted a smaller one for the truck and daily driver. I weaned the cleaners down to two: a waterless wash known to work well on interiors as well, and a fabric cleaner (since the truck has cloth seats). Again, I'd like to get a smaller utility towel because the full size towel takes up quite a bit of space. I'm pretty happy with the results, but as with any emergency kit, I always want one handy but I hope I don't have to use it often.

I love this tool. I got the limited edition white one with the big "A" logo on it. It works as good as it looks. I was actually kind of stunned when I first turned it on. It puts out a strong stream of air. I think I could do light leaf blowing with this thing. It's fantastic for getting water out of crevices and around badges.

The Prototype After looking around for a nice zippered case, it dawned on me that CD cases are really close to the size that I'm looking for. So I went to the local Hastings and found a 72 CD case that looked like it would hold everything I wanted. I found some "2 oz" spray bottles at the grocery store (they actually hold closer to 3 oz). Squeezing four in was a bit tight, so I decided to scrap the glass cleaner. Either detail spray or waterless wash could be used for glass anyway. I cut the CD sleeves out of the case, folded the microfibers in thirds, and placed everything in the case. I used some cheap sandwich bags to hold each of the towels and to store them in after they've been used. The final touch would be to add some elastic straps to hold things in place so they don't fall out when you open it. It's a bit big to put in a glove box, but it should fit under most seats. Getting it down to a single-width CD would be preferable, but that would require some smaller towels. Overall, I think this might work.

The more I think about it. I think I'd like something a bit more compact than that. I'm thinking something that might fit in the armrest storage in many vehicles. I'm going to head to the office supply store and look for some sort of zippered organizer that might be able to hold 4 bottles and a couple of towels. I may have to downside the bottles to 3oz or so. Something like this would be good for professional detailers as well as an up-sell. They could sell it to people who get detail jobs and may want to handle these little emergencies between full details. I think the packaging would have to be very elegant to pull it off though.

That is really close, and may be the starting point for making one of my own. I don't know that tire shine and h2o guard are something I would always keep with me. Finding a nice pouch that holds everything snuggly and organized is going to be the trickier part.

I've been wanting to put a small pouch of detailing products in each of my vehicles for those times when you are out and about and you need to clean off a bird bomb, bugs, soda spill, etc. and it just can't wait until you get home. I don't like having to carry around full-size bottles of products; I just need a small amount to keep in place for "emergencies." I was thinking that having a pouch with a 4oz bottle each of detail spray, waterless wash, leather/interior cleaner, and glass cleaner along with one single soft (or borderless gray) towel and one or two utility towels. That should be enough to tide you over for most road trips. I'm sure if I dug around enough I could find the bottles and a decent pouch, but if the Adam's team could do it for me, I'm sure it would come out much more elegantly. Put me down for 3 when they become available!

I have the Westin one on my 1999 Chevy K2500 and I like it a lot. It went on in about 30 minutes and looks great. I don't know that any of these bull bars are strong enough to be used for anything other than mounting lights or for looking cool. Taking that into account, you might as well just get the one you like the looks of most. My guess is that the better name brands will install easier and won't rust out as quickly as some off-brand from eBay or other discount outlet.

I don't recall exactly, but it may have. I already threw the rag in the laundry pile and I'm not sure which one it was. I'm just getting into detailing, so I'm still learning. I take it raw aluminum is more sensitive than some other types of wheels?

No, I let it dwell for a minute or two, agitated, then rinsed. It did look kind of look like etched in drip marks, so maybe it got drier than I thought.

I didn't take any pictures. I tried a couple of things right away to get rid of the streaks and the mag wheel polish worked. The wheels were cool. The car had been sitting outside in 60 degree weather for a couple of hours. I'm not exactly sure what finish these wheels have on them. They sell the same wheels on eBay and it says it's painted silver. http://www.ebay.com/itm/17-OEM-Alloy-Wheel-Rim-for-2003-2004-2005-2006-2007-2008-Mazda-6-/400860278649

I've seen Adam's APC get used a lot for tire and wheel cleaning, so I've been trying it out too. Today I tried it full-strength on my 2004 Mazda 6 wheels. These wheels have been fairly neglected and are a bit dull, but the coloring is fairly even. However, after using APC on them, it left horrible streaks on them that didn't come off after drying. I had to get out some mag wheel polish I had laying around and polish the streaks out. Are there some wheel types that this product shouldn't be used on?

Technically, volume would probably be the more accurate way since the fluid have different densities, but we aren't doing rocket science. I just like this method because using the scale is easier than measuring.

One of the things that I learned when I started detailing is that a lot of products come in concentrates that get diluted and put into spray bottles. I made quite a few messes trying to pour from gallon jugs into smaller bottles and looked at various devices to help measure and proportion products, but nothing seemed like a great solution. I came up with some ways of dealing with it that I thought others might find useful. If you have your own tips, I'd love to hear them. Diluting products Diluting products scares a lot of people because it requires calculating lots of fractions. Add to that the fact that we in the USA are still stuck with the English measurement system. Here is a way of diluting products that makes computing and measuring water and products much easier. 1. Put the empty bottle on a kitchen scale and use the zero-set function so that you aren't including the weight of the bottle (and funnel) in the reading. 2. Determine the number of grams (don't use ounces; metric is so much easier) your bottle holds at the neck. A 32oz bottle should be close to 907gm; a 16oz bottle is around 454gm. Using this technique, you really know how big the bottle is, not just the advertised size. 3. Determine the amount of water to use. water-gm = ( bottle-gm * num-parts-water ) / total-num-parts For example, a 5:1 dilution in a 822gm bottle would be: water-gm = ( 822gm * 5 ) / ( 5 + 1 ) water-gm = 4110gm / 6 water-gm = 685gm 4. Use the kitchen scale to find the fill line on the bottle by filling it with distilled water until the readout is 685gm. Being a few grams off isn’t a problem (7gm is only 1/4oz). 5. Mark the bottle with vinyl tape or a marker. 6. Top off the bottle with desired product (see next section). No measuring or proportioning needed! 7. When refilling, just fill up with water to the line, then top off again with the product. Pouring products from a gallon jug into a bottle Pouring products into smaller bottles can make a mess if you don’t use the proper technique. Unfortunately, gallon jugs seem to be designed to make it hard, but with the following steps, you’ll see that it’s not difficult to fill small bottles without spilling. 1. Put the jug on the counter in front of you with the handle facing away and the spout towards you. 2. Hook your right thumb through the handle and grasp it with your fingers over the top. 3. Lift the jug and let it rest on your bicep. The spout should be directly over your shoulder. 4. Grab your bottle and place the opening against the spout of the gallon jug. Tip: Screw on funnels help with this, but with a little practice, you won’t even need those. 5. Carefully tip the jug down and fill the bottle to the neck. Labeling spray heads Most bottles are labeled on the side, but if you have them in a rack or on a cart, the labels can be hard to see. Why not put the labels on the spray head instead where you can always see it? Many of the better brands of products use a spray head that has a nice smooth and roomy top on them, just the right size for a label maker label. 1. Get a label maker and labels that are water resistant (not paper). 2. Enter the label text using easy to remember abbreviations. You only get about a dozen characters, but it’s usually enough to get the gist. 3. Stick the label to the top of the sprayer and enjoy!

I got a couple of the pressurizer sprayers and these things are *nice*. I've been trying all kinds of pump sprayers lately and none of them work well with thicker liquids except the one that Adam's sells. I want a fine mist for spraying fender well dressings and this one can actually do it. The rest just spatter out a wet drizzle. The one thing I would love, love, love is an extender tip (maybe 8" or so) so I could get into fender wells with low clearance. If anyone has any ideas on how to retrofit something, I'd love to hear it.

Well, if you insist...

I recently got into detailing after buying what I consider to be my first really nice car: 2011 BMW Z4. I started reading forums and buying all sorts of detailing products and tools, and I've been pretty happy with most of them. I recently purchased some things from Adam's and thought they seemed pretty nice. Part of my purchase were some double and single soft microfibers. I had already spent a fair amount of money on microfibers on other sites and thought they were supposed to be really good, but I didn't know what good was until I got my Adam's order. These white microfibers from Adam's are insane! The double soft seems like total overkill, but I'm sure it has its uses. I used the singles today to apply some detail spray. I was stunned at how nice they were. Even cleanup was better than my others. I was worried with them being white that they would stain easily (my other microfibers stained right off the bat). But they came out perfectly clean after one wash! I will definitely be ordering more of these and trying out more Adam's products. Now I just feel bad for spending all of that money on other sites when I probably could have found everything I needed right here.