kaj41354

Looks great Adam!  Nice job☺️

Applied Tire Armor today. Took about an hour all toll, from getting all the tools, etc. ready to cleanup. First things first since we usually love them...the smell will likely not be one of your favorites. Smells like household paint. But the application was pretty straightforward. Longest, "most difficult" part was cleaning the tires thoroughly, but that wasn't too bad. Took 3-4 passes with TRC to get completely white foam. I also cleaned the wheels and fenders so that added some of the time mentioned earlier.
 
I only applied one coat, which left a satin/VRT-like finish. The directions said another coat could be applied after 10-15 minutes to give added gloss, which I assume is more Tire Shine-like. But this was my first try so wanted to see how one coat does for look and durability. They look pretty good (though I like them shinier), and the durability is TBD. I'll update this post over the next few weeks. But after driving once on a dirt road, no dust stuck to them.
 
Some lessons learned:
- I first tried a grey MF pad, but the results were lacking. Then I followed the directions on the bottle and switched to a grey foam tire block. MUCH better.
- Directions say to use "4-5 sprays into tread block and covering the majority of the surface area." I think that's somewhat misleading. I needed quite a few more all around the tire to get even coverage.
- Some got ontol the rims while I was spreading it. Not sure what effect it might have, but it's not really noticeable.
 
Now for pictures...
 
Before

 
During...white foam = clean tires

 
Dried, clean tires to work with

 
After...

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all! 

Welcome to the forum Sean.  Nice looking Mini

Site is being updated as we speak 
 
GLASS CLEANER THAT SMELLS LIKE ROOTBEER!!!!  Say no more!

Welcome Kevin!  Nice rides

I prepped my Tacoma for winter last weekend. Thanks to my friend, @falcaineer, I got to choose between my normal PS and his recently acquired CPW. I decided to try CPW for a change. 
 
It went on and came off as quickly and easily as PS, which was nice. (Thanks, again, to @falcaineer for his help in applying it!) It shines as well (or better) than PS does. (Silver is a difficult color on which to judge!) It provided great beading action in today's precipitation. I look forward to learning how its durability compares, but I suspect having some Ceramic Boost on-hand won't hurt...

Thank you Kurt, the White one is mine, the other one is my friends.

Wow @shane@detailedreflections Sounds like you have a lot of things that you are thankful for. Congrats to you and your family. That is awesome your daughter is playing soccer in college. I am extremely thankful for everything in my life. I am thankful for all you on this amazing forum as well. Each and every one of you.  I have made a lot of friends on here and I am very grateful for that. Thanks to everyone. Be safe and enjoy the holidays!🦃

Thanksgiving is right around the corner from us, and I remember last year taking a few moments and writing a post about what I was thankful for!  I figured I'd start it again where people can share what they're thankful for.  Something positive!
 
The last year has brought about a ton of changes for us, both a business and me personally.  On a personal level, it seems my family grew significantly and unexpectedly.  We are now a foster home for my wife's cousin's four children.  The challenges are endless, but I can say we are doing a good thing.  Despite the battles we have with DCF and occasionally the children themselves, I know they're in a better place because we've opened our home to them.  They are now safe, cared for, healthy and fed properly.  We still haven't wrapped our heads around all that they've been through and know the road will be long and full of questions but it's a journey that will shape who we are as individuals and as a family.  Thankfully my wife and I have a strong relationship and can weather the many storms this whole situation can and has brought about.
 
My daughter finished out her senior year of high school soccer and is going to be going to Elmira College in NY on a partial soccer scholarship to play goalkeeper for them.  She's excited, and I'm glad we were able to end the college search when we did and before our family situation changed.
 
Business wise...man, we've grown so much.  A little less than two years ago, I wouldn't have imagined us being where we are now.  We were just a couple of guys in a garage trying to keep some cars clean and make a few dollars.  This year we've added a new member to the team who's still learning, but killing it and putting in full effort when we give him the task.  I made a comment in our "latest work thread" as I looked back through and can see how we've grown so much.  We've been accredited by a leader in the detailing field, we've installed another bay and have it set up in a fashion that allows us to really expand our product.  So far this year we've already grown more than four times in terms of sales numbers.  The number still isn't a huge one by comparison, but I'm happy with the growth and that we've been able to keep up.  We still haven't even put money into advertising.  Everything we do is word of mouth and social media so to be able to keep work coming in is pretty awesome.  Looking back at photos, the quality of our finished products is improving.  We still have much growth to achieve and so much to learn still.  But we are making it happen!
 
Oh yeah, and in the spring we had our first detailing clinic which was a lot of fun for us.  It was even attended by some forum members.  We already have the next one planned and it sounds like it's going to be bigger and better.
 
I'm thankful for online communities such as this one.  We can learn from other members here, and have the opportunity to give back and help encourage people's enthusiasm for what they do.  When people see what they can achieve, it pushes them to do more.  We are happy to be a part of that growth and experience for members here.  I plan to stick around and answer as many questions as we can on the forum or that are sent to us!
 
And most of all, I'm thankful that I actually get Thanksgiving off this year and get to spend it with my family.  I can't say the same for Christmas, but it comes with the territory of my career.  I'll take what I can get and be happy.
 
Happy Thanksgiving.  Enjoy the time with your families and take a moment to take it all in.  We are lucky to be here.
 
 
 

I used the Adam's Detail Spray the other night. Later Wife got home and asked, what's that smell ?  I had to think about it for a sec.
Then I thought well I din't let one out so she must be referring to the strawberry smell of the Adams Detail Spray!   Wife approved of the smell.
cheers!
 
 

Welcome Josh!  Nice looking ride

Haha, currently waiting on the, liquid paint sealant, h20 g&g, wheel cleaner, detail spray and shampoo. And can’t wait to have a nice warm day to give my Road Glide and Mk6 gti some love 

I should have probably also stated it depends on the material ....I have a spray bottle of Diluted (32:1) APC that I use on all the jambs...and then if it is just light dust it gets WW, DS or RW for the metal also VRT on any rubber inserts.  I treat painted metal outside and inside the same as well as trim made from plastic or rubber

The absolute best way to clean door jambs is steam and APC. The two combined get rid of the nasty grime that gets built up in them. 
 
Otherwise APC alone and be ready to scrub a bit and go through some towels. 

Depends on current condition.  I have used diluted APC,  WW, DS, or RW (diluted) depending on the amount of dirt.

For a new car I would start with not letting the dealer put their "$250 paint protect" that is really just a spray wax that last for a few weeks or a drive through a rain storm or a really good wash job. Next I would use the iron remover to get all the over spray and rail/transportation dust off the paint. Start next by washing the wheels/tires/inner fenders. Next give it a good 2 bucket and foam cannon wash. Dry the car using a big microfiber towel. You could seal the windshield now if you wanted. Next use the clay bar/clay mit with detail spray (the pink product) to remove any further containments. Now get the Paint Sealant which you could apply by hand or machine. Coat everything including headlights and plastic trim parts. Coat your tires with tire shine. The paint sealant should last for several months depending on the conditions you drive in. For the washed in between paint sealant coats (I call them maintenance washes) wash your car the same way as above minus the iron remover and clay bar after treatment. However this time when drying the car use the H2O Guard and Gloss using 1 wet microfiber towel and come behind with a dry towel. You can save a little if you wash your car weekly like I do by using the Guard and Gloss every 3rd wash. If you really want a boost shine in between you can always use the detail spray after a wash. When not using the Guard and Gloss I use air to dry my car, however you can still dry it using a great white microfiber towel. Just remember the whole main goal when cleaning is to avoid scratches. Hope this helps. Happy cleaning.

For those times that even the Rupes Nano is too big, we have just received the AutoTriz nano polisher. This kit goes down to the size of a tube of chap stick. It’s going to be perfect for around emblems, interior panels that need some love. You essentially hold it like a pen while it’s connected to a rotary polisher. 
 
We don’t want super high speed, but our DeWalt rotary has a nice speed setting on it. We figured this was the best use of that old polisher while we wait for our Rupes Rotary to ship. 
 
Anyway, check it out!  I’ll post some more once we put it to use. And don’t be afraid to ask questions!  We are going next level!
 

 

 

 

Here are some pics Chuck sent me from the show floor. Someone from the Adams booth needs to give it a detail spray wipe down in the morning !

Welcome Alan

Congrats Matt!

Welcome to the forum

I don't judge. Not everyone has the money for something fancy. Maybe it's their first car and they're proud to own it and want to show it off. Maybe they've never been to a show before and they're just learning.  Rather than talk about them, I'll go over and start to talk to them, and then get the talk around about Adam's and what it can do for their car. But I'll also tell them that if Adam's isn't in their budget yet, that there are good products from Wal Mart that they can use to learn with.  We all start somewhere.  The only thing I really get picky on is when someone who DOES have $$ and brings their $100,000 ride to a show with swirls and crappy paint.  And then act like an arsehole and superior to others.  Those are the guys I avoid. 

Back in March, I purchase my first Classic Car in 20 years.  A 1959 Morris Minor 1000 Traveller.  Now that I am retired I had more time to spend working on and detailing the car.  My neighbor recommended Adam's products and I took the plunge.  Well, needless to say, I quickly became addicted.  I want to thank everyone on this forum for their advice when it came to the steps I took. It had been 20 years since I really did any serious detailing and boy have things changed (for the better IMHO).  The car got Strip wash, Clayed, Correcting Polish, Finishing Polish, Paint Sealant, Brilliant Glaze and Buttery Wax on the first go 'round.  Also, Leather & Interior Cleaner, as well as Leather Conditioner on the interior and Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner on the Carpets.  The windows got the full treatment and the chrome gets Brilliant glaze.  I have also tried wusing H2O G&G and Ceramic Boost after washing (Love the ceramic Boost).  I take Maggie to at least one show each week (weather permitting) and as you can tell by the picture, she has done quite well.  14 Trophies since the first show on April 20. Very proud of the car and the shine as I let everyone know it because of the Adam's products.  Now, if they would just come out with a product to handle the woood....

I wrote an article a while back that’s often referenced. So I’ll drop it here...
 
Maybe we can make that a pinned post?  It’s frequently referenced, so it’s just a thought?  Sometime this winter I’ll probably add a piece on rotary polishers to it.