them240i

This was one wild and frustrating winter. I was rear ended in mid-December by a guy who was inattentive, and completely missed the turquoise coupe stopped at the light (read: me). I knew that it was going to be a battle when he attempted to offer me $1000 to repair the bumper. That was not going to fly, and then he told me that there was a "problem with [his] insurance," on that specific vehicle (late 1980's GMC panel truck). I figured that this was going to be an uninsured motorist claim, so I advised my own insurance company, and forwarded them the dash cam footage that has be stopped at the red light, and even the camera recorded the impact from the the truck. 

However, it turns out that the guy *does* have insurance, but they are debating whether to cover it as apparently the truck failed smog inspection, so it did not have a valid registration. Weeks turn into months, as the other insurance company continues to slow walk their 'investigation.' The estimate from the collision center was between $4100 and $5000 (using all OEM parts), and a few days after getting that done, the other driver calls me to once again offer me $1000. I then tell him that the $1000 would be insufficient, as the estimate dwarfs that. 

Fast forward to late-March, when my insurance company calls me to let me know that the person who was handling the file at the other driver's insurance (Infinity) "was no longer with the company," and apparently had done nothing. 😡 

Finally, on the last week of March, I was cleared to have the repairs completed as it was going to be filed as an uninsured motorist claim. The final total for repairs was $4490, plus an additional supplement of $900 for extra paint shop time. 

So finally, I have my car back, and even though it was detailed at the collision center, I needed to go over it again. And of course, I've ordered a ceramic coating kit since the paint is fresh. 😁

One thing that I was impressed with was that after 7 months since the last time I cleaned the engine bay, there was just a little bit of dust, which was taken care of with some DS and then I used VRT on the plastic bits, as well as the rubber gasket that runs around the engine compartment. 

I had been delaying the inevitable for a few weeks now, since it was oppressively hot, and my car had to go in for its yearly maintenance last week, I bit the bullet and washed off all of the dust, grime, and other pollutants that had landed on the paint surface. I was planning on using WW, but I inspected the paint and found that there was just too much for the WW. 

I do have to say, I love using BG on the windows and lights, as it adds just a little bit extra over DS. 

Yesterday, I finally took the time to get some of the dust off of my toy as it is sitting in the garage. 

I washed the wheels first with a 1:1 eAPC for the tires, wheels, wheel well, and surrounding panels. Then, I hit the tires with TRC, followed by WC. After that, I used UF soap, but I had to act quickly as the sun was strong, but the washing step seems to be the quickest part of the process.

After rinsing, I immediately brought the car inside the garage to cool down and dry off, using DS as the lubricant. Following that, I waxed all panels with BW and used BG on the external glass and lights. Today I’m going to focus on the interior. 

4 hours ago, Captain Slow said:

i spent the day yesterday with my 21MM Swirl Killer and old trusty PC for 3” pad duty fixing the mess my local Chevy dealer left on  my SS. I totally brain farted on telling them NO WASHING the car so it went into the scratch tube. I felt sick when I went back to service department to pick it up and saw dirty water dripping off of it. 😳😥

 

Once I got home I pulled it in the garage as I didn’t want to see it in full sun.💔

 

I  could see the damage under the garage lights so off to the basement I went for supplies.  Adam’s Rinseless wash was used for preliminary cleaning. I clayed using ONR as a clay lube with Adam’s clay bar and clay mitt. Then it was polish time. Most came out with just one pass but I did need to compound the above section on the hood. Sadly this removed my application of Adam’s Coating so I used a competitor’s coating and topped it with Ceramic Boost both yesterday and today.

 

Today I saw the March forecast and it’s upper 40’s to upper 50’s for the next few weeks so off went the winter wheel/tires replaced by the summer wheel/tires. Wheels were coated with a competitor’s wheel coating last fall with Adam’s Tire Shine on the tires. During the winter I frequently hit the summer wheels with Adam’s Ceramic Boost so we’re good to go. 

 

 

On a side note I’m done with that Chevy dealer but not because of the scratches.

 

First I discovered this morning that after they pulled the car into scratch tube they turned off f my dash cam but turned it back on after they pulled it in to the service lane...  14 minutes later.   🤔

 

Second was the left rear lug nuts were all loose.   I discovered this today while changing the wheels. Their oversight could have ended tragically.
 

The first is suspicious the second is inexcusable.

I love the car, but the dealership’s action are not proper. I would probably speak to the Service Manager first to see what happened. By chance, do you record your odometer readings before and after service, or notice what the fuel level was? 

On another note, I wanted to get the dust off of the car, so I hit it with some WW and followed by BG. BG is amazing and the car looks like the day that I picked it up from the dealer. 

Finall got my hand on my SO’s Outback. And now it is properly clean. 

And I went the extra mile and applied some VRT to all of those trim panels. It was very satisfying. 

2 minutes ago, RayS said:

I have a stack of warn out borderless grey and single softs that are my go to towels for anything that might degrade them even more.  I think shop towels would be fine for the wheels as long they aren't the ones that feel like sandpaper.

They don't have any grit to them as they are brand new (got them in bulk from Harbor Freight). 

However, now I know that the WW does work on wheels! 

19 hours ago, RayS said:

Hi Fred,

I use WW on my wheels if they aren't too nasty, but I generally use a lower grade towel since you never know what might be on them.  

Would generic shop towels be ok for that then? Or should I use something like the utility towel? 

I saw the dilution ratios for the Rinseless Wash, I'm assuming that no dilution is necessary for the Waterless Wash? 

Yesterday, I was planning on doing a full detail of my car, but it started to rain, so I switched my plan to using Waterless Wash. While I was "washing," I was wondering, what would be the best way to clean the wheels when I'm using WW? Could I use WW on the wheels or just skip them until my next full wash? 

9 hours ago, Rich said:

NICE!  Liked seeing the brown running off those tires!  Good work!

It is so satisfying when I hit the wheels with water first to get the loose dirt/dust off and it is just rivers of brown running down the driveway. 

13 minutes ago, Chris@Adams said:

No, stay tuned!

Thank you! I really enjoy using the hand polish. 

As the title states, I've noticed that the Revive Hand Polish is out of stock, and for those of us who don't have a machine polisher, will the hand polish be coming back or is it "off the table"?

With some nice mild temps and no rain for a few days, it was time to rid myself of the various dirt and aerosolized tar (paving a road .5 miles from me).

I ended up using the W&W soap today on the rest of the car, but for the wheels, it was still a multi-step process of using: T&R Cleaner, Eco APC and WC. 

Yesterday, the weather conditions actually allowed me to properly wash my car as it was 78F instead of the normal 98-104F that it has been out here, so I wasn't afraid to add in a cycle of IR. And I got to use the IP for the first time. 

As the title indicates, I had a vacation day that I  had scheduled for today, mainly because I need to use a pile of them before the end of the year, so I gave my newest toy a full on detail today. 

1. Engine Bay Cleaning

Since this was going to be a full-out detail session, I diluted some APC at a 1:1 and used my new iK foaming sprayer that came last week. I do have to say, I was nervous about lightly hosing down my engine bay, but there is so much plastic and the wires/cables are wrapped up that I just needed to make sure that I didn't use the hose at full pressure. After applying the APC, I then used one of my lug nut brushes to agitate all of the surfaces and immediately following, I rinsed it off. 

2. Tire and Wheel Cleaning

While I let the engine bay air dry, I attempted to use my iK foaming sprayer with the NWC...however, it seems that it is too thick for that, so I used my normal spray bottle and Wheel Mitt and Lug Nut Brush to get within every nook. But, before cleaning the wheels, I used the TRC to hit the tires as well as the wheel well, and I used my Tire Brush to agitate. Then after rinsing that off, I then used the NWC to go after the wheels. 

3. Iron Removal

After cleaning the wheels, I emptied out the iK foaming sprayer and refilled it with IR, at a 1:1 dilution (primarily due to the fact that I have a 1 Gallon container on order). Having the Foaming Sprayer helped tremendously because at least with a constant stream, I didn't have to deal with using the spray bottle and hoping that I got every surface covered. In fact, I was even doing so well with making sure that it wasn't drying on that I sprayed down my wheels as well. 

4. Washing the Car

Because I normally wash my car outside, once I fill up the foam gun with water and UFS, I do not stop for any reason so that the soap does not dry on. I have found that using the Wedge seems to make my life a bit easier compared to the washing mitt. I start with the roof, then hood, then passenger side, then rear, and then finish with the driver's side. After this, I hose down the car really well and immediately pull it inside into the garage bay. 

5. Drying the Car

After pulling the car into the garage, I rinse out all of my washing tools and get them on my drying racks inside the garage. I then refill my bottle of DS from my gallon container and go to town, using that as a dying aid. I'll use the DS as one panel at a time, then use one of the Great White Drying towels to wipe (in one direction, generally downwards) to dry the car. I'll start with the roof and work my way down. 

6. Waxing

Once the car was completely dry, I moved onto waxing, with the BW and my handheld applicator. Because I was out of direct sunlight, I was able to hit an entire side at a time, so on the passenger's side, I'll apply the wax from front to back, so that when I'm done, the wax had enough time to cure so that it was ready to wipe off with a Polishing Towel. 

7. Tire Shine

This is self explanatory, but after waxing, I sprayed some TS into the Hex Grip Applicator, and went around from tire to tire. 

8. Engine Bay Detailing

I opened the hood and used the DS on every visible part of the Engine Bay, as well as the cowling and the rubber gaskets. 

9. Interior Cleaning

I used the New IAPC Gel to clean the driver's side seat and steering wheel, and then moved onto the AGC to clean the windshield and all windows, as well as the MFD and Instrument Cluster. While I was letting the IAPC Gel cure, I used the VRT on the door sill trim as the sun isn't kind to it. 

10. Interior Detailing

Using the ID, I sprayed some of the plastic bits on the center console and the Infotainment controls. 

11. Leather Conditioner

Finally, I used the LC on my dash, as well as on my seats and the center console arm rest. 

2 minutes ago, Yo-Yo Ma's Cousin said:

 

I’m not sure what you mean by Subaru’s Eyesight. If that’s a safety feature, then I have sealed my glss and there’s been no obstructions with my forward camera or sensors or anything.

 

to answer your initial question, the glss sealant is meant to be your base layer of protection. So you would clean the class real well with glass cleaner and clay ther glass. And once it’s perfectly clean and dry, you apply glass sealant. 

 

Glss boost is meant to be be used as a boost to the protection in the future.

 

im in Newport Beach right now and I’m noticing many vehicles that look like they may have experienced what you’re talking about. They look completely sandblasted of covered in salt or something.

 

aditionally, I would recommend using brilliant glaze on the inside of your windshield. That will enhance your windshields clarity and help when your windshield catches light and weird angles.

Yeah, it's the safety feature with the 2 cameras near the top of the windshield that run some of the safety features, but they also carry various warnings about how one should not get too close to the system, or risk getting the system fouled up. 

And, it makes me cringe when I have to drive through the desert and the flashing "dust storm ahead" or "gusty winds ahead" signs are illuminated. Although, they still have the "I-10 closed, use 86S to I-8" sign in Indio. 

As the question asks, is one better than the other, or is it like the Ceramic products where one is the first time application, and the other is just a booster?

I live in a part of San Bernardino County, California in which we have a crazy amount of pollution, and when we have a Santa Ana Wind Event, we have an unobstructed line from the Cajon Pass, in which the wind barrels down from the desert, bringing along a lot of particulate matter. 

Additionally, are there any contraindications with the Glass Boost / Glass Sealant and features like Subaru's Eyesight? 

I got a chance to wash and wax my GF's Outback, which was no small feat as it was 97 outside and with a little bit of a breeze made for an interesting time. In my mind, once I started washing the car, I could not be distracted as my plan was to wash the entire car within the shortest amount of time as possible so then I could bring it back inside for the actual detailing work. 

ETA: I went though so much VRT, as literally the entire bottom of the car was black plastic. 

In my car, I have Alcantara inserts on the E-brake boot and the side panels on the doors, and on all of the other leather surfaces. I use the Leather Conditioner regularly, but I'm unsure about how to clean and protect the Alcantara. Is there a special conditioner that I should use? I know that BMW sells their house brand cleaner, but it seems fairly expensive for the amount in the bottle. 

This past weekend, my SO and I decided on a last minute trip up to Las Vegas. Heading out, I collected a far bit of dust on I-15, but Sunday was another deal entirely. Because of the bad traffic on I-15 South through the Cajon Pass, I took a few alternative routes through the desert (in Nevada: I-215 > I-515 > US-95 > Nipton Road, then in California: Nipton Road > I-15 > Minneola Road > National Trails Highway > I-40 > CA-247 > CA-18 > CA-330 > CA-210). Needless to say, I collected a ton of dirt, other grime and brake dust, so since I was working from home this week, I took the liberty of getting all of the dirt off. I probably should I used the Iron Remover, but I noticed that I was out, so I just placed an order for that and a few extra things. 

It was much fun though driving through the desert on very empty side roads, as I was able to fully enjoy the turbo inline 6. 

And, this past weekend, I hit my former daily driver. As a note, I didn't hit the wheels as well as I could have because they are temporary as the factory wheels are being powder coated and when I get them back, I plan on adding ceramic coating to them. The salt corrosion alone destroyed the clear coating on the factory wheels. 

And, I ended up doing just a quick clean of the engine bay with the Eco All Purpose Cleaner, followed by a combination of Detail Spray and VRT. When all of the upgrades are completed, I plan on removing bits like the engine cover and having it repainted back to stock. 

Also, I'm still on the fence about keeping the headlights as I had to purchase a pair quickly as I took a rock to the OEM ones and cracked. Currently, they are LED conversions, but I'm tempted on pulling all of that out and just going back to stock halogen bulbs. 

Yesterday, I was able to complete a full wash, polish and wax. 

1 hour ago, falcaineer said:

 

I use APC to clean, and VRT and In & Out Spray to dress. I've also seen some people use Interior Detailer on the engine bay and it looked great. 

I'll have to try the Interior Detailer as I used the Quick Detailer and it worked really well. 

On 3/8/2019 at 11:50 AM, mc2hill said:

@them240i That engine bay looks clean!  You may want to try some VRT 'milk' for the engine bay.  Mix VRT 50/50 with distilled water in a spray bottle, spray on the plastics, and level with a 'work' microfiber.

When I used the VRT on the engine cover of the Jetta, it looked amazing. And since it is going to rain tomorrow, I plan on detailing the engine bay of the Jetta, and this time, I'm planning on removing the plastic bits and restoring them individually. 

As I was running low on the Standard Glass Cleaner, I decided to try the Aerosolized Glass Cleaner (as something different), and it works amazing on exterior windows. I love how it foams up and with a light mist, I can get more precise on where I want the cleaner to go. However, when I clean the interior glass, I would normally spray the Standard Glass Cleaner into the green glass towel, and then clean the windows. Can I use the Aerosol Glass Cleaner on the interior sections, or should I stick with the Standard Glass Cleaner? Is there a major difference between the two?