rseward

9 minutes ago, tlbullet said:

Odd...says it cant be displayed. 

not sure what happened, but I edited the original link, and it seems to be working now.

2 hours ago, tlbullet said:

Where did u see the filter prices? I couldnt locate it.  

https://www.costco.com/Unger-Professional-Rinse'n'Go-Spotless-Car-Wash-Resin-Filter-Replacement-2-pack.product.100480183.html

Came across this product on the Costco website https://www.costco.com/Unger-Professional-Rinse'n'Go-Spotless-Car-Wash-System.product.100471577.html 

I"m assuming it's a new product, as it doesn't have any reviews, and after a quick google search it doesn't seem to be widely available (maybe exclusive to Costco?).  Just wondering if anyone else has seen or used it, and what your thoughts are about it. Claims to provide a "spot free rinse" and according to the user manual you get between 4 - 12 "rinses" per filter (depending how hard your water is). The initial kit is $159 and includes 2 filters, and filters sell in packs of 2 for $79.

Assuming it works as advertised, and you can average 8 car washes per filter, that equates to a cost of about $5 per wash... Is this pricey for a spot free rinse?

I'm also curious how it effects water pressure, and if it can be placed in front of a pressure washer.

9 hours ago, tlbullet said:

Although not fun in any type of traffic, manual transmissions are the best!! I highly recomended learning how to drive one, then find one to buy! 

 Options are becoming more and more limited ..i believe Audi removed all MT.   

I purposely bought my son a manual transmission for his first car, and my younger son will drive the same when he starts driving.

I want them to know how, and I feel like it forces them to be more engaged in driving, therefore less likely to text, etc... and/or become complacent.

1 hour ago, Mantis said:

Interesting. I'll have to let him know about that. We where going to try some headlight plastic cleaner to see if we could clear it up but maybe taking the unit out might be a better move. I'll have him contact his Audi dealer and see if a new screen protector is still available for such an old unit . 

 Thanks man.

I don’t think you’ll find it available as a “part”, you’d probably just have to get a screen protector an aftermarket screen protector for that vehicle, or maybe you could order one custom made to fit you screen.  

Here’s a video of a guy fixing the display on his Sony camera.

https://youtu.be/IdoDaZsCeds

56 minutes ago, Mantis said:

My Son has a 2008 Audi A4 which is doing that on a smaller level. It's no where near that bad and doesn't appear to be a old plastic cover. It's like the top coat of the screen is wearing out.

We are probably going to try a small area with Head light plastic cleaner and see if it helps or makes it worse. I'll have to report back if it works or not.

 I have seen this issue on many vehicles.

That “old plastic cover” is the factory installed anti-glare coating, which is basically a factory installed “anti-glare” screen protector. It’s not designed to be replaced by the customer, but it probably can be. It would require removing the unit from the vehicle and possibly some disassembly (remove a bezel or something), to access a corner of the “cover” and peel it off.

The biggest issue would be finding a replacement “screen protector” to fit.

I think the back cover of that phone is glass & obviously the screen is. Maybe glass sealant? It's much cheaper.

Very cool time lapse, thanks for sharing, and the car looks great!

Wow, 9 Yr. Coating!  Just out of curiosity... from a customer prospective, what's the cost difference to have a long life coating such as this installed vs. a lesser (or consumer grade) product like Adams. Seems like the work involved is very similar (if not identical), so is the cost of the product dramatically different, and if not, why would anyone opt for a lesser option?

3 hours ago, falcaineer said:

 

Since my name is Chris, too, I'll jump in to add my two cents!?

 

BG has filler properties for minor imperfections, and by adding it first will provide that benefit as well as added shine. PS bonds best to bare paint, but as you can see above and elsewhere on here, some prefer to add BG first anyway. Yes, by doing so, the PS essentially locks in that shine. PS is much more durable than the BG. We're talking months and months vs. a week or two, at best. 

 

Recommend you check out this article for a little more:

 

 

Basically, while I'm in the PS-first group, it seems to come down fo personal preference. Maybe you could try both ways and see which you prefer ...even side by side.

The logic of layering discussed in this article is what made most since to me (“most durable product should always be used as the base”), but then I saw a video in which Adam mentions putting down BG then PS... so that’s why I asked the question about how it effects the longevity of the PS.

Anyway, I went with the BG then PS, and topped it off with BW, and I’m thrilled with how great it looks. Plan to use detail spray as drying agent with each maintenance wash, and GG about every 4-6 washes.

Maybe in the spring I’ll reverse it (PS then BG) and see if I notice a difference.

4 minutes ago, pirahnah3 said:

Im in the group pf Under PS as BG has filling properties that can help fill in those little voids and offer up a better overall finish. If its your daily "Beater" then I might just go straight Sealant and top it with whatever you want. 

Ya... it’s a daily (all my cars are), and the plan was to go with just PS, but I got a BG in a MB, so I figured I use it.

5 hours ago, RayS said:

Remember to grab before and after pictures and show your results.   The one thing you will get almost 100% consensus on this forum about is preparation.  The better the preparation the better the final results.   Good luck and enjoy the shine.

Well I didn’t get before photos, but here’s some after shots. I didn’t do a complete detail (wheels, engine, etc...), just the paint.

Although it looks incredible... it’s not a dramatic difference as it’s only a couple months old and didn’t have any notable swirl marks or scratches.

Here’s what I did:

Wash

Iron Remover

Clay

Correcting Polish

Finishing Polish

Coating Prep

Installed body side molding (seen in photos).

Brilliant Glaze

Paint Sealant

Buttery Wax

Thanks for sharing your experience, that’s exactly what I was looking for.

I think I’ll try the PS over BG (since I got some BG in my MB), and see how it works out.

My plan is BG, PS, BW... and maintain with GG.

Today I did a full paint correction on my wife’s new Highlander. Tomorrow, I’m going to apply PS, and was considering applying BG first.

My question is, will applying BG then PS shorten the life expectancy of the PS?

On 8/2/2018 at 4:48 AM, 07stanggt said:

 

 

Why did you take a picture of yourself in the mirror?

We wanta see the paint ?. LOL

? good work!

?

I was also trying to decide if I should put a coating on my wife's new Highlander. I've decided to stick with paint sealant for now as I'm concerned about the work involved removing the coating if I were to screw it up.  Plan is to do paint correction and sealant this Columbus Day weekend.

Most stickers I acquire (from different brands/products) come just like that (bent, creased, etc...), they all look perfect once I stick-em to something. 

8 hours ago, Editguy said:

I just don't like the concept that something I'm going to rub directly on my paint doesn't come protected and sealed in plastic. 

I understand it would give that feeling of being “clean”, but it’s not like they would sanitize them before packaging; and the manufacturing process isn’t exacly clean.

The same potential of contamination exists prior to packaging.

13 hours ago, 98BlackSierra said:

Rather than start a new thread....

 

After applying the one step polish, can the Paint Sealant be applied over that or does it have to be to a freshly clayed surface? Reason being I wanted to polish the wife’s Jeep GC before winter and then seal it. Thoughts or opinions?

My understanding is wash, decontaminate (iron remover), clay, polish, IPA, then seal (decontaminate may be optional).

Also, if you're referring to Adams "One Step Polish" (the product), I believe it's suppose to be just that ("one step"), polish and seal at the same time. If you're going to do it in two steps, your probably better off using Adams "Correcting" or "Finishing" polish (or both) depending on your situation, then seal.

I use Detail Spray (exterior) on Nav. screen.... looks great, & no fingerprints for weeks.  I spray it on a cleaning cloth (not directly on the screen), as Adam suggests in his video at about the 7:10 mark.

Why would one want to remove a coating? When it "stops preforming" is there some visual indication (cracking, peeling, etc...) that would require removal, or does it just stop preforming similar to the way a wax or sealant would.

First, thanks for taking the time to do these write ups, there very well done and very informative.

I do have one question about ceramic coatings that I've never seen anyone discuss.... How do you know when it's time to re-coating a vehicle, and how does that process differ from the original coating. 

Can you just decontaminate and clay and apply another coating (on top of the original) every few years, or do you have to do a full paint correction each time the vehicle needs a new coating applied?

22 hours ago, falcaineer said:

Anyone else disturbed by the new dancing Jetta commercials? Really, VW?! 

All I know is that my home theater system sounds awesome when that commercial comes on.  Why do commercials always sound so much better than the programming?

9 minutes ago, Coderedpl said:

Oh I know. Believe it or not, they held up when over the 2 year mark, as I definitely used them a bit from that time period, granted I'm sure they didnt work as-well and made my life harder but they worked nonetheless. 

 

I'm just posting for the sole purpose of sharing, and friendly discussion. Seeing as winter is coming, I'm doing a "winter clean-up" per-se, it just seriously sucks to have to throw-away almost brand new bottles, but it is what it is. 

Ya, that sucks...

There might be member interested in some of your older products for the purpose of collecting (with no intention of using them).  If you have some with the older labels, they may be collectible to somebody. You can try posting them in the garage sale area.

Here it is...