gencoupe3dot8

Jeff,

Pretty sure its fiberglass. Also, its a rather large area to touch up, would be pretty obvious, unless I try an airbrush... would still likely be hard to blend/etc...

I hesitate even to dip my oar in here, as the answer is complex, and the story below may explain why:

My father fought in WWII, earning multiple silver and bronze stars, spending the majority of his time

behind enemy lines.  This would have a profound affect on both him and our family.  He saw the war

and its impact up close and personal.  He saw concentration camp survivors being airlifted to hospitals.

He rarely talked about his war experience and never with any sense of nationalism or personal pride.

He had a great job as an electrical engineer at Boeing, and quit because they began to build bombers.

While he could have obtained significant wealth (inventions, real estate deals, etc), he always chose to

live a simpler life, working to just be able to feed his 9 children.

He and my mother sought out a different way to live, a way were all would work together for the

common good, sharing the wealth to take care of the whole. living together in peace and harmony.

Sound like utopia?  What they ended up joining in my opinion was a cult.  I don't have the bandwidth to

go into it here, but that decision had/has a significant impact on the family, including the split of the family

when a number of us chose not to follow in our parents footsteps.  I was not able to be present at the funeral

of either of my parents because I sought to speak out about the group and its practices.

So, how does that relate to the OPs question?  In some ways I believe the founding fathers had something of

a utopia in mind when founding our country. 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

First, many in the US don't even acknowledge a Creator. Second, a very small percentage of the population controls about 45% of the wealth.  Third, as evidenced by the current election process, it's pretty clear to this author that a large percentage of the population has significant concerns about "deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed".

For the poor and middle class, the American dream is becoming the American nightmare.  The promise of working hard and "making good" gets flushed down the toilet as the cost of real estate, cost of goods, and taxes soar!  The poverty line in my state is ~$35,000!  Corporate greed sees companies laying of people in the thousands or tens of thousands, so the C-level folks can make their $10,000,000 (or more) bonuses!  My wife was let go after 16 YEARS of faithful service!

Lets look at rankings, for healthcare:

Dead last from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/files/publications/fund-report/2014/jun/1755_davis_mirror_mirror_2014.pdf

Disposable household income - DHI - near the bottom:

http://www.lisdatacenter.org/data-access/key-figures/disposable-household-income/

Need I go on?  Most of us know, at least instinctively, and through our own experience, the US is suffering from a list of ailments, with no "doctor" in sight.

Would I want to live anywhere else?  Truthfully, I simply don't know.  Like many Americans, my nose is close to the grindstone and I don't have the bandwidth to lift my head up long enough to do a reasonable inquiry into the rest of the worlds economy and quality of life.

Thoughtfully submitted,

[m]

@AvsBest,

A few questions:

1) If you take off the pad and look at the velcro, is anything obviously missing?

2) How did you determine is it from between the white and black parts (I don't see anything in the

photo that suggests it)

3) If you look at the TOP of the black disk? (where the silver part is), when it peeks out as you rotate it,

is it scuffed or very smooth?

4) Did you buy from Adam's?  If so I would send it back and have them take a look.

Regards,

[m]

Was that area ever repainted?

 

Inadequate prep prior to painting.

 

Year, make, model, miles?

I wasn't told that it was, bought it slightly used (12k miles).

Gen coupe, 2010, about 20k.

And yes, I suspected it had been resprayed, as this

"de-lamination" came out of nowhere and goes down to

the fiberglass.

Any thought on the second half, worth respray before selling?

I think I know what happened here, but would like to get some sage advice, especially from those that actually work in a paint booth!

The issue:

I can confirm:

1) Car has been properly cared for and protected appropriately

2) No known chemical spills

3) Never buffed anywhere near the hood gaps, always taped them off.

Any feedback, thoughts appreciated in advance.

In other news, I plan to sell the car.  Should I get this repaired or sell as is?

Let's say I could get it painted for $500.  My gut is that if left unpainted it

would bring the sell price of the car down maybe $1,000.  So I still am

$500 ahead of just leaving it as is... thoughts, anyone done this or sold it

as and regretted it?

Thanks,

gencoupe3dot8

I can afford to wait for the East Coast shipping....

I'm sure I'll get clobbered but here's my two cents:

I came to Adam's a machine polishing newbie (I had done detailing before).  Between the AJ and the forums I gained a lot of knowledge and jumped on purchases from Adam's and started to detail for family and friends.  I have used almost everything Adams sells, and there are a number of products I swear by.

I have said it before but I always looked at the forum interaction (social media) as a great marketing tool, but felt Adams got the benefit of "good will" engendered by the members, but would squash questions, or comparisons regarding other products.  It still rankles me how I was treated (and no, there is no need to go into it further), but it did have an impact on how I saw Adam (as the CEO), and the company.  I have stepped back from the Adam's scene, in large part due to my (negative) experience on the forums. Granted I had already started looking at competitors products, particularly where I felt Adams line fell short.  Recent product additions have helped close some of the gaps, but as a serious amateur the "glow" I first got from Junkman and the forums has worn off.

All of the above said, I wish Adam and the team (including new employees) all the best as they work to grow the company.  I will remember fondly the clinics I attended, being able to meet Adam, Ashley and Dylan personally (as well as a number of forum members).  I will likely drop in to look for any products changes, especially around support of a larger throw polisher (to go with the new pads and polishes) or a coating (long lasting).

I fully understand Adam's target market.  I wish the company well as it seeks to meet the needs of the segment Adam has chosen to serve.  I am grateful to have met so many nice (knowledgeable) folks along my detailing journey.  I look forward to bumping into them again sometime!

I bid you all love and peace on life's journey,

Mike

I'm looking for tips/products and ideas as I begin attempting to reclaim this vehicle.........and learn a little bit about detailing.  I thought this would be an excellent vehicle to start with because if I did mess something up it couldn't really be any worse than it is right now.  On the interior (the exterior is a another post......good lord  ), the vinyl dash and doors has a textured light grey and black coverings.  In most spots the light grey matches the black......the seats have ground in dirt, the console between the seats is a health hazard (seriously around the emergency brake is something to behold) and the vinyl floor is a heck of a mess.  There used to be mats on the floor but they disappeared and the dirt is just ground in especially on the drivers side.

 

Any thoughts, tips etc would be appreciated.  

1) Dash and doors.  Start with just a good MF and either TID or LIC (if leather).

2) On pure plastics ( like cup holders and such) use warm water, a little dish soap if greasy, steam if need be (like to soften gum and such), and a decent detailing brush to loosen the junk. 

3) On carpet that is REALLY bad, doing a good vacuum, then use some water and a brush like Adams carpet cleaning brush for first pass to loosen things up, then a wet vac, then Adams Upholstery and Carpet cleaner.  For cloth seats (esp with ground in dirt) use U&CC as well.. stuff works WONDERS!

See http://www.adamspolishes.com/t-Detailing_Video_Vol_8_Chapter_10_Cleaning_Carpets.aspx for carpet cleaning.

and http://www.adamspolishes.com/t-Detailing_Video_Vol_8_Chapter_09_Interior_Cleaning_and_Detailing.aspx for interior cleaning.

For more details for your specific problems a few pics would help.  Don't be embarrassed, we've all seen cars that were disgusting, some of which have belonged to friends or family members!

Hope this helps!

-Mike

Due to his reputation as a knowledgeable detailing professional, I would appreciate receiving any information regarding where I can follow his career.  A PM from someone in the know would be much appreciated.  I wish Dylan well in both is personal and professional life. 

I would be more likely to try this:

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/01/16/kia-gt4-stinger-concept-detroit-2014-video/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000588

Especially with the turbo.... of course we'll see if they build it.. it would compete with their sister car..

my Gen Coupe.

I had one from a bad batch as it fell apart.  Adams replaced it with the new style and I never looked back.  Go Adams customer service!

Love the performance of the car.. hate the look... doesn't stop me from lusting after it or being jealous

Me, I'm looking at a later model 987(.1or2) with ~50k had a few come close to my budget but I missed em, by [----] :That: much.

Information Security Officer for a multinational bank with a mere $250 Billion AUM (assets under management).  Not making enough to fund my Porsche or GTR accounts.

Once you go gas, you never go back.  I had two electrics go on me before steeping up to a gas.... and you can use it for the house/sidewalks/bricks/etc  Be careful about going above 1500 on painted wood surfaces though, I started to strip my porch before I realized I had the wrong tip (2500).

I have this little beauty:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_74754-348-20413_0__?productId=3113807&CAWELAID=1084417183

I can't past the RIDS/other defects.... pixel peeping makes shows alot of streaking within the affected which doesn't speak to holograms. Did you do an IPA wipedown after?

CUC is a GOTO Adams product, inside the auto and in the home.... this is one of the Adams products I SWEAR by... results have to be seen to believe fully...

A quick squirt and a little agitation (with a soft brush) and then a blotting/slight twisting with an MF towel will AMAZE you!

DIH (Dealer installed holograms).  If he had this problem before he should tell them NOT to unwrap it....

Seems odd to me that women will keep their houses in tip top shape, but often let their cars go, often having all manner of issues, many child induced (spills, food, drinks, etc)...  My fiances DD was a perfect example of this, and she wanted to use seat covers like those shown... I uses CUC, APC, etc and got the interior back in shape...

As far as paint decon I would think you would certainly want to do it at least once, to get any metallic particles (rail dust, etc) off your new (or new to you) vehicle, followed by a claying.

I would say DWC works in a similar fashion to other products in the same class, and smells MUCH better than most.

One of the reasons white or light colored cars are deconned more often is if the particles are large and populated enough it will actually be noticed by the owner.  As mentioned above, at least one decon during the initial detail is indicated.  If you have brake dust as a known issue (BMWs come to mind) you may want to decon the paint (side of the car) more often.

I'll let you know how I get on when I get a chance... I'll try APC and DWC... (in that order)... and will remember about doing one wheel at a time, I was in a bit of a rush.... wheels were cool, but were in sunlight.  Also, other decon products smell MUCH worse IMHO... The one drawback I see is I used a fair amount to decon the paint, so I will need to order a gallon refill for paint decon, and wheel cleanup...

Just to be clear, my issue was the runoff on the TIRE, not the wheel... I had liberally sprayed the wheel off and didn't notice the tire runoff until it dried....

Also used this on the hood of my white CSV... all I can say is WOW..... no pics... was worried about it drying on paint so i rinsed/washed it off... but it looked like it had picked up tons of "spots" all over the hood...

Anyone have issues with runoff from DWC.  I didn't notice the runoff on my tires until after it had dried... I scrubbed most of it off with APC but some didn't come all the way off, was thinking about using some DWC to take the residue off.  Anyone else see this?

As far as the American car issue I think we have been down this road before.  You won't find very many American *assembled* cars that are 100% American made (parts from all over).  Also a number of American *branded* cars aren't made here.  Now add to the discussion that a number of foreign branded cars ARE made here, thus adding American jobs....

All of that aside, a bigger issue is trade balance.  Until the US forces countries like China to open their markets to us, and stop the outsourcing trend, our economy will continue to suffer.

I actually bought one from the M people... can't remember what it's made of but i think it's rubber.