DaveVY

Love the car!

24x48 would be a pretty large print to get from anything less than a pro camera. I have a Canon 7D, which has a 18MP sensor but is still not a full frame sensor. With this camera, using low ISO settings, still camera, I have done enlargements like a 24"x36" and also a couple cropped panoramics that are 12"x40". Many serious photographers would say that I shouldn't have printed that large, that pixels would be noticeable at a normal viewing distance. However I am quite happy with the enlargements. This is the wall where these enlargements are located. For a sense of scale the small pics are 8x10, the large is the 24x36 and the panoramics are 12x40. Here is a close up, from 4" away, of the 24x36. I don't think pixelation is too noticeable, and definitely not noticeable at a normal viewing distance 3 or 4 feet away. (Taken on an iPhone 5S) There are many variables as Jason (Kingsford) had in his referenced articles. 8x10 are cheap and easy to test with. When you get the the larger enlargements on good paper it will get a bit pricier. Sorry, no car pics to show as an example.

I haven't tried TID yet so I haven't smelled it yet. Based on the pics and reviews of TID, along with descriptions of the smell, I am not interested in that product, still quite happy with the older two separate products and have a bunch of them left still. Regarding WW, I am probably the minority here, but I liked the functionality of the older version of waterless wash better. Yes the new WW had more lubricity but the new WW didn't seem to work as well for pre-treating bugs on the front of the car which became my biggest use for waterless wash over the past couple years. Maybe it was just in my head that the old WW worked better for that purpose, but I will miss it. Just today I was soaking the few love bugs with new WW that hit the front of the car as soon as we got home from church but they don't soften and easily fall off like I remember they did with the old WW. Loving the new rinseless product and was asking for something like it for a couple years. It seems the water restrictions and drought type of conditions across our country have become more and more common. Now I can still get my therapy time without worry of receiving a fine from the local water department!

Jason, back to your original post ... Yes, it seems to me that waterless wash is dying out in my use. I have the new rinseless and like using it as it is more versatile. Just used waterless wash today, probably my 2nd to last time as it is almost gone from my arsenal and do not plan to get anymore. Will just be using the diluted rinseless. Sad to see it go and see the smell gone too.

If you are using Adams products, no need to worry about any of the polishes being too abrasive for glass. As others have said, try clay, if that doesn't get the residue off then I would use the 4" pads with any pad and polish. When cleaning glass I have my own quirky way of doing it that uses a few drops of revive and the old FMP (I am still using up my stock of the older polishes). The revive, being more of a cleanser has cleaned things up that straight polish didn't touch. Here is an old link where I showed this process and how it cleaned up some windows on a vehicle that was weekly sprayed with irrigation hard water and then allowed to bake in the Florida sun. Months of that hard water really left some disgusting windows, but it cleaned up nicely. http://www.adamsforums.com/topic/18192-water-spots-on-windows-another-success-story/?hl=%2Bwater+%2Bspots+%2Bglass I have also used, along with others here, OOOO steel wool, just be sure it is OOOO fine grade. Works wonders for removing hardened deposits on glass. Just don't use it on any glass that has a film!

The amount of detail spray used in claying, just like in its use as a drying aid, can be dramatically impacted by the condition of the paint and the temperature of the paint. The rougher or warmer the paint, the more detail spray you will use as a lubricant. Here in sunny warm Florida going through 1/2 to a full bottle isn't out of the norm on an good sided vehicle. If it is a small car and in the cooler winter months in the garage then I might get by with as little as 1/4 to 1/3 of a bottle. The variables can/will have a dramatic difference in amount of product used.

Will be fun to see it take shape this week!

Might want to consider how much you move around with the polisher. I typically only go around the car once with the polisher. The cord is over my shoulder and only have to move the extension cord 4 times,when I switch to each side of the car. I do lay the polisher down and pick it up multiple times as I work each side of the car. I do not have a rolling seat so I don't have any experience in dealing with wheels with the cords.

You might be using a little too much for drying purposes, but this will vary a lot depending on various factors: the hardness of your water, do you do a pooling rinse, the type of towel you use, the temperature of the paint and the condition of the paint (does it need to be clayed). In descending order of impact for me: The warmer the paint, the more detail spray I use. The harder the water (if drying with detail spray), the more detail spray I use. If the paint needs to be clayed, the rinse water won't roll off and I will use more detail spray. If I don't do a pooling rinse I will tend to use more detail spray. If I am in a smelling mood, I will use A LOT more detail spray If I use detail spray when drying, I will use more detail spray. If I use detail spray AFTER I dry, then I will use less. If I am using a great white towel or a waterless wash towel, I will use more detail spray. If I am using a plush towel, after drying, very little detail spray is used. Just some notes from my experience. Oh - and if I am in a need of some quiet time, therapy time, I will use more detail spray. But a half a bottle of detail spray is MUCH cheaper than paying a therapist.

Great job!

I thought maybe Adam was wanting us to spend more time with family so he took the forum down for a bit... :-)

Welcome to the forum! You have started a fun journey! No looking back now! Lots of help/support here for us detailing OCD types

Welcome! Great car too!

Congrats on the lower stress vehicle!

Based on the concerns listed in the article --- I have been thrilled to see the media reviews on the new Vette having high marks for the quality. Would hate to see quality take a hit to save a few bucks on each car. Would rather see them raise the price of the car a couple hundred in order to keep and cover the cost of the extra quality checks.

I have had one of these, left it behind when I sold a house. It was a great hose. Another great hose made in the USA is the Gilmour Flexogen, also available at Home Depot. I have had one of these for over a decade both up north in the ice and now in Florida in the intense sun. Great hose that has taken a beating and is still in great working condition.

Sub'd - look forward to seeing your new garage go up!

Different plastics will hold the VRT better than others but it sounds like you had too much on there. Apply very very small amount. On some plastics or trim rubber materials you need to come back with a dry clean microfiber and wipe it down to remove the excess that the plastic won't hold.

The new S550 does step up the game for the competitors. The interior is noticeably better. Love it!

Got to detail and de-badge a sweet ride. It isn't considered a muscle car but it packs a punch with 449hp and 516 ft lb of torque. It moves effortlessly with style and presence. Awesome car! This car was great to detail, the diamond white metallic flake really adds a pop and it shines up nice with awesome contrast. A few pics: This interior is the "base" interior! Very very nice. An "upgraded" interior would be great. My pics don't do it justice.

Maybe I stand corrected then... It then seems that I only used cheap knobby mitts in the past then, because they swirled from day one despite thorough cleaning and care. The ones I bought were from local stores, but were not cheap. But it might also be due to the nature of that mazda clear, like Mook once said, if you just sneeze ... it swirls! And no, just because Adams sells a product doesn't mean I think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I do think it is just backed up by the best customer service and support. There are products I have tried and didn't like or think were that good, and many of those are now gone from the Adams store.

Cool, haven't tried watches yet! For fast relief of the "off-season detailing itch" I have found a variety of things to detail that has provided relief: - kitchen counters (my mother in law was visiting once when I was using the Flex to polish the granite - the look on her face was priceless) - kitchen appliances both large and small (toasters can be a fun challenge) - any glass surface in or outside of the house, this includes shower enclosures, sliding glass doors, all house windows, tvs, computer screens, phone screens, glass decorating items, mirrors, picture glass -- but I stopped short of the drinking glasses - stainless flatware can look brand new with a little detailing love, just be sure to clean well with soap and water after using MP - chrome or polished faucets - any reading glasses, RX glasses or sunglasses - any hard surface floor, just be careful of using detail spray near a glossy type of floor surface - even just over spray from using detail spray on the refrigerator face can make the floor in front of the refrigerator treacherous - back yard patio set - electric company's transformer box in the yard - lawn equipment - mowers, trimmers, etc - vacuum cleaner - tons of parts to open and take apart, it will not only look better but it may also work better too! - light switches - do you know how dirty and smudged these things get!? - kitchen/bath sinks and tubs - amazing what some polishing can do to restore shine to tubs and sinks! - utility sinks - one of the first things I cleaned after the detailing bug hit me a few years ago, wife thought I lost my mind when she found me working on the utility sink, but she was impressed with the end result After re-reading my above list, I now realize why my wife likes to buy Adam's supplies for me... :-) Anyhow, just some ideas for taking care of your detailing itch, once the itch returns after detailing your watch!

On my mazda 6, which has a very soft clear coat, that the knobby mitt type you pictured will cause major swirling. After realizing this I tossed the knobby mitt and have only used Adam's wash pads since that time over 2 years ago.

That is awesome!

When you say you want "luxury", what are adjectives are you looking for? Quiet, comfort? Or nice interior materials? What type of ride comfort? Floating, where bumps are not felt? Or sport handling? What type of acceleration are you wanting? High end performance where you hear the engine gurgle? Good acceleration with a quiet engine where it "effortlessly moves"? My bride and I looked at cars for her a few months back and found that there are many different versions of "luxury". We were looking for quiet comfort and considered quite a number on paper and physically looked at a wide range of cars, everything from Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Audi A8, BMW 5 6 and 7 series, Lexus LS, Masserati Quattraporte, MB S Class. A wide range of price points but was an eye opening and educational experience. For its price point, the Buick was ok, but head rest comfort was horrible, it didn't allow our heads to be in a neutral position, too far forward. Didn't drive it, just sitting in it was enough to know we didn't like it. Interior was hard and "plastic" feeling. I was pretty disappointed in the Cadillac XTS, it wasn't luxury quiet and the ride was just ok. It didn't wow us, the ride and quietness were actually disappointing. Not much different than my Mazda 6.The interior was fine but design was nothing memorable. Audi's were ok, but rather blah in styling for us. Felt solid but nothing special for us, didn't appeal to us. Didn't drive them as we couldn't get past the lack of styling appeal. Porsche - hate the styling, so we skipped even looking at them. Tried to like the BMW's but they were too focused on sport and not a quiet comfort ride. Didn't drive them (though I have been in various models over the years owned by co-workers) just sat in quite a few of them. Not what we really wanted in "luxury". Lexus IS is too focused on being a sport ride. The GS is too focused on being sporty now. The LS was a real contender, nice ride and quiet, interior was nice but not dramatic, a newer used one should be available in your price range. Maserati... Fun to drive, fun to listen to, but not quiet, horrible road and wind noise but ride was ok. They are focused on the "sport luxury" niche, not sure if a used one would be available in your specified price range. Mercedes S Class - the ride quality and quietness are slightly better than the Lexus LS. The fit and finish of the interior are very nice. The new models, 2014, have a remarkable new interior that will just blow you away. The prior model interior is nice and it's design is comparable to that found on the Lexus LS or some of the other German luxury brands. Like someone else said, you can pickup a 3 year old S Class for around the price point you want. Depending on the model, the acceleration is there, an effortless ability to move quickly without hearing all about it when you hit the accelerator. Would be happy to provide further impressions, these are just my summary impressions based on our looking for a quiet and comfortable luxury ride.