SLOWpoke

That is SICKENING to me!!! As a fellow rider I stop every chance I get to help out another rider, if they're broke down or just dropped the bike I try to always stop and help..ya know I just continue to be shocked at some peoples appalling behavior on the road and in life in general..I stopped once on a highway to help this lady prolly in her 40's change her tire cause she didn't know how, I asked her how long she'd been stopped she told me about 30 mins!!! This was on a busy section of road, so for a half hour NO ONE even stopped to help her out! I just don't get what goes through some peoples heads when they see someone that needs help or could use a bit of assistance and they just pass on by...

When I put the LS Vette motor in my IS300 I'll let ya'll know what it does This is actually a pretty common mod for the IS crowd and "stock" no mods to the LS block it still pulls solid numbers in the 1/4 mile. But I digress as that is years away from happening..house first, then luxury hotrod! However Sub'd and I will be doing this the entire time till then

My rule of thumb is: If its part of the body and painted..its getting polished. PERIOD! That includes my car, customers cars, family, whatever..its getting the full treatment..Now with that said do most people pay attention to your rockers?? No....But I do. Perfect isn't perfect unless its perfect. Simple as that. I've seen WAY WAY WAY too many "show cars" and 100-300k and 500+k cars that the little extra step was not taken..not exactly talking about polishing rockers, as I've seen 100+k retro-mods bodies TRASHED by shotty body work..but guys we are into DETAILING right??? That means the details of said car or truck? Am I not right?! Now don't get me wrong, if I don't pay your car note then I have no say so with what you do with it. But for ME I'm doing the WHOLE car! As far as position or technique...I'll sit on my rolling chair and hit the lower door panels and bumpers and depending on the car I'll put my behind on the ground and polish the rockers or anywhere else that may not be easily reached while I'm on my seat. YES my arms tell me NO, but my mind says "Screw you, you're doing it!! You can rest when you're finished!" I have a bit of a different outlook on a variety of things however, one little "motto" of mine is 'You can rest when you're dead' so I try to live by that.. I cannot begin to know what those with bad knees or backs go through when doing a detail so to those people, find out what works for YOU, think about something motivating whatever you have to do..think about that cold beer you'll have afterwards or what your ancestors had to endure during the depression (one of my favs since I'm only 2nd generation since coming over to the US) or about what our military service men and women go through and how if they can do what they do, then you can sit your *** on the ground for another 30 mins and trust me once you figure that out you will feel so much better about the detailing job you just did

I agree with all previous posts....it takes me longer than 30secs with a flex....you're moving way too fast so just slow down and take your time

I am, sorta, a quite and at first shy fellow if you don't know me or I'm not comfortable in a certain setting or topic....ask friends, family, co-workers you'll get that from them. However when it comes to this specific topic (and many others we won't go into) I'm extremely vocal about it! And anyone who's around me or tries to "talk" to me and one of those topics arise when I do speak..people tend to stfu and listen to what I have to say. I know I'm only 26 but best believe I've done some living with alot of "listening and observing" thrown in there for "learning" purposes. So believe it or not...I actually know wth I'm talking about when I actually talk! When I encounter people who THINK I or someone else has jacked up a car I usually point to mine or a customers I've recently done; and say "you tell me the difference..yea I know yours is dirty right now but seriously go feel your paint then come feel this paint, okay now go "wash" your car and feel it again....no difference huh?! Yea that's cause YOU are screwing up the paint and aren't taking care of the things you own!! Btw you use MF right? Okay well feel THIS MF!! Yea yours isn't **** is it?! So if you want further demonstration give me 45 mins with your car and THEN you can tell me that I'm the idiot..or you can kindly put your foot in your mouth" All said there are some people that will NEVER get it...there are then some that will have a fit about charging $250+ for a detail it all comes out in the wash guys (no pun intended) people will have their opinions just as we have ours. We know WE'RE right and OUR rides couldn't be better and anyone customer we may have couldnt be better! So for those that don't get it extend an offer you may just have a convert on your hands which could turn into a loyal customer..you lose nothing. I've seen million dollar homes TRASHED by what I call crappy decor and I rent a $600 apartment..to each his own, I know my way is better but until I pay someone else car payment or until someone pays mine or my housing note they can't say **** about what I do with it and I really can't comment on what they do..but I will at least TRY to show them the right way

Like Ryan above me, I consider myself a "self-taught mechanic" and engineer, I enjoyed at one point when I had time restoring motorcycles and building motorcycles. My latest almost from scratch will probably be my last for a while as I just don't have the time like I used to when I was in medic school plus I've kinda run out on motorcycles for a while...but hopefully my first semi car build will happen shortly! Other than that I like movies a lot and I consider myself somewhat of a Rum connoisseur And I enjoy combat sports..mainly MMA but I love all of the aspects of MMA as much separately as I do all the different techniques put together. I've always loved wrestling and kickboxing then I when I started to train I fell in love with jiu jitsu. MMA sorta consumes my life in general..news apps on religiously checked on phone, I'll stop a detail go watch the fights on TV then go back and finish the detail that night sometimes at 1AM!! lol Its all consuming, and for me, fighting crosses ALL cultural, religious, and national boundries, as every nation and culture on the planet for hundreds of years has had SOME sort of fighting "style" and its neat to really see the evolution of all of that blasted into your TV screen making you yell and scream for your favorite athlete..its much more than Affliction shirts and KOs to me

I DEMAND MORE PICTURES!!!! Looks great!

A tad bit like Dylan said.. I find myself now using, after some trial and error and "going over board", use just under 8oz of DS when claying and another 4-6 on spraying the pads while polishing..Its also cut down on the amount of polish I use because you start to get a feel for when you can just spray the DS on the pad to kind of revive some of the polish in the pad for your next pass/panel. LIC...I still have maybe a 1/4 of a 16oz left and its seen probably 8-9 cars, a little goes a long way, again like Dylan stated. As for the APC...I still use too much to clean the tires and engine..bad habit and I need to break it, hopefully with my next order including some foaming sprayers that will help me cut down on my over use for those particular things so maybe that's an extra little tool you may want to look into getting..However I WILL go through at least 3/4 if not the entire bottle when I clean my pads as I'm very picky about their cleanliness, and probably another 1/4 bottle when I pretreat my MF towels before wash ...yes I know about the MF revitalizer and yes I'm getting it in my next order as well because I'm a and completely addicted to Adams products and loving every minute of it!

Great job! Not positive if the pearl on the RX is dwp (diamond white pearl) but yes I know that POP when its detailed!! In the sun you almost gotta wear sunglasses to look at it really dig that color pearl! ...I'd hope I would like it at least, since its the same color as mine and all

First :worth: So post some up man!!! Zach I describe a "pass" as up, then overlapping about 50% going down, then 50% going back up again and so forth till I cover my panel or test spot all the way across vertically. Then I move side to side, in the same manner. Repeating those steps once or twice when I use the flex and 3-4 times depending on the polish used when I use the PC. That is what I describe as 1 full pass...you may need yet another pass using same polish/pad depending on how "hard" or "soft" the clear coat is before moving on to FMP Have you tried a pass with severe swirl and haze remover?? Depending on how bad the swirls and damage is to the paint you may need either a pass or 2 of that polish OR 3-4 passes with Swirl and Haze Remover before seeing results that you want..again also depending on how "hard" or "soft" your clear coat is. I know when my IS300 was first corrected me and SRTLUVR needed I think 2-3 passes on the flex of Severe Swirl and Haze before we could step down to reg Swirl and Haze Remover, that's how frackin HARD my clear coat is lol!! I can promise you this buddy, Adams Polishes and the forum community here will for sure do the trick helping you correct your paint and lead you into the right direction!! Post up some pics if you can and we all will help you achieve the results you're looking for Then post some after pics so we can all be doing this Edit: Almost forgot Zach, but from what I've read and been told (if I remember this right, hopefully someone else can confirm) VWs have a very hard clear coat. So like I said multiple passes may be required

I've always had a thing for the "odd ball" cars, I like it!!! Hope you can get yourself a hold of one!! Def a really neat car!

Welcome to our addiction buddy!!! So true!! It only gets better! ...or worse depending on your addiction level

People not knowing how to treat a 4-way stop... "indecisive" drivers.."wait should I go? No? Yes I'm going..wait no I'm not..do I get off this exit? Nope..what about the next 3 exits (turn signal on then off then on then off)?? Oh there's my turn!!" (blindly turning across multiple lanes... People not knowing that you're supposed to be able to see the cars in front of you rear tires on the ground and following or stopping too close to my car! For some reason that REALLY bugs me Most people not knowing that the "left lane" is NOT the "left lane"! What it's called is the PASSING LANE and is designed for just that..PASSING other vehicles NOT just another lane for traffic or you to cruise in and of course drivers who do not pull over for ambulances or fire rescue trucks...selfish self centered "people" (since we're somewhat censored on here ) If it were you or a family member you'd be running the other cars off the road to get to them! That probably urks me the most coming from an EMS training background, every second counts sometimes and to me at least those drivers who do not immediately pull over could be responsible for the death of a human being /end rant lol Edit: Apparently the topic has shifted I keep my Americana applicator in the container and can say that I've never had any problems opening or closing mine, and feel that the container it self is very sturdy and well made...what I do have a problem with sometimes is grabbing the wax sheet from the container hahaha I know..I'm a haha!!

As I said before today, like another member of the forum, the new wheels show off your brake work more I think! And it's def a good change, making your car, dare I say...Look meaner than before..yet still classy and eloquent! Guys and gals I am NOT FREAKIN KIDDING YOU!!! The "Beast" and its new shoes looks SO much better in person!!! Especially with the light on the wheels! Chase buddy..very nice step-up/new choice. Wheels look great, frames your brake work better, and didn't tell you this today but the different color wheels actually make your paint POP more than it already does!!! Lookin forward to your new air-ride...and looking even MORE forward to when you man up and throw a blower or turbo on that thing lol!!! Congrats buddy! Very happy for you!!

Wish I could help man! I've never done a truck with a soft cover so no clue what to recommend! Hopefully someone who has/owns one will chime in... I'm currently searching for a good protectant for a convertible top..maybe something like that would work..just my guess as I haven't found a really nice one yet

What he said!! SVRT for the main side wall of the tire and some InO spray on the tread helps blend it all in, saves time, and looks good! Yes! When I detail a customers car that has a tonneau cover it either gets polished like the rest of the paint or gets SVRT depending on what the cover is made of like the factory cover on trucks like the Chevy Avalanche, makes all the difference in the world PS good name

NO KIDDING!!! That thing is NICE!!!

All of my customers have either come by way of recommendations or by meeting them personally by chance and them being interested and showing before and after pics. As I said before I'm just starting out and this is a fun for me way to make a little extra cash and the best part is seeing people reactions!! Its probably not great for repeat business but then again it is, but I ALWAYS share with EVERY car owner the proper 2 bucket wash method IN DETAIL (no pun intended) sometimes even going as far as sending them a step by step email as to a proper wash as well as warning them of the dangers and damage car washes WILL do! And of course for washing purposes aka what I call maintenance of the finish I first highly recommend Adams car wash and wash pads and highly advise against the spray tire shines..though for people that get sticker shock I recommend that M brands top products as they work okay as well. As said probably not great for repeat business but then again it IS, because it lets the customer know that hey I'm here and I'm doing your car with the same extreme care as I do my own, and while in my care I'm treating it as MY car!! It 100% WILL NOT leave my garage until I would actually drive it...and I'm VERY VERY VERY picky! And while I might not see them again for another 6 months to a year or ever...by going that extra little step and educating them I gain their trust and therefore respect which has led to more customers, more cars, more recommendations, more business and more money..even though the last 2 things I couldn't care less about it is still nice as I genuinely approach this detailing business as a way to fund my own car(s) up-keep and add a little extra to get a house

I still drive my VERY first car..BUT..the first one I bought with MY cash 92' Nissan Maxima...I still scan the road to this day for it, even think I've spotted it a few times..I'd buy it back in a heartbeat if it was still as reliable as it was back in 2004! It was truly a great car and will always have a place in my heart...hell I'd like to think its why I bought another 4 door saloon my current garage queen IS300 and why I'm looking at getting another garage queen IS350...that old Maxima just meant and represented something to me...man buy and drive what YOU want because YOU want it!! You don't need others to justify your passion! If it makes you happy that's all that really matters my friend!

InO is great for inside the interior and engine compartment!! As far as lasting on the exterior the parts I'd go to lengths on with SVRT I think would benefit much more greatly than some InO spray..All being said I personally love the stuff for what I use it for!

Great thread idea!! I change every few weeks..here's the latest few and my current

I rent it full time, just gets added to my apartments rent each month. That was a major concern when looking for my first place, could I have afforded a little nicer apartment? Yes..but then I wouldn't have enough to rent a garage..sooo I got an "okay" place so I could afford a garage as well Houses my IS300, my bike, shop vac, air compressor, a rolling toolbox and of course my 2 freestanding selves of all my Adams products Saving for a house right now, and of course having a garage is a requirement for my search...I'm BAFFLED at most everyone else in my complex or people who have houses and store all of their JUNK, like meaningless worthless JUNK in their garage! It always makes me laugh, what's your two most valuable, money wise, possessions? 1st your house and 2nd your car, so WHY are you storing CRAP in their and letting your vehicle sit outside or parked next to some jerk for him to dent and scratch!? I will honestly never understand that thought process

I rent a garage so if I know its going to be a 2 day ordeal or the owner is just going to pick it up that next morning their car will stay there till they come to pick it up and my IS will just have to endure a night outside the garage

Dude!! I'm not sure why I'm just now seeing this thread but MAJOR MAJOR props to you!! I know the dedication and fortitude it must have taken to do what you did! Congrats and VERY happy for you!! I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum, I wrestled in highschool, for 2 years till the program was cut, at 103, 112,118, and 120 something yet I ate what I wanted and never had to cut weight for ANY weightclass I ALWAYS weighed 103 even when I had a match at 120lbs...After that when I went to college I got back into martial arts, this time it was putting together my boxing and wrestling aka MMA. I started lifting weights like I never had before, I just remember such a FIRE burning inside me. While going up to 150lbs and training mixed martial arts I discovered my love of kickboxing and fighting amateur MMA ended up going 3-2 before a training injury caused me to need shoulder surgery...laziness kicked in and finally 3 years later I'm 135lbs and trying to start into a gym routine again! Could I have sent this all in a PM? Yes...but I just wanted to publicly state that because of YOUR hard work you have made ME more motivated and given me some extra drive to get back to my former self. And with that THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR STORY!!! Means a lot personally! Thank you and great job buddy!