Brandon Lutz

Just ordered a refill of the new stuff this morning as I was running low on my supply of detail spray. Congrats on the 13 years of success!

With the Flex, you don't need to put down a lot of pressure. Just enough to keep the pad flat. Did you perhaps strike something with the edge of pad, such as a badge? That could damage the pad.

And those of us who do know.. Smell like Super VRT and Detail Spray:jester:

It's not OCD, it's called Detailing!

Well my father is a farmer and everything he works with is dirty so I think he just kind of accepts dirt as the norm as far as vehicle and equipment goes. He actually just sold his 3 year old GMC Sierra 2500 and upgraded to a brand new 2500 HD. The previous truck got washed twice a year: Once at the beginning of the year and then once after Sugar Cane season is over. It makes sense though for a farm vehicle as if you wash it on Sunday it will probably covered in dirt and/or mud the following morning. My mother likes her vehicles clean but she is unwilling to go the lengths that we do lol, I'm just happy I have her finally using a two bucket wash and real microfiber. Me being OCD about a clean vehicle came from somewhere in the family however. My uncle (my fathers brother) is an old Machinist and hot rodder. He rebuilds an old 30's or 40's coupe every few years and his attention to detail is impressive.

I have 3 buckets, all 5 gallon. My soap bucket is the clear Adam's bucket with the red gamma seal lid setup with a red grit guard. My rinse bucket is a white 5 gallon Lowe's bucket with black gamma seal lid setup and black grit guard that I bought. The black ring in my head means "dirt" so that's why I went with that color. My 3rd bucket is just another 5 gallon bucket that I use for my brushes. No gamma seal or grit guard in it. It is strictly for my wheel and engine bay brushes. BTW I bought the black gamma seal ring and lid at Home Depot. They have two other colors white and I think yellow the last time I looked. For washing tools: Adam's Merino Wool wash mitt for the top half of the car. 1 Adam's regular sized wash pad for the driver side bottom of the car 1 Adam's regular sized wash pad for the passenger side bottom of the car 1 Adam's regular sized wash pad for the lower rear quarter panels. For engine bay work and wheels, I use the Blonde Boar's hair brush. I also use the big and medium wheel woolies for the wheels as well to clean the barrel. For tires the Adam's new tire brush For the fender wells, the new Adam's wheel and fender brush.

Last week I drove my Camaro down to the family farm to give it a bath and to detail it for the first time in 5 weeks. It's been either raining or sleeting here the last month or so and other than the occasional coin op pressure wash my car has not been washed at all. Anyways, on Sunday I start about 9 AM in the morning. I started my usual routine, clean the engine bay and then the wheels, tires and inside the fenders. After that I do the foam gun, hand wash, dry etc.. Well as we all know before you know it's late in the evening before you finish or are almost finished with your vehicle. My older sister stops by to speak to my father and they are outside at his shop talking about something. All of a sudden I hear the inevitable "Why do you put so much into detailing your car? It looks cleaner and more shiny than when you bought it new?" With the Americana tub in my left hand and the applicator in my right, I quickly respond with "That's the point" To which they really have no response to:jester:. I just hear my sister go "Oh". My logic is sound and it is unquestionable. In due time they shall be assimilated into the detailing collective.

I used Americana for the first time this past weekend and it definitely rocks. Looking forward to your review!

BTW, I forgot to mention, I pass the duster weekly over the interior. I find it helps keep any dust from accumulating and makes my interior details much easier when I do them because there is no heavy dust buildup to remove.

I have one of those Merino wool interior car dusters that I use to remove light dust from the interior of the car. I gently pass it over the radio face and gauge cluster and I haven't had any issues yet.

How much faster was it to get a panel corrected compared to the PC? I understand that the Rupes is an Orbital polisher like the PC, but it sounds like you didn't need to apply the same amount of pressure to it as you with with using the PC, is that correct?

The pink hands will at least smell good.

When I clay I wear a pair of nitrile gloves. It allows me when claying, to quickly feel if I'm doing a good job. Much like the bag test you can feel all of the contaminants left on the paint or if they have been removed. What I normally do is clay a 2 foot by 2 foot section and then drag my fingers across the recently clayed area. The gloves are like a bag for your hand and will help you save time by letting you know right away if you got all of the stuff out of the paint for that section. As others have mentioned, don't be afraid to put some elbow grease into it when claying. Use plenty of lube and you'll be fine.

I use L.I.C. to clean the entire interior. I spray some on a utility microfiber towel and wipe down each panel. I then protect the dash, seats and most of the interior trim with Adam's Leather Conditioner and for areas that might get see some water from opening the door when it's raining, such as the plastic trim by the bottom of the door or the door panels, I use SVRT.

When I was polishing my 03 S-10 when I was getting ready to sell it, I got some wax on the rhino liner. I used the All Purpose cleaner and tooth brush to get it out.

For SUV Cleaning in particular. A large wash pad with a hook and look backing that attaches to a backing plate that is attached to a long/or extendable handle. This way you can remove the pad for cleaning on a grit guard during your wash. With the long handle you would be able to wash the tops of tall vehicles without have to bend over on a ladder. It would be a handy tool for washing the tops of really tall SUV's and Vans, and even RV's and Campers.

BTW you are about to set off on a path of a new addiction. First it starts off with a "Starter" set, soon your wife or girlfriend is giving you the evil eye as new tools start showing up via UPS, FedEx and USPS. Then it gets even worse with that first combo tool chest to hold them in.

PM Sent!

You can't go wrong with the two sets of Armstrong that I've got. I'll PM you two links to a site where you can get them. I got mine off of Ebay two years ago before I could find a dealer online that sold them. Since then I've found them at one of my favorite tool sites.

Matco, Armstrong, KD, Gearwrench, Crescent, and Allen Tools are all owned by Apex Tool Group (formerly Danaher Tools). Apex also has the contract to make a majority of the hand tools for Craftsman with the exception of their standard clear plastic handled screw drivers which are made by Western Forge. Their standard line of black handeled pliers are also made by Western Forge. Of those brands, Armstrong makes just about every single thing in the US and I've come across. They have exactly what you are looking for as I have one of their 3/8th sets and a 1/4 sets and they have both standard and metric and are both laser etched with the sizes on the sockets. There is some speculation that the Armstrong factory makes the standard line sockets for Craftsman as Apex supplies the sockets to Craftsman and Armstrong is all USA. It would explain why as of now the only thing left made in the USA on Craftsman's line up is their standard chrome sockets. Of all the brands that Apex owns, Armstrong is still made here at home. Mainly because when the Armstrong Brothers sold Danaher (at the time) a majority share of the company they had the contract drawn up that the jobs and tool production bearing their name stay in the USA. At least that's what I've heard through the grapevine. Matco is confusing to figure out where stuff is still made. A lot of their tools now are rebranded Gearwrench items and they are still charging truck tool prices for a cheaper product. But then they have a lot of stuff still made here but it's getting harder to find.

I use a Armstrong and Proto sockets. Craftsman standard line chrome sockets are still made in USA for now. All their new two tone black and silver sockets and the sockets that come with the pass through socket set they have out are not however. All of Snap-On's sockets are made in USA with the exception of the BluePoint tool group. Those are made in Taiwan.

I use 3 5 gallon buckets (the same ones I wash with) and one cardboard box that some of my Adam's stuff came in to keep my stuff organized when I head out to wash my Camaro. Yea, I know it ain't fancy, but it works!

I have a couple of those brushes for my PC and they work very well. The only downside I have with them is they were made in China which I didn't know when I bought them online. I probably would have not purchased them had I known so. However they do get the job done if you have a lot of scrubbing to do, such as the entire carpet, mats, and seats of a never before been detailed 2005 Mercury Sable.

Schaefer Ranchwear | America's Finest Ranchwear Since 1982 Found them while searching for a good pair of leather work gloves for my 85 year old grandfather. He is a cattle farmer and his hands get terribly cold during the winter and I wanted to find a pair of leather gloves that were insulated and made right here at home. They sell an assorted amount of stuff and I think after the holidays I may by a pair of jeans and a belt from them for myself.

I used it to clean a stubborn part of my apartment floor, that for the entire 6 years I've lived here, always looked dirty. Sprayed APC on the floor, let it sit for 5 minutes and using the tire brush it came out looking clean and brand new.