estecoca

It was raining the day I bought it...and the next weekend as well. But you better believe I busted-out the Adams gear and washed it asap.

After a long leave, I'm back into caring for my vehicles the right way. It feels good to be back! 

I just bought a 2015 F150 and I'm pampering it like if it was a Lambo. One thing I want to do is get the window pillars (and maybe the front bumper too) wrapped in vinyl (matte black). If anyone has recommendations for where to get this done in the Houston are, I'd be most appreciative. 

Thanks...

Can this towel be used with the WCW???

I dont have any of the WCW specific towels. Are the regular blue MF towels safe to use with the WCW? The surface isnt 'dirty', just dusty...oh, and it was waxed with Americana about three weeks ago.

Thanks

Jason, it should come off pretty easily. I use the stuff in the garage and its gets on the cement floor, but it doesnt stick around very long. And the only real water that gets in there is the runoff of my truck after I wash it and dry it inside...

sweet...I have the same setup in my Taco...Im about to buy the TRD exhaust, but I cant swallow paying for the shipping of it. You should post back if you see any improvement in MPGs. I know that I have not seen one bit of difference despite the claims you'll see all over the place about CAIs.

I had this discussion with a friend just last week. He questioned why I use a bucket wash method even though I have a pressure washer and a foam gun. He proposed that I just cover it with foamed soap, then blast it with the pressure washer and towel it off.

MADNESS!!

My truck is dark blue and was filthy at the time, so I tested his suggestion. I hit the wheels with APC, wet the entire truck, covered it with TONS of suds and then rinsed it with the power washer. When I was done with the rinse, I let it sit there for a minute until a spot dried off enough to see what was left. IT WAS A DIRTY MESS! There was tons of dirt and grime on the surface and there was no way I would drag a towel across that surface! My buddy had no choice but to agree that this process was not a complete/sufficient wash.

The foam gun and power washer have their place, and are great tools. But there is no replacement for a good hand wash. No shortcuts.

Per recent threads, I believe that leaving my Adams gear in my garage (easily 100+ degrees these days) qualifies as the dumbest thing I've done. sigh

my only problem with this is that I wont have access to a PC tomorrow and will have to wait until Monday to order! ARGH!

I'd also add to this thread --

 

Waterless wash products are great for additional lubricity in your regular wash regiment. I have used other waterless products before as an addition to my 'bucket wash' a capfull or 2 of the waterless wash mixed with your regular soap increases lubricity for an EXTRA safe wash greatly decreasing the possibility of scratches or swirls being introduced in the wash routine.

Im glad you bring this up. I have often thought about adding a little of Adams DS to the wash bucket for some extra lube. I have yet to try it b/c I dont really have a problem with the wash as it is, but its still interesting....

I think the California is better looking....but that's just my opinion

wow, as a guy more or less his age and with a wife and kid, this type of reality hits hard. not knowing what else to do, I pray for his family and their peace. poor wife. poor kids. ugh....terrible situation.

be sure to post what the plan to give-back to the family will be...I'll want to participate.

That's an awesome rig! VERY sweet!

However, I dont think Im brave enough to try and take care of such a beast...the inevitable imperfections would drive me crazy!

Toss the Shammy....quickly.

The Adams drying towel is MILES above any other product. Oh, and using DS and free-flowing/sheeting water as the last steps is a GREAT tip.

I have a lot of confidence that the Adams clay would fix that spot. Its amazing what the clay will remove from your finish.

As for the frequency question, I wouldn't be concerned as the clay doesnt really remove any of the clear coat. The only "bad" thing the clay will do is it might create some micro marring (especially if not enough DS is used). But the PC process will take care of all that. In general, the clay process wont be necessary for a vehicle that is well/garage kept. There just wont be enough gunk to remove to warrant the work.

That's a sweet rig...Congrats!

I wish it were the case that when we buy a new vehicle, the finish is in perfect condition. In my experience, that couldnt be further from the truth...Just think of the monkeys dealerships sometimes have washing their vehicles. I would certainly bust out the PC and be prepared to go as far as SHR...

Am I the only person who doesnt use the GWC? I wash my cars often enough that I dont need a lot of power to remove the brake dust and other gunk that collects on them. The APC has been just fine for me...That being said, by four would be

1. DS

2. DS (you can never have too much)

3. Undercarriage spray

4. Car Wash

Hey Mike! Im in Bartlesville and I have been using Adams for a couple of years now. The products and service/support are second to none. Feel free to pepper the guys on here with all your questions - there are some real pros on here.

Also, in case you're wondering, the average ship-time for products to Bville is less than one week.

Enjoy!

the Toyota bedliners are "plastic" but they are not drop-in. they are fully built-in to the bed design in what Toyota calls a "composite" bed.

I have a Tacoma with one of these liners and I VRT it all the time. Sure, it does make it a little slick, but I go over it with a cheap MF and reduces that problem a bit. The VRT really hides the scuffs and scrapes well. It looks like a million bucks when Im done!

I guess the decision might be made around the idea of how the guy uses the truck. If I used mine consistently for work, I wouldnt want the liner VRT'd.

Im almost eager to take my recently 'Americana'd' truck on a road trip, get it full of bug guts and then wash it just to see how much of a difference it makes in terms of removing bug junk.

the key word there is ALMOST. I really dont want my ride covered in bug junk.

the wax rattles around in my jar also. not the biggest issue, but I like to spin the applicator pad on the wax, not drag it in straight lines. not sure why, really.

holy cow! I thought I knew all there was to know about the Sopranos...guess there's always another piece of trivia.

that's friggin cool!

Im with you rich. i have one bottle diluted and on not diluted.

^ +1

Tom, I feel your pain. My first 3 or 4 times using the PC were VERY frustrating. Here are a couple things I have learned:

1. even when using less product than I thought I should, I was still using too much...its amazing how little you need. too much product can create a surface on the pad that isnt optimal for cutting. the pads are different textures for a reason and if you saturate the face of the pad with too much stuff, you lose something.

2. for serious scratches, you need more pressure than you might think. use the trick to pressing down on a bathroom scale to measure how much you are using. I think something like 20-30lbs is about right for rough stuff (there are threads on here that have the exact #s). After a while, you will get a feel for the pressure a specific job requires.

3. expectations are often too high. we all want perfect finishes, but its more realistic to shoot for 80-90% perfect on a non show car.

4. use different pads for different panels of the car (or wash the pads in between uses). this is due to the same logic in #1.

5. most important: lean on Adam and the guys here for help. Im sure Adam would like to speak to you personally about you specific needs...these guys are the bomb when it comes to customer service - use them!

Im sure there is an inapropriate joke in here somewhere...just have to find it...lol