AmyAtAdamsAustralia

Great work Joseph, it came out great

Very nice!  Black and very, very shiny, my favorite combination.  I can't believe you did all that in only 3.5 hours, it would have taken me all day.  Good work!

Well Done.  But I have to say, whomever owns that car, tell them to leave it home next time and get a truck.

Nicely done!

Great job on the cleanup.  Also, beautiful car.  Not that I'm biased or anything...

Recently this SSV took a nice long (and dirty) country trip into the back roads of Australia. It encountered bug guts, heavy rainfall, dusty and dirt roads and the occasional strong winds carrying loose dust.
 
When it returned, it was an absolute mess! The interior wasn't too bad however the exterior was another story. Heavy mud and dirt formed a new bonding relationship with the wheel wells, the wheels took on a nice orange/yellow coating and the paint, well, just look at the pictures below.
 
What was done? Purely a wash, dry and wax in its simplest description. We didn't follow on with a mild paint correction this time round due to time constraints, but she is ready to go next time. Follow on after the pictures for a detailed list.
 

 
 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Details on the detail;
 
Interior- Vacuum, Glass Clean, Total Interior Detailer wipedown, Leather and Interior Clean and Condition, Carpet Clean and Scrub.
 
Exterior-
Wheels-
1. Deep Wheel Cleaner and All Purpose Cleaner for the wheels and tires x4
2. Fender Brush and Wheel Woolie for the wheel wheels (after a blast with the foam cannon) x4
 
Paint-
1. Foam lance with Adam's Car Shampoo/Waterless Wash mix (let it dwell for 5 mins)
2. Power wash Rinse
3. Foam lance again (dwell 5 mins)
4. Power wash rinse
5. Foam lance again 
6. Two bucket, three mitt, two Grit Guard wash (top to bottom)
7. Power wash rinse
8. Sheet rinse/Pooling Rinse
9. Mist the entire car with Detail Spray 
10. Great White Towel and Metro Master Blaster Dry
11. Clay Bar with Detail Spray
12. Revive Polish
13. Buttery Wax
14. Brilliant Glaze
15. Stand back and admire the shine
 
Total Detail time: 3.5 hours

Recently this SSV took a nice long (and dirty) country trip into the back roads of Australia. It encountered bug guts, heavy rainfall, dusty and dirt roads and the occasional strong winds carrying loose dust.
 
When it returned, it was an absolute mess! The interior wasn't too bad however the exterior was another story. Heavy mud and dirt formed a new bonding relationship with the wheel wells, the wheels took on a nice orange/yellow coating and the paint, well, just look at the pictures below.
 
What was done? Purely a wash, dry and wax in its simplest description. We didn't follow on with a mild paint correction this time round due to time constraints, but she is ready to go next time. Follow on after the pictures for a detailed list.
 

 
 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Details on the detail;
 
Interior- Vacuum, Glass Clean, Total Interior Detailer wipedown, Leather and Interior Clean and Condition, Carpet Clean and Scrub.
 
Exterior-
Wheels-
1. Deep Wheel Cleaner and All Purpose Cleaner for the wheels and tires x4
2. Fender Brush and Wheel Woolie for the wheel wheels (after a blast with the foam cannon) x4
 
Paint-
1. Foam lance with Adam's Car Shampoo/Waterless Wash mix (let it dwell for 5 mins)
2. Power wash Rinse
3. Foam lance again (dwell 5 mins)
4. Power wash rinse
5. Foam lance again 
6. Two bucket, three mitt, two Grit Guard wash (top to bottom)
7. Power wash rinse
8. Sheet rinse/Pooling Rinse
9. Mist the entire car with Detail Spray 
10. Great White Towel and Metro Master Blaster Dry
11. Clay Bar with Detail Spray
12. Revive Polish
13. Buttery Wax
14. Brilliant Glaze
15. Stand back and admire the shine
 
Total Detail time: 3.5 hours

Adam's never ceases to amaze me. Look at the time stamp on the emails -   Thank you Bianca and Adams.    ***Note: this is the first and only towel i've had an issue with in 4 yrs.***   On Sep 2, 2014, at 3:51 PM, Bianca Urso <bianca@adamspolishes.com> wrote:  
Mark!
  Thank you for bringing this to our attention! I am sorry to see your double soft is falling apart on you. I will have a replacement sent out to you first thing tomorrow as FedEx has already picked up for the day. Thanks your for your business and please let me know if you have any questions. I will be more than happy to help! 

On Tue, Sep 2, 2014 at 4:49 PM, Mark ########## wrote:



-- 
Bianca Urso
Customer Service 
www.AdamsPolishes.com
720-473-7100 <image001.png>    

So I have been with Adam's for quite a few months now, but have yet to share my daily on here. But I figured now is the best time as any! 
 
Now just a fair warning, my car is definitely not for everyone! I'm 22 and in a crazy car scene. I love all cars, though, which is why I love working here and seeing all of your guys' stuff! 
 
My HD crashed so I don't have many pictures as of right now. It used to be silver and has been wrapped a Matte Brown Metallic (soon to change again). 
 
Its a 2007 Acura TL. 
 
 

 

 

 

Great work as always Aaron, very keen to see future details.
 
I would suggest taking some time to do some test sections, say with MF pads only or even Orange MF followed by White Foam. Forgive me if you had done so already. Taking that extra little step will hone in on the best combo for you and save you some time!
 
Very cool ute!

Hi All,
         Been a busy past couple of weeks here but I really wanted to stop in and share this with you all. Really proud of how this came out as not only was the vehicle sporting fairly reasonable damage, It was one of my close friends pride and joy. Someone recently attempted to steal the vehicle and did a significant amount of damage, The panel shop that fixed it also left their signature unfortunately so I promised my friend I would set things right for him and get her shine back ready for summer! I got to spend 27 1/2 awesome hours on this vehicle and enjoyed every second of it, Best of all my friend was over the moon with the result.
 
Correction was performed with the Cyclo and a pass of each compound and pad, One pass with the microfiber made an incredible amount of difference however I really wanted to put my best foot forward on this detail and had authority to do so! Here's what I did
 
- Clean Tyres and Arches with Adam's APC and 20" fender brush
- Clean wheels with Adam's Green Wheel Cleaner
- Dress Tyres with VRT and Arches with Undercarriage Spray
- 2 Bucket wash using Adam's Gamma Seal buckets and Adam's Car Shampoo
- Dry with Adam's GWDT
- Clay bar with Adam's Detail Spray and Claybar
- Pass with Adam's Paint Correcting and Microfibers
- Pass with Adam's Paint Correcting and Foams
- Pass with Adam's Paint Finishing and Microfibers
- Pass with Adam's Paint Finishing and Foams
- Pass with Adam's Revive Polish
- Pass with Adam's Brilliant Glaze
- Pass with Adam's Liquid Paint Sealant
- Pass with Adam's Patriot Wax       
- Stand back and stare for a while
 
Without further ado, The pics
 
Wheel before and after


 
You can see a hint of the damage in some of these shots




 
Now the close ups. I think on my inspection all I could say was "Oh My God!" 
Holograms courtesy of a panel shop






 
It gets worse unfortunately, This poor car had been through the ringer and my heart sank further and further as I made my way around






 
Under the lights


 
1 Pass with Microfibers and hope was restored!

Colour difference was noticable


 
Nailed down my technique and decided a pass with each would put us where we wanted to be

 
Fender before and after



 
Some odd marring on the right hand door, Polished out no bother though, Forgot to take and after photo though!


 
Right hand front fender


1 Pass, Pretty impressive!

After Compounding, Pretty awesome result!



 
By this stage I was heavily absorbed and forgetting pics! All of these pics are post Patriot. Overall I am really happy with the result. These cars are limited numbers so saving her felt all the more rewarding. I don't like to blow my own horn but I think this is the work I am proudest of so far



 
At this point, I realized I'd forgotten to order some 0000 Steel wool. A wheel woolie made light work of the towbar

 
Had to be quick with the sun shots as the weather here is still horrible (In Australia, Seriously??)






Just detailed this amazing car and here I am taking pictures of myself again



Clouds returned to ruin my Pics

 
Quick blast with Total Interior Detailer

 
Luckily I had permission from my friend to take the ute for a quick cruise to a local park to take some more pics, Cruising in a freshly detailed black ute with a rumbling 302 in the Aussie sunshine, this was a cool experience I really didn't want to end



 
After the pics the weather moved back in and it was time to hide her back in the garage. I had an amazing experience detailing this car and it's probably the one I'm most proud of so far!
 
Cheers from Overcast Downunder
Aaron

In this thread we will cover off how you can use detailing clay to restore a finish and the benefits from using detailing clay on your car.

Remove contaminants from the paint to result in a clean surface

The concept of using detailing clay may be new to you and you might be thinking, “What is detailing clay and what can detailing clay do for my car?”

Detailing Clay is designed to;
Remove contaminants that washing alone cannot remove (industrial fallout, brake dust, tree sap, light water spotting)
Prepare the painted surface for paint correction also it can be used on glass.

How Does Auto Detailing Clay Work?

Before taking to the vehicle with a Clay Bar ask yourself "Does the vehicle need claying?" Read on further to justify putting in the extra work. Detailing clay is used with a clay lubricant such as Adam's Detail Spray. This combination allows the clay to glide over surface of your paint and collects the particles embedded in the clear coat. Used properly, detailing clay is completely safe and nonabrasive.

What Does Detailing Clay Remove?

If your car is brand new or a classic and not kept in a climate controlled bubble your vehicle is under constant assault from the elements. This will definitely vary if your car is a show car with the occasional outing vs. a daily driver. Brake dust, industrial fallout, acid rain deposits and rail dust all can adhere to your vehicle. These contaminants often contain metal particulates. These contaminants then oxidize, and they allow rust to spread beneath the clear coat. Detailing clay removes these contaminants in order to keep the paint healthy and vibrant.

Detailing Clay also removes stubborn sap, tar, and bug guts. However you will always want to try washing with a high lubricity car shampoo first (Adam's Car Shampoo or Rinseless Wash) try the least aggressive method first. Detailing clay works wonder on glass as well. Try some the next time you’re washing your windows. You’ll be amazed at the results!

Do You Need To Clay?

As mentioned in other threads try the baggie test: This a simple test that will indicate whether or not you need to clay. Wash and dry your vehicle, put a plastic sandwich bag over your hand and very very lightly rub your fingertips over the paint. If it feels gritty or rough, your paint is contaminated.

Use a high quality detailing clay bar, like Adam's Detailing Clay Bar, and a clay lubricant to clean your paint before applying wax or polish. Waxes and paint sealants will adhere evenly to clean paint and the shine will be more uniform and vibrant. 

Clay is available in 200g bars. On average, a vehicle will need to be clayed once to twice a year.

NOTE: To optimize both the quality of your claying and the clay's useful life, avoid soap and water as a lubricant. They will prematurely deteriorate today’s clay compounds. Use only clay lubricants. A good clay kit, like Adam's Detailing Clay Kit, contain both the detailing clay and it’s corresponding lubricant.

Follow these steps:

Wash and dry your vehicle.
Spray a small area with clay lubricant
Gently rub the clay bar back and forth across the wet area. It will grab at first. This means that it is pulling contaminants out of the paint. When it glides
freely, the paint is clean.
Wipe the area with a microfiber towel and use the clay lubricant to remove any clay residue. Rub your fingers across the paint now; it should be as smooth as glass. If it’s not, repeat the process. Reshape the clay bar as needed to expose a clean surface. Keep the clay well-lubricated.
Continue these steps until you’ve clayed the entire vehicle. 
Store the clay bar in its original case if possible, or in an airtight plastic bag. Spray it with lubricant to keep it moist.

Overall, claying your vehicle is an easy process and will assist in restoring shine followed by a good polish and sealant/wax combo. If you apply common sense and don't rush the result will be perfect everytime.

On another note, there are many other 'alternatives' to an actual clay bar. These alternative come in clay mitts, clay towels, clay pads etc. We have tried and tested these products and found that each have their pro's and con's. Some products induced heavy marring of the paint, others required heavy pressure etc. With all things detailing, it has to be fun, fit your budget and most of all you have to be comfortable using the product on your pride and joy. If you've found your claying solution and love it and it gives you the results you want, stick with it!

If you have any questions or maybe want us to cover off something in this thread in more detail. Let us know.

Since Adam's custom/blank bottle label isn't available yet due to their concentration of moving/new warehouse/shipping/etc. issue.  I've decided to make my ow.  Of course I would prefer a "real" Adam's label instead of my ghetto knockoff.  But I guess these would do in the meantime.  
 

 
And I just emailed Adam's to see if they could send me a Waterless Wash label so I could put it on my pump pressure sprayer that I use for waterless wash.  I mixed the waterless wash using the Rinseless Wash, that's why I don't have an empty Waterless Wash bottle to reuse the label.  

I had to come and add to this thread. This stuff is awesome. I bought/used it about 2 weeks ago and my tires still have a wet look to them. Unbelievable considering how much of the competitors junk I've been through over the years. Great product Adam's and thanks for making it!!!

Finally Got my BL-5000 portable lift. The instructions sucked, but once I got it figured out it worked great!
Just need a bigger garage :-)
It is portable but it's too big for a trunk. Need a pickup or a small trailer if going to the track. Pretty easy to move around the garage though.




Stored

My Dads wagon, he's nice enough to let me borrow it sometimes!
 

 

I don't know if there is a topic for this already but I wanted to share my first impression of Adam's service.
 
I had ordered an item or two in the past, but had invested in "Z" products. After trying a bottle of deep wheel cleaner, I thought this Adam guy had a few things figured out.
 
During the 4th of July sale, I decided to make the switch and ordered the Complete cyclo kit. It arrived with a few other things I had ordered, but I didn't really get time to play with it until two months later.
 
NNaturally the products were great, but instead of a bottle of sealant, I had a bottle of waterless wash.
 
Finally got around to calling today and got an answering machine. Thought I'd have to follow up tomorrow, but within 10 minutes I recieved a return call. 5 minutes later I had a $0 invoice for the missing sealant and two other items I had not ordered with free shipping. Immediately after that I had another email with a tracking number.
 
Adam's Polishes, you have a customer for life. Thanks so much for doing things right. I teach nearly 300 middle school students every day. I tell them all to "do the right thing because it is the right thing to do." I'm glad to see others feel the same.
 
Joey Mitchell
Adam's customer since 7/5/14

Many of us usually start our car care routine with the advise and technique of others, whether that be parents at a young age, friends or club mates. Some routines are sound and only need minor adjustments however some are completely wrong and these are the culprit to contributing to the most common paint defects.
 
"Some of us may have stated out washing our cars with one bucket, dish soap and a coral sponge. Then rinse after every panel then throw the suds bucket on the car at the end for the final rinse and chamois?" If this was you and you've changed, great! If this is your current routine read on.
 
This guide is by no means gospel and should be taken as an FYI. Many paint defects can be caused by a number of things through the wash/dry routine and general maintenance of the vehicle.
 
Paint Defects
 
Swirls
 
Heavy Swirls & Scratches
 

 
Swirls & Scratches are the most common paint defect on cars today, some swirls and scratches come free direct from the dealership. 
 
Swirls are minor scratches in the clear coat and are generally caused by incorrect cleaning techniques. Some may even be caused by dry rubbing the the paint with no lubricant (think car dusters). Swirls can be circular or straight, this will depend on which way the car is washed. Over time the swirls become so dense that it looks like a million tiny spider webs over the paint- this is where the term 'webbing' stems from.
 
The best way to identify swirls is in direct sunlight. Halogen work lights are useful as well if there is no sunlight available. They are difficult to completely avoid in daily drive cars, however with correct maintenance they can be minimised.
 
Here is a 50/50 shot of the same area. One half has been polished, or "paint corrected".
 

 
 
Etching
 
The most common type of etching is water spotting
 

 
This is where minerals/metals in the water that are left behind on the surface etch themselves into the clear coat. There are a number of different types of water spots and they will vary on their source and contents i.e acid rain, hard water from hoses and sprinkers, rain water, water droplets from trees or buildings, road water.
 
One way to avoid water spotting is to ensure the car is dried properly after washing, and always to have a layer of protection over the paint to act as a barrier between the elements and your clear coat.
 
The other common type of etching is from bird poo
 

 
Acidic in nature, bird and bat droppings can be damaging to paintwork if left on for a sustained period of time. If not removed promptly it will cause damage to bare unprotected paintwork. If it's a hot day and the car is in direct sunlight this will accelerate the process.
 
Holograms
 
These are not a natural and are 100% caused by humans using machine polishers incorrectly. 
 

 
 
Holograms are a by-product of heavy machine polishing. Sometimes while paint correcting, a detailer will need to work some areas quite heavily to remove deeper swirls and scratches. This will quite often generate heat in the panel due to the friction of the polisher working out those swirls. This will manifest as buffer trails (holograms) in the paint surface.
 
 
Refer to this graphic for those that like visuals
 

Here are the results of my new tire shine and DWC.  LOVE IT.  It looks AWESOME!!!!!!
 
Here are the before and after photos.  (not perfect but I was only dedicating 2 hrs to the whole car)
 
DWC is the ONLY product I have found that cuts BMW aggressive break pad dust with just one/two applications (and wheel woolie/utility towel to clean up the residuals).  I am COMPLETELY SOLD on DWC and Tire Shine.  Green wheel cleaner, Simple Green, Dawn, etc. can't even begin to hold a match to the fury of that which is Deep Wheel Cleaner!!!!!!
 
Keep up the GREAT work Adam's Polishes!

Customer service for the most part has been in decline for both large and small businesses for several years. Today I experienced some of the best customer service ever. I had ordered some Adam products that obviously required sprayers to perform as described. The sprayers were not in the shipment so I emailed Adam's inquiring about them. Not only did I get a handful of sprayers, but Adam's added 2 new utility towels and a bottle of detail spray. All of this was overnighted. A hand written note was also enclosed apologizing for the error.
Tell me that is not a company trying to keep your business! They went beyond what was expected. So, THANK YOU ADAM'S!! Incredible.

Welcome to the forums Troy!

Thanks everyone! and thanks Joseph for getting me into the products. If / when I become an addict, I blame you

Many of us usually start our car care routine with the advise and technique of others, whether that be parents at a young age, friends or club mates. Some routines are sound and only need minor adjustments however some are completely wrong and these are the culprit to contributing to the most common paint defects.
 
"Some of us may have stated out washing our cars with one bucket, dish soap and a coral sponge. Then rinse after every panel then throw the suds bucket on the car at the end for the final rinse and chamois?" If this was you and you've changed, great! If this is your current routine read on.
 
This guide is by no means gospel and should be taken as an FYI. Many paint defects can be caused by a number of things through the wash/dry routine and general maintenance of the vehicle.
 
Paint Defects
 
Swirls
 
Heavy Swirls & Scratches
 

 
Swirls & Scratches are the most common paint defect on cars today, some swirls and scratches come free direct from the dealership. 
 
Swirls are minor scratches in the clear coat and are generally caused by incorrect cleaning techniques. Some may even be caused by dry rubbing the the paint with no lubricant (think car dusters). Swirls can be circular or straight, this will depend on which way the car is washed. Over time the swirls become so dense that it looks like a million tiny spider webs over the paint- this is where the term 'webbing' stems from.
 
The best way to identify swirls is in direct sunlight. Halogen work lights are useful as well if there is no sunlight available. They are difficult to completely avoid in daily drive cars, however with correct maintenance they can be minimised.
 
Here is a 50/50 shot of the same area. One half has been polished, or "paint corrected".
 

 
 
Etching
 
The most common type of etching is water spotting
 

 
This is where minerals/metals in the water that are left behind on the surface etch themselves into the clear coat. There are a number of different types of water spots and they will vary on their source and contents i.e acid rain, hard water from hoses and sprinkers, rain water, water droplets from trees or buildings, road water.
 
One way to avoid water spotting is to ensure the car is dried properly after washing, and always to have a layer of protection over the paint to act as a barrier between the elements and your clear coat.
 
The other common type of etching is from bird poo
 

 
Acidic in nature, bird and bat droppings can be damaging to paintwork if left on for a sustained period of time. If not removed promptly it will cause damage to bare unprotected paintwork. If it's a hot day and the car is in direct sunlight this will accelerate the process.
 
Holograms
 
These are not a natural and are 100% caused by humans using machine polishers incorrectly. 
 

 
 
Holograms are a by-product of heavy machine polishing. Sometimes while paint correcting, a detailer will need to work some areas quite heavily to remove deeper swirls and scratches. This will quite often generate heat in the panel due to the friction of the polisher working out those swirls. This will manifest as buffer trails (holograms) in the paint surface.
 
 
Refer to this graphic for those that like visuals
 

Thanks Joseph, I'm really humbled to receive such a high compliment from you. I actually had a meeting with my accountant today to discuss the very subject . I will catch up with you in the coming weeks to discuss, I'm really amazed at how quickly this has gained momentum