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amkr
Member
The big ticket item was a maxshine m8 pro.
other than that I grabbed some TRC microfiber, the tolco proportioner and a bottle of Koch Greenstar after seeing you and others praise it here.
gave it all a good workout yesterday.
I'm really impressed with greenstar at 1:10 dilution.
The m8 pro works well too, well balanced. I’d have preferred the m15 but it was out of stock and I’m impatient.
skinnyb
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2022
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- 12
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- 3,567
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- First Name
- Alex
- Vehicle(s)
- 21 Mach 1. FJG, Tremec
Got a couple of new goodies in today earlier than expected. A few more expected next week. I know the wheel cleaner smells just like Iron remover so they definitely didn't mask the smell 
Gonna wait til I get it all in and do a full wash using the Stjarnagloss products to see how they do.. What I am waiting on.
Sno (snow foam soap)
Glatt (Spray and rinse sealant)
Parla (Si02 spray sealant)
I do know the price is reasonable here in the US compared to KCx, Carpro, Gyeon, etc. P&S is cheaper especially in gallon sizes.
Gonna wait til I get it all in and do a full wash using the Stjarnagloss products to see how they do.. What I am waiting on.
Sno (snow foam soap)
Glatt (Spray and rinse sealant)
Parla (Si02 spray sealant)
I do know the price is reasonable here in the US compared to KCx, Carpro, Gyeon, etc. P&S is cheaper especially in gallon sizes.
GT 550
Well-Known Member
...in a Mustang, XR6, XR8 or Jaaaaaag. Perish the thought, all horrible choices and way too many, no wonder it's an issue. Tell you what, at great personal sacrifice I'll drive one of the aforementioned 'shitters' to the location and return with goodies
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DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #771
Happy for you to do that, only stipulation is I come too....in a Mustang, XR6, XR8 or Jaaaaaag. Perish the thought, all horrible choices and way too many, no wonder it's an issue. Tell you what, at great personal sacrifice I'll drive one of the aforementioned 'shitters' to the location and return with goodies
amkr
Member
I first dipped my toes into detailing about 14 years ago, back then it was a Bosch Pex440 AE orbital Sander (similar to a porter cable), Lake Country pads and either Poorboys or Menzerna polishes. There was no fancy Si02 sprays or graphene or ceramics, it was just carnuba or Poorboys EX-P if you wanted something to last more than 2 weeks.
Back then I owned a 1991 Toyota MR2 in red (soft single stage paint, so it was often matte pink), it was around 15 years when I bought it, and like most cars 15 years old it had its fair share of swirls and paint defects.
But a bit of love revived it (aside from the deeper scratches) - you can see the halogen lamps in the reflecttion, so you know this is an old photo.
I loved that car, I owned it for 13 years - 7 years later and I still regret selling it.
(you can see the Poorboys SSR2, Carnuba Wax and some Meguars soft wash in the background)
After reading all the posts here, I was inspired to dive back in and tidy up the wifes Volkswagen Passat.
The first step was to work out what tools and chemicals I had or needed. I dug out my old detailing gear and discovered most of it had solidified or disintigrated (sitting in storage for a decade will do that....)
This sample of PERL came from Waxit sometime around 2010. It seemed to survive ok, but I ended up refilling it with a fresh batch of perl diluted to ~4:1.
I borderlined stalked DFB and put together a shopping list, I collected the last items just in time for the long weekend here in Australia, so I set to work.
Started with NV Purge on the wheels, then applied Nova Snow with an MJJC V3 S foam cannon... I've never used a foam cannon before, these things are a heap of fun!
I then clayed the car using NV purify, I love this stuff - iron decontamination and clay lubricant in one... Seeing the car turn into streaks of purple is amusing and slightly embarrasing (this car hasn't been cared for as well as it should have been).
Next was setting to work with my new Maxshine M8 Pro, this is a world apart from the old Bosch Orbital sander - so much less vibration, a dream to work with.
I ended up using the Shinemate yellow medium pad and Menzerna fastgloss 500 compound (its now called, or has been replaced by 400) on the horizontal surfaces, and the Orange Lake Country CCS pads with Menzerna 2400 as a stage 2 for the horizontal and a single stage for the verticals.... Man Volkswagen paint is HARD.
Didn't get all the swirls and defects out, but made a significant improvement.
I then wiped each panel down with Gyeon Prep and coated it with Nova Jet - one panel at a time.
I used DFB's tip for the tyres - using that old PERL sample bottle and a foam applicator.
And here's the end result - It's not perfect, but it is a LOT better and boy does it shine now!
big thanks to DFB for all of the write ups, posts and insipiration.
Back then I owned a 1991 Toyota MR2 in red (soft single stage paint, so it was often matte pink), it was around 15 years when I bought it, and like most cars 15 years old it had its fair share of swirls and paint defects.
But a bit of love revived it (aside from the deeper scratches) - you can see the halogen lamps in the reflecttion, so you know this is an old photo.
I loved that car, I owned it for 13 years - 7 years later and I still regret selling it.
(you can see the Poorboys SSR2, Carnuba Wax and some Meguars soft wash in the background)
After reading all the posts here, I was inspired to dive back in and tidy up the wifes Volkswagen Passat.
The first step was to work out what tools and chemicals I had or needed. I dug out my old detailing gear and discovered most of it had solidified or disintigrated (sitting in storage for a decade will do that....)
This sample of PERL came from Waxit sometime around 2010. It seemed to survive ok, but I ended up refilling it with a fresh batch of perl diluted to ~4:1.
I borderlined stalked DFB and put together a shopping list, I collected the last items just in time for the long weekend here in Australia, so I set to work.
Started with NV Purge on the wheels, then applied Nova Snow with an MJJC V3 S foam cannon... I've never used a foam cannon before, these things are a heap of fun!
I then clayed the car using NV purify, I love this stuff - iron decontamination and clay lubricant in one... Seeing the car turn into streaks of purple is amusing and slightly embarrasing (this car hasn't been cared for as well as it should have been).
Next was setting to work with my new Maxshine M8 Pro, this is a world apart from the old Bosch Orbital sander - so much less vibration, a dream to work with.
I ended up using the Shinemate yellow medium pad and Menzerna fastgloss 500 compound (its now called, or has been replaced by 400) on the horizontal surfaces, and the Orange Lake Country CCS pads with Menzerna 2400 as a stage 2 for the horizontal and a single stage for the verticals.... Man Volkswagen paint is HARD.
Didn't get all the swirls and defects out, but made a significant improvement.
I then wiped each panel down with Gyeon Prep and coated it with Nova Jet - one panel at a time.
I used DFB's tip for the tyres - using that old PERL sample bottle and a foam applicator.
And here's the end result - It's not perfect, but it is a LOT better and boy does it shine now!
big thanks to DFB for all of the write ups, posts and insipiration.
Last edited:
OP
OP
DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #773
Excellent work, well done!!I first dipped my toes into detailing about 14 years ago, back then it was a Bosch Pex440 AE orbital Sander (similar to a porter cable), Lake Country pads and either Poorboys or Menzerna polishes. There was no fancy Si02 sprays or graphene or ceramics, it was just carnuba or Poorboys EX-P if you wanted something to last more than 2 weeks.
Back then I owned a 1991 Toyota MR2 in red (soft single stage paint, so it was often matte pink), it was around 15 years when I bought it, and like most cars 15 years old it had its fair share of swirls and paint defects.
But a bit of love revived it (aside from the deeper scratches) - you can see the halogen lamps in the reflecttion, so you know this is an old photo.
I loved that car, I owned it for 13 years - 7 years later and I still regret selling it.
(you can see the Poorboys SSR2, Carnuba Wax and some Meguars soft wash in the background)
After reading all the posts here, I was inspired to dive back in and tidy up the wifes Volkswagen Passat.
The first step was to work out what tools and chemicals I had or needed. I dug out my old detailing gear and discovered most of it had solidified or disintigrated (sitting in storage for a decade will do that....)
This sample of PERL came from Waxit sometime around 2010. It seemed to survive ok, but I ended up refilling it with a fresh batch of perl diluted to ~4:1.
I borderlined stalked DFB and put together a shopping list, I collected the last items just in time for the long weekend here in Australia, so I set to work.
Started with NV Purge on the wheels, then applied Nova Snow with an MJJC V3 S foam cannon... I've never used a foam cannon before, these things are a heap of fun!
I then clayed the car using NV purify, I love this stuff - iron decontamination and clay lubricant in one... Seeing the car turn into streaks of purple is amusing and slightly embarrasing (this car hasn't been cared for as well as it should have been).
Next was setting to work with my new Maxshine M8 Pro, this is a world apart from the old Bosch Orbital sander - so much less vibration, a dream to work with.
I ended up using the Shinemate yellow medium pad and Menzerna fastgloss 500 compound (its now called, or has been replaced by 400) on the horizontal surfaces, and the Orange Lake Country CCS pads with Menzerna 2400 as a stage 2 for the horizontal and a single stage for the verticals.... Man Volkswagen paint is HARD.
Didn't get all the swirls and defects out, but made a significant improvement.
I then wiped each panel down with Gyeon Prep and coated it with Nova Jet - one panel at a time.
I used DFB's tip for the tyres - using that old PERL sample bottle and a foam applicator.
And here's the end result - It's not perfect, but it is a LOT better and boy does it shine now!
big thanks to DFB for all of the write ups, posts and insipiration.
I think I have had a few stalkers over the years, in both a good way and a slightly freaky way.
Waxit sent me a Carpro sample pack around the same time. Carpro were basically unknown back then. I sort of only used the TarX and nothing else until I discovered the brand properly. I think I only recently threw those sample bottles away.
Don't get too hung up on removing all defects from the paint. I think some people hear "paint correction" and assume that total defect and scratch removal is possible. That is possibly true, but at what cost? You only have so much clearcoat, so chasing each and every defect is a very fine line to follow. My approach is to achieve an obvious visual improvement, adding gloss and removing a decent number of defects, then calling it good.
And yes, there is nothing like a good snow job..........................
amkr
Member
I remember not having any idea what Perl was when I received it. I had to look it up, and I hated it because I had no idea how to use it so it just streaked everywhere.Excellent work, well done!!
I think I have had a few stalkers over the years, in both a good way and a slightly freaky way.
Waxit sent me a Carpro sample pack around the same time. Carpro were basically unknown back then. I sort of only used the TarX and nothing else until I discovered the brand properly. I think I only recently threw those sample bottles away.
Don't get too hung up on removing all defects from the paint. I think some people hear "paint correction" and assume that total defect and scratch removal is possible. That is possibly true, but at what cost? You only have so much clearcoat, so chasing each and every defect is a very fine line to follow. My approach is to achieve an obvious visual improvement, adding gloss and removing a decent number of defects, then calling it good.
And yes, there is nothing like a good snow job..........................
My approach with the Volkswagen was almost exactly as you said, not perfection, just improving its current condition.
After using the foam cannon, dragging out the cheap pressure washer and fighting with a tangle of hoses, I can foresee some upgrades there in the near future. Maybe not the full kranzle setup you have but a decent hose and reel would go a long way!
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DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #776
Latest delivery, the new version of ONR has only just gone on sale in Australia.
I don't really use ONR for rinse-less washing, more so for cleaning door jambs, engine bay wipe downs and as an ultra mild interior cleaner/detailer.
Also props to Optimum for offering some (most) of their products in a smaller bottle size, great for product whore like me who likes to try several different similar products.
I don't really use ONR for rinse-less washing, more so for cleaning door jambs, engine bay wipe downs and as an ultra mild interior cleaner/detailer.
Also props to Optimum for offering some (most) of their products in a smaller bottle size, great for product whore like me who likes to try several different similar products.
skinnyb
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2022
- Threads
- 12
- Messages
- 3,567
- Reaction score
- 8,925
- Location
- Knoxville TN
- First Name
- Alex
- Vehicle(s)
- 21 Mach 1. FJG, Tremec
Looks goodLatest delivery, the new version of ONR has only just gone on sale in Australia.
I don't really use ONR for rinse-less washing, more so for cleaning door jambs, engine bay wipe downs and as an ultra mild interior cleaner/detailer.
Also props to Optimum for offering some (most) of their products in a smaller bottle size, great for product whore like me who likes to try several different similar products.
. Also I spy a bottle of Incredible Suds too ... I follow Yvan on DIY detail channel and really like him and Nick. I have some of their products on my to buy list too. UGH. The rabbit hole keeps getting deeper LOL..
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DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #778
Incredible Suds is just that, incredible!Looks good
The first thing you notice is the scent, then the ultra thick foaming ability. But the big winner for me is how easily it rinses off the paint, no reactivation at all. Easily one of the freest rinsing soaps I have used. If this product was cheaper in Australia, I would use it more often, 473ml is $34.95, a gallon $179.95!!!!!
I will also note that this soap is described as "pH balanced" rather than neutral. This means it will lean toward alkaline if not diluted enough. From what I can gather, that was intentional so that users could decide how much cleaning power they needed.
Ceramic Gloss and Interior Clean and Protect or also worth looking at. I also like their rinse-less wash. Avoid the tire dressing, its only meh.
OP
OP
DFB5.0
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #780
Mini Holiday Project 1 - Windscreen Wiper Restoration
With the XR6 turning 15 this year, I feel it's time to give it a little love in a couple of key areas. The first of which is addressing some fading of the windscreen trim panel and wiper arms.
Granted, being garaged all day for the last 13 of those 15 years had meant that the black plastic trim panel had fared better than most. The extent of the fading was limited to the exposed sections, the part covered by the hood was absolutely fine.
The restoration of these plastic parts could have been done while still attached to the car, but knowing how fiddly this would be, I decided to remove the two-piece scuttle panel. These are held down by 5 Christmas Tree fasteners, one each side by the bonnet hinges, two mounted to the scuttle and one that secures the two pieces together in the middle. As I don't currently have trim removal tools, these were a touch fiddly to remove.
The next step was to remove the wiper arms to allow the two plastic panels to lift away from the windscreen and scuttle. For the right side, I needed a shallow socket to gain access, and a long socket for the left side.
The wiper arms for the most part were in good condition, however the old-style suspenders were letting the side down. These have never been changed in 15 years of ownership and are a known area to degrade on Falcon's. More on this shortly.
A little bit of fettling had the two plastic scuttle trims removed, the left side first, the right side next. You also need to disconnect the rubber washer jet hoses before lifting away from the car. The Milwaukee M18 Heat Gun came in handy softening the rubber before removing the hose, last thing I wanted was to break something that is now NLA!
Check out the date codes, 22.04.08, surely one of the first to be made. I love stuff like this, the little clues hidden all over the car painting a picture of its creation.
I was expecting worse, but this is what was underneath the plastic trim............
I cleaned up these areas with ONR and a towel.
Next, it was over to the sink for some cleaning, in this case KCx Green Star and a brush to deep clean the surfaces and remove any previously applied drying aid. In this case, I removed the rubber seal which is attached to the trims via push-in clips.
After a rinse, it was then a liberal bath in Eraser, then a final wipe over with IPA.
With these two pieces cleaned and prepared, it was time for some product. There are numerous trim restoration products on the market. Having used simple dressings like 303 or Perl in the past, these just don't last long enough. I have used Carpro DLUX in the past but have sort of cooled on that in recent times. I've had good results from using Carpro Reload on black plastic surfaces, but that is more of a light enhancement rather than a restorative type of product. Which led me to this...................
Get Solution Finish Trim Restorer Online | Waxit – Waxit Car Care
In truth, I've had this bottle of Solution Finish in the cabinet for a while now, so it sort of made sense to use this. Solution Finish is described as a "semi-permanent" trim restorer, lasting 12+ months compared to a few weeks from a trim dressing. Considering my usage patterns with this car, I'm expecting at least a couple of years out it. Solution Finish is silicone-free and uses natural oils to penetrate and then bond to the plastic, delivering a non-greasy OE level finish. The product comes in two different variations, the one here has the black finish, but there is also a grey tinted version.
Application is simple, shake the bottle, apply a SMALL amount of product to an applicator (in my case a foam block and craft brush), then start working it into the plastic. A little goes a long way and coverage is exceptional. Be sure to get into all the crevices, untreated areas will be highly obvious. Allow the product to sit for a short period, then follow up with a towel to level it down. Choose wisely with the towel, the black die will ruin it. I also decided to treat the rubber seal I removed earlier, as well as the Christmas tree clips.
PRO TIP - put the lid back on the bottle so that you don't knock it over and spill the precious liquid all over your work surface............I mean, who would do that..........................
With both trim pieces treated, it was time to reinstall back onto the car. Retrace the removal steps by starting with the right-hand side, then the left, connecting the washer hoses before seating everything down. Resecure the clips and rubber seal.
At this point I will highlight how much I appreciate auto-workers fitting this stuff on a production line, the stars all need to align for it to fit and seat properly. Reconnecting the washer hoses, then snapping the edge back under the windscreen, while making sure to not pinch the rubber seals took some time to perfect.
For the wipers, I ordered a set of Ford OEM wiper blades and rubber suspenders. These were used on later FG-X models and eliminate the steel suspenders that had deteriorated on mine.
GENUINE FORD FALCON FG FGX RIGHT & LEFT WIPER BLADES SET ER7Z17528AA ER2Z17528AA | eBay
After cleaning the carry over parts, the new rubber items clip straight on. I'm pretty sure the wiper blades I removed today were the originals from 2008!
I then refitted the wiper arm assemblies, a fiddly process that requires a little fenagling to get correct. And yes, I did look up the torque spec for the wiper arms, 22 Nm to be precise. See, I do use my fancy tools!
With everything buttoned up and the rest of the engine bay plastics coated with Reload, it was job done!
When I started to plan this little task, I was prepared to simply replace these two trim pieces and the whole wiper arm assemblies. A little research revealed the newer FG-X wiper blade and suspender were a straight swap. And the two scuttle trims are now NLA.
So today, I learnt how to remove and reinstall these parts of the car, while learning how to use Solution Finish. Including a few shop supplies, total cost was just under $100 plus a couple of hours of my time.
Next, something a little more involved.............a lot more involved. Wish my poor back luck.
With the XR6 turning 15 this year, I feel it's time to give it a little love in a couple of key areas. The first of which is addressing some fading of the windscreen trim panel and wiper arms.
Granted, being garaged all day for the last 13 of those 15 years had meant that the black plastic trim panel had fared better than most. The extent of the fading was limited to the exposed sections, the part covered by the hood was absolutely fine.
The restoration of these plastic parts could have been done while still attached to the car, but knowing how fiddly this would be, I decided to remove the two-piece scuttle panel. These are held down by 5 Christmas Tree fasteners, one each side by the bonnet hinges, two mounted to the scuttle and one that secures the two pieces together in the middle. As I don't currently have trim removal tools, these were a touch fiddly to remove.
The next step was to remove the wiper arms to allow the two plastic panels to lift away from the windscreen and scuttle. For the right side, I needed a shallow socket to gain access, and a long socket for the left side.
The wiper arms for the most part were in good condition, however the old-style suspenders were letting the side down. These have never been changed in 15 years of ownership and are a known area to degrade on Falcon's. More on this shortly.
A little bit of fettling had the two plastic scuttle trims removed, the left side first, the right side next. You also need to disconnect the rubber washer jet hoses before lifting away from the car. The Milwaukee M18 Heat Gun came in handy softening the rubber before removing the hose, last thing I wanted was to break something that is now NLA!
Check out the date codes, 22.04.08, surely one of the first to be made. I love stuff like this, the little clues hidden all over the car painting a picture of its creation.
I was expecting worse, but this is what was underneath the plastic trim............
I cleaned up these areas with ONR and a towel.
Next, it was over to the sink for some cleaning, in this case KCx Green Star and a brush to deep clean the surfaces and remove any previously applied drying aid. In this case, I removed the rubber seal which is attached to the trims via push-in clips.
After a rinse, it was then a liberal bath in Eraser, then a final wipe over with IPA.
With these two pieces cleaned and prepared, it was time for some product. There are numerous trim restoration products on the market. Having used simple dressings like 303 or Perl in the past, these just don't last long enough. I have used Carpro DLUX in the past but have sort of cooled on that in recent times. I've had good results from using Carpro Reload on black plastic surfaces, but that is more of a light enhancement rather than a restorative type of product. Which led me to this...................
Get Solution Finish Trim Restorer Online | Waxit – Waxit Car Care
In truth, I've had this bottle of Solution Finish in the cabinet for a while now, so it sort of made sense to use this. Solution Finish is described as a "semi-permanent" trim restorer, lasting 12+ months compared to a few weeks from a trim dressing. Considering my usage patterns with this car, I'm expecting at least a couple of years out it. Solution Finish is silicone-free and uses natural oils to penetrate and then bond to the plastic, delivering a non-greasy OE level finish. The product comes in two different variations, the one here has the black finish, but there is also a grey tinted version.
Application is simple, shake the bottle, apply a SMALL amount of product to an applicator (in my case a foam block and craft brush), then start working it into the plastic. A little goes a long way and coverage is exceptional. Be sure to get into all the crevices, untreated areas will be highly obvious. Allow the product to sit for a short period, then follow up with a towel to level it down. Choose wisely with the towel, the black die will ruin it. I also decided to treat the rubber seal I removed earlier, as well as the Christmas tree clips.
PRO TIP - put the lid back on the bottle so that you don't knock it over and spill the precious liquid all over your work surface............I mean, who would do that..........................
With both trim pieces treated, it was time to reinstall back onto the car. Retrace the removal steps by starting with the right-hand side, then the left, connecting the washer hoses before seating everything down. Resecure the clips and rubber seal.
At this point I will highlight how much I appreciate auto-workers fitting this stuff on a production line, the stars all need to align for it to fit and seat properly. Reconnecting the washer hoses, then snapping the edge back under the windscreen, while making sure to not pinch the rubber seals took some time to perfect.
For the wipers, I ordered a set of Ford OEM wiper blades and rubber suspenders. These were used on later FG-X models and eliminate the steel suspenders that had deteriorated on mine.
GENUINE FORD FALCON FG FGX RIGHT & LEFT WIPER BLADES SET ER7Z17528AA ER2Z17528AA | eBay
After cleaning the carry over parts, the new rubber items clip straight on. I'm pretty sure the wiper blades I removed today were the originals from 2008!
I then refitted the wiper arm assemblies, a fiddly process that requires a little fenagling to get correct. And yes, I did look up the torque spec for the wiper arms, 22 Nm to be precise. See, I do use my fancy tools!
With everything buttoned up and the rest of the engine bay plastics coated with Reload, it was job done!
When I started to plan this little task, I was prepared to simply replace these two trim pieces and the whole wiper arm assemblies. A little research revealed the newer FG-X wiper blade and suspender were a straight swap. And the two scuttle trims are now NLA.
So today, I learnt how to remove and reinstall these parts of the car, while learning how to use Solution Finish. Including a few shop supplies, total cost was just under $100 plus a couple of hours of my time.
Next, something a little more involved.............a lot more involved. Wish my poor back luck.
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