What's In DFB's Cabinet?

[DFB5.0]

Used Optimum Instant Detailer & Gloss Enhancer for the first time today.

https://detailingshed.com.au/products/optimum-instant-detailer-gloss-enhancer

From what I can gather, Optimum and Opti-Coat ceramic coatings tend to lack slickness, so using this product helps remedy that. Like all quick detailers, I really like how easy this is to use, able to be applied across all surfaces as a drying aid or final step after washing. Another sleeper product by Optimum.

Finally, the replacement dust shields arrived at the dealer today.

What do think, should I ceramic coat these too?

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[skinnyb]

What do think, should I ceramic coat these too?

But of course . Its the @DFB5.0 way, what else would you do? LOL. But really, just a quick prep wipe and coat away. 5 minutes tops...

 

[skinnyb]

So I tried a couple of the Stjarnagloss products today. I pulled the wheels off my Mazda to rotate the tires and while they were off I did a deep clean of the inner barrels and tires. I used the Forst Citrus pre cleaner on the tires. The inner had never been cleaned and had tons of browning. I sprayed them down liberally and let soak for about a minute. Used a stiff wheel brush and boy it pulled the browning off really well, I was pretty impressed. Used the Hjul wheel cleaner on the inner barrels. It is a iron removing cleaner, I keep these wheels pretty clean so they didn't bleed purple too bad, but the cleaner did foam up pretty good when agitated with a flag tipped wheel brush. Overall, I like the Forst a lot, the Hjul wheel cleaner is OK but I still like NV purge or even KCx Magic Wheel cleaner better. Gonna try the Glatt spray and rinse and the Sno and Matta soaps next wash, I used Absolute Rinseless this week as my car wasn't that dirty... Got down in the 30's here the last 2 nights so I will be packing up my wash stuff soon for the winter . Ugh, I dread cold weather. Cooler, OK but cold not so much...

 

[FKE SNK]

Armour Wheel Coating – Armour Detail Supply

Let us know on the wheel coating. I'd like to know how it holds up and if it's worth the extra effort and cost - and if it's any different than a standard ceramic coating

 

[GT 550]

What do think, should I ceramic coat these too?

That is nothing but a rhetorical loaded question

 

[DFB5.0]

As a mere formality, naturally the new dust shields were coated! I even considered hitting them with polish, but these are not clear coated so the ice would have been thin.

First, a wipe down with KCx PPS, followed by a final wipe over with IPA (these were stored in sealed plastic but they had an oily smell to them, so I wanted to be through here.)

Next, the coating, applied front and back. Because these are effectively matte black, every smudge ends up looking like a high-spot.

After curing for 15 hours, I applied a coat of Carpro Reload.

New vs Old............

Naturally, I could have painted the hub too, but even I have a limit.

With the wheels back on, I gave the rest of the car a rinse-less wash using the new version of ONR.

I think you would have to be using these back to back to really tell the difference between old and new. The classic ONR scent is still there, as is the general ease of use, I also think this version lives up to the claim of easier drying.

After waiting for the dust shields to arrive, I finally re-dressed the tires. THAT was driving me mad by the way, they just looked naked without the dressing. I know some like the bare, natural rubber look, but in my opinion, even a lightly dressed tire will highlight the wheels so much better. Prior to dressing, I was struggling to see my efforts. Dressed, they were popping!

I'll sum up this project with the following picture, the result of 15 years of careful ownership and several (more than several) hours of nitty-gritty detailing.......................

It's funny, it's been a week working on the XR6, always with the garage door open. Today, while washing the car, the usual suspects passed by and commented. The old guy that walks past every day at about 11am, who's name I have no clue, told me that I would wear the wheels out! The lady who delivers sales pamphlets commented "weren't you doing that last week", yes, yes I was! And it would seem I have a new postman that is surprisingly down to earth, who told me that if it's something I enjoy doing, go for your life!

Oh, and I still want a lift!

 

[GT 550]

Naturally, I could have painted the hub too, but even I have a limit.

Sure. Those shields look so good it shows how faded the hubs really are. And those calipers and guard liners...

This is how body-off restorations start. I know of one that started because while the owner was replacing the glovebox light he noticed surface rust on the firewall.

Carry on

 

[DFB5.0]

Let us know on the wheel coating. I'd like to know how it holds up and if it's worth the extra effort and cost - and if it's any different than a standard ceramic coating

Some of that I can answer now, some of that will be a long-term explanation.

Before selecting that coating, I was going to just grab a bottle of Carpro DLUX and call it done. However, I asked those who do this for a living what to use and got mixed responses. Some told me to just use a regular coating, as in the same product you applied to the paint.

However, the drawback to a regular coating on wheels is that it won't really withstand the heat from the brakes, engine and exhaust. When Matt from Obsessed Garage decided wheel coatings were not required, he found that if the car was used as intended, the coating would last 4 to 6 months at best, compared to the same coating on the paint that has a 5-year life expectancy. He has since gone back to wheel-specific coatings.

Other respondents recommended specific wheel coatings for durability. The drawback to those wheel coatings is typically the lack of slickness. To get that back on DLUX for example, you can apply a layer of Gliss to boost the slickness and hydrophobics. But then that is essentially a dual layer coating. While I love doing this stuff, you are basically coating eight wheels with that process. Also, I think if you're going to all the trouble to apply a coating, then you should be rewarded with slickness and hydrophobics.

That led me to Armor Detail Supply Wheel Coating. This is a single layer coating that, once cured, is also very slick and hydrophobic. The coating application itself is a little bit sticky going on and a quite grabby on the initial wipe off, this is due to the high solids count that also delivers the durability. However, once you go in for the second wipe, the surface becomes ultra slick.

So, to me, the price is worth it for two reasons. Firstly, I don't need to buy a secondary coating to get that slickness I want. And because I'm not applying that secondary coating, its saving me time and effort.

Going by the pricing on the OG website, a DLUX/Gliss package costs $94.98 compared to a single bottle of Armor Detail Supply at $88.49. And that's before you consider you will need another set of towels by applying that secondary Gliss layer.

CarPro Dlux + Gliss V2 Combo | Wheel Coating | Obsessed Garage
Armour Detail Supply Wheel Ceramic Coating | Obsessed Garage

Armor Detail Supply Wheel Coating + 4 coating removal towels = $100.29

Carpro DLUX + Gliss + 8 coating removal towels = $118.58

Not a huge price difference between the two different wheel specific coatings. Comparing the use of Crystal Serum Light + EXO is a different story.

CSL + EXO + 8 coating removal towels = $169.50

So cost wise, you end up between $18.29 to $69.21 in front. Then add the extra time to apply those extra layers, you are well in front choosing the seemingly more expensive Armor Detail Supply coating.

Sorry, that got long winded, but that's how my brain justifies choosing specific products.

As for how the coating fares going forward, only time will tell. The company suggests 15,000 miles / 24,000 km or 1+ year. But then they also say the following -

"We have done the lab testing of our Coatings, it suggests durability over twice what we are claiming and hardness levels we know are laughable. When entrusting the protection of your vehicle to Armour Quartz Coatings, you are experiencing only real world claims and durability."

 

[DFB5.0]

Sure. Those shields look so good it shows how faded the hubs really are. And those calipers and guard liners...

This is how body-off restorations start. I know of one that started because while the owner was replacing the glovebox light he noticed surface rust on the firewall.

Carry on

Ideally, I would love to replace those brakes with Brembo's. The standard brake system on XR6's is pretty overwhelmed, you really only get one or two big hits out of them before they start to shudder. The conversion itself is seemingly easy, all you need is the parts used on FPV models and the FGX XR8's, all are simple bolt on's.

But..................Brembo's brakes don't fit behind those wheels. I love the design of those wheels, so I'm not prepared to sacrifice them for a set of brakes that would show their worth only occasionally.

I did have someone tell me that Brembo's do in fact fit behind those wheels, but I think he had his wires crossed. Having a set fitted to the XR8, I guess I could easily find out myself.

If they did fit, I would actually buy the XR8 a new set of Brembo's with the 6-piston caliper front / 4 piston rears, then put the 4 / 1 piston setup on the XR6. Not a cheap exercise though.

 

[GT 550]

The standard brake system on XR6's is pretty overwhelmed, you really only get one or two big hits out of them before they start to shudder.

I guess whether it's worthwhile depends on how often you do that, and if you haven't done the conversion yet it probably means it's not worthwhile or it might be worth trying better pads first. But definitely a nice idea.

6-piston caliper front / 4 piston rears

There you go, I thought all XR8s had the 6/4 comb. The 6/4 set up was once the big brake bargain of the century. I bought a near new set on ebay once for 3.5k including discs with the intention of fitting them to a GTR, sadly the price of caliper adapters made it uneconomical and folks were then waking up to that fact that a set of Evo Brembos could be made to fit for half the price.

 

[DFB5.0]

I guess whether it's worthwhile depends on how often you do that, and if you haven't done the conversion yet it probably means it's not worthwhile or it might be worth trying better pads first. But definitely a nice idea.

There you go, I thought all XR8s had the 6/4 comb. The 6/4 set up was once the big brake bargain of the century. I bought a near new set on ebay once for 3.5k including discs with the intention of fitting them to a GTR, sadly the price of caliper adapters made it uneconomical and folks were then waking up to that fact that a set of Evo Brembos could be made to fit for half the price.

Not that I think it's not worth doing, rather I like the wheels more than I would want a decent braking setup. At the end of the day, it's basically a semi-glorified taxi, so expecting it to have race car brakes is probably unrealistic.

The other option would be to change the caliper and disk to the slightly larger XR6 Turbo system, which has a larger twin-piston PBR caliper and 322mm disks vs 298mm. They are a straight swap. However, I feel the difference wouldn't be all that noticeable, and I'd still left with the basic aluminum caliper rather than the lovely Brembo red.

The FGX XR8 only got the 4- piston Brembo /1-piston PBR setup from the FPV GT, Pursuit and F6.

On FGX, only the XR6 Turbo Sprint and XR8 Sprint models got the 6/4 setup, painted gold rather than red.

Otherwise, only FPV GT-P, GT-F, GTE and F6E got the 6/4 system as standard, was optional on GT, Pursuit and F6. If you optioned the 6/4 setup on the Super Pursuit, you only got the 6-piston front calipers and not the 4-piston rear because of problems with pad knock off due of the leaf sprung axle.

 

[FKE SNK]

Some of that I can answer now, some of that will be a long-term explanation.

Before selecting that coating, I was going to just grab a bottle of Carpro DLUX and call it done. However, I asked those who do this for a living what to use and got mixed responses. Some told me to just use a regular coating, as in the same product you applied to the paint.

However, the drawback to a regular coating on wheels is that it won't really withstand the heat from the brakes, engine and exhaust. When Matt from Obsessed Garage decided wheel coatings were not required, he found that if the car was used as intended, the coating would last 4 to 6 months at best, compared to the same coating on the paint that has a 5-year life expectancy. He has since gone back to wheel-specific coatings.

Other respondents recommended specific wheel coatings for durability. The drawback to those wheel coatings is typically the lack of slickness. To get that back on DLUX for example, you can apply a layer of Gliss to boost the slickness and hydrophobics. But then that is essentially a dual layer coating. While I love doing this stuff, you are basically coating eight wheels with that process. Also, I think if you're going to all the trouble to apply a coating, then you should be rewarded with slickness and hydrophobics.

That led me to Armor Detail Supply Wheel Coating. This is a single layer coating that, once cured, is also very slick and hydrophobic. The coating application itself is a little bit sticky going on and a quite grabby on the initial wipe off, this is due to the high solids count that also delivers the durability. However, once you go in for the second wipe, the surface becomes ultra slick.

So, to me, the price is worth it for two reasons. Firstly, I don't need to buy a secondary coating to get that slickness I want. And because I'm not applying that secondary coating, its saving me time and effort.

Going by the pricing on the OG website, a DLUX/Gliss package costs $94.98 compared to a single bottle of Armor Detail Supply at $88.49. And that's before you consider you will need another set of towels by applying that secondary Gliss layer.

CarPro Dlux + Gliss V2 Combo | Wheel Coating | Obsessed Garage
Armour Detail Supply Wheel Ceramic Coating | Obsessed Garage

Armor Detail Supply Wheel Coating + 4 coating removal towels = $100.29

Carpro DLUX + Gliss + 8 coating removal towels = $118.58

Not a huge price difference between the two different wheel specific coatings. Comparing the use of Crystal Serum Light + EXO is a different story.

CSL + EXO + 8 coating removal towels = $169.50

So cost wise, you end up between $18.29 to $69.21 in front. Then add the extra time to apply those extra layers, you are well in front choosing the seemingly more expensive Armor Detail Supply coating.

Sorry, that got long winded, but that's how my brain justifies choosing specific products.

As for how the coating fares going forward, only time will tell. The company suggests 15,000 miles / 24,000 km or 1+ year. But then they also say the following -

"We have done the lab testing of our Coatings, it suggests durability over twice what we are claiming and hardness levels we know are laughable. When entrusting the protection of your vehicle to Armour Quartz Coatings, you are experiencing only real world claims and durability."

I used a standard ceramic coating on the wheels of my wife’s truck and I’m undecided on it still. It’s been about 3 months and it beads ok but not like I expected. Your product might be the ticket. Ultimately I'd like it to just clean up easier. I love cleaning barrels and lips on fun stuff but not on my kids public transportation system....but then again I wont let her take it to the car wash

 

[DFB5.0]

I guess whether it's worthwhile depends on how often you do that, and if you haven't done the conversion yet it probably means it's not worthwhile or it might be worth trying better pads first. But definitely a nice idea.

Well, I'm getting deeper and deeper down the brake upgrade rabbit hole!

The basic Falcon brake setup on my naturally aspirated XR6 has a PBR twin piston caliper and 298mm x 28mm ventilated disk on the front................

...........and a single piston PBR caliper with a 303mm x 16mm solid disk on the rear.

For the XR6 Turbo and 5.4 XR8, Ford changed the front rotor to a 322mm x 28mm ventilated disk. The front caliper and entire rear setup remains the same.

So, the easiest brake upgrade for my XR6 would be to change the caliper support bracket to the high-series item, which would then allow for the use of a larger 322mm disk.



Rotor wise, I would then replace all four corners with DBA T3 slotted items, 322 x 28 on the front, 303 x 16 on the rear. Then change to Project Mu NS-EP pads all round, which are apparently low dust/noise street performance items.

So, I'm hoping the higher quality rotors all round (larger on the front) with upgraded pads and a fluid change will get the brakes to a standard I'll be happy with. I also have the option of changing the brake lines to braided stainless steel for an additional $298, but I might see what pads and rotors delivers before doing that.

 

[Jackismydog]

I've installed those DBA rotors for my Mustang and I'm very impressed there is almost no brake dust! Breaking quality is also very impressive.

 

[GT 550]

Well, I'm getting deeper and deeper down the brake upgrade rabbit hole!

It's a deep hole and there's a long way to fall. See you when you get here. Have you ordered this stuff yet? Y'all know the bigger rotors won't reduce stopping distance - but see below...

Then change to Project Mu NS-EP pads all round, which are apparently low dust/noise street performance items.

If they're the same pads I put on a GTR years ago they're amazing, not sure why they are't more widely used here.

So, I'm hoping the higher quality rotors all round (larger on the front) with upgraded pads and a fluid change will get the brakes to a standard I'll be happy with.

What is it that you're not happy with now? I've often found that stopping distance is fine but it's the ability to modulate/feel more that I really want. Is there a 4 pot front caliper that'll fit on there with a friendly sized disc?

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