What's In DFB's Cabinet?

[DFB5.0]

With the all recommendations for ADS, and the fact that I used up all my existing products, I ordered Pilot, Hero, and Amplify. See how it goes. I'm curious as to how it compares to what I've been using in terms of "ease".

I'm fairly confident you will be impressed with all of them, especially Amplify and Pilot.

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[DFB5.0]

I've used Hero as both a clay lube and a quick detailer. Seems to have tons of lubricity and will last a long time for those purposes. I bet it works great for rinseless with how slick it is also.

I am curious how ADS Ceramic compares to CarPro Reload 2.0 if used as a drying aid. Last wash on the Bronco I hit it with the leaf blower, then went over panel by panel with Reload and buffed off.

I have a feeling in the real world, Reload 2.0 will outlast ADS CSS. But...............................CSS is much, much easier to apply.

 

[MrMike]

I have a feeling in the real world, Reload 2.0 will outlast ADS CSS. But...............................CSS is much, much easier to apply.

I assume you’re referring to the recommended extra buffing step on Reload? It didn’t really feel like a big lift because I go over the panel again while I’m drying anyway. I’ll grab a bigger bottle of Reload on BF then. A little does go a really long way with it though!

 

[DFB5.0]

Going green today for the Wildtrak's wash today..............................

Tyres - P&S Brake Buster, Carpro Perl (1:1)
Wheels - P&S Brake Buster

Paint - Carpro Reset + TRC Cyclone 10X Pad
Drying Aid - Meguiar's Hybrid Ceramic Detailer + TRC Gauntlet
Glass - Gyeon Eco-Wash (100:1, exterior) + ADS Hero (128:1, interior)
Interior Clean - ADS Pilot
Leather Clean - Koch Chemie Pol Star (8:1, foam bottle)
Leather Conditioner - ColourLock Leather Protector

 

[skinnyb]

Little wash sesh this evening. I have been under the weather the last few days, and out of town for pretty much a month before that. It was a KCx Party today...

Wheels and tires:
ADS Tire 1:1 on the tires
Brake buster applied 1:1 on the wheels
rinse
KCx active foam in the canon and bucket for contact wash

Paint:
Active foam
rinse
GFx foam, contact wash
FSE for the drying aid to "revive" the coating as it was getting a touch flat on the sides.

The 2025 GT/CS is a beautiful car.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I used C5 wheel armour. I got about 2 years from a tracked but garage kept car.

Applying small bottle coating like C5 or ADS wheel and then using PH neutral soap like Reset to clean them is an acceptable plan.

Once my wheels were coated, I never had to use anything beyond Reset.

I applied the C5 yesterday morning. First time using any ceramic so worried about timing.

Used Ceramic panel prep (Mother's) first. Didn't bother washing, iron remover, claying since they were brand new and slick as a ice to the touch.

Watched a bunch of videos and all mentioned the C5 manufacturer recommended timing, but none of them followed it, mostly by stopping to talk about what they just did longer than the optimum dwell time. Also worried about how much to use since apparently 30ml is barely enough to do four 19 wheels, inside and out.

Apparently I nailed the amounts since I had about 1/8" or less depth left over.

I'm sure I did not follow the 30-60 second between application and wiping off excess. I did more than half of a side at a time, partially because the videos were taking longer than 60 seconds and I was worried about how long the pads would hold up. I mean 4 pads but instructions called for 4 uses per wheel (2 uses for each side). So, guessing dwell time was closer to 70-90 seconds.

It seemed to work. After applying and waiting, the MF wipe gave good results and slid easily on last pass. No visible high spots or whatever they call excess. But 24 hour later, the wheels were less slick than before coating them. I polished them with a bare microfiber and they became slicker but still not the ice like original state.

That makes me think this may be a lot easier to clean, but I don't see how less slick reduces amount of dirt clinging to the wheels. Maybe the factory new slickness would have degraded quickly regardless?

 

[MAGS1]

I applied the C5 yesterday morning. First time using any ceramic so worried about timing.

Used Ceramic panel prep (Mother's) first. Didn't bother washing, iron remover, claying since they were brand new and slick as a ice to the touch.

Watched a bunch of videos and all mentioned the C5 manufacturer recommended timing, but none of them followed it, mostly by stopping to talk about what they just did longer than the optimum dwell time. Also worried about how much to use since apparently 30ml is barely enough to do four 19 wheels, inside and out.

Apparently I nailed the amounts since I had about 1/8" or less depth left over.

I'm sure I did not follow the 30-60 second between application and wiping off excess. I did more than half of a side at a time, partially because the videos were taking longer than 60 seconds and I was worried about how long the pads would hold up. I mean 4 pads but instructions called for 4 uses per wheel (2 uses for each side). So, guessing dwell time was closer to 70-90 seconds.

It seemed to work. After applying and waiting, the MF wipe gave good results and slid easily on last pass. No visible high spots or whatever they call excess. But 24 hour later, the wheels were less slick than before coating them. I polished them with a bare microfiber and they became slicker but still not the ice like original state.

That makes me think this may be a lot easier to clean, but I don't see how less slick reduces amount of dirt clinging to the wheels. Maybe the factory new slickness would have degraded quickly regardless?

Post a couple pictures including some close ups. In decent lighting we’d be able to see if there’s something noticeable. C5 isn’t super slick but it should have some slickness/shine to it

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Post a couple pictures including some close ups. In decent lighting we’d be able to see if there’s something noticeable. C5 isn’t super slick but it should have some slickness/shine to it

Will do. Its as shiny as before application and after the day later rub down with microfiber is as slick as I'm used to bare wheels being, just not as slick as these were out of the box. I will say they were the smoothest powder coating I have seen. I'm happy with the appearance. But was expecting more slipperiness. Keep in mind I have nothing to base that expectation on and slipperiness may have no effect on ease of cleaning (my only goal).

 

[MAGS1]

Will do. Its as shiny as before application and after the day later rub down with microfiber is as slick as I'm used to bare wheels being, just not as slick as these were out of the box. I will say they were the smoothest powder coating I have seen. I'm happy with the appearance. But was expecting more slipperiness. Keep in mind I have nothing to base that expectation on and slipperiness may have no effect on ease of cleaning (my only goal).

Some coatings are less slick than others. I have C5 on my wheels currently and it feels like stock finish more or less. I will be applying Armour Detail Supply Wheel when I take my summer set off, so I’ll have a different coating to compare it to.

If you see a hazy film on the wheel, that’s a sign the coating sat too long (would also indicate a high spot as well). If all looks good, you should be fine. You’ll know the first time you get them wet or wash them. It should bead up pretty good and the water should run off pretty fast.

 

[skinnyb]

I have Gyeon Q2 rim on my Mach 1 and it isn't very slick. I put ADS Wheel on 2 different Mustangs. One was a matte bronze SVE set (pictures shown), similar texture to my HP wheels and the ADS was significantly slicker. So not all coatings are exactly the same for sure. That said, my Mach 1 wheels are well over a year old on the coating and 12k miles and it still works great. I can clean them and they still bead excellent and they clean easily other than they are complex as all get out. That part is a PAIN I did all 3 of these cars, 2 in ADS, mine in Gyeon Q2 Rim.

 

[DFB5.0]

Will do. Its as shiny as before application and after the day later rub down with microfiber is as slick as I'm used to bare wheels being, just not as slick as these were out of the box. I will say they were the smoothest powder coating I have seen. I'm happy with the appearance. But was expecting more slipperiness. Keep in mind I have nothing to base that expectation on and slipperiness may have no effect on ease of cleaning (my only goal).

Most wheel coatings trade slickness for the extra durability, C5 included. This is one of the reasons why I have championed ADS Wheel Coating because its slick AND durable. You pay more for that, so I guess it comes down to what you value.

 

[DFB5.0]

Mellow yellow...................................

The Ranger was borrowed yesterday to help move a pile of waste timber. Upon return, the tray was full of dirt, grass and leaves, the windscreen and bumper peppered with bugs. Oh, and they parked close to a sprinkler, so it was covered in water-spots too. Great.

Tyres - P&S Undressed, 3D Ceramic Matte Tire
Wheels - P&S Brake Buster, ADS Amplify

Pre-Wash - Koch Chemie Active Foam
Contact Wash - Koch Chemie GSF + TRC Cyclone 10X Pad
Drying Aid - Gyeon EcoWash (20:1)
Tray - Carpro Release

Glass - Koch Chemie RRW (128:1, interior and exterior)
Interior Clean - ADS Pilot
Scent - Angelwax Bliss

Back to spec and much happier.

 

[MrMike]

I applied the C5 yesterday morning. First time using any ceramic so worried about timing.

Used Ceramic panel prep (Mother's) first. Didn't bother washing, iron remover, claying since they were brand new and slick as a ice to the touch.

Watched a bunch of videos and all mentioned the C5 manufacturer recommended timing, but none of them followed it, mostly by stopping to talk about what they just did longer than the optimum dwell time. Also worried about how much to use since apparently 30ml is barely enough to do four 19 wheels, inside and out.

Apparently I nailed the amounts since I had about 1/8" or less depth left over.

I'm sure I did not follow the 30-60 second between application and wiping off excess. I did more than half of a side at a time, partially because the videos were taking longer than 60 seconds and I was worried about how long the pads would hold up. I mean 4 pads but instructions called for 4 uses per wheel (2 uses for each side). So, guessing dwell time was closer to 70-90 seconds.

It seemed to work. After applying and waiting, the MF wipe gave good results and slid easily on last pass. No visible high spots or whatever they call excess. But 24 hour later, the wheels were less slick than before coating them. I polished them with a bare microfiber and they became slicker but still not the ice like original state.

That makes me think this may be a lot easier to clean, but I don't see how less slick reduces amount of dirt clinging to the wheels. Maybe the factory new slickness would have degraded quickly regardless?

It sounds like you did fine applying the coating. IMO neither C5 nor ADS Wheel are complicated or difficult to apply. The easiest place to make a mistake is missing or not leveling in small divots or grooves. Just going over areas like that an extra time when applying and buffing is the easiest way to eliminate the concern.

I concur that C5 has less gloss or slickness than ADS. I do not believe that speaks to it's protective ability at all. I had no problem cleaning off wheels with C5 with just Reset.

I have pics of both but the difference isn't as apparent compared to in person.


ADS:

C5:

 

[MAGS1]

D, seems like Brian must watch your threads then do a video a few days later LOL. He just put out a video of his top 5 rinse less washes

 

[DFB5.0]

Well, this is something you rarely hear about regarding Subaru's, or any Japanese vehicle for that matter.

You'll have seen this Subaru many times getting the DFB treatment....................

With just on 110,00 km (62,000 miles) on the clock, a dropped valve wiped out the whole engine today. Two weeks ago, we had been discussing a potential replacement for the vehicle and whether to keep servicing it at the dealer. The last visit to the dealer was a ridiculous $1200 for a basic service. It's also out of warranty. I said do at least one more service there, mainly because Subaru would most likely look after you if something went wrong so soon out of warranty. So............................

The dealer is repairing the engine free of charge. But.....................there are 5 other Forester's in line at this dealer waiting for the same repair.

I don't mention all of this to be sour on Subaru, rather to highlight that even the most reliable and well-made car brands have their issues as well. It's popular to sh.t on European/British/American-made vehicles for a variety of mechanical/quality/reliability problems. And yet, even the most respected brands fail too.

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