What's In DFB's Cabinet?

[kilobravo]

First off Deyon, I am SO glad you opted to rejoin us and I'm sure the rest of the gang feels the same way. Welcome back.

I guess pro-grade coatings aren’t just a marketing concept.

You may recall that CQuartz was the first coating I experienced and that was in 2020 when I used it on the wife's CT6 first for testing purposes and then again on the new 500. Granted, the Shelby saw many applications of Reload and Elixir during the next five plus years but even so, that coating was still going strong when I decon'd it and applied ADS Pro last month.

The stench is so revolting that those inside the house could smell it, and I still had it up my nose as I after a shower. I

Never used the product but once again I am amazed at your olfactory powers! Hell, I can't smell jack chidt at my old age, not even the freshly-ground coffee I enjoy every morning.

..you can’t even check the oil as there is no dipstick.

What's up with this trend, huh and what was the reason for eliminating it? I'll answer my own question..money, as usual. Whatever the reason, I'm no fan.

The FGX XR8 turned 11-years-old last November.

D, that vehicle looks brand fricking NEW thanks to your hard work and attention to detail. Impressive to say the least. Lucky will be the next owner if/when you finally decide to replace it.

The wife's Caddy is a 2016 so it's getting close to the XR8's age but it's certainly not as uber clean and glossy. Unfortunately, my wife screwed up bigtime about a month back. She was headed out on some errands but just had to do something (probably makeup), that took her eyes off the road and not surprisingly she veered hard left into a row of tall, scratchy bushes and in the process, scratched the hell out of the driver's side..GRRRRrrrrr.

After spending three days polishing Sarah the week before, I wasn't at all in the mood to pick up that heavy LHR21 again but knew I had to get it done. Forgot to get photos of the driver's side of the vehicle but it looked as good as the passenger side does in this photo.

​

The Caddy also got a coating of CQuartz a month or so before Sarah (my test vehicle,) and it's still holding up on the panels that haven't been re-polished. The passenger side wheels have taken some serious abuse with all the curbing events she has but fortunately, you can't really see them in the photo. Thought about buying some new aftermarket replacements but decided against it as she would just keep curbing them but I may take them to a local outfit to have them refinished.

On another subject, I have absolutely fallen in love with this new Fuji camera..the X-E5. The photo above was shot with an iPhone 17 Pro Max, a damn good mobile camera but the shot below was taken with the XE-5 and the included 23mm/f2.8 pancake kit lens. Take a minute and view this image at full rez, (assuming the forum software will accept a 40mp image,) as the detail is downright sick!

​

As yet I haven't washed her since the ADS Pro coating was applied last month but I will soon and can't wait to see what that clear coat feels like under her large wash pad. As our dear departed Jimmy Buffett sang in "They Don't Dance Like Carmen No More,"

"Slidin' and glidin' cross hardwood waxed floors.." <grin>

Have a great weekend, everyone.

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[skinnyb]

Volvo XC60 B6 – Full Reset Detail

It’s been a while since I’ve had this car in the garage, which also means a while since its been washed……………………. I’m the only one allowed to touch this vehicle. Brand new in 2023, my sister had it coated with Carpro Cquartz Professional shortly after delivery. Not a lot gets said about Carpro coatings in the enthusiast/pro-sumer scene, but Cquartz Professional is the best coating I’ve come across for the way it responds to chemicals, which means it’s easier to clean and ultra durable. I'm always amazed at how much grime is removed by a simple pressure wash, not to mention the next level hydrophobics. I guess pro-grade coatings aren’t just a marketing concept.

Since it was coated, I’ve been maintaining the car with a two-stage wash (pre-soak and contact wash), then topped with EliXir or Reload depending on what I last used. For this detail, I wanted to go a bit deeper, a reset if you will. The interior was also due for some added attention. In keeping with the Carpro theme, the products used today will follow suit.

The photos don't fully show how putridly dirty these wheels were.

Wheels & Tyres -

Sadly, these wheels weren’t coated with the rest of the car, same with the glass. I can cope without a glass coating, I really don’t see the point there. However, I wouldn’t dread cleaning these wheels if they’d been coated. That’s because of the super dusty brake pads, the hidden lip behind the spokes and the sheer size of the things. So, I always need the nuclear bomb to deal with them.

For the pre-clean, I grabbed Carpro WheelX. I hate this product, but considering the Carpro theme I decided to peg my nose and give it another go. And…………….I still absolutely hate this stuff. I love Carpro products, but this is the worst smelling detailing product I have ever encountered, and it’s not balanced by added effectiveness above other competitors. The stench is so revolting that those inside the house could smell it, and I still had it up my nose as I after a shower. I used up most of the bottle, the rest is going in the bin. Do not buy.

I then foamed P&S Brake Buster over the WheelX, allowed to soak, then rinsed. From here, I scrubbed the tyres with Shine Supply Wise Guy, then foamed again with Brake Buster for the contact washing with an assortment of brushes. Another Carpro product, this time Hydr02, primarily to assist drying and gloss enhancement. These spray and rinse sealants don’t offer much protection, and the pH tolerance window is extremely narrow.

I just wish I had the time to remove, properly clean and coat these 21-inch wheels.

Engine Bay -

The key to engine bays is regularity. Every time I have the Volvo in the garage, I always hose off the engine bay to remove dust. I’d normally follow with an APC and agitation using a brush, but it's just not needed on this car, likewise a dressing.

While I’m at it, I top off the windscreen fluid reservoir. And that’s all there is to do under there, you can’t even check the oil as there is no dipstick. The residual engine heat dried things off, but I did later go over it with some Carpro ECH20.

Exterior Decontamination & Wash –

Apart from alkaline pre-wash soaps, I haven’t had to decontaminate this coating over the last few years. Considering the length of time between washes, I’m very impressed how the coating has rejected contaminants so far. Normally, a lack of washing or neglect will kill a coating.

To start with, I decided to foam with Carpro Descale and allowed it to soak. After a rinse, I found there was still some road grime left on the lowers, so I went back in with alkalinity. Because I’d used up the remainder of Carpro Lift in the wheel bucket, and after the hideousness of WheelX, I treated the neighbourhood with the sandalwood scented Koch Chemie Active Foam. Again, this was allowed to dwell, then rinsed off. That sorted it. I was sort of experimenting with chemical sequence here, in hindsight I should have gone alkaline first, which is better at cutting through dirt, then went acidic for mineral deposits. With an almost clean surface, it was time for the contact wash using Carpro Reset, another scented treat.

To dry, it was tandem EGO blowers, the terrible LB530 and the excellent LB765. While little sister was vacuuming (which I always hate), I went around and applied another Carpro product, Reload 2.0. Then more ECH20 for the door jambs. On these Volvo’s, they accumulate road film on the rear door jambs, around the wheel arch in particular. I always pressure wash this area to remove as much as possible, but I’ve found I need tar remover like Eulex to fully remove this stuff. Every car has an area like this that needs a specific approach.

For the exterior glass, I stayed on brand and used Carpro ClarifyPhobic. I hate this stuff, but without existing product on the glass, I wanted to see how it would play. It’s still a hard NO! A glass cleaner that leaves haze and streaking behind is completely useless and ultimately defies the point. Even my sister asked if she could clean the exterior glass again, and I was like "go ahead, I was going to anyway". Even with 80% of the bottle remaining, ClarifyPhobic will be joining WheelX in the rubbish bin. You have to wonder how both of those products escaped the laboratory like that.

Interior –

With the vacuuming and floor mats cleaned while I was busy elsewhere, that left the fun bits for me. The plastics and door trims were wiped down with Carpo InnerQD. Interior glass was cleaned with Koch Chemie RRW (which was also used for the second pass on the exterior after the ClarifyPhobic disaster). As per going the extra mile on the exterior, the main project for the interior was the leather. I did briefly consider grabbing the Carpo leather products, but both cleaner and conditioner are very underwhelming. So, out came the ColourLock duo, only the best for this car.

I have both Strong and Mild versions of the leather cleaner, but unless you are trying to cut through years of neglect, the Mild is all you need. Both are foaming products, which are teamed with the specific Colourlock brush and wiped clear with an interior towel. The seats, steering wheel and console lid were all cleaned like that, I don’t bother doing the door trims. Once those areas were clean and dry, I went around and applied ColourLock Leather Shield, which is an abrasion and dye transfer blocker designed for leather under 3-years of age. Next year, I will switch to ColourLock Leather Milk Protector.

I know that a few new leather brands have popped up in recent years, but I don’t think that has relegated the ColourLock products to also-ran statis. The only problem for some if finding them in stock. When Koch Chemie purchased ColourLock a few years ago, there were promises made about streamlining distribution……………….....well that just hasn’t happened, in the USA its actually gotten worse. I love Koch Chemie, but they are basically running the ColourLock brand into the ground. Shame.

I just love how the ColourLock products leave leather feeling clean, smooth, soft and supple, while the absence of gloss is the cherry on top. Naturally, the quality of the Volvo materials makes a huge difference too, but when you use a top-level product like this, it makes all the difference. A leather product from the likes of Autoglym or Meguiars would look completely out of place on this interior.

Finishing Touches –

Seeing as I already had the Eulex out from earlier, I wanted to try something I heard DJ from Armour Detail Supply recommend. I normally use Tarminator or Mineral Spirits to do a reset clean on tyres, however, DJ somehow discovered Eulex can be used for the same role. And wow, what a discovery!

The key thing with any of these tar removers is the solvent nature of them. That means they quickly and easily dissolve any remaining residue still on the tyre, even after a heavy duty rubber cleaner was used earlier. So, instead of going round after round using a brush and an alkaline degreaser attempting to fully clean a tyre, 30-seconds using a solvent like this does the same thing……………except even better.

Compared to Tarminator or Mineral Spirits, you use way less product to do the same task, and you get a better finished result. Simply apply a small amount to a towel, then rub the side wall until the product evaporates. The end result is a completely bare rubber surface, you could probably leave it that way and be completely happy with the look. But………………I still went ahead with a very light layer of Capro Darkside.

Following that, the wheels was given a quick wipe with ADS Amplify, and the tyre pressures topped up.

Before -

After Eulex -

Dressed -

Finished Result -

Four hours later, a refreshed XC60 was the result.................

Man that is quite the transformation. I am sure your sister appreciates your regular care of her vehicle

On the subject of the items you DETEST, I wanted to offer my $0.02. I do agree about WheelX wholeheartedly, it does absolutely REEK awful, and does not work any better than ADS Wheel cleaner. BUT, I did notice the last bottle I bought is slightly less stinky. They must have tweaked the formula a bit. I am on the tail end of my last bottle and wont' re order, I did try it twice. I am the same with IronX, I don't plan on buying again, I just got a whole gallon of ADS Iron on Black Friday. As for Clarify Phobic, I wholeheartedly agree once again, it is extremely finicky to use. BUT, in its defense, I have found I can clean the exterior glass, and then work on the interior for a time, then come back with P&S Tru Vue and clean again with a fresh towel and the streaks fade away completely, but leave the hydrophobics behind.

It is really sad, a company can make such Stellar products (Reset, PERL, CQuartz), and make such Duds (Phobic, WheelX, and yes for me I no longer care for Darkside )...

 

[skinnyb]

Still 13 days till he comes home, but my little man is growing fast.

The first vet checkup, vaccination and microchip last week.............................

The spoiling has already began........................

And these were taken this afternoon..........................

Such a handsome boy, he is gonna be a very blessed pup indeed

 

[kilobravo]

Such a handsome boy, he is gonna be a very blessed pup indeed

So Alex, I see that I'm not the only one up at zero dark thirty! <smile>

 

[skinnyb]

So Alex, I see that I'm not the only one up at zero dark thirty! <smile>

Man I was fixing to say the same thing I am ALWAYS up at 5:30 EST, even on weekends, but that is early for you amigo

 

[kilobravo]

..but that is early for you amigo

Honestly it's not, Alex..been up since 0330 unfortunately. It seems I have a case of Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder as my circadian clock has rotated so I'm falling asleep at dinner time then getting up at oh three hundred like today. It kinda sucks and kinda doesn't. The reason for the former is obvious but on the plus side, it's mighty quiet in the house at that hour.

The dogs follow me into the office most mornings, too so I get to talk to them and give 'em both some love periodically through the morning. And in the summer down here, you just have to get up with the sun if you have any outdoor work to get done.

I've tried amphetamines in the evening but they were too much and I wasn't going to sleep until nearly the same time as above..and that really sucked. Now, I do a cup of joe followed by a latte after dinner and that is usually enough boost to keep me awake until a reasonable 2200. But, getting up at 0300 after only five hours of shuteye can wear on ya.

 

[skinnyb]

Honestly it's not, Alex..been up since 0330 unfortunately. It seems I have a case of Advanced Sleep Phase Disorder as my circadian clock has rotated so I'm falling asleep at dinner time then getting up at oh three hundred like today. It kinda sucks and kinda doesn't. The reason for the former is obvious but on the plus side, it's mighty quiet in the house at that hour.

The dogs follow me into the office most mornings, too so I get to talk to them and give 'em both some love periodically through the morning. And in the summer down here, you just have to get up with the sun if you have any outdoor work to get done.

I've tried amphetamines in the evening but they were too much and I wasn't going to sleep until nearly the same time as above..and that really sucked. Now, I do a cup of joe followed by a latte after dinner and that is usually enough boost to keep me awake until a reasonable 2200. But, getting up at 0300 after only five hours of shuteye can wear on ya.

I agree. I had a case of that a few years ago, I am still in bed by 2100 normally and up at 0530. Try for a decent 8 hours but my shoulders usually start crying and wake me up before then, especially if I have a good detail session the day before. Some ibuprofen calms it down a bit though normally. And yes, I agree, in the summer, EARLY is all I can do when doing outside work. And retreat to the AC by mid day til the sun goes down.

 

[DFB5.0]

I've been on another soap binge of late, this time Optimum's new Touchless Decon Wash.

https://detailingshed.com.au/collect...48098473115863

Decontamination or stripping soaps are almost always alkaline in nature, likewise when a soap is marketed as offering a "touch-free" wash experience. Optimum's version bucks that trend in that it's actually pH neutral. Typically, alkalinity is needed to break down dirt and oily substances, so I'm not sure how Optimum have achieved the strong cleaning effect while keeping the formula neutral. I guess this is why Optimum's Dr. Ghodoussi is so highly regarded, he knows the secrets to a good sauce. For those that don't know, Dr. Ghodoussi is a chemist involved in creating modern automotive clearcoat, if anyone is going to know what to use to clean car paint, it's him!

It serves as a touch free car wash, a foaming pre-wash, and a heavy duty decontamination wash. It makes the perfect choice for touch free car washing and heavy duty decontamination. Optimum Touchless Decon Wash is safe for use on all vehicle surfaces, including ceramic-coated vehicles. It is a highly concentrated, pH-neutral car wash detergent. Its powerful formula effectively breaks down tough dirt, grime, traffic film and contamination. It ensures a thorough clean without damaging your vehicle's finish.

First thing to note, the dilution quantities are impossible. OPT suggest 4-oz to 32-oz of water in a foam cannon. 4-oz is 118ml, 32-oz is 946ml. That's a total of 1064ml..............a foam cannon holds 1000ml! Do companies actually read what they publish on labels and websites? I went with the usual 100ml of soap in 900ml of water.

The test subject for Touchless Decon Soap was the Wildtrak, which I used as a wheel cleaner and as a pre-wash foam and rinse. Foam quality is excellent, even on a warm summer morning, it held in place to provide sufficient dwell time. On the wheels, it did a great job. The green-apple scent is a little too subdued for my taste, but this is a workhorse soap, so I guess it's no different to other similar products. What I loved most was how cleanly and quickly it rinsed from the vehicle with little reactivation. On a big car like this, fast rinsing is greatly appreciated.

Now, the car wasn't that dirty, some bugs and bee poo, dust and water spotting from rain, so at this stage I can't really comment on ultimate cleaning power. Commenting in a general nature, I have to say if you are expecting any foaming soap to completely clean a car without contact, you've set yourself up for disappointment.

After the foam and rinse, I went in for the contact wash with a seasonally appropriate soap, Koch Chemie GFX. Sadly, I used up the last of the bottle. Even if you aren't a scent person, you'll love the totally unique cinnamon and pine aroma that this soap spices the air with.

The rest of the detail was as per usual, although I did treat the paint to a layer of ADS Ceramic Spray Sealant, which is so stupid easy to apply, you could do it with your eyes closed! I also had to polish out a couple of scrape marks behind the LHS door.................I've stopped asking "how did this happen"..................

 

[skinnyb]

I've been on another soap binge of late, this time Optimum's new Touchless Decon Wash.

https://detailingshed.com.au/collect...48098473115863

Decontamination or stripping soaps are almost always alkaline in nature, likewise when a soap is marketed as offering a "touch-free" wash experience. Optimum's version bucks that trend in that it's actually pH neutral. Typically, alkalinity is needed to break down dirt and oily substances, so I'm not sure how Optimum have achieved the strong cleaning effect while keeping the formula neutral. I guess this is why Optimum's Dr. Ghodoussi is so highly regarded, he knows the secrets to a good sauce. For those that don't know, Dr. Ghodoussi is a chemist involved in creating modern automotive clearcoat, if anyone is going to know what to use to clean car paint, it's him!



First thing to note, the dilution quantities are impossible. OPT suggest 4-oz to 32-oz of water in a foam cannon. 4-oz is 118ml, 32-oz is 946ml. That's a total of 1064ml..............a foam cannon holds 1000ml! Do companies actually read what they publish on labels and websites? I went with the usual 100ml of soap in 900ml of water.

The test subject for Touchless Decon Soap was the Wildtrak, which I used as a wheel cleaner and as a pre-wash foam and rinse. Foam quality is excellent, even on a warm summer morning, it held in place to provide sufficient dwell time. On the wheels, it did a great job. The green-apple scent is a little too subdued for my taste, but this is a workhorse soap, so I guess it's no different to other similar products. What I loved most was how cleanly and quickly it rinsed from the vehicle with little reactivation. On a big car like this, fast rinsing is greatly appreciated.

Now, the car wasn't that dirty, some bugs and bee poo, dust and water spotting from rain, so at this stage I can't really comment on ultimate cleaning power. Commenting in a general nature, I have to say if you are expecting any foaming soap to completely clean a car without contact, you've set yourself up for disappointment.

After the foam and rinse, I went in for the contact wash with a seasonally appropriate soap, Koch Chemie GFX. Sadly, I used up the last of the bottle. Even if you aren't a scent person, you'll love the totally unique cinnamon and pine aroma that this soap spices the air with.

The rest of the detail was as per usual, although I did treat the paint to a layer of ADS Ceramic Spray Sealant, which is so stupid easy to apply, you could do it with your eyes closed! I also had to polish out a couple of scrape marks behind the LHS door.................I've stopped asking "how did this happen"..................

Well shit, another product I will need to eventually try. I still have plenty of GFX though, I am through with the holidays and KCX soaps have kinda lost their charm to me for a while. Cars have to be extremely clean before I even consider them (GFX, GSF, AF is stellar ) due to the lack of punch, and foam

I am now on the bandwagon of Touchless for initial foam if I need punch , I know you use Touchless as well, it does work amazing, even in an IK sprayer, I use it at the quarter wash dungeon this time of year when its cold...

 

[DFB5.0]

Did a "sanity wash" on the XR6 this week. With such dry and windy conditions, the poor thing was covered in layer of dust, which naturally shows up on such a dark colour.

The wheels and tyres were treated as normal, with the tyres scrubbed using Griot's 3-in-1 and the wheels with foamed NV Snow. Atom mac went on the rotors afterwards.

This is where I deviated. Firstly, the whole car was rinsed top to tail, followed by a hit with the blower to remove excess water. With a bucket of P&S Absolute mixed up, I then filled an iK sprayer and went around pre-spraying the whole vehicle. From here, a rinse-less wash using the multiple-towel method, Eagle Edgeless 500's in my case. After that, another hit with the blower to blast liquid from the jambs, grill, and badges ect, then towel dried with Amplify. I also used Amplify on the door jambs, then ECH20 for the engine bay.

From there, the exterior windows were cleaned with Invisible Glass, the interior vacuumed and wiped down with a damp towel, the drivers floor mat was cleaned with the Absolute I had remaining. Final touches being a wipe down of the wheels with Amplify and the rubber with OG Tire Dressing.

My XR6 is one the last Falcon's to actually feature a FALCON badge. In the lead up to the FG MK II update in December 2011, Ford deleted Falcon badges from the XR range. From that point until factory closure, only the entry level XT sedan and XL SSB ute were badged FALCON. G-Series and FPV models were never badged as a Falcon, even though they were.

Officially, this move was to make room for the EcoLPi (dedicated LPG/propane) and EcoBoost (2.0 I4T) badges, but I'm not buying that. The deletion of the Falcon branding was intentional, basically it was Ford quietly and slowly stepping away from a model that was on the chopping block. And by May 2013, that intention became reality with the announcement of the of the factory closures and the retirement of the Falcon nameplate. Unlike Holden, Ford had no intentions of replacing the Falcon, and in my opinion that was a smart move. History will show no amount of badge engineering or marketing clout was going to fool anyone, GM discovered that the hard way.

 

[vinny89gt]

What are you all using to wash your microfiber towels with? I've never used anything special other than washing them by themselves. I found the P&S Rags to Riches which is pretty cheap. Does this stuff do anything other than prolong the life of the microfiber towels?

 

[MAGS1]

What are you all using to wash your microfiber towels with? I've never used anything special other than washing them by themselves. I found the P&S Rags to Riches which is pretty cheap. Does this stuff do anything other than prolong the life of the microfiber towels?

Rags to Riches is the best for microfiber towels and rags IMO.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Rags to Riches is the best for microfiber towels and rags IMO.

I'm using it as well. But like @vinny89gt I'm not sure how is it better.

 

[skinnyb]

What are you all using to wash your microfiber towels with? I've never used anything special other than washing them by themselves. I found the P&S Rags to Riches which is pretty cheap. Does this stuff do anything other than prolong the life of the microfiber towels?

R2R every time. Great stuff.

 

[MAGS1]

I'm using it as well. But like @vinny89gt I'm not sure how is it better.

It’s formulated to work specifically with microfiber to help keep them soft. I do use it with cotton rags as well, and it works well with those also. Fun fact about microfiber, it’s actually made with plastics. That’s why they say not to dry them in high heat, it will compromise the structure of the microfiber (melt the fibers) and will actually make the towels/rags become abrasive if it’s dried in high heat repeatedly.

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