Aussie S650 Paint protection and detailing thread

[N1T3MRE]

Hi all,

I posted in the general forums but just found this Australian thread so maybe more applicable. New owner of a blue ember DH and in the process of getting car with gloss PPF. With a shop who has some other cars of mine and they do good work.

They called today to say that the gloss black roof is like a PPF / film from factory after inspecting it and that after testing a small area of applying PPF to it, some ripples were visible. They don’t feel it would be perfect, so suggested ceramic coating it instead.
Anybody else heard this? I’ve seen videos of the black roof being PPF’d so clearly it can be done (but maybe with ripples?)

Thanks

Morning, DH appearance packs are painted black roof from factory......as per bfets, have no issue with PPF on car (was done Sept 24 - every external surface).......even went with full piece on bonnet over decals, no issues there either. Stealth Matte PPF on all grey surfaces.

I think the quality of the finished product comes down to the installer - if you are around SEQ, talk to Auto Protective, they have done a few DH's now.

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[DFB5.0]

PRESSOL PRO-SERIES SQUEEZE BOTTLES

These are another Obsessed Garage visionary, Matt wanting the soaps from multiple brands in matching bottles. In this case, the solution was to create a squeezable version of the Pro-Series spray bottles. These new items are only available in the 750ml size, and due to the squeezability, a matching label isn’t really possible.

Pressol ProSeries Squeeze Bottle | Obsessed Garage – Obsessed Garage




At the moment, the only way to get these in Australia is via Obsessed Garage and a hefty international shipping charge. At some point, I’m hoping Detailing Shed brings them into their store. But……………………….

In an act of pure generosity, a group of followers from Mustang6g banded together and sent a few of these squeeze bottles, and a couple of extra goodies.

As you can see, these squeeze bottles carry the same profile as the 750ml Pressol Pro-Series. Where the spray bottles are made from fluorinated HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) plastic, the squeezers are made from translucent LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) plastic. In place of the spray head is a generic black plastic pop top dispenser. The only downside, the fancy OG labels don't work with the squeezable nature of the bottles. While the labels stick, they end up all wrinkled.

The primary role of these squeeze bottles is for holding and dispensing soap. However, they'd also work really well with thicker dressings such as Obsessed Garage's own tyre dressing, NV Onyx, ADS Tire+ and ADS Ghost. For now, I'm focussing on the soaps that I have in high rotation and stocked in bulk. That includes Koch Chemie GSF, Koch Chemie Active Foam, NV Snow and Carpro Reset.

Words can't describe how satisfying it was filling those bottles. While some would fine this tedious and say to just wash the bloody car, I actually look forward to this sort of thing. I think it's called tinkering.

At this point I'm annoyed that I didn't have enough GSF on hand for the photoshoot, cue an order being placed shortly after.

My life is now complete. :lol I just wish they had the matching labels, that would make them absolutely perfect.

A very special thankyou to @Evolvd , @kilobravo , @MAGS1 , @skinnyb and @WD Pro for hooking me up with these bottles, an extremely generous and lovely gesture, an extremely generous and lovely gesture that means more than words can describe.

 

[DFB5.0]

PRESSOL PARTY!

Considering the previous posts this week, it was only natural to go full Pressol for today's detail.

First up, tyre cleaning with P&S Undressed. After cleaning the wheels with Brake Buster, Hydes Rust Inhibitor went on the front brake rotors. Both Undressed and Hydes came from the v1 Pressol's, the former using the grey Industrial spray head.

After a pre-wash with Active Foam and a contact wash with NV Snow, drying aid of choice was ADS Amplify. This was followed by ADS Adapt on the roller tonneau and door jambs. If you are wondering how/why my door jambs are always this clean, it's the result of regular (as in after each wash) attention. That's it.

After a vacuum, the interior was wiped down with the transcendent ADS Pilot. That included the plastics, vinyl, leather, touchscreen and instrument cluster. Easily my most favourite ADS product. From there, the glass was cleaned with ADS Hero mixed at 128:1.

The finishing touches, a wipe down of the wheels with Amplify, then some ADS Tire+ on the rubber.

The final result, one clean Ford Ranger and a very satisfied detailer!

 

[DFB5.0]

PRESSOL STAINLESS SPRAY TIPS -

One of the early problems with these Pressol spray heads was the failure of the plastic spray tips. The reason why they had such a high failure rate, well I say it was mixture of poor atomization and user error.

These tips had a narrow window of adjustment, the spray pattern went from a mist to pinpoint within a ¼ turn of the tip. Exaggerating the problem, the tip needed to be cranked right down to provide the sort of fine atomization most users expected. But wind them down too firmly, the tip would crack and split. Considering the price of these bottles, you have to wonder why the Germans signed off on these things.

And yet, I have never had a single one of these plastic nozzle tips crack or fail. I think there are two reasons for this. Firstly, I tend to go for a slightly heavier flow with sprayers, which limits chemical drift and allows for a more targeted application. That means I wasn’t cranking down on those tips. I also tend to set and forget spray heads. When I’d watch Matt, he was forever messing with the spray tip, winding them in and out over multiple different bottles. No bloody wonder they were breaking, people just kept fiddling until something had to give.

With the Pro-Series update, the solution to the cracking spray tips was typical Obsessed Garage excess. Out with plastic tips, in with stainless steel tips. No doubt the manufacturing cost of stainless over plastic would be significant. Throw in the knurled grip and frosted Pressol logos, these stainless-steel tips alone would partially explain why these spray bottles are so expensive. Either way, good luck splitting or cracking these new tips, actually you’d be more likely to kill the plastic spray outlet instead.

In addition to the increased durability, the added benefit of these new tips is the vastly superior spray pattern. The tip still needs to be firm to achieve a fine mist, but you now have the ability to adjust the pattern over a wider range of adjustment. I’ve also found the stainless tips produce a superior distribution rather than the often-lopsided pattern of the plastic versions.

The great thing about these new stainless-steel tips is they are a direct retrofit to the older Household and Industrial spray heads from the v1 Pressol’s. And so here we are…………………

Pressol Precision Sprayer Nozzle | Stainless Steel | Obsessed Garage – Obsessed Garage

These stainless-steel tips were included in the care package from my friends at Mustang6g forum. At the moment, the Australian Pressol distributor doesn’t carry these tips, but I’m told they will arrive in the next shipment.

A quick stocktake of my now expanded Pressol collection reveals the following -

Pressol v1 -
- 16 x 500ml Household
- 2 x Household Spray Head (spare replacement)
- 1 x Industrial Spray Head (spare replacement)

Pressol v2 -
6 x 750ml Pro-Series
1 x 500ml Pro-Series

Oops! I didn't think it was THAT many!

Selecting which of the existing v1 Pressol's to get a stainless-steel tip was quite simple, the ones I use the most or where fine atomization isn't required.

- Wheel Cleaner (P&S Brake Buster)
- Surface Prep (Carpro Eraser)
- All Purpose Cleaner (KCx Green Star)(Industrial spray head on its last legs)
- Glass Cleaner (P&S True Vue)
- Waterless Wash (Carpro ECH20)

So there you go, another 500+ words talking about a plastic spray bottle. Welcome to my obsessed world.

Again, a special thanks to the guys at Mustang6g.

 

[DFB5.0]

Another order from Detailing Shed.

The order was mostly for the microfiber towels. I've decided to move from Creature Edgeless to Eagle Edgeless for my "good" interior towels. The difference here isn't massive, where the Creature has a long and short nap, the Eagle is long nap each side. I also find the Creature loses softness over time, even with correct care. With so much glossy finishes in modern cars, you kinda need a towel like this.
10B The Rag Company Eagle Edgeless 500 40cm X 40cm Microfiber Towel - Detailing Shed

The second towel is another round of Edgeless Pearl, which I like for coating removal. I have these in both colours, grey and orange, which helps keep track of which is the first wipe and which is the second.
The Rag Company Ceramic Coating Towel Edgeless Pearl 16 X 16 - Detailing Shed

Adapt and Pilot are restocks, the Clean APC is new though. I don't use a lot of APC, but so many rave about this stuff, so I thought I'd check it out. Naturally, a matching Pressol and label set was also ordered.
ARMOUR Detail Supply CLEAN All Purpose Cleaner APC - Detailing Shed

Finally, a set of replacement rubber locking feet for Detail Guardz Dirt Lock grit guards. I bought those Dirt Locks several years ago before sidelining them in disgust because they just wouldn't stay at the bottom of the bucket. Since then, they've redesigned the rubber feet, so here's hoping they actually work this time.
Detail Guardz Dirt Lock Rubber Locking Grip Replacement 4pk - Detailing Shed

Looking forward to some garage time in the next couple of days, has been a busy week on the tools and from behind the keyboard. I've been working on something new, some here may already know, but at the moment I'm just finding my way.

 

[5.0ALM]

And.......................

Another brand.





A new favourite has arrived!

Have never heard of Liquid Elements before.
https://www.detailstore.com.au/collections/liquid-elements

I expect D will be all over this.
Keen to eventually hear about comparisons.

 

[bfets]

And.......................

Another brand.





A new favourite has arrived!

Have never heard of Liquid Elements before.
https://www.detailstore.com.au/collections/liquid-elements

I expect D will be all over this.
Keen to eventually hear about comparisons.

No personal experience with it but Matt from Obsessed Garage put LE on my radar. It may not be the ultimate top-tier choice in a vacuum, but its value-to-performance ratio is hard to beat.
To me it looked like a good alternative to ShineMate if you had objections to buying Chinese.
I'd be interested in DFB's opinion as well.

 

[DFB5.0]

A new favourite has arrived!

Have never heard of Liquid Elements before.
https://www.detailstore.com.au/collections/liquid-elements

I expect D will be all over this.
Keen to eventually hear about comparisons.

No personal experience with it but Matt from Obsessed Garage put LE on my radar. It may not be the ultimate top-tier choice in a vacuum, but its value-to-performance ratio is hard to beat.
To me it looked like a good alternative to ShineMate if you had objections to buying Chinese.
I'd be interested in DFB's opinion as well.

Liquid Elements are the real deal. If you look at Matt's site, his go-to 5-inch polisher is an LE now, not a Rupes, Milwaukee, Flex. That's saying something! I think for US in Australia, ShineMate is still the best option for mid tier machines, they actually outperform the Flex and Rupes for 2 to 3 times the price.

 

[DFB5.0]

For anyone wanting to try out Pressol sprayers but find the price a little rich, Detailing Shed currently have Pressol on sale.

Pressol of Germany | Detailing Shed

Important to note that this applies to the v1 "Household" and v1 "Industrial" versions rather than the latest Pro-Series (currently sold out). Realistically, all you are giving up to the Pro-Series is a flexible pickup tube, stainless spray tip and more chemically resistant spray head internals. However, v1 spray heads are still double-action and will be suitable for most detailing products outside of extremely high alkaline tyre cleaners. The black and red 'Industrial' versions have higher chemical ratings, narrowing the gap even further.

Pressol Household Double Action Sprayer 500ml/750ml - Detailing Shed
Pressol Industrial Double Action Sprayer (Red/Black) - Detailing Shed

Of all of these, I prefer the clear or blue 'Household' versions for their form factor and availability of labels. Just note that the ADS labels only fit the 750ml sizes, the OG can be had in both sizes.

Obsessed Garage Pressol Household Label - Detailing Shed
ARMOUR Detail Supply Pressol ProSeries Labels - Front & Back Set - Detailing Shed

These ones are the 500ml v1 Household with OG labels -

If I was starting again, I would recommend the larger 750ml version as they increase your working "range" without a weight/ergonomic penalty.

 

[bfets]

Hey guys, just wanted to share my thoughts on a product I’ve been testing out – Mirch Kraken SiO2 Infused Foaming Wash.

I've been using it for a while now on my wife's car. The paint is completely uncoated, and the car is parked outside in the elements every single day, making it the perfect test subject for something like this. Honestly, it works super well. It lasts surprisingly long for a spray-on product, but the outstanding thing for me is just how incredibly slick and glossy it leaves the car... next level. I also have some Carpro Hydro2, but I gravitate to this all the time now.

I'll admit, when I first used it, I didn't like the watery foam it produced out of the cannon. But I quickly realised the consistency doesn't really matter for this specific product. You literally just spray it on and rinse it off straight away to activate the SiO2—so it doesn't need to be a thick shaving-cream foam that clings and dwells on the paint anyway.

It leaves behind some really impressive instant beading and protection for very little effort. Definitely worth a try in my book, and since it’s made right here in Australia, it feels good to support local.

Link if anyone wants to check it out: https://www.waxit.com.au/products/mirch-kraken-sio2-infused-foaming-wash

 

[5.0ALM]

Is Koch Chemie going down the path of The Chemical Guys?
Saturating their catalogue with even more products.

I begin to question brands that start having lots of overlapping products.


And to be honest, I'm getting turned off the idea of spending my money at Waxit too.

Have you noticed all the advertising they are doing on Youtube these days?
Production of commercials, let alone air time, does not come cheap.
Their profit margins must be huge.

 

[DFB5.0]

Is Koch Chemie going down the path of The Chemical Guys?
Saturating their catalogue with even more products.

I begin to question brands that start having lots of overlapping products.

Koch Chemie are closer to Meguiar's in that regard, having several sub brands under the same banner. And quite often, like Megs, they are just rebranded in different bottles.

For example, you have the professional series, the tall 1-litre white bottles with abbreviated names following the periodic table. These are the ones to go for as they are often concentrates that can be diluted.

Then there is the blue bottle range, which is aimed at consumers. These are RTU products with a degree of safety factor built in for non-pro users. These have a place, but the pro line is more versatile.

This new "Finisher" line sits out of the pro and RTU lines, but I can't really see why. I suspect they are at the point where the brand is so saturated that they need this definition, kinda like Megs with their Gold Class, Ultimate, Deep Crystal , Mirror Glaze, Detailer, and Professional lines...................which are all the same products, just in different bottles with different names and different scents/colours.

And to be honest, I'm getting turned off the idea of spending my money at Waxit too.

Have you noticed all the advertising they are doing on Youtube these days?
Production of commercials, let alone air time, does not come cheap.
Their profit margins must be huge.

I too have noticed their social media advertising to be excessive. Youtube Premium filters out ads so I'm not seeing it there, but I actually had to silence the content on Facebook and Instagram as it was driving me insane. And that's coming from someone who eats and sleeps detailing 24/7.

What truly ticks me off is companies sending me at least one email a day, sometimes two or three. And usually, those emails are repetitive, telling me something I already know. I end up either unsubscribing or deleting without even opening the email. That's counter intuitive. The whole point of having an email base like that is to drive sales. But if you bombard your customers with so many emails, well it's a waste of time on their end if the customer doesn't even look at the email through fatigue.

Send me one or two emails a week, chances are I'll at least open and scan through it. Bombard me with emails and you go in the sin bin.

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