DFB's Detailing Garage

[DFB5.0]

Now that I am on the cusp of S650 ownership, I felt now was the time to create this thread. I've had something similar on Mustang6g, which I plan on keeping active despite moving to the latest generation Mustang. That thread on M6g was originally created as reference guide to the products that I use and recommend most. The thread went on to be a Q&A portal, which is something I thoroughly enjoy doing. For the most part, this thread is about detailing, hence being located in this section of the forum, however it will encompass anything I'm interested in. So if you come here for detailing, you may also learn about cars, gardening, tools and equipment..............................................

First, some background -

I have been detailing since I was about 15, washing my parent's cars............. not for pocket money, but for fun! When I got my own car, I really started to get into it as a hobby. I would ration products because I was poor, at 18 I could only dream of some of the stuff I have today. It took until my late 20’s to realize the benefits detailing had on my mental health. When the pandemic hit in early 2020, I suddenly had a lot more time on my hands and I doubled down on expanding my skills and product knowledge, it ended up being my savior during those uncertain times. I guess like a lot of people during the height of the pandemic, my online ordering skills became a precisely tuned machine! I also started to detail other people’s cars to make some extra cash.

So, 22+ years of detailing as a hobby, I have lost count on what products I have. Well, I actually have a spreadsheet listing every product, tool, polishing pad and towel I have or have had. So, you could say I have been around the block a few times. For the most part, its the product side of detailing that interests me most, which ultimately results in a clean, shiny car.

I have always said that no one brand produces the best product in every use case. Some comes close, such as Carpro or Armour Detail Supply, others will have one or two truly great products that sit within a range of truly average products. For someone to say they only buy products from brand XYZ, well all I can say is, you are missing out. Important to note that I am not looking for products that mask their mediocrity by low pricing. Chances are, you will end up using twice as much product to a job that would have delivered the same result faster using less of a better product. I hope that makes sense, it's not about "look how much I spent on this product or tool", it's about the user experience.

So, I look forward to contributing to the Mustang7g community.

Sponsored

 

[DFB5.0]

To kick things off, here is a recent detail.

Sanity detailing today, the XR8 was next in line. Tires were cleaned with Shine Supply Wise Guy, wheels and body washed with Carpro Reset. After drying, I went over the tires with Tarminator to give them a reset, then dressed with ADS Tire+.

But it's the Amplify I want to focus on. Not sure why, but I have struggled with streaking on this car for a quite a while now, especially on the hood. And that covers a wide range of products including polymer spray sealants, ceramic spray detailer/sealants, simple quick detailers, even a rinse-less wash.

In recent times, I've had nothing but good things to say about ADS Amplify, especially in relation to its ability to wipe on and flash away to a streak-free finish. Using it on the XR8 was going to be its biggest challenge though. So, you can imagine how pleased I am knowing that Amplify passed this test and delivered a streak free finish on the XR8 for first time in ages. So, I used it on the paint, glass, door jambs, engine bay, wheels and exhaust tips.

AMPLIFY - Detail Spray – Armour Detail Supply

This car doesn't get driven very often, but when it does, it's always a special occasion. It also turns 10-years old in November. Of all my cars, this is the one I'm most protective of, they simply don't make them anymore and are virtually irreplaceable. I bought this car as a keepsake, it marks a moment in time when Australian's built their own cars. These high-performance Falcons were "our" Mustang, the powerful V8's and turbo-charged inline 6's were what made them a weapon.

When Ford announced the closure of their Australian factories and the retirement of the Falcon nameplate, I was gutted. Think of it this way, how would you feel if Ford decided to close Flat-Rock and discontinue the Mustang after 60 years? It would be like a punch to the gut. That's how Aussie Ford fans felt, and still do to this day. I'm lucky to have owned and driven a number of them over the years, the very first car I ever drove was a Falcon! At the moment, I have two that will never leave me, both factory ordered by me to my spec. They may be just a humble "tarted up taxi", but they represent so much more to me.

And if you wondering what these cars have to do with a Mustang, well the XR8 uses the gen-1 Coyote block and heads as the starting point, Ford then hand built them in Australia using a variety of locally sourced parts, the signature touch being a Harrop Supercharger. This was the first factory supercharged Coyote in the world! To protect the driveline, these engines only rev to 6250rpm and not the 6800 to 7500 used on Mustang Coyote's. Not that it needs those extra revs, the supercharger makes it pull from idle to rev limit.

Each engine has the initials of the tech who assembled it engraved below the supercharger snout, mine made by Mr. Stevie Voice.

Thanks for reading!

 

[VB50GT]

Beautiful collection you have there DFB5.0.

It certainly was a shame to see the demise of Aussie car manufacturing, and the innovation that came from it - the Barra 6cyl engine (incl the bonkers F6 turbo), the "Control Blade" independent rear suspension (in the days when the likes of the Mustang still ran a solid rear axle).
It is good to see our abilities still shine through with the likes of the Ranger.

 

[DFB5.0]

Beautiful collection you have there DFB5.0.

It certainly was a shame to see the demise of Aussie car manufacturing, and the innovation that came from it - the Barra 6cyl engine (incl the bonkers F6 turbo), the "Control Blade" independent rear suspension (in the days when the likes of the Mustang still ran a solid rear axle).
It is good to see our abilities still shine through with the likes of the Ranger.

I really hope Ford Australia remain the lead engineering hub for Ranger, there has been talk in the past of America taking it back. Thing is, you can see and feel a common theme between the Ranger and the Aussie designed, engineered and built Territory. If you have ever driven a Ranger back-to-back with an equivalent Toyota/Mitsubishi/Nissan/Isuzu, there is another layer of chassis refinement and the stability control calibrations are superior. I think the most noticeable is how the Ranger rides, they don't skip about as much or how subtle the stability control is.

The Barra was such a brilliant engine. No, it was not as powerful as it could have been in naturally aspirated guise, BMW would have got 300 kw / 400 hp out of a 4-litre engine. They were also tall, long and very heavy, if you look at the cast-iron block, you can see where all the weight is. But all of that made them supremely durable and extremely effortless to drive. The joke was always that a Falcon would fall apart around the engine.

My XR6 was purchased brand new in June 2008, it's a May build, so one of the very first FG's. I was 21-years old at the time, so the XR6 Turbo was above my budget in terms of purchase price, but insurance as well. Even though its only done about 34,000 km, if it was a turbo the car would be worth considerably more today.

The car was optioned with the 6-speed auto, the 18-inch Y-spoke wheels, Premium Sound, Side Airbags and the Streetwise Blue interior to match the Sensation Blue exterior.

The XR6 was my daily driver for two years before I got a workhorse Ranger. Did many road trips in it, even a few laps of Bathurst.





Circling back to the engine, for some reason I actually prefer the raspier note of the naturally aspirated Barra. Nothing against the turbo version, it has a very distinctive wail from the exhaust, but the NA has more induction note with little to no exhaust.

For those new to this engine, here are a couple of videos that show the difference between naturally aspirated and turbo Barra's.

NA -

Zone in on the 1-min 30 mark, love that induction rasp!



Turbo -



The big-daddy F6!



Power wise, the NA when ran on 98-ron premium is very toey with bags of effortless torque. I once had to fill up with regular and it felt neutered. With 98-ron, it took power and torque from 195 kw (262hp) and 391 Nm (248 ft-lb) to 210 kw (281hp) and 420 Nm (310 ft-lb).

Sorry, Mustang content will populate eventually, I told you the thread would wander.

 

[DFB5.0]

On boxing day 2021, I installed Swisstrax in my garage. Prior to this, I absolutely hated how the floor was ALWAYS dirty, often within minutes of cleaning it. And because of my detailing focus, I was frequently standing in puddles of water as I worked. And peeling paint never looks good. :doh

I looked at several flooring options, but for me, Swisstrax rose to the top of the list the more and more I learnt about it. The key factor that won me over was that I could simply cover everything up with minimal prep work or having to completely evacuate my garage for several days. Also, installing it myself meant keeping control of the job.

There are now several similar floor tiles on the market, but Swisstrax is the original and best. The tiles themselves are thicker, which reduces that click-clack noise under foot. Dealing with Flexico was brilliant, they knew what this meant to me and had a design layout and exact number of tiles required sent to me in no time.

Flexico | Garage Flooring & Garage Storage Suppliers

Swisstrax | Premium Interlocking Garage Floor Tiles

The install took me about 6-7 hours. While the bulk of the floor went down quickly, a lot of time was spent moving stuff out of the way and making the cuts. I had some help with the moving, and in setting down tiles ahead of me as I worked on my knees clicking each in place. As for the cutting, yeah, I screwed up a few, but then I had ordered extra tiles just in case. To save time on the day, I unpacked the boxes and boxes of tiles into the tray of the Ranger, this helped speed things up.

Instead of completely gutting the garage, we simply moved larger items onto the already completed sections to gain access, then slid them back into place.

As mentioned, the cuts took a long time to complete. Each tile needed to be measured, marked, taken out to the saw, cut, then returned and fitted. Over and over again.

The transformation ended up being multifaceted. First, it solved several practical issues in one step. Secondly, it transformed how I felt about the space, it going from a workable situation to something I became proud of. Thirdly, despite my legs and knees taking a week to recover, the actual install was very enjoyable! I think that I had watched so many install videos prior to my own that the actual process was very orderly. Seeing the floor go down tile by tile, row by row, well it was almost surreal that this was actually my garage.

The single most common question I get when asked about Swisstrax is "what happens with all the dirt". Which is a valid question, because it has to go somewhere, and was something which made me initially dismiss Swisstrax. And the answer to that is, well it falls through the gaps and sits on the floor underneath.

There is a few reasons why this is the beauty of Swisstrax, and Swisstrax Ribtrax in particular. Firstly, the curved slats in the tile helps trap debris that blows in within the first few rows rather than blowing from one end to the other. Any dirt, dust or liquid will then pass through the gaps in the tile, in turn keeping your standing surface clean and dry. And because each tile is 18mm deep, it keeps that dirt/dust/liquid suppressed.

In terms of cleaning, those slots that allow debris to filter through also means you can remove it too by simply vacuuming the floor like any other surface. I've also used my pressure washer to blast them clean on occasion, the channels molded into the underside of each tile allows water to drain away.

So, after having had the floor down for nearly 3-years now, I decided it would be a good time to go a little deeper. For the most part, it's the door end of my two-car deep garage that collects most of the debris and occasionally has cars washed on it. With that in mind, I didn't bother with the far end.

The great thing about Swisstrax is that you can remove large sections of tiles in one go. So, I divided the area into four sections, which I tore up and dragged into the driveway. Then, I foamed the tiles with Bilt Hamber Touch-less, allowed to dwell, then rinsed clean.

While the tiles soaked, I vacuumed and then rinsed down the concrete with the pressure washer. What lay beneath the tiles wasn't too bad, but still worth doing.

The hardest part of the job was re-installing, lining up and then snapping each section back into place took some patience. Still, it was surprising how much grime the Touch-less removed from the top surface of the tiles, almost like brand new again.

 

[DFB5.0]

After the cleaning session, I brought the Jaguar back in for a rinse-less wash. Today, I wanted to indulge in the addictive mango scent of Opti-Coat No-Rinse......................

Optimum Opti-Coat No Rinse Wash (473ml) - Detailing Shed
Opti-Coat - No Rinse | The Rag Company

Compared to the blue ONR, the yellow version has Si02 in it for superior gloss and slickness. With the influx of new "ceramic" rinse-less wash products over the last 12-months, it's easy to forget Optimum/Opti-coat already had a player in this space. Yes, it's expensive, but it's also really nice to work with.

Following the wash, I towel dried with ADS Amplify as the drying aid. Considering the Si02 already in play via the ONR, you could probably skip drying aid, but why deprive myself the chance to use the delightful Amplify.

Next, I dried the door jambs using ECH20, wiped the glass over with KCx Speed Glass and vacuumed the drivers side floor mat. Apart from a pressure rinse, the wheels and tyres were not cleaned but I did give the tyres a swipe with some Carpro Perl at 1:1.

It was then time to make my way back to the storage shed, the Jaguar swapping place with the XR6. After getting the Jag all tucked in and locked up, I gave the Falcon a little run, stopping for some fresh 98-ron premium on the way home.

My Blue Rocket home at last, its battery hooked up for some nourishment.

Believe me when I say that I have been waiting for this moment for a while. I now have all of my Ford's under the one roof, ready to meet their new stablemate next week.

 

[Wiley Marmot]

Awesome garage!

PS: What's your Supervisor's name?

 

[DFB5.0]

Awesome garage!

PS: What's your Supervisor's name?

Supervisors name is Faych, which is a play on words from when I was a toddler. Before my sister arrived, I grew up with a Cocker Spaniel called Hafey. As a toddler, I couldn't pronounce Hafey, so I called him Faychie.

The personality traits between the two dogs meant a family member mentioned it was almost like Hafey reincarnated, then my lack of pronunciations came up and so naming him Faych ended up being very fitting. He's my best friend, no judgement, just love.

A family member had that photo above commissioned as a painting...........................

 

[DFB5.0]

It's been a very slow start to spring this year. By now, I would normally be well into a fortnightly routine keeping grass under control. But the grass just isn't growing, a few warm days is then followed by a few cold days. Up, down, up, down.............................I mention this because I had five lawns (same payer) booked for today but were delayed until next week. So, I had got an unexpected day off. (And yes, I'm still doing my private work, its hard to step away when its your own business at this time of the year.)

So, I went and got a fresh haircut, got to look good for my lady in red tomorrow, then a casual drive of the Blue Rocket. I then got home in time for a buyer to come and pick up the Bushranger. That means I'm back down to only 11 mowers. It went to someone about my age with a large lawn to maintain, apart from a lowball opening offer, the guy was a gentleman and paid what I was asking, he therefore got an extra air filter, the mulch plug, the owner manuals.......................and a dam clean high end lawn mower!

Next on the chopping block, the Husqvarna 525BX blower. I originally bought this unit after a string of Stihl BG55 and BG86's dating back to the early 2000's. Initially, I liked it, but it became very temperamental on really hot days and overall, I preferred the Stihl. In the end, I went and bought another BG86. I've been using the Husqvarna around home, but it's unnecessarily taking up space.

I was also going to sell off a Stihl FS45 trimmer that had been sitting down back for many years. I cleaned it down, added some fuel to the tank and managed to get it started with some starting fluid down the carby. It then bogged out and refused to start again, no matter what I tired. I was all set to go and order a new carb or carb rebuild kit, then I noticed the shaft was bowed, something must have landed on it at some point. I then decided it was not worth me selling, even if I got the engine running, it would have vibrated itself to death. While it hurt to do so, it ended up going to the tip.

Next up today, the Wildtrak was well overdue for a detail. Mixing things up today, I decided to do the interior first. For the leather, I thought I would have another crack at the newish Carpro Cleanse and Lotion duo.

I still don't love these products, the ColourLock cleaners are far superior, as is ColourLock Leather Protector. I think I prefer the foaming action of the ColourLock cleaners, and Lotion goes on too oily, even if it dries smooth. I also don't like the scents. But, if you never try, you will never know.

Actually, I could not locate the links to the Cleanse and Lotion kit, only the 500ml bottle of Cleanse. Neither Cleanse nor Lotion are represented under the specific leather care section, the kit missing in action. So, maybe Waxit don't like them either? For US readers, these are the links, not that I recommend them...................................

CARPRO SkinCare Leather Kit
CARPRO Cleanse Leather Cleaner 500ml (17oz) *New* - Skys The Limit Car Care
CARPRO SkinCare Leather Kit

After finishing the interior, it was then onto the exterior. Tires were hit with Wise Guy, the wheels with foamed Brake Buster. I then used up the remainder of my supply of Bilt Hamber Touch-less, then onto the final contender of my auto-store soaps.....................

Like NXT from last week, I used Gold Class for quite a while. At the time, I wasn't always foaming, but when I did, measuring out the gloopy Gold Class was difficult. Also like NXT, that is not really an issue now with wide-mouth foam cannon bottles. Foam quality from Gold Class is medium to thick and with good holding power........................

The best thing about Gold Class is how sudsy it is, and those suds hang around right up until you start rinsing. I really like how it stays active and doesn't run off the panel after cleaning a section, in turn helping prevent it drying too quickly as you work around the vehicle. (Yes, I wash in the sun, but I pick my mark and work quickly). The flipside to that is it requires longer to rinse clear, a contrast to NXT which is extremely free rinsing.

One other point on Gold Class, many have noted it can leave a residue behind and cause a streaky/hazy appearance. From what I can tell, this is from the conditioning agents and gloss enhancers not playing well with certain ceramic coatings. That was not an issue on the Wildtrak, which is in need of a fresh coating in the near future.

Finishing off the car, I used Meguiar's HCD as the drying aid, Invisible Glass for the windows, tires dressed with Duragloss 253.

While I was detailing the Wildtrak, I got a call from my salesman confirming the details for tomorrow. He then went on to say that I had already seen the car just after it got off the truck.................at which point I was getting very nervous about what would come next and perhaps something was wrong.................only to be asked if I still wanted the reveal cover and bow.

Apparently, he once had customer call him every name under the sun for covering up the guy's new car, and that he now asks every customer the same question. Geez, some people are hard to please. It's a bloody satin sheet, it's not going to ruin anything, and I can almost guarantee that car has had far worse things done to the paint since the guy took delivery! So, yeah, my car will have a satin sheet and big bow on it to mark the occasion, why bloody not after spending the better part of $100k on a car!

 

[DFB5.0]

So after more than a two-year wait, yesterday I finally took delivery of my S650! And with that, the detailing to bring it to DFB-spec has began.

The first task, Exhaust tips........................

The first detailing job on the new Mustang, addressing the exhaust tips. The S650 uses carry over mufflers and exhaust tips from S550, so the pipes themselves are not sleeved with a chrome finisher. I actually quite like the crisp look they bring, even if it means they will require more ongoing maintenance. The condition of the tips at first looked fine, but under closer inspection, they needed some attention to bring to a level I'd be happy with.

Frustratingly, Ford still spray the underside of export Mustang's with horrible black paint, something that I immediately noticed when I got home from the dealer. Seeing smoke pour out from under the hood of your brand-new car is not something you want to see! A customer new to Mustang's would be extremely worried by this, but I've treaded this path before and know that the smell and smoke was from that useless paint. I mention this because that stuff was all over the exhaust tips, you can see it in the second pic above, and that was the good side, the underside was caked in it. This meant I needed to add an extra step this morning.

Before I went any further, it was time to glove up. These tips are renounced for being a finger slicer, that crisp edge is certainly sharp. I'd normally have nitrile rubber gloves on when using harsher chemicals, but they would have been useless here. A clean pair of my garden gloves worked well.

Koch Chemie Eulex is a sledgehammer, no doubt about it, and you should never use it in confined spaces as its extremely heady. It's typically used as a heavy-duty tar and adhesive remover, but this paint is like tar anyway. Turns out it worked very well at softening the paint to the point where it was removed with a towel. The problem here is working around that plastic bumper, care was needed to not get the Eulex everywhere. I worked my back to where the pipe joins the muffler, in other words, I had to know when to stop. If you end up doing this, chose your towel carefully, you will ruin it.

After the paint removal, I flushed the tips with ONR to remove the Eulex residue, which I can still smell in the garage. From here, I could start to polishing. For the inside of the pipe, I grabbed a Maxshine Polishing Cone which I had in stock and worked them over with Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish.

At this point I want to highlight the brilliance of "disposable" microfiber towels. I've been running down a box of Repco Eclipse Microfiber Cloths, which are 200 gsm towels in 30cm x 30cm size. These are not the best towel you will ever have, but they excel in being cheap and sacrificial at 0.65c each. Their replacement I bought some time ago being the TRC Rip 'n' Rag.

I have to say, when TRC launched these, they made a huge song and dance about the concept of a microfiber dispenser pack and the disposable nature. Many companies have delivered this format in the past, long before TRC adopted it. Compared to the Repco towels, they actually have a lower 180 gsm and cost 0.87c per towel. However, with a 70/30 blend, they do seem to be softer and more absorbent, Repco don't publish the blend so I would say their cost per towel is achieved with a higher polyester count vs polyamide (polyamide is the absorbent/softness part).

The inboard right side pipe had some sort of scratch that didn't remove with polish, a light hit with some wet and dry paper sorted it easily, I also used that to round off some of the edge.

It was then time for a favorite of mine, a very obscure product that is so perfectly tailored for its role.................P21S Polishing Soap. I used this a final go-over, it actually feels grittier than the Mothers metal polish. A tub of this is going to last you for the rest of your life, its a must for those who love a clean set of pipes.

The final step was the application of Dr. Beasly's Metal Coat. I got this bottle at great expense through Obsessed Garage, but I see its now available on Amazon...................at great expense too. Like P21S, a bottle will last a very long time.

And the final result. Overall, they are a marked improvement prior to all this work, but I think I can still get a little more out of them. If I can find a tip style I like, I may end up going that route instead.

 

[DFB5.0]

For a car guy, and a detailer in particular, the first wash of a new car is a very important bonding moment. For me, it's the moment where I begin to understand "how" to wash the car. The S550 was my favorite car to wash, the expansive panels and all of those taut lines were strangely satisfying. The colour played a big part too, it might have lacked a metallic element to make it POP, but I could make it look so glassy smooth that you could almost see through it! So, no pressure then on the new Mustang.

I'm approaching this car a little differently than usual. In the past, its been a mad rush to get everything done, for this car I going to take my time and do things in more manageable chunks, the exhaust tips being an example. In theory, this should make the process more enjoyable and less taxing. I'm also exploring a video element, which you will see soon.

The car was presented to me clean, but not to my level. That is nothing against the dealer, it's the reality of production line detailing. And to be fair, I didn't ask for perfection, I simply told them to wash it and make it presentable for delivery. So, my brain really needed to get the car properly clean and up to a base standard.

For the first wash, I decided to make this the decon wash, getting that knocked out prior to polishing in the coming week. This would also give me a proper look at the condition of the car, the paint in particular.

First up, the wheels. Oh boy, these are going to drive me nuts!

To start with, I decided to pre-treat the wheels with ADS Wheel Cleaner. To be honest, on such a new car I wasn't expecting to see much reaction, but that proved wrong.

With that rinsed, I turned my attention to removing the crap they put on the tyres, Carpro ReTyre stripping it with ease. I then foamed down with Brake Buster and cleaned the wheels and wheel arches. Interestingly, Ford are now using carpeted arch liners front and rear, which is probably contributing to the increased cabin refinement that I have already noticed.

I managed to get the Incredi-Brush Flat between the rotor and the inner barrel, but still needed the EZ-Detail to squeeze between the MASSIVE front calipers. On the rear, I have two calipers to deal with as they now use a separate caliper for the handbrake. The intricate lacework of spokes meant the Ultra Wool Mitt is a must.

At this point, I would have normally given the wheels a hit with Carpro Hydr02 to help with drying. However, I'll be coating them in the near future, and because of the matte finish, I wouldn't be able to polish that off. For now, they can remain bare.

From here, this is where I started the decon process by using NV Purify, applied to the whole vehicle. These cars sit out in the open for months prior to shipping and delivery, so who knows what has bonded to the paint in that time.

After allowing to dwell, I foamed down with ADS Decon Soap. Race Red would have masked it to a degree, but remarkably, there was little to no iron reaction from the Purify.

From here, I rinsed the car down to remove the Purify and Decon Soap, then re-foamed using Carpro Descale for the contact wash. Again, parked outdoors for so long, it was bound to have picked up some mineral content in that time. Up until now I had not touched the paint, but again, it was remarkably smooth under the wash pad and my hands.

Yet another rinse, it was time for clay. I could probably have skipped this step, but I had everything set up to go, and I would later find a couple of rough spots on the rear bumper and hood. In this case, I'm using the excellent TRC Ultra Clay Scrubber and Gyeon Clay Lube mixed at 6:1 in an iK sprayer. Applying little to no pressure, I made my way around the car in sections, rinsing after finishing each. That Gyeon Clay Lube is the best I have used, in the past I simply used quick detailer, but this stuff has considerably more lubrication and less grabbiness, smells lovely too.

With the wash finished, I moved into the garage to dry the car. Today I decided to use the Big Boi over the EGO, without anything on the paint, I needed that extra grunt to deal with the bare paint. Actually, it's amazing how much more effective the Big Boi is compared to the EGO.

At this point, the car was 98% dry and I could have left it that. Considering that I'll be polishing soon, I really didn't need to be adding anything with protection to it, a simply quick detailer like Paint Gloss would have been sufficient. But I couldn't resist, out came the ADS Amplify. And what a treat, it adding gloss and slickness that was missing from the equation. I'm glad I did this step because it brought the car to the point where I'm happy.............for now.

I'll also be polishing the glass at some point, but I wanted something on there in the meantime. Opti-Coat Clean & Protect was the choice, this stuff adds some decent water beading from a very simple spray and wipe application, and unlike Clarify Phobic, it doesn't streak.

Both Clean & Protect and Amplify will be removed once the polishing begins. However, I'm happy to have gotten the car properly clean and decontaminated, it now looks and feels up to my standards. Overall, the car has been delivered in decent shape. Naturally, there are a couple of areas that will need some attention, the gloss black hood vent is hazed out, and there are a couple of light scratches on the driver's side A-pillar. And the engine bay needs attention. I'm sure I'll find more, but at this stage, I don't want to know.

Finishing things off, I dressed the tyres with OG Tire Dressing, which was knocked down after 15-minutes. And I couldn't help myself, I gave the wheels a pass with KCx Quick Shine, then wiped down the engine bay with ECH20.

You know, the rear of the S650 originally left me cold. However, the straight on view of the rear is my favorite part of the car now. In fact, I no longer feel the need for a spoiler. Terrible shot, but looking back into my garage at this sight makes me extremely happy....................and its been a long time since I've been able to say that.

And finally, one little touch to make the keys mine.........................

 

[DFB5.0]

The below video is my first appearance in front of the camera, the idea to put my words into action. Please know, I don't do YouTube to make money from, I couldn't care less about that. But I'm doing to try something new, and to bring my written and stills content into motion. I say this because I don't want to be seen as "that guy" who drops into a forum and posts a video simply to boost the viewer and like counts.

 

[5.0ALM]

I managed to get the Incredi-Brush Flat between the rotor and the inner barrel, but still needed the EZ-Detail to squeeze between the MASSIVE front calipers. On the rear, I have two calipers to deal with as they now use a separate caliper for the handbrake. The intricate lacework of spokes meant the Ultra Wool Mitt is a must.

Want!
Need!

It only took my first Mustang wash a few days ago to discover my "The Flat Head" brush (Bowden's from SCA, don't laugh!) definitely needs some assistance with the Mustang wheels.

Which did an ok job in the barrels and between the calipers.


Just checking the Mitts are these;
https://detailingshed.com.au/products/the-rag-company-ultra-wool-wheel-mitt-2-pack

DS product picture depict a black mitt and yours looks grey, perhaps the black dye tends to run out with use?

I'm wondering how these compare to the cheaper Cyclone Ultra Wheel Mitt?
https://detailingshed.com.au/products/the-rag-company-the-cyclone-ultra-wheel-mitt-15-x-18cm

 

[5.0ALM]

The below video is my first appearance in front of the camera...

You do exist!
We were beginning to think we were posting and chatting with an AI robot.

Video is an excellent medium to teach, so this is very welcome.

 

[DFB5.0]

Want!
Need!

It only took my first Mustang wash a few days ago to discover my "The Flat Head" brush (Bowden's from SCA, don't laugh!) definitely needs some assistance with the Mustang wheels.

Which did an ok job in the barrels and between the calipers.

Just checking the Mitts are these;
https://detailingshed.com.au/products/the-rag-company-ultra-wool-wheel-mitt-2-pack

DS product picture depict a black mitt and yours looks grey, perhaps the black dye tends to run out with use?

I'm wondering how these compare to the cheaper Cyclone Ultra Wheel Mitt?
https://detailingshed.com.au/products/the-rag-company-the-cyclone-ultra-wheel-mitt-15-x-18cm

The dye they use in the wool tends to leach over time, turning them grey. Some do this more than others, but it doesn't affect the functionality of the product.

I have both the Ultra Wheel Mitt and Ultra Wool Mitt, I like both for different reasons.

The microfiber Ultra Wheel Mitt is noticeable larger, its what I would call a hand mitt, whereas the wool version is a finger mitt. Personally, I like the wool version as its more ergonomic on such an intricate wheel design.

Microfiber -

Wool -

As for the barrel brush, these are the ones you need -

Just do the large on, it compresses down to the same cross section and allows you to reach to the back of the spoke.
EZ Detail Wheel Brush - Detailing Shed

Sadly, this one is sold out, but after trying so many, I keep grabbing this the most. The Gyeon equivalent is nice as well, but not quite as good.
EZ Detail Wheel Brush - Detailing Shed

I'd also look at the Carpro one as well -
CARPRO FlatSpot Wheel Brush Kit – Waxit Car Care

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