DFB's Detailing Garage

[DFB5.0]

While a bit cooler today, it was still nasty humid. Today's project, a wash and some final touches on the XR8.

As always, wheels and tyres were first, but today I decided to set up the camera......................



These are my favorite wheel to clean, with plenty of clearance, they are so quick and easy to deal with. In this case, I used Brake Buster on the tyres, then foamed with Shine Supply Shift and cleaned the wheel and wheel arch. After a rinse, I hit the rotors with Atom Mac. All up, around 3 - 4 minutes per wheel.

The rest of the car was also washed with Shift, then dried with the EGO and OG Drying Aid. Wheels were wiped down with ADS Amplify, tyres dressed with OG Tire Dressing. Engine bay and door jambs dried with ECH20, glass via Invisible Glass.

I had two additional extra's planned for the XR8 today, the first being leather cleaning and conditioning. For the driver's seat, console lid, gear shifter and steering wheel, I used ColourLock Mild Leather Cleaner with the ColourLock brush. I could probably count on one hand the number of times the rest of the seats have been occupied, so I only needed to use Griot's Interior Cleaner on a towel for those. I like the Griots here because its unscented and virtually odorless..............this car still smells like new, I want to keep it that way. Following that, I went around and applied ColourLock Leather Protector using a Carpro Finger Mitt (THE BEST applicator for leather!!), buffing off any high spots with a clean towel.

The second task was giving the exhaust tips a refresh. Because these tips don't have a top coating, carbon deposits tend to penetrate and stain the material. I started by cleaning with Brake Buster, then followed by a decent hit with P21S Polishing Soap.

Next, I followed with Carpro MetalliCut, not my favorite metal polish but it was close to hand. That was teamed with a scrub pad, then wiped down with Gyeon Prep, then coated with Dr. Beasley's Metal Coat.

The XR8 is now covered up, the XR6 will take its place in rotation.

Sponsored

 

[DFB5.0]

Wolfgang Deep Gloss Paint Sealant doing its thing...............................

 

[DFB5.0]

With my Ranger being lent to my father, I took the opportunity to get his Wildtrak back into shape. Despite not washing it for quite a while, thankfully it wasn't too bad, however there were a couple of things I wanted to address.

First up, the engine bay. I once spent hours meticulously cleaning engine bays with all-purpose cleaner and rags in a bid to keep everything dry. I don't have the patience for that anymore, and besides, an engine bay is open from below so it's going to get wet in there at some point. Instead of APC, today I used Bilt Hamber Touchless. This was my first use of the new v2 version of Touchless, which is doubly concentrated now. It's also now yellow in colour and very strong smelling. Apparently the bottles used for Touchless have a special lining to prevent it seeping through the plastic.

So, I foamed the engine bay with Touchless, then helped things along with a Detail Factory Fender Brush and an EZ-Detail brush. I then rinsed and went to town with Hyper Dressing, followed by a quick blow with the EGO. Job Done!

Next, I went around and foamed the wheel and wheel arches with Touch-less to help make things a bit easier. I hate cleaning wheel arches on these Rangers, they have so many pockets and surface angle changes, making them hard to get fully clean. While that was soaking, I applied Touch-less to the rubber floor mats, agitated with a brush, then rinsed.

With the Touch-less rinsed, it was time for the contact washing. Today I decided to give Carpro WheelX a try, which is their new dedicated wheel cleaner. Previous to WheelX, if you wanted to stay within the Carpro eco-system, you would have been using IronX and/or MultiX. Compared to the alkaline MultiX or the pH neutral IronX, this product is acid leaning and is designed to dissolve iron contamination and remove dirt, brake dust and grease. They also suggest it can be used to remove old sealants and act as a tyre cleaner.

WheelX certainly has some decent cleaning ability, in fact it stripped off the Hydr02 used at the last wash. But.....................this stuff is vile! Initially, it has a similar lemon scent of IronX, but that quickly morphs into a disgusting stench that would have to be one of the worst scented iron removers I have ever used. You can also certainly detect the acid leaning formula. While capable, I nearly put WheelX back in the cabinet after the first wheel, its that bad. So, of the iron-remover wheel cleaners, NV Purge is still THE one to buy.

Following the wheels and tyres, I foamed the car down with Touch-less and allowed it a few minutes to soak before rinsing. Then, NV Snow was foamed on and followed by the contact wash. Blown down with the EGO, I then mopped up any remaining water with a Gauntlet and OG Drying Aid. Moving to the interior, I used Leather Love on the seats and cleaned everything else with Nexzett Cockpit, glass via True Vue.

Moving back to the exterior, I got started on the second item I wanted to address. I don't know where Ford have these headlights made, but they suck! Mine started to oxidize very early on, and so did these. The pictures don't properly illustrate how bad these look in person. You'd kinda expect this sort of thing with cheap aftermarket lights, not OEM. Not good enough Ford.

I'd been holding off sorting these out as the car was supposed to be going in for some body work repairs, which was delayed and another insurance claim filed after an un-licensed old guy run up the back of it and smashed the right rear taillight and left behind a serious of dents. I'd say it will now be an after Christmas thing, so I couldn't wait any longer on the headlights.

Griot's Fast Correcting Cream was used on a Lake Country blue SDO pad. This cleaned them up nicely, although not perfect. That Fast Correcting Cream is very nice to work with, it even has a sweet scent.

Following a wipe over with IPA, I then applied Opti-Coat Lens Coating. This stuff is supposed to last longer on plastic headlights than a regular paint coating, so with the car parked outdoors 24/7, it will be the ultimate test.

A final touch, Perl went on the tyres and the engine bay wiped over to mop up any remaining water/Hyper Dressing.

 

[DFB5.0]

What I thought was going to be a quick prune of an overhanging branch turned into something rather more involved. Instead of extended reach loppers, I had to grab one of the saws. Considering this was my neighbor's property, it was only fitting that I use the 028AV Super!

What a lovely saw! It's light enough to be nimble, but has plenty of grunt to cut through rock hard timber. It's also fully ran in over many, many years, so its seems to run sweeter than my MS271 which is still pretty green. I love this thing and I'm so glad my neighbor gave it to me. I spent so much of my youth idolizing this saw, to now be its custodian is very special to me.

Meanwhile, it might seem like a show pony sometimes, but this vehicle is a working girl! Moments later at the tip, a gardener pulled up in his brand new dual-cab Hilux Rouge, you know the one with all the tacky black plastic to make it look tuff, and you guessed it.....................towing a trailer. A completely useless vehicle for this profession. Oh, but maybe he has a family to transport once a month on a Saturday. But you paid $70,000 for it to be completely useless the rest of the time. I don't get it.

Anyway, after a few big jobs last week, lending it to my Dad yesterday, and today's antics, I REALLY wanted to get the workhorse cleaned up. Staring with the tray, after blowing out all of the leaves and twigs, I hit it with Touch-less.

I really wish there was a better solution for tray matting than this stuff with all the holes in it. From what I was told, solid rubber would hold moisture and cause the tray to rust. Normally, I would put a tarp down first, which actually helps remove the contents of the tray much quicker while also collecting all the debris. But I was pressed for time and unprepared. In any case, the Touch-less really helped deep clean the rubber without me actually having to put any effort into the task.

Following that, the tyres got scrubbed with Undressed, then the wheels were cleaned with Incredible Suds, followed by the rest of the vehicle. Drying aid was Shine Supply Punch It, the tray and door jambs with Gyeon Ceramic Detailer. Why so two similar products? I'm trying to use up some odds and ends, these two being next in line. The interior was filthy, the floor mats needed scrubbing with McKee's, the rest wiped down with ADS Pilot, followed by a generous spritz of Angelwax Bliss. The wheels got wiped down with Amplify, the tyres dressed with the lovely Swissvax Pneu. Finally, the glass was cleaned via Gyeon Q2M Glass.

A clean workhorse, sanity restored!

 

[DFB5.0]

Snuck in some sanity detailing today. I have my sister coming tomorrow, which will be her first encounter with the new Mustang, so I wanted it fresh!

It's been a while since I've used GSF, and it's as good as I remember. I had stopped buying it due to the completely absurd price the local KCx importer insists retailers use. Don't get me wrong, this soap deserves to carry a price premium, it's so bloody nice to use. But consider the following.................

GSF 1-litre - $54.95 AUD ($34.25 AUD-USD converted) / $27.99 USD
GSF 5-litre - $199.95 AUD ($124.68 AUD-USD converted) / $89.99

Either way you look at it, GSF is heavily inflated here, which to me is pure greediness. And even though I get a discount on it, GSF is still more than the same size bottle of Carpro Reset, which is just as slick, foams just as well and actually cleans better. So why did I buy it again...................well, its like any drug, hard to give up.

Up next, the Ranger. This was my first try of a new-to-me soap, P&S Off-Road Wide Open.

P&S Detail Products - Wide Open All Terrain Wash | The Rag Company

A few years ago, P&S created a new line of products that were said to be better at dealing with mud and grime accumulated from off-roading. The P&S Off-Road line includes an all-purpose cleaner, an exterior soap, an interior cleaner, an interior/exterior dressing and a quick detailer. According to P&S, the formulas are different, but I think most people see this sub-brand for what it is, a needless collection of products that do the exact same thing as the non-off road stuff.

So why did I buy Wide Open? Previous to Frost Bite, P&S soaps didn't foam at all. I know a few people like Pearl, but I hated it for its lack of foaming ability and an overall lackluster user experience. I does the job and nothing more. Radiance and Inspiration Radiance are also a low foamers, to be expected for wash-n-wax soaps. With the introduction of Wide Open, this was P&S's first soap to actually produce thick foam.

Whenever you see a soap being advertised as "pH balanced", that's the clue the formula is not 7.0 - 7.5 pH neutral. And so it proves here, Wide Open coming in at about 8.9, which compares to 10.3 for Frost Bite and 7.3 for Inspiration Radiance.

I have to say, this soap surprised me! Wide Open certainly proved to be super-foamy today, it lays down a nice thick layer of foam that holds onto the paint really well. The big surprise though was how bloody slick this soap feels. Keep in mind I was coming directly from GSF, one of the slickest soaps available, so for Wide Open to feel so slick says something. I also found it offered excellent cleaning ability (yes, the Ranger was dirty) and rinsing properties. With a 946ml bottle sitting $10 above the same size of Pearl, its money well spent as its far more concentrated, considerably slicker and will foam for days. If only it had a scent, it would be almost perfect.

 

[DFB5.0]

As is tradition, my sisters Christmas present is a full detail of her car. Or was it a Christmas indulgence of my own? Either way, we both benefited.

The car certainly needed it too, the poor thing hadn't been touched since early September. Those wheels were feral, pretreated from dry with ADS Wheel Cleaner and Wise Guy.

I actually did that while the car was still in the driveway, mainly so I wouldn't stink up my garage. After rinsing, the Volvo was moved into the garage so that we could work out of the 35-degree sun. So bad was the built up brake dust, I felt the need for another pre-treat. This time it was Bilt Hamber Touchless, which was allowed to soak while I got the buckets ready. Another rinse, I then followed with a good scrub using foamed Brake Buster and Wise Guy for the rubber. To finish, an application of Hydr02 Lite and Atom Mac for the rotors, those Volvo rotors seem to flash rust quicker than my other cars.

Onto the rest of the vehicle, it was first foamed with Touch-less, allowed to dwell, then rinsed. For the contact wash, I'd been saving my bottle of the delightful cinnamon and pine scented GFX for this car. With the heavy lifting done by Touch-less, the milder GFX easily dealt with what remained.

Koch-Chemie - Gentle Snow Foam | The Rag Company
Koch-Chemie Gfx (Gentle Snow Foam X-Mas) – Obsessed Garage

Sadly, GFX was not offered in Australia again this year. I just wish the local KCx agent was more proactive. Whoever is at the helm is running the brand into the ground with a lack of product planning and head in the sand pricing strategy.

And it's not like there is no demand for the products, be that at a pro level or the enthusiast market. The pro's simply can't justify the price from a business point of view, so they look elsewhere. The enthusiast sector is left waiting on new products that have been on sale elsewhere for years or left waiting for existing products to come back into stock.

With two of us wielding an Ego blower, we had the car mostly dry in no time. As I went around applying Reload to keep the coating fresh (Cquartz Professional), my sister did the job I hate.................vacuuming.

The rest of the interior was wiped down with Griot's Interior Cleaner, followed by cleaning the interior glass with Carpro Eraser. Out of character, my sister then insisted we clean the leather seats, which meant ColourLock Mild Leather Cleaner then another coat of ColourLock Leather Shield. For the exterior glass, I went with Opti-Coat Glass Clean & Protect, which is by far much easier to use than Carpro ClarifyPhobic, no special treatment required here.

Opti-Coat - Opti-Glass Clean & Protect | The Rag Company
Optimum Opti Glass Clean & Protect - 504ml - Glass Coating - Detailing Shed

I have also been rinsing off the engine bay each time I wash this car, no agitation or chemicals needed. An engine bay is much easier to maintain than leaving it get to the point where it becomes a major project to return to spec. Following that, it was also blown down with the Ego, then given a wipe over with ECH20. A quick top-up of the windscreen washer bottle, I called it good and closed the hood.

Notice how the hood sits when open, to the point where it's quite awkward to open and close. I know it clears the roof, but every time I open it up, I fear its going to whack the roof.

The finishing touches, the wheels were wiped with Bead Maker and the tyres dressed with Swissvax Pneu.

It's probably covered in bugs now, but at least it was clean for a few hours.

My sister also got a ride in the new Mustang for the first time, although she had to take a place in the back seat, which is not necessarily a pleasant experience owning to the lack of head and leg room back there, especially on a hot day with her head resting against the rear window. I did make up for it though by letting her drive the car. The last time I let that happen was back in 2012 when I owned the TS50, this would be only the second time she's driven a V8. So, what was the highlight for her? The noise? The power? The ultra-low seating position and view out over that long hood? None of those.....................it was the ventilated climate-controlled seats.

Hope everyone has had a great day.

 

[DFB5.0]

Tried distracting myself by washing the XR6 today.

Sadly, it only takes so long to wash a car, or walk the dog, or go for a drive.......................then the racing heart and tight chest returns, brought on by a significant amount of anxiety I have at the moment. I'm hoping by this time tomorrow I will be more settled.

 

[5.0ALM]

FYI...



$10 more expensive than a Griot's BF302 which has a stainless steel manifold, and a better bottle that won't crack open like an egg?
Yeah, nah.

This product is another MJJC/cleanskin dud.

 

[DFB5.0]

FYI...



$10 more expensive than a Griot's BF302 which has a stainless steel manifold, and a better bottle that won't crack open like an egg?
Yeah, nah.

This product is another MJJC/cleanskin dud.

From experience, when a company labels a product "pro", its usually not in any way "pro grade".

 

[DFB5.0]

Well, I've began my 38th trip around the sun.

For Christmas and my birthday, I was given some new tools to flesh out my collection. Which meant tinkering with my toolbox to fit things in.

For Christmas, I got this file set sold by Wera, although made by PFERD and housed within Wera foam.

9783 Foam insert PFERD file set 1, 6 pieces - Wera Product finder

For my birthday, I got this Kincrome Striking and Prying set, which suits my Evolution toolbox. Being such an organizational type of guy, I like foam because everything has its place.

EVOLUTION 19 Piece Striking & Prying EVA Tray - Kincrome Tools - Kincrome

Those two additions meant rearranging both toolboxes.

This is my favorite drawer, I've fallen hard for Wera stuff, both in design and functionality. I love how their sockets and wrenches are mostly all satin finished so that they don't show greasy fingerprints. The green and black handles on the screw drivers, Zyklop ratchets and torque wrenches do get grotty, but are easy to clean.

 

[DFB5.0]

The Wildtrak's turn today. I've previously noted that I'm in between coatings with this car. I had intended to detail the car in October or November, but I was out of action for the better part of a month due to illness, then I was busy with other things. It was then smashed into by a senile driver, which then involved a second insurance claim, further delaying things. It's now due to be fixed early February. I didn't want to waste time and product on something that would be removed at the shop, and I'm then going to have to contend with the paint curing before polishing and laying down a coating. As such, I'm trying to limp it through until the timing stars align.

Every January, Dad heads off to the Tour Down Under in and around Adelaide, which is a 1460 km (907 miles) round trip, not including the travel to and from each stage. With the above in mind, I really wanted to get something on the paint to hopefully make the post road-trip cleaning easier.

So, first step was a wash using NV Snow, which is slightly more aggressive than other soaps but won't totally strip whatever is left on the paint. After blow drying, I decided to use ADS Ceramic Spray Sealant.

ARMOUR Detail Supply Ceramic Spray Sealant 6 months Durability - Detailing Shed
Armour Detail - Ceramic Spray Sealant | The Rag Company

This product couldn't be easier to use, just prime your towel, then apply a couple of sprays per panel and work in with the towel, followed by a dry towel to level any potential streaks. For the most part, you almost don't need the second towel, it flashes away so well. To get the most out of the claimed 6-month longevity, make sure to keep the car dry for at least 8 hours after application, and avoid cleaning products for at least 24 hours.

Here's hoping it will do what I need.

 

[DFB5.0]

My mother used to buy me a Ford/FPV calendar for Christmas every year. This was before online shopping existed, and even if it did, Mum wouldn't know how to do so. As such, she always bought one at a news agent. After FPV stopped doing them, I would get a Ford themed calendar with a variety of old Ford's that didn't really interest me other than them being Ford's. Something like this -

2025 Official Calendar Classic Ford Cars | Supercheap Auto

Nothing against those cars, but as I said, they just don't speak to me like the 90's and 2000's stuff does.

So eventually, I decided instead of looking at other people's cars all year, why not make my own. I know, what a self-absorbed thing to do, but I don't care, at least the images mean something to me rather someone else pride and joy. I make one for myself, then a few to give as Christmas gifts.

I also have one made featuring my best friend........................

 

[DFB5.0]

This image represents where I wanted to be 3 months ago, at ease without a certain something hanging over my head. I still have some hurdles to clear, but they seem so insignificant compared to where I was back then.............or even a week ago.

I've been driving the XR8 a bit lately too, and I have to say, its nice to walk out into the garage and see the car in all its glory rather than hidden under a cover. The suspension though is what my uncle would call "rough as guts", its easily the hardest ride of all my cars, even my workhorse 1-tonne Ranger rides softer.

It also takes quite a bit to reacclimatize to the urgent throttle response and healthy low-end torque. I kinda get why some complain about a lack of torque with the naturally aspirated version of this engine. With my previous Mustang, I think the short gearing and manual transmission masked some of that low rev torque deficit. And...............we were spoiled for choice with engines like the 4.0T Barra and supercharged Miami.

5.0 Coyote V8 (S650 Gen 4) -

345 kW @ 7,250rpm
550 Nm @ 4,850rpm
Curb Weight - 1841 kg

5.0 Miami V8 (Gen 1 Coyote) -

335 kW @ 5750-6000 rpm
570 Nm @ 2200-5500 rpm
Curb Weight - 1815kg

So, a 10-year-old XR8 produces more torque at lower revs and spread over a wider rpm band. In the right conditions, it will also produce more power on over-boost, an official over-boost figure is a little vague, but engineers hinted at about 375 kW/500 hp. The XR8 is also 26 kg lighter, both have 275 rear tyres. So, you would expect the XR8 to be quicker in standing start acceleration times? Actually, very unlikely.

The Mustang has 10 gears instead of 6, which helps the Pony car get off the line with less resistance, even if it does need an extra gear change before hitting 100. The Mustang also has wider rear wheels, so 19x10 with the HP wheels on my car, the Falcon has 19x9. Then consider the Falcon's suspension geometry at the rear, which lacks sufficient travel to squat down and help with traction. On any given day, the 0-100 kph (0-62) times between the two would favor the Mustang, getting the perfect launch from those Falcon's was always a challenge. However, on the right road, right conditions and the perfect launch, both would be doing 4.6 - 4.9 sec 0-100 kph times. But where the Falcon shines is at rolling acceleration, doesn't matter which gear you are in either.

It's not lost on me how lucky I am to have both of these cars to bounce between, comparing two completely different vehicles other than sharing the same basic engine architecture.

 

[DFB5.0]

I also replaced a couple of parts on the Ranger today.

The first was the driver's side scuff panel, which for some reason had popped out of place. I removed and attempted to re-seat it, only to discover the two outboard clips had broken. More great Ford quality.......................

After putting it back in place, I went and ordered a replacement from Jefferson Ford. The new one clicked into place and now is now properly seated.

Ford Front Door Scuff Plate Right Side Everest Ranger: EB3Z2113208AF

Genuine Ford Front Door Scuff Plate Right Side Everest Ranger

At this point I want to say, why didn't I buy one of these sooner................

Kincrome TorqueMaster Trim Clip & Panel Remover Set K8691 - Bunnings Australia

The second item I replaced was the lower fan shroud in the engine bay. Again, for some reason the holding tabs had lost their tension and caused intermittent contact with the fan on startup. The new one clipped in and seated as it should. Again, great quality Ford.

Genuine Ford Lower Fan Shroud For Everest Ranger PX

I have to say, it's pretty average to be replacing parts on a vehicle with so little usage on the clock, and it's not like I'm hard on the car or don't take care of it. Throw in the headlight oxidization and paint wearing off the OE-fit steel wheels, it's annoying for a car with only 43,000 km on the clock.

Same with my father's two PX-series Ranger's, far too much premature wear and major failures. His original 3.2 PX did the auto gearbox at 60,000 km, two rear main seals (one at 20,000 km and again at 100,000km), and the A/C packed it in at 30,000km. On his latest PX III, its had an engine replaced under warranty at 40,000 km because they found metal in the oil from a batch of bad oil pumps, the door exterior lower window trims have all turned white, the headlights oxidized very early on, a broken driver's side lower seat trim, the lettering is coming off the passenger side aluminum door sill plate, the fabric section of the driver's seat is nearly thread bare, the manual mode rocker switch on the gear lever is loose.

These aren't cheap vehicles either. I can't help noticing that my Mazda built 2010 PK Ranger was streets ahead on quality and reliability, impressive considering how cheap it was back then.

 

[5.0ALM]

At this point I want to say, why didn't I buy one of these sooner................

Kincrome TorqueMaster Trim Clip & Panel Remover Set K8691 - Bunnings Australia

I do have a set of metal trim removal tools, but I must admit, I always reach for the plastic tools instead. The metal tools remain unused.

If you don't have a set of the plastic tools, worth having, not expensive, and easily obtainable with a visit to your local Autobarn store.

https://autobarn.com.au/ab/Autobarn...val-Set-with-Canvas-Pouch---GT1005C/p/TO31572

I'm always paranoid about the metal tools marking the surface (even plastic) as the clip is being removed! Unless it's under the car, then who cares.

I have to say, it's pretty average to be replacing parts on a vehicle with so little usage on the clock, and it's not like I'm hard on the car or don't take care of it. Throw in the headlight oxidization and paint wearing off the OE-fit steel wheels, it's annoying for a car with only 43,000 km on the clock.

Same with my father's two PX-series Ranger's, far too much premature wear and major failures....

Oh dear.

My next vehicle will be a 4WD.
Having eliminated the recent and disappointing all-new Toyota Prado off the list, the next contender is a Ford Everest, with the new Tremor variant getting my attention.

Like the HiLux, these are assembled in Thailand, and I was hoping for decent build quality and durability.

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