DFB's Detailing Garage

[DFB5.0]

Subaru Forester Detail & Product Testing -

The Subaru returns for another detailing session. Compared to its visit last month, there was considerably less work to be done this time around. Even so, to free up some time today I actually began proceedings on Sunday, bowling over the vacuuming and interior wipe down.

As per a previous post, I decided to give the front carpet mats a deep clean in an attempt to remove the ingrained dirt. This is why I personally think daily drivers are much better served with rubber floor mats, it's a vastly superior solution, especially in winter. After a blast with the pressure washer, KCx Pol Star was applied and allowed to soak before extracting with the Bissell. This process revealed bright white stitching and Subaru lettering, they were grey-brown prior to treatment.

Also on Sunday, I had given the car a very quick Touch-less foam and rinse to plough through the bulk of the dirt, again freeing up some time for today.

For it's visit last month, I'd given the Subaru a pretty extensive decontamination wash, which meant I could skip all of that today. With the wheels and tyres taken care of (Purge, Brake Buster & Wise Guy), the vehicle was then foamed with KCx Active Foam as a pre-soak. After a rinse, I then reformed with Active Foam for the contact wash. Don't let the "Foam" aspect of the name fool you, this is an excellent soap for contact washing as its super slick and holds onto the paint as your work around the car. It's pH of 9.5 puts it with Meguiar's Hyper Wash, meaning its slightly more aggressive but not to the level of KCx Super Foam or Carpo Lift. However, where Hyper Wash is a bear to rinse off, Active Foam is free rinsing, which improves efficiency and reduces water use. Oh, and it smells divine.

Normally from here I would get some Hydr02 or similar onto the car, but I had other plans so skipped this step. I will say though, the P&S Defender that was applied last month is much more durable than you'd think. After a hit with Touch-less and two rounds of Active Foam, it was hanging in there.

And this is where the new product testing comes into the equation. Earlier in the month I was sent a small selection of new Koch Chemie products to sample. All bar one have already been used and reviewed, but I needed the right vehicle to test the remaining product, Perfect Finish Sealant.

Koch Chemie Perfect Finish Sealant | Durable Gloss Enhancer & Sealant – Waxit Car Care

Perfect Finish Sealant is a new product from Koch Chemie, one that I've struggled to get my head around (more on that shortly). Words such as "ceramic", "hybrid" and "Si02" are completely missing from the product description, instead this is an old-school synthetic polymer sealant. Koch Chemie highlight the following benefits -

- A high gloss finish with a slick feel
- Amplifies reflectivity and smoothness after polishing
- Durability, forming a long-term barrier to contamination
- Provides UV protection
- Ease of use, both application and removal
- No streaking
- Apply by hand or machine
- Provides anti-static properties, in theory keeping the car cleaner for longer

Before application, I gave the entire car a wipe down with KCX Panel Preparation Spray. Actually, I did this after blowing the car off with the EGO, then used PPS as a drying aid to remove remaining moisture. I actually finished off this bottle, which I bought at great expense for a prep spray comparison a few years ago, an absurd $42.95 for 500ml. This is an excellent product, so much so that I found it to be the best on test.................but I just couldn't hand it the win due to the ridicules price. Carpro Eraser won that comparison, which back then a 500ml bottle was half the price of PPS. However, since Waxit have taken over distribution of KCx, the pricing is much more palatable.

Koch Chemie (PPS) Panel Preparation Spray | Control Spray – Waxit Car Care

And this is where I got confused, the application. The consistency of PFS is quite thick, which means it doesn't atomize like a regular spray sealant. That said, a spray head can be used to apply it into a towel or applicator. For anyone who has used AMMO Hydrate, you will know what I mean here. As such, this is NOT a simple mist and wipe product such as Carpro Reload, ADS Amplify or NV Boost.

Reading the directions, Koch Chemie suggest using a foam applicator sponge or a soft waxing pad on a dual action polisher. This puts it alongside some very old school sealants such as Menzerna Powerlock or Wolfgang DGPS. I've also seen suggestion of using a two-towel application method, one to spread, one to buff. In the end, I went with a foam applicator puck, but also tried it with the towel method.

Working panel to panel, apply PFS into the applicator, then work across the section. After allowing 30 - 60 seconds to bond, wipe off with a towel. I'm told a little goes a long way, however I found that hard to gauge owing to the white paint. Once applied, PPS doesn't necessarily haze over like a traditional sealant, in fact it almost flashes away. The wipe off itself is then very easy and requires little to no effort achieving a perfectly clean, clear finish. A "perfect finish" if you will.

Funnily enough, untreated panels felt slicker than the freshly treated ones, which is somewhat odd for a polymer sealant. However.................the gloss it imparts is hard to argue with. And it's a lovely warm gloss too, not the almost fake glass-like gloss a ceramic will achieve. I was also told prior to use that PFS has the ability to mask or reduce minor paint imperfections. And that certainly played out here. In fact, right before my eyes I watched as PFS transformed a jacked-up Subaru badge into a clear, glossy Subaru badge. It also helped bring out the metal flake of this Crystal White Pearl paint.

So, while the (as usual) KCx product description caused some confusion, and its not the quickest and easiest to apply, the results speak for themselves.

For the rest of the vehicle, I used ECH20 on the door jambs, Stoner Invisible Glass inside and out, misted the carpets with Fresh Up, scrubbed the seats with Pol Star, then applied an old favorite to the leather, NV Nourish. The tyres were dressed with Carpro Perl, and the black plastic trim treated with Mother's Naturally Black.

Finished results! The key to making white paint POP is having the surrounding materials and accents dialled in. In this case, the black plastic body cladding and tyres......................

I'm told Perfect Finish Sealant has proven to be comparable with NV Boost v2 in terms of durability, so up to 6-months or so. Obviously, that's dependant on a variety of factors, so use that as a guide only. With this vehicle parked in the open most of the time, it will be interesting to see how long PFS lasts. As it stands, I really like the way this sealant looks.

Sponsored

 

[DFB5.0]

Optimum Opti-Glass Clean & Protect / Opti-Coat Glass Clean & Protect –

While manufactured side by side, Optimum Polymer Technologies operates under two separate banners.

The base Optimum range of detailing products has been freely available via OPT dealers and retailers. Depending on the individual product, bottles sizes range from the small 118ml and 246ml sample sizes, mid-sized 504ml and 946ml bottles, and large gallon size jugs. While this range of products is universal, the second range has been tailored for ceramic coatings.

Optimum Polymer Technologies – Innovative Car Detailing Products for Professionals & Enthusiasts

Optimum Polymer Technologies | Detailing Shed

Meanwhile, the focus of the Opti-Coat range centres around a variety of ceramic coatings. However, they also offer a separate line of maintenance products, which only come in a 473ml bottle and carry a significant price premium over the base OPT product. Up until recently, the Opti-Coat maintenance product line had been exclusive to Opti-Coat installers and their Opti-Coat customers. However, in recent times, that has changed and the Opti-Coat maintenance range has become available to the general public.

Optimum Opti-Coat - Detailing Shed

Opti-Coat Maintenance Products

In theory, the difference between Optimum and Opti-Coat products was the latter being geared towards ceramic coated surfaces. I say “in theory” because in some instances, I feel like the only difference is a change in colour and a fancier bottle design. Some of them come pre-diluted instead of concentrate forms. Having said that, the Opti-Coat version of ONR is different to the base product in that it contains Si02 and has a much slicker finished result.

So, where do the glass cleaners sit in relation to this?

I’ve been using the Opti-Coat Glass Clean & Protect version for a while now, which I had bought at a significant discount. The very first time I tried it, I knew I was onto something good. Not only is it super easy to work with, flashing away quickly to a streak free finish, the hydrophobic performance is very impressive. And slickness is pretty epic as well. Sadly, this version is no longer carried by Australian OPT dealers. Bugger!

Which brings us to the Optimum Glass Clean & Protect variant. Rather than the pretty frosted bottle and finicky trigger head, this version comes in a rather basic looking 504ml bottle and a conventional spray head in fluro green and blue.

Are these the same product, or have improvements been made for the premium version? Both descriptions make similar claims……………

Optimum –

Optimum Opti Glass Clean & Protect 17 oz. – Opti-Coat

"Optimum Opti-Glass Clean & Protect Spray is a ready to use spray glass cleaner that contains a combination of mild cleaners and an advanced polymer that bonds to glass and other silica-based surfaces ……….Optimum Opti-Glass Clean & Protect can be used as a stand-alone glass sealant or as a booster to Optimum Opti-Glass Coating."

Opti-Coat -

Opti-Coat Opti-Glass Ceramic Clean & Protect™

“Opti-Coat Glass Clean & Protect not only effectively cleans glass surfaces without streaking but also boosts the performance of your Opti-Glass Pro Coating and other ceramic coated glass. The polymers in the formula bond to glass surfaces, providing continuous protection with each use.”

Having now used both, the different between them is miniscule, if any at all. The only thing I would note is that the Opti-Coat version is slightly quicker to flash, and I mean slightly! What I like about these two is that they require no special application methods, just spray, wipe, buff. This is a complete contrast to Carpro’s ClarifyPhobic, which I just couldn’t get to work properly and is now recognised as being very sensitive to non-Carpro glass coatings and sealants. In other words, for that glass cleaner to work, you need to install a Carpro glass coating.

Note - This type of glass cleaner is not intended for interior glass.

What’s remarkable here is that these OPT products have existed for years, but only recently have companies like Carpro, Gyeon and P&S have come out with their own versions. And yet, people seem to have flocked to the Carpro and P&S product as if its something ground-breaking or new. No, Optimum have been offering this style of glass cleaning for many, many years.

 

[DFB5.0]

After having to park outdoors while I was house sitting, a busy mowing run, and the crappy weather, I finally got a chance to wash the Ranger for the first time in more than two weeks yesterday. Good. Great. Sanity restored.....................until I had to go out at this afternoon, which the sky decided to rain just enough to undo my hard work yesterday, but not enough to warrant a full-scale wash.

Considering the roads weren't wet, it meant I could skip the wheels and tyres, making this situation a perfect candidate for a quick waterless wash. For reference, I don't normally waterless wash, not unless strict criteria like this are met. I guess the same applies to rinse-less washing, I have a very low limit to what I can tolerate before a proper soap and water wash becomes the better choice. Anyway, product of choice today was the delightful Carpro ECH20.

Get CarPro ECH2o Concentrate Online | Waxit – Waxit Car Care

CARPRO ECH2O Waterless & QD Concentrate 500ml (17oz)

ECH20 is exceptional value, not only for the low price of entry, but also the fact it's a concentrate. This contrasts with many dedicated waterless wash products on the market, which are ready-to-use. Considering how much product you use when waterless washing, the ability to mix up larger quantities at a relatively low cost is highly desirable here. For example, a 473ml bottle of DIY Detail Waterless Wash retails for $29.95, or ADS Adapt for $32.99. A 500ml bottle of ECH20 is sub $19.00, and a 1-litre bottle is just under $30. Put it this way, I can mix up 7.6 litres (2-gallon) of product from that 500ml bottle. And even if you don't like the idea of "waterless" washing, ECH20 is one of those go-to do it all products that makes it well worth having around.

On this occasion, I mixed up a 1000ml at the recommended 15:1 dilution ratio, then sprayed the car down with a Solo battery powered sprayer. I then used TRC Platinum Pluffle's to wipe, and a Microfiber Madness Chipmunk Jr. to dry. I then followed up with a glass cleaner on the windows, mainly because ECH20 doesn't finish out as I'd like at this dilution ratio.

Sanity restored.....................again.

 

[DFB5.0]

The following is the biggest vehicle I've ever detailed, and by a considerable margin as well. While I don't personally see the appeal of caravans, I do see the appeal in earning money by cleaning them.

As you can see from the spare wheel cover, this rig made the trip to the Mundi Mundi Bash, which is held 40 km's north-west of Broken Hill. Of course, that means lots of red dust!

Home - Mundi Mundi Bash

Considering my client is nearly blind, his wife does all the driving. Having never towed anything bigger than a garden trailer before, kudos to her for doing a caravan towing course before jumping in the deep end. This is something most would never even contemplate, they just buy a Landcruiser and the biggest van possible and off they go.

Anyway, I offered to wash the van in the driveway. This would save them the hassle of hooking the van up to the Landcruiser, towing it to a car wash, then towing it back, unhook.............with only one pair of eyes between them, it would've taken them half a day to do all that. Due to a heavy downpour last week, quite a lot of the red dust was washed away from the rain. So, I was just finishing what mother nature started.

Back when I installed a wall-mounted pressure washer, I contemplated selling my old Kranzle K1152. Thinking I wouldn't need it anymore, I nearly sold it to a colleague, but for some reason, I changed my mind at the last minute. For jobs like this, I'm thankful I decided to keep it. Once you've used one of these machines, it ruins you for other pressure washers, in fact I'd rather use a garden hose as other pressure washers just don't flow enough water to be efficient.

Another thing I've noticed using the K1152, its vastly quieter than the big boy KHD-10 that's sitting on a shelf in my garage. Both of these produce similar numbers, 10-lpm at 2800 rpm. So, this extra noise could be due to how the K1152's motor is covered by a plastic shroud, or that the KHD-10 uses more power (15-amp vs 10amp). Either way, the K1152 is much smoother and more pleasant to listen to.





Before leaving home, in addition to the Kranzle, I grabbed two buckets, several brushes, two foam cannons and a few chemicals. Oh, and a step ladder.

After setting up the pressure washer, the first thing I did was foam the whole van with Bilt Hamber Touch-less. While that did its thing, I scrubbed the tyres with Shine Supply Wise Guy and a Detail Factory Tyre Brush in XL size.

The van was then rinsed from top to toe, which took the majority of the road grime, dust and dead bugs with it. From here, I foamed the wheels with Carpro Lift and cleaned with a Maxshine Curved Grip XL brush and an EZ-Detail brush. The sizable wheel arches were then scrubbed with a Detail Factory Fender Brush.

Working on one side at a time, I then foamed with Lift and washed with a TRC Cyclone Bone pad. For the textured black lowers, I again used that DF Fender Brush. The same process was used for the front and back. As for the roof, I reached what I could and made sure to rinse the solar panels as best I could.

The finishing touch was an application of Carpro Hydr02 to the body and wheels. I had contemplated dressing the tyres but decided not to bother.

The photos don't do the end result justice, but even to my vision compromised client, the difference is remarkable.

And that was that, my first caravan detail.

 

[DFB5.0]

Yesterday it was the caravan, today it was the tow vehicle.

But first, a little reminder of how this vehicle looked after its last visit back in April this year.............

Since then, the Landcruiser has had a set of brand-new genuine Toyota headlights installed. Also, due to some damage from a previous trip, the vehicle has been treated to a new set of wheels. I have to say, I never liked those CSA 'Jackal' wheels, the car looks so much better with these CSA Kinetic's. And thankfully, he went with the machined silver version instead of satin black.

Kinetic – CSA Wheels

Detailers Tip - For anyone putting aftermarket wheels on an off-roader, never choose a matte or satin finish, especially black. That's because matte and satin finishes tend to absorb road grime and never truly release it. That means you will never have them clean again, even with a wheel coating and sledgehammer cleaning products. A clear coated wheel on the other hand is much more resistant to dirt, brake dust and road grime. In effect, the clearcoat rejects the grime rather than absorbs it. This of course applies to all satin/matte finish wheels, but it's more pronounced on a vehicle that is subjected to off-road driving.

After the on-site caravan detail yesterday, I used up the remainder of the Touch-less and Lift in my foam cannons by pre-treating the Landcruiser. Not only did this give me a head start for today, but it washed all the red dust into the gravel and NOT onto my concrete driveway.

Wheels & Tyres - Working wheel to wheel, after a pre-rinse, I sprayed the wheel with NV Purge. While that began doing its job, the tyre was sprayed with Wise Guy and scrubbed. The whole wheel and wheel arch was then foamed with Brake Buster and scrubbed with an assortment of brushes. This duo of Purge and Brake Buster worked extremely well.

Also during this step, I cleaned the side steps, front steel bumper, steel rear bumper, and the spare wheel carrier. Wise Guy was then used to scrub the rubber floor mats, followed by a misting of P&S Swift before being left in the spring sunshine to dry.

Pre-Wash - Even though I did this yesterday, I again foamed with Bilt Hamber Touch-less. While this was active, I went around with a brush to agitate around the badges, fuel filler door, window trims and door handles. That red dust gets everywhere! A thorough rinse followed.

Contact Wash - For this step, I switched to Carpro Descale. This was foamed onto the whole vehicle, and a little added to the rinse bucket for good measure.

Post Wash - After a very thorough rinse, making sure to blast behind the door handles and door jambs, I went around and applied Carpro Hydr02. A blow off with the Ego (no, not my Ego, the leaf blower), a heavy application of NV Boost v2 was used in connection with two large drying towels. I then wiped out the door jambs with Carpro ECH20, which were surprisingly clean.

Interior - Considering the number of kilometers this vehicle has done since it was last detailed back in April, the interior was actually pretty good. Of course, it needed a vacuum, made super easy due to the high-quality carpet Toyota used for this model. I then wiped down the interior with Nextzett Cockpit Premium, I keep forgetting how bloody good that product is. For the leather, I used KCx Pol Star in a spray and wipe manner, although I did use a leather brush on the shiny steering wheel, gear shifter and handbrake handle. After that, NV Nourish was applied to the leather, the carpets misted with KCx Fresh Up and Cozy Cotton, and the rubber mats reinstalled.

Glass - For the exterior, I went with Optimum Glass Clean & Protect, then switched to Stoner's for the interior glass. Because the car was in sun, it won't fit inside my garage, I probably didn't get the glass perfect but it's now much better than before.

Tyres - It's probably not worth dressing off-road tyres. But...............well I couldn't help myself. For big tyres like this, I like to use a runny dressing and apply with a TRC Ultra Utility Brush. The combo of that brush and a runny dressing is more efficient and helps get product into all the groves. Once applied, I leave it for 10 - 15 minutes, then buff off any excess with a towel.

In this case, I used Carpro Perl at 1:1, but Meg's Hyper Dressing, Duragloss 253, or Shine Supply Decked Out would be great alternatives. The key is having that runny consistency

Final Result - The old girl has a few battle scars, the result of this vehicle being used for what it was designed for rather than being a glorified shopping trolly or pram. It also needs to have a few stone chips and scrapes touched up. For reference, the Landcruiser now has just over 157,000 kms on the clock.

And if you've read this far, well enjoy this little time-lapse of me hard at work cleaning the exterior.....................

 

[20ducks]

Recommendation for a 16x16 drying/polishing lint free (what gsm) microfiber towel? This will be used on a Shadow Black S650. Thanks.

 

[Bikeman315]

Recommendation for a 16x16 drying/polishing lint free (what gsm) microfiber towel? This will be used on a Shadow Black S650. Thanks.

Pretty much anything from The Rag Company.

https://theragcompany.com/collections/drying-towels/products/the-liquid8r
https://theragcompany.com/collections/drying-towels

 

[MCS]

Recommendation for a 16x16 drying/polishing lint free (what gsm) microfiber towel? This will be used on a Shadow Black S650. Thanks.

For straight drying I would say a 90cm x 60cm microfibre with a 1400 GSM rating.

Something like the BuffTowel here.

For drying aid applications I would look at a 60cm x 40cm with a 1000 GSM rating microfibre towel. Something like the BuffGloss here.

For USA customers? The Rag Company does have some great stuff. So does Obsessed Garage.

 

[20ducks]

Thank you!

 

[20ducks]

While here: GSM what will 600....800...1000...1200 do differently?

 

[MCS]

GSM what will 600....800...1000...1200 do differently?

GSM = Grams (per) Square Meter.

Typically, more Grams = more material to absorb water.

As an example; BuffDaddy has products ranging from 400 GSM waffle weave towels suitable for glass and mirror cleaning all the way up to 1400 GSM towels suitable for drying a whole vehicle.

 

[DFB5.0]

2024 Ranger Wildtrak Detail -

This 2024 Ranger Wildtrak with the 3.0 Powerstroke Diesel V6 was in today for its first major detail since it was purchased last year. Finished in Aluminium Silver, it and also has the $2100 Premium Pack with includes the following -

- Auxiliary 6 Switch Pack
- Premium Matrix LED Headlamp and Tail lamp pack
- Bang & Olufsen Premium Audio System
- Cargo Management System

For anyone buying a Ranger, please please please include the Ford 3D rubber floor mat set in the deal. They make a massive difference in keeping your carpets clean, mainly preventing grass and sand from becoming embedded in the fibres. Carpet mats are completely useless for this sort of vehicle, or any daily driver really. I can also highly recommend the TruFit 3D branded mats as well.

Genuine Ford All Weather Rubber Floor Mats For Ranger & More
TruFit 3D Mats

Exterior Detail –

Wheels & Tyres -

While I sorted out my buckets and tools, I started off by liberally applying NV Purge to all four wheels. After a few minutes, I went in with Bilt Hamber Touch-less, foaming over the top of Purge and allowed to further soak. After rinsing all four wheels, I then went back with Wise Guy for the tyres, then foamed the wheels with Brake Buster for the contact washing. As I moved around the car, I also scrubbed the black plastic wheel arch flairs and side steps.

Pre-treatment & Decontamination -

From dry, the whole car was sprayed down with iron remover. Today I finally managed to use up the last of a 4-litre bottle of Gyeon Iron, which while effective, was absolutely putrid to use. Switching over to NV Purify has been a long time coming, I much prefer these NV iron removers as they do not stink anywhere near as badly, while remaining highly effective. I hear the latest Gyeon Iron Redefined has addressed the stench complaint, but the NV product is considerably cheaper. Another benefit of NV Purify is that it also contains surfactants to break down traffic film.

As usual, an alkaline pre-wash soap was foamed right over the top of the iron remover. At the moment, I’m really liking KCx Active Foam, mainly because its less aggressive as Touch-less, smells better, and cleans nearly as well. After further dwell time, the car was given a very thorough rinse.

While the soap was doing its thing, I made use of that time by giving the engine bay a quick refresh. Nothing drastic was needed, just some accumulated dust and debris caught at the base of the windscreen. So, it too was treated with Active Foam, then rinsed. A healthy dose of Hyper Dressing, a quick blow and the job was done. Oh, and I also filled the empty windscreen washer fluid reservoir, it’s the little details that matter sometimes.

To finish the pre wash treatments, I vacuumed, foamed and then rinsed out the tub. Yes, I vacuumed, it was full of particle board chips and sawdust, vacuuming is less messy than turning all that into an abrasive slurry.

Contact Wash -

For this step, I foamed with Carpro Descale, then used a microfiber wash pad for the contact washing. Afterwards, a very thorough rinse, including flushing out the lower door jambs.

At this point, I had some very stubborn bee droppings on the hood, roof and aluminium roller tonneau cover. While bee deposits are almost always harder to remove than you’d think, typically an alkaline or acidic soap will lift them away. Not here though, they’d clearly been on the car for some time. First, I tried a clay mitt to luck, then progressed to KCx TEA tar remover, still no luck. In the end, I had to get out the sledgehammer, KCx Eulex. Thankfully, this took care of the issue. Important to note, you need to be mindful of using Eulex on small sections as it has a very high evaporation rate and you don't want it drying on the paint, I also like to flush the area with water afterwards.

From here, the whole vehicle got a dose of Carpro Hydr02, including the wheels and wheel arches.

Drying & Paint Protection -

After a blow down with the EGO, I went around and polished out a couple of minor scrapes on the front fender and rear door. It was then time for a heavy application of NV Boost v2. Other than the Hydr02 I had just applied, the vehicle had absolutely nothing on the paint, hence the heavy application.

Spray sealants like this have somehow become drying aids over the last few years. When used like that, typically one to two sprays per panel is used. Thing is, that is nowhere near enough to provide durable “protection”, which then leads to people complaining about a lack of longevity. This is something I’ve noticed with multiple products like Boost, and Bead Maker in particular, people use it sparingly as a drying aid, then bash the product for not doing what they had unrealistically expected.

From here, I cleaned and dried the door jambs with ECH20 at the waterless rate.

Interior Detail –

I actually started the interior before starting on the wheels. This involved removal of the carpet mats and opening all of the doors. With the car in the driveway, I grabbed the air line and my Tornador, then blasted as much dust and debris from the interior as possible. The same was done on the carpet mats. This process is incredibly effective at removing debris from hard to reach places or areas that resist vacuuming, think seat seams, between the seat and console, door trim crevices, air vents ect. Doing this BEFORE cleaning the exterior limits that dust being deposited onto the freshly cleaned exterior.

As with any neglected interior, it’s the vacuuming that eats up most of the time. And it doesn’t really matter how stout your vac is, removing sand, mud, pet hair and grass from carpet is always a tedious and time-consuming task. On this carpet, I found using Paint Gloss as a vacuum aid noticeably improved the situation.

15-hours later, it was time for the cleaning. Starting with the leather, I used Pol Star on the Carpro InnerScrub mitt. Once dry, NV Nourish was applied.

By the way, that mitt should be white…………………….

The rest of the interior wasn’t that bad, so I switched to P&S Swift for a general wipe down. I like Swift because not only does it clean, it leaves behind a subtle dressing, combining two steps into one. I also cleaned the pedals while I was at it.

The glass however was appalling, covered in a hazy film and greasy fingerprints. This is one of those occasions where a simply wipe down wasn’t going to cut it. The first “mow down” was done using Angelwax Vision, sprayed into the towel and not directly as this is the nuke of glass cleaners. With the funk removed, I went back in with Invisible Glass and a fresh set of towels to deliver a streak free result.

Finishing the interior, the floor mats were reinstalled, then a misting of KCx Fresh Up.

Finishing Touches –

For the exterior glass, I ended up having to polish the front windscreen due to an accumulation of water spots and etchings. For this, P&S Clarity Crème was used by hand with foam polishing puck. The glass was then cleaned using the ceramic version of Invisible Glass.

Next, the wheels were wiped down with Bead Maker, the tyres dressed with Capro Perl. The black plastic wheel arch flairs, mud flaps, side steps and rear number plate trims were dressed using Mother’s Naturally Black (aerosol). I only use that product when I want a quick and easy lift without creating mess. Finishing things off, I gave the paint a final wipe down using P&S Clean Maker.

The Ming Mole Strikes Again -

The owner of this vehicle is a family friend, in fact I nearly did a cabinetry apprenticeship with him back in the early 2000’s. When he bought the car, he was upsold on a ceramic coating and window tint package for $2000. I was made aware of this after I’d returned to vehicle. I mention this because, 1000%, there was no ceramic coating on this car, and if there was, it only lasted less than 12-months.

Even before I started contact washing with a strip soap, the water behaviour was completely flat. After the wash, it remained completely flat. I say that because sometimes you can revive a coating after a decon wash, but not here. The thing is, even if a vehicle is neglected for say 9 – 12 months, a coating will still exhibit some hydrophobic qualities. But on this car, the paint was dead flat.

The owner mentioned that he didn’t really notice anything different with or without the “coating”, which is when I made him aware that there was no chance a coating was still on the vehicle. No doubt something was applied by the dealer, but it was probably just a “ceramic” spray sealant and not a proper ceramic coating. Which makes me angry because these stupid dealership Ming Moles are fleecing uneducated customers under the pretence of guilt. In fact, the very same Ming Mole pulled that stunt when the owner was buying another (black) car for his wife, along the lines of “are you really going to buy a black car for your wife and not keep it protected?”. Insult guilt trip 101. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, car dealerships are their own worst enemy.

Anyway, this Ranger was returned to the customer looking “better than it did when it was brand new”. And that’s a reflection of both my skill, and the dealers lack of integrity.

Final Thoughts -

I did a pickup and return with this vehicle. I mention this because it’s the first time I’ve driven a Ranger with the Powerstroke V6. And what a lovely engine it is! There is a layer of creamy refinement that is missing from the 4-cylinder diesel engines, be that the Ford 2.0 Bi-Turbo, or any of its competitors. Also, there is this thing called throttle response, as in you flex your ankle and the engine smoothly responds in a linear and progressive manner. And I’m not talking about “performance” here, I’m referencing drivability. And then there is that lovely smooth waft factor, which reminds me of the diesel Territory that used the older 2.7-litre version of this engine. The V6 is one of the key reasons why the Ranger and Everest have become segment leaders in the sales race, no other competitor has an answer for this powertrain.

The in Bi-Turbo in comparison needs to be stabbed in the guts to respond, almost like its got a giant torque converter mixed with throttle and turbo lag. This makes the vehicle feel super sluggish, which in turn affects smooth drivability. Nor can the Bi-Turbo match the V6’s smooth sound, instead you get the typical diesel 4-cylinder clatter and vibration.

If you are looking at a Ranger or Everest, where available, you’d be bonkers to settle for the 2.0 Bi-Turbo engine instead of the Powerstroke. Worth every penny, simple as that!

 

[DFB5.0]

Toyota Landcruiser 200-Series Detail

I seem to be the Landcruiser 200-Series expert of late. This example with 160,000 km on the clock came to me as a referral, and well, he got his monies worth today! Upon retrieval, the car looked deceptively tidy. However, on closer inspection I knew this would be a long one, hence the lack of progress images, I just had to get on with the show.

Wheels & Tyres -

Quite a lot of time was spent on the wheels, I suspect they have never had the barrels cleaned due to the stubborn build-up of brake dust. I threw everything I had at them, even wheel acid, in the end I got them decent but not perfect. You can't reverse years of neglect in 2 minutes. Also, the tyres were brand new and required two rounds to remove the blooming.

Product & Tools Used -

- NV Purge
- Shine Supply Wise Guy (Tyres & Wheels)
- Meg's Acidic Wheel Cleaner
- EZ Detail Large
- EZ Detail GO
- Detail Factory XL Tyre Brush
- Chemical Guys Boars Hair Brush

Engine Bay -

Suspecting the owner wouldn't even notice my efforts here, I kept it simple with this one. I foamed with BH Touch-less, allowed to soak, then rinsed. A healthy dose of Megs Hyper Dressing and quick hit with the blower, job done!

Product & Tools Used -

- Bilt Hamber Touch-less
- Meguiar's Hyper Dressing (5:1)
- MTM PF22.2 Foam Cannon
- EGO 765 Blower

Exterior Decontamination & Cleaning -

On inspection, it was clear the owner has kept this car in decent shape. Other than some baked-on road film and a few bugs, it just needed a decent deep clean.

As per recent details, the vehicle was treated with NV Purify, allowed to dwell, then foamed with Koch Chemie Active Foam. As you can see, I got a fair bit of reaction on the paint, and as always, the rear tailgate was the most contaminated. To be honest, I was expecting more.

With the car rinsed, I went around with a brush and APC to clean the badges, grill and around the door handles. For the contact wash, I used Carpro Descale in both the foam cannon and bucket. Because of the size of this thing, and the fact its warming up now, I broke the car into three sections to avoid the soap drying on the car. For a pH neutral wash, you can sort of get away with that, but not with an acidic or alkaline soap.

After another rinse, I ended up claying the rear tailgate and glass as it was super crunchy. I then went around and applied Carpro Hydr02 to the entire vehicle, wheels included. The big 200 was then moved into the garage, this one actually fits, then hit with the EGO.

Product & Tools Used -

- NV Purify
- Koch Chemie Active Foam (Alkaline)
- Koch Chemie Green Star (6:1 APC)
- Carpro Descale (Acidic)
- Carpro Hydr02 Lite
- Detail Factory Boars Hair Brush
- TRC Cyclone Bone Wash Pad
- Economax Clay Mitt
- MTM PF22.2 Foam Cannon
- EGO 765 Blower

Post-Wash Details -

After the blow down with the EGO, I went around and applied NV Boost to the whole vehicle. The door jambs were then cleaned/dried using a towel and more APC. The exterior glass was then treated with Optimum Glass Clean & Protect.

Product & Tools Used -

- NV Boost v2 (Ceramic Spray Sealant)
- Koch Chemie Green Star (6:1 APC)
- Optimum Glass Clean & Protect
- TRC Car Wash Towel (For drying/sealant application)
- TRC Car Wash Towel (For door jambs)
- TRC Dry Me A River (Glass Towel)

Interior Detailing -

Along with the wheels, this is where a lot of time went. As you will see shortly, this vehicle has vulgarlour seats and not leather. I much prefer leather as you can soak it down, scrub and dry with a towel. On fabric, you can't really do that unless you want to be extracting them afterwards. Also, leather doesn't end up being a dust trap like cloth, which will often migrate deep down into the foam base.

To start, I went in with the Tornador to remove as much trapped dust and debris from the interior as possible. I then vacuumed and vacuumed and vacuumed. Then I vacuumed some more, then a little more after that.

For those seats, I sprayed them down with Koch Chemie Pol Star, scrubbed with a carpet brush, then used my Bissel to lift up as much of that Pol Star as possible, followed by a rub down with a towel.

The door trims were quite grotty, so I cleaned these with the Carpro InnerScrub and P&S Xpress. The steering wheel was so glossy that you could use it as a mirror. In this case, I scrubbed with Xpress and a leather brush, likewise the gear shifter and handbrake, then followed with NV Nourish. The transformation here was remarkable, the wheel in particular back to a lovely soft matte finish. This is what I love about detailing, taking something neglected and bringing it back to life.

From here, the glass was cleaned with Invisible Glass, likewise the gauge cluster lens and central touchscreen. The whole interior was then wiped down with P&S Swift. Having earlier cleaned the rubber floor mats, these too received a treatment with Swift before being re-installed. Finally, the carpets and seats were misted with Koch Chemie Fresh Up.

Product & Tools Used -

- P&S Xpress (Interior Cleaner)
- Koch Chemie Pol Star (Textile Cleaner)
- P&S Swift (Interior Detailer/Dressing)
- Stoner Invisible Glass
- NV Nourish (Leather Quick Detailer)
- Koch Chemie Fresh Up (Odour Neutralizer)
- Tornador Basic (Air Gun)
- Karcher WD6 Vacuum
- Bissell Spot Clean
- Vikan Carpet Brush
- TRC Car Wash (Interior Towel)
- TRC Dry Me A River (Glass Towel)
- Carpro InnerScrub
- ColourLock Leather Brush

Finishing Touches -

Returning to the wheels, I wiped them down with Carpro ECH20, then dressed the tyres using Shine Supply Decked Out. Long story, the owner completely serious asked me if the price included "putting tyre black on the tyres". Present at the time, his brother immediately erupted into laughter before I said that tyre dressing was my favourite part, so naturally it would include "tyre black". His brother later asked me to do one thing, leave one tyre undressed to see if he'd notice. Oh, how I wanted to do that, but I just couldn't do it. Anyway, he got his "tyre black", of which Decked Out is hard to miss as its quite glossy.

Finishing up, the engine bay was given a quick Q/C wipe down, and the tail gate scuff plate treated with Mother's Naturally Black.

Product & Tools Used -

- Carpro ECH20 (16:1)
- Shine Supply Decked Out
- Mothers Naturally Black
- TRC Ultra Utility Brush (Dressing Applicator)
- TRC Car Wash Towel (For final wipe down)
- TRC Rip-N-Rag (For Naturally Black & Final wipe of the tyres)

Final Results -

Note the lack of off-road gear on this 200-Series, this one being used purely for family car duties. Something else I noticed is the flat / non-metallic white, not the pearl metallic used on the other 200-Series I've detailed.

For what is easily a $100,000 vehicle, it's pretty stingy of Toyota to spec crappy grey cloth trim on this vehicle. And this GXL isn't even the base model! In reality, Toyota could have specified hessian and straw for the seats and people would still buy these things.

I much prefer this MY2016 version of the 200-Series, the slimmer headlights give it a more confident look compared to the blob-like headlights of the original. And I have to say, looking out over that sculpted bonnet is epic, which was also part of the MY2016 facelifted.

I'm not much of an SUV fan, especially ones as big as this that are used to carry around one or two children (if that). I'm also not a big on diesel engines. But.................that 1VD V8 is such a honey of an engine, especially with the Power ETC engaged. Smooth, super torquey, and sounds nice too.

For the US readers, you didn't get this engine. With a 4.5-litre capacity, this twin-turbo V8 diesel produces 210 kW (282 hp) @ 3,600 rpm and 650 Nm (479 lb-ft) @ 1,600–2,800 rpm. So, while these things are big and heavy, this engine with its rich torque delivery is the perfect powerplant for this vehicle. It's also why these 200-Series command a very healthy premium on the used market, basically a name your price proposition for a seller as no one likes the new 300-Series with the V6 Diesel.

Anyway, I'm buggered!

 

[DFB5.0]

Finally got a chance to wash the Ranger today. I didn't bother washing it last week as it had to sit outside in the weather while I house sat again, then a busy week of gardening and detailing, it just had to wait!

Because I'd spilled some 2-stroke fuel and diluted weed killer in the tray, I went above the usual rinse out and scrubbed with soapy water as well, then a quick hit with KCx Wet Gloss. I've found Wet Gloss doesn't quite have the same night-day hydrophobic difference that Hydr02 or Wet Coat brings to the table.

Today I had Meguiar's Hyper Wash in the foam cannon, which was used on the tray, wheels and cab. I even used it as a pre-wash foam and rinse, the extra cleaning power of Hyper Wash easily lifting some road film and pollen deposits. Drying Aid was ADS Amplify, then some OPT Car Wax for the tray sides, ECH20 for the door jambs. The interior was cleaned with ADS Pilot, such a treat this product.

For the glass, I wanted to try ADS Hero mixed 128:1, which Bradley from ADS swears by. I'm pretty touchy when it comes to glass cleaners, to the point where I say the cheaper versions seem to work better. So, using a rinse-less product like this for glass had me sceptical.

My first attempt didn't win me over, mainly because I followed Bradley's lead by using TRC FTW towels. While many use the FTW's for drying aid use, they were originally intended for glass, hence the F (For) T (The) W (Windows) name. I'm not sure why these towels are so popular, I've always found them too grabby and end up bunching up in my hands.

Today however I used my normal waffle weave towels, which worked much better with Hero. Two light mists onto the glass or into a towel, wipe, flip, wipe, done. While Hero doesn't quite flash away as quickly as an IPA-based glass cleaner, it wasn't too far behind. The end result was a slick, streak free finish. On this occasion, I did both exterior and interior glass. A surprise winner! And one that didn't cost $50 for a 1-litre bottle, you know, like a certain glass cleaner than claims to leave no traces behind.

Rounding out the session, NV Onyx for the tyres. These Michelin's are such an easy tyre to clean and dress, so pretty much any dressing will look great. Onyx is an old favorite, one that a fellow detailer once said provided a "rich" user experience, and I can't argue with that. It spreads so smoothly and cleanly, smells divine and looks amazing. Like many NV product I return to after a while, I'm always pleasantly surprised, as if it was my first time discovering the product.

A clean Ranger once again, sanity restored. I then had to hose out the driveway, it left filthy after yesterdays Landcruiser. I also went ahead and refilled several bottles, always a favorite task.

 

[DFB5.0]

I've been having some fun with product and tool photography lately, made much easier with a LED ring light. I'm told that this makes me a real influencer now, but I disagree, you'll never see me in front of the camera wearing skintight Lycra, pouted lips, a botoxed face with makeup troweled on, and a link to an Only Fans account. Like and subscribe....................

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