DFB's Garage

[DFB]

Huh. Weird. Last guess just for fun - is that the plastic above the chamber that is the fuel tank? Wonder if the plastic was getting altered from fuel vapor exposure?

Have you ever played with heat for restoring plastics? I know TTQ B4U uses Polytrol oil for restoring faded/beat up plastic too. Like I mentioned - I get the part is going to be replaced, just nice to have tools in the arsenal for when new parts aren't an option.

Surfing Marketplace for things I really don't need, I spotted this Masport with the same engine as the Rover I inherited............with the same pattern of faded plastic...........



So, it could be a trait of this engine cover.

[dgage]

Muffler is on the other side so it’s not heat. Could it be spilt gas? Only thing I can think of since gas fill is on that side. I’m assuming that whole plastic piece is a gas tank though if only part of it was for gas, that would explain it.

[DanaDetailingPros]

I actually had time to drive the Mustang this week, which means only one thing.............

These TRC Wheel Mitts are absolutely brilliant. I'm convinced now, you need these in your arsenal.





Soap of choice today was Optimum Car Shampoo. This is a sleeper in the industry, and while it won't quite match Reset or GSF, it still supremely slick and manages to blanket the car in clingy sudds. I always return to this soap and wonder why I don't use it more.



Finishing up the wash process with some Hydes on the rotors. The trick with this stuff is to be generous!



Goodness knows what is causing these beads, probably Bead Maker.



After finishing the Mustang, I directed my attention to the Ranger. Somehow, somewhere it managed to pickup some paint overspray since the last wash. I noticed it on Saturday after work, with a splattering of white paint on the left hand side of the black grill insert. All I can think of is that it's most likely line marking paint.

Now, white paint overspray on a white car is very hard to see, so the fact it was on the black plastic grill alerted to me to the problem sooner. On the plastic, I used some mid-strength Green Star and a towel, with some medium pressure it came off pretty easily.

For the paint, focused on the surrounding bumper and leading edge of the hood. I went through my usual wash process, selecting Reset for a little added ability. I then grabbed a clay mitt, using the Reset and a little Megs Final Inspection to go over these areas.





The areas treated with the clay mitt took a bit of hit in terms of the protection, so I topped it back off with some NV Boost.



Crises averted!

Thankfully, I got my detailing fix before the huge thunderstorm that swept through as I'm typing this.

You prefer boost over Nova Jet or Lustre?

[DFB]

You prefer boost over Nova Jet or Lustre?

If we were talking the older version of Boost, I would say no. But then, Jet and Lustre are on a higher plain compared to Boost.

If we are talking Boost v2, which I'm using above, that on par with Jet for hydrophobics but with a much easier application experience. I don't think v2 is offered in the US yet though.

[Coatingsarecrack]

If we were talking the older version of Boost, I would say no. But then, Jet and Lustre are on a higher plain compared to Boost.

If we are talking Boost v2, which I'm using above, that on par with Jet for hydrophobics but with a much easier application experience. I don't think v2 is offered in the US yet though.

Us distributor has it. I feel like they made boost into a CarPro Elixer type product. Elixer isn’t as durable as Reload but great short term topper.

I really like the idea of old boost washing of after wash taking contamination with it. Wonder if it really did that…


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[DFB]

Us distributor has it. I feel like they made boost into a CarPro Elixer type product. Elixer isn’t as durable as Reload but great short term topper.

I really like the idea of old boost washing of after wash taking contamination with it. Wonder if it really did that…


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Ah, good. Last time I looked, the newer v2 was not represented. I'm running both versions at the moment.



The older version I use to maintain NV Wheel coating. The idea that it's removed during the wash process, taking dirt with it, is a great concept on cars with dusty brake pads.



The newer version is very much similar to most other spray sealants/detailers. It's certainly very similar in concept to EliXir, but without the streaking, longer durability and better hydrophobics. I quite like Boost v2, especially on paint.

[DFB]

Two Ranger's washed today in record time. Time constraints meant I had to hustle today. Although I did get to try some new products.

Not a new product, but rather a different use. McKee's N-917 is such a versatile product from rinse-less and waterless washing to clay lubricant, quick detailer, interior cleaner/detailer and even a water softener or paint prep. Another less obvious use is as a windscreen washer fluid.



The surfactant base of N-914 makes this possible. For this role, I dilute the product at 128:1 in normal tap water. Because of the water softening ability, this eliminates the need for demineralized water. I then fill the bottle to the brim and job done.



Again, not a new to me product, but I have been loving this TRC Ultra Utility Brush for applying dressing to larger tyres. It's just so ergonomic to use for this task, and less messy, to the point I don't bother wearing gloves. In this case, I'm using Carpro Perl at 1:1.





On to a brand-new product, Bowden's Dry Spell rinse-less wash.



This is the brands first attempt at a rinse-less wash, one that I think will be a hard sell in Australia. The desire for rinse-less washing just isn't as high, or even understood in Australia compared to the USA or Canada. Which is kinda weird for such a dry country. Apart from pre-mixed waterless sprays, I can't think of any other rinse-less wash concentrates available in a big-box store. So, Dry Spell might be viable if Bowden's can convince consumers of it's benefits.

First of all, Dry Spell is surfactant based, putting it alongside N-914 and differentiates it from the polymer based ONR or Absolute. The scent is not unlike apple juice and the lurid pink colouring is extremely vivid. I initially thought the colouring was excessive, but when mixed into the bucket, it makes it completely obvious something is actually in the water. This is in contrast to Absolute and even N-914.

Like any rinse-less, you first mix up the solution in a bucket. For Dry Spell, 40ml of concentrate is added to 8 liters of water (200:1). Agitate with your hand to mix.





You then make up a pre-spray solution at 40:1, 15ml of concentrate in 500ml of water. Bowden's recommend using distilled water, but I have good low TDS water so did not bother.



In this case, I pre-soaked the whole cab in one hit and followed up with the UBS. Bowden's method recommends the microfiber towels, but either way is fine.



I then dried the car, using a little Koch Chemie Quick Shine.



Overall, I really enjoyed using Dry Spell. Like N-914, the surfactant base makes it a touch sticky, but it dries off to a streak free finish. It doesn't reach the same slickness levels of Absolute, but for their first try, Dry Spell is impressive.

To cap off my afternoon, I spent 45 minutes on the phone with my favorite supplier, talking new products and industry gossip........................and discussing something I'm working on for the garage.

[Big Dave]

The first RW I used was Duragloss, maybe 10 years ago, it was ok, but I never really got into it, so I didn't give it much of a chance. They went with the same colour, maybe not as bright. I used it up by putting a capful in when I was doing a 2B wash with Megs Gold Class, it seemed to make it more slippery, if you know what I mean.


I might give Dry Spell a try, when I use up the ONR I have left, but I've still got a couple of litres of the concentrate left, so it could be a while.

Did you ever use Prism? It may have been before your time, it was from the 90s. It's the first spray off coating stuff I remember using, it was like a cream, you rubbed it on, let it haze, then hose it off. It was ok, I don't remember it lasting too long, but nothing did back then.

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[Klasse Act]

The first RW I used was Duragloss, maybe 10 years ago, it was ok, but I never really got into it, so I didn't give it much of a chance. They went with the same colour, maybe not as bright. I used it up by putting a capful in when I was doing a 2B wash with Megs Gold Class, it seemed to make it more slippery, if you know what I mean.


I might give Dry Spell a try, when I use up the ONR I have left, but I've still got a couple of litres of the concentrate left, so it could be a while.

Did you ever use Prism? It may have been before your time, it was from the 90s. It's the first spray off coating stuff I remember using, it was like a cream, you rubbed it on, let it haze, then hose it off. It was ok, I don't remember it lasting too long, but nothing did back then.

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DG RW mixed VERY well to make my FrankenDetailer, along with WGU. WGU was probably the first RW that put ONR in the rearview mirror forever for me and I haven't looked back️

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[oneheadlite]

... Not a new product, but rather a different use. McKee's N-917 is such a versatile product from rinse-less and waterless washing to clay lubricant, quick detailer, interior cleaner/detailer and even a water softener or paint prep. Another less obvious use is as a windscreen washer fluid.



The surfactant base of N-914 makes this possible. For this role, I dilute the product at 128:1 in normal tap water. Because of the water softening ability, this eliminates the need for demineralized water. I then fill the bottle to the brim and job done.

...

One notion to throw out there as someone who's dealt with the aftermath of washer systems turned petri dishes, you might want to stick with distilled water to cut down the likelihood of stuff growing in the water. I trust the 914 to soften it, but not cut down the long term funk that could grow in that environment.

Living in a state that has freezing temperatures, we most often see it on cars that come up from down south - I'm told it's not unheard of that folks will just fill their reservoirs with water since they don't have to worry about them turning into an ice block.

I ran into this with my spray bottle of soapy water I use at work for checking for leaking tires/air suspension. Loaded with dish soap and tap water, my tolco sprayer quit working. Found out it was all gelled up from... junk. Switch to mixing it with distilled water years ago and haven't had the problem since.