Since this area is pretty quiet (inactive). I figured I could grumble a little bit here. Had a nice run out to Fontana for the Dragon and saw hoards of MINIs and packs of folks running the roads. Only 1 confirmed Colorado MINI sighting. Rick S. I saw coming and going but we never got a chance to talk. I think he was having way to much fun. I did discover some nice places to eat in the small towns of North Carolina and drove some nice roads. One trip up and down the Dragon on Friday and when I left on Sunday AM, I drove down through Robbinsville and got a taste of the roads South. Then back up I24 to Hwy 60 into Missouri for a visit to the Farm. I did not know that a very little bit of I24 goes through Georgia. So this was a multi-state trip extreme tour. This was my last morning at Tapoco, nice stay, I miss the old Jasper's Restaurant. The pizza/pub is OK, but not my cup of tea. Two pictures, my favorite shot at Tapoco on Sunday AM and a road side diner in Missouri that my sisters and I enjoyed some great food. Club 60 in MO. Until next time. Don
I'm not too far from the Dragon, I plan on heading up there this weekend since I have an extra day. I missed it as soon as I crossed back into GA I'm glad I'm fairy close by, it takes me about 3 and a half hours to get up there.
Nathan, it was brief but good. I hope to see you again and on M/A. M/A, still the best forum around for us MINI folks. Don
Yes, the CM looks good in front of the gas station, I have one of my 07 Hardtop (Scooter) from 2012 taken about the same time. Really do like that venue for pictures. Now I am looking at changing up my spiffing products for the 11 and the 16, I am looking at AutoGeek at some of the packages on the Dodo products. Try this one for the dark colors. I know Dave.0 uses a lot of the Dodo products on his Mistress, does anyone have commentary on this kit. I kinda backed into AutoGeek from the UK Lohen website. Pricey but I think this kit would do the basics, anyone have some wise input? Thanks, Don I might post this in the detailing area too.
Don, That is a nice DJ starter kit as I have or have used every product in that kit and liked them all very much. I would buy not buy the kit as you are paying extra for towels and applicators that only cost about $ .99 Just buy the PRO version of Blue Velvet which has a sealer in it. http://www.autogeek.net/dodo-blue-velvet-pro-wax.html Or Supernatural Hybrid http://www.autogeek.net/supernatural-hybrid-sealant.html This works great on rims also. For paint prep / polish use Dodo Juice Lime Prime PLUS 250 ml. http://www.autogeek.net/dodo-juice-lime-prime-plus.html As for car wash don't waste you money on the little bottles. This is what I use on all cars even mine. Chemical Guys Maxi-Suds II SUPER SUDS SHAMPOO Superior Surface Shampoo 128 oz.http://www.autogeek.net/maxi-suds-ii-gallon.html
Thanks Dave.0, I new you were good for some prime inputs. I will give it a try, do you hand polish and wax? Use a buffer/orbital with the Lime Prime? Don
I use this orbital $149.00 and it comes with backing plate. http://www.autogeek.net/new-griots-polisher.html It has a lot of power but more importantly it has much more torque then the old Porter Cable 7424 XP's I have had. The low end TQ really helps keep the pads spinning at low rpms when using polishes and compounds. This allows the polish or compounds to work slowly and this greatly reduces your chances of creating swirls. This is very important because high speeds on a DA/ orbital can cause swirls in your paint if you are not careful. People tend to crank up the speed (must have More Power) to get faster polishing / cutting results but in the end they step back and see half a$$ polished paint full of swirls. Take your time with any foam pad (Orange, Green, Blue, White, Black) and keep the Orbital level and make slow passes and your paint will look awesome in the end. FYI the colors of the pads I listed above are in order for a detail and you do not need to use them all. You can soft cut with DJ Lime Prime with Orange and then go to a super soft pad for wax and sealants. The ones in the middle are for polishing. (Green, Blue, White) I only use a Yellow firm pad for cutting if I am lazy and do not feel like getting out my Makita Rotary with a Wool deep cutting wheel. I would never tell anyone to buy a Makita rotary with a wool pad if they have never used one before because it is very easy to burn the paint off a car. I have seen people (Rookies) do it with just polish and even just wax because the speed Supper HIGH tq and the wool will cut right through the paint in no time. :eek6::frown5: Here are the pads I use: http://www.autogeek.net/lake-country-beveled-edge-pads.html Just buy the basic pads listed but you do not need a yellow pad. Lake Country makes some of the best pads on the market and all the others are for pros looking to cut time to detail more cars in less time. The Lake Country pads last and last while the others I have tried have failed after a few uses. Do not waste money on expensive clay either. Just buy this and it will last and work well with just soap and water. http://www.amazon.com/Simoniz-S57-Perfect-Finish-Detailing/dp/B0081OSRQQ?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00 Also DJ now makes a iron remover / clay lube so you can do two steps at the same time and get great results before you even start to polish and wax. http://www.autogeek.net/dodo-juice-ferro-lube.html
+1 on the DJ Ferrous Dueller iron remover. That plus a clay bar worked wonders on the MINI's hatch. Plan on doing the whole car this weekend.
Not as much as you would think. I use the DJ products for cleaning, cutting and polishing but I do not use wax on my car at all now. I have switched to Kamikaze ISM Coat and Kamikaze Miyabi Coat which are highly advanced products based on silicon dioxide (SiO2) a.k.a. ceramic coatings.