I purchased the VyperRobust Steel Pro a few weeks back and finally got it assembled and took a time lapse video of the process. This is the best built roll around chair/stool for the garage and other work areas. It is very well built with heavy gauge steel and large casters that roll over just about anything! I look forward to using this for many years to come.
Time Lapse Video of the assemblyComparison o fhe old stool to the new Vyoer!Stitching on the seatThe normal use of the Vyoer will be auto detailingThe VYPER!
What do you do on a May Day in NE Ohio when the weather radar looks like this?
Well, if you are me, then you would detail a vehicle in the garage! I got my Jeep all set up in the garage to give it a quick detail. See below for info on some of what I did.
Part of the way through the process I grabbed this photoGreat combo to use on the paint. P&S Bead Maker with The Rag Company Eagle Edgeless 500 Towel. Bead Maker makes you paint shine and adds valuable protection all at the same time. The Eagle Edgeless is the perfect applicator for Bead Maker, this is a 70/30 blend South Korean made towel and is very soft!The fenders on the jeep are prone to fading but in the 5 years I have owned the Jeep I have used Chemical Guys VRP Vinyl Rubber and Plastic Protectant on them. This product keep them looking brand new. All you need to do is to get them clean with your normal washing process and apply VRP once they are dry and then they shine.One of the most crontoversial topics on the internet relates to if you should dress your mats. Lots of arguments against it because it will make them slippery and might cause you to not be able to control the vehicle, etc. My Jeep came with mats from the factor, they are a rubber/vinyl mat that collects dirt and water. I usually dress these with Stoner Trim Shine Vinyl & Plastic Coating and they always look good. They do get a little slick and that wears off quickly.
Please note that the links above are affiliate links to Detailed Image, the supplier I purchase all my detailing products from. If you use the link I will get a small kickback from them.
It was almost 70 degrees in northeast Ohio over the weekend and I gave it a try on my Jeep. I know a Jeep is supposed to be dirty, but I like to keep it looking nice and presentable.
After I washed the Jeep and it was dry I followed the instructions on the bottle and used a MicroFiber Applicator Pad to apply the 303 Nano Spray Coating. I then applied a little product on the pad and used a cross hatch pattern to apply it. I let it dry to a white haze and buffed it off with a Microfiber Towel. The towel picked up product and I went through about 4 of them on the Jeep. I was concerned that the coating would render the towels and applicator pad useless so I put them in a bucket of water with some Meguiar’s All Purpose Cleaner D101 and will wash them soon.
Overall the coating went on easy and buffed off easy. It took a little bit of work to get it off the paint. But I think that it will be worth it. You do not use a large amount of product.
Some of the features of the product from the manufacture are
Enhances the paint’s gloss (take a look at the reflection the photo below)+
Protects exterior surfaces for up to 1 year
Less water spotting issues compared with traditional ceramic coatings
Super easy to apply: spray-on, wait a few minutes, and then buff off
No curing time needed! After application, you can drive off in the elements.
Can be applied on paint, glass, plastic trim, headlights, tail lights, wheels, etc.
Can be applied on top of existing waxes, sealants or ceramic coatings
One thing to note about this product is that you are not required to correct your paint prior to application. If you are happy with it the way it is, then you do not need to do it. Just wash it and then apply the 303 Nano Spray Coating.
My overall thoughts are that I will keep this in my arsenal of detailing supplies and use it in the future. I need to see how long the coating lasts and how often it needs to be re-applied. Overall I give it a 5/5 stars right now.
The reflection on the hood of the Jeep is insane. Just look at that!
Please note that the links above are affiliate links to Detailed Image, the supplier I purchase all my detailing products from. If you use the link I will get a small kickback from them.
It was time to rotate he tires on the Jeep, I got to 5000 miles since the last time I did it. I rotate all 5 tires. No need to have a spare that never sees the ground, plus I will get additional time before needing to replace the tires. The tires were very dirty after the Backcountry Discovery Routes – Mid Atlantic Trip last weekend. When I rotate the tires I like to clean the backside of the tires and inspect them. I use a few professional detailing products to do this.
I follow these steps and use these products.
Spray the tire and when with the power washer to get it wet and dislodge anything loose
Scrub the tire with Tuf Shine Tire Brush, this is a great small stiff brush that I always use on the tires. The brushing will activate the D108 and pull the dirt from the tire. You will see the white foam turn brown as the dirt is coming off. Rinse the tire off.
Give the tire another spray of the Meguiar’s Super Degreaser D108. Scrub the tire again with the Tuf Shine Tire Brush and if the foam stays white you have removed the dirt from the tire. Rinse it off again.
For the final step I rinse the wheel and tire with the power washer.
There is a video below showing the steps I described above.
Not my wheel, but an example of the brown foam that the Meguiar’s Super Degreaser D108 generates when scrubbed on a dirty tire.
For the tire that will become the spare tire I take a little more time to clean the entire tire. I would like to have the spare looking nice and shiny as people will be able to see it easily hanging on he back of the Jeep. So I clean the entire tire using the methods described, including both sides and the tread. Once it is clean I apply Stoner Trim Shine Vinyl & Plastic Coating to the entire tire. This provides an outstanding final touch. Check out the photo below of the Spare tire.
Note: The links above are affiliate links to Detailed Image. You can use this code “DetailedImage3742” for a discount at check out.
This is what your Jeep looks like after doing a couple of hundred mile of dirt and gravel roads. We were out on the Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR) – Mid Atlantic over the weekend. Check out my BLOG POST from the other day. Lots of dust and a little mud. So, of course I had to clean it up. The trip was worth all the effort of cleanup. It took several hours to get it back in shape until the next trip. See the photos below for the engine compartment condition đŸ™‚ Enjoy!
Engine compartment before cleanup, just look at the dust đŸ™‚After clean up, looks brand new!
Do you want your tires to shine like this tire on my Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon? What chemicals do you use to clean your tires? In the photo below you will see all the chemicals I use on a regular basis. I will also go over what I use them for, etc.
Here is a list of all the products going left to rightL
Chemical Guys Vinyl Rubber Plastic (VRP) – this is the last thing I use. It is water based dressing that gives the tires their final shine. It is a fairly thick liquid and I use and store it in a squeeze bottle. I buy it by the gallon and then split it into these bottles.
Meguiar’s Wheel & Paint Iron Decon D1801 – this is a iron remover. I do not use this on every wheel, only when it is needed and there is a lot of brake dust present on the wheel. This is a thicker liquid and will cling to the wheel and as it is working it will turn purple and then I rinse it off. This is the first thing I use. I get it by the gallon and then put it into the spray bottle. This is ready to use and does not get diluted.
Meguiar’s Super Degreaser D108 – This is a great degreaser. I use it on tires and anything else that is very dirty. When cleaning tires I will spray the tire with this and then scrub with a stiff brush. You will see the foam created turn brown if the tire is dirty. I get it by the gallon and then put it into the spray bottle. I dilute this 4:1, so it becomes very economical.
Meguiar’s Non Acid Wheel Cleaner D143 – This is a wheel and tire cleaner. I usually only use this on the wheels but is also does a good job on the tires. When cleaning wheels I will spray the wheel with this and then use a long brush to clean the barrel of the wheel. Once the barrel is complete I will spray the face of the wheel and use a detailing brush to clean the wheel. It foams up nicely and cleans well. the next step is to rinse everything off. I get it by the gallon and then put it into the spray bottle. I dilute this 4:1, so it becomes very economical.
Meguiar’s Wheel Brightener D140 – This is an acid based wheel cleaner. I will only use this when needed. Usually only need to use this when there is a good bit of brake dust on the wheel. You need to be careful with acid based cleaners, so make sure it is compatible with your wheels before use. I get it by the gallon and then put it into the spray bottle. I dilute this 4:1, so it becomes very economical.
Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Wax – This is the final step for the face of the wheel. Wheels can be difficult to place any type of sealant on, so I came up with an idea to use one of the spray ceramic waxes. After I am completely done with the cleaning I will spray this on the face of the wheel and then rinse it off. It leaves a ceramic coating and water beads off the wheel very easily.
Lake Country Tire Dressing Applicator – This is a round foam applicator that I use to apply the VRP to the tire. This is the final step and I usually do this at the completion of the detailing. I like to apply the VRP to a dry tire. This works great on soot faced tires. But, in the photo above of the tire you will notice that it is a BF Goodrich KO2 All-Terrain Tire and it is difficult to get the dressing into the treads on the side wall. So, on these tires I will use a short handle all purpose exterior brush to put it on the tire.
So, there you have it, all the chemicals I use to clean and treat tires and wheels. Did this help you? What do you use? Please share with me. Enjoy!
I picked up a couple of them from Detailed Image. I got two of the 20″x30″ and a 12″x12″. The larger ones are designed to dry car paint and the small one is designed to dry wheels. This is a combination of a Twist Loop and Plush Towel. This is a 70/30 blend and is very soft and thick. Each side of the larger towels is a different color, so if you don’t like the color flip it over đŸ™‚ There are some closeup photos of each side below and you can see the alternating Twist Loop and Plush material.
Over the weekend I was able to try the towels out. On Saturday I washed my Civic Si and used the towels to dry it. I used one of the 20″x30″ on the paint and was able to do the entire car with one towel. I was able to use the “drag” method and as I pulled the towel across the paint it left dry paint. As a matter of fact I think I could have dried another similar sized care with the same towel.
On Sunday I washed the Honda Crosstour and the Honda CR-V and used one 20″x30″ to dry both cars. These towels hold ALOT of water!
It is important to note that this towel is not one that you can wring out easily as it is very thick. I used the smaller 12″x12″ to dry my wheels and it completed dried all four of them and I think I could have dried more with the same towel.
Overall I am very happy with the towels and recommend them.
Enjoy!
Close up view of the Gauntlet Microfiber Drying TowelClose up view of the Gauntlet Microfiber Drying Towel
I have been to Harwood Motors several times in the past for Open Houses as they are very close to my home. You can see the Open House Photos on my photography website in these albums 2018 and 2019.
They like to put on Off Season Seminars on various topics and this year is no different.
Seminar #1 Auto Detailing
Over the weekend I attended the Off Season Detailing Seminar at Harwood Motors (located in Macedonia, Ohio). There was a huge crowd as you you can see in the photo. Lots of great information. Michael Johnson demystified the art of Auto Detailing for the crowd and broke it down into common sense and lay person language. I think everyone was very happy with the seminar. I believe that this seminar will be posted on YouTube and if it does I will update this post with a link to the video.
Next Seminar at Harwood Motors on Photography
I have been asked by Harwood Motors to present Photography at the next seminar at the end of February 2020. I have started to put my presentation together and will go over the basics of photography and provide examples with the use of a slideshow. It should be a great day. So come on out! You can register for the Seminar at this LINK.
I have not been too happy with the glass cleaning products I have been using so I wanted to try something new. I picked up some Stoner Invisible Glass and a couple of the The Rag Company’s Diamond Microfiber Glass and Window Towels from Detailed Image. And I have to say that I loved the combo. The Invisible Glass provides great cleaning ability and the towels have the right amount of grip to clean. I am very pleased and I will have to pick up a few more towels on the next order.
I have been unhappy with the sheeting action of water off of the windshield on the 2020 Honda Civic Si. In the past on other vehicles I have used Aquapel but I wanted to try something new. I found this Glass Care Package on Detailed Image. It comes with everything needed to treat the glass. It contains:
The first thing you do is to use the Glass Renew to clean the glass, You apply this with a Foam Applicator Pad in a circular motion with the glass wet. You then rinse off the Glass Renew. The next step is to dry the glass and apply the Rain Clear using a microfiber towel and then buff it off. The video below shows the sheeting action of the windshield afterward.
During the next couple of weeks I will see how this process worked and report back.