BLOG (2014-2021)
FOLLOW ALONG WITH WHAT I GOT GOING ON
Hopefully, you had an opportunity to view my most recent YouTube upload titled, "Friday Night Wash" in which I busted out some products I hadn't used in a while. I thought I would share my impressions of these products and I welcome your input. I'll go in the order the products were used and remember that these were products I kept after purging my collection, so they were already high on my list. Leno's Garage All Purpose Cleaner Highly Satisfying Gets the Job Done On the Fence Not a Fan I only have Adam's rubber cleaning sprays, so when I went hunting for an alternative, the pickings were slim. I used the APC by Leno's and I don't think it is an ideal option for addressing tires, but it got the job done. I prefer more lather from my rubber cleaners and the Leno's just didn't provide the satisfying suds I was after. I see Leno's now offers a dedicated "Rubber and Whitewall Cleaner". Leno's Garage Wheel Cleaner Highly Satisfying Gets the Job Done On the Fence Not a Fan I am a fan of this wheel cleaner. It has a decent amount of bite needed to break down the brake dust and other aggressive road grime that comes with winter driving. It contains the chemicals that turn iron deposits purple which I find satisfying. It lathers well once activated by the water in the tire brush and always leaves my wheels clean, and it didn't disappoint this time. Hyde's Serum Rustopper Highly Satisfying Gets the Job Done On the Fence Not a Fan The name of this product along with the bottle's appearance reminds me of the products hawked by snake oil salesman in the olden days. It touts itself as a preventative remedy for rusty rotors that occur during the wash process. I sprayed the "serum" on the rotors at the conclusion of the wheel cleaning process. To say this product "stopped" the rusting would be disingenuous. I'd rather drive the car back and forth a couple of times and dust of the rusty fallout than waste my time and money with this product. Gyeon Q2M Foam Highly Satisfying Gets the Job Done On the Fence Not a Fan This was a lovely product to work with. It isn't the thickest foam I have ever had the pleasure of using, but it had strong cling and seemed to have the power necessary to lift the dirty layer of grime coating my car. Pressure washing the foam off the paint left the finish virtually clean. I think I could have probably ended the wash at this stage, but I always finish with a traditional bucket wash. I highly recommend Q2M foam for those that like the foam process. In an effort to mix things up a bit, I preformed a very thorough exterior detail of my SQ5 using some products I haven't used in a very long time. I dug deep into the cabinets and pulled out some great stuff. Here' the video: The weather conspired to keep me indoors all weekend, and I had nothing to detail or organize. So, I pulled out a few external hard drives and began reviewing photos of my garage spanning all the way back to when our home was under construction. I put a video together that demonstrates the evolutionary process that occurred in order for RAD Garage to become what it has become. Behold: On the final Saturday of my 2-week Spring Break, I took a few hours to address the interior of my SQ5. It wasn't filthy by any means since it hasn't been seeing much use as of late, but it needed a little refresh. In this video, I use the Interior Scrubbing Mitt from Adam's and it does a fantastic job of refreshing the leather on my seats and steering wheel. Here's the video: A viewer of my videos, Ryan reached out to me the other day to let me know that my name came up during a video/podcast hosted by Matt Moreman over at Obsessed Garage. Matt and I have known each other since the early days on the garagejournal.com forums. Since those early days, Matt has gone on to build himself an empire called "Obsessed Garage". He's a heavy hitter in the detailing world so to have him speak so highly of me on his channel was definitely encouraging and inspiring. I've embedded the YouTube video below and timestamped it to the part of the video where Matt offers me some encouragement and advice to "chase it harder". It meant a lot coming from him. For years, I have been scouring the deep dark reaches of the Internet trying to source the kind of music that enhances the detailing experience for me. Recently, I have been hit with a spat of "third party match" claims on YouTube so I decided enough is enough. I reached out to the two artists that I have long admired the most. I am happy to report that they both agreed to allow the usage of their music in RAD Garage videos. You can look forward to the musical talents of Ambient Light and Aurora B. Polaris being featured in upcoming video projects. I will post links to the various platforms you can use to hear the music from each of these two incredibly talented artists. Ambient Light (Norway)
Aurora B. Polaris (Italy)
I combined footage from over two years of using foam washes in the garage. I think it makes for a therapeutic viewing experience. Enjoy: Due to some dubious "third party match" claims on Youtube, I decided to take down the original version of my Allroad project and rearrange it. The music I originally added was marketed as "copyright free", but the artists have since gone ahead and copyrighted the material leaving me in a bind. The never version is cleaner, crisper and features the sounds of Silencyde who is an amazing copyright-free producer. I hope you will take minute to revisit this reworked version of one of my all-time favorite projects. My two-week spring break is quickly winding down and the weather did everything it possibly could to add to the misery brought about by the Covid-19 crisis. To say I'm not impressed is an understatement. I really should be used to it by now, but I'm not. I parked the car outside on the driveway for an hour so my son could work on his stick handling, and this is what I returned to. I title this photograph, "Isolation". I hope the weather is treating you better wherever you are.
I've posted four episodes of my new series called, "Wash & Chat". It's a fun way to connect with viewers. I will still produce artsy videos with chill music, but this is another way for me to enjoy sharing my garage and the projects I complete with viewers. Feel free to check them out when you have the time. I will warn you, they are around the thirty-minute mark in length. I have been upping my game in the A/V department with a few new purchases. Recently, I purchased a Song A6100 camera along with a few little toys including a motorized dolly. Here's a look at my current equipment that I use for videos. I am contemplating a long slider, but haven't pulled the trigger yet because the dolly seems to accomplish most of what a slider can.
It's an ongoing battle keeping the garage clean, but I enjoy the process. I was able to do a full wash of the floor yesterday and then my son and I filmed a guided tour video. Check them out: One of the best ways I have to manage stress in my life is to clean my car. That's what I did yesterday: I added some graphics at the end of this video showcasing the various Adam's Polishes products I used in this maintenance wash. My son and I braved the elements to make the cross-town trek to Carzilla. I picked up a few supplies to help ease my anxiety about all that is going on in the world. It's always nice to pop in the shop to see what's new. It doesn't seem like Spring is on the way, but I am starting to get amped up for the projects that come with the end of winter.
I picked up a gallon of Adam's Polishes Mega Foam, a can of Adam's Multi-Use Foaming Cleaner, an Adam's Interior Scrub Mitt, a new pressurized IK sprayer and a bottle of my favorite detail spray, "Cars 'n Cocoa" by Adam's. Not a massive haul but it helped relieve a bit of the pressure I've been feeling these past few days. We have endured two solid days of blizzard weather here. The temps have dipped down to minus double-digits so performing bucket washes is not practical. It has been a stressful week due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus and I like to deal with my stress by detailing my car, so I will performing a rinseless wash tonight to sooth my frazzled nerves. If all goes well, I will be doing a video. I'm sure the project will look identical to this one, but people love videos and I could use some self therapy. I hope you are all finding ways to stay centered and relaxed during these challenging times.
Here are some "before" shots of the SQ5: Friends of mine are just too busy to clean the interior of the family hauler, so I gave them five hours of my time. This Murano was brought back from the dead. I don't mind doing interiors, in fact I find them highly satisfying, especially in the winter.
I wish I had enough time to convert each of my detailing projects into videos, but it just isn't always possible. A few months back, a YouTube subscriber approached me about polishing the black paint on his Macan GTS. Here's some photos showing the results.
I was able to attend the 2020 Calgary International Auto & Truck Show this past Wednesday evening. I was hoping to return on Friday for a second look, but no such luck since the show has been cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns. The show was one of the best I have seen in a long time despite the fact the big 3 German brands bowed out. I didn't take enough photos, but here's a couple. I was really impressed with the Genesis GV80. It felt like a Bentley. It is my hope that Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW recognize the value in their involvement in this show and decide to join for next year.
What is a better way to unwind after a busy work week than spending time in your garage detailing the interior and exterior of your daily driver? I worked late into the night on this one and finished off the finer details on Saturday morning. I even was able to catch the Flames game. This video features some new title animations I put together using Keynote. I am looking forward to playing around with the design of the animations in future projects. Enjoy: Thursday was an exciting night out for this sedate suburban dad. A friend from work and I attended the official launch party for the new electrified Porsche Taycan. Here are some photos from what was an amazing evening! I will be feasting my eyes on it tonight at the Porsche Centre Calgary launch event. I'll be sure to post some pics from what promises to be an awesome evening of cars, food and schmoozing. I'm going with my teaching partner. We are both very excited.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Calgary International Auto & Truck Show. I've been to many of them, including the first twenty! I moved overseas in the late-90's so I missed a few, but I've attended this show every year I have lived in Calgary. This year, there's a bit of a disappointment for me. Some of the prestige brands have pulled out of the show and I guess that's a sign of the times. When I spoke with a guy I know at Audi, he said the Internet has changed the way people view and research cars. Audi, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are all sitting this one out. Regardless, I will be attending this Friday evening with my buddy. It's our annual meet-up and I hope it isn't the last time we share a mediocre burger while talking cars for hours on end. Of the manufacturers that will be represented at the show, I'm probably most excited about the Genesis exhibit. The new GV80 looks like an amazing luxury SUV. I'm also hoping I will run into Carlo over at Ferrari and convince him to give my school's "Car Club" another epic tour of his amazing facility. I'll be sure to update the blog with some pics and stories from the 2020 Calgary International Auto & Truck Show!
Vanguard Motor Sales is a used car dealership down in Plymouth, Michigan that specializes in selling pristine, low mileage vehicles. They have a steady stream of cars from my childhood coming in and out their doors. I have been following them on YouTube for a while now and they never cease to amaze me with the quality survivor cars they find and sell. I honestly don't know where they find them, but here are some of my absolute favorites. As you will see in their videos, they do a wonderful job of showcasing the overall condition of each car. They take them for test drives as well as put them on the lift to show the condition of the undercarriage. Check them out on YouTube or visit their website to see if they have your dream car for sale!
Leave a comment below telling me which one of their videos brings your childhood memories rushing back!
I have washed my SQ5 countless times. I have documented many of them through the creation of videos, but I feel my most recent wash is as close to perfection as I have ever come. Here's the video: To say it has.been a while since I updated my blog is a massive understatement. I have no excuse other than I have been busy with other aspects of life. But, I am back and I wanted to update readers on what has been going on in my "car and garage life". Project: Audi A6 Full DetailThis project involved a friend's 2012 Audi A6 that was in serious need of a thorough interior/exterior detail. We agreed on an 8-hour timeline and I set to work. The video does a nice job of demonstrating the various processes I went through returning this car to extremely clean condition. The paint remains in need of correction,. but I am hopeful I can take a crack at that in the Spring. This video has been my most popular post to date with over 120k views! Ceramic coating my SQ5Back in the Fall, I had a lot of fun re-coating my SQ5. I used Adam's Ceramic Coating and the process was highly satisfying and enjoyable. It is a few months into winter and I am very pleased with the performance of the coating to date. This video demonstrates all the stages I went through to get the SQ5 re-coated.
|
RAD GARAGE is my personal detailing theatre. I am a teacher who finds immense pleasure in completing deeply therapeutic, thorough and highly satisfying detailing projects in my residential garage. I have converted my suburban double car garage into a world class detailing environment and I enjoy caring for my own car and select cars belonging to others. The garage and the work I complete in it have allowed me to connect with other detailing enthusiasts from around the world.
I have teamed up with Teespring to offer viewers an opportunity to grab some RAD gear! Click here to see the current inventory of RAD merchandise available at my Teespring store!
Use "RAD10" to save yourself 10% until the end of March, 2021.
Carzilla is a local detailing store that caters to the North American community of professional and enthusiast detailers. I have been a longtime customer and I am fortunate to call the owner a friend. Besides stocking a vast quantity of top quality detailing products, the owner has supported various garage and detailing projects of mine over the years.
5% discount code
|