BLOG (2014-2021)
FOLLOW ALONG WITH WHAT I GOT GOING ON
I was expecting an Adam's order to arrive on January 24th, but FedEx lost track of the package on the 21st and didn't recover it until the other day. In that time, the weather took a drastic turn for the worse. Had this package arrived on the 24th, everything would have been fine, but the package arrived on my doorstep frozen solid. I put the various items in a warm bath to thaw them out. The All Purpose Cleaner bottle burst, but I was able to salvage 80% of the contents and use an extra bottle I had laying around. The label on the aerosol Window Cleaner was ruined due to the spillage, but it works. The worst part of all involves the Ceramic Spray Coating bottle. I thought everything was fine, but when I awoke this morning, I was shocked to discover that the entire contents of the bottle had leaked through a tiny crack and completely saturated my workbench (no pics - too dramatic!). I have contacted the team at Adam's to see what they can do to help me get my life back on track. I'm afraid that the chemical integrity of some liquids has been compromised by the freeze/thaw cycle. I'll let you know how it goes... Gallons
16 oz liquids
Aerosol Window Cleaner 19oz Which of these products do you think have been compromised by the freeze/thaw cycle?
Last weekend, a good friend came by to snap some photographs. She is quite talented so I am very eager to see how they turned out. She sent a few teaser pics and they look great. I even convinced my family to pose for a few. My plan is to use her shots to update my website. Since I had the garage tidied up, I did a new tour video because the last tour video is a couple of years old and things have changed a bit since then.
I was fortunate to receive a care package from Adam's Canada yesterday. It was chalk full of amazing goodies. Here's some pics and I included a breakdown of the order below. I'm very excited to play with all the products, especially the Foam Gun and the Ceramic Spray. Just need this weather to warm up. Many of the liquids arrived frozen (see Car Syrup below) so I had a bit of cleaning up to do since a few of the bottles burst their seals. No big deal. Liquids (16 oz)
Ceramic Spray Coating 9H (8 oz) Limited Edition Red Standard Foam Gun (32 oz) 5 Gallon Detailing Bucket with Grit Guard Insert Microfiber
Pro Tire Hex Grip Applicator (For Tires & Trim)
Once the snow melted and the roads were clear, I performed my first winter wash of the SQ5 using a variety of my Adam's Polishes products. I finished off the wash with a coat of Ceramic Boost to enhance the Gyeon coating on the car. Of course, it snowed the very next day.
I am happy to announce an exciting partnership with Adam's Polishes. I am amassing a full arsenal of Adam's products and have already been putting them to the test. I am loving their performance so far, and I really love the way they look on display in my garage. I can see why this company has such a strong and dedicated following. The products are top notch and the marketing team really knows what it is doing in terms of cooking up excitement. With the support and encouragement of Carzilla, I have been working and experimenting with a variety of products from Gyeon. These videos demonstrate the application process and results of 1. Gyeon Syncro paint coating and 2. Gyeon Q2 Rim coating. I recently picked up several other Gyeon products and plan on completing a comprehensive detail on my SQ5 in the next week, once it gets dirty! Until then, enjoy these two videos: I put a good twelve hours into this gorgeous FX 35. I just love these cars. I was extremely happy with the end result. Here's the video: Following on the heels of the black R8, an Edmonton R8 owner popped down for a detail. I spent the entire day obsessing over this car and just before I was about to post the video, my MacBook crashed. For days I thought I had lost all the footage, but I was able to salvage it in the end. Here's the video and I hope you enjoy it: My July dance card is filling up fast. I have three projects lined up involving the cars of others and one project involving my own SQ5. They all promise to be a lot of fun.
I am in the process of planning out an exciting detailing project that will culminate with a Gyeon coating using their new "Syncro" system. I have no experience using products from the South Korean company, but I have only heard great things. The Syncro system is a two stage process that combines two base coats of their durable Mohs ceramic coating with a durable and flexible top coat of Skin. I want to thank the owner of Carzilla for suggesting this coating and I look forward to applying it to the Daytona Grey paint on my SQ5. In addition to the Syncro system, Carzilla also supplied me with 1000 ml bottles of Prep, Iron and Wet Coat to ensure I enjoy optimal performance from the Mohs and Skin coatings. It is no secret to anyone following my work that I have grown quite fond of Leno's Garage products. Recently, a sizeable shipment arrived just in time for summer. I have a number of exciting projects lined up for my summer break, and these products will play instrumental roles in all of them. Order breakdown:
- Wheel Cleaner (gallon) - Evaporate (gallon) - Glass Cleaner (gallon) - Interior Detailer (16 oz) - Radiant (16 oz) - Tire Shine (16 oz) - Vehicle Wash (16 oz) - Plush Microfiber towels (10 pcs) - Double Plush Microfiber towels (2 pcs) I had the opportunity to speak with Troy, the owner of Auto Obsessed in Edmonton recently. Our conversation was focused on the line up of OBSSSSD premium detailing products. I was overjoyed when a sampling of these products arrived on my doorstep a few days later. I am eagerly anticipating putting these products through the motions in the coming weeks and months. Product list: - Paint Finish - Leather Cleaner - Leather Conditioner - Auto Wash Shampoo - Touch Up - Wheel Cleaner - Tire Satin Finish Here's a little teaser video I shot starring the new OBSSSSD arrivals. I look forward to sharing my impressions of each of these products once I have had some time to experiment with them. The team at Leno's Garage has created a discount code and I am hoping my fellow automotive and detailing enthusiast friends will use it. You will save 10% off your order by using "RADGARAGE" at checkout at www.lenosgarage.com. I want to thank the team at Jay Leno's Garage and I hope this code will drive some business their way because they have been very supportive of me and my detailing obsession.
I am confident there is no place worse, no place more challenging, no place more frustrating to keep a clear clean than Calgary, Alberta in winter. Even with my garage converted into a detailing studio, I just can't keep up. But, I won't stop trying. Here's a video that demonstrates how I go about keeping a tidy interior despite Mother Nature's efforts to ruin me. Hand washing a car in the garage may not be everyone's idea of an epic Saturday night, but I had been looking forward to this all week. The Flames were up against the Hawks and I had a dirty SQ5 that needed some love and attention. Here's a video that demonstrates how two or three hours in a garage can be quite enjoyable and productive. Enjoy. The final in my 3-part "Prepping + Detailing" series is complete. I am very happy with the results. I didn't apply a coating like I had originally planned. I simply ran out of time and energy. I used Menzerna's Power Lock so that should give me good protection until I can find the time to apply my GTechniq C1 Crystal Armour. In the meantime, here's the third and final video: It's been almost a month since my 2018 SQ5 came into my life and here is a list of ten things I really appreciate about this new generation of SQ5: EngineI loved the old engine with its raspy growl and supercharged ferocity off the line, but I am really coming to love the new 3.0 litre turbocharged V6 and its silky smooth responsiveness. I am enjoying watching the digital turbo boost gauge light up when I mash the accelerator, too. I have been breaking her in gently, but the little jaunts I have been able to squeeze in indicate this engine is a fine piece of mechanical engineering. I look forward to seeing it perform in the mountains in a few weeks. TechnologyThe first generation SQ5 was weak in the tech department. The second generation does a nice job of catching up to the competition. There were actually a few technology options I didn't select such as the collision avoidance and traffic sign recognition systems. The virtual cockpit is a sublime feature that finally brings the SQ5 to the next level in terms of cool tech. I can scroll between various speed/tach layouts and customize the side readout to audio, telephone, car systems, etc. Finally, Audi has made it possible to store your smart phone in the centre console instead of hiding it away in the glove box. There's even two USB ports in there! The addition of Apple Car Play means I can have the car read and send texts remotely. But, by far, my favourite innovation is the reminder the car gives me that my smart phone is still in the car. I can't count the number times this thoughtful features has saved me a walk back to the car. SeatsI really like the diamond stitched leather seats in the SQ5. They are the perfect combination of sporty and sophisticated. I almost went for the red leather interior package, but I am very happy with the black leather with contrasting white stitching.
It has been just over a week since taking possession of my 2018 SQ5, and the obsession has already begun to take hold. I am infatuated with this SUV. I only have 250 km on it, but I love it more and more each time I get behind the wheel. I am very happy with my colour choice. I have polished the Daytona Grey Pearl using Jay Leno's Garage newly introduced line of polishes and I am very impressed with the quality of the finish. I have always been a fan of Audi paint, and this car is no exception. I still have some work to do in terms of coating the paint with the GTechniq system, and I am aiming at the weekend to complete that stage. After that, it will just be a matter of detailing the exterior since we have been experiencing some foul weather. I have put together two videos that demonstrate some of the processes I have been using over the past week to dial her in. Feel free to "like", "share" and comment. My two weeks of holidays have come to an end. I really enjoy the vacation time we teachers get, and I was able to accomplish quite a bit in terms of the garage and SQ5. I performed an extensive detail on two friends' cars as well as a thorough detail on my own. I had the opportunity to experiment with almost all the products sent to me from Jay Leno's Garage and I have to admit, they are spectacular. I am still in the process of collecting my thoughts on their performance and I will be posting my review shortly, so stay tuned for that. I helped a friend swap over to his summer wheels using my QuickJack, and I also swapped over to my Spring/Fall setup. The extra time allowed me to create videos that comprehensively demonstrate the extent I go to when maintaining my ride. Check them out if you have the time: I finished up a 8-hour detail of a friend's Kia Sorento. I am quite pleased with the results. I was a bit pressed for time, so there's no video for this one. Just a few photos. This SUV is used to transport a dog so lots of time was spent vacuuming. I have a Sonax pet hair brush that does a pretty effective job of loosening the hair, so the vacuuming went well. This SUV is not garaged, so there was a lot of tree debris on the inside and outside which took up a bit of extra time. Enjoy the slideshow. Products Used Leather | Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil Carpet | Tornador Foam Gun loaded with diluted Griot's Garage Carpet Cleaner Doors | Jay Leno's Garage Interior Detailer Dash and Console | Jay Leno's Garage Interior Detailer Wash | Jay Leno's Garage Vehicle Wash Wheels | Griot's Garage Heavy Duty Wheel Cleaner Tires | Jay Leno's Garage Tire and Trim Care Plastic | Jay Leno's Garage Tire and Trim Care Glass | Jay Leno's Glass Cleaner Wipe-down | Zaino Gloss Enhancer I performed an epic detail on a friend's Volvo XC90 this week. I was able to put almost all the products I received from the team at Jay Leno's Garage. They performed remarkably well. I am still trying some of them out and I will be sure to share my impressions on the JLG line up in a few days. In the meantime, here's the video I made showing the Volvo transformation. I have three sets of winter liners for my SQ5, and none of them are able to prevent salty water from staining my black carpet. Using a variety of products and equipment, I am always able to restore the carpet but it is such a drag having salt residue on my floor for so many months of the year. How do ordinary people cope? I don't even want to know. The process involves a thorough vacuum followed by a liberal dousing of Blitz all-purpose cleaner. I let that dwell and then use my Rupes iBrid to work the APC deep into the fibres. Then, I just use a microfibre cloth to dry the area. If any salt has really hardened, I use my Mytee steamer to loosen it up.
A few weeks ago, the Director of Business Development for Jay Leno's Garage contacted me and offered to supply me with some detailing products to see what I thought of them. I am going to be detailing two SUV's next week, so these products are going to be put to the true test come Monday. I plan on doing a video of both jobs. I am really looking forward to it. In the meantime, I have to say I'm quite impressed with the packaging of these items. They look real good on my main shelf! Stay tuned for next week's Sorrento and XC90 details using these Jay Leno's Garage products. Package contents: Quick Detailer Hand Wax Vehicle Wash Tire and Trim Care Interior Detailer All-Purpose Cleaner Glass Cleaner Microfiber Super Drying Towel Plush Microfiber Towel Microfiber Wax Applicator Blue YoYo Wax Applicator 2 x Black YoYo Applicator Honestly, I don't know how any retailer can be so consistent as Auto Obsessed. I made my online order late in the day on Saturday, and the package arrived Tuesday before lunch. That's just incredible. I am giving their OBSSSSD line of microfibre towels a try. I ordered twelve and I expect big things! One thing I really appreciated about these towels right out of the box, is the tags are not sewn into the edges, rather they are easy-to-remove stickers. Slick! I also ordered some bags for my Metro Vac 'n Blo vacuum cleaner. I had totally forgotten you need to replace vacuum bags. The new bag has doubled the suction power of my awesome little vacuum. Here's a shot of what I ended up ordering.
Headed over to my favourite local detailing retailer, Carzilla today. Picked these items up. I have two detailing projects lined up for next week. Both of them are family haulers. I have an order from Auto Obsessed scheduled to arrive very soon also. Now that I look at this photo, I wonder if that yellow Rupes pad is too small for my Rupes Mini. I'll have to check on that.
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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
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