The MW Automotive Thread 5.0 GT

[areaseven]

Automotive Thread Quattro SpecV (the previous model)

Time to roll out a new thread on car discussion. First off, this...

The new Batmobile? Maybe. It's a concept design by a student at Munich University of Applied Sciences. In the Lamborghini tradition, the concept car is named "Ankonian", after a bull known for its black hair. Since Lamborghini has promoted its cars in the last two Batman films, perhaps the company should look at this design and use it for The Dark Knight Rises.

Lamborghini Ankonian Concept Design by Slavche Tanevski

[myk]

It's a definite step up from that hideous disaster the Tumbler but...dare I say this design isn't "Dark Knight" enough...

[Gaijin]

Looks like a japanese toy from the 70's.

[Agent ONE]

It's a definite step up from that hideous disaster the Tumbler but...dare I say this design isn't "Dark Knight" enough...

We disagree on the Tumbler.

[VT 1010]

After a while, the Tumbler grew on me. I liked--though not as much as the Burton batmobile. That thing, on the other hand, is kind of hideous. It's like they just bolted some panels on a Lambo with tinted windows. Going from the Tumbler to that would be a bit lame.

[emajnthis]

Finally got a chance to wash and wax the car, I decided to use Zaino products this time around and i'm pretty satisfied with the results. Washed in Dawn Liquid soap, then Zaino wash liquid, clay barred the car, polished with zaino z-2 twice then used a finishing spray (z-6). What products are you all using for washing/waxing your cars?

[David Hingtgen]

What products are you all using for washing/waxing your cars?

Mostly Meguiar's Nxt having tried most of the other "non-premium but new" stuff. Especially their car wash/shampoo---it's the ONLY stuff that'll suds up well in our uber-insanely-hard water. I haven't been able to find it for many months, I may be screwed when I run out, as shipping costs are twice what the MSRP is due to weight. And that whole line smells better/less than most.

PS---Meguiar's "Deep Crystal" car wash is not it. That stuff is everywhere and more of a deep pink. Nxt car wash is blue-purple and much thicker.

[mikeszekely]

Mostly Meguiar's Nxt having tried most of the other "non-premium but new" stuff. Especially their car wash/shampoo---it's the ONLY stuff that'll suds up well in our uber-insanely-hard water. I haven't been able to find it for many months, I may be screwed when I run out, as shipping costs are twice what the MSRP is due to weight. And that whole line smells better/less than most.

PS---Meguiar's "Deep Crystal" car wash is not it. That stuff is everywhere and more of a deep pink. Nxt car wash is blue-purple and much thicker.

I use Meguiar's too... too lazy to check if it's still there, but last time I needed some I ordered it from Amazon. If shipping's a thing, you could always buy it with something else you were going to buy anyway, or buy $25 worth of it, and get the Free Super Saver shipping option.

[emajnthis]

Mostly Meguiar's Nxt having tried most of the other "non-premium but new" stuff. Especially their car wash/shampoo---it's the ONLY stuff that'll suds up well in our uber-insanely-hard water. I haven't been able to find it for many months, I may be screwed when I run out, as shipping costs are twice what the MSRP is due to weight. And that whole line smells better/less than most.

PS---Meguiar's "Deep Crystal" car wash is not it. That stuff is everywhere and more of a deep pink. Nxt car wash is blue-purple and much thicker.

The Zaino car wash is blue and extremely thick and was overly sudsy to the point where i couldn't even get my bucket full of the correct amount of water, i had to tone down the amount of concentrate below whats recommended. The wax/polish (it technically isn't a wax) has depth but not as much shine as i was expecting. I heard after the next wash/rain it's more vibrant but we'll see. I use Meguiar's clay bar, and i'm using a few of their products for my interior like the mirror glaze polish and cleaner. I'm using diluted simple green and 303 aerospace to clean and protect the interior trim. What are you guys using for the carpet and upholstery? I have some scotch guard stuff sitting around, but want to see if there's a general consensus of people using something that stands out for cleaning and protecting the floor mats and the carpet.

[areaseven]

I use only Meguiar's NXT products. And I agree with David Hintgen that Meguiar's stuff smells better.

[David Hingtgen]

I use absolutely nothing in the interior beyond basic soap and water to clean up mud splatters. But the biggest part of that is to never let it get dirty in the first place. NOBODY eats ANYTHING in my car. Period. I also do not transport young children, dogs, mohair sweaters, etc in it.

[mikeszekely]

But the biggest part of that is to never let it get dirty in the first place. NOBODY eats ANYTHING in my car. Period. I also do not transport young children, dogs, mohair sweaters, etc in it.

This.

I have a vacuum that I use to get dust, hair, etc with. I pull the rubber floor mats out, hose them off, and let them air dry. I do have a bottle of Meguiar's Quik Interior Detailer that I wipe down the vinyl and plastic with from time to time. But the big thing is, don't bring any messy stuff into the car and there won't be any mess in the car.

[Retracting Head Ter Ter]

I use absolutely nothing in the interior beyond basic soap and water to clean up mud splatters. But the biggest part of that is to never let it get dirty in the first place. NOBODY eats ANYTHING in my car. Period. I also do not transport young children, dogs, mohair sweaters, etc in it.

Meguiar's Spray-On Kwik Wax for exterior.

Armor-All UV protectant for interior.

And yes, NOBODY EATS ANYTHING IN MY CAR!!!!

Edited June 2, 2011 by Retracting Head Ter Ter

[emajnthis]

I have three kids, so they can eat dry foods (crackers, cereal, etc.) in my car, only water for drinks but kids are kids and they will always find a way to make a mess. It's unrealistic for me to never have children in my car, but i don't own pets and when we did own a dog he was hypoallergenic. Even without anyone making a mess, interiors still get dusty and the sun still causes discoloration, so i use 303 for the UV protection and simple green to wipe up the dust.

[mustang1]

hey all,

Here's my GT "Eleanor"

[Marzan]

hey all,

Here's my GT "Eleanor"

That's one cool ride you have there.

[mustang1]

That's one cool ride you have there.

Thanks Marzan!

[Agent ONE]

hey all,

Here's my GT "Eleanor"

Dude that looks awesome. Good job on the aftermarket stuff.

[areaseven]

hey all,

Here's my GT "Eleanor"

Now that's badass, dude.

[Gaijin]

Finally got a chance to wash and wax the car, I decided to use Zaino products this time around and i'm pretty satisfied with the results. Washed in Dawn Liquid soap, then Zaino wash liquid, clay barred the car, polished with zaino z-2 twice then used a finishing spray (z-6). What products are you all using for washing/waxing your cars?

I've been using Zaino since 1999.

[emajnthis]

I've been using Zaino since 1999.

I noticed it doesn't really give a strong mirror finish like most waxes, but it's been a couple of weeks and you can still feel that the polish hasn't rubbed off. I'm finding that it's extremely durable and i'm not the kind of person who has time to wash and wax their car religiously every week like some people do. I'll probably end up reapplying z-2 polish before the fall, but just continue to wash and use the z-6 finishing spray through the summer.

[derex3592]

hey all,

Here's my GT "Eleanor"

Not a newer style Mustang fan AT ALL..but that's hot! If I were gonna have one, that would be the one! Good Job...

[areaseven]

Check this beast out:

Edited May 7, 2014 by areaseven

[David Hingtgen]

I noticed it doesn't really give a strong mirror finish like most waxes, but it's been a couple of weeks and you can still feel that the polish hasn't rubbed off. I'm finding that it's extremely durable and i'm not the kind of person who has time to wash and wax their car religiously every week like some people do.

On that note---anyone have a suggestion for longevity? I'm the kind of person who doesn't clay/polish very often but when I do I go all-out with a day-long session of many steps/products---clay once a year or so, wax two or three if the car's lucky---so I tend to use the longest-lasting sealant (not true wax) I can find. AFAIK Nxt is among the easiest-to-apply-longest-lasting sealants out there. I've heard about Klasse All-in-One a lot, but never actually tried it---plus so many people say it's a b*tch to apply and remove.

[emajnthis]

On that note---anyone have a suggestion for longevity? I'm the kind of person who doesn't clay/polish very often but when I do I go all-out with a day-long session of many steps/products---clay once a year or so, wax two or three if the car's lucky---so I tend to use the longest-lasting sealant (not true wax) I can find. AFAIK Nxt is among the easiest-to-apply-longest-lasting sealants out there. I've heard about Klasse All-in-One a lot, but never actually tried it---plus so many people say it's a b*tch to apply and remove.

That's the thing, everyone gets conflicting results, which i think may be due to incorrect application. I'd have to look through my bookmarks, but i went with Zaino after seeing a side by side with six other products, and while Zaino didn't always finish first (in fact i think it only finished first in longevity/durability) it was always in the top 3 of several categories. I can say first hand after using it that it has depth but not shine, you're not going to get that strong glossy shine out of it like i've seen with NXT, but i've seen tests where NXT doesn't hold the same longevity. The trade off then becomes price, Zaino is pricey, NXT isn't, and Zaino is proprietary, so you can't mix and match products in order to get the optimal result. Economically NXT is a superior product, but for me personally, i don't mind spending the extra money since i know i won't have the time to reapply the sealant very often. I think once i run out, i'll give NXT a run, then use all of that up and pick the product that i see is better first hand.

[areaseven]

Years ago, I had pondered on ordering this one German brand of synthetic sealant called Menzerna after seeing some results on Autogeek.com. Then I saw the price, which was a turn-off for me. Maybe if I have a more expensive car, I'll go pick up Menzerna; but in the meantime, I'll stick to NXT.

[rotorhead]

The most durable wax? Collinite. End thread.

Collinite 476s is a VERY durable paste wax. It can be a bit of a PITA to use though, so many prefer their 845 insulator wax instead. It goes on easy, off easy, has a decent shine, and is BY FAR the most durable wax (other than 476) that I am aware of. BTW, I grew up detailing cars Collinite (especially the 476) is what you should use in the fall, right before the weather gets snowy/salty/nasty. In a pinch, if Collinite isn't readily available, NuFinish does a suprisingly decent job. You won't win any shows using it, but it's actually quite decent for the price.

[emajnthis]

I've seen some tests with Collinite, it seems to have excellent beading performance and is extremely durable, but like you said it can be a PITA to apply. I think everyone is going to have their favorites and unfortunately there's no way for any consumer test to be scientifically perfect, but it'd be nice if there were a high end lab test that could be conducted to prove what products are best at what.

[David Hingtgen]

PITA to apply, or PITA to remove? Most things are the latter IMHO.

PS---I often wonder if my claying technique is wrong or something, as I seem to spend a LOT more time doing it than most people. I wonder if I simply use too small a chunk. (as I've read many times not to use too big a chunk, so that if you drop it and get sand etc in it, you haven't ruined a $10-sized chunk)

[emajnthis]

I've read that it's hard to spread evenly, and its easy to apply too much, which then makes it a PITA to remove, so i guess it's a little of both. I'm sure if you use the stuff religiously it'll become easier to apply a thin even coat which would then make it easy to remove so i guess YMMV. With claybar, i have big hands so using a small piece makes it hard for me to hold on to so i end up using the whole bar. I've read the same thing as you about wasting it if you drop it, but they don't cost that much to begin with anyway and i've never had one slip out of my hands, so i guess i'm not worried about it. If it's really a problem there are clay discs for polishing handles that you can use to attach the clay to so you're not handling it with your bare hands. Here's an example of one: http://www.autogeek.net/wolfgang-polishing-clay.html

[peter]

Speaking of Eleanor, I saw a replica of Eleanor at a car show a couple of weeks ago.

[rotorhead]

Any of the difficulty regarding Collinite that I'm familiar with all stem from the 476s paste. From personal experience, the 845 is one of the easier waxes I've ever used. Apply a small amount, work on a small area, wipe off, done. As for the clay bar, they were not around when I was detailing, so no help from a "pro" standpoint, but I still have the same bar of Clay Magic I picked up in the 90's, so.... Now granted, it's used on my wife's older car, and a newer Meguiar's bar is used for my newer car, but otherwise, both seem to still work just fine.

Maybe I'm not doing it right, but claying seemed easy to me. I just do it after the car has been washed, and I use the same wash soap as a clay lubricant. Technically, you're supposed to use a quick detailer instead, but plain automotive wash'n'wax soap has always worked just fine for me. Concerning dirt from dropping the bar, I pick out as much as I can, wash off the rest, and fold it all back on itself, never to be seen again. This probably isn't the best idea if one has really nice paint, but so far, it hasn't left any scratches on my vehicles.

Edited June 11, 2011 by rotorhead

[peter]

I got my car into Honda Tuning a few years back, don't remember if I posted it here:

http://www.hondatuningmagazine.com/features/htup_0903_honda_old_school/1978_civic.html

[peter]

It'ds been years since the photoshoot with Honda Tuning, and actually the car was off the road for about two years...mechanical and cosmetic issues. Anyway, I got ol' Rusty back a few weeks ago all refreshed. The fenders were so far gone, I decided to take a short cut (cut out all the rust) and add fender flares.

More pics of the build-up here:

civicsb1.blogspot.com

[reddsun1]

At this year's running of the 24 at LeMans, driver Allan McNish had a mid-morning shunt that was certainly one of the scariest/nastiest crashes I have ever seen, mere minutes after he appeared in a very lengthy and elaborate Audi infomercial. I happened to catch it live, and I literally stopped what I was doing, stood momentarly agape at the TV when it happened. I couldn't help but think: oh Dear God, no--we've just seen this man get his brains dashed out inside the cabin of that car, right here on live-feed. Not to mention the near mayhem wreaked upon the photogs behind the barriers. One bloke came within inches of being cannonballed by a flying front wheel/tyre.

I've yet to see the Mike Rockenfeller crash, in the 2nd team Audi car that occurred overnight. It's said that one was even more terrifying, and to paraphrase the reaction: "the whole track went silent" in the wake of the crash, expecting death and disaster.

It is an amazing testament to how far safety has come in motorsports. A crash under similar circumstances in say, a GTP prototype almost certainly would have killed the driver, and possibly many bystanders...