008

so at 34 are you the youngest resident of the Villages? :-)

chuck911

Nowaday's we have this thing called Google, and I know how incredible this sounds but with this Google thing you can search really fast and learn just about anything you'd ever care to know. Like, in less than a minute I was able to Google (and yes I know "Google" is a noun but people have started using it as a verb, go figure) both Adam's Detail Spray and Sonax Wheel Cleaner. And you know what? The Adam's guy looks to be about 35. http://www.adamspolishes.com/t-about_us.aspx Which is amazing, since it means he was at most a teenager when Griot's started repackaging his invention and calling it Speed Shine way back some 20 years ago. Even better, that Sonax stuff? It changes color as it cleans! Crazy! There's cool pics of it going on fluorescent lime green then completely changing color to red! http://www.autogeek.net/sonax-wheel-cleaner.html Cool! But only when used out of their bottle I guess. The minute Griot's repackages the same stuff it comes out and stays the same dull boring green, doesn't even change color (except that it does get kinda dark as it dissolves brake dust- does that count?) but then again as you say Griot's does come in a nice bottle with a quality spray head. Personally I think if they're just gonna steal and resell they should not deactivate the magical color thing. Its way cool.

I've never really understood the need to bash (except of course for truly deserving targets like GM) but if you're going to do it, at least do it right.

Noah Fect

It's unlikely that Griot's has their own chemical factory. They just repackage different products with their own label, like any other house brand. They might use one supplier one year and somebody else the next, sticking with a given supplier as long as they accommodate their proprietary recipe tweaks and keep the quality high while meeting the required wholesale price. I wouldn't read too much into the history of Speed Shine in particular.

Money2536

I'm not sure if you're suggesting that I'm bashing Griot's products. I've been one of Griot's biggest fans for ten plus years. I kid you not, I have purchased and tried every single detailing product in his catalog at least once. When I started detailing I used nothing but Griot. I have their cabinets, bottle shelves, wash buckets, etc. I still use many Griot's products. Off the top of my head: many of his MicroFiber Towels, interior leather scent, regular wheel cleaner, lamb skin wheel mit, Rubber Prep, Rubber Cleaner, Spray on Wax, Leather Conditioner, Interior Cleaner, Glass Cleaner, Engine Cleaner, clay, Speed Shine, 6" Orbital, 3" Orbital, etc., etc. I have also discovered Elay Corporation and Lista Cabinets through Griot. I'm a huge, huge fan.

I used Polish 1, 2, 3, and 4 for several years. I had water spots etched into the clear on my M3 and assumed I couldn't get them out after working down to Polish 1 and back up to Polish 3. In my frustration it lead me to Autopia then Detailers Domain and opened my eyes to dozens of other products(to the detriment of my wallet). The reason I say the polishes are not very good is that they dust a ton and are very hard to remove. Try Menzerna, Meguiar's, Sonax Perfect Finish, or any other top polish, and you'll see what I mean.

Zohan

Used this google thing and found http://www.ammonyc.com
Many good vids on more detailing tips then any one one could possibly stand
the guy is paddling probably the same stuff you get from autozone but in a COOLER black botels. But the movies are good.

Slantnose!

Great write-up, especially on the detailing.

berndt

+1 on not giving money to bose.

991999R

i'm surprised you could care less for the full leather interior. i can appreciate that it is strictly a luxury piece but does not the tactile and visual experience up the overall experience?

Money2536

I guess it helps a bit. It is probably due to the fact that I'm not much of an interior guy. The exterior is what drives me. I know that doesn't make much sense as I'm in the car more often than looking at it. I'm not sorry I got it, I just don't think I wouldn't have been disappointed without it.

addysdaddy

Detailing is my love & hobby and I would agree. Stick with Menzerna or Sonax. Meguiars is always good but you need to know what your buying. M105 (very aggressive) & M205 are their bread and butter but M105 dusts way to much for my liking-especially in humid climates. I would suggest M101 instead but it's only sold in large bottles. M205 is a great polish and on a scale of 1-10 (least-most aggressive) is rated as a 3 which generally all you need. Sonax Perfect Finish is rated as a 4 and the Menz 4000 also rated a 3.

Again right tool for the right job so you'll need to evaluate your paint and select the right pad and polish combination. Depending on the condition of the car, you might be able to get away with a one step process - if it's in bad shape than probably a two step. Just remember that less is more so start with the least aggressive approach first. Also do a small test spot to see if your getting the desired results before doing the whole car. (don't ask me how I know this) Autopia.net & Autogeek.net are great places to learn and the forum community is generally super helpful. Good luck and feel free to send me a pm with any questions - would be glad to help if I can.

Vape NYC

I arrived at this thread after searching for Burmester to see what people thought of the system.
If I were ordering a car new, I definitely would have spec'ed out the Burmester. I'm a hard core audiophile and have as much into my home 2 channel system as many of you have into your 991's.
RIibbons can be bright, but I think with burn in over time the system will sound a bit richer.

This is Way off topic, but there seems to be so much detailing info here I thought I'd ask.

I recently got a 2010 Targa 4s in Black with only 11k miles. Since I live in NYC I have decided to have the entire car covered in 3M material. I had my previous car's front and rear bumper covered and it has protected it from the horrible Parkers in the city.

Does anyone have a recommendation as what to ask the shop to do to the paint before wrapping? there are a few very light micro scratches on the wings from a conventional car wash I suspect from the lazy previous owner.

They will not be using a kit, but bulk material for full coverage. I Know this may seem like sacredlidge to some, but ai figure it's the only way to keep the paint in good condition and allow me to take it into a traditional car wash, as true brushless are not close by, and washing myself may not always be possible.

The shop also claims that the wrap (clear) tends to hide small imperfections.

LexVan

Prior to the wrap, have the car professionally detailed, exterior, with proper paint correction. Expect to pay about $800 for a 2-3 stage process. Give or take a $100.

And stop running your car through a farking tunnel car wash. If you can afford a +$120k home stereo, you can afford a $75 hand car wash.

jlanka

he said the previous owner did that

LexVan

Please Re-read his 5th paragraph.

Samp4

I have it wrapped with Sun-Tek or another good one is Xpel. These are self healing and won't yellow according to the 'experts' I am also adding a product called CQuartz next week. It will protect the paint, windows, wheels and outside plastic and also keep is supposed to keep the car cleaner as the dust and rain will not stick like it does to paint. I have seen videos and talked to people where the brake dust comes off with very little work. The product lasts at least 2 years also. Again - I do not have this yet but this is what I have read and talked to people about.

If you are not worried about rock chips this may be better than the wrap as it will protect the swirls etc. without the high cost. Of course you may still want to do the bumpers for NYC parking.