Saturday 25 April 2015 - G906LPW 25th - Detailing Day

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,

Saturday 25 April 2015
Meet at Fighting Cocks PH, Lowestoft @ 10.30am for 11am start
Big Reveal at 3.30pm

Invitation

This post is an invitation to a detailing day for members of these Car Forums...

1. Detailing World
2. PistonHeads
3. Renault Turbo Owners Club (RTOC)

While the culmination of the day will be the reveal of my newly restored R5,
this will be a practice day for anyone interested in maintaining their cars.

Visitor Driven Topics

Although we are meeting at the Fighting Cocks, the meet will be split between
3 different sites, all within easy walking distance from one another. Each site
will have a different focus.

For people who don't own machines, and don't want to, there will be sessions
in the pub car park, where any process that can be done by hand will be
explained, with hands-on tuition or practice offered.

For people who want to learn about machines, specifically polishers, there
will be sessions in my garage, which has some "lights of doom" for people
to work under.

For the more advanced visitors, there will be other machines to use on the
site where the R5 is being restored. Also, there will be a mechanic and two
bodywork guys on hand to talk to about paint and restoration.

So, with those options, I'd like to hear what you'd like to see demonstrated.
We will also need some brave people to offer up suitably neglected cars to
use as demonstrators.

We'll be holding short sessions between the 3 sites with everyone placed
into a group. Each group, which will be a mix of people from each Forum,
will get to visit each site.

Numbers Limited

There will be a limit of 10 members from each Forum, not including the small
team of people who are acting as "tutors" for the day. There will be a fee
to attend, which will include coffee on arrival and your lunch at the pub.
Ticket costs will be updated here once finalised. We'll be keeping overheads
to a minimum, so they will be reasonable.

To book your place, please enter your name on the list. As this is appearing
on 3 forums, if the numbers grow beyond 10, you'll be placed into a reserve
list. That way, if there are fewer than 10 from one forum, the reserves will
get a place. You will be sent a PM with PayPal details 10 days before the
event. All monies must be received by Sunday 5th April 2015.

Programme

3 x one hour sessions on each site, details announced once we have your
feedback.

11am to 12pm... Session 1
12.15pm to 1.15pm... Session 2
Lunch until 2.15pm
2.15pm to 3.15pm... Session 3
Reveal at 3.30pm
Close at around 4pm

Volunteers Sought

If you have a particular detailing skill, would you enjoy demonstrating it at
this event? Please PM your ideas.

Do you have a car that we could use as a test mule? If it's a bit neglected,
then so much the better, provided that the paint underneath is sound. You
must be aware that you provide it at your own risk!

The Weather

One factor in organising this event will be the weather, which could mean a
postponement until the following Saturday, although this will be resisted if
at all possible. The pub car park sessions are the most vulnerable casualty
of the weather, however, we could hold Q&A sessions inside.

Conclusion

Obviously, this is the bare bones of what I hope will be an eventful and busy
day. Please feel free to offer suggestions to help make it interesting.

The List
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.



Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

Guys, here's a tad more information...

We'll be needing some cars as test beds for various products and techniques.
By the end of the day, we're looking at 2, maybe 3 cars getting a "full treatment",
though by diverse means. Due to time constraints this may only be part of the car;
the idea being that we make a start by demonstrating potions and techniques and
you finish off in your own time and at your own pace.

We need one car where the owner already has or actively seeks a machine of their
own, and is seeking some guidance. Because it'll be used as the demo car for all
3 sessions, this car will need to go through its decon process ahead of the day's
start. The owner will need to be willing to mutually make any arrangements for this
as requested. This will include arriving early on the day for the car to be washed
and dried ahead of the start time.

If there's more than one candidate for this from the 3 Forums, then a draw will be
held. We will need notification of candidates by Saturday 21st March 2015.

We need 1 or 2 other cars where we'll treat any swirling by using a filler glaze.
These cars will demo for all 3 car-park sessions, getting their decon done in the
first session, being treated in the second session and receiving their protection
in the 3rd. All the demos here will be worked by hand. For this group you will need
to bring nitrile gloves with you if you want to have a go with the glaze. It isn't
kind to hands!

We then need other cars where we can do interior or engine-bay detailing, with
use of air tools like a tornador. Note that there are no facilities for power-
washing or snow-foaming at any of the demo sites - so please don't ask!

The Car Park Sessions - Red Group
#1 Waterless & Rinseless Washing / Decontamination - Potions & Techniques
#2 Clay Cloth Use / Pre-Wax Cleaners / Applying Glazes - Potion Choice & Effects
#3 Protective Potions / Choice and Application Techniques. Use of QD potions

My Garage Sessions - Green Group
#1 Polishing - Choice of Machine / Pads / Potions
#2 Compounding & Refining - Choice of Pads / Potions
#3 Protective Potions / Choice and Application Techniques. Use of QD potions

Jason's Garage Sessions - Yellow Group
#1 Heavy Duty Cleaning - Safety / Potions / Techniques
#2 Interior Cleaning - Potions / Techniques
#3 Various Demos based around Car Repairs / Restoration

The Jason's Garage Group is not set in stone! What this does is give people an
opportunity to suggest their preferences for their day. If there is an over-
subscription for either the red or green alternatives, then we may carry that to
this third site. Ideally, we'd like to evenly spread the attendance with a mix
from the three forums in each group.

When you enter your name, could you please choose which group you would like
to be part of as your first preference. This will give us a good indicator of
demand for what you'd like to see demonstrated and have a go at yourself. This
will be very much a hands-on day, so that you can have a practice beside people
who can guide you.

I have a number of offers of help, but if there's a technique that you'd like to
share, then do please get in touch. I'll probably be asking for more volunteers
once demand can be assessed.

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

The Ticket Cost is £6.50 per head to cover your coffee on arrival and a
buffet lunch. Your name should be on the list by Saturday 11 April 2015

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,

Due to events beyond my control, this event is postponed until Saturday 25 April 2015.
Can a mod please amend the thread title. Thanks.

Regards,
Steve

[R5MJH]

Hello Folks,

Due to events beyond my control, this event is postponed until Saturday 25 April 2015.
Can a mod please amend the thread title. Thanks.

Regards,
Steve

done sir

[Lowiepete]

Oh my, I hope we'll get a few turn out for this. Get your name on the list guys.

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,

It looks like progress on the R5GTT is going to take a lot longer

Instead of continually postponing the date, this meet will go ahead on
Saturday 25th April as planned. However, in view of the low numbers, it
will now be an informal detailing day for those who'd like to turn up.
This will now be held at my home, but we will meet up in the pub car park
at 11am. The pub won't be open until midday, so I'll be providing the coffee
at home.

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,

For anyone who is venturing to Lowestoft on the 25th, the day will include a first go
with some ArtDeShine products that have yet to make it to the UK. I've been having
an initial play, ahead of writing official reviews for Detailing World, and all these new
products are impressive in their own right...

Regards,
Steve

[rat1]

hi Steve
i'm going to try my bet to come down for this.
can you put up the address of the meeting point.
Ray

[Lowiepete]

We'll be pleased to see you Ray

Meet at 11am at The Fighting Cocks PH
183 Carlton Rd, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0NA

Although it has a Carlton Road address, you turn into Blackheath Road to access
its car park.

I'll PM you my postcode, in case you miss us...

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

Seems like there's a late flurry of interest, which is of course very welcome!

For anyone who hasn't been to one of my meets, the first 10 people to arrive will get
a goodie-bag of samples. I even have a range of wheel-brushes for people to try. How
about that for something quite unexpected?

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,
Below is a picture of the goodie-bag contents ready for the first 10 people
to turn up tomorrow...



My thanks go to >>

• Mark & Sonia at Autoglym
• Alfred & Mak at ArtDeShine
• Morgan at .50Cal Detailing
• Alex at Serious Performance

That's a lovely little haul which will be well-worth taking home

Regards,
Steve

[phase i 16 v turbo]

[Matt Cole]

Steve,

I will be with you in spirit but not in body. Would love to purchase one of them sample packs if ever available.

[Lowiepete]

%%% Late Notice %%%

One of our attendees is bringing along some Tardis tar remover tomorrow and has offered
to give out some samples for people to try. What you will need to take up this offer is
a secure metal container into which it can be decanted...

Regards,
Steve

[LiamR]

Really wish I could of attended this event as I am rubbish at cleaning my car! Hints and tips are needed. And the goody bag is a great positive.

Hope the day goes well and top job for organising it too.

[Matt Cole]

Enjoy the day guys and support a really good event.

[B18ftMOJO5]

Hope you all had a top day

[Lowiepete]

Hope you all had a top day

Cheers

Well, to see two tidy 205GTs together made it a top day from the get-go.

Once the rain stopped, about 10 minutes later than the BBC forecast it
turned into an intimate information and techniques exchange. The "big boys"
got to play with their machines on an Aston with some appalling body-shop
"mopping" after a re-spray. For such a car, the holograms and pig-tails in the
paint were nothing less than shocking!

I don't think its owner had expected to get that corrected, but probably the
biggest surprise was that I was able to wax the entire bonnet with enough
wax to line the bowl of a teaspoon. We then tested the water behaviour,
something you'd be at pains to avoid with most waxes, so I then did a demo
of applying a second coat of the same wax, with no top up from the tub.

As a guy with limited motor function, I had my eyes opened by a nifty gadget to
help hold a polishing machine. It's amazing what a designed piece of neoprene
can do! It's something I'll be investigating further so I might not have to rely on
others when I'm product testing / reviewing in the future.

The time just ran away with us. We didn't get much further than the washing and
decon stages. In fact the only car to receive a protective coating was the Aston.
The last guy left at about 6.30pm and one or two others might have "got wrong
with the missus" over their later than anticipated returns

If anyone reading this had intended to come, but changed their mind at the last
moment, then you missed out on a great day! I know it isn't me who should be
saying that, but I'm going to anyway

Regards,
Steve

[rat1]

[QUOTE=Lowiepete;393670]Cheers

Well, to see two tidy 205GTs together made it a top day from the get-go.

for those that couldn't make it you missed out on a great day.
i had a great day,every one was very friendly and even as a complete novice to this i was not left in the dark.
it was a real eye opener on how to use a clay cloth and how to wax a car (and so much more) thanks to Steve.i would have got this SO wrong.

thanks Steve for arranging this look forward to more.

regards Ray

[Lowiepete]

Ray, get yourself over to the RAOC Forum and book your car in for the Bromley
Pageant in June. Their stand often wins the best in show. I'll bring my mobile kit
with me, just bring some nitrile gloves that fit. We'll show 'em what shiny means!

Thanks so much for making the journey yesterday; I apologise for my "senior
moment" - I had to get my mind set into"instruct in simple language" mode, which
was a tad harder than I thought it would be. I hope that not too many mysterious
acronyms slipped through

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

Speaking of the clay cloth. Here's the white van I was hoping to get round to having
a go on yesterday. I did the clay cloth before going indoors last night and then did
a quick and light pre-wax clean today, just 5 minutes work...

Paint at the start...



As it stands after a quick tickle - yes that's my reflection...



...and in context



Probably it'll be harder work getting the cleaner pad clean than doing the paint...
That's not valeting - that's detailing!

Regards,
Steve

[rat1]

i'm gutted after an offer like that i can't make it to the bromley pageant on the 7th june ,i'll be coming back from a holiday in cornwall.

Ray

[Lowiepete]

i'm gutted after an offer like that i can't make it to the bromley pageant on the 7th june ,i'll be coming back from a holiday in cornwall.

Ray

Don't worry, we'll organise something, even if it has to be delayed until WSR...
If that gets a miss, I hope that I'll be having another detailing day for what
we call "winter prep" That'll probably be in September...

Regards,
Steve