My Coupé...

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,
Spot the Difference?
Well, it's been a long time coming, but after nearly 5 years ownership, I finally
decided to bite the bullet and get my wheels refurbed...

Before...
http://s5.postimg.cc/rmlpm3pyv/r12coupe69.jpg

I never did like the finish on the wheels. The picture actually does them more
justice than they deserve.

So, now to the present...
http://s5.postimg.cc/4tb4vtut3/r1334coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/qtrhcgdh3/r1335coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/yqbykooxj/r1336coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/8fgy8h16f/r1337coupe.jpg

With the car up off its wheels for a week, the opportunity was also taken to
check behind the plastic mudguard inserts. That was actually quite pleasing
because apart from some light dust, it looked like it had just left the factory!

Nevertheless, everything was given a couple of coats of BH Dynax, a couple
or three days apart. So, as the car is a keeper, the bits that are most hidden
are at least well protected now.

As for the wheels. Well, when the car is moving, you get a thin chrome rim
appear as if by magic, so the blackness is mitigated. In the sun they look just
fantastic! How very RenaultSport the car looks now...

Apart from blue calipers and the wheels, the car is standard. It has all the
GT toys and I chose a Bose sound system over the SatNav. Cream leather
interior.

Original tyres were Bridgestone Potenzas - hated them from the beginning!
Hard riding and the echo from them created a thrumming inside the car.
With the Falken ZIEXs all round, the car feels more like when I had Michelins
all round on my 11 Turbo. They are quiet, nowhere near as harsh riding and the
thrumming has gone! Inside that cabin the car now feels like the long-legged
grand tourer it's meant to be :niceone:
Regards,
Steve

[Adey aka Ewok]

Looks clean, got any bay pics? Is the engine the same as the meggy?

[Trevhib]

Looks like that nice Renault champagne bronze type colour. I like that. Wheels go well. :agree:

[DaveL485]

Looks nice! What size are the wheels? Probably 17's at a guess but that beast of a car makes them look small lol. I reckon it'd look amazing slammed over some 20's....but thats just me. Low and loud to the end :wasntme:

[Lowiepete]

Looks nice! What size are the wheels? Probably 17's at a guess but that beast of a car makes them look small lol. I reckon it'd look amazing slammed over some 20's....but thats just me. Low and loud to the end :wasntme:
Thanks.
They're 18" Celsiums (15 spoke) The standard cars have 18" Interlagos (10 spoke).
Looks like that nice Renault champagne bronze type colour.
Renault call it "Stone".

If there was one thing which let this car down, it was the dull range of colours!
Back in 2002 they brought out a lovely pale green on the Mk 2 Lagunas which
would look fantastic on this car. In that livery, I'd have gone all-out Gallic and
added white-wall tyres!

As it was, Renault aimed this at the German market, and the only light colours
were white, pale blue and my "metallic mud", so it was the best of a bad job.
However, its redeeming feature is that it hides the dirt well :niceone:

I've had the car from new in March 2009. Everyone poo-pooed the idea of
me buying one, citing depreciation as their main argument. (How original :coffee:)
After nearly 5 years, I don't regret a moment of its ownership! The car has barely
missed a beat and it's become my favourite Renault owned so far, pushing the
11 Turbo into a very respectable second place.

If anyone's interested, here's a history of its cleaning maintenance (http://detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=122850)...

I'll post up some pictures of the engine bay tomorrow. It has the F4RT 800
mechs, but with different breathing and mapping to the Meggy. I took it
to a PistonHeads rolling road event back in January and was pretty chuffed
at its 210bhp coupled with not too shabby performance along the way :niceone:

http://s5.postimg.cc/qfcd7mp87/r1301coupe.jpg

Regards,
Steve

[TNT ANDY]

My God - peak power (BHP) @ 3600rpm?

I see the torque steadily climbing that must just keep pulling - hard.

I must say the figures are good, but it looks weird having the power drop off from 3600ish. How does it feel?

:agree:

[Lowiepete]

My God - peak power (BHP) @ 3600rpm?

I see the torque steadily climbing that must just keep pulling - hard.

I must say the figures are good, but it looks weird having the power drop off from 3600ish. How does it feel?

:agree:
I must say that I'm no expert at reading these things. I thought the power
line was the almost straight one which shows max power at 5.4k. However,
what did register with me were the gasps from the "audience" as the car
was being put through its paces. Up to that point I had fully intended to get
the engine remapped. From the positive responses received on that day,
I've not bothered since.

As for how it feels - with a 6 speed box, there's never any power lacking just
when you need it. The 50 to 70 can make you gasp, coz it's reached a tad
above that before you realise it. It's a bit "grown-up" R5GTT, if you know
what I mean... Having said that, it does it all very, very quietly, with (looks
round furtively) not a little finesse. (Is that word allowed here?)

Couple that with 4 wheel steering and you can have some fun. I went out
on a PH run round E.Anglia and peeps in cars following me were more than
a tad surprised at how I could throw it around, even as a disabled driver!
The turbo at full-chat does give some satisfying feedback, but it's by no
means as raw as the 5GTT.

As for why Renault only managed to sell 130 in 2.5yrs, their marketing of
the car was woeful! I'm probably driving one of their best kept secrets!

Regards,
Steve

[Trevhib]

Andy, I think you have the power and torque curves mixed up. The square pointed line is the power line that tops out at 5500rpm.

[TNT ANDY]

I must say that I'm no expert at reading these things. However, what did register
were the gasps from the "audience" as the car was being put through its paces.
Up to that point I had fully intended to get the engine remapped. From the
positive responses received on that day, I've not bothered since.

As for how it feels - with a 6 speed box, there's never any power lacking just
when you need it. The 50 to 70 can make you gasp, coz it's reached a tad
above that before you realise it. It's a bit "grown-up" R5GTT, if you know
what I mean...

Couple that with 4 wheel steering and you can have some fun. I went out
on a PH run round E.Anglia and peeps in cars following me were more than
a tad surprised at how I could throw it around, even as a disabled driver!

As for why Renault only managed to sell 130 in 2.5yrs, their marketing of
the car was woeful! I'm probably driving one of their best kept secrets!

Regards,
Steve

LOL - it seems that way. Shh just don't tell everyone otherwise we will have to find the other 129 :laugh: It would be interesting to see this, I've never seen one before and it looks good.:agree:

As for reading RR graphs I'm certainly no expert either, just I've not seen one like that before.

[TNT ANDY]

Andy, I think you have the power and torque curves mixed up. The square pointed line is the power line that tops out at 5500rpm.

:laugh:

see what I mean - no expert.

Thanks Trev

:agree::agree:

[TNT ANDY]

LOL - makes more sense now:cartman:

[TNT ANDY]

So................................


Turbo's on full chat by 3600 and it's all good from there on in and doesn't show any signs of dropping off - what a brute.

Sorry about that Steve, you'll get used to me

Fantastic graph.

[Lowiepete]

So................................
Turbo's on full chat by 3600 and it's all good from there on in and doesn't show any signs of dropping off - what a brute.
Fantastic graph.
So, a remap would be a waste of money then...:p

My reasoning, originally, being that I can get 29 mpg round town, but rarely
more than 33 mpg on a run. As for the exhaust pipes, my old engineering
head says "mixture way too rich!" - those who wield a computer says it
needs to be that way so the engine doesn't blow up or catch fire on
over-run.

Well, looking at that graph, I guess that Renault engineers do know a
thing or three about turbo driven engines. Good on 'em! :niceone:

Regards,
Steve

[TNT ANDY]

No idea of afr's ,you might be in the 10's you might be lean, who knows. There's only one way to know and get it strapped on a rolling road and take some readings. Is it mappable? What ecu does it have and can it be fiddled with.

[Lowiepete]

What ecu does it have and can it be fiddled with.
Well, after my experiences so far, I don't really care. Every time it goes to the
Renault Dealer, the cruise control / speed limiter gets knocked out. It seems like
quite a performance to put it back. When the guy at KTec plugged his computer in,
the car reported itself as a Megane and knocked out, you guessed it.

The graphs above make me quite content to leave everything well alone. I'm just
amazed at the round town mpg though. I was lucky to get 24 mpg out of the bog
standard 5GTT, though it did pretty well on a run; a much bigger margin than the
Coupé presently returns. The exhaust on that was always a satisfying grey/brown
colour...

Regards,
Steve

[DaveL485]

Thanks.
They're 18" Celsiums (15 spoke) The standard cars have 18" Interlagos (10 spoke).
Renault call it "Stone".


Holy moly! They're 18's? That car IS a beast lol

[Lowiepete]

Holy moly! They're 18's? That car IS a beast lol


http://s5.postimg.cc/onhijoxmf/coupe60.jpg

From all angles!:niceone:

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

Looks clean, got any bay pics? Is the engine the same as the meggy?

Here you go...

http://s5.postimg.cc/kim9w1c8n/r1338coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/y3hn8whfb/r1339coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/4ztfcntbr/r1340coupe.jpg[/url]

So, now let's take the cover off...

http://s5.postimg.cc/gsr8gvprr/r1341coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/hh02ztohj/r1342coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/eqqr2mrsn/r1343coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/l35wcguuv/r1344coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/c36cpe52v/r1345coupe.jpg

...and then an arty pic

http://s5.postimg.cc/ibmmluwc7/r1346coupe.jpg

Can you tell I'm not a fan of Strictly Come Dancing? :o

Regards,
Steve

[DaveL485]

Excellent...now I know, if my phone ever goes and it's a request for a cambelt service on a Laguna GT, Mr DelMonte, he say "NO!!"

:D

[Lowiepete]

a cambelt service on a Laguna GT, Mr DelMonte, he say "NO!!"
Ohhh don't!!! That's gonna be due in about 18 months time... tho, my man
who does, tells me that it's not too expensive...

Regards,
Steve

[Matt Cole]

Awesome car that! Big fan. :agree:

Your graph is typical of the poxy tiny TD04 whizzing itself to death at low rpm. Its essentially a cheat to get big fat heavy cars off the line quickly!

My 225 engined 5 made circa 260bhp and 257 ft/lb at 3200rpm! That was a bar of boost and after Scoff had finished with the map. You can imagine traction was a challenge!;)

[Matt Cole]

Any updates on this Steve? I was hoping for a lesson on detailing and that colour on the Laguna is awesome:agree:

[Lowiepete]

Any updates on this Steve? I was hoping for a lesson on detailing and that colour on the Laguna is awesome:agree:
Well, the detailing weather is almost here. The car's first show outing this
year is at Duxford on 4th May. I'll be on the "Modern Classics" stand.

Here's some pictures taken of the car after its first 2014 tidy up. The paint was
coated with the ArtDeShine Octagon Kit back in November, and has kept the car
pretty clean. The beading is insane. I'll be giving it a top up with their Obsidian Wax
as the "sacrificial layer" over the next few days.

These pictures taken in mid-March, are after an ONR wash of the bodywork and CG
Hose Free Eco wash of the wheels. I haven't ventured under the bonnet - that's on
the to-do list...

http://s5.postimg.cc/8fmlnkpx3/r14010coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/9vy45pstz/r14008coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/j50afu1pz/r14009coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/9zwzj34mv/r14011coupe.jpg

Regards,
Steve

[Mr Raider]

Gotta love that beaded look after a good polish etc! 5 still coming on well Steve? :)

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,

A fine Saturday afternoon and the car gets a good valet. Wheels washed with
Chemical Guys Hose Free Eco (HFE) - 2 capfuls into about 6 litres of water.
Wheels washed with a noodle mitt and just left to dry. No rinsing.

Remainder of the paint cleaned with my bucketless ONR technique. There was
still some Sahara dust residue, but that didn't present any problems. The paint
was then treated to coat of ADS Obsidian Wax. After a very much wetter winter
than we're used to here in East Anglia, I was surprised at just how smooth the
paint was. I had been tempted to use the clay-cloth, but that can be delayed for
a while yet. I'll probably use it in late summer.

Anyway, some low sun pictures...

http://s5.postimg.cc/6tjhjubef/r14014coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/aefd32fxz/r14015coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/78urcuxbr/r14016coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/7dyimj4mv/r14017coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/r4qqseed3/r14018coupe.jpg

This picture shows how well the tyre coating has lasted. This despite the very wet
winter. Yes, it now needs topping-up, but I was surprised at how hydrophobic the
tyre was when I washed it. The last coating was applied in November!
http://s5.postimg.cc/zcsode69j/r14019coupe.jpg

These last two pictures taken when the sun had disappeared for a few moments...

http://s5.postimg.cc/jda0tua7r/r14020coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/606vr85dj/r14021coupe.jpg

Tyres and arches now treated with FK #350 (http://www.seriousperformance.co.uk/Products,107,toView_932.html)...

http://s5.postimg.cc/ctbu18lkn/r14022coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/d4tae020n/r14023coupe.jpg

The rubber always looks much better the next day, once the polymers have
had a chance to plate-out a little. The tyres are maintained with FK #108 (http://www.seriousperformance.co.uk/Products,107,toView_407.html),
which is a thinner version of the #350.

Regards,
Steve

[Hoolio]

Clay-cloth? That's a new one on me. Also what tyre gel do you use?

[Nad-5GTT]

Clay-cloth? That's a new one on me. Also what tyre gel do you use?

I was going to ask about the tyre gel too :coffee:

[Lowiepete]

Clay-cloth? That's a new one on me. Also what tyre gel do you use?

All about the ADS Clay Cloth (http://detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=323203)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPFgJJdG5Nw

Regards,
Steve

[Matt Cole]

Looks awesome that steve. I really need to do sonething with the abarth paint as it gone dull and rough to the touch in places.

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,

Last November the car was treated with the ArtDeShine Octagon Formula which is a 3
stage coating treatment. Being as the car could only be in the detailing studio for the
day, this treatment was applied to the paint as it existed after nearly 5 years of just
waterless or less water washing. Normally, the paint would have been polished with
a machine first, but there was no time.

In many ways this was quite a compliment because the car has worn its coating well
and the water repellency was something to observe. During that day, there was a
throw-away line cast about the car benefiting from an orange peel reduction which
would vastly improve the paint clarity and its reflectiveness. When I ventured the
question on how long this process might take, back came "3 days" as the answer.

So, the seed was sown, to the point where earlier this month the car spent its 3 days
being "damp-sanded", and here is the outcome.

Before...

http://s5.postimg.cc/xngyvoyev/r14054coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/a7z1qcenr/r14055coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/61isor4fr/r14056coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/m11g8b0hj/r14057coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/4c9pgooqf/r14058coupe.jpg

After...

http://s5.postimg.cc/3neckeo1j/r14059coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/ns7wpvhvb/r14060coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/v9h4537ef/r14061coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/k0yc3k46v/r14062coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/t7gmqu9fb/r14063coupe.jpg

Note the difference in clarity of the window frame reflections on the bonnet between the
3rd "before" picture and those in the afters. Not all the orange peel was removed. The
car could go through at least another 3 of these processes in the rest of this paint's life.

The new coating is reckoned to last a lot longer than the Octagon Formula and should
protect the car from any swirls caused by rough washing for well over 2 years! The way
it rejects water is just extraordinary. The car seems to wash itself every time it rains :niceone:

Regards,
Steve

[Matt Cole]

What an awesome car Steve! I think I would get one as my next venture.:agree:

[Lowiepete]

What an awesome car Steve! I think I would get one as my next venture.:agree:
Go for it Matt, you won't regret it! Hopefully, you'll find one that doesn't have the very
boring, and very hot, black leather seats. Red paint with cream leather seats would be
stunning, if that exists, as only about 130 were ever imported...

With the model import coming up to 6 years, it'll be important to check that the cam
belt has been changed. Ask also if the water pump was renewed at the same time.
It adds an extra £60 to the cost, but if it isn't renewed and goes west, it means having
to renew the cam belt all over again.

A full 6 year service with cam belt, aux drive, water pump, plugs, oil, filters, coolant and
brake fluid came to around £700, being done at an Indy garage. I bought most of the
parts at the main dealer. The car is now as good as new.

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

Gotta love that beaded look...
Here's some beading pictures of the first rain to hit the latest coating. The way that
these silica-based potions reject water just has to be seen to be believed :niceone:

The windscreen and rear window are coated with ADS ArtDeGlass, though side ones
have only been cleaned with ADS Nano Gloss PaintSealant (NGPS) diluted at either
2:1 or 3:1...

http://s5.postimg.cc/5d3imkkl3/r14035coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/4y7ekwhmf/r14039coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/csclk1et3/r14041coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/jwuet2m2f/r14046coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/3zvmwcto7/r14043coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/4qod24w1j/r14045coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/42fij6xbr/r14044coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/clywgy5o7/r14040coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/qgx6zf03b/r14042coupe.jpg

Regards,
Steve

[scratcher]

:eek: Fantastic beading there Steve. Nice work.
I really need to have a go with some of these ADS products.

[Lowiepete]

:eek: Fantastic beading there Steve. Nice work.
I really need to have a go with some of these ADS products.
You don't even need to go with their coatings either. Their ArtDeKotsos Obsidian, (yeah,
what a mouthful :)!) just blows me away. I've posted a few videos on my YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfjLK8gwI_H0VROTWWQQs4A)
that show just that wax can do.

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,

Yesterday, I took the Coupé out for its first run out of town since I had the major
service done earlier this month. The only word for it now is: Wow!

For some reason the car is a tad smoother, and there's not much loud pedal action
needed to get loud! The MPG is much better too. I very rarely got more that 31 mpg
on a run. In fact, I was seeing figures that I've not witnessed before. I came back
with 35mpg yesterday. Well, until I got caught for 15 minutes at roadworks that was :(

The car had a new cam belt, with accessories kit, new water pump, new plugs, filters,
oil, coolant and brake fluids. The water pump was replaced because it's also driven on
the accessories kit, so if it were to go in the next 6 years, it's the repeat of a 700 quid
job, instead of the extra 60 quid now.

I can't believe I've had the car for 6 years! Yesterday's drive was like being in a brand
new car, without having to run it in. Back in the day, people were telling me I'd be
regretting ever seeing the car, let alone ordering one from new. Let me tell you, I've
still got that very same big-kid grin today as the day it was delivered! The only way I
can put it is that it's good to have the big boy's version of the R5GTT :niceone:

Moi, non, je ne regrette rien!

Regards,
Steve

P.S. I wish for some weather to give it a post-winter clean though {sigh}

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,

Speaking of detailing, here's a copy of a review I did on Detailing World, which I've
posted here because it involved recent cleaning of my Coupé wheels. Enjoy...


What Is It?

ArtDeShine ArtDeWheel - a glass coating designed for wheels

What Does It Bring to the Table?

The ArtDeWheel coating is specially formulated to create a hydrophobic
effect on the treated surfaces. It is durable and excellent for anti fouling of
brake dust and protects the treated material surfaces. This innovative
product was formulated with special chemical which lay strongly to a cleaned
wheel surface, to produce a barrier coating.

What Am I Using It On?

The entire wheels of my Renault 5 GT Turbo, fresh from a wheel refurb and
powder coating in Titanium. Also, the inside of the wheels from my Renault
Laguna Coupé a year after these were powder-coated in Shadow Chrome.

After coating the R5GTT wheels...

http://s5.postimg.cc/aqbu8kdvb/r5gtt14043.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/uie07upfb/r5gtt14044.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/r020bgojb/r5gtt14045.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/jainmem2f/r5gtt14061.jpg

What Do I Think Of It?

In two words? Very impressive! However, the purpose of this review is to
give a bit of a longer term impression. Applying a coating from the ADS stable
is pretty straighforward, as I'll describe, but how long does this stuff last?

Having found application of the ArtDeWheel (ADW) on the R5 wheels quite
easy, I decided that I'd use the remainder on the Laguna wheels. However,
I was immediately presented with a problem. Would there be enough to do
all 4 wheels and just how would I tackle the spokes? The latter presented a
problem of how I might apply an even coat with my gammy hands, especially
into all those tight corners.

The answer was to coat the spokes with wheel wax. After all, I don't need to
get the wheels removed to maintain them. The insides of the wheels would
get the coating. This was to happen in early August 2014 in preparation a few
car shows in succession. I was also planning with Matt (stangalang) on taking
the car for a damp sand treatment in September, so I wanted as little
distraction as possible!

Applying the ADW

As ever, preparation is key! With the R5GTT wheels, there was little that
needed to be done apart from a thorough wash and dry. With the Laguna
wheels, well they were powder-coated back in August 2013, so it was a case
of a full clean, starting with one of those products that turn purple. Having
gone round to Karl's workshop to get the wheels removed I cursed because
I'd not taken my camera with me :wall:

Having got fully cleaned wheels, it was time for some PPE preparation too.
There is no extreme danger, but the instructions from ADS are clear...

Wear solvent-resistant gloves (eg: butyl or nitrile, rubber gloves) when
applying the product. Wear suitable eye protection gear (safety glasses).
Wear a half mask with filter types A2 B2 E2 k2 hg/P3 when applying the
product is recommended.

I used one of the cloths which came with my ADS Octagon kit, cut in half.
I simply applied a few drops to the cloth and immediately wiped it on, taking
care not to go too far over areas where I'd already applied. This was achieved
using the tyre valve as my marker. You might notice some dirt gathered into
the application cloth. That's quite normal and not an indicator of any inferior
preparation. The ADW will simply displace ingrained dirt.

You can go straight in with your MF cloth for buffing. Take care to note that
you use one side of one cloth only once! Immediately after use, drop them
into a bucket of soapy water. That way, most of the air-borne safety risks
can be avoided.

8 Months On

With March this year being the car's 6th anniversary, I took the opportunity
of cleaning the wheels whilst they were off the car during its major service.
Here's one of the dirty wheels...

http://s5.postimg.cc/wh8dp3ws7/adswheel01.jpg

...and a close-up of the wheel interior...

http://s5.postimg.cc/ughu4a0mv/adswheel02.jpg

I was quite surprised at the clean condition of the interiors! Although I do try
to get behind the spokes when I do my wheel washing it is quite a struggle
for me. So this was good news so far. The next surprise, though it shouldn't
be because of my experience with the Octagon Formula, was just how easy
they were to clean.

One of the wheels being washed...

http://s5.postimg.cc/49l8m27qv/adswheel03.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/qiukevdtj/adswheel04.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/3lce34913/adswheel05.jpg

Although I'd walked round to Karl's workshop with my purple cleaner in the
bucket, it was wholly redundant. I could tell that just from watching my
cleaning pre-spray, no touching involved. I needed nothing more than two
capfuls of my usual rinseless wash liquid in 4 litres of cold water and a very
quick, light flick with the noodle mitt.

One of the guys, who helped lift and turn the wheels over for me, was quite
astonished as he observed... "I'd better bring my wheels round for you to do",
until I told him that I wasn't using a harsh wheel cleaner!

I then invited him to run his fingers around the interior. He gasped at just how
slinky smooth it was! The next thing I know, he's disappeared, only to fetch
out both Karl and Jason to come and witness it too. I think they have both
come to expect surprises from me, and the potions I use...

The first wheel, dried and ready...

http://s5.postimg.cc/ml7apgr07/adswheel06.jpg

...and after its wax coating

http://s5.postimg.cc/wspu1vd87/adswheel07.jpg

One of the benefits of using these coatings is that you're free to coat them
with wax, if you want to. There's isn't any need, but if you do, it then acts
as the "sacrificial" layer. Unlike other occasions, where I'd apply 2 coats of
wheel wax at 40 minute intervals, in ambient temperatures of 15DegC, I only
gave the surface a quick and very thin coat. There didn't seem much point
in doing anything more.

Conclusions

In common with almost everything that has come from ADS, the results from
ADW so far have been very satisfying indeed. At first sight, the price might
seem a tad daunting. However, there's a satisfaction gained from the sheer
performance of this product that will soon banish any doubts.

I've been using high-temp wheel waxes for a while and they are extremely
good at what they do, considering the conditions they have to resist.
However, particularly if you have difficult to reach areas, as I do, the extra
level of protection from ArtDeWheel is just extraordinary!

If you have wheels where access to the rears is more exposed, it's pretty
clear that this coating will make your cleaning easier for much longer. Unlike
a wax, the coating won't be affected either by the gentle cleaners you'll need
or the gentler brushing needed to remove the dirt.

A full wheel detail can be a really grubby job. Using ArtDeWheel will make any
future processes much quicker and easier to do. It's worth it just for that,
and I haven't even mentioned how fantastic your wheels are always going to
look between cleans! I'd better stop, before it sounds like I'm getting paid :doublesho
You can probably tell that how much I recommend this product :)

Where Do I Buy ArtDeWheel

ArtDeShine ArtDeWheel comes in 30 ml bottles, enough to coat 4 wheels twice,
and is available from Matt (stangalang) direct from his Obsidian Web Site (http://obsidiandetailing.com/product/wheel-coating/).

The bottle costs £23 excluding delivery.

Acknowledgements

My thanks go to Alfred in Singapore for his gift of the Octagon Formula kit and to
Matt the EU distributor for his guidance on how to apply these magic potions.

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,

Here's the Laguna Coupé​ back on the farm in Cumbria. Following a winter
exposed to the elements, it's had an ADS Blue Lotion treatment to the
horizontal surfaces, followed with a quick coating of ADS H2O-S. Both of
these have still to come to the UK.

Having got a bit dusty due to some dirty roads, you get used to that in the
Eden Valley, it was given a bucketless wash for these photos, followed by
Version 3 of NGPS. This is another ADS product yet to hit these shores. I
don't think it'll be long before all three do, given the finish they bring.

All I've got to hope is that the guys from Obsidian Detailing who did the
damp sanding approve of my ongoing maintenance. The car drew some
quite unexpected, but very welcome attention at the Fastlane Car Show​
earlier this month...

http://s5.postimg.cc/wlyl972gn/r15004coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/auftihwl3/r15005coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/6t3s9yalz/r15006coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/4w2089dmf/r15007coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/qtyh21smv/r15008coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/ir0aqq81j/r15009coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/d48zqdbuf/r15010coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/by4zrknjr/r15011coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/4ai399ovr/r15012coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/7l6g95et3/r15013coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/6wxlq7g3b/r15014coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/5s3jkttmf/r15015coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/up6x1qi47/r15016coupe.jpg

Regards,
Steve

[Matt Cole]

Still stunning! That colour has defiantly grown on me!

[Lowiepete]

This is another new potion sent for trial from Singapore. One of my contacts
over there, Mak, kept telling me: You'll like it, you'll like it! Truth is, I do!

The car was bucketless washed with ADS Non Rinse Shampoo last Thursday.
It was then given a coat of the ANBC when the first 9 pictures were taken.
The ANBC was diluted at 5:1 and there was no need to crop-spray the surface.
I thought the ANRS made the MF cloth feel pretty agile across the surface, but
by comparison, ANBC made it feel like it was on rollers!

As a result, buffing-off was a breeze. I'm pretty pleased with the reflections
seen in the pictures considering there was poor light. They certainly aren't
too bad for paint with a silver fleck...

http://s5.postimg.cc/t9nw8p9h3/adsnanobio01.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/59qy0nwhj/adsnanobio02.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/4ufo7nak7/adsnanobio03.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/uh1u0wzlj/adsnanobio04.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/kh6xl0oc7/adsnanobio05.jpg

Quite where ANBC sits in the ADS scheme of things is uncertain in my mind.
I need to find out what its position vis-a-vis a similar potion called Nano
Gloss Paint Sealant (NGPS) is. Probably the key factor in deciding between
the two is longevity of protection. ANBC was much easier to apply, with no
hint of the streaking that can be evident with NGPS.

http://s5.postimg.cc/d6g0mmxbr/adsnanobio06.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/w01tjmvjr/adsnanobio07.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/86ikeorp3/adsnanobio08.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/tk005sdh3/adsnanobio09.jpg

Then nearly a week later, these last three beading photos were taken. So,
some more of Alfred's magic to hit UK shores? I do hope so. :niceone:

This is the roof...

http://s5.postimg.cc/asy2vmiwn/adsnanobio10.jpg

...now the bonnet...

http://s5.postimg.cc/cm0zjy43b/adsnanobio11.jpg

...and here, the verticals below the driver's side rear window...
http://s5.postimg.cc/syb19oiev/adsnanobio12.jpg

Regards,
Steve

Please Note:
ANBC is still in pre-production, so it's in its final testing phase.

[Mr Raider]

Does look some pretty good stuff Steve, Is that a polish or was from Singapore? :)

[Lowiepete]

Hi Karl,

Does look some pretty good stuff Steve, Is that a polish or wash from Singapore? :)
Let's make a quick distinction. In car detailing terms "polish" is a potion that
cleans and smooths by abrasion. So, if I polish a car, it's because the paint
needs to have a microscopic amount removed from its surface, say to remove
spider-webbing, aka swirls.

Whilst I occasionally resort to using polishes, they have best effect when
they're worked by machines, using graded pads. With my gammy hands, I
cannot properly wield a machine and that's a science all of its own. With so
many grades of polish and an infinite number of pads, there's a whole new
language to learn that's totally beyond me!

ArtDeShine (ADS) is mostly a surface protection developer, looking at ways
of giving long-term protection to paint _after_ the polishing process. They
also develop tools and potions for on-going maintenance, e.g. shampoos
aka soap and claycloths to give two examples.

The two ADS products I've most recently used is a rinseless wash (soap) and
what might be called a posh quick detailer i.e. a potion to top up existing
protection. Going back to "polishing" a better descriptive term for applying
protection is "waxing", though ADS have re-written the rules somewhat.

While they do produce a wax, most of their potions are liquid coatings with
longevity claims ranging from 6 months to maybe 5 years. Their hardest
coating will withstand 9H pencil. What all these have in common is very
good water repellency. The 9H coating just has to be seen to be believed!

Even with their wax, I found that to do it justice I had to write a guide.
Yeah, that's nuts, a guide for applying car wax? The reason being that you
_must_ apply it thinly, and I mean thinly! No dipping the applicator pad
into the tin and swiping it around, or going back to the tin when you reach
the next panel.

While most waxes need to stay dry for several hours after application and
certainly avoid the dewpoint, the ADS wax can be applied to a wet car and
left out in the rain afterwards! Indeed, it's probably easier to apply it to
wet paint as this video I made shows...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KO1D6JnGn4

These two latest potions are really spin-offs from testing of the top-end
coatings, though the non-rinse shampoo is the result of my pestering Alfred,
the magician behind it all, for an ADS answer to a product called Optimum
No Rinse (ONR) that has been my go-to product for many tasks. ANRS makes
ONR seem like a rough and ready product by comparison.

Having been interested in detailing for many years, there are and have been a
lot of time-honoured ways of tackling tasks needed to produce a decent result.
What I'm finding more and more is that many "rules of thumb" are no longer
valid or relevant, mostly because these tasks have been simplified by 21C
technologies. If I can easily produce the results shown, then bring them on!

Regards,
Steve

[Mr Raider]

Thank you for the info Steve, interesting clip applying the wax, does seem to go on well. I take it before you get to waxing as you did in the video there's a few stages of pre-wash, washing, drying, claying and polishing before sealing with wax?

Really must give my cars a proper clean at some point! :agree: :)

Regards

Karl.

[Matt Cole]

I could really do with an idiots simple guide on each stage and what product to use.:scratch:

[Trevhib]

I think the process is different depending on the products used and deciding which products to use is subjective.

You're right though, a basic overview of the stages, their relative importance and a suggested product(s) for each would be very useful. Whilst the technology is ever-changing, knowing what will be 'good enough in 2015' and complimentary to the other products being used in the process would be good info.

[Lowiepete]

Hi Karl,

I take it before you get to waxing as you did in the video there's a few stages of pre-wash, washing, drying, claying and polishing before sealing with wax?
That RS2K was beautifully repainted, then left in a workshop where someone, owner
denies it was him, did some heavy grinding, to the point where the glass was sintered!
It was then badly "mopped" by machine by a guy who thought he knew what he was
doing which in places distressed and damaged the paint still further. Bringing that paint
back (by hand) to a point where it was presentable (at best) took several goes over a
few visits to the farm (http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=222201).

On this occasion, it was bucketless washed with ONR, given a claycloth treatment,
then some .50Cal filler glaze applied. Then 2 coats of ADK wax. From a short distance,
the car looked transformed, even a professional painter doing the farmhouse windows
remarked upon the difference.


Really must give my cars a proper clean at some point!
Well, you know where I live, and you know I have the gear. The R5 isn't occupying its
own garage at the moment...

I could really do with an idiots simple guide on each stage and what product to use.:scratch:
Well Matt,
Being a bit of an old-fashioned guy, who's not afraid of using 21C technology mind,
it's not about the potions. It's 90% technique / 10% potion. The problem with the
stuff you read about detailing is that those percentages seem to get reversed.
There are actually very few bad products but there are plenty of bad procedures
and often some very dodgy choices made :(

People these days seem to want instant results and quite often use the wrong
potions and technique to achieve them. It's all led by marketers who would not
have a clue themselves making what in effect are very misleading claims.

I wonder how many people here use snowfoam on their R5 pride & joy? Most
snowfoams contain traffic film removers in some form; they have to in order to
do their intended work - cleaning the sides of high-sided lorries. The chemical
used to do that cleaning is d-Limonene - I'll let you guys do your own research,
but once you read about it's inability to be diluted in water and its potential
effects on plastics, I wonder whether it'll ever get used again...

Oh, if you do use snowfoam, have you researched out and read its MSDS?

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

If you guys have a spare while to do some reading, then I can point you toward
the thread where I've outlined in detail the maintenace regime over the Coupé's
entire life. Ignore the "Disabled" bit in the thread title, it's about finding easier
ways of doing things, by hand.

Please realise that this is mostly one man's approach and while I can claim some
experience, I don't know all the answers. It'll take a cuppa or three to read through,
and you'll have lots of questions to ask. Hopefully, they do get answered as you go
along. This is the thread, start at Post #124 (http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=122850&page=13)

Take from it what you will. Enjoy..!

Regards,
Steve

[Lowiepete]

Hello Folks,

Ever since I had the wheels refurbished on my car, I've been toying with this
idea - the seeds were sown by Matt at Obsidian Detailing, so, from this...

http://s5.postimg.cc/6t3s9yalz/r15006coupe.jpg

...to this...

http://s5.postimg.cc/4irdft4jb/r15043coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/7e4gmo8jb/r15044coupe.jpg

http://s5.postimg.cc/jh9sa8jlj/r15045coupe.jpg

To begin with I wasn't struck on the idea, mostly because I don't want to
do anything with the car that isn't reasonably reversible at some point. If I,
or a future owner, want to return it to OE, then painting the grille area with
primer and topcoat would make this almost impossible. Step in Plastidip and
all such a change back needs is a bit of probably fiddly peeling.

Also, I wasn't sure that I'd like the effect because it does make a bold
change , however, having seen a picture of another car with it done, I've
done the deed. I'm dead pleased with just how much cleaner the lines are
with less to distract the eye. The beautiful curves of those swage lines
seem to be accentuated :niceone:

Regards,
Steve

[rat1]

:agree::agree::agree:
i really like the look of that grill, it changes the hole look of the front end.the chrome grill (well i say chrome) does over power the look a bit, but i think i'll wait till i see yours in the flesh before i'd make such a bold change to my coupé