Maxolen Violet Wax Polish Review

This review has been a long time coming and instead of running through excuses for the delay, I’ll get straight on with the review.  I was lucky enough to be invited to a Maxolen product testing day along with other members of the Celica club. Maxoeln have a large warehouse / workshop in Leeds and on arrival I was pleasantly greeted with a warm welcome and it was great to see a line of Celicas stretch around the car park. As you’d expect there was a long line of people waiting to wash there cars and get there hands on the wax, snow foam and other detailing products.

Due to the sheer number of cars that had arrived it meant that time was short and Chris, who runs the workshop couldn’t spend the time he’d of liked with individuals. As someone who frequently uses car detailing products, I was happy to roll my sleeves up and help some other friends in the club who hadn’t ever waxed there cars.

Unfortunately by the time we got to the front of the queue the snow foam had run out and instead, replaced with Maxolen wash and wax (another review to come soon). After a thorough clean and wash, we rolled the car inside and dried the car using a type of synthetic chamois. I was then handed a bottle of Violet Wax Polish and a small applicator sponge.

Now, I will firstly admit that due to the time restraints and the queue of cars, I felt rushed and as such, the car wasn’t 100% dry, although I felt, dry enough.  I took the applicator sponge and poured around a 50 pence size blob of wax on to it. It quickly becomes clear why it’s known as violet wax, as it comes out in a light purplish colour. Working the sponge over the whole car, adding wax when needed took around 15 minutes and then I allowed the wax to haze, for around 5 minutes.

Using a large microfiber (I think it was a Maxolen one?) I began to remove the wax. Now I found the wax a little more difficult to remove than say Autoglym’s super Resin polish, but it did come off fine, leaving behind a good shine and deep glossy look (Please see the image).

As I’ve only had brief experience with the product, I will move straight onto the summary. All in all I’m a little torn, yes I thought it was a good product, but ideally I’d like to spend a little more time with it. My reservation is mainly based on the ease of removal, however that could be down to a damp car and new microfiber. So with all that said, it’s very reasonable priced, does what it says n the bottle and certainly seems well worth trying out.

Apex Lowering Springs Review

When I started this Blog last year the main focus was always going to be car detailing. It’s my passion and the idea of keeping something looking better than brand new continues to be a hobby that I love to keep up. However, as the Blog has progressed so has the work on my car and it seems a shame to keep this Blog purely focused on car detailing. I did after all mention I’d review other car related items (that’s my story and I’ll stick to it).

Having been a car enthusiast since my teenage years I’ve always loved modified cars. Whilst at work the other day I enjoyed reminiscing about the cars that where dream cars when I was 17, the likes of Vauxhall Nova SR’s and Renault 5 GT’s. I remember flicking through the pages of Max Power and Redline looking at the lowered ride heights and polished engines, dreaming of what could be achieved. Well, the day came to buy my first car. After several conversations with insurance companies I soon realised that having anything with more power than a sit-on lawnmower was going to be difficult. It came to be then that my first car was a Mk 1 Seat Ibiza, with an engine that weighed in at under 1ltr and that sounded like an asthmatic weasel when trying to climb all but the flattest of hills. Oh dear. However all was not lost. It was my car, my ticket to the open road and my small income fuelled by stocking shelves enabled me to kit it out with a sub and good cassette player (showing my age here). It also let me sit in the drive way, mug of tea at my side and dream of what could be.

After several months of ownership, several near collisions, a complete break line failure and the thought of wheezing up another hill, I decided to move the car on. I then luckily managed to convince my mum to allow me to drive her green, stock Fiat Punto (which in comparison felt like a super car!).

Fast forward 10 years and I have become the proud owner of a Gen 7 Toyota Celica which I love and still own. With owning a good new car (in my opinion, I know haters are gonna hate) and finally having a steady income, suddenly the opportunity to do more than just add fluffy dice and hub caps presented it’s self.

Lowering the car was always a priority and after literally years of research on the Celica forum and other Google searches landed me at the door of purchasing a set of Apex lowering springs. The Apex springs promised to lower the car by 35mm and only cost around £100. This compared to the offerings from Eibach, which lower the car around 30mm and cost nearer £200 seemed a sensible choice. Others I considered where the TTE springs which where fitted as standard to the Celica GT model, but again meant spending more money.

Apex lowering Springs

I ordered my springs from Camskill, which I was reliably informed where the most price competitive.  After getting a call from a house mate that they had arrived, I had the fun of waiting till the end of the working day to get home and eagerly open the tear open the box (by which I mean carefully open the box, but that sounded less dramatic).

As you can see from the image, the Apex springs arrived well packaged in a branded box. There was an initial panic, as I could only see three springs inside. However, I then found the fourth rear spring neatly wrapped in foam and inside a front spring.
Yellow in colour they certainly looked the part and although some are put off by them not being black I was assured that once fitted you’d only see them if you buried your head under the arch. The yellow covering also looked reassuringly durable, being a coating of what I assume is a flexible plastic substance.

While many people are happy to fit there own lowering springs, I’m ashamed to admit that I’m incompetent with a spanner. After a few calls around the local garages, I found PR Motors where the best on price. I had also spoken to a friend who owns a Celica and they have carried out regular servicing etc…to what he believed was a high standard. I left my car there before work on the morning and received a call at 15:00 to say they where finished and ready. On arrival I found my car waiting for me outside and after settling the bill they gave me the box contacting my old springs,  which look very long in the tooth (again see picture).

Original Toyota Celica Springs

I have to admit that when I looked into lowering my car I was concerned that the springs would adversely effect the handling, by making the ride overly harsh. Speaking with friends on the Celica forum did put my mind at rest and at the end of the day I though I could always put the old springs back on.

So then, looking at the car my first impressions where fantastic. The car sat so much flatter across its wheels and looked more aggressive and sporty. After getting in the car and driving out of the business park my smile began to widen even further. This is what I’d read about for all those years, the cornering was brilliant. Even on rough and bouncy roads the Apex springs gave me confidence to drive in a lively manner. No excessive body roll and no detached feeling from the wheels.

Fitted Rear Apex Suspension Spring

I’ve had the spring fitted now for around 6 months now and don’t regret the change what so ever. In fact I’d do it again in heart beat. The only other thing worth mentioning though is that I had to change insurance companies as I was previously with More Than and they don’t insure modified cars. Again on the advice of other Celica Club members, I switched Sky insurance. Not only was there customer service fantastic (I think the customer service chap was called Sam?) coupled with a competitive price made the deal all the sweeter. A further plus point was the club discount I received further lowered the price.

It has taken me around 12 years to buy a car and begin considered modifications, but the wait has been well worth it. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend these springs to Celica drivers and if there as good as they are in my Toyota your certainly in for a treat.

DoDo Juice Basics Of Bling Drying Towel Review

My friend over at NinjaShine had recently popped round to collect a set of Alloy Wheels from me and by way of thanks put together a selection of DoDo Juice Car Detailing Products for me to try out (lots of reviews coming soon). One of the products that I’ve had chance to use over the weekend is the DoDo Juice Basics Of Bling Drying Towel.

Now I’ve never used a drying towel before as I’ve always used a chamois leather or a chamois combined with a water blade (Kent Water Blade review coming soon.) The basics of Bling towel measures 60cm x 60cm and comes well packed in a clear bag. The bag has instructions for suggested use and also care instructions regarding washing etc..

After washing my car I used the Kent water blade as normal, then carefully unwrapped the drying towel. It certainly felt very soft to the touch and with all the DoDo Juice products I was confident it wouldn’t result in any ill effects to the paint work. One thing I should say though is that as with any microfiber product once its been dropped on the floor I’d think twice about using it again. A thorough washing should remove any harmful stone pieces etc.. But you can never be to sure.

Folding the microfiber drying towel into a neat pad I proceeded to dry the car, regularly folding the fabric to find a drier side. Now normally using a chamois that requires frequent ringing takes me around 10 to 15 minutes. With the basics of Bling towel I’d dried my whole car in around 5, which is fantastic.

Once I’d finished using the towel (which still looked clean) I put it in the airing cupboard to remove the moisture, before folding it back up to store in my DoDo Juice Tooled Up kit bag.

All in all I’m very impressed with this item and had if not been fortunate to be given one I’d certainly buy one. I’m not sure how long they last but I’ll update this post if necessary. Car Detailing Junkies recommend - DoDo Juice Basics Of Bling Drying Towel

BEST of 2011 Video

Well this video sums up much of last years Drift activity. Some excellent footage as always created by Togethia Media Services. I can't wait to see what 2012 holds and more stunning drifting! Enjoy...


Togethia - Drift. HD - Best of 2011 from Togethia on Vimeo.

How to remove bird droppings on your car

It’s happened to nearly all of us, walking to your car to find that it’s been given a lucky blessing by a passing bird, or judging by some dropping I’ve seen, a flying elephant. Some times these droppings can be quickly removed with a damp cloth and you can get on with your day, however there are some bird’s droppings that seem to have spot welded themselves to the cars paintwork. Here is my 5 step guide to the safe removal of bird droppings from your cars paint surface.

1. Fast removal is the key here, and ideally try to remove any bird droppings within 24 hours of first noticing them on the car. Depending on the type of bird and I assume diet this can be a very quick task, made much easier if your car is wet from rainfall.

2. If the offending dropping refuses to budge with the wipe of a damp cloth more serious measures may need to be taken. It’s at this point through I’ve had some people come to me with paint covered in what looks like an area rubbed with sand paper. However it’s not sandpaper, it is in fact where they have scrubbed the bird dropping from the paint work with a Brilo pad or pan scrubber! Let’s just say that they did remove the dropping, but also ruined an area of paint work that will need to be re-sprayed or brought back to life with T-Cut (If they’re lucky). Instead of scuffing away at the dropping, purchase a product such as Car Plans Tar and Bug remover which costs around £3.00. Run a bucket of hot soapy water and soak a microfiber wash mitt. Then take the suds covered wash mitt and lay it over the bird dropping for around 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Once the dropping has been soaked, take the bug and tar remover, liberally spraying the covered area, then re-soak the wash mitt and replace for a further 2 minutes. You can then use a power hose or regular garden hose to blast at the edges of the dropping, again trying to break it up.

4. While continuing this process start to gently rub the dropping in a back and forth motion and you’d should see it start to break up (this is a glamorous post!). This isn’t a quick process and the key is not to rush. If the dropping is being stubborn and being blasted with power hose isn’t working, try to pick at the edges, but do so using your hand inside the mitt so it’s the microfiber that comes into contact with the paint and not finger nails that could scratch and mark the surface.

5. Finally once the bird dropping has given up its rain of terror, simply take a quick detailer, such as Demon Shine or Meguiars Quick Detailer and spray over the area, then buff up with a microfiber cloth to restore the paints glossy finish , alternatively take the opportunity to completely wash your car.

A quick search on Google certainly brings up many methods, but I’ve found this one works well for me, however if you have other suggestions please let me know. Patience is the key to removing bird dirt and it’s important not to use abrasive materials to remove droppings, and they could do more harm than good!

Car Detailing Junies 2011 round up!

Well where do I start...here seems as good a place as any. 2011 has been an exciting year for me, it's been the year where I have taken my car detailing hobby seriously, well seriously enough to create a Blog and to review some products. It's also been a year where I have immersed myself in the automotive scene, trying to learn as much about JDM cars and detailing as possible and meeting some great people along the way (you know who you are). What's becoming apparent is that through various forums and social media channels the car scene is very much alive. Seeing established magazines such as Max Power fall by the way side might seem like the modifiers are loosing, but that’s far from the truth. As with many areas, car modding and the automotive scene has simply developed and through online we're learning more than ever. It also means that new trends are emerging much quicker and motor sport categories such as Drifting are becoming globally popular, finally having a platform other than mainstream television.

Online has also made a wealth of car detailing tips and reviews available. My Blog wouldn’t be possible without the endless resources that YouTube and forums offer, not to mention the help I’ve had from experienced professionals.

I hope to continue posting reviews next year and adding videos and other products and videos that seem relevant, after all cleaning your car requires motivation, and few are as inspiring as seeing JDM metal at its very best.

So with that round up out of the way, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy 2012.

Here's a video that I think sums up this year nicely.

Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner Update

Well I’ve been meaning to update this post for sometime, so apologies for the delay. I tried the Very Cherry Acid Free wheel cleaner in my last review without reading the instructions (I only had a sample bottle in my defence ;-) ) and after speaking with Mark over at Ninja Shine I realised that my review wasn’t really very valid. In the meantime, Ninja Shine have written there own review, which is very good and can be found here ->click<-.

The reason for the update is that I used the Very Cherry Acid Free wheel cleaner in conjunction with a Kent wash mitt and soapy water, using the wheel cleaner to lift the initial dirt as opposed to using it as the sole product. I was also unaware that you don’t need to agitate the product and you can simply spray it on, leave it for a minute then spray it off to reveal nice clean wheels.

Firstly I washed the whole car, as I always leave the wheels till last, I’ve heard others start with the wheels so as I learn more perhaps I’ll change my method. I washed the wheels over with a normal non power hose then liberally sprayed the Very Cherry Wheel Cleaner over the wheels, left it for a minute or two then sprayed water over them again. 90% of the dirt lifted straight away and I was surprised at the effectiveness of the product, however I did reapply a couple of times to lift the rest of the grime.

One of the main selling points of this wheel cleaner for me is that you can use it safe knowledge that it won’t corrode the nice finish from your wheels, unlike some strong acid based cleaners used over a period of time.

In conclusion I will certainly use this product again, but in using it I’ve become hungry to try some other products to compare It against as wheels are an area I’ve never focused on in great detail. The next product I’ll be purchasing is P21s Power Gel Acid-Free Car Alloy Wheel Cleaner. It looks like a difficult product to get hold of but if this video below is anything to go by then it’s worth sourcing.

SIX | DAYS by Stephen Brooks

SIX | DAYS from Stephen Brooks on Vimeo.
Superb Coverage of the 2011 season of the Maxxis British Drift Championship. The Video was created by Stephen Brooks who is making a great name for himself. Car Detailing Junkies recommend watching this vid :)

Achilles ATR Sport Profile Video

I was searching across YouTube still trying to find a good video of the Achilles ATR Sport in use (Yes I know I should make one, all in good time :D ) and found this. Although it doesn't show the tyre being used, it does give you a good look at the tread and an idea of the wheels dimensions etc... More to follow.

Car Detailing Nightmares!

As it is Halloween it seems only right to do a detailing nightmares type of post. Now I will say that in the grand scheme of things these are all fixable issues (well scratches are, but costly to fix), but if I called this post “car washing bad habits” it might not have the same Halloween impact…on with the post…

1. Wearing Jewellery

In at one, it’s wearing jewellery. Now you don’t have to be adorned with gold and silver trinkets like an 80’s darts player to damage you cars paint work. A simple watch with a leather strap and metal buckle will leave a nice deep scratch if it catches the paint. I’ve seen a fair few cars with said scratches and they normally appear on the roof. Unless you’ve got a car such as a coupe, or your very tall, your arm will be out at a right angle to your body and moving in an arc while washing the roof. This leads to a good old scratch if you’re not careful. This kind of scratch can often be as a result of using hand car washes. While there are some excellent hand car wash services available many are run by people who, at large wash cars as quickly as possible. Nothing wrong with that if your not bothered about your cars overall paintwork, but if that where the case you would probably wouldn’t of read up to here..moving on..

2. Dropping The Wash Mitt / Sponge On The Floor

Many of us have heard the cringe worthy story of the neighbour’s kid washing a car with a bucket of stones or an old flannel covered in grit. Well while that might be the worst case scenario dropping your wash mitt or sponge on the floor can have a similar result. Just imagine sprinkling grit over a wet car then rubbing a pad against it, your paint will not thank you, oh no. I could also add a comment about sponges being a detailing no no, but a good clean and new sponge used with a decent car shampoo is better than not washing your car at all. However I’d advise you purchase a wash mitt as there only around 2 pounds more.

Using Washing Up Liquid

My final detailing bad habit or nightmare (I’ve started, so I’ll finish) is good old washing up liquid. I’m not sure why people ever started to use washing up liquids on there cars, perhaps it’s because washing up liquid works so well on dishes, but if that was true why not try using head and shoulders to wash the car or use car shampoo to clean the oven? No no, let’s use the proper cleaning agents for each job. Washing up liquid to be fair will wash the dirt of your car, it will even make it look shiny, unfortunately the abrasive salts will also strip of any protective wax and in time work its way through paints clear coat. Some people choose to use fairy liquid over other bespoke car products to strip of old wax and at the same time save money, I just can’t bring my self to clean a car with a bucket of fairy liquid. If you want to remove wax buy the right stuff for the job.

If you have been doing any of the above the good news is that it’s never to late to change. Purchasing a good wash mitt and a wash and wax shampoo will be a great start and your cars paint work will reward you with a better shine, and if you like the look of that why not read some of the wax reviews on here as well.

Any way I wish you all a Happy Halloween – From Car Detailing Junkies.

Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner Review

Update: Since writing this ninja shine have let me know that the very cherry wheel cleaner will work without agitation from a wash mitt or use of additional shampoo’s (in my defence there was no label :P ). I will leave this review up, but will be doing a much more thorough review soon, just using the wheel cleaner and clean water. Sorry for any confusion – The Power Recommends.

I received a sample of Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner a couple of weeks back from a friend over at Ninjashine and finally got round to trying it this weekend, apologies for the delay. On to the review….

First Impressions

As I reached inside the parcel containing both Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo and Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner I was really surprised at how vibrant both bottles were that I pulled out. However in comparison with the CitrusPearl Autowash Shampoo, the Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner is definitely a duller colour. Not a bad thing by any stretch though. I removed the lids and had a quick smell and the scent was more chemical than cherry although the cherry could be referring to the colour. I don’t like acid based wheel cleaning agents and Ninjashine assures me that this product is acid free. Although I’ve not experienced any bad effects from using an acid based cleaner, the thought of spraying acid onto my beloved alloys doesn’t seem right.

Onto cleaning the wheels

As it was a warm day, I cleaned the entire car first and sprayed the wheels over with water. I then took an old clean spray bottle (it had previously had demon shine in there, but I rinsed it several times to avoid contamination) and poured a small amount of the Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner into the bottle. Now I’m told that the mix should be around 10:1 which is great and means the product should last you a good few washes. Topping the bottle up with water turned the cherry like colour to a pale pinkish red, much more subtle that the neon pink CarPlan demon shine that I had kept in there previously. I took the Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner out to the car and liberally sprayed it over all four wheels, allowing it to rest for about 2 to 3 minutes. I then took a fresh bucket of water containing the citrus pearl shampoo and worked my way over each wheel using a Kent microfiber wash mitt. Now you can use wheel brushes and I’ve had good success with the Kent wheel brush, but as my alloy wheels are five spokes I can get good access to all by the back of the wheel. Some other car detailers will remove the whole alloy for cleaning which will certainly yield better results but I didn’t have time to do this today.

After washing round all four wheels, I took a hose and washed off any remaining solution. The wheels certainly came up very well and shone like new. Now at this point I will say that the AEZ Raver wheels I currently have on the car feature a Nano Tech coating and they are themselves very new. I will be trying this product again on a friend’s VW Passat as the alloys are both spokey and without added nano protection (or at least I believe they don’t have nano protection).

Even so, looking at the pictures you can tell just how well the Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner cleans and I will most certainly be using the product again next time I wash my car.

Car Detailing Junkies recommend Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner.

Achilles ATR Sport Video

Now my Japanese isn't great so I have no idea whether or not this particular track driver likes the Achilles ATR Sport tyres or not. However as I’ve said before I’m enjoying them for lively road driving and if he can hang his car round a corner with them as he shows they still look good to me. I will however apologise for the music!

Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo Review

I mentioned a post or so back that the chaps over at Ninja Shine had kindly sent me over a couple of products to try out, one of which being the widely respected Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo. Last Saturday the weather looked decent enough to give it a whirl and a friend’s car was in need of an intermediate clean.

First Impressions
Now when I reached inside the parcel and pulled out the bottles of shampoo and wheel cleaner I was instantly surprised at just how much the bottle of Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo seemed to glow in the light. It’s a really vibrant orange (not yellow as my phone camera shows) and in certain lighting it does have a sort of pinkish purple pearlessence, hence the pearl reference in the title perhaps. I was also informed that it could be concentrated to 400-1 which is incredible and a promising testament to its quality. Now I understand you can apply this via a pressure wash bottle adapter or hand wash and as I’m still undecided how I feel about pressure washers, went with a hand wash. This also made sense as the previous shampoos I’ve reviewed were also hand wash tested. I will also say that of all the shampoos I’ve tried such as the Turtle Wax Zip Wax, Carplan triple wax and Astonish car care crystal clear wash and wax, this carries the largest price tag and also doesn’t claim to wax as it washes, a pointer to this being a true detailing product designed to be part of a complete wash, complemented with true waxes or polishes after.

Onto the test
Firstly I took a clean bucket (always swill your bucket out with clean water first to make sure no grit or grime is left in from a previous wash) and poured a healthy amount of the Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo into the bucket, I used more than perhaps needed but was keen to really let it go to work. It pours out quite thickly, again reassuring you that it is a quality shampoo. I added warm water to the shampoo and the bucket was soon full of large bubbles and suds, which look very promising.

The shampoo also smelled orangey which is much nicer than the smell of a strong chemicals or detergent. I then filled another bucket up with clean water as part of the two bucket technique (that I’m always banging on about!). Going out to the car I topped the bucket up with some more water from a hose, further adding to the amount of bubbles, then thoroughly rinsed off the car. Now my friend’s car had been recently waxed so I knew that the majority of dirt was dust, meaning that a shampoo and additional quick detailer would be sufficient this afternoon. After rinsing the car, I grabbed a Kent Microfibre noodle wash mitt and set about liberally applying the Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo all over the car, starting with the roof. The amount of suds that hung to the car really impressed me and it soon became apparent that it was much better than the budget end options out there. I worked around the car, finally finishing at the wheels, they were plastic hub caps as opposed to alloys (further review to come on this), but the shampoo didn’t seem to struggle taking off the layer of brake dust that had built up. Even after I had finished washing the car, many of the suds could still be seen clinging to the paint work, in a white like foam.

I took the hose then blasted off the remaining shampoo, then stood back from the car. The Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo really gave the paint a bright glassy look, albeit there was still some wax on there. A close up image of the beading really shows how glassy the car looks.

I am truly impressed with this shampoo, and it has showed many shortcomings, that I previously hadn’t noticed with other shampoo and wax combos. I thoroughly recommend the Citrus Pearl Autowash Shampoo.

ASDA Interior Valet

A couple of weeks back I was on my way out when I noticed a small light coloured  mark standing out against my black cloth sports seats, it didn’t look serious, but it certainly required cleaning. I popped back home and grabbed my can of CarPlan Interior Valet, to find that it was empty (oops). So a quick trip to ASDA was in order (ASDA is my first choice of shops - not including online - as I just find them to be so competitively priced). A quick look over the shelves highlighted that they were out of the CarPlan stuff (not good). The only other product available was the ASDA Interior Valet at £2.00. Now I know I preach about budget options and that you don’t have to spend the earth, but something I’ve always avoided is own brand stuff. Now I was in a pickle, everywhere else was closed and I was keen to clean the interior. I decided to take a shot at the ASDA Interior valet, with view to using it sparingly in case it stained my seats (extreme, but hey). I read over the instructions and they were almost identical to those of CarPlans. If I were to speculate I’d say the stuff inside the can was the same and that ASDA buys it and re-brands it in order to save money, but this is of course just speculation. Once home, I hoovered the seats, then taking the can liberally applied the foam cleaner, working in a sweeping spray pattern. I left the product for 60 seconds or so , then grabbed a clean Kent microfiber cloth and wiped off the dissolving foam. It brought the seats up to a fresh standard, comparable to the CarPlan product I’d used previously.

ASDA has impressed me this year, by offering a good range of car detailing products at market leading prices    (bought some Holts tyre weld for £2.00, it was £7 in Halfords!). Their own range seems to be well thought through and very cheap. If I had to choose between own brand and a trusted manufacturer, I’d take the latter, but at a pinch this stuff is great and if ASDA continue to build on their range it could be well worth considering.

Carplan Tyre Shine Foam - Review - Part 2

Further to my previous review of Carplan Tyre Shine Foam, I thought a follow up review was in order, backed up by some actual pictures. I washed my car a couple of days back and with the rest of the car looking so shiny the dull Achilles ATR Sport tyres, that almost have brown marks on them (road grime) needed a freshen up. Now living in the UK staying on top of car detailing is hard enough without worrying about your tyres but Carplan Tyre Shine Foam is so easy to use it’s hard to find a good reason not to apply it. In addition to making your tyres look like new it also helps maintain them, preventing things such as premature cracking (and who wants that).

Ok - step 1:
Making sure to wash your wheels and tyres first, take the can and spray the tyre wall. Hold the can about 5 inches from the tyre and apply the foam almost as if you're painting the tyre with a spray paint can. Soon your tyre will have a white rim and look like a tyre from an old Ford Model T (unusual look as it may be…).

Step 2:
Leave the foam to dissolve on the tyre, the white foam soon turns into a liquid and starts to run off the tyre. The can says that it can stain drive ways so might be a good idea to do it on the road (Hey we pay our road taxes right?)

Step 3:
After leaving the foam to do its thing for around 10 minutes, take an old cloth (I find an old Kent microfibre towel does the trick) and wipe off any excess, revealing your new back to black tyres.


I normally run a damp cloth over my alloy wheels just to make sure there’s no chemical residue, albeit the can says nothing about this.
Carplan Tyre Shine Foam really is a great product and at the price makes it hard to want to use anything else.

Citrus Pearl AutoWash Shampoo and Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner

I've just recieved a couple of products from my friends over at Ninja Shine! The very well respected Citrus Pearl AutoWash Shampoo and some Very Cherry Acid Free Wheel Cleaner. Reviews for both coming soon....

Autoglym Super Resign Polish Review

I've been enthusiastic about car detailing for the last 3 years or so, learning more with every wash of my car and always keeping a close watch on other car detailing product review sites and forums, as well as speaking to friends about products that really stand out. As I’ve mentioned before I normally try and purchase more budget end products. This isn't because I think they're as good (although similar results can arguably be achieved) it's more the fact that I don't want to spend hundreds on items where I think alternatives can be found. Perhaps it's my want to find a value option, or to believe that you don't have to be a huge name to make a great product. It's perhaps for these reasons that the Autoglym range has been largely missed by me in the past. I've seen their glossy adverts, noted their superb recommendations from the likes of McLaren, but believed their premium price tags might be a little out of reach.

A friend of mine was given a bottle of Autoglym Super Resin Polish as a gift and like many people, he wasn't prepared to put it to use, favouring one of the many hand car wash companies' quick and convenient solutions instead (I'll talk about them in another review perhaps). Long story short I was handed the bottle as he knew I’d put it to good use (he is a good mate :-) ).

Now a quick read of the label put me in mind of a shampoo made for humans, very glossy terminology and it really does make you believe it's a product that will look after your car's paintwork. So far, so good. I washed my car using the two bucket technique (full washing stages review to follow) and dried the car off using a Kent water blade and a chamois leather. I then took a cotton pad and as the bottle suggests rubbed the product onto the car in a circular motion, finishing with straight lines. I did the whole car, allowing the Autoglym super resign to haze, which takes a couple of minutes. The product applied very smoothly and looked nice and waxy, as opposed to thick and gloopy.

Taking a Kent microfiber towel I then began buffing and polishing the car, removing the haze. Instantly the polish brought the surface up to a deep rich shine, rivaling anything I’ve previously used. I completed the whole car in around 20 minutes and when I stood back, I was thoroughly impressed with the results. As with many cream polishes it's important to either tape off the plastic un-painted plastic areas, or use a product like Turtlewax Ice to remove any over spilt wax.

I would highly recommend this product to anyone wanting an easy to use polish/wax that I truly believe will help to protect your paint work, as well as making it look superb. It has certainly prompted me to take the Autoglym range more seriously and try other products they make. Car Detailing Junkies certainly recommend.

Update: Not long after washing the car the heavens opened and covered the car in water, the Autoglym Super Resign Polish beads water extremely well and looks to provide a good barrier to the elements.

AEZ Alloy Wheel Video

Well if you follow my Blog I’m sure you'll remember my review of the AEZ Raver Alloy Wheels a month or so back. I'm still really impressed with the wheels and continue to recommend them as an alternative to some other well known brands. Here's a promo video from AEZ showing off their complete range. Some great looking wheels here and if they're all as well made as the AEZ Raver then they should be great quality as well.

Meguiars Quick Detailer Review

I have previously mentioned Meguiars Quick Detailer when I was reviewing it along side the Meguiars quick clay starter kit a few posts back, but then I was reviewing it as a lube for the clay bar as opposed to a quality quick detailer in its own right. Firstly I guess we should learn why you would use an occasional detailer as opposed to giving your car a full wash and wax, or just wiping over with a wet microfibre cloth etc. Well the other day I came out to find my car had been blessed by a passing bird by virtue of a dropping. Let’s just say I was less than pleased, but it did give me chance to try out the Meguiars Quick Detailer. The reason for using a detailer, is that if you’ve recently waxed it saves you doing a full wash that can strip the wax off meaning more time waxing again.

Now when this type of thing has happened to me previously and I have just taken a damp warm Kent Microfiber Towel to the area and left it at that. However in this instance I noticed a few finger smudges on the roof as well and decided to wash the roof using turtle wax zip wax, rinse it over and then dry it over with a kent water blade. I could see there was still a good layer of wax, by the way the water was beading, so grabbed the detailer and gave the roof a liberal spray. I then wiped it over with a soft Kent microfibre towel. The roof was once again brought up to a deep lustre and shine.

I can't recommend Meguiars Quick Detailer enough and for in-between waxes it's ideal. I should also mention it smells great, kind of like sweets!

CarPlan Flash Dash Shine Pad Review

I've never been a big fan of products that make your dash shiny, but then my car's dash wasn't really designed to look that way. However a friend of mine who doesn't clean their car interior was taken with the idea of a product that simply wiped over the dash making it look clean. The other big selling point is its £0.79 price tag.

On inspection the shine pad is well made. It sits in the lid and opens up to reveal a pad not unlike those ones you see to clean shoes. Taking the CarPlan flash dash shine pad, I liberally wiped it over the dash. It's doesn't appear to make the dash wet like some sprays but it leaves a waxy like shine behind it.

Now my friend’s dash is inside a Punto and is a grey coloured dash and it certainly brought it up a treat. My complaints are minor but worth mentioning. As stated before I’m not a fan of a shiny finish and personally I would go for a matt gloss product. My friend has also said that the dash now reflects in the windscreen on a sunny day which can create glare.

I would recommend this product but only if you’re not prepared to use a more through product like the gloss dash shine products from car plan.