What's In ALM's Garage?

[5.0ALM]

I've just taken advantage of Black Friday specials with RokBlokz (located in Utah) and ordered a set of 2024+ Mustang mudflaps.

https://rokblokz.com/collections/ford-rally-mud-flaps/products/ford-mustang-splash-guards-2024

The BF discount represents a USD$22 saving (AUD$34), so that helps offset the FedEx shipping cost.

Use code: BFCM25

Hopefully these will minimise all the wet road grime that accumulates on the Mustang's bum!

Edit: typo

Sponsored

 

[PKs]

Good choice. I do find that the front flaps would benefit from adding some double sided 3m. Some small pebbles can get caught between the flap and wheel arch requiring a wooden satay stick to extract.

 

[5.0ALM]

An unexpected but welcome surprise today, albeit an expensive one!

Seven weeks ago I contacted Viofo Australia enquiring about when the new A329 dash cam would become available here in Australia. It's been on sale in the US for two months now.

Dear Adam,

Thank you for reaching out and we appreciate your interest in VIOFO
A329.
Unfortunately, we haven't got an ETA yet but can only estimate that it
will be released in AU market at the end of this year/early next year.

Kind Regards,

Support Team
--
VIOFO AUSTRALIA

The wait continues....


For some reason I was on the Viofo Australia website this morning and noticed two things;
1) The A329 is actually available locally now
2) They are having a Black Friday sale

https://www.viofo.com.au/product/a329-2ch/

They had 10 in stock this morning, and I've just nabbed 2 of them, bringing it down to 5 left in AU stock as I type. A 30% discount cannot be ignored.

One system for the daily driver RAV4 and the second for the Mustang.
Along with associated SD cards, CPL filters etc.

I believe the A329 to be the best dash cam currently on the market.
As I work in television production and did real estate photography for over a decade on the side, image quality is extremely important to me. Parking mode for a garage queen isn't so important (a Thinkware U3000 for you if it is) and the cloud connectivity that Blackvue excel at is even less important to me .

If you've been following The Dash Cam thread here on 7G you'd know by now the best image sensor currently available in this space is a Sony Starvis 2. The Viofo A329 2 channel package is one of the few that sport a Starvis 2 sensor in both front and rear cameras.

A dash cam should have been the very first thing to do to the car, and I almost pulled the trigger on an Viofo A229 two months ago just prior to getting the Mustang, but discovered the A329 was coming. It would be worth waiting for.

Four years ago I had a drugo slam into the back of my vehicle then, writing it off.
Long story short, they wouldn't provide their details and decamped from the scene when I called the Police. Not being able to provide my insurance company with their details, I was penalised with the excess and subsequent renewal premiums for the following three years.

15 months after the incident I unexpectedly received an excess refund, so I guess the law caught up with the drugo loser and the insurance company's legal team recovered their cost from them. I since changed insurance companies.

A dash cam setup at the time would have saved a lot of drama, angst, and stress.
Lesson learnt, and today's purhase has been long overdue.

Can't wait to install these.


And if you're vaguely interested in dash cams here are the latest videos from the only two I bother with.

 

[bfets]

An unexpected but welcome surprise today, albeit an expensive one!

Seven weeks ago I contacted Viofo Australia enquiring about when the new A329 dash cam would become available here in Australia. It's been on sale in the US for two months now.



The wait continues....


For some reason I was on the Viofo Australia website this morning and noticed two things;
1) The A329 is actually available locally now
2) They are having a Black Friday sale

https://www.viofo.com.au/product/a329-2ch/

They had 10 in stock this morning, and I've just nabbed 2 of them, bringing it down to 5 left in AU stock as I type. A 30% discount cannot be ignored.

One system for the daily driver RAV4 and the second for the Mustang.
Along with associated SD cards, CPL filters etc.

I believe the A329 to be the best dash cam currently on the market.
As I work in television production and did real estate photography for over a decade on the side, image quality is extremely important to me. Parking mode for a garage queen isn't so important (a Thinkware U3000 for you if it is) and the cloud connectivity that Blackvue excel at is even less important to me .

If you've been following The Dash Cam thread here on 7G you'd know by now the best image sensor currently available in this space is a Sony Starvis 2. The Viofo A329 2 channel package is one of the few that sport a Starvis 2 sensor in both front and rear cameras.

A dash cam should have been the very first thing to do to the car, and I almost pulled the trigger on an Viofo A229 two months ago just prior to getting the Mustang, but discovered the A329 was coming. It would be worth waiting for.

Four years ago I had a drugo slam into the back of my vehicle then, writing it off.
Long story short, they wouldn't provide their details and decamped from the scene when I called the Police. Not being able to provide my insurance company with their details, I was penalised with the excess and subsequent renewal premiums for the following three years.

15 months after the incident I unexpectedly received an excess refund, so I guess the law caught up with the drugo loser and the insurance company's legal team recovered their cost from them. I since changed insurance companies.

A dash cam setup at the time would have saved a lot of drama, angst, and stress.
Lesson learnt, and today's purhase has been long overdue.

Can't wait to install these.


And if you're vaguely interested in dash cams here are the latest videos from the only two I bother with.

Oh nice! Looking forward to seeing the install video

 

[5.0ALM]

#1st World Problems

Annoying that I spend over $150 which would qualify for free shipping, but no one store carries all the must-have brands. So this was spread between Waxit and Detail Store and therefore no free shipping.
I'm unlikely to buy from Waxit again, unless there are no other options, due to the tardy way they eventually dispatch orders.

A few odds and sods, all new to me...

I was never happy with the S650's windscreen haze after many attempts alternating between Bilt Hamber Trace-Less and Stoner's Invisible Glass. Both of these products simply could not cut through the haze.

I even resorted to trying Jif creme in the central part of the glass with an everyday cheapo Bunnings microfiber towel, which was effective and gave a pleasing result. (Please, nobody tell @DFB5.0 about the Jif! )

Hence, the Clarity Creme included in the latest round of ordering.
Shoulda woulda coulda done that in the first place.

I've never used a proper wax before such as the Collinte 845, so lot of reading of DFB's posts coming up.


New Years Resolution - early!

• I am not buying any more detailing products until I actually need them.

Rapidly running out of room on this 900 (W) x 400 (D) shelf, even before this latest lot squeezes in somewhere.

I'd also take this opportunity to point out that NY resolutions are mostly BS, and non-binding!

 

[bfets]

#1st World Problems

Annoying that I spend over $150 which would qualify for free shipping, but no one store carries all the must-have brands. So this was spread between Waxit and Detail Store and therefore no free shipping.
I'm unlikely to buy from Waxit again, unless there are no other options, due to the tardy way they eventually dispatch orders.

A few odds and sods, all new to me...

I was never happy with the S650's windscreen haze after many attempts alternating between Bilt Hamber Trace-Less and Stoner's Invisible Glass. Both of these products simply could not cut through the haze.

I even resorted to trying Jif creme in the central part of the glass with an everyday cheapo Bunnings microfiber towel, which was effective and gave a pleasing result. (Please, nobody tell @DFB5.0 about the Jif! )

Hence, the Clarity Creme included in the latest round of ordering.
Shoulda woulda coulda done that in the first place.

I've never used a proper wax before such as the Collinte 845, so lot of reading of DFB's posts coming up.


New Years Resolution - early!

• I am not buying any more detailing products until I actually need them.

Rapidly running out of room on this 900 (W) x 400 (D) shelf, even before this latest lot squeezes in somewhere.

I'd also take this opportunity to point out that NY resolutions are mostly BS, and non-binding!

You're going to love Collinte 845! It's quite durable for a wax and looks amazing. I'm doing PPF on my car, but if I wasn't, I would have probably just stuck to Collinte 845 and called it a day.

 

[DFB5.0]

#1st World Problems

Annoying that I spend over $150 which would qualify for free shipping, but no one store carries all the must-have brands. So this was spread between Waxit and Detail Store and therefore no free shipping.
I'm unlikely to buy from Waxit again, unless there are no other options, due to the tardy way they eventually dispatch orders.

A few odds and sods, all new to me...

I was never happy with the S650's windscreen haze after many attempts alternating between Bilt Hamber Trace-Less and Stoner's Invisible Glass. Both of these products simply could not cut through the haze.

I even resorted to trying Jif creme in the central part of the glass with an everyday cheapo Bunnings microfiber towel, which was effective and gave a pleasing result. (Please, nobody tell @DFB5.0 about the Jif! )

Hence, the Clarity Creme included in the latest round of ordering.
Shoulda woulda coulda done that in the first place.

I've never used a proper wax before such as the Collinte 845, so lot of reading of DFB's posts coming up.


New Years Resolution - early!

• I am not buying any more detailing products until I actually need them.

Rapidly running out of room on this 900 (W) x 400 (D) shelf, even before this latest lot squeezes in somewhere.

I'd also take this opportunity to point out that NY resolutions are mostly BS, and non-binding!

I'll excuse the Jiff, but that ArmorAll and bug solution HAS TO GO straight in the bin. See, you'd then have room for more.

With 845, just make sure you mask up or go easy around any black trims or rubber, it's old school and will stain those areas. Also, don't be surprised if you notice some haze the next day, this is normal as the solvents evaporate and the wax cures. On white, you may not notice this, but the next wash will remove it.

 

[5.0ALM]

I'll excuse the Jiff, but that ArmorAll and bug solution HAS TO GO straight in the bin. See, you'd then have room for more.

LOL!
This one?

It's an additive for the wiper/washer reservoir.

For bugs I have a bottle of Carpro BugOut hiding up the back, along with a Jersey bug scrubber.

With 845, just make sure you mask up or go easy around any black trims or rubber, it's old school and will stain those areas. Also, don't be surprised if you notice some haze the next day, this is normal as the solvents evaporate and the wax cures. On white, you may not notice this, but the next wash will remove it.

Noted!
Looking forward to trying this.

 

[DFB5.0]

LOL!
This one?

It's an additive for the wiper/washer reservoir.

For bugs I have a bottle of Carpro BugOut hiding up the back, along with a Jersey bug scrubber.


Noted!
Looking forward to trying this.

Yes, that one. I don't know, I just get nervous having that end up on the surrounding painted areas.

 

[5.0ALM]

Black Gas Door

Amongst other vinyl purchased, I wasn't sure if I would like this, but got it anyhow.
Matte black vinyl for the gas door.

Use the hairdryer to soften the vinyl and fold it over using you fingers and the squeegee.

I actually like it!
And I'm left wondering why the Black Pack doesn't have this as an accent.

As far as the hood spears went, that was an application disaster.
To be continued...

 

[5.0ALM]

Hood Spears

These vinyl hood spears were purchased along with the gas door vinyl and rocker panel graphics from a company in America on my my last work trip there three months ago.

This was one month before I took delivery of my S650, and were sitting here for two months before I found the courage to attempt the installation.

The car's hood was washed twice over three weeks with Carpro LIft (a high pH soap) to help remove the layer of Bead Maker, which if left on, would not help the graphics adhesion at all.
After that the area where the graphics would be applied were wiped down with Gyeon Prep and a TRC Eagle Edgeless 500 microfiber towel.

Application fluid used is AlbaChem Apply along with a felt edged squeegee.

A light spray of the application fluid over the target area allows you to position the vinyl just right. This is known as the "wet method", where you can slide the vinyl around to your liking.
A light spritz of the fluid is applied to the rear face of the vinyl as well.

It's a fairly straightforward process; spray with application fluid, place the vinyl down, tweak the position if required, and use the felt edge squeegee to squeegee out the fluid behind the vinyl.

A felt edge on the squeegee is mandatory to prevent scratching or marking the paint.
Also, not marking the vinyl having a gloss finish.

I do like the aggressive look these graphics provide, exaggerating the raised inner section of the hood.

Unlike the gas door which is a matte black, gloss black vinyl was chosen to match the gloss black heat extractor.

However....

It might look ok from a distance, but up close reveals a completely different, and frankly ugly picture.

Air bubbles.
And lots of them.

I obviously didn't squeegee down hard enough during the process.
Being my first time at this, I was paranoid about damaging the paint and gloss finish by excessive squeegee force even though a felt edged squeegee was being used.

And as much as I like the "MUSTANG" cutout, this proved very tricky to squeegee around the fine pieces of vinyl without them breaking off.

You have to catch these bubbles at the right angle relative to the light source, otherwise they can be difficult to see. A gloss vinyl doesn't help either.

Not being able to live with that, 30 hours later, they were removed.
I wasn't sure how easily these would pull off, but they came straight off without a problem.

The center of the "A" being an island required some manual intervention!

Needless to say, this was a severe blow to my confidence level in dealing with vinyl graphics. And I still have the rocker panel vinyl to tackle.

What didn't help was probably the fact that were sitting around for two months, and the vinyl appears to have shrunk a tad, as seen here, compared to the front-side backing which keeps the text cutout together.

So, don't dilly dally, and apply these things ASAP.

The gas door vinyl was quite straightforward in comparison.

Clean gas door, wipe with Gyeon Prep, spray application fluid, apply and position graphic, squeegee out fluid from underneath, fold over edges and hit it with the hair dryer for the roll formed edges.

I wont be naming or linking to the company that provided the vinyl, not wanting to tarnish their reputation at all.
It's not the products fault the hood spears came out so terrible... it's the guy who did the install.

I'll be giving hood spears another go in the future, but next time it wont have any text cutout, making the squeegee process less stressful, not having to contend with fine vinyl elements.

This is not as easy as it looks to get right.

 

[PTR GT]

Hood Spears

These vinyl hood spears were purchased along with the gas door vinyl and rocker panel graphics from a company in America on my my last work trip there three months ago.

This was one month before I took delivery of my S650, and were sitting here for two months before I found the courage to attempt the installation.

The car's hood was washed twice over three weeks with Carpro LIft (a high pH soap) to help remove the layer of Bead Maker, which if left on, would not help the graphics adhesion at all.
After that the area where the graphics would be applied were wiped down with Gyeon Prep and a TRC Eagle Edgeless 500 microfiber towel.

Application fluid used is AlbaChem Apply along with a felt edged squeegee.

A light spray of the application fluid over the target area allows you to position the vinyl just right. This is known as the "wet method", where you can slide the vinyl around to your liking.
A light spritz of the fluid is applied to the rear face of the vinyl as well.

It's a fairly straightforward process; spray with application fluid, place the vinyl down, tweak the position if required, and use the felt edge squeegee to squeegee out the fluid behind the vinyl.

A felt edge on the squeegee is mandatory to prevent scratching or marking the paint.
Also, not marking the vinyl having a gloss finish.

I do like the aggressive look these graphics provide, exaggerating the raised inner section of the hood.

Unlike the gas door which is a matte black, gloss black vinyl was chosen to match the gloss black heat extractor.

However....

It might look ok from a distance, but up close reveals a completely different, and frankly ugly picture.

Air bubbles.
And lots of them.

I obviously didn't squeegee down hard enough during the process.
Being my first time at this, I was paranoid about damaging the paint and gloss finish by excessive squeegee force even though a felt edged squeegee was being used.

And as much as I like the "MUSTANG" cutout, this proved very tricky to squeegee around the fine pieces of vinyl without them breaking off.

You have to catch these bubbles at the right angle relative to the light source, otherwise they can be difficult to see. A gloss vinyl doesn't help either.

Not being able to live with that, 30 hours later, they were removed.
I wasn't sure how easily these would pull off, but they came straight off without a problem.

The center of the "A" being an island required some manual intervention!

Needless to say, this was a severe blow to my confidence level in dealing with vinyl graphics. And I still have the rocker panel vinyl to tackle.

What didn't help was probably the fact that were sitting around for two months, and the vinyl appears to have shrunk a tad, as seen here, compared to the front-side backing which keeps the text cutout together.

So, don't dilly dally, and apply these things ASAP.

The gas door vinyl was quite straightforward in comparison.

Clean gas door, wipe with Gyeon Prep, spray application fluid, apply and position graphic, squeegee out fluid from underneath, fold over edges and hit it with the hair dryer for the roll formed edges.

I wont be naming or linking to the company that provided the vinyl, not wanting to tarnish their reputation at all.
It's not the products fault the hood spears came out so terrible... it's the guy who did the install.

I'll be giving hood spears another go in the future, but next time it wont have any text cutout, making the squeegee process less stressful, not having to contend with fine vinyl elements.

This is not as easy as it looks to get right.

From a distance it looks great, but I see what you mean with the bubbles! I work at a print shop and I know some vinyl stickers can be a nightmare to apply, even for an experienced installer.
Also, the sticker you apply on the bonnet will need to be high-grade (preferably air-release or wrap vinyl).
When we do car signs, we normally don't suggest stickers on the bonnet, because it gets the heat from the engine bay as well as facing up and getting direct UV exposure. Probably Hexis or Orafol are the better vinyl options but even from those brands, best to go with Polymeric Air-Release or Wrap vinyl (5-7years). Air release vinyls are a lot easier to apply (they have tiny air-channels, so when you use the squeegee, the air bubbles can escape. Not just sealed in)
Hope this helps for the next project

 

[N1T3MRE]

Hood Spears

These vinyl hood spears were purchased along with the gas door vinyl and rocker panel graphics from a company in America on my my last work trip there three months ago.

This was one month before I took delivery of my S650, and were sitting here for two months before I found the courage to attempt the installation.

The car's hood was washed twice over three weeks with Carpro LIft (a high pH soap) to help remove the layer of Bead Maker, which if left on, would not help the graphics adhesion at all.
After that the area where the graphics would be applied were wiped down with Gyeon Prep and a TRC Eagle Edgeless 500 microfiber towel.

Application fluid used is AlbaChem Apply along with a felt edged squeegee.

A light spray of the application fluid over the target area allows you to position the vinyl just right. This is known as the "wet method", where you can slide the vinyl around to your liking.
A light spritz of the fluid is applied to the rear face of the vinyl as well.

It's a fairly straightforward process; spray with application fluid, place the vinyl down, tweak the position if required, and use the felt edge squeegee to squeegee out the fluid behind the vinyl.

A felt edge on the squeegee is mandatory to prevent scratching or marking the paint.
Also, not marking the vinyl having a gloss finish.

I do like the aggressive look these graphics provide, exaggerating the raised inner section of the hood.

Unlike the gas door which is a matte black, gloss black vinyl was chosen to match the gloss black heat extractor.

However....

It might look ok from a distance, but up close reveals a completely different, and frankly ugly picture.

Air bubbles.
And lots of them.

I obviously didn't squeegee down hard enough during the process.
Being my first time at this, I was paranoid about damaging the paint and gloss finish by excessive squeegee force even though a felt edged squeegee was being used.

And as much as I like the "MUSTANG" cutout, this proved very tricky to squeegee around the fine pieces of vinyl without them breaking off.

You have to catch these bubbles at the right angle relative to the light source, otherwise they can be difficult to see. A gloss vinyl doesn't help either.

Not being able to live with that, 30 hours later, they were removed.
I wasn't sure how easily these would pull off, but they came straight off without a problem.

The center of the "A" being an island required some manual intervention!

Needless to say, this was a severe blow to my confidence level in dealing with vinyl graphics. And I still have the rocker panel vinyl to tackle.

What didn't help was probably the fact that were sitting around for two months, and the vinyl appears to have shrunk a tad, as seen here, compared to the front-side backing which keeps the text cutout together.

So, don't dilly dally, and apply these things ASAP.

The gas door vinyl was quite straightforward in comparison.

Clean gas door, wipe with Gyeon Prep, spray application fluid, apply and position graphic, squeegee out fluid from underneath, fold over edges and hit it with the hair dryer for the roll formed edges.

I wont be naming or linking to the company that provided the vinyl, not wanting to tarnish their reputation at all.
It's not the products fault the hood spears came out so terrible... it's the guy who did the install.

I'll be giving hood spears another go in the future, but next time it wont have any text cutout, making the squeegee process less stressful, not having to contend with fine vinyl elements.

This is not as easy as it looks to get right.

Don't panic too much, hated doing the plastics on the go karts.....always made sure there was a hairdyer/heat gun nearby and a good quality flat edge.

Took me ages to perfect and get right......but looked great from a distance

 

[5.0ALM]

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Just back from 9 days abroad with work, this time in Riyadh.

For an oil producing nation, there aren't many gas guzzlers to be found, and I only ever saw six Mustangs for the entire time.

I'd say half of the cars on the roads there are beaten up, and not cared for at all.

Driving skills appear to be extremely poor, lines on the road mean nothing, and watching peak hour traffic from inside a large bus is always entertaining! Not to mention the constant use of horns.

Parts left to dangle and trim pieces knocked off with minor collisions is a common sight.

In a dry country (in more ways than one! ) detailing is probably the last thing on peoples minds.

Have you ever tried to heard cats?
As a pedestrian, you need to have your wits about you. You will not find a group of bollards that are intact, which is a reflection of the driving chaos.

There was no signage out the front of this gas station displaying fuel prices.

But we can calculate the last fuel dispensed (either 95 or 91) worked out at SAR$2.18 per litre.
That's approx AUD$0.91 per litre folks.

Note keypad is all English.

Try pronouncing the name of this road in a hurry.
Go on, try it!

Couldn't wait to get back into the Emirates lounge in Dubai!

 

[Deano1978]

Interesting, it shows a difference in attitudes within the same region.

Hop over the border into UAE and there's plenty of car porn on offer.

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