First Detail - Adamized the Raptor

[Nick@Apollo-Optics]

I think the pressure washer and foam cannon are a very important part to washing without getting swirls or scratches. They help get as much dirt and crud off of the paint before you actually touch it with the wash pad. The foam from the cannon then creates plenty of suds to keep the remaining dirty from doing any harm. It is almost impossible to get that much sudsy action just using a bucket since the wash pad only holds so much and a lot of it falls off before you even get to the truck.

I agree with you. I'm meticulous about using the two-bucket method and proper washing techniques. But even still after a year of ownership, TRR events, local off-roading trips, I still had some slight swirl marks. It's nothing that the polisher didn't knock out quickly, but still, I hate paint correcting. I'm looking at some Karcher pressure washers and will probably bite the bullet this month. I need to do it while I can take advantage of the winter sale on Autogeek.net as well.

 

[TheWolf]

I like to use about a 30% mixture of shampoo to 70% water in the foam cannon. You get about a half inch of foam on your truck and it stays on the truck longer as you use the wash mitt.

That's a pretty rich mix, about 10oz of shampoo. I hope you're buying that stuff by the gallon. I will have to give that a try and see how much more foam I get.

 

[RAPTORSV]

That's a pretty rich mix, about 10oz of shampoo. I hope you're buying that stuff by the gallon. I will have to give that a try and see how much more foam I get.

Yes, I buy everything by the gallon, it's the only way to go! I have a gallon of Adams, but haven't tried it yet. I still have some of the Chemical Guys Honeydew left, but as soon as it's done. Chemical guys have some videos on Youtube, and this stuff makes crazy amounts of foam, very slippery to on the paint, so I think it provides great protection against swirls that it could get with the wash mitt.

 

[TheWolf]

A few weeks ago I gave the floor mats a hot-water pressure wash, then scrubbed them with Adam's All Purpose Cleaner and then a good rinse.





Let them dry overnight in the garage and then put on a coat of In & Out Spray.



After drying overnight, they were a little too slippery and after a week the smell of baby powder was still too strong for me. So I scrubbed them again, let them dry overnight and then tried Total Interior Detailer. I put on a heavy coat of it and used a towel to even it out. Let it dry for a few hours and then applied another coat. Dried overnight and found that it was not as slippery and the scent was not too strong and was mostly gone after a few days.

After trying both products, I like the Total Interior Detailer better. Both added some protection against footprints and giving them a quick wipe with a towel that was sprayed with Total Interior Detailer made for easier touch-up cleanings.

 

[TheWolf]

Last month, I decided to try the Adam's Leather Conditioner on the OEM floor mats. I gave them a scrub with All Purpose Cleaner and rinsed with the hot-water pressure washer, then let them dry overnight.

I used their interior brush to spread the product around, getting it into the ribs. Applied a few coats, allowing some time for it to soak in, then wiped off the excess.



Once dry, this product was about the same level of slippery as the Total Interior Detailer, but I found that they were easier to wipe down when moderately dirty. Seems like the Leather Conditioner provided a better layer of protection, and the dirt just sat on top where it was easy to wipe off.

Here is the mat that is a little dirty from just DD use. Obviously, if it was covered in mud, it would need to be pressure washed and scrubbed, but that takes much more time.



I vacuumed first to remove anything loose.



Put some Leather Conditioner on a shop towel and then wiped them down.



The mats finished up looking nice.



And the towel is left with the dirt.



Overall, I think the Leather Conditioner works the best for protecting the floor mats, and I prefer the scent over the other products that I tried.

 

[Wilson]

I just let mine sit so it don't get dirty

 

[TheWolf]

FRF Sticker - 0
Adam's Glass Sealant - 2

A year ago, I went to put the FRF sticker on my new truck but did not think about the glass sealant I had applied a few weeks earlier. Vinyl would not even come of the transfer paper, I then messed it up and threw it in the garbage.

On my second attempt, for the first Raptor birthday, I cleaned the glass really good 3-4 times with Isopropyl Alcohol. The vinyl did stick to the glass this time, but it only lasted two weeks before starting to fall off during a wash.

That Adam's Glass Sealant works too damn good!

 

[Deleted member 12951]

@TheWolf, stop cleaning your damn raptor! Trust us, dirt will stick to it, it likes it.

 

[TheWolf]

@TheWolf, stop cleaning your damn raptor! Trust us, dirt will stick to it, it likes it.

I can't stop...its a sickness!

It does get dirty, then I wash it, then it gets dirty again, then I wash it...

This black Raptor just looks too freakin' awesome when it is clean and shiny. And I am addicted to all the scents of these Adam's products, garage always smells like a candy store.

 

[Jimbo]

I just want to drive to WA, just so @TheWolf can detail my truck, lol.