For anyone in the area, theres an auto-x next weekend a the James Wood High School parking lot in Winchester. If you haven't been, Capital Driving Club is pretty much the bees knees of auto-x clubs - laid back, free food, lots of runs, etc.

As an extra incentive, you will bear witness to the fail that is me returning to actually doing something useful with my car.

Register

Terrible picture of the high school grounds:

The engine bay is most likely one of the heaviest soiled areas on your car especially when left neglected for thousands of miles. Proper cleansing and dressing of the motor keeps everything clean and beautiful looking and can be the perfect finishing touch to a properly detailed car.

In this write-up I will discuss and demonstrate the method that I use to clean and dress my client's motors as well as proper weatherstripping and seal care. (You'll see why their related shortly)

Most modern production cars now have electrical connections with rubber seals that seal off any outside water or moisture that might come in contact with the electrical connections. While this is all great and cool we still have to remember that not every single connection in your motor compartment is not 100% water proof.....but instead most likely water resistant. Important to NOTE- it all depends upon the type of motor!!

By carefully inspecting each part of the motor I am going to clean and carefully taking the proper safety precautions I have never had one problem after fully cleansing and dressing a motor.

**ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS make sure your motor is cool before cleaning! Use your judgement!
TIP- The night before you decide to clean your motor, pull it out into that perfect spot on the driveway so that way the next morning, she's bone cold and ready to go!

THE TOOLS:
- Brushes-
- It is your choice to go with whatever brush you choose, you can either pay up and get a soft boars/ horse hair brush such as a Swissvax Pneu or wheel brush or go the route I do- Purdy paint brush with tape around the metal part (to prevent scratching) - Since you are cleaning a motor, especially if its the first time you will see ALOT of soil in your brush....so you might destroy that beautiful brush in one or two cleanings.....just an FYI. For me (3-5 cars a week) its a cost savings to go with a Purdy or well built paint brush.

- Spray bottles- to hold your chemicals of course
- Latex or Nitrile gloves- remember to always wear protection....
- Leaf blower- after rinsing, crank it to 90 mph winds and blow out all the standing water
- Air compressor with nozzle- spray out the remaining standing water and connections after the leaf blower
- MF Towels- to dry and apply your dressing
- Applicator pad or foam brush- to apply your dressing as well
The two easiest (steal them from your mom's kitchen or your wives:
- Aluminum Foil (heavy duty)
- Saran wrap

THE PRODUCTS:
- It all depends upon which product you choose but when it comes down to it your going to choose between 3 different types of chemicals to use:
1) A cleaner- some sort of degreaser
2) A dressing or sealant for after- lets lock in that cleanliness
Optional:
3) For tougher/ HEAVY soiled areas you can also use an adhesive remover or a tar/bug spray such as Tarminator, take caution with these on brittle areas and around rubber materials!

THE PROCESS:
* REMEMBER TO PERFORM THIS ON A COOL TO THE TOUCH MOTOR
- I chose to use the Audi Q7 I detailed this past week as an example.
1) Look around your motor......see any electrical connections? Take note of them
2) Locate the alternator
3) Locate the air intake- is it open or is the filter exposed? If so, lets get that covered
Out of everything mentioned above I would ALWAYS suggest covering the alternator and air intake! Hydrolocking your motor is a great way to kill your weekend.

You will be surprised at hour much water you can soak your motor with and not have one problem...especially on newer cars with the newer connections.

COVERING YOUR ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS AND OTHER AREAS:
- Bring out the saran wrap and foil!
- First: wrap the connection or alternator with saran wrap, this should give you a tight seal
- Second: ON TOP of the saran wrap, layer it with some heavy duty foil
Both the saran wrap and foil can be molded to fit tightly/ wrap around the connection to form a great seal!

*Decals/ stickers- if you are concerned about a decal/ sticker that might get destroyed by a chemical.......tape it off! You can use a gentle tape such as blue painters tape or even better- 3M's green auto tape. If you are REALLY concerned about.....simply don't spray it down with your cleaner or water at all.

*Chrome/ brightwork- if you are unsure about some of your chrome, whether it might be bare aluminum or a delicate surface, wrap it off, tape it off or be careful not to hit that area! Remember that if you do get water or a chemical on it.....it's ok, you can follow up with a gentle metal polish afterwards.

Now that were all covered and all our electrical components of concern are wrapped and protected, lets begin the cleaning phase.

1) Spray on your chosen degreaser/ cleaner. I spray down the motor with a combination of Simple green diluted 3:1 and Zep Ctirus degreaser at 3:1 as well
- I spray on the degreasers first before first watering down the motor because I only want the citrus cleaner and SG to first attack and penetrate the dirt, soil and grease.
2) Wait 5-10 minutes
3) Sprits the motor real quick with a little bit of water
4) Use your chosen brushes and begin to agitate every soiled area
5) You can also keep your cleaner close by and add more as needed!
6) Rinse thoroughly with water
7) Pull out your leaf blower, blow dry thoroughly
8) Remove the saran wrap/ foil from all the areas
9) Using your air compressor, blow out the connections and small areas

*** IMPORTANT TIP/ TRICK***
- After removing everything and blowing dry the motor, leave the hood open and the vehicle in the shade
- Allow a minimum of 30 minutes to go by before starting the motor, the more time, the better
Why? - If any water did happen to rest on an electrical component, with time, the water will evaporate, allowing the motor to air dry is just another step towards preventing damage to the motor and an electrical nightmare.

Enough boring literature......Here are some demo pics!!

Motor before:









Application of Zep Citrus and SG:




My brush: Purdy paint brush (taped off the metal piece to prevent scratching)









After being fully agitated and cleaned, I then rinsed off the motor fully and then blew it dry with my electric leaf blower



Here is the attachment I use with my air compressor to then blow out the smallest areas....electrical components as well.



After letting the motor dry for around 2 hours further I then chose my dressing and sealant of choice

303 Aerospace Protectant
- A UV protectant dressing that seals and protects all plastic- WITHOUT the greasy mess.





Afters:








Weather stripping and seal care:

- Not only can you use Simple Green or a general degreaser to help cleanse the motor but the same products can also be used to clean and protect the rubber weather stripping and seals found underneath the hood, around the doors and in the trunk area.

First, gather a couple MF towels, your cleaner and your dressing/ sealer of choice. To prevent overspray, spray the cleaner directly onto an MF towel and wipe the seals. Follow up with a dry MF towel. Avoid doing this in direct sunlight as the cleaner might dry to a haze leaving behind a residue before you have the chance to wipe it clean with your dry MF towel.

After cleaning the seals, take a MF towel and spray your chosen dressing/ sealant of choice (303 in my case) and wipe down the seals. If they have never been treated before, you most likely will need 2 coats.

Tip- Pick up a foam brush from Home Depot and saturate it in your sealant/ dressing, weatherstripping will usually be folded and intricate, using a foam brush can allow you to reach every nook and cranny!

Why 303- It's more than just a dressing:
- An excellent UV protectant and dressing for vinyl, leather, rubber and plastic surfaces
- Leaves behind a beautiful matte finish that is not greasy, shiny or oily
- Treated surfaces resist dust, soiling, staining and also repel water
- Most commonly used on interior dashboards, center consoles, door trim, leather seats, and in the engine bay
- Works great on vinyl convertible tops, plastic rear windows, clear bras, and tonneau covers

Use on Rubber: Tires, neoprene, latex, door and trunk seals, weather-stripping, EPDM rubber roofs, CV boots, waders, wet suits. Vinyl:Convertible tops (and the clear vinyl windows), isinglass, marineseating, tonneau covers, car bras, covers, spa covers, pool covers.Inflatable boats: Hypalon, PVC and urethane blends. Gelcoat fiberglass: Boats, RV's, snowmobiles, jet ski's. Plastics, acrylics, polycarbonates: Lexan® and acrylic panels, windows, , windshields, covers. Carbon-fiber/resin composites: Fishing rods, "nude" bike frames. Finished leather: Upholstery, motorcycle leather, trim, tack, fine apparel. Pool & Patio: Plastic furniture (not fabric), pool inflatables, slides, covers. Sailcloth: Dacron® and monofilm.

So, not only will you now have a product that you can use on any seal or weatherstripping to properly seal and protect it from fading or cracking, 303 can be used on all exterior trim as well!
ITS A GREAT VERSATILE PRODUCT! The great thing- a little goes along way!

Note- I chose to only cover the alternator in this Audi write-up, I wanted to demonstrate how well the newer electrical connections found in most cars are today against water.

**Still don't feel like touching the motor with a garden hose? Is your motor already spotless or not in need of a complete cleaning? No problem.....
- You can still use the same brushes/ tools.....just subtract the hose.
- Using MF towels, have one designated towel full of a cleaner such as a degreaser or other wash media such as ONR (Optimum no rinse)
- Wipe the area with your cleaner or degreaser, then wipe dry.
- Follow up with your dressing or sealant of choice

Here are some cleaner/ degreaser products I would recommend: All VERY versatile products
- Zep Citrus (diluted)
- Simple Green (diluted)
- Optimum No Rinse
- Optimum Power clean (all purpose cleaner)
- P21s total auto wash
- 1z Einszett all purpose cleaner- Blitz
- Chemical guys grime reaper

Dressing/ sealants:
- 303 aerospace protectant
- Prima Nero Dressing
- Adams Super VRT
- Adams in and out spray

Metal/ brightwork polishing:
- Eagle one Nevr Dull wadding- gentle yet effective cleaner
- Adams metal polish
- P21s polishing soap
- Mothers mag/ aluminum

Cheers guys!

Where is a good place to source the generic size coolant hoses. The one that go to the throttle body and what not/?

LEGAL BIT  This info is provided as is where is and without any warranty or promise of fitness for any particular purpose. It is provided by me free of charge and is used at your own discretion and risk. If you do not know how to work with 12v electrical systems you should take you car to a licensed mechanic or dealer for work. Always fuse any 12v source with a proper fuse and make covered and proper connections to prevent fire. Once again using this data is at your own risk and any result is solely your responsibility. Unless it works then it is all meYAY ME!

Ok boys and girls, it has come to my attention that it might be useful for there to be a guide to relays here on this site to help out folks who might be using them to run high current accessories in their automobiles.

Q- What is a relay?

A- A relay is an electro-mechanical device that employs a tiny 12v solenoid to make an electrical connection across a contact. The most basic is a 30/40amp relay that can constantly flow 30(normally closed)/40(normally open) amps.

Basic benefits to a relay
1. Run high current devices that would burn out most switches. (Amps are key here. AC amps and DC amps are different. Running AC rated switches is not the answer)
2. Remotely switch certain devices so high current 12v does not need to be run through the car or to a specific location.
3. Trigger 12v devices with a ground rather than 12v. (smaller wire and less fire risk)
4. Install multiple switches on the same device (using ground and 12v.)
5. Consolidate high current 12v sources to one place and switch it via a relay bank.
6. Run smaller (and cheaper!) switches and wire

Q- Jeff, why would I need to use a relay anyway? Why not just run 12V though a switch to my lights (fuel pump, heated seat, power window, vibrating dildo, etc)?

A- A relay allows you to do what we in the business call "low side driving." Basically switches do not like to handle large amounts of 12v AMPERAGE. So when you are running say lights...or a large vibrating dildo you might discover this causes lots of heat to build up in your switch and may eventually cause failure. The answer here is to run a relay to handle the high current load (high side) and drive it with a lower current (low side) driver circuit.

NOTE ÔÇô As stated above the situation you are fighting here is too many amps for the switch. You may see your switch is rated for 20 amps on an AC circuit and say ÔÇ£IÔÇÖll just run thatÔÇØ but the problem is DC current is harder on switches then AC. You should probably not be loading that switch with much more then 10-15 amps of DC load.

Q- Ok, so I want to run some relays. How should I do it and what do I need?

A- Well, this is a question with many answers and I will try to outline some of those here now. You will need a basic 30/40amp relay which should service MOST any need that does not come with its own specialty dedicated relay (like a winch or starter or something large like that). I will outline the ways to wire a relay after I give you some basic theory as I see it.

Basic Relay theory
A relay should be thought of as a valve. Current comes in one side and runs out of another. The lever on this valve is the solenoid. The lever can either be normally (at rest) open or normally closed; so with either current flowing all the time until you ask for different or not. The lever is moved by its own lower load 12v circuit. This circuit is a simple power and ground that can be provided by any rated switch. Further it can be provided by either switching its ground component or its 12v component or even both for a very versatile setup. The standard 5 contact relay can function as a normally open or normally closed relay, however there is such a thing as a 4 contact relay and most of these are of the normally open (provide switch for current) type. The contacts on a relay have a standard numbering system. The flows can be reversed with no affect on function.



Here is the basic layout of a 5 pin relay. On a 4 pin 87a the normally closed contact would not be present. 87(87a) and 30 are the high side. This is where the heavy current running your device flows. I use 30 as my output ALWAYS because it keeps me straight. This is not always the case though. 87 and 87a can also be outputs. If current is flowing in to 87 it will come out of 30 when the relay is energized, if it is flowing to 87a it will come out when the relay is not energized and stop flowing when it is. 85 and 86 are the contacts for the solenoid. These may be wired in either direction for either form of trigger. Ground one and send 12v to the other (positive trigger) or send constant 12v to one and ground the other (negative trigger) however you need. The following diagrams attempt to explain the two types of triggering systems for a relay in a graphical form. Notice I do not label any of the other terminals. It is easily explained that what comes in 87 (ground or 12v) come out of 30 when the trigger is on and what comes in 87a comes out of 30 when the trigger is not on.





This is a basic guide and explanation. If you need any further help or there are further questions I will make diagrams for each instance. They can also be found at <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.the12volt.com">www.the12volt.com</a><!-- w --> If someone has more complex needs please let me know and I will do my best to explain.

Selling three $1000 gift certificates for the Bob Bondurant Race School in Phoenix, AZ. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bondurant.com/">http://www.bondurant.com/</a><!-- m -->

These are open date certificates that must be used no later then November 1, 2012 for your choice of any of their multi-day schools. Up to three certificates can be used for one school booking. Call well ahead to schedule a date. Not refundable and not redeemable for cash. Transferrable to another person or another course of equal or greater value. May not be combined with any other gift certificate.

Buy one certificate for $600. ($400 off)
Buy two certificates for $ 1100. ($900 off)
Buy three certificates for $1500. ($1500 off)

Validity of the certificates can be confirmed prior to purchase with Bondurant.

Shot in the dark post here but I figured why not.

In like new condition - never used for practice or to cut anything. $50 OBO.

Happy almost fourth of July everyone, hope everyone has a good weekend!

Yesterday's client had me perform a Basic (enhancement) Int./Ext. detail on their families Audi Q7 which has never been detailed and was in need of some attention.
Sorry for the lack of pics- hard to remember to take pics while your hauling ass to get done on time

Vehicle- Audi Q7
Time to complete- 8 hours
Full Basic Int./ Ext. package
Paint sealant application
Full motor clean and dress

Interior:
ShopVac
Pre-spray with Folex
All interior carpets and mats extracted
Zep high traffic carpet cleaner
Leatherique Rejuvenator Oil Left on for 3 hours
Lexol pH cleaner
Zep citrus 3:1 / Simple Green 3:1
Swissvax Pneu & Leather brush

Exterior:
2-bucket decontamination wash
Uber Fine Clay
2-bucket wash repeated
Chemical Guys Maxi Suds
Sonax FE wheel cleaner in Conj. w/ Aquartz Fe Cut
Aquartz Fe Cut
Bleche White (sidewalls)
Zep Citrus 3:1
303 protectant for the trim
LSP- Blackfire Wet diamond paint sealant

Motor:
Zep Citrus 1:1
Various brushes
Dressed with 303 protectant
Underside of hood clayed
Jams as well as underside sealed with BFWD as well

Befores:

















Some during shots: (again sorry for the randomness of shots, I did not have my friend who usually photographs every process!)











Motor blown dry dressed with 303 Protectant:









Underside of hood clayed and sealed with BFWD paint sealant as well:


While allowing the Leatherique Rejuvenator sit for over 2 hours, I fully vacuumed out the vehicle with the help of my air compressor. The carpet and mats were pre-treated with Folex and extracted with a hot water/ zep high traffic cleaner solution. All the interior plastic and trim was degreased and cleaned with Simple Green, Zep Citrus and an assortment of different brushes. The leather was also followed up with Lexol pH cleaner after first removing the Rejuvenator oil and then treated with a conditioner.

Misc. Interior shots:



Interior was finished up and the decontamination wash began.
Sonax FE and Aquartz Fe Cut in the drums doing their thing:





After Shots:





























Thanks for looking!
Cheers!

I finally decided it was time to make a project thread for the new Scooby since the project forum seems to be getting over populated with Miatas and M3s these days and I figure a little more variety wouldn't hurt.

Some of you guys knew it was time to finally step up to the big leagues from the WRX and I had been looking for an Sti for some time now. I searched for a couple of months and was about to go down to Atlanta to pick one up and stumbled across this one on Craigslist. It was exactly what I was looking for and was 2 miles from my house. So, we struck up a deal and I couldn't be happier.

Specs:
2006 54k on the clock
1 previous owner (a mature owner at that)
Garage kept

Quick rundown of the noteworthy mods-

Engine:
Cobb APv2 protuned by EFI Logics - 298whp/329wtq in 5th gear on a DynaPack
APS full 3ÔÇØ catted TBE
SPT intake
AMR TMIC

Suspension/brake:
Prodrive lowering springs
24mm Whiteline adjustable swaybars
Kartboy endlinks
Whiteline strut braces
Hawk HPS pads

Wheels/tires:
Stock silver BBS - Pirelli Winter Carving
18x8.5 Prodrive GT1 anthracite - Star Specs


A few crappy pics from the seller's ad




Autox at Verona less than 24 hours after picking the car up from the seller :twisted:


Plans:
Lots of autocross and to have an extremely fun and enjoyable DD, maybe a few hyperdrives in the fall. Looking to do forged pistons and big snail in the next couple months hopefully.

Anyone ever thought of making a wiki site for MM? Seems like we have all kinds of tech know-how that could go in there.

Alright so im parting out the interior of my dove gray 1999 M3. Dont hestiate to ask if you want something, I even have small clips, pieces, sound insulation, etc. Pictures are up, and prices are best offer! Here are the parts remaining:

Sunroof Motor

Passenger front Airbag

Driver+Passenger side airbags

Driver+Passneger F+R Dove gray door cards

Grey Carpet, just cut near h eater core (cut hidden under center console)

Rear Fold-Down Dove Gray Seats with bottom portion as well

Rear Dove Gray "wings"

Rear Dove Gray Headrests

Black A/B/C Pillars with lights

All 4 coupe "oh shit" handles black

Rear black seatbelt latches

Rear Gray "bookshelf"

Gray in perfect condition spare cover

Battery Tray Cover thingamajig

Trunk carpet felt

Entire rear BMW Tool set, only missing lug bolt feeder

Black mat for between rear seats and trunk

black underpanel with light driver's side

All the little clips/random interior bolts, etc.

Anything else just ask!



adding... Pictures are also available here and MORE!!

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/D_Eclipse9916/">http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/D_Eclipse9916/</a><!-- m -->