Above 1200 Sq/FT DFB's Garage

[D.F.B]

Just finished reading through your thread, so I apologize if I missed it somewhere along the way, but have you taken a look at the low-rise lifts? Perfect for getting your cars up off the floor and no worries of sending it into the ceiling. Cheap end of the scale is around 1k USD, and high end is probably in the stratosphere, not sure what pricing in Oz would be since I am just a dirty Seppo!

Any suggestions for a super durable coating that is inexpensive for large quantities? I need to polish and wax my RV, but its 11.5 meters long if I did the conversion correctly. 38 feet per side, then there is the nose and tail to contend with, it takes a lot of time and a lot of product to handle the job. I've read some people online using commercial floor wax on the exterior since it lasts for quite a while, looks good if applied properly, and doesn't break the bank. Then there are the nay-sayers, who think it is an incredibly silly idea.

The painted portion is in decent shape, needs to be polished for sure, but the fiberglass unpainted sections are in rough condition. The previous owner told me he used 30-second outdoor cleaner, even offered me the jug he had been using, which explains the fiberglass and vinyl decals looking poorly. Going to grab some P&S Clarity Creme next time I am in town, local shop stocks their line thankfully so no shipping to deal with. Would you say there is any benefit to this over just using some Stoner's glass cleaner? That's my usual go-to for windows.

While I have looked at this on and off over the years, I haven't pursued a lift mainly because of the low ceiling height of my garage. Trust me, I want a lift, but I'd also want it flush mounted so that it doesn't lock in/out a particular space in the garage, not to mention tairing up concrete to make it happen. I've also looked at Quick Jacks, but I'm not sure I could deal with all the hoses strewn around the car or the heft.

Bulk coating? To be honest, I wouldn't know where to send you. I'd say it would be something you would have to research extensively, maybe reach out to an RV dealer to see what they offer and where they get it from. While it won't give the longevity of a real coating, but something like 303 Touchless Sealant, Carpro Hydr02 or Gyeon Wet Coat would be a quick and easy way to get something on the vehicle, and because of that speed and ease, applying it more often wouldn't be too hard. These are applied after you have washed the vehicle, misted on a section then rinsed immediately. The water distributes and activates the product, and should give you a couple of months protection. I'd favor Carpro Hydr02, in particular the concentrate version as you can mix it up as needed. They also offer Hydr02 Lite which is the premix, and Hydr02 Foam is a combined soap/protectant.

Skys The Limit Car Care

Sky’s the Limit Car Care provides high-quality car cleaning products to make your cars shine. We offer compounds, protectants, pro detailing products, and more.

www.carpro-us.com

As for P&S Clarity Creme, that is a glass specific polish, not a glass cleaner like Stoner's. The reason for using Clarity Creme centers removing mineral deposits (water spots) and (very) minor imperfections. Think of it as a deep cleaning agent to reset the finish. You then maintain that with the Stoners.

 

[moab11]

The nice thing about the quick jack is that you can disconnect the hoses once the lift is raised and set on the locks. The locking arms hold all of the weight, no pressure on the hydraulics.

 

[Geoff289]

I find my Quickjack pretty good. I also don't have the ceiling height for a two or four post hoist and, even if I did, wouldn't want those posts in the way all the time when it wasn't being used.

I put some small casters on the QJ frames which makes them easy to move around and position correctly under the car. That might not work on your flooring, though. On the other hand the frames would probably slide better on your flooring.

I "store" the frames side by side under one of the cars, i.e. within the track of the vehicle which means they effectively take up no space at all in the garage.

 

[Dixie_Flatline]

Thanks for the response! We have a commercial truck wash place called Blue Beacon, when I was a trucker I called it the Streakin Beakin, and they use some pretty powerful stuff to clean the trucks. Thought about running it through there so they can just strip everything off with their acid washes! 3M has their Perfect-It line for marine applications, figure if its good for gel coated fiberglass boat hulls then the fiberglass sides of the camper would benefit. Just getting it polished is going to take me days of work, which is why I was wondering about some bulk ceramic coatings because I would hate to put in all that work just for the elements to erase it in short order!

Now, I don't know about you, but I think that gorgeous pony was well worth the wait! It looks fast just sitting there in the garage. Gotta be honest, I would be nervous driving it because I would be afraid to mess up the paint! I do a lot of highway driving and the front of my vehicles get beat up, then there are the door dings I pick up in parking lots in spite of not parking next to people. About a month ago I had someone scrape my front bumper while I was inside a store, so having a car I really love would make me a nervous wreck!

 

[D.F.B]

Confession, I hadn't driven the Mustang in a week. After being washed last Saturday, the car sat on Sunday and Monday while I attended to some of my private jobs, I then jumped into polishing on Tuesday. It then sat in the garage all week as I continued working on the car. I wanted to do all that before driving the car too much, get it polished and protected from new. So, after work, I got in the car with no other reason to just DRIVE!

So, after yesterday I was pretty deflated by the TPMS thing. But..................I climbed into be late last night and had a brainwave. I got out of bed and went and found the folder I kept on the S550. I know this will come as a surprise to many, , but I keep invoices and records for all my cars. Flipping through the folder, I found the invoice for the TPMS sensors I ordered back in 2021 from my local dealer.





So, I had the correct parts all along. It would seem all Australian Mustang's come with the 433 MHz frequency. So, today's little drive was also about verifying this discovery. And to my sheer delight, no TPMS Fault Light, and the sensors automatically sync'd to the vehicle. Yes, they are a little high, they were pressured for storage, but that obviously changed.



I can also confirm the Bang & Olufsen sound system rocks! It's got the balls to out thump all the cars in my fleet, second place going to the XR6 and third to the Meridian system in Jaguar..................which is sort of not what you would expect, the Jag lacking a sub to bring some thump to the party. Last place? The XR8, even my single cab ranger with 4 speakers will out volume that, and that's despite it being the "Premium" system with a sub-woofer, its just super muddy with no bass or clarity. The B&O has plenty of volume and bass headroom, my usual song for stereo testing sounded amazing! So, I have two sound systems to listen to in this car, both active in the images above and below.............if you catch my drift.



And it has to be that version for the transcendent guitar riff at the end by Danielle Haim. Imagine having that sort of talent, killer vocals, killer guitar skills, killer drummer. I slipped that song into the music track list at work, every time it would come on it would make me smile and made a wonderful difference to all the stodgy tracks that pepper that playlist.

Or this compilation of nothing but the final sequence to that song live.................

I'm so bummed I missed their last visit to Australia. I discovered them only a month before they were here, I then looked to see what their current tour listing was and discovered I missed the show by a day. I would have gone to that 100%. It makes a difference to my usual preference of syrupy pop music by certain female singers.

 

[D.F.B]

Thanks for the response! We have a commercial truck wash place called Blue Beacon, when I was a trucker I called it the Streakin Beakin, and they use some pretty powerful stuff to clean the trucks. Thought about running it through there so they can just strip everything off with their acid washes! 3M has their Perfect-It line for marine applications, figure if its good for gel coated fiberglass boat hulls then the fiberglass sides of the camper would benefit. Just getting it polished is going to take me days of work, which is why I was wondering about some bulk ceramic coatings because I would hate to put in all that work just for the elements to erase it in short order!

Now, I don't know about you, but I think that gorgeous pony was well worth the wait! It looks fast just sitting there in the garage. Gotta be honest, I would be nervous driving it because I would be afraid to mess up the paint! I do a lot of highway driving and the front of my vehicles get beat up, then there are the door dings I pick up in parking lots in spite of not parking next to people. About a month ago I had someone scrape my front bumper while I was inside a store, so having a car I really love would make me a nervous wreck!

A constant concern with any of my cars, a blessing and curse rolled into one.

 

[D.F.B]

Magneride, Ride Comfort and General Refinement!

One of the first things I noticed driving the S650 Mustang was the improved cabin refinement. First and foremost, I highly doubt those shopping for a Mustang place much importance on hushed road noise or a pillowy ride. Still, these are grand tourers, improvements in this space will be welcomed by those who enjoy longer journeys. There are two main areas that contribute to this improved refinement.

Firstly, Ford seem to have used more sound deadening material, most obvious by the now fully carpeted wheel arch liners. On the S550, only the rear wheel arches had the carpet liners, but for S650, the fronts arches now have it too. This is clearly noticeable in the lower road and tyre noise. Yes, having wide tyres means more noise, but S650 has improved noticeably in this area.





Researching this post, I came across what Ford calls Active Pothole Mitigation. “Active Pothole Mitigation continuously monitors steering and brake input, the vehicle body, and suspension, then adjusts the suspension to respond to the changes.” I could not find reference to this feature applying to cars with Magneride, only that it was standard on vehicles with the Performance Pack.

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2022/09/14/2024-ford-mustang-reveal.html

Backtracking for a second, my early build S550 had quite a bit of jounce at low speeds, but then turned a little soft at speed. Typically, those two elements don’t go hand in hand, so it’s remarkable Ford managed to deliver a hard ride and a lack of body control. Go figure. I wasn’t the only one to noticed this, so Ford made significant ride and handling advances with the updated 2018+ S550 update, be that with or without Magneride.

While I haven’t driven a S650 without it, the Magneride adaptive dampers contribute to the improved ride comfort when comparing old and new. I realise this is an expensive option, $2950 and bundled with red painted Brembo calipers, but I feel it's something you should be including on your order. At the very least, I think you want Magneride for its ability to calm the ride at lower speeds, ideal for long distance touring or around town driving. When the mode takes you there, you can then ramp things up to suit.

With Magneride, you have the option of the following settings -

Normal – Default factory setting.
Sport – Slightly stiffer suspension with emphasis on handling and control.
Track – Maximum emphasis on handling and control.
Drag – Maximizes shock performance for drag strip environments.







These damper settings are linked with the base drive modes (Slippery, Normal, Sport, Track, Drag). You can then create and store a custom mode by using a base drive mode, which will give you a preset damper setting, engine response, transmission calibration and steering effort. From here, you can then change the steering and exhaust modes, cluster theme, even code-out the auto-stop-start. Up to 6 custom modes can be created, activated via the main screen, with the last custom mode selected also available via the toggle buttons on the steering wheel. You could also program the favorite button next to the volume dial to quickly select you custom driving mode without delving into the menus, although I have that set to activate the Track exhaust.







What you can't do is separate the various presets built into the base drive mode. For example, you can't have Sport dampers with Race throttle and transmission response. To be fair, it's confusing enough as it is without making those choices as well.

At the moment, I’m running with the normal base mode, Track exhaust, auto-stop-start deactivated, and the Comfort steering. On the roads I like to explore the envelope, the road surfaces are in fair condition, so Sport or Track dampers would be the choice, most likely with the comfort steering. Why comfort steering? Because I don’t care for heavy steering, and that’s in any car and not necessarily Mustang’s. Comfort seems to make the car feel more agile. More on this in a later post.

Overall, the S650 is a quieter and more refined vehicle, Magneride taking it to a new level.

 

[Dixie_Flatline]

My Expedition has those same carpeted liners, my only complaint is they can hold a couple pounds of grime! I swear the last time I gave it a wash the gunk just continued to flow out, it took a lot of pressure washing to dislodge everything. Of course, some of the fault may be my own. I use some Meg's Hyper Dressing on them so maybe that's causing them to hold onto debris? Regardless, I do agree they do make for a more quiet ride. I've never experienced the Magneride, but do have CCD on my vehicle and its amazing what a difference just swapping modes makes. Comfort and this thing rides smooth, but it wallows and bounces like a boat...but then again it is a barge. Sport really tightens things up, and a corner that I wouldn't dare take above 30mph in comfort mode suddenly seems like its daring me to try it faster, saying give it a boot full and go for it. How much of the Nanny can you switch off in the new system? Does track mode actually eliminate them, or is it just a watered down version?

 

[D.F.B]

While I'm most likely leaving the HP wheels on the car, I still wanted to tidy up the PP wheels I removed last week. These presented well, but once removed, the barrels were jacked up pretty bad. This is pretty remarkable considering the wheels have done less that 120km's.

The first job was to get them clean. After soaking with Gyeon Iron, and a surprising amount of iron reaction, they were rinsed and washed using undiluted Brake Buster. Tyre side walls front and back hit with Carpro ReTyre.



Now, I say "jacked up" because of how the rear wheels were covered in that pointless black paint Ford thinks is a great idea to be spraying on brand new cars. If these were going back on the car, I would be very annoyed and disappointed. Yes, you don't ordinarily see the barrels, but that's not the point. I have also seen cars where this paint ended up misted across the black side skirts and painted lower sills and doors. To be brutally honest, this is completely unacceptable. Why should you be needing to remove this stuff from visible parts of the car of a brand-new car, let alone having it caked all over the underside.







This paint doesn't seem to be very durable and appears to dissolve with the aid of a solvent. On the exhaust tips, I used KCx Eulex, but on these matte wheels I used Eulex M, which was designed to be safe on matte surfaces. I found wiping the barrel with the EUM, then allowed to dwell before coming back with more EUM and working the surface until the paint lifted into the towel. I didn't bother removing it from the rear sidewall ledge, it was smothered in the stuff. And the tyre sidewall.



Two completely ruined towels!



Afterwards, I then re-washed these two wheels with Brake Buster to remove the Eulex residue. They came up well, 98% removal. I plan to coat the wheels tomorrow, if nothing more than extra practice, then into storage.

And for those wondering, this video shows how cars are "prepared" for export, zone in on the 4.55 min mark. The two workers look like they were being careful for the cameras -

Just a warning when using Eulex -

This stuff is a potent solvent, so it's important to use it in well-ventilated spaces. This is especially important with the base Eulex, the M version is less volatile, but still packs a punch. Wear gloves and expect to bin the towel you use it with. Rinse or neutralize the treated surfaces after use. Also, the base Eulex has a very high evaporation rate, so put the cap back on between applications.

Having said that, I believe both are worth having, they were designed for heavy duty tar and adhesive removal above and beyond what TEA, Orange Power and Fleckenwasser can achieve.
Eulex -
Eulex Eu - Powerful Adhesive & Stain Remover - KCX Australia
Koch Chemie EU - Eulex Glue, Tar, Tree Sap, Oil Remover
Koch-Chemie - Eulex | The Rag Company

Eulex M -
Koch-Chemie Eulex M - Adhesive Remover - KCX AUS
Koch Chemie Eulex M Eum Glue & Tree Sap Remover

 

[D.F.B]

My Expedition has those same carpeted liners, my only complaint is they can hold a couple pounds of grime! I swear the last time I gave it a wash the gunk just continued to flow out, it took a lot of pressure washing to dislodge everything. Of course, some of the fault may be my own. I use some Meg's Hyper Dressing on them so maybe that's causing them to hold onto debris? Regardless, I do agree they do make for a more quiet ride. I've never experienced the Magneride, but do have CCD on my vehicle and its amazing what a difference just swapping modes makes. Comfort and this thing rides smooth, but it wallows and bounces like a boat...but then again it is a barge. Sport really tightens things up, and a corner that I wouldn't dare take above 30mph in comfort mode suddenly seems like its daring me to try it faster, saying give it a boot full and go for it. How much of the Nanny can you switch off in the new system? Does track mode actually eliminate them, or is it just a watered down version?

Yeah, those carpet liners are a double-edged sword.

Changing the drive mode doesn't remove the safety nannies, for the most part. Race mode does automatically disable the traction control though. However, in custom mode you can turn off the auto-stop-start system or disable the traction/stability control, which means when you select a custom mode, you don't have to go through and turn everything off individually. Not that I recommend turing off the stability control, there is no need on public roads.

I went through and programmed the six custom mode preset. One had everything set to ATTACK, most were a combination of "Normal" or "Sport" base drive mode ( which alters the dampers, steering, throttle & transmission response), then changing the default steering to Comfort, and then either Sport or Race exhaust modes.

 

[D.F.B]

Steering!

For S650, Ford made several changes to the steering system to improve responsiveness, teamed it with a new flat bottom wheel.

To start, Ford added a cross-car beam to improve chassis/body rigidity, less flex in this department helps deliver a more stable platform for the steering to work with. The steering shaft was redesigned and works with a faster 15.5:1 ratio. These major changes also meant recalibration for each model in the lineup. The quicker ratio and reduced compliance from the steering wheel to the tire means faster and more direct response. Like S550, drivers have the choice of three steering effort modes.

The very first thing you notice with S650 is the new flat-bottom steering wheel. For EcoBoost and GT, this new wheel is leather wrapped, with the outer ring finished in solid leather, the inner rim with perforated leather. For Darkhorse, there is solid leather on outer rim, the inner features “Performance Suede” inserts, capped off by Indigo Blue stitching instead of black. While it was briefly available on S550, Ford have reintroduced a heating function on S650 steering wheels, no doubt handy in winter. The wheel is overloaded with buttons, but that’s modern cars for you. For vehicles with the 10R80 automatic, you also get small plastic paddle shifters in a satin aluminum finish. In the future, I may look at adding extensions to improve reachability while cornering.





Those are the specs, but what impresses most is the quality feel of this new steering wheel. Compared to my early-build S550, the leather used here is softer and less glossy, making it a pleasure to hold. I also like the smaller diameter and thicker padding. While there was some theatre twirling that huge, thin S550 wheel, it made the car less modern and more retro. This S650 steering wheel is the best I have used since those lovely Momo wheels used on the AU Falcon, with honorable mention to the FPV-style wheel.





We now arrive at probably the most controversial aspect of the S650, how the steering “feels”. Upon release, most media outlets heavily criticized the new steering. Most complained about it being too light, almost all about how it lacked feel. With a Mustang, neither S550 nor S650 have much feel through the steering wheel. To mask this to some degree, Ford offers three steering “effort” modes, Comfort, Normal and Sport.

Normal – Developed to complement vehicle response during daily driving.

Sport – Slightly less assist and damping for improved steering feel during spirited driving.

Comfort – Slightly more assist for driver preference and daily driving ease.

The steering effort selection is dependent on the current drive mode, but the default steering mode can be altered and stored within the Custom mode presets. For example, you can select Normal base mode, then change the steering to Comfort. To access steering mode selection, you can do it by a button on the steering wheel, or via the My Mustang button and then Custom Modes.





All these modes do is increase/decrease the steering weight, not actual feedback filtering through to the drivers' hands. For me, on both S550 and S650, I prefer the Comfort setting for how it makes the car appear more agile and responsive. Sport and Normal modes in comparison make the car feel lazy. So, long story short, Comfort makes the car more responsive, Track makes the car feel heavy and uninterested in turning.

DFB RANT TIME -

I’m not sure who decided “sporty” steering should equate to a heavy feel, but I don’t agree with that. Heavy steering reminds me of the truly horrible steering Holden used on VT – VZ Commodores. With Holden pushing its race-car image, they gave the cars heavy steering to give the impression of a sportier car. All this did was mask the ancient suspension design or highlighted it depending on who you ask. The equivalent Falcon’s in comparison had much lighter steering, which most non-car people thought was a weak point. If there is one area where Ford held an advantage during those years, it was steering. Ford’s steering was much lighter than the Holden, but it delivered more consistency and superior feedback through the wheel. In press-on driving, you would much rather a car conveys what the front wheels are doing, not a simulated notion of sportiness. Those Holden’s were all kinds of nasty, I hated that springy off-center heaviness, it was also inconsistently weighted lock to lock, giving it a lumpy feel overall. I have to say, those Holden’s would have to be the worst steering I have ever encountered, the equivalent Falcon would be one of the best.



So where does that leave us? Well, I don’t necessarily agree with the press reviews regarding the S650 steering. I have driven very few modern cars with electric steering that have had any feel transferring from the road to steering wheel, including Mustang’s. The best electric steering I have personally sampled would be the modern Jaguars, I love that light and pointy nature they deliver. So, what are the journalists comparing the Mustang’s steering to, what is their steering benchmark? I can almost guarantee they are benchmarking a Porche 911, Boxster or Cayman. While I have doubt those cars steer with greater precision and feel, they are considerably more expensive and come from a company that has spent decades perfecting the steering of their cars. A Mustang, well Ford know who their target customers are and what they want, so expecting a Mustang to deliver Porche steering feel and response is silly.

From what I have sampled, yes, in the heaviest Sport mode, the new S650 steering is slightly lighter than before. But to me, that is not the problem the press would have you believe. In Comfort and Normal modes, its about the same as before. And despite it still lacking real feel, it’s more direct and responsive than before. Combined with that lovely steering wheel, it’s certainly an improvement over the previous model.

 

[D.F.B]

I haven't been feeling well the last few days, I seem to have picked up some sort of infection that's causing a lot of pain and a lack of sleep, and anti-biotics have always disagreed with me. But with the help of a cocktail of pain killers, I press on.

A little break from Mustang content, the XR8 has also been getting driven lately, because surfing the torque wave produced by that engine is so hard to resist. After also driving the Mustang a lot, the ride quality of the R-Spec suspension in the XR8 is, as my uncle would say, rough as guts. I can kinda see why FPV made the GT suspension so soft in the earlier FG's, the cars were targeted towards a more mature audience that would appreciate the cushier ride. I guess as I get older, I can appreciate that.

Then, as the media moaned on about the body control wilting at racetrack pace, FPV responded with the R-Spec package. While a version of this appeared first on the BF series in 2007, on FG, it was the 2011 GT R-Spec that first got this considerably firmer setup. It was then rolled out for the final fling GT-F in early 2014, and then transferred over to the FG-X XR8 from late 2014 till early 2016. As was usual for Ford in the media, the journalists then complained about the stiff ride. I have to say, this was one of the hardest parts about being a Ford man, dealing with so much blatant bias against the brand in favor of what Holden were doing. And while I can and do see the point being made about the suspension, without expensive adaptive dampers, you can't really have both ride comfort and firm body control. Interestingly, for the very last special edition Sprint series in 2016, Ford actually softened the suspension to create a S-Spec setup. This version combined with the new Pirelli tyres actually helped improve traction and compliance to deliver a superior balance. Still, R-Spec is part of the FG-X XR8's story and its cool to say that the car has GT suspension, engine and brakes..................and boy does that ruffle the GT guys.

And so, today was the XR8's turn, and now that it's starting to warm up, I washed partially in the garage. These wheels are my favorite to wash, the simple spoke design and relatively small 355mm/330mm rotors mean there is plenty of room for the softer microfiber brush.



Today, I washed everything with Reset, which has become my default maintenance soap. I've tried so many over the last couple of years, but very few approach the all-round excellence of Reset. Yes, I enjoy using other soaps, but I keep returning to Reset. Drying Aid was ADS Amplify on two Platinum Pluffle towels, with Amplify also used on the door jambs, exhaust tips and wheels. For the glass, I decided to keep trialing Bilt Hamber Trace-less.

The finishing touch, ADS Tire+ on the aged Dunlop Sport Maxx. Those tyres are toast, they have plenty of tread but struggle traction wise. Considering how nervous I am with people working on this car, I'm delaying the inevitable in replacing these tyres, probably with Michelin PS5.

 

[D.F.B]

Bilt Hamber Touch-less v2

While I was late to the Bilt Hamber Touch-less party, I now see it as valuable addition to my cabinet. Touch-less is a sugar-based biodegradable pre-wash soap that contains no phosphates, solvents, nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and caustic soda. This makes it's safer to use, and unlike solvent-based soaps, is free rinsing. Touch-less also contains corrosion inhibitors.

Bilt Hamber Touch-Less V2 Snow Foam Pre Wash - Detailing Shed
Bilt Hamber Touch-Less Pre-Wash
Bilt Hamber Touch-Less

Bilt Hamber Touch-Less | Snow Foam | Car Wash Soap | Obsessed Garage
Bilt Hamber Touch-Less Pre-Wash | CARZILLA

The main claim to fame with Touch-less is it's ability to make the subsequent contact wash considerably easier and safer. It's important to note that while the product is called "Touch-less", that doesn't mean completely touch-free washing, rather you "touch" the car "less"...............if that makes sense.



There were two reasons why I resisted Touch-less, the ultra-high alkalinity and the convoluted process of arriving at a dilution ratio. The pH concern is valid, but it seems the alkalinity of Touch-less works very differently to other high-pH products. Touch-less was designed to work with modern surface protection, it can break down surface level dirt and grime but leave your coating or sealant intact.

As for the dilution process, well that is a little more complicated. Rather than offering a recommended dilution ratio, Bilt Hamber want you to calculate a specific number to suit your individual application methods and achieve an accurate "Panel Impact Ratio" (PIR). Doing it this way helps account for your specific foam cannon, pressure washer or pump action sprayer, which then means the soap will work as designed.

The latest v2 version of Touch-less now available, which is significantly more concentrated than before to help account for high flow pressure washers. For the original version, I had to run at near full strength due to it being diluted too much by my setup. So, let's look at how we calculate the desired PIR when using a pressure washer and foam cannon. Bilt Hamber want you to achieve between 0.5 and 2.0% PIR's, for dirtier vehicles go straight to 2.0%, then adjust down as needed.

First, you need to measure the flow rate of your pressure washer and foam cannon set up. A higher flow pressure washer will naturally dilute the soap more, a lower flowing machine the opposite. To start, fill up the foam cannon bottle to the full mark, which is typically 1000ml. Also make sure the foam dial is set to maximum. Next, discharge the foam cannon into a bucket until the cannister is empty. If your bucket has a lid, use that to partially cover the bucket and prevent splashing. Also, make sure the syphon straw is not sucking air when you as you approach empty, you will skew your measurement otherwise.



From here, you need to measure out how much water was discharged into the bucket(s). In my case, I'm running a Kranzle KHD/10 that flows 10-litres per minute (2.64 GPM), paired with an MTM FP22.2 foam cannon. In this test, this setup discharged 17-litres / 17000 ml into the bucket.

From here, we get into the numbers. To achieve a 2% PIR, 17000ml is multiplied by 0.02 to arrive at 340 ml of Touch-less and 660 ml of water. At the other end of the scale, a 0.5% PIR would be 17000 x 0.005 to arrive at 85 ml of Touch-less and 915 ml of water. Obsessed Garage also provide a PIR calculator on their web listing for Touch-less, you just select your unit of measurement, the foam cannon discharge number and desired PIR.

https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/new-products/products/bilt-hamber-touch-less





So, while it might sound complicated, once you have measured the flow of your foam cannon, you can write the various PIR rates on the bottle and you are set.

How to Use -

Touch-less is best applied to a dry vehicle and allowed to dwell for as long as possible. You will unlikely use a full 1000ml of Touch-less on a single vehicle, you should get two to three cars per dilution, so having a separate bottle to store this in is a good idea. The longer Touch-less is on the surface, the more it will break down contamination. I would however caution against letting it dry, you certainly don't want that. I've found you can lightly mist sections that are drying faster than ideal to keep it active. After the dwell period, thoroughly rinse the car and move onto the contact wash.

You will notice Touch-less is a runny foam, not shaving cream thick. This doesn't necessarily mean your PIR is too weak or compromise the dwell period. It does however help with the rinse-off.

I have tested Touch-less on a filthy service loan car, foaming it on, leaving to dwell, then rinsing off. I then hit it with Hydr02 and air dried the car. The end result was a loan car that went back clean and shiny, and a stunned service advisor..................all without even touching the paint.









You can see the dirt has been emulsified and drawn from the vehicle in this image -



Stupidly, I didn't take an end result image, so you will have to take my word for it regarding the results. Would I have taken a towel to the paint after that without a contact wash, unlikely. But what it did do is demonstrate the products ability.

Touch-less is a product you won't always need. For a well-maintained garage queen, I have never needed it. But on heavily soiled vehicles driven in all conditions, Touch-less significantly reduces your effort come contact wash, easily removing bugs, road film, dust and dirt without the need for specific products. Yes, it is expensive, but NO other soap of this type can come close to Touch-less.

 

[D.F.B]

Headlights!

## Full disclosure, I rarely if ever drive at night and therefore never use the headlights. So, the following post is geared towards the aesthetic side of headlights rather than their functional performance. ##

Stylistically, headlights are the “eyes” of a car’s “face”, they can therefore make or break the front-end design. Just ask the AU Falcon. Often, its said the human eye is a window into a person’s character, well, the same applies to car headlights and how they define its intent. For example, headlights with a lot of chrome often signify luxury, whereas black headlights define anger and performance. And it’s the later I have often gravitated towards.

I remember way back in late 2006, Ford released the BF MK II Falcon, a last roll of the dice to bridge the gap to the new generation and to compete with the then all-new VE Commodore. While this update was relatively minor, the hood, front bumper and headlights gave a clue to the FG Falcon that would arrive in early 2008. I also remember instantly loving what they did with the headlights, in particular the base model XT sedan, XL and XLS Ute, and the Fairmont Ghia.











Despite these looking like a completely new headlight, Ford achieve that look by keeping the back half of the headlight assembly, then capping it with a new front lens and bezel treatment. Futura and Fairmont used the chrome bezels, which I thought gave the front end a dopey look. No, it was the blacked-out bezel treatment that I loved. I remember one journalist at the time calling them “broody”, well, that and the word sinister come to mind every time I see one of these cars on the road or in pictures.





Chrome for comparison –





Thinking back further, I have always liked blacked out headlights. On the AU III Fairmont I had as my first car, I fitted a set of those dot-matrix headlight covers to give the car a tougher look. I tried to find an image of those, but I don’t think they are made now, from memory I got them from Autobarn.

When the FGX Sprint series was unveiled, I instantly wanted a set of those blacked out headlights for my own XR8. Again, they gave the car an angry look, which I guess was appropriate seeing as the Falcon was mere months away from being euthanized.









So, after all of that waffle, we arrive at the Mustang’s headlights. Before Ford launched the configurator for S650, I landed on a website that allowed you to pick and mix various styling elements. At the time, it wasn’t clear what the local cars would get, while using that website was not an accurate guide, but it did give the opportunity to see what the car looked like in different configurations. The following images were what I was playing around with.











It became clear that those blacked out headlights were what I wanted. I knew they were intended for the Darkhorse, what I didn’t know was they would also appear on the Night Pony Package (Black Pack here). Once Ford Australia started to drip feed details of the car, I knew that I would be ordering the Black Pack………………..for those headlights alone! You will also note I was toying with a different colour, I loved Atlas Blue and how it would give the car a different look. But with the Black Pack, Race Red took on a different persona when comparing to the car I already had. The following images are what I fixated on for nearly two years.







Now, having said all of that, I don't necessarily dislike the standard headlights, I really like those three chromed J-hooks and how they link up with the tri-bar DRL's. They give the car a classier look, whereas I was aiming for that sinister attitude.





When I spotted that first image sent to me by my salesman, those tri-bars beaming back from those blacked out eyes, I knew I made the right choice. Then when I arrived to see my new baby in person, then seeing both headlight versions side by side, I was hooked.













So yeah, nearly 700 words to say that I like black bezel headlights. In defense, I place a big importance on how a product looks, and I then find myself fixated on certain design elements. In terms of cars, for S550, it was those two raised hood bulges, crisp body side lines and those big angular hips. And on S650, its those mean looking, angry, sinister headlights that are imprinted on my brain.

 

[D.F.B]

Well, that infection I mentioned earlier ended up landing me in hospital. But, I'm back home in my happy place, with a happy puppy at my feet and the fabulous Jessie Ware putting on a show for me.........................

I was sent to the emergency department with a letter at 12.30pm yesterday and was thankfully "fast-tracked" into a bed within 90 minutes. As I said, as soon as "diabetic" is mentioned, things tend to happen a bit quicker. My bed was in front of the admin/nurse desk, so I overheard on a number of occasions regarding extended wait periods. There was young mother with her son sitting on the floor of the main entrance to emergency who was there when I arrived and was only shown to a bed at 8pm just before I departed for Acute Care. Another poor sod's triage papers had fallen to the bottom of the rack, they had been waiting 7.5 hours to be seen as a "fast-tracked" patient. In situations like that, I understand why people get so agitated, but at the same time, I also understand that the public health system is under such pressure. I have private health insurance, but in this case, I needed to be seen to immediately, not be referred to a consult and booked for surgery at a later date.

Now the crappy thing about being a diabetic. I have noticed in recent years that it takes ages for cuts and bruises to heal properly. I recently got a heavily infected finger from a simple blister, and that's despite me being ultra careful with it and using appropriate disinfectant to prevent that from happening. The diabetes means I don't have full capacity to fight infection. On this occasion, a simple scratch turned into something major, something oral antibiotics couldn't solve, then required surgical intervention.

I spent the night with no more than 90 minutes collective sleep, in pain and total discomfort. The bed in emergency was comfortable, the bed on the ward was like a plant of plywood. I also need total silence to fall asleep, no chance of that in a hospital. Thankfully, I was put in a quiet room next to the window, I'm good a passing time watching the smallest detail, in this case a steam vent that would cycle from a gentle wafter to a full-on blast.

I was told that I would be first on the surgical list because of my diabetes and the need to fast. When the surgical team arrived, they poked and prodded, then were about to leave as if I wasn't to be the first on the list, I quickly asked how long it would be as "I'm a fasting diabetic". Que a quick shuffle of papers and an orderly arrived two minutes later to take me to theater. Please don't take this the wrong way, I do realise everyone wants to be in and out ASAP, but the dance of sugar levels, insulin, then rising ketones levels (acids that your body makes when it breaks down fat for energy during fasting, which then aggressively increases BGL's), it's as exhausting as the actual surgery itself.

There are two feelings you get with general anesthesia, that lovely sensation of the room starting to go fuzzy as you drift away, then shear annoyance of being woken from such a lovely deep sleep. I went under at about 9am, glancing at the clock as I came around revealed 11am. I then knew it didn't go to plan. What was supposed to be a quick cut-n-shut has turned into me having a drain pump having off my neck for a week, another visit to the hospital tomorrow, then daily visits from the home nurse, then another surgery next Friday to close it all up.

Sorry if this is all too graphic, but this is part of my coping mechanism. I'm bummed this is eating into my leave, but sh.t happens. Also, I'm not complaining about the human side of things above. It takes a certain type of person to be a doctor's or nurse, especially within a fast-paced hospital, I couldn't do it. They do their best under extreme situations. I especially appreciate and respect the work nurses do, they make a world of difference to how you feel.

So, I'm out of action for a while now, but I get to sleep in my own bed tonight.

 

[Geoff289]

Bummer. Look after yourself.

I have a daughter who is a nurse and has done stints in ER. It's very full on.

 

[D.F.B]

Bummer. Look after yourself.

I have a daughter who is a nurse and has done stints in ER. It's very full on.

Nurses often stand in the shadow of the doctor, but what they do is no less important.

 

[ajohno]

Take it easy mate.

 

[littlebean]

crikey, take care

 

[Dixie_Flatline]

Sounds to me that you have no choice but to take it easy for a while. Get well soon!

 

[D.F.B]

Sounds to me that you have no choice but to take it easy for a while. Get well soon!

I'm not that good at in that department, I want to be messing about in the garage.

 

[D.F.B]

As soon as I picked up the new (old) Rover and gave it the once over, I went and ordered a muffler deflector to match the rest of the fleet.



These deflectors are designed for alternative engine applications, say a pressure washer, and redirect exhaust gasses away from the machine and avoid carbon accumulation. A very old engine/mower, but it illustrates why they were introduced.



So, in my case, completely useless other than it makes me happy.







That's all I could muster today, the pain is dragging me down and the meds they sent me home with aren't touching it.

 

[Horror Business]

Well, if you can’t be in your garage, you can still give out advice.

What do you recommend for method/products to clean the inside of a windshield so it remains streak free longer than two weeks? Or, are modern interior plastics such that they offgas so much, remaining streak free is a fantasy?

 

[SamYoung]

Well, if you can’t be in your garage, you can still give out advice.

What do you recommend for method/products to clean the inside of a windshield so it remains streak free longer than two weeks? Or, are modern interior plastics such that they offgas so much, remaining streak free is a fantasy?

I'll leave the cleaning product recommendation to D.F.B. but what are you doing for the cabin filter? I find that using an activated carbon or HEPA level filter on recirculate really helps decrease the amount or residue on my fleets windshields, especially in the winter when defrost is running a lot. Cleaning/coating can only do so much. Removing the source is more effective. If you live in a hot place and yours is off gassing while sitting this may not help as much, but it will more effectively get it out of the cabin air when air's circulating.

 

[Horror Business]

Interesting. I run stock cabin air filters. Never considered anything different. Never use recirc. Cold weather climate in winter, This is thought provoking for sure.

 

[D.F.B]

Well, if you can’t be in your garage, you can still give out advice.

What do you recommend for method/products to clean the inside of a windshield so it remains streak free longer than two weeks? Or, are modern interior plastics such that they offgas so much, remaining streak free is a fantasy?

Brand new cars can take up to a year to properly outgas, dependent on usage and where its parked, if you leave it in the sun all day that will speed up the process. I'm currently going through this with the Mustang, I got about a couple of days before it reappeared.

There are anti-fog products on the market, but I don't know how effective they would be on a new car. So, if your car is new or relatively new, you will just have to ride it out or clean regularly.

If the car is a little older, then I would say its whatever you are dressing the interior plastics with. I stopped actively dressing interiors a while ago for this reason. I also note P&S have launched a new glass cleaner at SEMA which is supposed to help with interior films. Reflect isn't yet available but isn't far off.

I'll leave the cleaning product recommendation to D.F.B. but what are you doing for the cabin filter? I find that using an activated carbon or HEPA level filter on recirculate really helps decrease the amount or residue on my fleets windshields, especially in the winter when defrost is running a lot. Cleaning/coating can only do so much. Removing the source is more effective. If you live in a hot place and yours is off gassing while sitting this may not help as much, but it will more effectively get it out of the cabin air when air's circulating.

Good idea!

 

[D.F.B]

Cabinet Purge!

Plonked myself down on the bucket and reorganized my main chemical cabinet. I try to keep regularly used or rotated products in that cabinet, with bulk quantity and occasional use products being located in another cabinet, same for dud or demoted products.







So, after reorg of the main cabinet, it was then decision time. Some products went into the surplus cabinet, some were set for the bin. Now, I know this will look incredibly wasteful, but there is reason here. The coatings were near empty and/or had been opened a long time ago, coatings shouldn't be stored like this for too long. The Power-Lock had a cracked lid, so the integrity of the product inside had been compromised. The polishes were near empty and opened a long time ago. The Poorboy's Wheel Sealant was dated 2014 and hasn't been used in years, so out it went. The Gyeon Q2 Wax has been open for too long, I wouldn't trust it now. The Autoglym stuff should have been binned years ago, I kept the Instant Show Shine for easy application on front bumper grills, the Super Resin Polish is outdated technology full of fillers, the Leather Balm horrible.

 

[Horror Business]

Thank you.

 

[D.F.B]

Audio!

I can't drive this car at the moment, but I can sure talk about it!

Before getting started, I’ve always had a thing for audio systems. As a kid, I was given a JVC boom box that my father won in a competition. This was in the days where having dual cassette decks were the norm and CD’s were a luxury. I loved that thing to death. My father also had a killer NAD setup with Bose speakers and a giant ported subwoofer, this had a massive separate amplifier, a then extremely expensive CD player unit and finally a turntable for him to play his huge collection of vinyl from the 70’s and 80’s. At secondary school, my role in the yearly productions was centered around the sound department, so pro-level speakers, cables and microphones. Also in my teens, for my birthday I was then given a killer Panasonic system with dual positional speakers that had integrated subwoofers. That Panasonic was only recently replaced with a set of PSB AM5 powered bookshelf speakers and a SVS sealed subwoofer, driven from a Bluesound Node DAC.











In cars though, I’ve never really been into modifying audio systems. I guess I see it as quite invasive, removing door panels and poking around with wires never appealed to me. So, my car audio has always centered around what the car came with. Some of those have been excellent, some abysmal, more on that later.

It’s safe to say that every V8 Mustang comes with two audio systems. The first is fitted within the cabin, the second is thumping away under the hood and pumping out the back. In a car like this with such an enticing intake and exhaust note, it could be forgiven if Ford didn’t put any effort into the cabin audio system. And in actual fact, I rarely pump up the sound in my “fun” cars, the Ranger on the way to and from work is a different story. So, while I covered the audio system a little in a previous post, lets dive deeper here. The under-hood sound system, well, I’m saving that for later because it's one of the key driving factors for me staying with a Mustang.

In the early FM S550 Mustang’s, the Shaker sound system didn’t get the subwoofer in Australia. Up until now, I had no idea why, but it did later appear on the 2018+ FN models. The Shaker system was fitted to both EcoBoost and GT models and had 9 speakers driven by a separate amplifier. Adjustments were made via the 8-inch colour touchscreen, but Ford also included physical buttons below the touchscreen. Oh, and it had a CD player as well………….remember those?



Researching this post, it seems there were a few different systems offered on S550. There was a basic 9-speaker “Premium” system, a Shaker with 9-speakers and no sub, and Shaker Pro with 12-speakers and the subwoofer, which the later 2018+ FN models got.

In any case, the mid-spec Shaker system on my car had plenty of volume, but it didn’t really have the depth of sound you’d hope for, no doubt because of the missing subwoofer. As I said earlier, with a Borla exhaust fitted, I wasn’t pumping music in that car much, it was mostly windows down and my right foot controlling the volume.



One thing I noticed while playing around with the sound settings on that car was the following graphic………………



Not doing a specific RHD image here means some confusion. Do you adjust for the “driver” pictured on the screen, or the physical location of the driver on a RHD car? I never did figure that out.

For S650, there are again different audio levels. The base Premium system has 9-speakers and an amplifier. However, all Australian spec Mustang’s (EcoBoost, GT and Darkhorse) get the top spec system fitted as standard, it’s an otherwise $995 option in the US. Ford and Bang & Olufsen have been working together for several years now, from what I can gather, the Mustang got a B&O system at some point in 2020.

https://corporate.bang-olufsen.com/en/partners/automotive/ford/mustang
https://assets.ctfassets.net/8cd2cs...f99e9e12d8ff8b71f2/B_O_Mustang_English_US.pdf



Now, I’m under no illusion that this B&O system is the be all and end all. Quite often partnerships like this are only surface level, the car company ends up simply paying a license fee for some basic collaboration and to put a brand name audio in the brochures. So, read the following with a grain of salt. This information comes from B&O back in 2020, but I would be surprised if things have changed since then considering the amount of carry over on S650.

Pulse-raising performance, passionate precision -
Your heart beating in your ears won’t be the only thing you can hear over the roar of the engine with the B&O Sound System for the Ford Mustang. The exhilarating premium audio performance is tailor made for the track and specifically designed for the unique acoustic environment inside the Ford Mustang. A soul-stirring 12-speaker system powered by 900 watts delivers a passionate and powerful audio performance precisely engineered to match the Mustang’s unique sound profile. Feel every note as you tear up every mile with the B&O Sound System for Ford Mustang.

Sound that conquers the curves -
The racing-inspired profile and low driver and passenger positions inside the Ford Mustang create an acoustic environment as noteworthy and unique as the legendary muscle car itself. The B&O Sound System has been painstakingly built and expertly tuned to hug every subtle curve inside of the cabin. Unique 3-way speakers in the doors deliver even more nuanced and multi-dimensional sound, so whether on the road or racetrack your sound experience remains remarkable.

Heart-pounding harmony -
Some cars are made to be silent, and some cars are made to roar. Hearing and feeling the roar of the Ford Mustang is a critical part of every thrilling drive. The sophisticated tuning of the B&O Sound System doesn’t compete with the engine, it perfectly matches the acoustic signature of the Ford Mustang for precise and powerful audio reproduction. So having a premium sound system and a heart-pounding engine in the Ford Mustang isn’t an either/or, but a “yes, and yes.”

Seamless sound from 0-60mph, or standing still -
Serious speed and superior sound can sometimes be at odds. That’s why the tuning of the B&O Sound System has been put through its paces. Expert acousticians, many who are also practicing musicians, do hundreds of hours of static and dynamic testing to ensure that no matter the driving conditions, the audio performance remains purity in motion.

Serious Power -
The premium B&O Sound System features 12 speakers including 4 x 170mm woofers and a trunk mounted subwoofer delivering incredible low frequency performance powered by an impressive 900 watts. With 3-way speakers in the doors and audio tuning specific to the demands of the Ford Mustang, the B&O Sound System delivers unique power and passion

Sophisticated and seamless design -
Derived from the iconic product design of the Bang & Olufsen products for the home, the design of the B&O Sound System is a blend of sleek styling and Scandinavian minimalism. The linear pattern on speaker grilles supports acoustic transparency and the lateral fading helps the speaker grilles blend seamlessly with the interior of the Ford Mustang.

So, long story short, the Bang & Olufsen system in the Mustang has a separate amplifier, 12 speakers (which includes 4 small woofers) and larger separate subwoofer mounted in the boot.

Giving it a workout last week, I can confirm that this B&O system is very good and a marked improvement over the Shaker in my S550. There is plenty of volume headroom, the subwoofer adding some much-needed depth when things get thumping. Compared to the Shaker, there is no need to crank the bass settings either.

Other than volume knob and the audio controls on the steering wheel, all adjustments are made by the central display screen. To access adjustments, you can either tap the Sound tab from the audio page, or via the Settings tab accessed from the home page.







And look! They figured out RHD orientation!



So, how does this Bang & Olufsen system compare to the other cars in my past and present fleet? For the most part, all of my cars have had the factory upgrade audio systems (where available).

My first car, an 2001 AU III Fairmont had the 6-speaker Prestige system, which was more than adequate. The Prestige part mainly referenced the inclusion of two A-pillar mounted tweeters and a 6-stack in-dash CD player. Fancy! To much embarrassment, I had to have that head unit removed and repaired. When I went back to have it re-installed, the guy sniggered at the Kylie Minogue CD they extracted from it. *******!



That car was replaced by the 2008 FG Falcon XR6. The Premium Sound system was available with the Luxury Pack, but I didn’t like the plain looking wheels and the grey ICC panel that came with the Lux pack, so I ordered Premium Sound as a standalone option. For FG, this meant 8-speakers, a separate 150-watt amplifier and a parcel shelf mounted subwoofer for a total 262-watts. Premium Sound also included a 6-stack CD player and the 8-inch colour screen. Compared to what I had experienced till thar point, this would be the best car audio I had experienced. The sub made a huge difference over the Prestige system in my old car. My only screw up here was not also optioning the Tech Pack for the iPod (remember those) and Bluetooth integration.



You can actually chart a downward line in relation to audio quality (or lack thereof) in Falcon’s, it getting worse and worse with each model change. For that reason, I can safely say that the Premium Sound in my 2002 T3 TS50 was actually a better system despite being older than the FG. Till now, that was the best sound system I ever had in a car. It had fantastic bass potential, great clarity and plenty of volume headroom. This system had 250-watts total, with 11 speakers, a separate amplifier and subwoofer, a “computer-controlled tuner” (ooooh), a 6-stack in-dash CD player, a “logic controlled” cassette deck and………..wait for it………………….a power antenna!

For the FGX, Ford really pulled every cent they could out of the audio system. Being the flagship, the XR8 came standard with “Premium Sound” and the then new Sync 2 system with a colour touchscreen and DAB capability. The 6-stack CD player was removed though. Despite the specs reading the same as FG, 9 speakers/150-watt amplifier & subwoofer, something had clearly changed off page and out of sight. I have never heard a worse sounding car audio system, the lack of volume, no bass headroom and the high amount of background static was and is extremely disappointing. The result is a muddy sound profile with no clarity…………..it’s probably the worst part of the car. Lucky the big instrument under the hood makes up for it.



When the Jaguar arrived, I was keen to sample the Meridian system that came with the car. With 11-speakers, 380-watts and an 8-inch colour touchscreen, on paper it sounds impressive. But despite offering great volume, it lacks punch and bass headroom. Apparently, this setup includes a subwoofer, but it’s hard to detect, maybe its more subtly integrated than the obvious thumpa-thumpa of what the Falcon systems do? It would seem there was a higher spec audio offered, called Meridian's Digital Surround Sound System. This was offered in conjunction with the higher-spec InControl Touch Pro package and 10.2-inch touchscreen. In any case, I have to say that I wasn’t bowled over by this Meridian system.



The two-speaker setup on my 2010 PK Ranger was understandably poor. On my current PX MK II Ranger, the 4-speakers do a great job in this small cabin. It easily out-punches the XR8 for volume, bass and clarity. Who would have guessed that?

And so, the B&O system sits towards the top of the charts here. The XR6 probably has a little more punch, but the B&O has more clarity at higher volumes. Not to mention having modern wireless audio streaming............... no aux cords or CD players required here. In third would be the Meridian, then the Ranger, the XR8 a distant last place. If I was including past cars too, the B&O would still sit at the top, but the T3 TS50 would easily take second and then third to the FG XR6.

I just wish I could stop talking (typing) about this thing and get out drive it instead.

 

[D.F.B]

Having been parked in front of the TV for days now, I decided to make use of that time and track down an oil-air-separator catch can for the S650. While there are a various aftermarket catch cans on the market, I wanted the Ford Performance version, which I had installed on the S550. Why? Because it melts into the background and looks like it left the factory like that.





I would have ordered one of these months ago, but I couldn't find them locally. I toyed with ordering one from a US-based vendor and sucking up the shipping cost, but once currency converted, I'd be looking at import duty as well. I then contacted Herrod Performance, being the Ford Performance distributor in Australia, surely they would be offering them soon. I got an almost instant reply from Rob himself on Sunday explaining that they had the S650 versions in stock, but they hadn't uploaded them to the website. Geez, you can't sell something if no one can find it! The part was loaded this morning and, surprise surprise, it was only marginally cheaper than importing it from the states myself. I'm not even going to bother linking to that website.

Someone then put me onto another Australian company that sells them, and they offered it at up $100 less than Herrod. Being the Ford Performance distributor, you'd expect Herrod to have a pricing advantage. In any case, it looks like I got the last one......................

https://www.themancavegarage.com.au...rue&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=57

Now, the price on the S650 version is significantly more as they now include catch cans and hoses for both cylinder banks. For S550, most only fitted the left hand bank.

 

[jonshonda]

So do you have to periodically empty the oil separators, or how is the sludge managed?

 

[SamYoung]

Interesting. I run stock cabin air filters. Never considered anything different. Never use recirc. Cold weather climate in winter, This is thought provoking for sure.

That's actually how I found it. A lot of manufactures use different grades for their different brands. I have a Scion that has a worthless OE filter, but the Toyota models get a better filter and the Lexus is an activated charcoal filter. They are all the same size, but better quality. Same with my wife's Cruze vs the Cadillac ATS filter. If you have the flagship brand the OE is probably fine, but if you have low/mid tier you may be able to swap up.
For me, the recirc has more to do with our air quality. We tend to get really high pollen/mold/dander in the air and my allergies are bad. The less outside air comes through the filter, the less work it has to do. I've noticed some of it on the inside of the windshield so I just tend to keep it on. If your residue is from the interior, it may require a different approach.

 

[D.F.B]

So do you have to periodically empty the oil separators, or how is the sludge managed?

Correct.

The aftermarket type are easily removed by unscrewing the cannister and wiping it out with a rag. These Ford Performance versions are a little trickier. I wrote the following on my previous Mustang..............................

Ford Performance Catch Can Cleaning -

Emptying these catch cans can be done a couple of ways, either on or off the vehicle. Owing to the difficulty I had in fitting the push pins into place, I decided to leave the unit in place and remove the top hat.

First, remove the engine cover to allow access and then loosen the four bolts holding the lid in place.





After unclipping the hose connected to the inlet manifold, I went through and removed each screw by hand VERY carefully. These are not magnetic so don't rely on your magnetized screwdriver to hold them in place. A replacement for something this obscure would be very difficult to find.



Hardest one to remove was the one sitting under the radiator expansion tank. I actually lifted the lid off and out with the screw still in tact to be safer than fiddling with it and risking dropping it into the depths of a Coyote engine bay.



The amount of oil collected was about what I expected.



Removing the oil can be done a couple of ways. When the whole unit is removed from the car, the oil can be simply be poured out. When left in place like mine, you can use a syringe to **** the oil from the container or use paper towels to absorb it. The amount in the tank was such the paper towel method was better suited here.







Once the tank is cleaned out, replace the top hat, remembering to click the hose back onto the inlet manifold in the process.



Engine cover back on.





As mentioned, the amount of oil was what I was expecting, owing to the minimal km's done over those 7 months.

 

[jonshonda]

^Very cool that Ford is able to provide that in an very clean oem layout. I'm not up to date on the latest trends, but I don't think the EPA really likes those oil catch cans? I really need to add one to my Lexus GX460 as it makes a lot of short trips in the mornings dropping the kids off at school, so I assume there is a decent amount of oil accumulation in the intake system based on my my older GX470 performed on the numerous short cold trips it took.

 

[shakenfake]

Don't know why the EPA wouldn't like the catch cans other than it doesn't burn the oil. Since it gets cleaned out and "recycled" by the owner it should be fine.

 

[D.F.B]

^Very cool that Ford is able to provide that in an very clean oem layout. I'm not up to date on the latest trends, but I don't think the EPA really likes those oil catch cans? I really need to add one to my Lexus GX460 as it makes a lot of short trips in the mornings dropping the kids off at school, so I assume there is a decent amount of oil accumulation in the intake system based on my my older GX470 performed on the numerous short cold trips it took.

Don't know why the EPA wouldn't like the catch cans other than it doesn't burn the oil. Since it gets cleaned out and "recycled" by the owner it should be fine.

As mentioned, if anything, a catch can limits the oil from being burnt and released into the atmosphere. What the EPA don't like is when vehicle owners remove or tamper with PCV systems, different from individuals like me who are actually making the system cleaner.

As you allude to, the oil would otherwise end up in the intake system and/or burnt and emitted through the exhaust. Some engines are more prone to intake oil contamination than others, and from memory, high performance driving increases it too. So, it makes sense having a catch can on a high-revving V8 like on the Mustang.

This video show what I'm talking about, from about the 2.10min mark. This is an older 5.4 4V Modular V8 used in our Falcon's, which were called BOSS 260, BOSS 290, BOSS 302 and BOSS 315, the numbers representing power in kW. These had the cast-iron truck block with the Ford GT DOHC aluminum cylinder heads. The Aussie-designed two-piece manifold had a trumpet-style lower section, a large plenum cover and side mounted throttle body. With an intake like this, obviously you will see the oil contamination much clearer than a sealed single piece manifold as used on the Coyote.

 

[D.F.B]

It's all about little victories at the moment. I'm trying to keep my brain active while being mindful that I'm supposed to be resting. Cleaning out the chemical cabinet was a low impact task that was quite satisfying. And after a long break, I've been making coffee again.



After writing the Audio post the other day, it gave me an idea for the garage.

In the garage, I'm normally wearing noise cancelling headphones. This offers a twofold benefit, audio entertainment and noise protection from tools like pressure washers, polishers and blowers. I can also pump the volume when desired and not annoy the neighbors. The exception to this would be when working without the use of noisy tools, in which case I'll play a podcast or music via a Bluetooth capable Makita Jobsite Radio, which punches well above its compact dimensions would suggest.

MAKITA 7.2/18V Jobsite Radio Bluetooth Skin DMR108 | Total Tools



When I upgraded the audio in the house earlier this year, my old Panasonic has been gathering dust in the spare room. As I said, the post I wrote the other day spurred me to drag the old Panasonic out and set it up in the garage. There was only one practical spot for this, on top of my chemical/microfiber cabinets.

Early 2000's design and technology in full glory here...................



Of course, I had to look up the specs -

- Super Woofer Drive System with Bi-Amp Bi-Wiring Configuration.
- 3-Way 3-Speaker System with 6-3/4"" Super Woofer and PP Mica Woofer.
- Large FL display with spectrum analyzer.
- 5-CD changer with 5 direct play keys.
- Super Sound EQ for dynamic sound at the touch of a button.
- 3-D Space EQ (Disco, Hall, Live, Heavy, Clear, Soft) with Jog Control

I'm under no illusions that this is the best thing since sliced bread, or that it will create an exceptional listening experience in a garage. But, its better than gathering dust in the spare room.

It's been a very long time since I've played a cassette or CD. Because this thing predates Bluetooth, I've connected a Bluetooth converter via the auxiliary jack.

Logitech Bluetooth Audio Adapter - JB Hi-Fi

The Panasonic addition meant relocating my polisher battery chargers to join the rest on my charging panel, then moving the buckets to left. This also gave me a chance to do some cable management and velcroing the power board in place to stop it sliding around on top of the cabinet.



So, I guess the neighbors will be hating me even more soon.

 

[D.F.B]

After I left hospital, I've been setup with Hospital In the Home (HITH). The concept here is to get people out of hospital beds and back into the comfort of their homes. Patients are then visited daily for as long as needed and given access to a 24/7 on-call nurse. Because I'm connected to a negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) pump, this qualified me for HITH.

And I have to say, compared to other post-surgery hospital discharges where I was booted out with no plan or instructions, having this daily visit and advice has been very helpful and reduced my stress levels. If there was one very minor thing to critique, it's that I've had a different nurse every single day. Personally, it would be nice if the same nurse called each day to maintain some consistency, mainly so that I'm not explaining the situation every day. That said, today's nurse visit was quite moving, and without the revolving door, may not have happened.

At the start of 2020, my dog decided to sneak out an open door and subsequently went for a rather long walk around town. Cue driving around and around hoping to find him, and the local ranger being called. At one point, someone had spotted him, called the ranger and was then put onto me. Naturally, I went looking for him at his last sighting. This person also put him up on the local lost pets Facebook page. I remember coming home at about 6.30pm completely spent, having a shower and not a moment after giving up hope of seeing him again, the phone rang. The caller had got my number from Facebook and went on to tell me they had located him at an address...............my address. It turns out she had seen him be hit by a car, the driver looking back but drove away. She was with her husband, she tried to get hold of him, both ended up following him until he found home and climbed behind the front window hedge.

By the time I got out the front door, I briefly greeted them in tears before diving into the hedge to find him completely frightened and bleeding from his leg. I completely lost my composure at this stage, knowing he would need to rushed to the vet, I briefly thanked them as they watched on in distress. It makes me incredibly sad writing this, for both the terror in my poor boy's eyes during that moment, and because I never did properly thank those two very kind people. They too could have driven on and gotten on with their Friday night, but they didn't.



This would have to be one of the worst days of my life. I then had to get up in the morning and run the nursery for the weekend while the family attended a wedding out of town. That's not something I do often and so I had a lot of pressure on me, having to deal with Faych's disappearance and its consequences only compounded the stress I was under that weekend.

So, I tell that story because as today's nurse approached me from the driveway, she mentioned that this place seemed very familiar and asked if I had a little black dog. Today's nurse was the very kind lady who gave up her own Friday night to follow Faych home and make sure he was in safe hands. So, her visit to my house this time was under very different circumstances, and despite my medical condition, I was more coherent and composed than the last time she was here. This time for Faych was also a different experience too.

It's a small world and sometimes it's funny how things turn out, not only four years ago, but today. I was actually writing about Faych going missing yesterday, and two other patients that my nurse visited today were also previous historical encounters.

So, today I thanked her properly for what she did, I will never forget it.

 

[littlebean]

After I left hospital, I've been setup with Hospital In the Home (HITH). The concept here is to get people out of hospital beds and back into the comfort of their homes. Patients are then visited daily for as long as needed and given access to a 24/7 on-call nurse. Because I'm connected to a negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) pump, this qualified me for HITH.

This seems like a sensible idea to stop hospital beds being blocked and, as such, absolutely no chance it will happen in the UK....

So, I tell that story because as today's nurse approached me from the driveway, she mentioned that this place seemed very familiar and asked if I had a little black dog. Today's nurse was the very kind lady who gave up her own Friday night to follow Faych home and make sure he was in safe hands. So, her visit to my house this time was under very different circumstances, and despite my medical condition, I was more coherent and composed than the last time she was here. This time for Faych was also a different experience too.

Crikey, small world and it even has some decent people in it

 

[tweidman]

Did Faych make a full recovery? What breed? We need some better pics of your good-looking pup.....