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Preachers Sheets
01-23-2002, 03:45 PM
I have put 303 on my dash, cleaned it a little here and there and all that stuff. It has gotten quite cold and I want to really really clean my dash and start a whole new appliation of 303 on my dash from scratch.



What is the strongest/best cleaner to use on the dash to do this? Ef-Hi? Sounds like it`s too strong or something but all I ever hear of is stuff to protect your dash, make your dash shine etc... I wanna clean the sucker.

JasonC8301
01-23-2002, 03:49 PM
Well, some people use dawn here. I am not sure about how to clean it. I imagine a warm damp sponge with dawn to give it a once over, then follow up with another sponge with clean water and lots of towels to soak up the water. Then 303



Ef Hi diluted like 20% hi, 80% water, or a very small amount of Ef hi with a sponge. then a damp sponge with water. Wipe dash with water sponge, then ef sponge, repeat a few times till clean. then use a dedicated damp sponge to clean off the Ef HI residue, then dress.



the sponge can be replaced with a terry towel or mf towel though........

Preachers Sheets
01-23-2002, 03:51 PM
Alright, I`m going to try the 80% 20% mix. I just wanted to make sure my dashboard wasn`t going to dry up and crack in front of my eyes.

JasonC8301
01-23-2002, 03:56 PM
Just dont let the Ef Hi dry on the dash, and use very very little, its pretty strong stuff, and use lots of rinse water, then protect it immediately!!!



other than that, it should be safe.

BradE
01-23-2002, 04:19 PM
The 80/20 mix of EFHI and water will be fine. On really dirty dashes I have even used a 50/50 mix with no problems. :up

rmccall6
01-23-2002, 04:49 PM
Get some Griots Garage Interior Cleaner. Youl be suprised at how much grime this gets out of dashboards, ect (just look at your towel when your done). Plus its very safe.

Don2000g
01-23-2002, 09:11 PM
If you don`t want to spend money on the Griot`s product, just try the EF Hi -Intensity mix. You will like it. Laters

vettefan67
01-23-2002, 09:21 PM
What`s the surface of the dash made of?

Ryan
01-23-2002, 10:13 PM
Definitely use Lether and Plastic Cleaner by a company namede malco. It is great cleaner and contains softneners and will not dry out any leather.



Ryan

Langley Interior Car Kare
01-23-2002, 10:40 PM
website...never heard of it before...have some neat stuff...how long have you been using their stuff...

http://www.malcopro.com/cgi-win/mselect.exe/1001 (`http://www.malcopro.com/cgi-win/mselect.exe/1001`)

CEE DOG
10-18-2010, 08:59 PM
Review: BlackFire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection
Introduction:
I?ve read a great deal about this product but had no plans to purchase it as I already have far too many waxes and sealants. Par Detailing (Jon) noticed a post of mine about BFWD at some point and generously offered to send me a sample in exchange for me doing a review with it. Thank you Jon!

Product Description (from PAC website):
Wet Diamond, All finish Paint Protection is a paint-friendly, oil-in-water, emulsion safe for all finishes with or without a clear coat. This emulsion contains a small amount of a very refined mineral spirit in a water base. Multiple coats can be layered to deepen the gloss without drying or weakening the paint.


Initial Product Observations:
1.- Packaging: Elliptical Black Plastic Bottle
2.- Directions: (From PAC website) Work product until it begins to dry. Allow haze to form. Hand buff dry.
3.- Consistency: Runny
4.- Color: Light blue/gray
5.- Scent: I don?t think any fragrance has been added but the chemistry of the product does give off a mild petrol scent.
6a.- Size/Price: 16 oz. ($29.99)
6b.- Size/Price: 32 oz. ($49.99)
6c.- Size/Price: 64 oz. ($79.99)
7.- Manufacturer: Blackfire
8.- Made in: Unknown

Products used during application and removal:
1.- Flex 3401
2.- Lake Country Flat Blue pad
3.- Quality MF Buffing towels

Method of Preparation and Application:
I started by rinsing the car and then sprayed it down with P21S Total Auto Wash. Between interruptions from my neighbors I finished the wash process with my bucket of Ultima PGW and the same MF mitt I used with the TAW. After drying with some WW towels I allowed any unseen water to evaporate while I did some interior work and ate some lunch.
Using M205 with 5 1/2" Tangerine Hydro-Tech pads on my Flex 3401 I polished the hood and the driver side of the vehicle along with a little spot polishing here and there. Next I used an IPA solution to remove any oils I had left behind in the areas I polished.
Finally it was time for the BFWD. I grabbed a flat 6 1/2" blue LC pad and placed it on my Flex 3401. After applying an amount of BFWD the size of a quarter, I spread it across the first half of the hood and one fender. Then I worked it for a few passes on a speed of 3 3/4. I found that when you apply a little of the product to the pad it tries to soak into the pad rather quickly so as I applied some more to my pad I flipped the Flex over quicker this time and got back to work. I also found the speed setting of 3 to be better for me.
After I had finished the hood I applied some more product to the pad. This time I was careful to apply a very thin line around the perimeter of the pad, which seemed to serve me well as I continued the process. As the product would be used up I would occasionally press the pad (with machine stopped) against the paint to squeeze any leftover out and then work that before going back to apply a little more to the pad. I?m not a fan of applying to one panel at a time and stopping to remove sealant. Therefore I continued and finished applying product to all painted portions of the car.
Next I went ahead and applied it to the glass around the perimeter of the car (except for the driver side windows). I?d like to tell you I skipped those intentionally for testing purposes but actually I forgot and didn?t realize until I was removing product. The majority of the vehicle was under my canopy throughout the process. However, just a bit of the rear end stuck out and I was concerned that the hot panel and the sun would cause issues for me at that location.
After depositing my blue pad into my pad solution bucket I retrieved a fresh buffing towel. With the short nap side I went across the entire car flipping the towel as needed. The product seemed to come loose easily on all areas including the spot that was in the sun. However, I did have issue with some baby powder like dusting (as seen in pictures 05 and 06). It also seemed that rather than stick to the towel the dust would just get pushed around. After switching to the long nap side and finish buffing, I decided it was time to do something about the dust. I didn?t want to spray any liquid on it (obviously) since the polymers need time to cure. So I grabbed my air compressor and blew off the spots where I had collected the dust as well as along the panel lines, door jambs, etc.

Noted Observations:
Applying BFWD was a breeze and I found no issues. Removal of the product was very easy as well but had some minor issues. Normally this minor dusting wouldn?t stand out as it is no big deal and easily remedied but I have heard people say this is the easiest product to use and I found that not to be the case. It?s very nice and easy, just not the most trouble free product I?ve ever used.
When it comes down to looks and slickness I am very impressed! The paint looked great and I did notice a very nice wet darkening affect. The car was so slick I had a hard time getting the bottle (see picture 04) to stay still on the roof for a picture. A little went a very long way (as it should) and I barely put a dent in what Jon had given me. I should have marked the bottle before and after but I forgot to. Sorry about that.
The next morning I went out to take some shots while the beads (from condensation) were still there. I like to check the beads on a sealed car from condensation since the bead size isn?t affected by a spraying pattern or raindrop size. I?ve never seen beads as small as what I found when I walked out to the car. Check out pictures 16 and 17. My finger in the picture is about 0.625? thick. It looks like my finger is about 70 beads wide so those beads may be about 0.009? in diameter.
A discovery that was not so exciting was streaking across a lot of the car. It showed itself worse on the horizontal surfaces and especially the hood. See pictures 18 through 22. Being that it?s worse on the first panel I sealed there is a possibility that the product is finicky about being left on for very long. As with the dusting issue this streaking issue should also be easily rectified, but I thought both were important to make note of.
Over the following two days we happened to put over 500 miles on the car. Over 300 of it was on Sunday and I picked up a ton of bugs that day. By the time I got home the front was covered in bugs and it was dark. I went ahead and hosed it down in the dark with just a bit of light falling on it from the garage. I couldn?t really see the bugs and had to go on faith for the most part. I have to say the bugs came off pretty good considering. The next morning in the light I could see some markings from the bugs but I?d say the BFWD did make a noticeable difference in how much bug matter came off just from a good spray. Oh, be sure not to miss the last picture. Really weird? First the spot where no condensation collected but even weirder is the image to the right of it. Zoom in on it and the creature has hair. Weird!

Please take a look at the photos and rejoin me for the Pros, Cons, and Final thoughts.

01.- Before Washing

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/01-Before_Washing.JPG


02.- Before Washing

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/02-Before_Washing.JPG


03.- Before M205

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/03-Before_M205.JPG


04.- Product

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/06-Product.JPG


05.- BFWD Dusting

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/05_Dusting.JPG


06.- BFWD Dusting

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/04_Dusting.JPG


07.- After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/07_After1.JPG


08.- After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/08_After1.JPG


09.- After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/09_After1.JPG


10.- After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/10_After2.JPG


11.- After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/11_After2.JPG


12.- After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/12_After.JPG


13.- After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/13_After1.JPG


14.- After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/14_After2.JPG


15.- After

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/15_After.JPG


16.- Beads

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/16_Beads.JPG

17.- Beads

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/17_Beads.JPG


18.- Streaking

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/18_Streaking.JPG


19.- Streaking

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/19_Streaking.JPG


20.- Streaking

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/20_Streaking.JPG


21.- Streaking

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/21_Streaking.JPG

22.- Weird Anomaly

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/22_WEIRD.JPG



Pros:
1.- Application: Quick and painless
2.- Looks: Beautiful deep wet shine
3.- Slick: Leaves a very slick surface
4,- Hydrophobic: Water runs from BFWD like it?s the plague


Cons:
1.- Dust during removal of product.
2.- Streaky the next morning

???:
1.- Hey Flash, there was ?a bunch of gibberish to sift through? :) so if you made it this far I?m impressed.
2.- What is the creature in picture 22?

Final Observations and Summary:
This is a very nice sealant that leaves great looks and a very smooth slick finish. I had my wife touch the paint and she was extremely impressed. We also touched the glass that I hadn?t applied it to and then that which I had. Of course there was a night and day difference. While application/removal isn?t the most trouble free of any product I?ve used the looks are enough to make me want to give this a shot on my Sky. The paint on Sky doesn?t have all the rock chips and is in great condition so I am curious to see how it looks on her. I will update on durability of this product as the months go by.


And the Product Link:
http://properautocare.com/blacallfinpa.html

Tuck91
10-18-2010, 09:17 PM
Thank you for the honest review.

bmw5541
10-18-2010, 09:30 PM
Corey,
Thanks for taking the time to write the review. I have used BFWD on many different cars and all colors, and I must say that I have never had a dusting or streaking problem (maybe it was mixed with that Jose Cuervo:). IMHO, I think you may have applied it too thick. The thinner the better. Also, leaving the sealant on for a longer period of time will not have any negative effects what so ever. I usually apply it to the entire car, and let it cure for 45 minutes, and then come back to buff it off.
Also, I use the LC Gold Kompressor pad to apply the BFWD. This pad makes this such a joy to apply. It helps to give a nice even, thin application. You should give it a try. Try the BFWD on your other car and let us know what you think.:rockon:

imported_akimel
10-18-2010, 09:33 PM
As always, a great review. One question: How long did you allow the BFWD to set up before buffing off?

imported_gewb
10-18-2010, 09:37 PM
Good review!

I`ll add my comments as I`ve been there, done that.

I used my Flex 3401, tried the blue,red, black and gold pads - all absorb a lot of product. Found the black absorbed the least but I settled on the gold pad as I prefered the "feel" during application. Like you, I found slower was better (I run at 2.5 to 3) with very little down force pressure - just enough to maintain smooth/even control.

I also found that applying the BFWD in a three spoked "S" with the end at the outer perimeter being "long" did two things: 1) more even spread on the paint and 2) after a couple applications it had an even saturation of the pad.
`
Once the pad was evenly saturated I was able to cover two door panels or the hood or roof without adding more BFWD.

THIN, THIN, THIN was the key and THIN eliminated all dusting. Too heavy and it dustd - very thin and no problem.

Regards,
GEWB