New (to me) Baby - Hit Me With Your Best Product Recommendations

[dgage]

The most interesting coating combo for me this year is CQuartz UK 3.0 with CQuartz SiC on top for extra gloss but more importantly for greater slickness and chemical/water spot deterrence. I also have a bottle of BF Ceramic Pro (not Black) that I will use on my son’s car too but I’m looking forward to the aforementioned combo on my car.

[grungy]

Liz - congrats on the new baby! South Fl is no joke on rain and sunshine, so UV protection is a must along with good window tint At least it is not black (my new one is sadly) so the others have already said what needs to be done

[William_Wallace]

@stokdgs have to try the raggtop I’ve always used the 303 but it was only ok and alway ruined my sprayers.

@Liz used the coupon code “IWorKHere” for 75% off

[Liz@Autopia]

Liz - congrats on the new baby! South Fl is no joke on rain and sunshine, so UV protection is a must along with good window tint At least it is not black (my new one is sadly) so the others have already said what needs to be done

I`ve made the mistake of dark colored cars in Florida in the past.....never again. I`m actually really liking the blue on this one, and I`m sure I`ll like it even more once it`s polished up.

Phone pictures don`t really do it justice, but here are a couple more shots any way.















I`ll see what the tools in the garage here can do to help but if that doesn`t work I`ll probably just order some new floor mats. Other than that I was pretty impressed at how nice the interior is for the age. Definitely going to get some UV protection for that leather too!

[Liz@Autopia]

@stokdgs have to try the raggtop I’ve always used the 303 but it was only ok and alway ruined my sprayers.

@Liz used the coupon code “IWorKHere” for 75% off

@William Wallace, it`s definitely a great place to work.

[Stokdgs]

Liz - That is absolutely Beautiful !!
I love that perfect shade of Gray Leather inside; the seats look very well bolstered and comfortable, something that not everyone gets right..
The Exterior color = Perfect ! It will be a lot less heat absorbing and should polish out beautifully..
That dark blue top color goes so well with everything..
How nice to have this in the garage !

I always start the floors with a really, good, slow vacuum using a couple of long brushes, to help move the carpeting around and facilitate getting as much dirt, etc., out of the fibers before the actual cleaning... Dry dirt is much easier to remove.

I would spray some good Meguiars low foaming cleaner on those mats, and all the carpeting, give them a good brush, perhaps if you have a steamer at the shop, put the triangular head on all the carpet area for just a sec, and then get the Mytee Extractor to rinse and extract everything out.. The steam will clean, heat and help agitate everything..

The extractor will inject heated water ( don`t go crazy on this too much)and help them to all dry faster because it extracts this rinse water, so don`t think you have to rush it..

I take a lot of time on this part because the more dirty rinse water and embedded to the bottom dirt I get out, the cleaner and the cleaner smelling it will be inside the vehicle for a long, long, time..

We all have to just remember that carpet is designed to look and feel good and more importantly, trap all the dirt that falls on it, and hold it until it`s removed..

On almost ALL the high end vehicles I ever Detailed over the years, even if they were very clean, when I used the Mytee Hp60 on all the carpets and mats, I always removed 3+ gallons of dark brown rinse water, etc., from the recovery tank...And the carpets looked pretty clean before I cleaned them!! It is amazing what is down there..

I hear people all the time talking about sprays, little trees, etc., inside the vehicle to make it smell better, but nothing works as good as really getting all that fine dirt, etc., out from the bottom of the carpets and mats... Then, all you will smell is "Clean" !!!

Have fun with this !! Wish I could help !!!
Dan F

[Liz@Autopia]

Liz - That is absolutely Beautiful !!
I love that perfect shade of Gray Leather inside; the seats look very well bolstered and comfortable, something that not everyone gets right..
The Exterior color = Perfect ! It will be a lot less heat absorbing and should polish out beautifully..
That dark blue top color goes so well with everything..
How nice to have this in the garage !

I always start the floors with a really, good, slow vacuum using a couple of long brushes, to help move the carpeting around and facilitate getting as much dirt, etc., out of the fibers before the actual cleaning... Dry dirt is much easier to remove.

I would spray some good Meguiars low foaming cleaner on those mats, and all the carpeting, give them a good brush, perhaps if you have a steamer at the shop, put the triangular head on all the carpet area for just a sec, and then get the Mytee Extractor to rinse and extract everything out.. The steam will clean, heat and help agitate everything..

The extractor will inject heated water ( don`t go crazy on this too much)and help them to all dry faster because it extracts this rinse water, so don`t think you have to rush it..

I take a lot of time on this part because the more dirty rinse water and embedded to the bottom dirt I get out, the cleaner and the cleaner smelling it will be inside the vehicle for a long, long, time..

We all have to just remember that carpet is designed to look and feel good and more importantly, trap all the dirt that falls on it, and hold it until it`s removed..

On almost ALL the high end vehicles I ever Detailed over the years, even if they were very clean, when I used the Mytee Hp60 on all the carpets and mats, I always removed 3+ gallons of dark brown rinse water, etc., from the recovery tank...And the carpets looked pretty clean before I cleaned them!! It is amazing what is down there..

I hear people all the time talking about sprays, little trees, etc., inside the vehicle to make it smell better, but nothing works as good as really getting all that fine dirt, etc., out from the bottom of the carpets and mats... Then, all you will smell is "Clean" !!!

Have fun with this !! Wish I could help !!!
Dan F

Dan, you`re right, the seats are comfy! Another thing I noticed....with the top up, this is the quietest convertible I`ve ever been in.

I`d love to take you up on the offer of help, and I`m sure my family that`s still in the PacNW would love for me to come visit, but I made that road trip once in my life and that was enough for me.

[Stokdgs]

Dan, you`re right, the seats are comfy! Another thing I noticed....with the top up, this is the quietest convertible I`ve ever been in.

I`d love to take you up on the offer of help, and I`m sure my family that`s still in the PacNW would love for me to come visit, but I made that road trip once in my life and that was enough for me.

Liz,
Nothing like a well made, insulated, really seals well, convertible top !!! I`m glad you have that too ! How perfect !!

Oh, I know a trip like that !!! Except mine was to Texas from WA and that one is 4,000 miles one way, so 8,000 miles round trip...
You have to really like driving...

In Northern California where I am now, it is only 3,000 miles one way, and 6,000 miles round trip... Yippee...

Once I tried to total all the trips I have made back to Texas since I arrived on the West Coast in the Military in 1967, and the number of miles is approaching 100,000.. Yeah, I guess I like driving..
Dan F

[The Guz]

@William Wallace, it`s definitely a great place to work.

Liz congrats on the new car. The color looks great. Given that you have the benefit of a company discount how about going with one of the house brands when it comes to a coating. Mike Phillips posted an image of a black corvette with the Blackfire black edition coating and it looks pretty impressive. That would be a nice choice.

The other option is to wait for the new P&S Coating which will be announced on Monday, 3/15.

Th interior looks clean. Coating that wood trim is a good idea especially when you drive with the top down.

@Coatings=crack swears by Gtechniq smart fabric for a convertible top. Mike Phillips tends to like Ragg Top.

[Coatings=crack]

Congrats on the new vert! Miss mine already. And @The Guz is right i used Ragtopp, 303 and Gtechnic.


Raggtop was better for me than 303 and Gtechnic Fabric trump both. Lasted a-lot longer but also my top saw a-lot of rain hear in the NorthWest. Got about a year out of it.


That interior is beautiful and looks brand new.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Liz@Autopia]

Liz congrats on the new car. The color looks great. Given that you have the benefit of a company discount how about going with one of the house brands when it comes to a coating. Mike Phillips posted an image of a black corvette with the Blackfire black edition coating and it looks pretty impressive. That would be a nice choice.

The other option is to wait for the new P&S Coating which will be announced on Monday, 3/15.

Th interior looks clean. Coating that wood trim is a good idea especially when you drive with the top down.

@Coatings=crack swears by Gtechniq smart fabric for a convertible top. Mike Phillips tends to like Ragg Top.

Thanks @The Guz! I was actually thinking the Blackfire black edition - we`ve been getting some great reviews on it.

[Liz@Autopia]

Congrats on the new vert! Miss mine already. And @The Guz is right i used Ragtopp, 303 and Gtechnic.


Raggtop was better for me than 303 and Gtechnic Fabric trump both. Lasted a-lot longer but also my top saw a-lot of rain hear in the NorthWest. Got about a year out of it.


That interior is beautiful and looks brand new.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the tip on the Gtechniq Fabric @Coatings=crack. I`ve never been unhappy with Raggtopp in the past but would definitely be interested in something that would be more durable. We probably get almost as much rain down here as y`all do in the NorthWest - we just get it all in huge deluges that happen just about like clockwork every afternoon for about 2 months in Summer.

I love everything about it, but the interior is honestly what really sold me. For a 17 year old interior to look like that, obviously someone cared about the car and it shows.

[bob m]

Liz,

As others have posted - congratulations on a beautiful car. Here`s my 2 cents coming from a non-pro/hobbyist and I think it is a very overlooked and little discussed area and that is the floor mats. We obsess over the water beading, the intensity of the shine and longevity of coating, sealant/wax. We make sure the leather is pristine, the windows streak free, but when it comes to what`s covering IN FULL VIEW once the door is opened to reveal those shampooed (or not) carpets, a blind eye is given. Sure, we clean those rubber mats, but how soon do they snow dirt, sand, debis, scuff marks, etc? Immediately. Even with carpeted mats, they show much of what I just mentioned - more so on lighter colored mats, plus are harder to clean than rubber mats. It`s like buying a bespoke suit and wearing sneakers - or maybe a better analogy, wearing that same suit with scuffed up shoes.

My suggestion is to go a bit retro (but tried and true) and that is to get a set of Cocoa Mats. I had them on my Audi and just ordered a set for my Mazda CX-5. The better ones, which I recommend are custom made here in the USA. Yeah, expensive but will last forever and ALWAYS look clean. When you need to clean them, remove from the car and give them a good shaking out. As an added plus, they are very comfortable underfoot.

cocomats.com

Zero affiliation, simply a very satisfied customer.

[Liz@Autopia]

Liz,

As others have posted - congratulations on a beautiful car. Here`s my 2 cents coming from a non-pro/hobbyist and I think it is a very overlooked and little discussed area and that is the floor mats. We obsess over the water beading, the intensity of the shine and longevity of coating, sealant/wax. We make sure the leather is pristine, the windows streak free, but when it comes to what`s covering IN FULL VIEW once the door is opened to reveal those shampooed (or not) carpets, a blind eye is given. Sure, we clean those rubber mats, but how soon do they snow dirt, sand, debis, scuff marks, etc? Immediately. Even with carpeted mats, they show much of what I just mentioned - more so on lighter colored mats, plus are harder to clean than rubber mats. It`s like buying a bespoke suit and wearing sneakers - or maybe a better analogy, wearing that same suit with scuffed up shoes.

My suggestion is to go a bit retro (but tried and true) and that is to get a set of Cocoa Mats. I had them on my Audi and just ordered a set for my Mazda CX-5. The better ones, which I recommend are custom made here in the USA. Yeah, expensive but will last forever and ALWAYS look clean. When you need to clean them, remove from the car and give them a good shaking out. As an added plus, they are very comfortable underfoot.

cocomats.com

Zero affiliation, simply a very satisfied customer.

Thanks Bob! I had never heard of floor mats made out of coconut fiber. Ya learn something new every day.

I can definitely see them being durable and holding up to the wear/tear and elements. I have a 70 lb lab/pitbull mix who destroys pretty much any dog toy you give him, so we stopped wasting money on toys and give him coconuts that fall from the trees in the backyard instead. He loves `em and they`re super tough so it keeps him busy for a while.

[bad penny]

Congratulations on the new ride. You can tell that it`s been well cared for

I really don`t have any suggestions other then I wouldn`t want my car being used as an experiment in a detailing class