Sometimes perfect is not practical

[black bart]

I bought a new Focus SES Black with a light gray pin stripe and the optional 16 inch alloy wheels with a little spoiler on the back it is a sharp looking car but the dealer washed it and the hood has some deep swirls.

I polished out all but 2 small scratches that are hard to see.
Since OEM clear is thin I decided to stop and use a glaze sometimes perfection is not practical.

I have always drove 4x4 trucks and SUV this is my first small car.
Don't think I will ever buy another big vehicle wife and i both like the Focus plenty of head room lot of leg room rides nice handles great and gets awesome gas mileage.
I'm sure the gas prices will soar in a couple years and those who are buying full size crew cab trucks will really be crying the blues when we hit 6 bucks per gallon for gas..

 

[cwcad]

You may be right about the fuiel cost Black Bart. I got rid of my pickup a year or so ago and have lamented it everyday except the days that I had to pull into the fuel stop. Half as much fuel and twice as many miles means hefty difference in dollars. Especially if one does a lot of driving.

I am glad that you are happy with the Focus. I will be nelping in the purchase of such a car in the near future for our son. Roomy and good fuel mileage are upper most in our thinking.

I bet it took less time to clean the Focus than it does a pickup ....Right?

Now let's see some pictures of the vehicle.

 

[black bart]

You may be right about the fuiel cost Black Bart. I got rid of my pickup a year or so ago and have lamented it everyday except the days that I had to pull into the fuel stop. Half as much fuel and twice as many miles means hefty difference in dollars. Especially if one does a lot of driving.

I am glad that you are happy with the Focus. I will be nelping in the purchase of such a car in the near future for our son. Roomy and good fuel mileage are upper most in our thinking.

I bet it took less time to clean the Focus than it does a pickup ....Right?

Now let's see some pictures of the vehicle.

Other than my Corvette the Focus is the only car that I owned that I can stand on the floor and do the roof.
Speaking of roof my wifes Explorer the roof looks like a landing field by the time I polish the roof on it I can nearly do all the Focus.
Not climbing up and down on a ladder saves a lot of time.

 

[Redwings97]

You bought a black car - Wow what shock "black bart" LOL

Lets hope we are not going to be paying $6 a gallon for gas. We will end up being like China and we will all start riding bicycles everywhere.

 

[black bart]

You bought a black car - Wow what shock "black bart" LOL

Lets hope we are not going to be paying $6 a gallon for gas. We will end up being like China and we will all start riding bicycles everywhere.

Well I don't want to turn this into a political debate but anyone with an IQ higher than outside temperature in Alaska winter knows that printing money with nothing to back it up devalues the dollar.
This means it will take more dollars to buy oil and that in turn will mean high prices at the pump.
Only way to turn this around is to become fiscally responsible you can not spend your way to prosperity.

Try it with your own income and see how well it works out.

I'm sure not looking forward to it but it is coming. assout:

 

[Mr. Clean]

Congratulations on the new vehicle. And I agree that paint surfce perfection isn't realistic on most (if not all) daily drivers. Still most that frequent forums such as this probably manage to maintain their vehicles appearance to the point of near perfection. I also agree that it is nice to have a vehicle that you can see the roof while standing firmly on the ground. And yet when I'm polishing Mrs. Clean's VW NB, I'll still use step stools and platforms.

I'm one of those who have recently purchased a full-size p/u truck. I bought mine based on a combination of wants and needs. I fully understood that I would be faced with higher costs at the fuel station, but understood that there are costs associated with benefits and that ratio was acceptable. Frankly, I can't image a home owner being without either a truck of their own or ready access.

As for the future prices of gas the value of the dollar is only a single component of the equation. IMO, the economics of supply and demand has been a more significant contributor to prices.

Fiscal responsibility is a given, I sure didn't hear much in the way of calls for that in quite a while. To be hearing it now is like shouting to shut the gate after the cows are long gone.

 

[black bart]

Congratulations on the new vehicle. And I agree that paint surfce perfection isn't realistic on most (if not all) daily drivers. Still most that frequent forums such as this probably manage to maintain their vehicles appearance to the point of near perfection. I also agree that it is nice to have a vehicle that you can see the roof while standing firmly on the ground. And yet when I'm polishing Mrs. Clean's VW NB, I'll still use step stools and platforms.

I'm one of those who have recently purchased a full-size p/u truck. I bought mine based on a combination of wants and needs. I fully understood that I would be faced with higher costs at the fuel station, but understood that there are costs associated with benefits and that ratio was acceptable. Frankly, I can't image a home owner being without either a truck of their own or ready access.

As for the future prices of gas the value of the dollar is only a single component of the equation. IMO, the economics of supply and demand has been a more significant contributor to prices.

Fiscal responsibility is a given, I sure didn't hear much in the way of calls for that in quite a while. To be hearing it now is like shouting to shut the gate after the cows are long gone.

I agree with everything you say. I also have a full size truck it is a F250 4x4 with Diesel engine but I seldom use it.
As to spending Bush ran the deficit up more than all the presidents before him combined.
Obama is out spending Bush by Trillions this has to stop.
No matter what party is in power we can not continue this spending congress spends like a drunken sailor.
Sorry that is unfair to the sailors.

 

[Mr. Clean]

...
Obama is out spending Bush by Trillions ...

I am intrigued by this statement and it's possible origins.

The $700 billion dollar financial industry bailout was a program designed and implemented by Bush's Treasury Secretary, Paulson. Also, I believe $17 billion of this program was earmarked for the auto industry bailout.

Also I know that much ado is made about "printing money". A lot of money is printed. According to the BEP, roughly 26 million notes daily. This information should be tempered by noting, again according to the BEP, 95% of those notes are replacing existing or "retired" notes.

But in the end, I think most can concur that government spending needs to be curtailed to the point that the taxpayer receives (and country) received equivalent value for all monies spent. At the same time it is unrealistic to think it (spending) should be halted.

 

[JaredPointer]

 

[Mr. Clean]

JP, that's just not like you to leave us hanging like that. Tell us what you really think.

 

[Poorboy]

Well I don't want to turn this into a political debate but anyone with an IQ higher than outside temperature in Alaska winter knows that printing money with nothing to back it up devalues the dollar.
This means it will take more dollars to buy oil and that in turn will mean high prices at the pump.
Only way to turn this around is to become fiscally responsible you can not spend your way to prosperity.

Try it with your own income and see how well it works out.

I'm sure not looking forward to it but it is coming. assout:

hate to burst your bubble Bart, and BTW glad to see your surgery went well and you are back to detailing, but a large percentage of my sales are over seas and most of them are complaining that the dollar is getting stronger and their money is worth less ... go figure :notme:

 

[black bart]

Steve while I think the surgery went well I'm only able to do a panel at a time then I have to sit and rest my back.
I have appointment with my surgeon October 7 and until then I'm not to bend twist or lift.
I set around here for 3 months and could not stand it any longer 3 vehicles that my wife had been using was looking bad.
I knew I could never do a conventional wash so I used Spray and wipe.
The Ranger is Black and it was covered with lime stone dust I removed it and the Black is still very glossy NO marring.
It is really hard for me to keep every thing clean but I'm getting it done with the help of S&W

I have never tried to use S&W in the sun no point when I have a shop to put it in but when I tried to clean the hood on the Explorer the S&W just streaked and would not wipe off.
I did all the car and tried the hood it was barley warm but same thing streaking was nearly impossible to remove.
Since the S&W had the dirt removed I sprayed it with AW and it wiped off leaving a nice glossy look.
The S&W had about 20 percent S&G mixed in if that makes a difference but I was wondering how one would use this in full sun where the hood would be much hotter.
I love S&W I have 4 gallon on the shelf but I have always used it on a cool car and looks like that is the way I will need to do it in the future.

 

[Poorboy]

Steve while I think the surgery went well I'm only able to do a panel at a time then I have to sit and rest my back.
I have appointment with my surgeon October 7 and until then I'm not to bend twist or lift.
I set around here for 3 months and could not stand it any longer 3 vehicles that my wife had been using was looking bad.
I knew I could never do a conventional wash so I used Spray and wipe.
The Ranger is Black and it was covered with lime stone dust I removed it and the Black is still very glossy NO marring.
It is really hard for me to keep every thing clean but I'm getting it done with the help of S&W

I have never tried to use S&W in the sun no point when I have a shop to put it in but when I tried to clean the hood on the Explorer the S&W just streaked and would not wipe off.
I did all the car and tried the hood it was barley warm but same thing streaking was nearly impossible to remove.
Since the S&W had the dirt removed I sprayed it with AW and it wiped off leaving a nice glossy look.
The S&W had about 20 percent S&G mixed in if that makes a difference but I was wondering how one would use this in full sun where the hood would be much hotter.
I love S&W I have 4 gallon on the shelf but I have always used it on a cool car and looks like that is the way I will need to do it in the future.

sorry to hear the recovery is not complete ...

try using a bit less product and use it straight ...S&G could get tempermental when dirt is involved

 

[black bart]

sorry to hear the recovery is not complete ...

try using a bit less product and use it straight ...S&G could get tempermental when dirt is involved

Thanks I will remember that the next time.

I should have took pictures before and after on the Ranger it would have been perfect for ad of S&W because no one would believe that I did not use a conventional wash on something that filthy.
Nothing worse than lime stone dust.