MINI COOPER :: North American Motoring

kenchan · #1 11-11-2007, 12:43 PM

Just taking updated shots of my car with the Outmotoring stripes on a cloudy day.

Griot's Best of Show/SprayOn Wax combo
Clarity'ed windows
BlackWow'ed arches (in sesame seed units)

Nero'ed interior (can't see it in these picts)

WheelShield (original blend) + Hydro'ed wheels.

Meguiar's InsaneShine on the tires (i just use a tiny bit)
Car was last polished in Spring this year.

check out this 'fused' look. outmotoring stripes with Best of Show/SprayOn
wax combo. it appears painted on.

can't forget the intercooler grill by yours truely.

that white dot is a chip.

anyway check out how well the outmotoring stripes blend into the surrounding paint.

jeffc · #2 11-11-2007, 12:50 PM

Ken your car looks awesome.

Ok I have to post mine now

**Gil-galad** · #3 11-11-2007, 12:50 PM

Oh so nice...even on a gray Chicago day. if THAT doesn't sell ya on Hydro, not much will.

(Edit: Oops -- I'd just assumed you'd Hydro'ed the body! Shocking!)

She looks better than if she'd just rolled off the showroom floor.

Kudos, sir.

CR&PW&JB · #4 11-11-2007, 01:09 PM

What's the big deal, ken ? Looks the same as every other day ! <<yawn>>

Messin' with ya... it looks PERFECT, of course, Your reputation is still intact, my friend.

kenchan · #5 11-11-2007, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CR&PW&JB

What's the big deal, ken ? Looks the same as every other day ! <<yawn>>

Messin' with ya... it looks PERFECT, of course, Your reputation is still intact, my friend.

lol

actually while i was taking my picts i thought the same... it looks
like everyday thing nothing really special.

but this cold weather and fresh factory-like look i now have reminded me
of when i was taking my first picts of the car 4+yrs ago.

it brought
back memories.

kenchan · #6 11-11-2007, 01:08 PM

thanks guys.

hehehe. yah, i dont use Hydro on my hobby cars...well, i do on the wheels.

kyriian · #7 11-11-2007, 01:56 PM

nice, wish it was sunny at least give it some drama! like a week ago when i did my pre-winter prep:

CR&PW&JB · #8 11-11-2007, 02:04 PM

I never got a good look at those wheels before, Ken... those are HOT.

And a practical choice, too... not too tough to clean with the five narrow spokes.

Boy, if I had to do it over again, I'd get the 5-star OEM wheels on all the MINIs for that same reason.

kenchan · #9 11-11-2007, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CR&PW&JB

I never got a good look at those wheels before, Ken... those are HOT.

And a practical choice, too... not too tough to clean with the five narrow spokes.

Boy, if I had to do it over again, I'd get the 5-star OEM wheels on all the MINIs for that same reason.

thanks.

yah, i had the same wheels in 16's long time ago but this time i
did 17's. they look like the factory E46 wheels, don't they?

it's
very simple, factory look, yet not boring. i like the aggressive offsets
they come in (+40). fills the wells real well.

kenchan · #10 11-11-2007, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyriian

nice, wish it was sunny at least give it some drama!

my camera is a pos (as you can tell from those fuzzy picts

) and can't
take any good picts in the sun. it took a while since i got the outmotoring
stripes. had to be on a weekend morning, cloudy, yet not windy.

89AKurt · #11 11-11-2007, 02:01 PM

Gee, I felt proud I washed my car yesterday, now I see this.

searocko · #12 11-11-2007, 02:22 PM

Question: How the hell do you remove BoS Wax? When I apply it, even a light coat, the stuff dries like peanut butter and I have a hell of a time getting it off with the PC. I ended up hand removing it and in the end it wasn't worth all that effort. Is there a secret to this madness?

kenchan · #13 11-11-2007, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by searocko

Question: How the hell do you remove BoS Wax? When I apply it, even a light coat, the stuff dries like peanut butter and I have a hell of a time getting it off with the PC. I ended up hand removing it and in the end it wasn't worth all that effort. Is there a secret to this madness?

you probably used too much. sometimes i use SprayOn wax to
remove areas i accidentally used too much on, but usually just a quick
wipe/buff by hand with a nice MF towel. i don't use the RO to remove
wax. use a very thin coat. honestly speaking, it is easier to use than
Epic cause #1 i can tell exactly where i applied instantaneously, #2
doesn't whiten up the arches or any of the plastics.

Best of Show you see in the picts was last applied in the Spring.

searocko · #14 11-11-2007, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenchan

you probably used too much. sometimes i use SprayOn wax to
remove areas i accidentally used too much on, but usually just a quick
wipe/buff by hand with a nice MF towel. i don't use the RO to remove
wax. use a very thin coat. honestly speaking, it is easier to use than
Epic cause #1 i can tell exactly where i applied instantaneously, #2
doesn't whiten up the arches or any of the plastics.

Best of Show you see in the picts was last applied in the Spring.

Perhaps but comparing my experience using other products, BoS is THE hardest to remove. I just did a Google on "Best of show wax removal" and a couple of threads in other forums appear complaining of the same thing. Someone recommended using Speed Shine to aid in removal. Screw that. It's not like I'm smearing the entire car in the stuff. I'd say 80% comes off fine, it's the edge of the swirls that appear to cake up and is hard to take off.

I use various Griot's products including the polishes, wheel cleaner, interior cleaner, Speed Shine, etc, etc... and BoS is the only thing that disappoints. It ended up in the trash when I moved last summer.

But anyhow, great looking car and glad you're happy with BoS.

rockridge · #15 11-11-2007, 02:25 PM

Ken, Looking good. Now you need the clear bra to prevent more chips.

kenchan · #16 11-11-2007, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockridge

Ken, Looking good. Now you need the clear bra to prevent more chips.

yah, i have the clearbra on the front aero bumper in those picts, but
didn't apply on the bonnet. figures, huh?

(i dont really care, i'll just
touch it up later).

mini44 · #17 11-11-2007, 02:42 PM

[quote=kenchan;1856589]Just taking updated shots of my car with the Outmotoring stripes on a cloudy day.

Griot's Best of Show/SprayOn Wax combo
Clarity'ed windows
BlackWow'ed arches (in sesame seed units)

Nero'ed interior (can't see it in these picts)

WheelShield (original blend) + Hydro'ed wheels.

Meguiar's InsaneShine on the tires (i just use a tiny bit)
Car was last polished in Spring this year.

That's one beautiful MCS. I think you should sell it to me and get yourself a new one.

This one's got a chip

kenchan · #18 11-11-2007, 02:45 PM

^^ hahaha, thanks.

200-OK · #19 11-11-2007, 02:54 PM

Sweet... love the stripes; that blended in look is very sharp!

kenchan · #20 11-11-2007, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 200-OK

Sweet... love the stripes; that blended in look is very sharp!

thanks. the material outmotoring uses is very thin and it just blends
right into the paint and kinda tucks its head under the coat of wax to
just give it that nice fused look.

old81 · #21 11-11-2007, 03:40 PM

Fantastico, looks very nice with the blended stripes. You should be good to go until next Spring.

I thought you used Hydro on all of your vehicles (MINI, too).

kenchan · #22 11-11-2007, 03:18 PM

^^ there will always be whiners.

you should check out Griot's detailing sessions they have every season.
maybe they might be in your area next year.

best of show imho is very easy to use.

searocko · #23 11-11-2007, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenchan

^^ there will always be whiners.

you should check out Griot's detailing sessions they have every season.
maybe they might be in your area next year.

best of show imho is very easy to use.

Apparently not that easy if I need to go to a detailing session to learn how to use it!

Anyway, I found a poly that I'm very happy with that gives a long lasting and terrific shine.

p.s. I live 5 miles from Griot's and have heard good things about their detailing sessions.

Modnar · #24 11-11-2007, 03:53 PM

That, sir, is some fine looking grillwork! Nice!

But have you considered trying Hydro?

kenchan · #25 11-11-2007, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by old81

Fantastico, looks very nice with the blended stripes. You should be good to go until next Spring.

I thought you used Hydro on all of your vehicles (MINI, too).

i do..well, on my G and MCS I use Hydro on the wheels.

Hydro is my quick fix for daily drivers (civic and legacy) which does a
phenominal job considering the 4-5min app.

for my hobby
cars i prefer natural based wax. i just like the warmer reflection.

Quote:

Originally Posted by searocko

Apparently not that easy if I need to go to a detailing session to learn how to use it!

ok, you're going in my ignore list.

i can almost guarantee
you used too much product. you're 5min away from Griot's dont be so
lazy to walk over there to get a quick tip or lesson then blaming it on the
product if you're not having much luck with it. if it was that impossible
to use, they would've taken it off their product line long time ago.

it's one of the easist to use waxes ive came across. very compariable to
NXT. easy on, easy off. just dont use so much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Modnar

That, sir, is some fine looking grillwork! Nice!

But have you considered trying Hydro?

thanks.

that intercooler grill is easy to make. Acehardware sells
the honeycomb. i think it was called gutter guard or something. all you
need is to cut them into shape with sheers, paint them, and pop it on.

if my MCS turns into my commuter i would definitely use Hydro.