Targa California

If you like old autos, you'll like this video.

The AMMO NYC difference

So, after getting hooked to Drive Channel's "Drive Clean" webisodes, (Click here if you haven't watched or you are a DIY car-wash geek like me) i decided to take the plunge and order in the Basic Regime system to try it out.
The Basic Regime comes in at around USD$164 (with shipping), which is about SGD$200. Sounds like quite abit of money but it comes with AMMO Foam wash, AMMO Hydrate, AMMO SKIN, AMMO Spit (Quick detailer), 3 good sized microfiber towels and a sponge applicator. Not too bad in my opinion considering most places sell a single decently sized microfiber for SGD$10(+) and you get 4 different detailing products.

And.... i'm really really happy with the results im getting. So after finishing up the car today, i went to take some pictures. But first, some background information, the car in question, is a used 5 year old silver 1 series, yes it's the new addition to our family. As far i could tell, no special grooming was done prior to our ownership. Or at least, nothing recent. I'm not a professional groomer, just a weekend car washing freak. No DA or electrical tools used, all detailing products applied by hand.

So far, the bodywork detailing products i have used before include, Autoglym (Super Resin Polish & Sealant), Sonax (Xtreme Nanopro Wax 1 & 2), Meguiars (Gold Class & NXT range of products), Mother's, Zymol (The Turtlewax one) and various other weird un-pronounce-able Japanese stuff.

Washing history prior to these pictures, washed it last week, using a hose and foam gun. Foam gun on one hand and a wash mitt on the other working together, using dish soap to strip away all earlier wax layers. After the initial wash, soaped up the car again and clayed it. Dried off with a microfiber towel. Dodojuice limeprime pre-wax cleaner was next and after that came a coat of AMMO skin. Topped off with Dodojuice Purple haze. Mid-week, i rinsed the car down with water and wiped it dry using AMMO Hydrate. Today i washed it with the foam gun and wash mitt (AMMO Foam wash), dried it up using AMMO Hydrate and added another layer of AMMO Skin on top to finish it off.

What was used today:
2 buckets
2 wash mitts
1 hose (now leaking *arrrgh* )
1 foam gun
1 sponge applicator
AMMO Foam Wash
AMMO Hydrate
AMMO Skin

Here's the pictures. Taken not in the best of conditions as sky was getting dark and it poured right after i got back into the car after the last shot. The rain did allow me to see how well the water just beaded off the car. In the basement carpark before i went out. Not the best lighting, so i drove it out. Better lighting but sky was still overcast and threatening to rain. Still managed to catch what little sunlight there was. I'm very very happy with the results. Cloudy background More bonnet shots. Closeup of bonnet (you can see a raindrop already) Truck going by... Side views. Roof shot More roof shots. Immediately after that last shot, i got into the car and this happened. So back home i went. The wash-car curse strikes again!!! To say i'm happy is an understatement, the result for the money spent is really really good. Granted it might not match up to the big boy grooming centres which have access to professional grooming tools, but for a hobbyist, i'm very very pleased with the outcome. You might be using other products which work for you and give you a similar or better shine which is cool. But personally, i think the results are already worth more than what i paid. Thanks for reading!!!

When Outrageous was possible

When Outrageous Was Possible from Petrolicious on Vimeo.

The Lamborghini Countach. Impractical, nada on the ergonomics and a reckless concern for safety. But it is beautiful and it was on my bedroom wall, and that's all that really matters...

BMW 7 goes one up

Performance Motors had just launched the "new" 7 Series on our local shores. I say "new" because to most casual observers, there would appear to be nothing much different from the current cars. We couldn't really fault them on this as only the eagle-eyed car spotters amongst us are able to pick out the redesigned front bumper flanked by a pair of Adaptive LED headlamps and updated tail lights. To most of us, these additions hardly justify the use of the word, "new". But the devil is indeed in the details and most of the changes were crafted under the slightly breathed on skin. To keep it short, in its latest development stage, the engine generates peak output of 450 hp (+ 10 percent) and unleashes peak torque of 650 Newton metres (+ 8.5 percent) between 2,000 and 4,500 rpm. The century sprint in the 750Li comes in at just 4.8 seconds. The upgraded BMW TwinPower V8 belies its improved performance with better efficiency than ever; with overall fuel consumption of 8.6 litres per 100 kilometres and CO2 emissions recorded at 199 g/km, the BMW 750LI trumps its less powerful predecessor by a clear 25 percent. Gains on the 750LI's "smaller" engined siblings are just as significant against their predecessors , with the 740LI being 5% quicker and 21% more efficient than before. The 730LI meanwhile comes in with 4% more speed and 11% more efficiency. Further changes have also been for the driver of the 7, with a new 3D display and control new-generation Navigation System. Even the dash has gone all digital, ala, LFA. Keeping it brief, there were quite a number of other changes and revisions made to the latest 7 and to explain each and every one of these changes, will probably take a long while. So if you are really interested, the new BMW 7 Series will be available at Performance Motors' showrooms for a test drive.