June 02 2007 : "Featured Rides"

Some of the unique cars I have had the privilege of personally detailing where added to the featured rides section to the right. If you have a ride your proud of, and if its clean enough click the "Submit Your Ride" button to the right, and follow the instructions. I will then review it and place it in with the others.
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April 22 2007 : "Carnauba"

Carnauba Wax is obtained from the leaves of a Copernican Cerifera palm tree. The tree exudes a wax through its leaves, which aid the tree in protection from the damaging sun and preventing dehydration from the equatorial climate. This crude wax, in its powder form, is transported from the countryside where it is processed and cleaned to assure the highest quality of raw carnauba wax.The color and quality of the wax are governed by the age of the leaves and care used in processing of this hard, brittle, lustrous wax. Carnauba is the hardest natural wax and has lustrous composition. In its raw natural state carnauba wax is considered to be harder then concrete.

Due to the fact that carnauba is a natural plant by-product, it will not react with the paint surface. The Carnauba Wax acts as a protective barrier which provides a very hard UV protective film over your car's surface that  protect against sun damage, weather damage,  airborne contaminants such as acid rain residue, catalytic converter emissions, bug tar, road grime, salt and bird droppings. Carnauba swells and closes its pores when exposed to water. Carnauba also dramatically reduces paint oxidation by diffusing the  UV and infrared radiation from the sun which can oxidize and dull your paint finish. Credit goes to Smartwax.
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March 20 2006 : "Tire Browning"

I came across this neat little article about tire rubber and reasons that it turns brown. Credit goes to Meguiars Car Care Forum. Most people don't give a lot of thought to their tires except for how they look. Truth be known, your tires are designed to perform under extreme conditions of heat via kinetic energy transfer, high speeds for long periods of time and incredible forces of torque and flexing. That's a lot to ask from a chunk of rubber, inflated with air like a cream filled donut.

The science behind the modern rubber formulas used by major tire manufactures today is both complex and interesting. The rubber itself contains and ingredient called Antiozonant. Antiozonant is an ingredient that helps to prevent the exterior rubber surface from cracking, checking, oxidizing, and deteriorating. The rubber is designed in such a way as to constantly work its way to the outside of the tire and as such, continually replenish the exterior surface with fresh antiozonant.

After the antiozonant works its way to the outside of the tire and is exposed to the ozone in the air, it turns brown. The technical term for this effect is blooming.

This is why you see a brown film on the surface your tires. You can wash your tires with soap or an all-purpose cleaner and remove this film, but in a few weeks, it's back. That's because the antiozonant continually works its way to the outside of the tires every time you drive your car.