-DAvo

unique - have you tried going to your local repco store and asking them to order you in some from motoractive? because thats now i get all of my mirror glaze products...

if not, then maybe have a look at this link which wixy so kindly provided recently in this forum...

http://www.zas.com.au/

On zas they are asking like $95. **** that! How much do you get it from repco?

about that...... welcome to the land of mirror glaze products...

the toyota dealership i take mine to uses mobil 1 fully synthetic oils if you ask them to use "fully synthetic oil" when booking your car i for service. so perhaps different toyota dealerships purchase different oils??

unique - have you tried going to your local repco store and asking them to order you in some from motoractive? because thats now i get all of my mirror glaze products...

if not, then maybe have a look at this link which wixy so kindly provided recently in this forum...

http://www.zas.com.au/

yeah i know what you mean about the pads... i spent up big on the older style of pads, and now their basically useless to me. as i have replaced them with the newer generation pads...

good report on the M16 as well! if i could get my hands on some it would definately be tempting! im currently testing out how good the new gold class plus is in botht eh liquid and paste forms... so far so good... wasnt a big fan of the original gold class due to its durability issues.. hence why i switched to NXT 2.0 and M21... but will see... the weather we're getting in perth should hold as a good test for the wax.. has big shoes to fill on a white car thou, as nxt 2.0 still reigns supreme in my eyes for durability and looks...

and it is a shame that we botho have white cars... :P but that wont stop me! haha

would love to see some of your work mate, dont see many detailed white cars around here!

lol, no worries. i'll see if i can dig up some photos of some jobs i've done. i tend to not bother about surface removal of my white camry, i just clay and wax it lots. i find that seeing its white, any surface defect removal will go to a waste, as the only time you can see the swirls/cobwebs via a naked eye is in direct sunlight, BUT when you do THAT, the surface is too prestine and reflective, and all you'll do is blind yourself just like looking at a dude wear ultra bright pink shirts. so with nxt 2.0, it conceals most of the swirls/cobwebs and does a gr8 job of it too. the most important thing i find with whites cars are the reflection factor. so wax achieves that a-ok!

also, surface removal on white surface is a nightmare. solid white paint is the hardest pigment known to man. solid black pain is the softest pigment. so scratch and swirl removal on white solid paints are pointless, not only are you not getting eye-for-value, but you'll be spending years maintaining the white surface, its ridiculous. white is the hardest paint to remove.

oh, and, sorry to burst your bubble....Meg's NXT Tech 2.0 is the same as M21, and vice versa. It was confirmed by meg's training director when it was released. the reason for the different packing and smell was...well...the demand for a non retail product professional looking wax. It is also body shop safe for brand new 1sec old fresh paint applications. so...yea...might just wanna stick to Nxt Tech 2.0 cuz its better for your nose LOL!

let me know how the new GC+ is, cuz i've never been a fan of GC Original!

yeah i realized they were the same after reading on the forum a year or so back. but decided to try it out anyway...

i hear you on the white paint thing... but i can put up with the endless hours of work on it thou :P in my eyes it will be great and thats what im after anyway :P

yeah i also was never a fan of the original gold class... tbh i dont think id be buying the GC+ again after i use it... the shine and reflection is great but still doesnt have the protection and weater beading that nxt does.

i rate it on a darker paint thou but for white, and for winter... nxt FTW

Thanks for the replies. I'm pretty sure my technique cannot be wrong. In each pass I tried a difference technique to see what will work and it has only reduced swirls but has not rid my paint to a perfect flawless finish.

Maybe the problem could be using the swirlx with the rotary because I read it is not compatible but it is with swirlx 2.0. I'll give 2.0 a shot. But I gotta say, using a rotary does make life so much easier. I feel confident with it.

I've been thinking though, do you think its impossible for use a product to rid the swirls? I think that the car actually needs to be professionally cut.

How long does swirlx last? Is it something that I need to keep applying?

edit: I taped off a small section on the back, the area above the fuel cap.

im getting a bit confused as to what your saying here unique...

firstly afaik there is no "SWIRL X 2.0" yet...? ive check meguiars online and can only find reference to the original SWIRL X... and no i dont think it is impossible to rid your car paint from defects using swirlX (assuming your scratches are not too bad for the product to deal with) as i have managed to do it with mine....

again i wouldnt recommend you use swirlx with a rotary... if your going down the rotary route, i would suggest you start getting mirror glaze products such as M105 and M205...

and if you read up on swirlx, you will find that its not a product that "wears out" like a wax does... instead swirlx uses diminshing abrasives to "flatten out" the swirls in your paint... you will have to reuse swirlx when you introduce more swirls into the paint through washing or daily wear and tear...

so in the end im not sure as to your technique or combinattion of using the wrong tools to apply the product... i would suggest you read up more on the product to fully understand how it works..

good luck with the rotary... hope it works out for you and remember, be bloody careful of any raised edge when using the rotary... would hate to see you burn through the clearcoat :(

if you really wnt the best sort of "rain resistance" i would strongly recommend you to:

1. clay window/wipers.

2. apply auto glym glass polish

3. apply rainX

Do RainX and AutoGlym work together? I thought it was one or the other.

nope - basically if you go the whole hog, the clay bar removes any stuck on particles on your window, the auto glym prepares the glass, and the rainX seals it all in and helps promote water beading..

basically each step prepares the surface of the glass for the next...

thats how i see it anyway :P

i agree with daryl, ive had great success with swirlx, i can get mine totally mark free with it... so unfortunately it may be coming from your technique... i would suggest you pt the rotary down for the time being and get to it by hand... as the wax attack will not have the poweer to do it, and the rotary will probably have too much power for you at this time...

without seeing how your doing it... i would suggest you go back and watch the youtube videos over and over...

good luck mate! :)

edit:

one thing i dont remember asking is what size of work area are you using? ie i find the most effective way is to divide the aurions front bonnet into 4, that should give you a small enough workspace for thew swirlX to be effective without spreading it out too thin - rendering it useless...

I would love to put these on my car but I don't like attracting unwanted attention from the popo since these are illegal

you can get 4300k HID light then. It's so close to OEM that no one would care. Also the projector beams Aurions have don't blind people unless you look straight at it. Reflectors beams would be a popo magnet.

I can get a REAL phillip 4300k or 6000k HID kit for $250AUD.

wow, care to share where you get them from? :)

IMHO, for the extra money your paying for the phillips kit, (approx 450.00AUD) it is definately worth it. while members here have had greeat luck with other branded cheaper kits, if your after piece of mind then the money is well worth it in the end as you'll always be questioning yourself if you dont...

I bought 2 cheap kits off ebay to do my low beams and fogs, and paid $100 including shipping. So for the price of the piece of mind for your Philips kit, I can replace mine 8 more times. Surely the Philips kits aren't 9 times better?

i never said they were "9 times better"

by all means the ebay kits seem to be working great!i have never disputed that... but as i wrote in my statement, its for YOUR OWN PERSONAL peice of mind... at the end of the day as has been quoted on the forum numerous times when it comes to HID's, people will spend what they feel comfortable spending... some will be more than happy spending sub 100 per kit whereas others will feel the need to spending a bit more to satisfy their own needs/wants. no one is the same..

i personally wouldnt want to have to even worry about changing mine out 8 or 9 times, id rather do it once and leave it, which is why i opted to go for the genuine kit and have it professionally installed.

I'm considering swapping my Phillips long life halogens for a Phillips HID kit. I know the HID are stronger than halogen but i don't know by how much.

Does anyone have pictures of comparisons between halogens and HIDs for an aurion?

This is from my osram night breakers to HIDS

The osrams claim 90% more light than the stock globes but it isn't that much.

http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23003&view=findpost&p=383490

Thanks for the help stedyedy but i'm not after 6000k HID. I saw the pics and there was definitely a difference but i'm looking at real Phillip 4300k HID kit and not some cheap HID kit. I know for a fact that 6000k are more for looks and 4300k are more performance. I also need pictures that show large areas so i can see the difference at short and long distances.

whilst i agree with you that 4300 would probably give the best light output, dont totally discount the 6000k... im using a phillips 6000k kit in my aurion and coming from halogens (used both phillips power2nite and phillips crystal vision) the 6000k totally blows it away...

im sorry i dont have any before photos but the main thing i noticed is that you will illumiate road signs miles down the road... the light beam is definately a good bit longer and in that longer beam the light is very well concentrated (as in its not just scattered/faint light) it is a solid white light on the road..

the only thing that i found 6000k lacks in (by lack i mean it still out performs a stnd halogen but could definately be better IMO) is in the rain. i imagine a 4300k would cut through the rain a fair bit better...

IMHO, for the extra money your paying for the phillips kit, (approx 450.00AUD) it is definately worth it. while members here have had greeat luck with other branded cheaper kits, if your after piece of mind then the money is well worth it in the end as you'll always be questioning yourself if you dont...

good luck with making your decision mate :)

well i went for a bit o a thrash last night when the roads were pretty quiet... didnt push it too hard, drove around town and into the hills (man i forgot how dark it gets out there!!! lucky i had my HID's, High beams, AND fogs lit up!! haha )

first impressions on things like roundabouts and long sweeping turns - the car stays a lot (A LOT) flatter and feels like its more in control. turn in feels a fair bit sharper (not sure if this is due to the RSB or strut bar OR BOTH) but definately around town the car feels a fair bit ncier to drive.

out in the perth hills (edit - a big ant hill) the car really felt a lot more in control.. taking from left turns that turn into a right hand turn the car really went where i steered it to go.

overall i would have to agree with those who said that this is a very worthwhile upgrade for the dollar value.

i cant wait to see what the car will handle like when i get the coilovers installed!

please use your head and dive safely.

I ended up purchasing my G220 locally then buying the 2.0 Pads and backing plate from the US. I also bought 1Gal of M205, 32Oz of M105 and 1Gal of M83 from the US as well. Saved me around $200-300 over buying it locally but cost over $100 in freight. The advantage with buying from the US is that you can access a lot of the other products that are not sold in Australia.

M205 and M105 are the best combo you can get and achieve the best results with your G200/Megs DA.

I still have my 105/205 half full eventhough i've used it thousands of times its ridiculous. just doesnt seem to run out. Megs Aust sell M105/205 here but its still currently a non DA approved version, in which case when you do use it with a DA, its a tad hard to rid the residue.

id have to agree with the 205.. best stuff ive used... however i do disagree on the non da approved statement... i ordered mine through repco here in perth and it is the current bottle, with instructions for use with DA?

wixy - id be interested to hear what your take on m16 is... from all accounts on the MOL forums it seems to be a great wax, but discontinued and hard to find a place that will ship it internationally....

i purchased mine when meg's australia first released the m105/205, and both werent da approved. at that point in time the states just released a new formulation with m105/205 da approved, hence i have the retarded version 1.0 non DA business. it still works ok with a DA but as said, non DA approved, so residue is hard to rid even with a HQ microfibre. the version 1.0 also clogs up your polishing pad much easier than the version 2.0 apparently, as it took megs australia YEARS to start selling the 7' polishing pads (which are machine washable) as supposed to the original 6.5' non machine washable. they are avaliable now but geezz im sure megs states have a new 7' pad that can be ultra efficient.

m16 is good, but in winter can be a tad hard to use as if your wintering waxing makes the wax set in can. need to warm it up a tad to achieve optimum results lol. i've only used it once in summer, and it lasted all summer with UQD between washes. i did the squeak test everytime i washed to see if the m16 was still there, and yes it was. the most durable wax prolli ever made by megs, in controlled conditions i wouldnt be surprised if it lasted 6 months on a daily drive with little maintanence - hence i dont use it often because its the best.

u'll need to find someone willing to sell u a tin from the states, someone who went out and purchased around 50tins (there are ppl like them out there). i think the states have finally stop selling them via exclusive traders due to stock.

EDIT: its a pitty we both have white cars

yeah i know what you mean about the pads... i spent up big on the older style of pads, and now their basically useless to me. as i have replaced them with the newer generation pads...

good report on the M16 as well! if i could get my hands on some it would definately be tempting! im currently testing out how good the new gold class plus is in botht eh liquid and paste forms... so far so good... wasnt a big fan of the original gold class due to its durability issues.. hence why i switched to NXT 2.0 and M21... but will see... the weather we're getting in perth should hold as a good test for the wax.. has big shoes to fill on a white car thou, as nxt 2.0 still reigns supreme in my eyes for durability and looks...

and it is a shame that we botho have white cars... :P but that wont stop me! haha

would love to see some of your work mate, dont see many detailed white cars around here!

very nicely done jeff!

the fog surrounds really suit the colour of the car :)

whens the chrome grill going on??

sorry vick, cant help you with the clearing of the sportivo holes.. but using sikaflex and some silicone sealant around the edges of the spoiler along with the double sided tape seem to give a pretty solid hold...

BlueBird - heres a photo for you... colour coding can be done from $100.00 here in perth..

... has anyone else had this problem?

Have a read through the PM's I sent you before you fitted the RSB. I mentioned that you would come across this 'issue' and to answer you question, it's nothing to worry about.

whoops, indeed you did! :P my bad.

just from driving around today i could certainly notice a difference in the handling of my car after the rsb was installed. very happy with this mod! will give it a good thrashing later tonight and report back, but so far it certainly feels "flatter" on the turns and sudden direction changes ( S bends) at higher speeds (whilst still legal!!! :P ) the car handles great. no need to get onto the brakes and feels very stable :)

ok installed the rear sway bar, went in no problem, didnt even have to loosen off the exhaust bracket to squeeze it in! :P

just have one concern thou, the actual bar seems a lot thicker, and as a result the bolt holes where the studs sit through dont allow as much thread to contact... has anyone else had this problem? is it even a cause for concern? i used some loctite on the thread just in case... dont see any other fix for this?? basically the thread from the stud is sitting just flush with the top of the nut...

it is the bolt at the 7 o'clock position relative to the red circle... (props to darly for the image)

maybe ask your toyota dealer what brand of oils they use... i recently had mine serviced and as always i asked them to use fully synthetic oils... turns out they use mobil 1 fully synthetic oil.

for the cost of the toyota advantage service ($130.00 cap) i only paid a little bit more for the use of the oil... which is normally close to $100.00 from the shops??

I ended up purchasing my G220 locally then buying the 2.0 Pads and backing plate from the US. I also bought 1Gal of M205, 32Oz of M105 and 1Gal of M83 from the US as well. Saved me around $200-300 over buying it locally but cost over $100 in freight. The advantage with buying from the US is that you can access a lot of the other products that are not sold in Australia.

M205 and M105 are the best combo you can get and achieve the best results with your G200/Megs DA.

I still have my 105/205 half full eventhough i've used it thousands of times its ridiculous. just doesnt seem to run out. Megs Aust sell M105/205 here but its still currently a non DA approved version, in which case when you do use it with a DA, its a tad hard to rid the residue.

id have to agree with the 205.. best stuff ive used... however i do disagree on the non da approved statement... i ordered mine through repco here in perth and it is the current bottle, with instructions for use with DA?

wixy - id be interested to hear what your take on m16 is... from all accounts on the MOL forums it seems to be a great wax, but discontinued and hard to find a place that will ship it internationally....

good luck jeff :)

IMO also try and colour code your mud guards... so so happy i got mine done. looks 100 times better! more so on the lighter colours :)

Hey everyone

sorry for what seems to me like a really noobie question, but im just a bit confused here regarding tyre pressures..

now when i got my new rims and tyres, the guys at bridgestone suggested i run 40psi for the size im rolling on (215/55 R17)

then other people are saying to run 35-37psi... some even less!

so my question here is, for those of you running the standard sportivo wheels (215/55 r17) what tyre pressures do you run? as im unsure if i run too low pressures, i will increase tyre wear, run too high and i also risk increasing tyre wear!

i experimented tonight and ran 40psi in the front wheels and 38psi in the rear - down from 41 in both front and rear.

im not sure if it was a placebo effect but the ride certainly felt better (lowered on pedders springs)...

any input will be greatly appretiated..

thanks

dave

or mine :( not that ive done much to mine anyway :P :P

is this the same as a K&N kit Daryl? If not, how come you didnt just get that kit? as you have used it before with no problems? or is it a different kit altogether for the TRD?

nice BRIDE dirver seat!! B)

yep i found the stock dunlop tyres, with NO sound extra sound deadener was pretty noisy.

once i had dynamat in front and rear doors, rear boot, rear shelf done, it quietned down a fair bit. then i had the 17's with adrenalin tyres fitted and it turned silent.. :)

just a bit of a revival here,

has anyone with the ducktail here noticed that the double sided tape dettaches itself after a while exposed to rain? mine has, even thou i have a big bead of sikaflex underneath running along the centre of the spoiler... is this a cuase for concern? im thinking of sealing up the edges with clear silicone sealant...

Just as I thought.. Hahah. I wonder if the existing holes of sportivo spoiler can be used to bolt on the ducktail.

im not worried about it coming off, as its still solid on the boot, just dont like the idea of water getting into that area.. will silicone it up and see how it goes.