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Car Cleaning and Maintenance Products
The latest and best
Automotive products tested and reviewed
by
Fred-in-the-shed
Updated 5th November
2008

Welcome to my new page where it test and review
all the best products for car valeting and simple maintenance tasks.
I am a 40 something self confessed petrol head and have owned nearly 100
cars and motorbikes in my lifetime. I currently own a Chrysler 300c and a
Mini Cooper S convertible. I like to keep my motors in tip top condition
and keep them out of expensive main dealer garages whenever possible.
Over the years I have bought nearly every type of gadget and device for
car care and have been disappointed with most of them. Hopefully this page
will help you save time and money by learning from my mistakes. If you
have some tips you would like to share with me and the Fredshed readers
please mail them in.
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NEW PRODUCT ALERT
Bosch Aqua clic Pressure washer
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Jump Starters and Battery Boosters
To compliment the battery chargers Black & Decker
has also launched a 450amp Jump starter that will instantly start
any vehicle from its' own internal power source, (which is a robust
19ah rechargeable sealed battery).
The BDV012 has a built in LED work lamp and 12vDC
outlet so it can charge or power other DC appliances like laptops and
mobile devices. For extra safety it has reverse polarity warning so
you can avoid dangerous sparking.
The larger BVD012 Jump starter shown right is more of a workshop tool
that is ideally suited to car dealerships, repair shops and motor
racing enthusiasts.
buy the Black and Decker BVD012
£70 approx
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This is effectively a mobile backup battery so don't forget to
charge it up!
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CAR CLEANING TIPS
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Step one - removing filth!

Car wash-verses hand wash
The hands on approach will put you in touch with your vehicle's
paintwork and let you spot problems early. I agree that a carwash
requires less effort but over time they can scratch and dull your
paintwork.
True car buffs NEVER use a carwash. If you use a carwash don't
ever use the wash AND wax facility - unless you really want your
windows waxed too. The next time you put your wipers on your windows
will be smeared and you wasted £6!
If your car is really filthy the first step is to remove this muck
without causing abrasion. I use a simple hose and spray gun, or if
it is really bad you could use a pressure washer. If you don't have
either a bucket and sponge will do but use PLENTY OF WATER.
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Carwash alert
ARC carwash puts muck all over Fred's new
Chrysler 300c!
As my new 300c is a bit of a beast and ARC built a new carwash near
my local Tesco I thought I should try it out and see if carwashes have improved.
After spending £.3.50 and waiting 15 minutes I was horrified to discover
that when I got home and parked the beast it was covered in white and grey
stains that were unsightly and very hard to remove.
I returned and questioned the attendant, who said at busy weekends the carwash gets speeded up and
the water which is recycled does not get a chance to get cleaned.
So thanks ARC for charging me £3.50 to cover my car in other people's
dirty water!

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Pressure washers
Unless your vehicle is caked in mud I think they are a waste of time
- unless you have a seriously powerful one
like this Karcher machine, even then the finish is likely to be poor
unless you use shampoo and shammy dry. Karcher - The brand
leader in Pressure washers
This is my neighbour Annette with cleaning her
land rover with a Karcher pressure washer. Karcher are a German
company and the recognised brand leader in pressure washers - and
for good reason.
As Karcher specialise in powered cleaning products
you can be sure you are getting a well researched and reliable tool
and not just a "me too copy from the far East that will not be
supported well for parts and accessories.
Also Karcher make the widest range so you can find
one to exactly suit your purpose-and budget.
Many of my readers use Karcher pressure washers
and the feedback is very good.
see the Karcher range
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Step 2 - Shampoo rinse and dry
You cant beat a bucket and sponge!
I use autoglym car shampoo, a quality sponge
and this excellent Kent Car Care Dip & Wash brush for the hard to reach areas.
As an 18 year old I worked for Ford preparing new cars for the
September rush and was taught how to professionally clean and valet
cars.
My number one tip is use plenty of water, change buckets regularly
and dry off with a leather shammy. (chamois )
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Alloy Wheel Cleaning Tips
I think it's sacrilege to have cool alloy wheels
and then drive around with them caked in crud! Also the crud on your
wheels contains corrosive particles of brake lining and it is
important that whatever you use to clean them does not come into
contact with your paintwork.
I use a separate special brush from Hozelock that
attaches to my hosepipe and allows the crud to be washed away. If
you do this regularly there is no need to use any chemicals!
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Step 3 - Polishing
Usually I can't be bothered to do this and prefer to go to the
pub or something, also if your car has been well polished before
there is no reason to polish every time you wash it. A good
quality polish like the Autoglym that I use will stay on and protect
your car's paintwork for months.
Another product/service I can really recommend is the Autoglym
lifeshine treatment that came as a £300 extra on my mini-cooper
s convertible. With this treatment you only need to wash the car
regularly and it looks like it has been polished! Also water and
dirt seem to be repelled and mostly run off the car - wowser!
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Rags, Buffing and polishing tips
Luckily for my cars I only wear 100% cotton t shirts and these make
great polishing cloths.
Do not attempt to apply polish in direct sunlight, it will go hard
quickly and be a pain to remove.
Rub the polish in and let dry before buffing off 10 minutes later.
As with washing - use plenty of rag and elbow grease!
You can buy buffing machines but I think these are for pussies so I
never use.
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Wanted
Polaris Quadbike must be 4 stroke pref 350cc
Just like this one!
e-mail
fred@fredshed.com
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The new Black and Decker Auto wrench is another excellent tool for
working on motors
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Cordless Dremel - Ideal for small bodywork jobs
For sanding small hard to reach areas of car
bodywork I use the cordless Dremel tool. It is also useful for
cutting off small bolts and screws or any bit of rusty metal.
There are many similar tools on the market but I
think the
Dremel is the only cordless one worth having due to its excellent
battery.
Dremel is made by Bosch of Germany
Dremel 7800 multipro cordless
Now with Lithium ION battery!
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Aftermarket Car Products
Car customising and audio upgrades
Fredshed recommended supplier As
a young man (some time ago) I was very attracted to customising my
vehicles and fell victim to a number of fashion trends - from furry
steering wheel covers to "A Team stripes" and more recently
induction kits, chipping and powerflow exhausts.
After many road miles I have finally grown up and
realise that manufacturers like VW with years of experience probably
know better that a youth with a hacksaw and welding torch
based in a Croydon shed. A lot of the aftermarket car customising products are
crap - simple as that.
Occasionally legislation or economics can prevent
a manufacturer from fitting the best equipment and it is here that
the customisers may be useful - but how do you decide which goodies
will actually enhance you car or make you look like a pratt - with
an empty wallet?
The best purchases for me have been car audio and
fitting larger wheels to improve handling.
I buy all my kit and take advice form my car care
guru Ken from Marston Autoparts in Oxford.
Ken has been in this business for over 20 years
and I value his experience greatly. If you are thinking of buying
any customising product or car audio (or alarms) then I can
recommend this company.
9 years ago ken fitted a superb Pioneer minidisk
player in my Golf and it still sounds incredible.
I also bought my 17 inch black widow wheels with
low profile tyres that have improved the handling of my VR6 by
giving more traction and less roll.
Martson Autoparts also stock all the best car car
products like Autoglym, tried and tested mechanics tools from Draper
and Pioneer car hi-fi equipment.
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My first car - a customised Ford Escort 1300GT
(complete with hairy teenage friends)

My cool "Black Widow" Alloy Wheels
These look great AND improved the handling of my VR6
I get my wheels and tyres fitted by Philips Tyres of
Oxford, I think they have the the best prices and friendliest
service. You can buy decent parts worn tyres too if you area bit
skint or are not keeping your can for long.
Unlike certain " tyre specialists" they wont try and
sell you an exhaust or battery as well.
Fredshed is happy to recommend Philips tyres.
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My friend Ken from Marston Autoparts
(Also known as Oxford Car Audio)
This guru of car accessories have saved me from
many embarrassing and useless purchases.
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buy set of chisel screwdrivers |

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Best Key Ring Torch for Car keys
Having a little torch on your key ring is so
useful but most of them will only just about light up a keyhole.
Advances in battery and bulb technology now mean
that you can have a proper torch measuring just 2 !/2 inches on your
keyring and the great thing is the batteries will last ages.
I have been using this LED
Lenser V8 photon pump for over 2 years on the same batteries and
absolutely love this handy torch.
Now a new smaller brother is available which has
24 carat gold connections and the option of flashing mode.
This incredible torch weighs only 17gms, and is
about the size of a little finger.
Buying the new Led Lenser V2 nano keyring torch
could be the best tenner you ever spent!
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Super Glue not so Super?
Which is the best all round glue?
I have bought so many tubes of super glue and the
only thing it has successfully held together is my fingers! Doh.
In fact super glue is so good for this that
surgeons even use it!
However if you have a bit of trim or plastic to
repair, or even wood and metal then the best and easiest to use glue
I have found is this Extreme repair from Unibond.
I am also a fan or Araldite glue and used it for
many years to hold parts of my motorbike together. As I'm still
alive this is some testament to its strength. Unlike Araldite
Extreme Repair Glue does not need to be mixed and squeezes easily
from a tube. And unlike superglue this tube has a proper cap and
does not go dry or need a fiddly pin stuck in it!
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This Glue is the best I have tried and uses the
latest research in chemical engineering to make a strong and ready
mixed adhesive that does not go off in the tube. |
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FRED'S TOP MOTIORISTS
MONEYSAVING TIPS
1 Never renew you car insurance without
getting a quote from another company.
This also applies to breakdown insurance and if you
have been with the AA or RAC for years you should be able to negotiate a
loyalty discount by ringing and saying you have been offered a better
deal and might leave.
They don't offer this so it is up to you to ring and
ask them.
If you dont ask - you dont get!
2 - know your car tyre pressures and keep them pumped
up
If you are running your car with low tyre pressures
then you will be using more fuel and possibly causing wear.
3 - Move tyres from front to rear wheel and visa
versa.
Front tyres frequently wear at the edges due to
steering scuffing whilst rear tyres do not.
By swapping your tyres around halfway through their
lifecycle you will probably get more even wear and longer use from them.

For free expert advice - on
buying tools, (on and off-line) mail me at
fred@fredshed.com (please
include tool name in subject header)
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Fred Walden 2008
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