Overboost

My one suggestion was going to be trying a quick detailer and MF towel to remove it. You might also want to try a dilution of isopropyl alcohol and water (15:1 I believe) to break it up. I'll also PM MarcHarris and see what tips he can provide.

SkyyPunk

where did you get your aquapel and how much was it? Amazon has a single one for about $9

Overboost

I ordered a 6-pack from Autogeek, which I think was $35-40, along with their window cleaner.

the dudeness

Thanks for the tips. As i just got my mustang, do you guys recommend swapping out the windshield wippers for winter? I have only flipped the stock ones on once so im just curious if running them through the winder will cause issues or if they will be ok.

Also, do you guys add sand bags to the trunk? since there isn't really any weight back there i was thinking of grabbing two bags, wrapping them up with plastic wrap and then again in a sheet, and putting them over the wheels in the back. Just want to keep traction durring the winter as best I can.

I will probably swap wheels and get all of the winterizing done mid November, i don't think we will see anything where i live before december.

MustangGTPilot

Winter blades from the dealers are great, used them last 2 winters (I always get new blades) and they outlasted the more expensive ones from Autozone that went on my ex-GF's car.

No need what so ever for sand bags in the trunk. A good set of snow tires and control the right foot is all you need. I also tend on thick snow or ice covered roads to pull away in 2nd or even 3rd, plenty of torque for this and zero wheel spins.

Overboost

I run Bosch Icon blades, which work year round. I believe the Motorcraft are a similar design that can be used all year as well.

Putting sand in the trunk helps, but you may not need it. I found once I swapped over to winter tires, I didn't need it. This also comes with the notion that you're not as liberal on the throttle as you'd be normally. With the 3.73 gears, taking off in 2nd or even 3rd works fine on slick surfaces.

Rando

I can't take off from 3rd, not enough power

outtaphase

Got around to winter prep today before "frankenstorm" hits. Really good day for it - 60 degrees and completely overcast with no rain which allowed me to do everything outdoors where I could see better. Comments on products used:

Aquapel: Difficult to use at best. I worked as fast as I could but the haze was still a pain to remove. I was hoping to do all of the glass on all 3 of my vehicles, but each applicator is barely enough to cover just one windshield, and you have to work it around to get full coverage. So I used 1/2 my 6-pack and just did the windshields.

Collinite 845: Before I started using it I noticed it was goopy and inconsistent in composition no matter how hard I shook it. So I put the bottle in a jug of hot tap water for 30 minutes, then shook vigorously. This worked very well! It came out very thin and manageable, but provided very good coverage. Warning - it will run out of the bottle very fast if you do this! Nice wax patch on my driveway now. I applied by hand, and started using the buffer but quickly realized it came off very easy with some Autocraft XL microfibers I picked up, so I did it all by hand. I was able to do the car in 5 sections without it getting too hard on me. Very pleased with the finish and look so far, but I'll need some bright sunshine to know for sure. The flat black stripes look great, a little shinier than before. Bumpers and trim look great too, easy to get out of crevices when you overstep a little.

Meguiar's Hot Rims All Wheel & Tire cleaner: VERY unimpressed with this product. I might as well have not used anything at all to get the same result. Going back to Blue Coral Wheel Magic.

Big Poppa

For what it's worth I put my winter tires on today. I don't usually drive it in bad weather but I need to be prepared.

kylerohde

Not sure where you live but seems early - remember, temp needs to be consistently under 40 degrees to not wear them out prematurely.

FromZto5

Yeah it's mid 40's here in Iowa... upper 20's low 30's at night/dawn. I think I have a couple of weeks yet. Luckily still no snow.

Rando

Everyone says not to wax stripes. Now I'm confused. I was going to mask them off so I didn't get any on them.

TheDivaDanielle

So far my plan has been to order some flashy 20's... Something is clearly wrong with me.

outtaphase

I haven't noticed a downside. You can get a bit of buildup in the edge where the stripe meets the paint, but I just followup with a microfiber rubbing a day later and all is good. Stripe color may play a role here, I can only tell you about flat black factory.

I think it would be a serious pain to have to avoid them.

Rando

Used the Collonite last night. Turned out well but I don't notice too much of a difference because my car is only a month old. I masked off the stripes which wasn't too hard.

Overboost

Looks like this will be the last good weekend up here, so I'm going to swap tires and clean the car up.

outtaphase

I might have missed the discussion about wax on stripes. Mine appear to be fine with the wax on, is there something I should know about?

Rando

I'm really not sure either. I've seen posts that say never wax stripes as it will affect their color over time and also give a gloss effect. I've been using 303 Products Aerospace Protectant on them. It's basically SPF for your car. I think people use it on leather seats too since Armor All is terrible for leather.

Anyone know how often I should treat my leather seats?

outtaphase

Thanks, I'll research and check out the 303. I usually leave the leather alone or just wipe with a damp cloth since it doesn't sit in the sun. I used to use Tanner's Preserve Leather Cleaner on my Silverado leather, but the results didn't wow me.

FromZto5

303 protectant is indeed the best matte protection for interior and exterior plastic or vinyl. It's what I use. For leather cleaners and conditioners, there are many. I use Wolfgang and Lexol products personally.