Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish

     Mothers has a full range of car care products for the detailing fanatics. Today I'm reviewing Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish. This polish is able to give shine to various metallic surfaces that oxidize, tarnish, or show water spots. This product was designed for car care but can also be used around the home as well. Metal fixtures like faucets and shower heads can use this polish to restore their luster.

     I use this product often between my car and my bike and it works wonderfully. It takes a lot of time, effort, and patience however. You have to have an applicator pad and a clean microfiber towel to apply this polish. First you scoop up a small amount on your applicator and then you rub it onto the metal surface and you keep rubbing until the polish turns black. After the polish turns black, use your clean towel to wipe away the polish leaving a clean surface. It's best to work small areas at a time so that the polish doesn't harden on the surface. Here are some results.

The wheel on the left is polished and the wheel on the right is not. The wheel on the right has a very cloudy finish.

I made this photo extra large because after the polishing you can see the reflection of my tools laying on the ground in front of the wheel.

It usually takes 2-3 hours to polish this bike. That includes the frame, front forks, exhaust pipe, and wheels.

     You can pick up Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish in general auto parts stores. Autozone carries the 5oz size for $5.99 and the 10oz size for $8.99.

Function and Form Type I Coilover Review

    The Function and Form Type 1 Coilover is an entry level coilover setup that performs very well despite its lower end cost. The F2 coilover setup differentiates itself from other lower end setups through the way its adjustability is designed. Most coilovers in this price range are adjustable by raising or lowering the perches that the springs sit on. By adjusting this way the spring preload rates can vary widely. The F2 coilover is adjusted by lowering or raising the entire shock body. The lower mount of the shock can stay mounted to the car while the rest of the body of the shock can be turned to raise or lower the whole setup.

     I own 2 sets of these coilovers. One for each of my vehicles. A 92 Honda Accord and a 93 Acura Integra. The ride quality was greatly improved after installing these coilovers. The setup on the Accord prior to the coilover install was a conventional spring and shock combo which consisted of Neuspeed race springs and KYB AGX shocks. With the previous setup the ride was quite stiff however I wanted to be able to adjust my ride height.... particularly go lower. With the F2 coilovers I was able to make the body of the car physically sit on the tires. I know what you're thinking: that's lower than you'd ever need to go. What I was not happy with is that the range of adjustability is limited to low and ultra low. At the coilover's highest setting the cars both sit 3 to 4 inches lower than stock. I was hoping that if I wanted to I could raise the car close to stock as I drive the Acura daily including through the harsh Northeastern winters. The Accord never gets driven through the snow.

   The only downside to the F2 coilovers is that they don't have damping adjustability. However that is a sacrifice to the low cost of this setup. The F2 type 2 coilovers offer damping adjustment and ride height adjustment but at a higher cost.

Here are some pics of my cars' stance with the coilover setup installed.