Anyone else NOT baby their car? (cosmetically)

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by D88

Maybe I'm misinterpreting you but $26K is not something I have just lying around to replace my car. I have never understood this argument.

I agree with your interpretation but I think that the "it's just a $26k car" has some merits too, this is not some low production rarity. Like a Mustang or Corolla or GTI it's an everyman's car, it's meant to be used and it will be many years before the supply cannot meet the demand. It will be replaceable for many decades.

[Target70]

Originally Posted by Scubaru

picture

does this mean you don't approve?
my last car, 93 240sx, I owned for ~11 years. I think I washed it twice. Now i'm going for a new record. I figure As long as the dirt is not corrosive, then the first layer of dirt will protect the paint, almost like a coat of wax, Plus it takes no effort, or cost, and I don't get swirl marks.

[WesleyG]

I dont see this this as a cheap car, in SA it isnt cheap at all for what it is...

My Fiance daily drives it, gets pooped on by birds, has a door ding...what can you do? its a car its gonna happen.

BUT that doesnt stop me from washing and waxing it, and trying to keep it in a good condition for as long as possible, but then again I take good care of all my shit

[Veloist]

I like this topic, even though I am one of those people on the completely opposite side, you know--the OCD, freak out from every scratch!

One time when I was 6, my bicycle's front wheel hit my dad's 1998 Toyota Sienna while he was washing it; the bike was rolling down the driveway. He grounded me from my GameBoy Color for 2 weeks because of that.

I'm planning to get an FR-S very soon. It's going to be garaged, it's going to be washed & waxed but only when it needs to. That's because it will NEVER see/touch rain. It's gonna have its own wash media separate from my other cars. It won't be used a lot. Maybe less than 100 miles a month. It's not going to be a daily driver. It will never see the track.

All of these points I mentioned applied to the first FR-S I had, then realized it wasn't the right time to have a car to baby so much. I had a daily driver, but didn't have money for insurance. No big deal I'll get another when I graduate college and buy one with my own money. It will be my first car and not given to me by mom/dad. It's something I want to be proud of for my whole life, and it will be a reminder to me everyday as I get older and older, that it is a symbol of hard work as I look at it in my garage and take my daily driver that day.

I really think I got the mentality from my dad; he kept our cars so clean when I was young that I autonomously thought all cars should be clean all the time. I seriously think you have to inherit that kind of mentality. If you do, thats one of the only ways to feel how rewarding it is to baby a car, especially a dream car. Especially your first car that happens to be your favorite, that you happened to follow development before you even had a driver's learner permit.

To finish off, I say it's really cool to have a car's condition satisfy you. You definitely cannot keep a car perfect. But you can definitely try, and I think for most people like me, that's the most rewarding part.

[Lo]

Originally Posted by hmong337

Lol. So you used to pull over and get out to fart?!

I blessed my interior smell on like the 10km drive home from the dealership ahaha.

Originally Posted by Teseo

Haha, i did not pull over but i took out my shoes before hop in
Now i just dont give a shit

Doesn'T answer what you would do if you needed to fart while in your car. Would you hold it until destination? Or does it mean you would take the first rest station (if on a long enough road trip) mostly just to fart?

Don't take me too seriously. It's just for shits and giggles.

[NLSP]

I'm glad I'm not the only one! Like you, this car is also my everything-car. There's some chipping on the hood, scratches here and there, and lots of swirls, and I'm not too bothered by it. Being OCD about paint condition is extremely time consuming and can be very costly. I'd rather use that time and money towards consumables (e.g. tires) and driving the shit out of my car on a twisty road.

With all that being said, I still like to keep my car clean with a basic wash every week or two (usually a drive-through automatic wash). But I'm not gonna sweat over things that don't effect the performance of the car. If it looks good from ten feet away, I'm happy. Main priorities are keeping it reliable (fluids are changed ahead of the recommended schedule) and enjoying driving it.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Loads of rock chips from all my highway time and scrape on my bumper from a big ice chunk and these don't bother me.


Only thing that does bother me is when I got hit by a taillight lens that flew off a car in front of me and landed on the top of my bumper. Damn it Michigan you need some safety standards for your cars!

Originally Posted by fgdxyjy

Loads of rock chips from all my highway time and scrape on my bumper from a big ice chunk and these don't bother me.

I thought comment looked strangely familiar!

[Teseo]

Originally Posted by Lo

Doesn'T answer what you would do if you needed to fart while in your car. Would you hold it until destination? Or does it mean you would take the first rest station (if on a long enough road trip) mostly just to fart?

Don't take me too seriously. It's just for shits and giggles.

Right now i dont give a shit, which part dont you understand

[Tt3Sheppard]

I've received more damage while parked and stationary than driving it on the track several times. It also sees winters as well and has 55,000 miles on it. Not too worried anymore.

[Pekingduck]

Being the first delivered FRS in America I already put 40k miles, modified it, track it 6 times, and I supercharged it. I want to enjoy the car.

[LucidMomentum]

I'm middle of the road. I can point out every scratch and nick and what I need to clay bar when I get tired of looking at tiny spots on my car, but to the layman my car looks brand new still. I wash it every week if I can, and wax it once a month.

However, I don't let the inevitable get to me. See a scratch? If it didn't break through the wax, good. Clean it and forget it. If it did? Eh. I have touch up paint. I don't baby it, especially when I drive it around town or on back roads, but I do take care of it since it's my first new car.

[Defuser]

I take care of my stuff. Things tend to work better and longer when you take care of them. Boats, guns, knives, parachutes, dive equipment; all of it. I keep my shit squared away.

[Koa]

gotta love when people post a thread seeking verification for their insecurities/passive aggressively digging on those who spend time on cosmetic detailing

Take care of it or not, it's your car.. good on ya for being a rugged badass and plowing through pothole-infested roads with 3 inches of salt and snow and e-braking it into parking stalls right next to the jackass durango that's parked so crooked that you know they're gunna door ding you on the way out

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Defuser

I take care of my stuff. Things tend to work better and longer when you take care of them. Boats, guns, knives, parachutes, dive equipment; all of it. I keep my shit squared away.

But I bet you also use all that stuff (not all at once unless you are an active duty SEAL) which I think is the point of the OP. I think it is the difference between owning a rifle that hangs on the wall and has never had a round through it and one that you take to the range every weekend but give a good cleaning each time you are done and don't freak out if you get a nick in the butt!