Some of the things listed in this thread really surprise me....missing the *pedals*?!?
I usually only work on my own stuff, but when I buy a used vehicle or go to shows, I'm always finding those things that "nobody will ever notice".
IME people never seem to polish:
-the inside painted surfaces of sideview mirrors; as soon as you tilt the mirror you see where they missed.
-tight spots in door/trunk jambs and fuel filler areas and/or related hinges
-back sides of wiper arms, especially around the springs
-areas like the back side of front fenders (visible when you open the front doors)
And just get me going about people letting [crap] accumulate in out-of-the-way areas! When I pulled the fenderliners out of the M3 to clean out the drainage channels, it was obvious that those areas had never even been rinsed out since the car was new- leaves, pine needles, and some mighty big dead bugs
And people wonder why their cars rust out...