How cold is too cold?

[ALM]

I went to Wal-mart tonight with my mom (for lack thereof anything else better to do). As we were walking in the store from the parking lot I was looking at all the different cars and their condition. Its pretty depressing how people trash their cars. I walked by one Honda Civic in perticular that was absoloutly gross (I felt icky walk past it), the white paint was oxidized, the trim was falling off, and there was rust begining to take over the fender above the one rear wheel. At this point my disgust intreguied me, so I decided to peer inside...:eek:...the back seat was piled with s$^t (pardon my french, it was the beest word for the job), the seats had holes in them, and the vynl was fading.



While my mom was shopping I decided to walk back to my favorite section where the detailing and auto supplies are. As i peered around I noticed there was about 5 people stocking up on Amor-all Protectant wipes, turtle wax, and Eagle One Wet tire dressing. I wanted to tell all of them that by using these products they were killing there cars. :(

Sorry for the long post guys, I just wanted to vent, its pretty scary how people will settle for convienence and low prices when "taking care" of their cars.

[jkochis]

I agree with you for the most part. However, one man`s trash is another`s treasure. Be happy for what you have and dont judge others until you`ve walked in their shoes.

[jr weeks]

I seriously do the same thing. Almost every time I park in a parking lot ...I guess that`s why we`re here.

Pretty appalling when you think these folks spent a minimum of $10k and up on some of these ( even small subcompacts ) cars and they`re just letting them go to hell. But then, i just could never conceive of the "car as an appliance" mentality. I suppose you either think of them as art or as transportation. They are art to me. Like moving sculptures. It`s a sickness really. :)



My wife probably has hoped for a pill to relieve me of this affliction. I hope they never come up with one.



Who knows, in the end, maybe they`re right-we stress too much about this stuff. Not good for the BP or the heart . Either way, I know I can`t change. I guess i`ll have to die obsessive and shiny and clean. :)

[tom p.]

Most people don`t even notice that anything is out of order.

[jerry miller]

This may be a shock to some of us, but Joe Public isn`t into detailing as much as we are (which is a bad thing, IMHO :D). It`s amazing when I walk into Pep Boys or Kragen, pick up a product, and someone will walk up to me, tell me the product I`m holding is crap, and point me to something else (i.e. I was looking at some #26 wax, and this guy tells me to put the #26 down and pick up some Turtle Wax, and that TW was the best for hiding swirls).



Hell, I used to swear by Turtle Wax, until I tried out some of my Dad`s Klasse products.



I felt an urge to tell the guy the TW was crap, but hey, if it works for him, thats all that matters.



Most people see their cars an an appliance, and spending $$$$$$$$$$$$ on them as a waste.

[mrpitts]

Just think. All the people who shake their heads at us fanatics are probably the same people who have 5 yr old food products under their seats of their cars and sit on their asses eating pork rinds while watching Opra reruns or Sally. Meanwhile their doctors are warning them about their cholesterol problems while they suggest they do something besides bending their elbows and useing remote controls as a pacifier.:rolleyes:

[JasonC8301]

see a guy waxing his dirty car on a sunny day using circular motions to apply??



I have not, and I hope not to see this or I will break down and cry. Well not cry but feel like someone died (the car.)



I am sure the person that would do this will recommend turtle wax over Meguiars, because they cause thr swirls which they think TW will hide. They probably don`t know whats the difference between a polish and wax, let alone whats a quality polymer sealant (Hey this Blue Coral Touchless acrylic is the best!!! NOT!)



Just wax the car, please? NO, it involves so much more. Either let me do it right or I will not do it at all! LOL!!!! :D



Jason

[YoSteve]

It keeps detailers in business.



I saw someone stockin up on chamois, but I didn`t say anything. He bought a sponge too :)

[Glozz]

Wow it`s just like my neighbor across the street from me. He just bought a brand new red Ford F150 Crew Cab and for his first wash, he used a brush on it. Then he used some all-in-one tire product that shot from a can. I just watched with tears forming in my eyes.



Oh he`s the guy that treats me really bad anyway my wife points out to me. Then I just sat and watched and enjoyed watching a person start the destructive process on his new vehicle.



This forum is really a change of perspective for me. I used to wash my car every week, but it`s the way that I used to wash that was bad! Now I have taken the Zaino Baptism and my soul has been cleaned, and protected. This web site sort of is a bad car habit exorcism.



I have been saved as the rest of you. Pity the fool across the street! :D

[ISLANDSBEST]

Re crimes against cars.

Yes, it is immoral that anyone promotes, let alone makes, these car brushes, let alone <em class=`bbc`>powered, rotary[/i] brushes for washing your car. Can they really not know that they are harmful? I could -- perhaps -- see using one on a car that had caked dirt and grime, that you were going to surface prep and buff out, any way. That is about it.

As to the public, I think in many cases it is a question of just not knowing and just buying into marketing hype without thinking. And, as earlier posters have touched on, if you don`t care to much about something, you are not likely to think about it critically (i.e. questioning the "group agreement, " the "everybody knows" and going with only that which makes sense).

[ALM]

Just as I finished posting I my pager went off to respond for a car into a tree with the driver heavily entrapped (I`m a firefighter who is trained in vehicle rescue). When I arrived the kid was in ruff shape (I`ll spare you the details), but as I was cutting into the rear post (C post) I was thinking to myself if the situation were revered where they were cutting up my car, I`d be pretty upset to say the least (aside from my personal injuries).



I think that since we drive our pieces of art (thanks Guitarman) it gives a better appreciation for driving and how it should be taken seriously, rather than a waste of time.

[nerdhunters]

Someone a work picked up a new Honda Civic last week, it was dark green, a very nice color, but the dealer destroyed the paint "detailing" the car! I felt so bad for the person showing me the car, it was total swirls and the dash looked like some kind of silcone gel was all over it. What do you say? All I could do was compliment her on the terrific car and beautiful color.

Very sad what some dealers will do to their customers.

[Don2000g]

Actually what really depresses me is when people mean well in cleaning their cars but have no idea that the swirls they have can be removed or nearly entirely covered up. Some think that that`s just the way they painted the car. They don`t think much of swirls. They really don`t understand that its a bad thing. Laters.

[dtraylor]

Stop makin` fun of me! :D



LOL

[dtraylor]

By the way, me and my cousin met up the other day for a Labor Day get together with the family and both had our trucks out there, my 95 Explorer Ltd. and his 00 Dakota Sport. His is yellow, and we had to both drive down a gravel road to get to the house, so we were covered in a fine layer of dust. I had my Cali. Duster with me and did his truck with it, and he was absolutely amazed. He had washed it the night before and used a chamois to dry it and I saw the streaks left by it, it made me sad :( Another thing that almost made me puke was the last time I saw my sister`s truck. She has young triplet girls and a young boy, and she parks the truck in a carport, and the kids ride their bikes into the carport so they dont lay in the yard. Well, (pause and deep breath) last time I saw it, it had I`m guessing 200 scrapes in it. Not just light scratches, I`m talking scrapes from like keys. The kids run their bikes up against it when they pull in. And the truck is dark green, I almost fainted :eek: