Salutations! I just recently found this great forum full of people who love their cars and enjoy taking the time to care for them. Yes I mean all of you who post here. I have been reading the posts here for about two days and I am very impressed by the dedicated and polite way they read. This really is a good community thread. I also want to thank the moderators of this site for their time. Your work is shown by the high level of respectful reply’s and responsive actions to troublemakers. It is apparent in every way that you are giving this site the same passion as you give you cars. (Hmm..That should get me a mulligan later on ).



I am uv1gmx for the name on this forum and it is nice to virtually meet you. I am a reforming auto enthusiast. It’s a sad tale but admission is the road to recovery. You might want to have your microfiber hanky next to you for this tale. It was many years ago and I was the proud owner of a gold 1999 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 extra-cab pickup truck. I named the truck Goldie because of her color and functionality. She was a good truck who was easy to maintain and looked good on any paved surface. She started on the turn of every key and was willing to carry me everywhere I wanted to go. As time went on she developed a little cancer on her caboose but with quick actions and the miracles of modern neutralizers everything was fine. We had many good years together I remember them like it was yesterday.



I parked on the side of the road like many families who were going to see the fireworks on the fourth of July. It was a little green opening maintained by the city just on the other side of a small hill from the road. We always came a little early so we could watch the show on our terms. A place about a quarter mile from the main event where there was little traffic and no overcrowding. There was always room to have a fine picnic and enjoy the family. We sat at a higher elevation compared to the main show so the view was always perfect. It had been a warm day and the cool evening air was welcomed. The fireworks would be staring in an about an hour so we grabbed the cooler and chairs to setup for our patriotic tradition.



About twenty minutes after we arrived, a loud diesel horn sounded with screeching tires. The horn and tires were replaced by the sounds of collapsing metal and glass exploding under pressure. I jumped up and told the wife I would be right back. I am pretty well trained in emergency first aid so I rushed to see if anyone was hurt. A dump truck was traveling down the road when an elderly woman pulled out in front of him. The driver swerved and missed the lady but slammed into my pickup truck! The front corner of the dump truck T-boned my Tacoma and slammed it against an oak tree. The impact was enough to blow out all the smaller windows and shatter the windshield. The driver was fine and the old lady never knew what was happening and drove away. Things changed after that. :sadpace:



Needless to say I was pissed off and full of anxiety after the accident. My wife picked up a rental suv to use until I would receive a monetary compensation for Goldie. It would never be enough. My wife started pointing out the benefits of owning a suv for the family. Everything started to go gray after that. I ended up getting a Kia Sportage EX to give the family more room as I succumbed to the wife’s logical conclusions. Hell I did not know it at the time but my wife neutered me while I was down.



I drove the thing for years keeping the mechanical condition in check but there was no desire to wax or shine anything. I always felt like the father in the movie The Incredibles when he drove home after losing another job. The years went on and the kids migrated their own ways. I noticed the paint oxidizing on the Sportage door handles my trained eyes spotted it every time I went towards the car but still I did nothing.



Time always heals and time it took. I realized that I had to get rid of my cancer (Squamos KIA Carcinoma) that had been eating away at me for years. I found a salsa red 2006 Toyota Tundra Step side that just ignited :spotmy soul. I indentured (Rosey) for a fair price and was startled by a poping sound as I drove away. I looked down and a tear came to my eye.....my boys were back!



So here I am today with you reviewing my little story. I came to this site to learn the how to take care of Rosey for many years to come. There are a lot of new products on the market along with several new techniques to use. I decided I still need some help with Rosey. You see she does have some cosmedic damage and I am not exactly sure at what level I should start cutting the paint with a pad and polish. I am asking for your expert advice in this area and I will post some pictures showing the damage this week. Once again it has been a pleasure to virtually meet you and until the next post.



P.S. Remember the best stories start with “Well it happened in the Gulf! We were taking fire and we were going down!