New member from Indy

**Hoosiers** · 06-30-2017, 01:21 PM

I`m new to the Autopia Forum, but I`ve been on Autogeek for awhile after lurking for a much longer while.

No one in my family details... So what got me into this addictive (and expensive) venture? I`m not sure, but believe it started in 2005 when I purchased a brand new (cinnamon red) Impala SS. I distinctly remember the first day of ownership, admiring it in my garage while I ran my hand along the paint that was so smooth that it felt soft ... and thinking "if only it could stay this way". I thought frequent Mikes carwashes (with a hand-wax every 6 months or so) was all I could do. It wound up being a total mess, but it was shiny & clean!

Fast forwarding to 2014 finds me in the market for the vehicle I`ve wanted since it was introduced, the Lexus RX. Somewhere I heard about coatings so I started doing research on where I could take the Lexus to have that done if/when I ever bought it. Well, that research led me from one thing to another, and another and another... until I was watching Junkman, Garry Dean, and Mike Phillips videos..and many many more. I spent hours lurking on Autogeek and Youtube. Probably hundreds more hours reading reviews and posts on how guys and gals worked on their projects. It was eye-opening, and inspiring. So my first detailing kit was purchased that year, and in May of 2014 I bought that Lexus. The paint on the Lexus today is darn close to how it looked when I bought it. Working on my car`s paint (DA, Iron-X, Clay, etc) and keeping the interior looking new has been an adventure, a happy adventure. Sure, I get tired, hot, sweaty...sore. But when I stand back and look at my car it makes me happy.

And, yeah... sometimes I still run my hand across the paint and smile knowing "It really CAN stay this way".

Thanks for the forum, I`m looking forward to learning much more - and maybe someday I`ll work up the courage to finally try a coating !

Sheila
aka: Hoosiers