I`m not sure I belong here.

[live311]

As you can see, I`m not exactly new here. I joined years ago when I owned a "nice" sports car. It was a 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS, probably the best looking car Subaru ever built. I`ll attach a picture when I`m home and have a chance. Being in my early 20`s and effectively single, I had plenty of time on my hands to do some detailing (by hand, mind you). I came here looking for some info on the best waxes and sealants available at the time. I settled on the original Blackfire 2 stage system, which looked great but was rather time consuming.

Eventually, life went on and I had to get a new car after that one spun a bearing. It was a base Subaru Outback. It was the nicest car I ever owned up to that point, but I simply didn`t have the time or motivation to keep it detailed like my last car. In the 11 years I owned it, I probably washed it twice a year and clayed it 3 times overall. I kept the interior pretty clean, though. I almost never came here during that time.

Now that I traded in that car for a well-equipped new Outback and I`ve reached middle age with a young family, I came back looking for ways to spend money on products I probably will never have time to use. Bottom line, this car is nice and I want to keep it that way. But I`m not spending $200+ on another power tool I`ll never use, and my options are limited since I have no garage and almost no shade to work in. That being said, I just spent $100 on products and accessories that aren`t even marketed to guys like me, and I won`t even get a chance to try them out until the weather gets better (at least 6 weeks from now). I see all you guys with your shelves full of fancy products, piles of plush microfiber towels you treat as disposable, and expensive polishers in your garages bigger than my whole house and wonder what I`m doing here. I really have nothing to contribute. Where does a guy like me fit in? I mean, I really enjoy the "before and after" threads of mainstream production cars, but it seems that anyone here is pretty much expected to have a machine polisher and a controlled environment in which to work. Do I have a place here or did I let my mind wander too much on a slow work day (again)?

[screeby]

I am much closer to being in your shoes then the folks you speak of. I do have a 2 stall attached garage but with 2 daughters 6 and under time is a commodity I don`t have.

In short I will say that I haven`t had a bad experience here, my questions are answered and I try to engage in threads I have a question on or may even be interested in trying. A "drying aid" thread went way off the rails to house cleaning. It happens.

I don`t have full shelves of products or disposable microfibers. Everything I own is at least attempted to be kept well, including my two vehicles.

In short, stick around a little longer, see how things go. If you don`t feel comfortable, visit another forum.

But don`t let your situation dictate how you feel while your here. Everyone started somewhere and some are pretty much where you are, like me.

And I have never purchased a new vehicle.

[GearHead_1]

The only comment I have here is that time with your vehicle doesn’t need to be time away from your family. What a great way to teach kids not only how to work hard but how to instill a little precision, accuracy and attention to detail (pun intended) into their upbringing. It worked for me. All 3 kids are interested in keeping their investment nice. I will say however that my girls are better at it than my son.

[Dan]

It all depends on what makes you happy. If you are happy with the way your car looks, why change? If you aren`t there are plenty people here to help. Not all of us have all the time in the world and tons of supplies. I do most of my detailing 20-30 minutes at a time> I feel lucky when I get an hour or two on a weekend to wash cars outside.

[m54daboll]

In San Diego, I have a shop where I detail when I am home. I have all the fancy polishes and machines, etc. But it makes sense to have that because it`s a business and the fancy tools save me time and pay for themselves after about 2 cars. However, I`m rarely in San Diego detailing anymore. I have employees that run that shop when I`m gone. Most of my time is spent in Boston where I am in college. Time is a huge constraint of mine while I`m at school. I have midterms, homework assignments, presentations, and regular notes to do literally all of the time. I live in a dorm room, so I have space for about 10 products and my two buckets...that`s it. There`s still tons to learn on the forum if you just want to do a nice Sunday wash every month. I don`t have space to wash my car on campus, so I go to a self-service car wash around 11pm so no one gets mad at me when I use my 2 bucket wash system in a self-service bay. No one else is ever there, I`m the only one crazy enough to wash my car at midnight on a Monday. I can`t polish my car here or do any "fancy" detailing with all the crazy machines. But I can take 2 hours every week or every other week late at night to just listen to some music and do a very thorough wash of my car and maybe wax. It keeps me sane to be honest. I love that time period where no one can bug me and I`m completely just set in the moment. This forum is for anyone who has a passion for detailing. If you can only wash your Subaru every 3 months, that`s fine. You don`t need fancy equipment or products, just enjoy the process and learn things from the forum. Like @Gearhead mentioned: maybe bring your family out in the garage with you to talk while you detail or even have them help you. It`d be a great way for some family bonding every few weeks. Just enjoy the process man, that`s all I can say.

[TroyScherer]

As you can see, I`m not exactly new here. I joined years ago when I owned a "nice" sports car. It was a 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS, probably the best-looking car Subaru ever built. I`ll attach a picture when I`m home and have a chance. Being in my early 20`s and effectively single, I had plenty of time on my hands to do some detailing (by hand, mind you). I came here looking for some info on the best waxes and sealants available at the time. I settled on the original Blackfire 2 stage system, which looked great but was rather time consuming.


Now that I traded in that car for a well-equipped new Outback and I`ve reached middle age with a young family, I came back looking for ways to spend money on products I probably will never have time to use. Bottom line, this car is nice and I want to keep it that way. But I`m not spending $200+ on another power tool I`ll never use, and my options are limited since I have no garage and almost no shade to work in. That being said, I just spent $100 on products and accessories that aren`t even marketed to guys like me, and I won`t even get a chance to try them out until the weather gets better (at least 6 weeks from now). I see all you guys with your shelves full of fancy products, piles of plush microfiber towel’s you treat as disposable, and expensive polishers in your garages bigger than my whole house and wonder what I`m doing here. I really have nothing to contribute. Where does a guy like me fit in? I mean, I really enjoy the "before and after" threads of mainstream production cars, but it seems that anyone here is pretty much expected to have a machine polisher and a controlled environment in which to work. Do I have a place here or did I let my mind wander too much on a slow work day (again)?

Welcome back. I`m glad to see that you have the desire to come back and at least ask the questions. To me that is what is really important and I think the desire to keep you vehicle clean and shinny or simply protected is all that is required to fit in here.


I think I am one of "those guys" you referenced that has multiple machines and more product that are needed. But to me it is one of my hobbies and a form of stress relief that I need. But in doing so I think I have found the ability to help people keep it simple and quick as far as basic car care maintenance.


At this point though before I think I can give you my thoughts and suggestions I need to ask you a few questions.

• What tools and products do you have left over from the previous setup?
• What products and accessories have you just picked up?
• How much time do you have or are you willing to spend?
  
  • ex: Weekly, Monthly, Yearly
  • Washing every week?
  • Sealant once every 3 months?
  
  
• Are you looking to hand wash your vehicle yourself weekly or will you be doing the automatic car wash?
• Are you willing to pay to have a long term coating applied to make maintenance easier?

[Coatings=crack]

Everyone belongs anywhere. If you enjoy the posts hang out. I was a “lurker” for a long time then joined because I had some questions. I like to diy and spent a ton recently to coat my car but no more than I woulda paid some one to do it for me and then I will own the tools. Compare to most I don’t have a lot of stuff. After the big coat. Will only being buying sio2 toppers, (various will try new stuff, soap, (optimums, reset and Griots surface wash) and rinseless. (Ech20)The soap and rinseless like once every 2 yrs. won’t be as active after but I like it here and will hang around. Wether I have much to add or not. I find this hobby interesting.


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[Stokdgs]

Live311 --
Welcome back !
How nice to hear your story - sounds like all is good, you have a young family - I can think of nothing better !

Yes, there are many of us who have been doing this as a business, and there are probably way more that are doing this as most do - as a labor of love..
We love how nice all vehicles look when they are clean, shiny, and the inside as well..

I am one of the older/oldest timers on here probably, and I really love this group of great men and women who contribute so much of their time and talents, because they are all so nice and want to share..

You are so welcome to this Forum ! As is everyone who signs on !
There is no "level", "bar", etc., anyone has to achieve to be a part of this wonderful community..

I also liked what GearHead_1 Post # 3 said above, and that is Exactly how I got started in this at a very young age..
And it even rubbed off on my 2 Daughters, who always had nice, shiny, vehicles growing up..
They know the difference and their husbands have to keep up..

Lucky for them, Dad comes by every so often and resets their vehicles back to new again..

So again, you are so welcome to be here; there is absolutely no pressure, etc...
Hope you enjoy your experience here; we are always happy to help!
Dan F

[Setec Astronomy]

I have to say that this forum has gone through some phases since I joined here in 2004, but to echo some other members, I hope that the community here today is welcoming to members of all skill levels and more to your point, all interest levels.

Hopefully you will be able to get some advice on product types and techniques that will help you achieve your goals, and not feel that you don`t fit in. There are certainly ways to keep your new car looking nice without a polisher or tons of products and supplies, and without tons of time.

[Bill D]

Just watch out, the more you hang out here the more obsessed you might become like us.

[rlmccarty2000]

Of course you belong here! You have an interest in protecting your investment and making it look it’s best. Here you can go off the deep end or just dangle your toes in, as there is something here for everyone.

Starting with a new car is perfect. Right now your vehicle doesn’t need much work, but if you put it off it will be much harder to bring back to its current condition. Tell us how much you would like to spend and we can advise you on the best products for your dollar or at least try to point you in the right direction based on experience.

The main thing is to have fun and enjoy this hobby. Don’t stress. The folks here on this forum make up a family of car lovers and we take pride in our vehicles and truly want to help everyone maintain their ride. No pressure here, ask many questions and we will give our honest opinions. You will get many answers because everyone uses different products and techniques to get to the same place, the shiny car place. We just ask you tell us what worked or didn’t work after you tried a product out, that makes the forum grow and be more interesting and helpful to others, we need you as much as you need us. Welcome back home.

[BudgetPlan1]

After the big coat. Will *ONLY* being buying sio2 toppers, (various will try new stuff, soap, (optimums, reset and Griots surface wash) and rinseless. (Ech20)The soap and rinseless like once every 2 yrs.
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Yeah...me too.

The Mad Hatter is a waitin` for ya at the bottom of the Rabbit Hole...theres room down here for everyone.

[acuRAS82]

You’re in the right place regardless. You can lurk and check out before and after photos, or ask anything. There’s no “dumb” questions, someone is or was in your shoes with any question you can probably ask.

If you decide to put a sealant on twice a year and wash 1-2x per month, you’ll be surprised how long your car stays nice looking compared to 95% of the population around you.

If down the road you want to try a paint cleaner or polish and try new products or toppers, you have the option and a place where you can get advice to help you decide!

[wannafbody]

Keeping your car looking sharp is a good thing. One thing to beware is going overboard by wetsanding the orange peel and compounding it every 6 months because it has some marring. Those things were a fad at one time on this board. Moderation really is the key.

[Coatings=crack]

Yeah...me too.

The Mad Hatter is a waitin` for ya at the bottom of the Rabbit Hole...theres room down here for everyone.

I swear I’m gonna do it! Says the guy who’s has now 7 different toppers (counting moonlight and cancoat) and haven’t even coated his car to use the toppers....

Started with a HF.... took back.... ordered gg6 ......cancelled..... ordered maxshine long throw.....returned.....bought boss.... g15.....added Adam’s swirl killer mini.... now want a Rupes duetto and a Griots mini to put a 2” on......don’t even know how to use the machines.......

Who ever knew a hole this deep could be so shiny....


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