What % of population are Autopians?

I

imported_detail1

New member
I have been deatiling cars since I was 14 years old and I have learned alot along the way- i probably learned the most this past summer when I joined Autopia although I discovered Autopia many years ago. Back then I thought that Proper Auto Care was the Creme of the Crop but that all changed with time.



I remember reading that only 5% of the population really detail their cars alla Autopia.



What do you all think?



I have been spending alot of money on QDs, various waxes, MF, polishes, brushes, glass cleaners, and now i just discovered waterless car wash!



This waterless car wash will save me alot of money from going to hand car washes and i have 3 cars.



Frank
 
bullett said:
i would never use a waterless wash of any sort. just cant see how its going to work without scratching
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It's almost like using a QD.



I wash my cars once a week so the dirt will be minimal. If there is too much dirt, I will just go to a local hand car wash.
 
Perhaps 5% is a good number for how many wash and wax their car themselves (some of the time). As far as people who actually detail their car in an "Autopian" way (and I'm talking about simply using the equipment, techniques, and products that an Autopian would, not necessarily getting the results of an Autopian-level detailer) I'd say way less than 1%.



Before I came here by way of (mutual admiration society) MOL, I thought I knew something about detailing because I had read a Meguiar's pamphlet on their 3-step process (yeah, that's how old I am, it was 3 not 5) and had gone out of my way to buy Mirror Glaze products and put them on with a Sears orbital polisher (once or twice, then I got tired of cleaning the terry bonnets and went back to by-hand).



For most people in that 5 percent, "detailing" is washing the car with an old sponge, drying it with an old t-shirt, and putting some wax on it that they just got at the Wal-Mart or Target because they liked the bottle. And maybe put some greasy kid stuff on the tires.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Perhaps 5% is a good number for how many wash and wax their car themselves (some of the time). As far as people who actually detail their car in an "Autopian" way (and I'm talking about simply using the equipment, techniques, and products that an Autopian would, not necessarily getting the results of an Autopian-level detailer) I'd say way less than 1%.



Before I came here by way of (mutual admiration society) MOL, I thought I knew something about detailing because I had read a Meguiar's pamphlet on their 3-step process (yeah, that's how old I am, it was 3 not 5) and had gone out of my way to buy Mirror Glaze products and put them on with a Sears orbital polisher (once or twice, then I got tired of cleaning the terry bonnets and went back to by-hand).



For most people in that 5 percent, "detailing" is washing the car with an old sponge, drying it with an old t-shirt, and putting some wax on it that they just got at the Wal-Mart or Target because they liked the bottle. And maybe put some greasy kid stuff on the tires.
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I guess we are special and Unique! especially when we can drive a car in the middle of the winter that looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor or was just painted.
 
detail1 said:
I guess we are special and Unique! especially when we can drive a car in the middle of the winter that looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor or was just painted.
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I feel like I never detail my car, I just always keep up with it. I have no problem doing windows at lunch time or vacuuming and doing nothing else. I do something new now after vacuuming, I switch the hose around open all the doors and blow it out, it really makes a big difference in getting the dust out.
 
I wonder what the percentage of professional autopians keep their own

vehicles just as "detailed."And should that include mechanical maintenance

as well? I'd guesstimate about 80% do...
 
Jakerooni said:
Heck it's a word use loosely by autopians as well ;)
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Hahaha... you're quite right of course, even if that wink means you're only kidding. But there's a standard beyond which autopians will not go below (swirl marks anyone?). I mean, isn't that "standard" the reason why we're all here? The general population (epitomized by my father-in-law by the way) thinks a washed and waxed car is a "detailed" car, even though the spider-webs glisten in the sun and the interior smells of the old rag he used to wipe the dash with.
 
I also agree with the less than 1 %. I end up polishing out cars that people only want shiny and protected, because I can't stand to leave removable marks, even though they aren't paying for it. But then again they always come back.
 
0.01% or 1 in 10,000 or so would be my guess, and even then I'm talking about a good wash and regular wax/sealant and taking care of some of the details properly...



there are 17,000 registered member on DW in the UK (of which many are not living in the UK) and a population of 60 million....and of course lots who never registered, but the maths starts to make senses, especially as many people sign up simply to ask 1 question about something spilt on a seat etc...
 
It's a fraction of 1%.... you're maybe looking at 1000 Autopians in South FL, out of 6 million. And we're much more "car crazy" than the snow states.



I see a truly swirl-free car about once a quarter...
 
Very few people are anal about there cars . I know a lot people that will wash there cars , and wax sometimes, but I only know 3 people that keep there cars really clean and that is me ,my yongest son ,and a friend of mine.
 
I drive about 15 minutes each way to work. I see maybe 1 car during that time that looks like it might be properly maintained, not counting the ones that still have the dealership tags on them. Last week alone I broguht in clay/lube to get paint scrapes off 2 cars in a parking lot that holds 25 cars. After seeing 2-3 cars that I've done with my new flex, my wife is scheduling me every Sunday to do cars for her family, haven't gotten to my side yet. . .
 
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