is it really worth it having a nice car

[liam1]

had another debate with some work friends again today on the merits of looking after your car, all of them cant understand how much i look after the car from the money i spend on it to the amount of time i clean it,

 

and i must admit im begining to understand where they are coming from, my car virtually lives under its cover due to all the bad weather i know its winter but even in the summer its always raining.

i can spend hours getting it looking perfect yet five mins down the road its filthy,i cant leave it dirty either i have ocd im just not sure if the few decent days we get out weighs what seems like months of bad ones roll on the summer.

[Dash Rendar]

Don't let it bother you. Some people just don't get it. They have their hobbies... You have yours. But, because they drive mundane vehicles, they like to tell us how much more informed they are about... well, everything.

 

If you get enjoyment out of driving and looking after your car, then that's all that really matters. So long as you're having fun and no one else is getting hurt along the way, then no one else's opinion really counts for anything.

[Pudsey]

I know exactly what you mean.

 

My car doesn't come out in the rain, and it is locked away all winter too apart from the normal start once a week and quick run around the yard to keep things moving in the dry etc.

 

I seem to clean mine all the time too, probably spend more time cleaning it than driving it.

 

Certainly does make you wonder!

[AlexM]

I'm not sure that's anything to do with having a nice car.. 'is it worth being a clean freak over winter', no.

[Pudsey]

Don't let it bother you. Some people just don't get it. They have their hobbies... You have yours. But, because they drive mundane vehicles, they like to tell us how much more informed they are about... well, everything.

 

If you get enjoyment out of driving and looking after your car, then that's all that really matters. So long as you're having fun and no one else is getting hurt along the way, then no one else's opinion really counts for anything.

 

But this is it in a nut shell though

 

I certainly class my ownership as my hobby and passion

[hoff]

Don't let it bother you. Some people just don't get it. They have their hobbies... You have yours. But, because they drive mundane vehicles, they like to tell us how much more informed they are about... well, everything.

 

If you get enjoyment out of driving and looking after your car, then that's all that really matters. So long as you're having fun and no one else is getting hurt along the way, then no one else's opinion really counts for anything.

 

And that is called "in a nut shell":)

[Ganty]

There is nothing wrong with looking after your pride and joy mate;)

[Pudsey]

And that is called "in a nut shell":)

 

Ha... an excellent demonstration of very poor English on my part , upon reading that one back.

 

I keep thinking of Mike Myers in Austin Powers

[swich]

I've done this, i sold my toy, and every nice day i wish i hadn't. It kills you.

[Ewen]

Daily driver here, rain or shine. I'm reasonably anal about her, look after her as much as I can, but she gets dirty and grubby every day. Winter months shes washed once a couple of weeks or so, summer, at least once a week. I keep an eye out for chips etc, and make sure theres no mud in the arches, but dont get too wound up if a week goes by without it getting polished.

I can appreciate the work involved in those who keep theirs concours clean, and fair play to them, but its transport for me and I dont have the time.

[liam1]

i dont mind the time it takes to clean the supra i make the time i even spend time making sure the wifes car is spotless even my five hundred pound daily driver gets a good clean every week, i go without a lot of things so i have money to spend on it, i think what bothers me the most is it never seems to be nice for very long to enjoy it being clean or it inevetably it starts to rain the moment you have just dried it.

[MattP]

supra = win thats how i justify keeping it lol

 

i understand your points and i have thought of selling the supra to free up lots of cash but i know i would miss the damn thing.

[seanfraser]

i always wanted to be driven in one let alone own one. at the moment i clean it fairly often, but i am lazy and she does get grubby

 

i drive daily about 30 miles work and back.

 

that aside, a mentioned earlier everyone enjoyds different things, enjoyin driving it, turning heads and in your case look forward to ther summer it'l be hot

[Ewen]

i dont mind the time it takes to clean the supra i make the time i even spend time making sure the wifes car is spotless even my five hundred pound daily driver gets a good clean every week, i go without a lot of things so i have money to spend on it, i think what bothers me the most is it never seems to be nice for very long to enjoy it being clean or it inevetably it starts to rain the moment you have just dried it.

Theres always a silver lining....yours is that the rain is Northumbrian rain, the mud is Northumbrian mud. Your Supra should be proud to get them dumped on it. Just think of the poor southerners and Northumbrians in exile like me....the rain and mud down here is wussy and characterless. Its probably whats left after the French have used it.

[scotty71]

You look after your car.... its not just a car its a hobbie for you so what people say let it go over your head.

 

I love my cars and my second hobbie is A/V gear. I have always treated my A/V gear with pride, Laserdiscs, dvd's players and amps etc. Not a scratch on anything and looked after with pride. If you spend money on something you like and enjoy why not keep it pristene:d For those who mock you tell them rollocks:eyebrows:

 

scotty

[Ian C]

Heresy it may be, but I'm thinking..... "no".

 

I've got a Ford Mondeo estate, diesel. It cost £2500. It does 38mpg in 30mph commutes every day. It can lug paving slabs and tables and stuff. It's comfy and has a nice stereo. I feed it diesel and I've put two front tyres and a headlight bulb on in 6 months, that's all the maintenance needed. Might change the oil one day.

 

I've never washed it and never will. The paint is scratched and there is some sill/arch rust creeping in. I don't care, by the time it's an issue it'll be long gone from me.

 

If a BMW cuts me up and hits me, I won't care.

 

I'll park anywhere, it's got door dings off mums in MPVs already. I don't care if it gets more.

 

There is a clonk from the rear over bumps and some cornering. I've checked the bearings and suspension for obvious problems, saw nothing, stopped caring.

 

It's stress free and dirt cheap. Even the tax is cheap. And with the beady eyes of plod everywhere, diverting about 90% of the force's budget to catching motorists doing 3mph over the limit, there is no fun in road driving any more.

 

So no, not really any point

 

-Ian

[Abz]

Heresy it may be, but I'm thinking..... "no".

 

I've got a Ford Mondeo estate, diesel. It cost £2500. It does 38mpg in 30mph commutes every day. It can lug paving slabs and tables and stuff. It's comfy and has a nice stereo. I feed it diesel and I've put two front tyres and a headlight bulb on in 6 months, that's all the maintenance needed. Might change the oil one day.

 

I've never washed it and never will. The paint is scratched and there is some sill/arch rust creeping in. I don't care, by the time it's an issue it'll be long gone from me.

 

If a BMW cuts me up and hits me, I won't care.

 

I'll park anywhere, it's got door dings off mums in MPVs already. I don't care if it gets more.

 

There is a clonk from the rear over bumps and some cornering. I've checked the bearings and suspension for obvious problems, saw nothing, stopped caring.

 

It's stress free and dirt cheap. Even the tax is cheap. And with the beady eyes of plod everywhere, diverting about 90% of the force's budget to catching motorists doing 3mph over the limit, there is no fun in road driving any more.

 

So no, not really any point

 

-Ian

- Don't think your helping!

 

Personally I drive my rain or shine! I get her cleaned once a week, if I use her more often then she gets cleaned twice a week. I get pretty busy so I normally get my friend at the hand car wash do it, he does a very good job and jet washes the underneath\arch of the car for me. Costs me roughly £20 a month to keep her clean & it saves me the time & hassle of doing it myself (Plus save on water bill!). Over the warmer dry days I would clean her myself, going over the whole car with a fine toothcombe!

 

Enjoy it & ignore them, it is what makes you happy, who cares what they think.

[Ian C]

 

Enjoy it & ignore them, it is what makes you happy, who cares what they think.

 

Spot on

 

I was saying what I've personally felt for quite a while now, I'm hardly insisting everyone should think the same though.

[j_jza80]

Heresy it may be, but I'm thinking..... "no".

 

I've got a Ford Mondeo estate, diesel. It cost £2500. It does 38mpg in 30mph commutes every day. It can lug paving slabs and tables and stuff. It's comfy and has a nice stereo. I feed it diesel and I've put two front tyres and a headlight bulb on in 6 months, that's all the maintenance needed. Might change the oil one day.

 

I've never washed it and never will. The paint is scratched and there is some sill/arch rust creeping in. I don't care, by the time it's an issue it'll be long gone from me.

 

If a BMW cuts me up and hits me, I won't care.

 

I'll park anywhere, it's got door dings off mums in MPVs already. I don't care if it gets more.

 

There is a clonk from the rear over bumps and some cornering. I've checked the bearings and suspension for obvious problems, saw nothing, stopped caring.

 

It's stress free and dirt cheap. Even the tax is cheap. And with the beady eyes of plod everywhere, diverting about 90% of the force's budget to catching motorists doing 3mph over the limit, there is no fun in road driving any more.

 

So no, not really any point

 

-Ian

 

Why not try a 'Rat style' NA with an LPG conversion? Any dents/rust it picks up will be a bonus, and fuel costs would be quite attractive. http://ekhatch.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/races_008.jpg

Edited February 26, 2010 by j_jza80 (see edit history)

[Guest ShocK GunZ]

had another debate with some work friends again today on the merits of looking after your car, all of them cant understand how much i look after the car from the money i spend on it to the amount of time i clean it,

 

and i must admit im begining to understand where they are coming from, my car virtually lives under its cover due to all the bad weather i know its winter but even in the summer its always raining.

i can spend hours getting it looking perfect yet five mins down the road its filthy,i cant leave it dirty either i have ocd im just not sure if the few decent days we get out weighs what seems like months of bad ones roll on the summer.

 

I like a clean car too!

It's easy if you have a system & a garage.

The summer is easy, I may clean my car a couple times a week depending on the weather.

Winter is a little more challenging but I work around that too.

1. I don't ever use wax or soap when I wash my car

both have problems that create more work.

2. Once my car is clean I put an acrylic conditioner on the paint

That protects the paint and leaves a deep shine.

It also allows me to clean the car with only clear water to bring back that deep shine.

3. In the winter I use a long handled Microfiber mop in a bucket of clear water to wipe the car down twice.

4. In the summer I'll wipe it once and hose it down.

5. All I need do at this point is take s soft towel, wipe the excess water off and I am good to go.

 

In the summer I will do the window, tires and wheels but in the winter my main concern is to get the salt off my paint and chrome.

 

I keep the paint conditioned year round and I rinse it off when needed when the weather will allow.

I have chrome wheels that I keep sparkling in the summer but in the winter I lay a thick layer of acrylic conditioner on them to protect them against road salt and rust.

That makes them look like brushed aluminum but thats O.K. once I wipe off the conditioner they shine like new.

When I wash the car I use a soft paint brush and clear water to wipe the dirt off the chrome wheels.

 

Personally I don't feel comfortable driving a dirty or salt encrusted vehicle. That is not a representation of who I am.

 

To me my car is an investment that makes a statement,

People tend to associate your car's appearance with the type of person you are. A dirty car can send a signal that you are lazy and don't take care of your self or your property.

The term "junk" is a common term for cars left dirty.

 

When I get ready to sell, I want my car to look as good to a prospective buyer as it did to me when I bought it and not some junk someone is trying to get rid of, So far so good.

 

For those who don't care about how their car looks, I understand.

I have second car that I use for dirty jobs.

I am happy just to get from point A to point B.

I wash it only when I got nothing else to do.

It runs good and always starts winter spring summer or fall and thats what's most important to me.

[AndrewOW]

I've got my weekly wash and wet wax (including wheels) down to about 20mins, so no one really gets the chance to criticise, as it always looks spotless.

 

And I love it!

[Lbm]

Just drive it and enjoy it - or give up.

[Gaz6002]

is it really worth it having a nice car

 

yes.

[martini]

Mine's not been cleaned since November. I'm waiting until the weather clears a little before bothering. I kind of like seeing her 'used'.

 

Each to their own with regards to hobbies and the like; every time I sit in my car it puts a smile on my face.

 

For me, it's worth it.

 

http://img.skitch.com/20100226-tn3f7u63ker7p39ixrfbp8e72n.jpg

Edited February 26, 2010 by martini (see edit history)

[Chris Wilson]

I steamed my Volvo off the other week, the first wash its had in two years, people keep saying I've changed my car. To be honest if I gave it a quick polish it'd look much like when I bought it four or so years back. I am a lot more fastidious about race cars though. To me a road car is just a tool, and I haven't the time to do more than feed it fluids. The inside is well, shocking