I`m not sure I belong here.

Chas said:
I`m actually in a similar position as you, although my start date wouldn`t indicate it, I`ve been a participant/lurker on several detailing forums since the early 2000`s. My life situation has changed dramatically since then, from a high schooler to a working dad. I think this place can still be a place for you. I hardly, if ever, post, but I come here daily to observe, read and understand what products might work best for me. You literally have thousands of people here testing products and giving their honest feedback. For me, I too have little time to detail at all let alone spend an entire day/weekend polishing out my car. Having said that, through reviews here, I`ve determined which products work best for quick washing, which have the best durability, etc. As a dad, if I can find 20 minutes while my kid naps to do a quick rinseless wash, then that`s a win. Where did I find information on the best rinseless was for me, at this forum. I don`t have a garage like many on here, but its neat to see the pristine environments people work in, more aspiration than anything. For me, this place is a great place to just observe and learn.
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Well said.

To echo everyone else`s thoughts, you totally belong here. Just because you`re not a member of the 100% corrected club (which, if you read a lot of the posts, most people aren`t - paint thickness safety and whatnot...), doesn`t mean you don`t have the shared appreciation of a clean car, and an appreciation of the work that goes into it.

I, like others, don`t have nearly the time I`d like to put towards detailing. I always joke that detailing is my aspirational hobby - I aspire someday to have the time to make it my actual hobby. In the mean time, I enjoy this site and the sister site to educate myself to better prepare for those spare moments I actually get to get out and do some cleaning.

Though I still haven`t had time to do a correction on either of our cars (which I always hate to admit), thanks to products I`ve learned about here they still generally present as "Best looking in the parking lot" (I think that`s an Accumulator-ism). Recently took a friend to lunch and he had to ask how many miles were on my car. After seeing it has over 200K, he commented on being surprised, but then not "Because it`s yours". Even though it`s in full winter road-warrior mode where it`s been a while since it`s last bath, it still shows well, and the interior is always at least kept clear.


I think it`s great to get your 4 year old in on it - My daughter`s 4 also. I think it honestly makes for good life lessons - keeping your things nice, seeing how much effort actually goes into nice looking things, and taking pride in your work. Also how it`s easier to clean up small messes rather than big ones.

Last summer when she was 3 she would help most often during the drying phase - I`d have her spray the drying aid then I`d wipe it up. If I had her do any towel or mitt work, we talked about how important it is to keep them off the ground. And if nothing else, she`d be out doing chalk in the driveway while I`m getting the cars clean so we still were hanging out together.

Around the house, I use a waterless car wash for doing windows, sliding doors, and glass tables; she`s got her own little spray bottle (a re-purposed spray chalk bottle actually works great) of Griots Waterless - I`ll boost her up so she can spray the door then I`ll follow up with the towel. She loves it, and I hear about it if I do it without checking with her first. For cleaning the floors, I use ONR in a spray bottle, she loves doing the spraying of that too.


Last thing to add - I truly wish I could contribute anywhere close the level of so many of the members here. However, I feel I just don`t have the hours into the practice to do in depth comparisons or write ups that you see. But, I still hang out here reading daily and contributing where I can just because I feel it`s nice to hang with people of a similar mindset and to skim from the incredible knowledge base. (As regulars have probably noticed,) I post most often in the off-topic section to get insight on stuff, because I feel if the members have the standards they do for their car care, I`ll likely value their opinion on other subjects in life.

It really is a great group here.
 
Welcome back Live311! I can`t top what anyone else has said already. Check my post count - I`m definitely a professional lurker - but I am here nearly every day. While I`m not sure that I belong here too sometimes, I have always found a thread once in a while I could contribute to. The amount of knowledge I`ve gained here is unbelievable, and has helped me at work (I have a fleet situation) but also helped me pick out a great professional detailer that just corrected and coated my Tahoe. Sometimes It`s not what you learn that helps you do - it`s what you learn to help you choose someone who will do.

Finally - and perhaps most importantly - there is virtually no hostility, mean-spirited saracasm, or "shenanigans" that go on here that I see in the other forums of varying interests I frequent. Everyone is willing to help and is friendly. A few times I have logged in while in bad mood and left feeling better after some funny posts or where someone has done really well. If for no other reason, I will continue to come here on a very regular basis for that.

Gordon
 
Welcome Live311! I can`t really add much more than has already been said except to say that when I came on board here about a year ago I knew absolutely nothing about any of this detailing stuff and, like you, felt a little out of place. Everyone both internally at the company and here on the forum has been welcoming and very willing to share their knowledge and experience. We do have a great bunch of people here and I hope that you stick around. :D
 
Others have hit it on the head perfectly. You belong here! Its about sharing/collaborating and life experiences. The nice thing is its a great group of people always willing to help and we talk about more than just detailing :)

I have 2 young kids now and all I look to do is maintain my cars when I can. What would have been 2 to 3 hours on the weekends is now 30min every few weeks and sometimes even months go by without being able to clean our cars. Two of my cars don`t even get any correction work. Just a good rinseless wash and some protection. The only time I really get to detail something is when I take a paid job every few weeks.

When my kids are older I definitely want to get them involved as something we can do together for a few hours on the weekend.

I still love coming on the forum and conversing with everyone, learning, and asking questions when looking for answers on something detailing related or heck even life related. Lots of experiences here.
 
While you been here lurking for a while I have been the same way, Not having the fancy tools does take the fun out of it but it doesn`t mean you can`t get your car looking it`s best.

And sometimes you just need a freind near by with the tools and a garge to help out...
 
I came here as a `village hack` about 3 years ago and just listened. When I asked a few questions and got some experienced answers, I said `Thank you`. From there everyone has made me feel like family. There are some very experienced guys and gals here. All of them will advise you. They are all top drawer folks.
 
I think the bigest misconception here is the hobby WILL take a lot of time and money. I say it only takes as much of either as you`re willing to allow. Neither is a good measure of your enjoyment or dedication. You`re not that different from many of us.

I hand waxed and washed my car for years. When my family came into the picture, I started using sealants because they allowed me to spend less time taking care of the cars and more time with that growing family. I even got my kids in on helping with the washing. When they were little it was less about them washing the cars and more about spending time with Dad outside getting wet, but I had fun and still got the cars clean. To this day, even though one kid is married and on her own and the other is in high school, we still bond and catch up over a bucket of suds and a wet car...though they get seriously pissed if I try to spray them with the hose.

The big leap came when I got my polisher seven years ago. I bought a trusty old Harbor Freight Polisher which still runs like a champ today, I`m pretty sure I didn`t pay more than $60 for it. This allowed me to quickly get far better results than anything I attempted by hand, and when using it to apply sealants, it saved me serious time in that regard as well. A few years ago I moved to coatings as my LSP choice which further saves me time by only having to do a heavy detail on any car every 18 months. Simple washings are easy to squeeze in.

You don`t have to sink a ton of money into this hobby in order to have fun and get good results. If you shop smart and catch sales, there are plenty of opporutnities to get good products from resonably priced brands like Meguiars, Mothers, Griots, Poorboys, etc. You also don`t have to go, "all out" at once. I`ve very slowly over time built up my inventory or pads and products, but I have exactly what I need with very little excess or products I don`t use.
 
I only buy on sale or when I run out of something and really need it. I’ve always successfully avoided the flavor of the month temptation. I do quite a bit of research on the forums before deciding what to buy too.
 
Eh, I`m late to this party, just don`t check the "New Autopians.." threads much, but that "I`m not sure.." intrigued me.

live311- Welcome to Autopia!

I differ from the Typical Autopian to such an extent that I kinda think of myself as "The Autopian Heretic" :o There are more important things in Life than a shiny car, like your family. But there are ways to make even "just running it through a carwash" turn out better and this is a great place to learn about such stuff. There`s great info here for *anybody* and I don`t mean just Detailing-related stuff either!

And FWIW, I`ve known a lot of people, including busy people, kids, the elderly and infirm..you name it... who did this stuff in a far-from-extreme manner yet kept their vehicles in great shape.
 
Heh heh...yeah...but seriously, this is one very friendly place as online forums go. Not much, uhm...nastiness... and what does rear its head gets shut down promptly.
 
Yes, live311, you belong here after owning 3 Subaru`s. Having been (past tense) a 2003 Subaru Outback owner, I understand WHY Subaru drivers LOVE their Subaru`s and end up getting another one. Living here in the upper Midwest where winter driving can be "challenging", having an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicle that still gets decent gas mileage and offers some utilitarian/hauling ability is the reason I owned one. Best "feature" on my 2003 Outback? The Weather-band radio! It was just a very nice feature to have before the advent of cellphone/smartphone/mobile internet was available, especially during sever weather when travelling on the road.

As far as detailing, do not worry about "comparing" your car to the many that the professional detailers post pictures of and ask "Why can`t I make mine look like that?" Just do the best you can. Like any skill (and vehicle detailing IS a skill), it takes time and perseverance to master and get better at. Granted, there is some degree of talent and ability that others have "more" of, just like playing golf. But if you love taking care of your Subaru, as you state, being a part of this forum is great place to start. You can learn a lot about what new car-care products and equipment that work for detailers and which do not and how to use both of them. Again, just like the game of golf, you can spent a lot of money on equipment and playing the game or you can be a weekend "duffer", but still enjoy playing the game. It`s just that you probably will not be playing in the Masters Tournament this April in Augusta , Georgia.

I will end up saying to those who want their vehicle to look like those in this forum done by a top-notch professional detailer, but do NOT want to spent the money on products and equipment or take the 20 (or more!) hours in time to do so themselves that it may be their best economic interest to let a professional detail their vehicle. Many a professional mechanic, plumber, electrician, and carpenter have ended up fixing some well-intentioned, but total disaster, do-it-yourselfer`s "project". There is no shame in letting a professional do some thing when you recognize that you have neither the time, ability & skill, or equipment to properly do a job, although your pocketbook may not agree. (OK, it is a shameless plug for professional detailers, of which I am not, but I AM indebted to their helpful tips and product & equipment reviews relating to vehicle detailing in this forum to "improving" my own hobbyist detailing enjoyment, hence the plug!)
 
Lonnie said:
Yes, live311, you belong here after owning 3 Subaru`s. Having been (past tense) a 2003 Subaru Outback owner, I understand WHY Subaru drivers LOVE their Subaru`s and end up getting another one. Living here in the upper Midwest where winter driving can be "challenging", having an All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicle that still gets decent gas mileage and offers some utilitarian/hauling ability is the reason I owned one. Best "feature" on my 2003 Outback? The Weather-band radio! It was just a very nice feature to have before the advent of cellphone/smartphone/mobile internet was available, especially during sever weather when travelling on the road.
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My first car was a `95 Subaru Legacy wagon. It may not have been the coolest car in the world, but it got the job done. If I am ever forced to live somewhere where it snows again, I`d get another Subaru in a heartbeat.
 
If others are late to the party, I must be the last one to arrive. Everyone here from professional to beginners, is here for the comradeship and new knowledge. I don`t believe in this group anyone will say they know it all. There`s always things one can learn no matter how much one knows or doesn`t know about a given subject. I am definitely a novice when it comes to detailing. Most of the detailing threads here I don`t have much to say, because I`m soaking up the knowledge by others. I still belong here, because I enjoy it, and am still learning a ton.
 
Still going? I had no idea what I would start with this! It poured all day today so most of the sand, salt, and bird diarrhea are gone from my Outback. At least I can see out of the windows now. And it looks like it may be warming up so maybe I can hook up the hose and get to it a little earlier than I thought :D

Attached is a picture of my first Subaru, taken probably at least 15 years ago. That car was impractical and noisy but fun and stylish.

And again, thanks for the encouragement. I`ll be lurking for a while, trying to learn all I can. Maybe I`ll even contribute, now and then.
 

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Some perspective...some guys are all about a 100% defect free car. They polish and wax constantly. That`s OK. For some it`s relaxation or a hobby. For others it`s a business.

I was talking to a guy in his 60`s who owned an air cooled Porsch 911. He was fanatical about keeping it pristine. He had it stored in his neighbors garage for the winter. His neighbor came over one day with bad news that something had fallen and dented the front fender. The guy went over and looked at it. It was a big dent and would require quite a bit of money to fix correctly. He said that in his younger days he would have gone ballistic. He looked at his neighbor and said, I just survived stage 3 cancer. This is just a car, it`s not that important. And he left the dent as a reminder that sometimes some things in life aren`t really a big deal.
 
wannafbody said:
Some perspective...some guys are all about a 100% defect free car. They polish and wax constantly. That`s OK. For some it`s relaxation or a hobby. For others it`s a business.

I was talking to a guy in his 60`s who owned an air cooled Porsch 911. He was fanatical about keeping it pristine. He had it stored in his neighbors garage for the winter. His neighbor came over one day with bad news that something had fallen and dented the front fender. The guy went over and looked at it. It was a big dent and would require quite a bit of money to fix correctly. He said that in his younger days he would have gone ballistic. He looked at his neighbor and said, I just survived stage 3 cancer. This is just a car, it`s not that important. And he left the dent as a reminder that sometimes some things in life aren`t really a big deal.
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Hells ya! In the end it’s just a car. They will come and go as we all will. Sit back, relax, enjoy the ride.


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