I think I have finally come to a realization about the condition of my car

G

GoonOnfire

New member
So, every april I always tell myself "Something bad will happen". I say that because, something bad has always happened. One year, my dog died, the other year, I blew an engine, this year my friend rolled his mustang and broke his neck (He is ok though!!!! Will recover in a couple of months), but on my end I thought "Hm, still hasn't happened yet....what bad incident is in store for me. It usually happens when I least expect it. Sure enough, pulling out of a parking spot in my car and "SCRAAAAAAAAAAPE!". I kind of beat my front lip/splitter on the car up that I had painted in october. At first I was furious, was ready to kick some ***, but then it hit me. Its just a car, and to narrow it down even more, its JUST a lip! No dents, damage, just a scrape on the lowest, most unnoticable part of my car. So I took out my touch up paint that the guys at maaco (The place that painted my car. Yeah, I knew I'd have some correcting to do on my own :lol1:) and fixed it right up. They left so much orange peel, it fits in!



In short, I think its like god sending me a message, lol. "Hey, if you keep getting obsessed with an EVERY DAY DRIVER", I'm gonna give you something to worry about. Before, I had spray painted the lips on the car, which looked OK, but my point is- When the car looked like trash and when I didn't care- Nothing - ever -happened!!!!





have any of you realized that you just can't be too worried about the way it looks? You drive it on EXPOSED roads OUTSIDE, it is bound to take a beating! No longer will I not want to wax in fear of discovering a new flaw on my once "perfect paint job". It may sound crazy, but it feels good to drive your car for what its worth, and not baby it in a garage, at least for me.



Btw here is a picture





EDIT- Just curious, which looks better to you guys? Black or white wheels (Ignore the wing in the back, it was removed! :der:)



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430190_2420097156536_1674630171_1727609_1509716949_a.jpg
 
IMHO the wheels would look great polished. If not white.



I used to be the same with my car but decided whatever comes, is going to happen. I just try to avoid the obvious bad situations.
 
GoonOnfire- I like the black wheels better by a huge margin, IMO that first pic looks good.



I sorta take the opposite tack with my vehicles...even with my beaters I do *everything* I can to avoid the most minimal of cosmetic damage and I work from the viewpoint that I *can* avoid it. Works well for me.



And I never tell myself "something bad is gonna happen!" I believe that sets me up, if only subconsciously, for a fall. I keep all my self-talk positive, even when things are going completely to [crap]....*especially* then. When something bad does befall me, my first thoughts are usually along the lines of "that'll never happen again! I'll get through this OK and then..."



Note that it can take a while to really internalize that "be positive" attitude. Not like you can just decide to be that way and have it happen overnight!
 
I agree with Accumulators approach, I just try to keep my vehicles as nice as I can with a reasonable (to me) amount of effort. I've quit chasing swirls that only I can see.
 
Dan said:
.. I've quit chasing swirls that only I can see.
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Heh heh, then maybe you aren't going with my approach after all?!? :chuckle:



Well, OK...my beaters aren't perfect, but they *would* be if I had the clear to spare ;)
 
Accumulator said:
GoonOnfire- I like the black wheels better by a huge margin, IMO that first pic looks good.



I sorta take the opposite tack with my vehicles...even with my beaters I do *everything* I can to avoid the most minimal of cosmetic damage and I work from the viewpoint that I *can* avoid it. Works well for me.



And I never tell myself "something bad is gonna happen!" I believe that sets me up, if only subconsciously, for a fall. I keep all my self-talk positive, even when things are going completely to [crap]....*especially* then. When something bad does befall me, my first thoughts are usually along the lines of "that'll never happen again! I'll get through this OK and then..."



Note that it can take a while to really internalize that "be positive" attitude. Not like you can just decide to be that way and have it happen overnight!
Click to expand...



Got your PM dude, no worries!



Well I mean sure, I always dodge pot wholes, try to park in open spots away from other cars, avoid gravel,ect, ect.
 
Accumulator said:
Heh heh, then maybe you aren't going with my approach after all?!? :chuckle:



Well, OK...my beaters aren't perfect, but they *would* be if I had the clear to spare ;)
Click to expand...



Well, to be fair, I'm going after them with product that fills!
 
[...aren't perfect, but they *would* be if I had the clear to spare] it used to be 'if only I had the time', now I have the time but insufficient clear coat



After all is said and done; it’s a shiny piece of metal with wax on it, nothing serious enough to cause a cataclysmic rift in the space / time continuum.
 
Heh heh...yeah, you do have to be reasonable about this stuff. When I read things like "my car has marring! I can't sleep because of it!" I want to post something about getting help.



I'm *almost*, but not quite, able to say I'm relieved that the condition of my beaters means there's no point in being utterly Autopian about 'em. Nice to be able to actually *use* some cars without worrying about stuff like "hitting a cone will mar the paint, I'm not taking *this* car on a track!"



Hey, nothing wrong with filling IMO. Nothing at all...as long as you keep up with it. No, I don't use that approach on most of mine, but sheesh.....who [freakin'] cares what other people do, especially as long as the paint looks good?!?



But what bugs me, despite what I entered above, is that all the "can't fix it" marring on my beaters is too deep to fill :( I mean, here I *finally* get things sorted out to where I can keep stuff nice for years at a time, and three of my vehicles have "instilled by others" marring that can only be fixed with a paintgun and more money than the vehicles are worth. Earlier this week, my good painter again refused to do the Crown Vic..exact quote: "it looks more than good enough for what it is".



GoonOnfire- Cool, never quite know how I come across over the internet :nervous:
 
Accumulator, I think your worries will be over in a few years. Opticoat is great as is, but I'm hoping it gets refined into a self leveling version that fills swirls.
 
Dan said:
Accumulator, I think your worries will be over in a few years. Opticoat is great as is, but I'm hoping it gets refined into a self leveling version that fills swirls.
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Wouldn't that be swell?!? I'd be all over that...well, except for toys like the Jag that have to look a certain way ;)
 
Get a white car. I've went less crazy with a white beater. My other car is red, but rarely gets out (I need to work on that but it's my OCD car).



I hit someone with my beater a month ago. I didn't care cause that was it's... 3 or 5th accident. Maybe 6. Most were fixed before, but this time I just buffed out what I could and left it. I swiped a guy pulling into a spot at work. The car is 12 years old.



I got to a perfection point then fell off to keeping the car running/reliable ish/clean without investing much more into to. I know your pain and just have to say that if it makes you happy you can fix it, but in the end it's really an illness... Just my opinion.
 
AuAltima3.5 said:
..I hit someone with my beater a month ago. I didn't care cause that was it's... 3 or 5th accident. Maybe 6. Most were fixed before, but this time I just buffed out what I could and left it. I swiped a guy pulling into a spot at work. The car is 12 years old..
Click to expand...



I'll risk sounding all :nono because I *am* all :nono about driver-errors, especially ones that involve other people's vehicles. Drivers should make their mistakes while training, not when driving in the real world.



My vehicles are all at least 11 years old, but I don't want anybody hitting them (not even the ones I think of as "beaters").



OK, end of lecture. [Accumulator climbs down off his soapbox]



Do agree with you about the white beater car though, very easy to live with without stressing about the cosmetics all the time.
 
Hello friends,

i have a car and i love it and i also maintain my car but i confused that which kind of engine oil i use?
 
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