Same old, same old... Why do we do it?

I bought a black car that I really like and I drive past a concrete plant on the way to work. It's a losing battle in the winter, but nothing beats having a kid in the Wal-Mart parking lot point at my car and say "Mommy, COOL!" to his mom. :D



Besides, I can't stand to have a dirty car.
 
Detailing my cars is almost like eating, breathing and spending quality time with my wife and animals. Something I must do to continue feeling alive.:wavey
 
I work in technology. It's interesting work and it pays well, but there is one thing that I have always hated about it. At the end of the day, I have nothing to show for my work. Not like an architecht who can show you a building and say "I thought of that"....or a caprenter who can say "I built that..."



Detailing my car gives me the chance to pour my energy into something that actually produces a tangible result. When I get my car looking the way I like it, I feel like I have almost earned the right to drive it.....
 
I do it for the money, the women, the parties, wise men seeking my advice.... and, oh yes, for the Threapy...and I like shinny things



Steven
 
:cool: I have been detailing my cars since the early 1970's.....



The word DETAILING didn't even exist at that time! ( at least I never heard of it until the late 80's)



For me.......I absolutely can't stand a dirty car!



I've had 17 cars in my life and 13 of them have been black.......I rest my case.
 
samiam513 said:
It's all of those actually.



If i didn't do this, I'd be sacking your groceries down at the local grocery store.
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Hey, I work at a grocery store and bag groceries and run the registers too. :( I'm only 17 though :) . To me, I just love getting up once a week, and seeing the sun shine and just going outside and detailing my car. Makes me feel good. It's all work, and takes time and hard effort and commitment; but when I can bring my car down to the dealership and get compliments on it, and how new it looks etc. it makes the 1994 Accord just that much more special to me. I think a lot when I wash the car. When done washing, when I prep and wax; I like to get my work done while listening to some music. I basically detail as a hobby, but its a little more than that.
 
BlkonBlk said:
I work in technology. It's interesting work and it pays well, but there is one thing that I have always hated about it. At the end of the day, I have nothing to show for my work. Not like an architecht who can show you a building and say "I thought of that"....or a caprenter who can say "I built that..."



Detailing my car gives me the chance to pour my energy into something that actually produces a tangible result. When I get my car looking the way I like it, I feel like I have almost earned the right to drive it.....
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I feel the exact same way. For me, this is my form of artistic expression, since I can't draw or paint to save me life. :rolleyes: I can stand back and look at a finished product and say, "my knowledge, expertise and technique created this." It's a great feeling.



Mike
 
Pride of ownership I guess:nixweiss



I try to keep everything I own extremely clean. Firearms, paintball guns, bikes, and my trombone come to mind.



Anyone else here detail the insides of the pc?
 
I just had another thought about this. My prior comment hinted that the only reason I detail is because I hate dirty cars. Not true.



The major point here is that I love to detail......!!!!!!!!



I can spend an entire Saturday doing nothing else.



(Then I look forward to the next Saturday so I can do it all over again).....



I'd rather detail than play golf, watch college basketball, fish, .............the list goes on.



Why do I love to detail? The WOW-FACTOR!:cool:
 
Detailing serves a few purposes for me. On a more superficial vein there are the usual tenants - it is nice to have a clean vehicle, well detailed vehicles command greater resale values, the occasional compliment can be boosting, extra money, etc. On a much deeper vein however I find that detailing provides me with an outlet for my artistic expression. Thinking of detailing as a form of artistic expression may seem odd to the sculptor or painter as it differs from their conventions. Nonetheless though, one still uses their hands and tools to bring beauty to something which to me is art. I also tend to be a perfectionist (read I have automotive OCD). I remember when I was a little kid I would tear everything out of my bedroom and heap it on the floor only to put everything back in perfect order - crayons in their color groups, books in alphabetical order, etc. Now that I'm an adult I'm more practical with the way I maintain my home, office, etc. (I'm sure my wife or my boss would have something to say if I wasn't) Auto Detailing however lets the little boy back out and I can be a perfectionist to my hearts content. It is almost therapeutic.
 
I would have to say that right now its mostly about the money. I started as just a hobbie but now that I am trying to run my own business I find that money is what I need to make things happen. I guess its a labor of love...
 
thevolvoguy said:
This is a great thread. Thanks guys... keep the thoughts comming.



:wavey
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Hi! I could be TheVolvoGuyII ;)



I'm a starter at the detail business in a detailess country, though I clean my cars including the other side of the wheels for more then 20 years.



As we don't have all these products you do, the right procedures and technics, I'm starting a business out of this. Hope it's for the money also in a short period :D



Take a look at my Volvos pics: www.pbase.com/np75kh
 
Why? Relaxation. Enjoyment. A sense of accomplishment. Turning a few heads. Nothing better then driving a clean car on a nice sunny day.
 
Back in ‘46 or ‘47 my father and I drove up the peninsula to San Francisco. Having some time to kill I wandered around taking in all the sights and ended up in front of the Mark-Hopkins Hotel, then the premier hotel on the west coast. Lined up along the curb were four Rolls-Royce limos (one with only the passenger area enclosed) that all four uniformed chauffeurs were busy wiping down their pride and joys. Two or three of them had been rubbed so much that the dark red primer was showing through on the high spots, but being a country boy who’d rarely seen a car washed, much less waxed, those glittering limos made a lasting impression on my 12 or 13 year old mind. I thought to myself, "Some day I'll have a car that looks that good!".



Now I’ve got a black roadster, the free time to play, and am emulating those RR chauffeurs! It’s a fantasy fulfilled!
 
sclowproref.jpg
:)
 
I do it because of my obsessive-compulsive personality. Also because I need quick results to keep me interested. Keeping my car clean and shiny is satisfies my compulsive side. I have to work really hard to resist waxing every day. Not letting anybody else do the work is my obsessive side. Having my car look better than new after a hard days worth of effort covers my need for quick results. The side benefits of my personality disorders are that people have chased me down in the store to ask about my car and then gone out to get a better look at it. I've also had several people have come outside of their office to ask, "What do you use on your car?" I guess there's a feel good thing in there too. To top it all, the feeling of satisfaction lasts longer than sex. :D
 
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