I am 31 years old and have the attention span of a 12 year old. I tend to pick up a hobby, pursue it intensely to the exclusion of everything else in the real world until I've gained (usually) some level of mastery, then drop it completely, never picking it up again. This drives everyone around me, myself included, nuts. This "condition" of mine goes untreated; no medication. At least I learn how to do all kinds of crap to a basic level of competence.
So, after (most recently) flashlight building, shrinky-dink crafts, cheese making, beer brewing, theremin construction, paper folding, knife sharpening, knot tying and gardening, I've come around to detailing.
This latest microhobby came about because I was looking at the roof of my car in the dead of winter, looking at a big white spot spot of oxidation being sheeted over by rain that doesn't bead and thinking "This car has served me perfectly for 4.5 years. Least I could do is wax the thing." So I got some compound, clay and the like and went to town by hand. Then I got annoyed at the marring I was putting in the paint from the polishing compound, went online to figure out what to do about it..
3 weeks ago..
and now I have a UDM, a harbor freight rotary, a ton of chemicals on the way, and 2 cars and a motorcycle to restore.
At least my roomate will finally have me hanging out with him in the garage when he goes to work on his car, him behind the air ratchet, me behind the buffer.
The issue is that I'm not into cars so much for car's sake. I become obsessed with some usually technical aspect of a thing, and focus on only that. Years ago it was turbochargers, this time it's finish.
I expect I'll be gone from this forum completely 6 months down the road, once everything within reach is shiny and protected and I've moved onto extracting dart poisons from tree frogs or memorizing stamp series from south pacific islands pre-wwII or some crap.
My car, in case you're wondering, is a 2003 hyundai elantra GLS with ocean blue paint. The paint has been eaten through the the gray.. primer?.. or rust sealant..? in a couple of places due to bird bombs.
I have NEVER waxed this car. On the other side of the coin, there are no washing swirls. 
So, after (most recently) flashlight building, shrinky-dink crafts, cheese making, beer brewing, theremin construction, paper folding, knife sharpening, knot tying and gardening, I've come around to detailing.
This latest microhobby came about because I was looking at the roof of my car in the dead of winter, looking at a big white spot spot of oxidation being sheeted over by rain that doesn't bead and thinking "This car has served me perfectly for 4.5 years. Least I could do is wax the thing." So I got some compound, clay and the like and went to town by hand. Then I got annoyed at the marring I was putting in the paint from the polishing compound, went online to figure out what to do about it..
3 weeks ago..
and now I have a UDM, a harbor freight rotary, a ton of chemicals on the way, and 2 cars and a motorcycle to restore.
At least my roomate will finally have me hanging out with him in the garage when he goes to work on his car, him behind the air ratchet, me behind the buffer.
The issue is that I'm not into cars so much for car's sake. I become obsessed with some usually technical aspect of a thing, and focus on only that. Years ago it was turbochargers, this time it's finish.
I expect I'll be gone from this forum completely 6 months down the road, once everything within reach is shiny and protected and I've moved onto extracting dart poisons from tree frogs or memorizing stamp series from south pacific islands pre-wwII or some crap.
My car, in case you're wondering, is a 2003 hyundai elantra GLS with ocean blue paint. The paint has been eaten through the the gray.. primer?.. or rust sealant..? in a couple of places due to bird bombs.
I have NEVER waxed this car. On the other side of the coin, there are no washing swirls.