Ever reach the “why bother” point in your life?
- Thread starter nan_wpg
- Start date
JustJesus
New member
I reached that point WAY early. Partly based on owner`s budget, and partly because I was seeing how easily people are impressed with clean and shiny.
I`ve had a few tell me what a nice difference I`ve made....and it was only a decon wash!
Dan
Well-known member
The key IMO is factory subsidized leases, otherwise it`s just better to "self lease." I`ve been self leasing to myself for ages lol. For a while it was 6mos leases!
Here`s another reason for "why bother": Detailing is a physically-demanding activity, whether you do it occasionally as hobby OR all the time as a professional as a job or self-owned business. The older you get, the harder it is to do what you used to do, even compared to 5 years ago. There is that saying, "There are no old detailers. They retire early, or just slow down." I know that "old" feeling first hand, but I still "try" to do what I did 10 or 15 years ago, but I physically cannot. Aches and pains or age-related degenerative conditions (arthritis, worn bone joints, or in my case, partially torn meniscus) "inhibit" those detailing activities. SO, you do what you can do detailing-wise. Not that you CAN`T do it; it`s just more difficult to do everything or now it just takes a little longer to do that full detail. It`s not so much, "why bother"; more like "it will take me two days and 8 ibuprofen to recover" after I complete a full detail, so is it worth it? I know it`s "no pain, no gain" but sometimes I will put off semi-annual full detail and maybe contemplate doing one-a-year now OR maybe do part of it one week and another part of it some time later.
As a younger middle-aged person I laughed at older individuals who told me about their aches and pains in life and reprimanded me with "What `til you get to be my age; you`ll understand. That is IF you get to be this age!" Well I ain`t laughing anymore. I can relate to their aging health experiences.
Sometimes "why bother" is not so much about the vehicle as it is yourself!
Or one of those funny, not-so-funny quotes that an older retired associate once told me, "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself in my younger days." Food for thought...!
As a younger middle-aged person I laughed at older individuals who told me about their aches and pains in life and reprimanded me with "What `til you get to be my age; you`ll understand. That is IF you get to be this age!" Well I ain`t laughing anymore. I can relate to their aging health experiences.
Sometimes "why bother" is not so much about the vehicle as it is yourself!
Or one of those funny, not-so-funny quotes that an older retired associate once told me, "If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself in my younger days." Food for thought...!
imported_Blake
New member
At 80 I still enjoy it…..It just takes a bit longer. Still crazy after all these years.
I’d like to be able to walk away from it but just can’t.
I’d like to be able to walk away from it but just can’t.
Old Pirate
AMG Classic Car Detailing
After 45 plus years I`m in the same boat, it`s has gotten harder due to my heart condition and back. My cars are most of the time clean and protected from the elements but NOT swirl free. Just too much work for me and time....got to enjoy what life gives you.
Accumulator
Well-known member
That new high-maintenance puppy will be here soon, and we`ll see if I can allocate time for my nutty washes once he`s here 
Good on you! You remind me of my late father, who was still helping me do his cars in his 80s.
imported_Blake
New member
It’s a disease. Just can’t say screw it. My “zone”.
Dan
Well-known member
Put a wash mitt on his tail and put him to work!That new high-maintenance puppy will be here soon, and we`ll see if I can allocate time for my nutty washes once he`s here
Good on you! You remind me of my late father, who was still helping me do his cars in his 80s.
Accumulator
Well-known member
That`d be one way for him to repay me for all the "how to act around vehicles" training I`ll have to put him through! Glad I didn`t get around to having paintwork done on the Tahoe..which is sure wandering away from its original beater-truck status, if only because the thing hasn`t gotten any worse over the past decade or so while other old trucks like it are falling to ruin.
For me it’s less of “why bother” but more like finding the balance between perfection and a good looking car. I’ve learned to live with some marring that only a detailer can see. Otherwise still keep to washing and vacuuming the car when dirty, which is about every other week. Weekly during the winter with salted roads. With that the ceramic coating helps and I still detail the cars and reapply every other year with top up sio2 spray every few months. Even then I still don’t chase perfection and good with the 90% detail.
I’ve wavered between not caring much to being pretty rigorous about my cars’ appearance in various stages of my life. And right now, it really comes down to what the vehicle is being used for
Our goblin-hauling minivan(wife and I have 3 young boys): We intend to keep our van(‘15 Odyssey) for a very long time so it will be kept nice. I’ve been contemplating keeping a small hand-held vacuum and an interior detail kit in it to keep the inside clean. It’s mechanically sound and I can keep it that way for as long as my wife desires. The paint needs some correcting and a good lsp but it’s not an emergency yet
My daily: I don’t intend to keep my daily driver for a long haul so I’m not as fanatical about it. I am, however, looking at my next vehicle as something to be kept for a very long time. That vehicle will be kept in very good condition
Tow/excursion vehicle: This is tricky. I imagine keeping something like this really clean would be a Herculean effort but this is another that I would like to keep for a while. Especially if I can convince my wife to get one of my dream cars(Mercedes Gelandewagen, that will be a cherished member of the family). Anything like this that gets purchased will be kept clean and will have the worst of the marks corrected but there has to be some limits put on the upkeep
Our goblin-hauling minivan(wife and I have 3 young boys): We intend to keep our van(‘15 Odyssey) for a very long time so it will be kept nice. I’ve been contemplating keeping a small hand-held vacuum and an interior detail kit in it to keep the inside clean. It’s mechanically sound and I can keep it that way for as long as my wife desires. The paint needs some correcting and a good lsp but it’s not an emergency yet
My daily: I don’t intend to keep my daily driver for a long haul so I’m not as fanatical about it. I am, however, looking at my next vehicle as something to be kept for a very long time. That vehicle will be kept in very good condition
Tow/excursion vehicle: This is tricky. I imagine keeping something like this really clean would be a Herculean effort but this is another that I would like to keep for a while. Especially if I can convince my wife to get one of my dream cars(Mercedes Gelandewagen, that will be a cherished member of the family). Anything like this that gets purchased will be kept clean and will have the worst of the marks corrected but there has to be some limits put on the upkeep
Accumulator
Well-known member
I simply love reading posts like that
imported_Blake
New member
I just find that it takes longer and I break it down into portions. Whatever works. It still looks as good when it’s finished. I almost hate to admit it but I‘ve learned more this year. Just love the new coatings.
rlmccarty2000
Active member
After two back surgeries I can no longer do what I used to do, but I still have the desire to, and that drives me a little batty, lol. I still do a yearly polish but now I don’t wash the cars as often as I used to. I drive them through our local touchless car wash a few times when my back flares up and I can’t do a darn thing.
I hope everyone has been doing well as I don’t check in here as frequently as I used to do. I’m alive but have slowed down more than I ever thought I would. Take care.
I hope everyone has been doing well as I don’t check in here as frequently as I used to do. I’m alive but have slowed down more than I ever thought I would. Take care.
Setec Astronomy
Well-known member
Bob! I was wondering if you were ok. Glad to see you checking in!
marko
I admit I have a problem
Yeah, I have to respond to this one, because for me it’s not so much ‘why bother’
Real life’s gotten in the way
I’m a cyclist and round about ten years ago was hit by a truck and thrown about twenty feet. Injuries were permanent and mainly soft tissue, nerve damage, spinal compression fractures, TBI. Spent a bit of time building out A/V systems and a theater since I couldn’t really move and am not easily entertained
Fast forward the recovery and I got back on bikes but family trauma ensued, increasing to the point I spent this last summer in Texas and brought a car back to Colorado, and winter was coming so a couple of weeks ago I completely rearranged my garage to fit another car and found all my bins of tools and product I’d neglected since I relocated into a different house somewhere in there
Guess I was a bit impressed by what age and temperature can do to chemicals. Suffice to say the road back has been long and tedious and detailing dropped off and on my radar for most of the decade, but I’m afraid I’m wanting to bother again – to a point
Oddly, the cars haven’t suffered as much as one might think
So I’m back on the site looking to duplicate a detailing station at my girlfriend’s new house and of course searching for advancements in products, sources, methods. I haven’t been around to miss the forum being offline, although it appears plenty of my old suppliers bit the dust in the interim
I’ve got say, geez guys, same rabbit hole but deeper and wider. I found some interesting product, to be sure. Coatings are outside my ambition at present. I filled a cart before thinking, hey what’s up with microfiber these days – and found another whole box of frogs. Same as ever
Cool part is seeing a lot of you guys I used to use as reference sources, and quite a few are still here, even in this thread
Real life’s gotten in the way
I’m a cyclist and round about ten years ago was hit by a truck and thrown about twenty feet. Injuries were permanent and mainly soft tissue, nerve damage, spinal compression fractures, TBI. Spent a bit of time building out A/V systems and a theater since I couldn’t really move and am not easily entertained
Fast forward the recovery and I got back on bikes but family trauma ensued, increasing to the point I spent this last summer in Texas and brought a car back to Colorado, and winter was coming so a couple of weeks ago I completely rearranged my garage to fit another car and found all my bins of tools and product I’d neglected since I relocated into a different house somewhere in there
Guess I was a bit impressed by what age and temperature can do to chemicals. Suffice to say the road back has been long and tedious and detailing dropped off and on my radar for most of the decade, but I’m afraid I’m wanting to bother again – to a point
Oddly, the cars haven’t suffered as much as one might think
So I’m back on the site looking to duplicate a detailing station at my girlfriend’s new house and of course searching for advancements in products, sources, methods. I haven’t been around to miss the forum being offline, although it appears plenty of my old suppliers bit the dust in the interim
I’ve got say, geez guys, same rabbit hole but deeper and wider. I found some interesting product, to be sure. Coatings are outside my ambition at present. I filled a cart before thinking, hey what’s up with microfiber these days – and found another whole box of frogs. Same as ever
Cool part is seeing a lot of you guys I used to use as reference sources, and quite a few are still here, even in this thread
I guess “why bother” was the wrong wording. I still “bother” but my focus is now completely different.
I used to be obsessed garage I.e always chasing the best product and going for an absolute “fresh off the production line” paint. Car was always washed no matter how many times it took.
don’t get me wrong. I still like a clean car, free from iron, sap, etc.
I just did my fall polish/wax/protect. I used several different products and honestly it all looked good.
my criteria is now “what’s easiest and fastest”.
‘’I’ve watched a lot of yvans videos (optimum and now diydetail).
rinseless wash, synergy like iron remover as a lube for clay towel, and SPRAY polish. I love optimum spray polish. I’ll never go back to cream polish.
gone is my paste wax, and cream sealants. Ceramic coating, and spray wax.
so now my cars don’t get a polish, they get a “super deep clean” with a spray polish and machine. Are there scratches? Yup. Are there swirls? Yup. Do I care? Nope.
you can’t see them unless you are in sunlight, and at the right angle, or looking for them with a swirl light. “Clean shiny scratches” like Mike philips used to say.
im slowly thinning the herd of product. Rinseless wash not just for the car, but also to wipe down the interior, and glass.
I used to be obsessed garage I.e always chasing the best product and going for an absolute “fresh off the production line” paint. Car was always washed no matter how many times it took.
don’t get me wrong. I still like a clean car, free from iron, sap, etc.
I just did my fall polish/wax/protect. I used several different products and honestly it all looked good.
my criteria is now “what’s easiest and fastest”.
‘’I’ve watched a lot of yvans videos (optimum and now diydetail).
rinseless wash, synergy like iron remover as a lube for clay towel, and SPRAY polish. I love optimum spray polish. I’ll never go back to cream polish.
gone is my paste wax, and cream sealants. Ceramic coating, and spray wax.
so now my cars don’t get a polish, they get a “super deep clean” with a spray polish and machine. Are there scratches? Yup. Are there swirls? Yup. Do I care? Nope.
you can’t see them unless you are in sunlight, and at the right angle, or looking for them with a swirl light. “Clean shiny scratches” like Mike philips used to say.
im slowly thinning the herd of product. Rinseless wash not just for the car, but also to wipe down the interior, and glass.