Nalod

My last BMW, a 2013 black on black Msport with Manual Trans. Sweet ride. Like most of my cars It never saw a car wash. I spend two days with my Porter cable orbital buffer and polished that thing until it was magnificent! Then spend hours applying Quartz ceramic coating indoors with studio lighting to make sure I had not imperfections.
It lasted two years and I hand washed it and applied all the supporting process to keep it looking great.
Even did the wheels and kept them gleaming.
BIrds still shat upon it.
Pollen disrespected it.
Rain was repelled,
I bought an older home about 10 years ago with a lake view in an old part of my city and there was no garage or car port existing or practical to build one without ruining the vibe. In a way I saw it as a sign I should stop obsessing with this hobby of car detail.
My Lexus goes to a car wash. A good one. Shutter the thought?
Recently a new one opened, two now in town I pass on my daily drive. They are owned by AAA and a hybrid. You drive thru and do your own vacuum (They have nice mat machines that wash them too!) fiber towels and windex. I bought my own towells for paint and used theres for the dirty stuff under the hood, trunk, etc. Bottom line is the washes start at $5 for basic up to $20 for ceramic protectant. with a AAA discount one can get UNLIMITED washes for $35 for the mack daddy version and started this April 1st.
Tree Pollen season in the south is brutal and I have used this now 8 times. Did not even bother to hand dry as the heated blower does a respectable job. Sure there are some spots but Im not obsessing anymore. Im out of the car detail game. I still wipe down the interior with a good cleaner about 4 x a year and protectant once a year. I don’t drive dirty or eat in my cars. Vacuuming once a month is more than satisfactory. I keep a micro towel in the little cubby to the left and wipe the dust and man crumbs that come with normal driving.

The result? The car after a month and 8 washes looks great and the rain repels within reason. Not crazy great but good enough that there is some benefit being applied. Not, its not as good as doing it yourself with great products. Swirl marks? I have Grey mica. I don’t notice anything egregious. I hate tire shine and theres are very muted in gloss. The tires look black and clean and the wheels have a nice look.
My tennis buddies gave me **** for getting a new car the other day and I reminded them its the same one I have had now 27 months. It looks good! Not great, just really good! I know some of you younger guys that won’t ever do this. I get it.
Cars still need attention to under the hood, trunk, and doors. Once a month wiping will keep it ok. Same for the Gas cap area. Cars that live outside get all kinds of gunk.
Im sure this rubs some of you wrong who put in the time an effort but after 40 years of keeping up 2-3 cars Im done. I don’t get the sense f satisfaction I used to. I do miss my garage from years ago. Now I spend more time on my porch and enjoy the view. I also gave up yard work 5 years ago. Im not a sloth, since then I lost 25 lbs and play tennis 4x a week and my legs feel great. More time to walk, work out, enjoy the things I own. I still paint rooms, refurbish furniture and tend to some gardening. I gave up maintenance.
My power washer gets used for the yard, my soap cannon is ignored and the bottles of Hydro Silica products will at some point get chucked. All Know now if the car is dirty, its a five minute thing to undo it. Car is always clean. Im saving water and I don’t drink starbucks. Its easy to spend $35 there. Instead, my car is done. Now if only my dry cleaning bill was that cheap!! Enjoy fellas!

JeffKeryk

I used to say I would never spend the money at a car warsh for something I could easily do. Well, now in CA we cannot warsh cars using a hose due to the extreme drought.
I pay $25 per month for unlimited drive-thru warshes. I have the GS, TSX and RX on the plan.

charley95

Everyone is different. I love washing my 2 cars at home, it's my golf game. It costs me $5.00 more a month in water. Anyone that follows Obsessed Garage would understand. This unit gets the job done quite nicely.

oldguy77

Nalod has it right. Life is too short to obsess. This is something that comes with age. I have had close to 300 cars in my life . From mundane to exotic. Now I keep my cars clean and garaged but not obsessively. I also wonder if this is my last car. Nobody gets remembered because their cars were always so clean. Live life.

charley95

That's a bummer, I was hoping my legacy would be how clean I kept my cars.

Nalod

Nice set up and that Floor!!!!!!
I had a nice “Griot” like Garage once upon a time. I had plans to build another two car garage on my property with a bay I can get under car to eork on my 1974 Restored 911 targa (long *** story) and keep a newer mate next to it. We would have 4 cars plus the kids two.
Then we moved. Fact is I had health issue and had I done all that I would not have tilted to live near my tennis facility (7 min walk…..can practice frequently) and perhaps been far worse from it. Tending to family, my business and cars was not a healthy lifestyle then. The nest got empty, and thus made choices to downsize many things. Cars, modding, detailing, etc suddenly became less important.

Great job on that power wash. I had industrial Gas powered one spend $800 in the late 90’s. Yours is more practical. Dig the metal hoses!!!!! I bet not a drop of water hits that floor!

Nalod

Years ago I had a beautiful S Class mercedes. Truly a Majestic piece of teutonic over kill! In my late 20’s I had struggled t quit smoking and washed that car for 9 days straight until I stopped howling at the moon. My neighbor thought I was crazy. I explained to him my purpose and a week later he did the same thing.
I’d come home from work and get uptight and had to do something to get my mind off the smokes. Funny thing was I was only a half pack a day habit but after work idle was not easy. Wife was pregnant and she had long quit. I had to do the same.
No cigarettes or starbucks…………I got plenty of money for car washes!!!!!

Nalod

Will you go back if restrictions are lifted?
Thats $75 per month for all three?

I stay away from touchless as I read the acid wash is really bad for the paint.

JDR76

My GS only gets a hand wash. I spent a lot of time getting the dealer induced swirls out of it and ceramic coating it. It's not that big of a deal as the car doesn't get driven often, and almost never in the rain. Mainly just sits in the garage.

I have our Highlander and the Tundra on the monthly unlimited washes plan at the local car wash. The truck sits outside, so it's always covered in dust, pollen, etc. and it's a big pain to wash. Plus, it's a truck. I don't obsess about its paint. I run it through the wash at least once a week. There are some light swirls, but it's white and hides them well. I added the Highlander to the plan because I don't enjoy washing it the way I do the GS. It's a total appliance and I have no passion for that vehicle. Just run it through the wash and be done.

CMK

That's quite the setup! The cost of that pressure washer alone is probably more than I've spent total on all the detailing supplies I've ever bought. What I'm trying to say is I'm insanely jealous. It must save a ton of time.

AJLex19

I've always been under the impression that no one will treat my car the way I would (just take a look at all the horror stories folks have told about having their car serviced at their preferred dealerships - scratches, scuffs, wheel damage, interior issues, even accidents).

It could just be bias, but it feels like when when I run it through a car wash its a "generic" clean. However, only another enthusiast would notice cleanliness of the wheels/tires, door jams, grab handles, creases, etc. that come with a hand wash. I think time, energy, desire, and physical health change how much you will end up putting into cleaning your car.

Irony around where I live is that you finally find a parking spot and when you come back, a bird, a tree or other natural phenomenon has made your just-washed car look like it needs a wash!!

ItzFilyO

But we can still rinse the car with a garden hose right? I wash with a bucket and mitt so no running water at all, except to fill the bucket and rinse.

charley95

It's just a hobby, I've loved washing cars since I could drive and the desire has never worn off.

ItzFilyO

I used to love washing and detailing a car but nowadays I'm so lazy.

CMK

For me, it's that I just don't have the time to devote to it these days. I have three young kids that demand all of my free time, and since I work full time and my wife stays at home, I try to let her indulge in her hobbies before I do.