Your car and you..., How does it affect you?

[Sgt. Pepper]

I thought I would just post out of curiosity, but how many others out there have a very strong connection with their general moods and the condition of their cars? I for one never start the day better when my car is looking like it came off the showroom floor. There is nothing greater than driving my S after ie detailed it or bring it back from the shop after maintenance. But when I know for a fact there us something wrong with it, even if it's just in need of a wash I personally don't feel that great. It always bothers me in the back of my mind cause I'm a big car guy and take pride and care of my car. Right now it has 4 major dents, $1,607 dollars of damage, the headlights are cracked with these weird hairline things, an those plastic flaps infront of the front wheels under the front bumper are hanging lop sided and it bothers me.

Well I'm done ranting. Just curious if anyone else is the same way when it comes to cars... Especially their S2000s.

[QUIKAG]

I used to, but I don't care as much anymore. I've since realized there are things, much, much more important that cars and their condition.

That said, if there is something broken or wrong with my car, I will try to get it fixed, but I won't fixate on it all day.

[i_heart_my_DB8]

This'll sound weird, but I treat the car like part of my wardrobe: how clean/dirty I keep it is a reflection of me.

There are days when it's filthy (and I apologize to passengers for it), but usually I try to keep it as clean and well-kept as possible, wash it for dates, etc. It's a pride thing I guess.

[Saki GT]

80/20 rule for me. I'll keep the car clean for sure, wash/clay/polish/wax twice yearly, but I'm not spending two days detailing it. Maybe if Honda had better paint, but its not good enough for the effort imo.

I do have some acorn dents on the car, one on each panel - just enough to make it too expensive to fix. They're very small and no one notices unless I point them out, but I know they're there.

I do grease the rubber seals and top biannually, detail the interior and engine bay, treat the top - all stuff to keep the car looking great. I don't keep anything in it except a California duster.

I also just replaced the windshield - at 5 years, 55k mi it was too sandblasted and had too many rock chips. I also just refinished my headlights with the Crystal View kit from Autowhatever store. They look brand new again.

Overall I like the car looking good, and people don't believe its five years old. It looks basically brand new except for a couple small wear indicators, like the bald spot in the (cheap) floor mat from shifting, or the peeling paint on my front bumper. The top has a patina now too, but no holes yet. if its a little dirty from grimey roads though, it doesn't bother me. You should see my car at the Dragon events - it goes from white to grey.

[rnye]

I used to be in love with my car and obsessed over everything. It was my first "nice" car.

Today, it sits at 42K miles. The windshield has big chip in it, the CR lip has kissed pavement more times than I can count, the fender liners are shot and I have a nice dent on my front fender from some asshat that backed into me. Also, the headlights are looking a little hazy and the paint could use a good buff job... I have a list.

...so yes. It definately affects me. So much so that today I called up my insurance company and put the car on storage insurance - where over the next couple months the car will recieve some upgrades/TLC/and be brought back to the condition it deserves.

[Mark355]

Obsessed. How much so? I use q-tips to clean tight crevices. My door jams are waxed. I treat a detailing session like neurosurgery. As much joy as it brings me to pamper my car, it's a curse because if you use a car, it will get damaged. Mine is my DD so my pride is constantly under threat from old people in Buicks, young girls in SUVs texting, birds, northeast winter (hell), and having to walk away from it after parking. "It's just a car." Not to me.