“New” Car

I bought this 2012 Dodge Avenger R/T almost a year ago.

The “R/T” part of the car is mostly for John, but I do take advantage of the improved suspension. I’m sure I phrased that all wrong, but what it means is, I really like driving on our curvy roads. And I have no doubt that one day, this car’s nimbleness will get me out of a jam.

When I talk about my car, I call it my shiny new car. When is a new car considered not new any more? When you get the first ding?  After a month? After the second ding? After a significant scratch? After 10K?  After 50K? 100K?

My shiny new car has gone through all of that. But I think I will go on referring to it as my shiny new car for as long as I want. Funny how we Americans like our stuff to be new. Until it’s very old. But if it’s old, it had better be in great condition.

I get a bit mental when I go about detailing my car. That’s why it took me all day to do the job. I felt it was dirty again before I finished cleaning it!

I went about buffing out a couple dings that happened recently. An inconsiderate young mother didn’t bother to shut her car door on a windy day in the parking lot and pow, right into my door. I told her I hoped she hadn’t dinged my car and she said, “It doesn’t look like it. Tra la la.”

Then I picked up a package for John that was heavy and dirty and I conked the rear bumper putting it in the trunk. Turns out, these two imperfections cleaned up very nicely. I was horrified, however at all the other knocks and dings I found as I went over my car with the proverbial fine tooth comb.

I got a sunburn while I waxed my car. I didn’t listen to that voice that told me to go inside and put on sunblock. I thought, I’ll be done soon. Ha.

I put wax all over the car, then set about buffing it off. It may have been easier, had I done it in pieces. I had started out in the shade, but it moved as I painstakingly removed the wax. By the time I got to the end, my car was so hot the wax was melting as I rubbed it off.

I learned this does not make for a good finish.

I had started out the project vacuuming the interior. I found an absolutely fantastic upholstery cleaner:

http://www.wayfair.com/Blue-Coral-Dri-Clean-Plus-Interior-Cleaner-and-Stain-Lifter-DC22-L3271-K~BLCL1000.html?refid=GX21919339860-BLCL1000&device=c&gclid=CPeF1tLs1bcCFZBcMgodHQ8AQg

I’m not sure if it works all that great on upholstery, but it’s fantastic on floor mats. I will never remove them from the car in order to clean them again!

But as I went through Armour All-ing the interior, you know I got towel lint speckling the carpet. The Mother’s Back to Black I used on the black trim between the front and back doors took fingerprints to a whole new level.

I think I finally put on a decent application of Rain-X. We shall see. I kept seeing wax I’d missed. To the end I was buffing here and there. I thought I had been so thorough the first time through. I burnt my arms, gosh darn it!

Every time I went into the house I wanted to stop and buff all the many dirty places I passed. When I go to sleep tonight, I’ll probably be buffing God knows what behind my closed eyes. I kept hearing Brad Delp asking me if I was feeling satisfied. Would I be, after getting so close, trying so hard for perfection, being too anal to accept good enough?

I guess so, because I’m still going to call it my shiny new car. But next year, I think I’ll pay someone else to look so close at it….