Keeping car perfect?
 

Hey guys I've been a long time lurker here and just joined. My main reason for coming here is because I'm extremely OCD with my cars (as I'm sure most ofyou are). My problem is it's always hard for me to cope with not being able to keep my car perfect. I bought a my 370 about 5 months ago and no matter how careful I am, it seems like something always happens. Problem is, because I'm so OCD I always want to try and fix said problem no matter how big or small.

So I ask, how do you fellow OCD'ers cope with not being able to keep your cars perfect?

buy a new one every 2 or 3 years! lol

Depends on what it is.
Rock chips in the paint I have learned to deal with, I will respray the front bumper or buy a new front bumper if a nice kit comes out. Dirt, just wash it often, other things I solve if I can find the problem.

Wrap the car in vinyl as soon as you get it... :tup:

Either you plan to keep the car in a show room or you plan to drive it. Seeing that anyone buying a 370 is in the latter category, wear and tear is a fact of life. As you have the car longer, the little chips, dings, etc will have less impact. That's not to say that I don't cringe any time I notice a new rock chip on the bumper. However, I don't freak out that my new car is blemished. Hell, it's a year old (for me) now and I'm using it. Frankly, I'd much rather have a car with some signs of wear but have had the opportunity to drive the tires off it rather than have a perfect car that I've barely sat in.

I'm OCD too and it sucks. Mainly I have just learned to deal with any problem that arrises the best I can...

That would be every year! ;)



BTW, I tried to keep my car as perfect as a I can. Nobody pays for my car except me, so I don't care what anybody might say. :driving:

I keep my Z in our warm, dry garage and only drive her in perfectly clear weather and on clean roads not in the city. I never parallel park her, I have a full clear bra on her and a body man on call. It also helps that I'm able to have an Altima coupe as my real car. In 3 months have put 200 miles on the 370 Z. Hope you are more sane than I am! Welcome to eccentrics (not so) anonymous here!
Having said that, it's really gratifying to take my sparkling red Z cruising around on those lovely summer evenings and enjoy the admiring looks and complements she gets from everyone!

take a picture of it brand new, thats the only way it will stay perfect to you. You can garage it for 10 years and just stare at it if you want, but it'll deteriorate anyway whether it is used or not, just the nature of modern cars. You paid good money for this kind of car, drive it. A car is made for driving, a photograph is made for staring at.

^Just like that photo of bridget. Good thing to stare at :)

you either spend time trying to keep it pristine or you can spend that time behind the wheel and enjoying the ride...

your choice.

No can do, but whenever you wash and detail it spend a bit more time than usual keeping it waxed or sealed. I go much longer between washes than I previously have due to California's projected drought.

I wash my car every 2-3 days

have to keep her shiny.

but yeah

rocks are damaging my front pretty badly thanks to the roads breaking down because of the cold

:iagree: and yes take plenty of pics they last longer:tup:

hell to the yeah:yum:

Lots of Valium and a double Bourbon.

Buy identical Z's. Drive the first and put the second one in a bubble. There is a pic of the bubble car in another post.

Look out how beautiful some of these restored 240/260z cars are. Its important to take the best care you can of your car in all aspects. but asthetically speaking, your paint isn't permanent. If you love the car enough to keep it to the point that wear and tear on its exterior become bothersome, get it repainted. If a 40 year old car can look good repainted then your 5 year old car can look good repainted.

1. Always Keep it in the Garage
2. Dont tail gate (decrease rock chips)

Now to keep that show car shine or better:
Zaino Products
Z-7 Show Car Wash: Zaino Store
Z-18 ClayBar: Zaino Store
Z-PC Fusion Dual Action Paint Cleaner Swirl Remover: Zaino Store
Z-AIO All-in-one: Zaino Store
Z-5 PRO Show Car Polish for Swirl Marks and Fine Scratches: Zaino Store
Z-2 PRO Show Car Polish for Clear Coated Car Finishes: Zaino Store
PORTER CABLE LAKE COUTRY CCS PADS
i also use menzerna and CG, but Zaino has nice kit start with that if you need anymore help just let me know! good luck and happy detailing

After the newness wears off, I'll be less OCD. Until then, I've told everyone that if they see a mushroom cloud, it's because someone did my Z wrong.

Very true. My Z has a chip right off the passenger headlight. I've yet to fill it. In a way it's my imperfect spot that will eventually get me to relax a bit about the car.

My 2010 Frontier (bought it in January), has a chip in the door jamb where my shoe knocked a piece loose (due to the metal hooks for the shoe laces).

I also managed to chip up the gap in the tailgate/passenger rail area with some metal studs pretty bad...oops.

Good thing I have some touch up paint - lol

I feel sorry for OCD types....It's hard for them ever to be satisfied. I have a friend on another forum who is way over the top...He keeps buying additional cars as his "Intended" daily drivers succumb to his OCD'ness. He has an Audi TT that he has replaced virtually every interior panel that has ever gotten even a scuff, and has a back-up stock of parts in case even the smallest flaw is discovered in the future. He has indexed drawers of replacement hardware that would put Home Depot to shame...He refers to this car as his beater.....Yikes!

These are the kinds of guys you want to buy cars from! In fact I just did....A 2003 VW GTI anniversary edition with 11K miles on it. Only ever in the rain 3 times in 7 years. I had to pick it up on a snowy day and it almost broke the seller's heart. I like to keep my stuff nice, but I can't let it dominate my life... My condolences, and best of luck working that out....

I would say my #1 answer would be Don't buy a black one. I had a 350 in black and kept it flawless but it was tough. I hated anything getting on the finish.
I now have a Platinum Graphite and I can't tell you how much I love this color and how easy it is to keep it looking showroom condition.

Moderation is key to maintaining sanity!

That's why I've not fixed the chip in my hood yet. Sad part is, I'm more likely to make it look WORSE by fixing it. It's just how thing go with me...lol

PG was my first choice. Same with a 6MT.

Dealer didn't have either with touring+sport, black interior, all options except nav...and they said they'd get one for me for list.

I took the lesser price, which is what I got. I'm still quite happy with it- but PG is the color I'd rather have just because it HAS to be easy to maintain.

Just whatever you do end up being able to see, it'll be harder to fix....

i guess just buy the car and don't drive it?

it's a car, it's tough for the few months, but after that, you just have to live with the fact tha nothing is perfect and that perfect doesn't exists. do what you can with the car but don't blame yourself for something that happened which wasn't in your control.

Exactly! :tup:

Add me to the OCD list... I've never owned a white vehicle... always black. Is white just as difficult to keep "perfect" as black? What color would you say is the easiest?

I scratched my Altima with my gym bag today by accident, so i'm selling it.

....i mean i was selling it anyway but i sound like more of a psycho when i put it that way.

So which one are you selling? The gym bag or the Altima?

well the gym bag is more fun bc it doesn't have front wheel drive

I'm kind of the same way too. I'm slowly but surely learning though that you can't keep a car perfect if you actually intend on driving it.

I hear you on this - I guess one way to look at it though is that it could always be worse. The damage to your car is extemely minor compared to those who've had to do thousands in repairs.

some cars are closer to perfect than other cars with the same age and mileage and that is what we should strive for :)

My brother is OCD with his Acura CSX and was the same with his Mazda 3. I can understand some cant controle it, but i think its retarded to possibly think you can avoid chips, scratches and dents when youre driving a 3000lb machine up to 90 MPH for hours per day.

I remember when he got the mazda, my mom pass the car and she brushed up against it while walking by it and he flipped out. and then i remeber the time i was backing out my G35 in a parking garage and scraped the yellow pillar, advanced and backed out properly....checked the damage a few days later cuz i could care less

it suck, but once it happens, nothing you can do to change it. and spending money to cover up scratches is pretty pointless IMO

Ah ! got one of the those longer than normal driveways I see.