1952 White Lancia

The Proper Car Care Mindset

1952 White Lancia

When it comes to buying our cars we’re usually concerned with two things – how it drives and how it looks. Somewhere around 2 or 3 years later, the vast majority of car owners don’t care about anything other than keeping it running. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but if you’re going to drop anything over $20,000 on a car wouldn’t you want it to look as good as its running for the life of the car? Unfortunately the fact remains that more people schedule time for an oil change than regularly detail their car and are in for disappointment when their car loses its luster after months or years of neglect. This doesn’t have to be the case, and for those who regularly detail your car you know what I’m talking about. There’s a specific mindset you need to make sure that your car looks as good when you sell it as it did when you bought it, and I guarantee you’ll see results if you adopt this simple approach to car care…

Like most of life, we get frustrated when problems occur with our cars – overspray on the hood from neighborhood construction, bird droppings right on your freshly cleaned windshield, oxidation in the paintwork, and the single most dreaded cosmetic ailment, swirl marks. What if you never had to experience any of those unsightly nightmares ever again? It’s possible and quite simple. When caring for your car, or anything for that matter, being proactive rather than reactive can and will make all of your headaches disappear. For example, waxing your car once per season will eliminate the need for heavy polishing so long as your finish isn’t already damaged; you then experience longer lasting shines, long lasting protection, and a proactive barrier against anything that may come in contact with you paint. The problem lies in the fact that it’s somewhat tough to shake a nagging reactive mindset because you have to stay ahead of the game, and in an environment where instant gratification is cherished, most people think machine polishing once is WAY COOLER than waxing four times a year. Little did they know that if they’d waxed they probably wouldn’t need to tear up their paint with a high speed machine polisher.

car care productsIt’s not just about paint either. If you’ve owned a car for 6+ years, take a look at your interior plastic, vinyl, or leather (seats, trim, etc.). If you haven’t already adopted being proactive, I’d be willing to bet there’s some cracking and fading going on? If I’m right, being proactive could’ve and would’ve had those surfaces looking years younger. If you’re guilty of being a reactive detailer don’t get yourself down, there’s always time to change and improve your procedures. It doesn’t matter when you adopt the mindset of being proactive, but the earlier the better (as you can tell by examining your car). If you had proactively cared for your car from the day you bought it, you would find that the car is 1. worth more money than it is today, 2. looks much younger than it actually is, and 3. had less money thrown into repairing and fixing cosmetic issues.

So you see, the proactive approach to detailing is just as much about your benefit as it is the car’s. You all know what can happen if you neglect your car, and being reactive is only a few rungs up the ladder from neglect – if you have to keep buffing, polishing, scrubbing and fixing, something is wrong and you’re doing more damage the longevity of your car than you are benefiting its appearance. Not to mention make a hefty dent in your checkbook if you want it fixed professionally. My advice is to get a solid detailing routine (scan the blog, we’ve developed it so that you have every resource you’ll need to properly and proactively keep your car looking like new), keep it regular, and always remember that it’s easier to protect than it is to fix.

Good luck and let us know in the comments if you need help getting started… we’re here to help!

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