Author Topic: Car badassity  (Read 3430 times)

Kris

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Car badassity
« on: May 13, 2019, 05:52:40 PM »
Okay, this isn't really very badass.

But I just have to share how satisfying it is for me to detail my 2008 Audi A4 convertible every spring, after the snow has finally melted. I baby that thing. And I will drive her into the ground.

Damn, I love having a paid-for car that still feels like a luxury machine because I treat her well.

As I am fond of saying to anyone who will listen, my favorite make of car is, "paid for."


use2betrix

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2019, 06:12:45 PM »
I’ve been driving our 1999 Toyota Camry a lot. It has just shy of 150k miles. I paid just over $5k for it about 5.5 years ago..

For reference, we have saved $68k so far in 2019, and could easily afford to replace it. I sure do get a lot of satisfaction driving it, knowing people must sometimes look at me and assume I must not make very much, save very much, etc.

Not sure how much longer it’ll last, but I sure have been enjoying driving it. I’ve been averaging a couple hundred reimbursed miles/week lately.. Reimbursed at 58 cents a mile goes a long ways on the old beast..

use2betrix

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2019, 07:24:33 AM »
My kids and I have a game where we pick out “fine looking automobiles” while driving around.  Basically any old, well broken-in vehicle that is still driving. And then we pick out the shiny, newish “debtmobiles.”

Driving an older, paid off vehicle is very badass. If it rattles and has multicolored quarter panels, you’re just showing off your aesthetic sense for the finer things. 😁

What a great game to play with your kids, I love it!

My car would certainly fill your “fine looking automobile” category!

HipGnosis

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2019, 08:02:56 AM »
I'm right there with you.
I've got an '07 Volvo C70 hard top convertible with a turbo.
It's got 100K but looks practially new (a small dent in a fender that I doubt anyone but me sees).
I'm going to treat it to a professional interior detailing because I'm not really all that great at that.

Kris

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2019, 08:05:12 AM »
I'm right there with you.
I've got an '07 Volvo C70 hard top convertible with a turbo.
It's got 100K but looks practially new (a small dent in a fender that I doubt anyone but me sees).
I'm going to treat it to a professional interior detailing because I'm not really all that great at that.

Ha! Yep, you and I are in a similar sitch. Mine is at 90,000. Also a turbo.

I do love that car. First “nice” one I’ve ever had. Probably the last one, too.

FreedomSeeker

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Car badassity
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2019, 02:13:19 PM »
I’m a car/vehicle enthusiast. I used to be like many I know. Owning cars for a year or two before trading in or selling for something else. I’ve done extension modifications, and rebuilds. I usually did alright in my car flipping ways.

Well, after discovering MMM, I decided that wasn’t for me anymore (just a couple months ago).

I had a 2017 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E. With low miles and in fantastic shape. Loved lots about it. However, it was very expensive and I had a loan.

I traded it in, for a 2009 Honda CRV with 72k on the odo. Best part is, it’s paid off, and I got 18k back in my pocket.

I do miss having the truck, but it wasn’t a need.

The CRV has all the features I wanted, leather, sunroof, awd, keyless entry, heated seats, backup camera, aux (love those podcasts). It’s a 1 owner, extremely clean and I mean extremely, and no rust (hard to come by that in the rust belt where I live).

In the first week of ownership, I have changed all the fluids (oil, transmission, brake, power steering, and coolant). I’m hoping it serves me well for many years with little to no serious maintenance other than oil changes.

Edit: I’ve been enjoying learning about detailing. Nothing like having and ultra clean car at all times.



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« Last Edit: May 17, 2019, 08:34:51 PM by FreedomSeeker »

zolotiyeruki

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2019, 03:36:35 PM »
I think you'll find the "Brag on your MMM high-mileage or old car" thread entertaining, then!

Bloop Bloop

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2019, 07:51:57 PM »
Those B8/B9 generation Audis were/are beautiful. And unlike current German cars, they're not angular for the sake of being angular.

Nothing quite like detailing/driving a car you own outright.

I rented a 911 once - didn't feel right because it wasn't mine and I didn't feel that beautiful feeling of ownership.

I'm in my early 30s and I only plan to own two more cars my entire life - my current one and my next one. I'll keep both till they drop. I love detailing my car. I only do 6000kms a year so it shouldn't be too hard to extend its life.

Kris

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2019, 07:57:39 PM »
Those B8/B9 generation Audis were/are beautiful. And unlike current German cars, they're not angular for the sake of being angular.


Totally agree, man. These newer German cars look like Toyotas. It just ain’t right.

I’ll take my 2008 Audi over a 2018 any day.

MasterStache

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2019, 07:08:40 AM »
I definitely feel ya on the detailing part. I just waxed the Leaf for the summer and love the way it feel afterwards and how the rain beads right off of it. I'm weird like that I guess.

FreedomSeeker

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2019, 10:00:24 AM »
I definitely feel ya on the detailing part. I just waxed the Leaf for the summer and love the way it feel afterwards and how the rain beads right off of it. I'm weird like that I guess.

Same about the water beads! I usually wax my vehicles twice per year. Once in the spring after winter and once in the fall before winter. Helps keep the dirt and grime manageable.


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Redstone5

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2019, 02:42:05 PM »
I'm interested to know more about the the worthwhile-ness of the waxing. I just bought a 2015 Nissan Leaf last December and I'm not sure if waxing is worth the time and expense. Does it really make that much difference? I'm on the Westcoast so we don't deal with a lot of salt or snow, but it's something I'm going to look into.

FreedomSeeker

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2019, 02:58:46 PM »
I'm interested to know more about the the worthwhile-ness of the waxing. I just bought a 2015 Nissan Leaf last December and I'm not sure if waxing is worth the time and expense. Does it really make that much difference? I'm on the Westcoast so we don't deal with a lot of salt or snow, but it's something I'm going to look into.

I think it definitely helps keep the clear coat on the car, for the life of the car.

As for the cost/time. I wax it myself, so the cost is minimal. I use maguires ultimate. Goes on easily, and comes off easily. Takes maybe an hour twice a year. I’ve been using the same wax for the last several years, a little goes a long way. YMMV. I’d recommend doing it.

This is my process for when I wax my vehicles.

Step 1. Wash the car throughly
Step 2. Dry the car immediately
Step 3. Use a quick detail spray to remove anything missed on the wash and the water spots
Step 4. Apply wax to entire vehicle (that’s how the ultimate works rather than others that’s applied one small section at a time), then wipe off in order it was applied.

Wait 6 months or when rain/water doesn’t bubble up anymore, whichever first. Reapply. Have happy, healthy great looking paint!

Pro tip: also wax the headlights and tail lights, it prevents them from getting hazy over time.


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HipGnosis

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #13 on: June 06, 2019, 06:20:36 AM »
Pro-Tip: If you're going to keep your car for many years, use Armour-All or Son-of-a-gun or 3M 303 Aerospace Protectant (really good stuff) on the weather striping around your doors and trunk, and at your door windows.
Dry, cracked weather striping can let water in and make a lot of wind noise.
And, it's only available at dealerships, so it's expen$ive to replace.

GuitarStv

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #14 on: June 06, 2019, 07:42:32 AM »
Wind noise isn't a problem if you drive with earplugs in, and they don't impact your ability to hear sirens or emergency vehicles.  Check your local laws though, as some places have ridiculous laws preventing the use of 20 dB earplugs . . . but are totally OK with installing 20 dB soudproofing in a vehicle, or driving around with loud blaring music (which is much more distracting and difficult to hear over).  :P

Redstone5

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #15 on: June 06, 2019, 01:52:16 PM »
I'm interested to know more about the the worthwhile-ness of the waxing. I just bought a 2015 Nissan Leaf last December and I'm not sure if waxing is worth the time and expense. Does it really make that much difference? I'm on the Westcoast so we don't deal with a lot of salt or snow, but it's something I'm going to look into.

I think it definitely helps keep the clear coat on the car, for the life of the car.

As for the cost/time. I wax it myself, so the cost is minimal. I use maguires ultimate. Goes on easily, and comes off easily. Takes maybe an hour twice a year. I’ve been using the same wax for the last several years, a little goes a long way. YMMV. I’d recommend doing it.

Thanks! I'm going to try that out.

This is my process for when I wax my vehicles.

Step 1. Wash the car throughly
Step 2. Dry the car immediately
Step 3. Use a quick detail spray to remove anything missed on the wash and the water spots
Step 4. Apply wax to entire vehicle (that’s how the ultimate works rather than others that’s applied one small section at a time), then wipe off in order it was applied.

Wait 6 months or when rain/water doesn’t bubble up anymore, whichever first. Reapply. Have happy, healthy great looking paint!

Pro tip: also wax the headlights and tail lights, it prevents them from getting hazy over time.


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MilesTeg

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #16 on: June 06, 2019, 08:11:39 PM »
I'm interested to know more about the the worthwhile-ness of the waxing. I just bought a 2015 Nissan Leaf last December and I'm not sure if waxing is worth the time and expense. Does it really make that much difference? I'm on the Westcoast so we don't deal with a lot of salt or snow, but it's something I'm going to look into.

I think it definitely helps keep the clear coat on the car, for the life of the car.

As for the cost/time. I wax it myself, so the cost is minimal. I use maguires ultimate. Goes on easily, and comes off easily. Takes maybe an hour twice a year. I’ve been using the same wax for the last several years, a little goes a long way. YMMV. I’d recommend doing it.

This is my process for when I wax my vehicles.

Step 1. Wash the car throughly
Step 2. Dry the car immediately
Step 3. Use a quick detail spray to remove anything missed on the wash and the water spots
Step 4. Apply wax to entire vehicle (that’s how the ultimate works rather than others that’s applied one small section at a time), then wipe off in order it was applied.

Wait 6 months or when rain/water doesn’t bubble up anymore, whichever first. Reapply. Have happy, healthy great looking paint!

Pro tip: also wax the headlights and tail lights, it prevents them from getting hazy over time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A small point of clarification: Use a paint sealant (aka synthetic wax) rather than a wax (generally carnuba) for longer/better protection and less hassle.The mentioned meguiars ultimate is a good example of a sealant. A decent sealant can last 6 months to a year, whereas a wax will only last a few weeks.

Easier cheaper (fewer applications) and better protection. Just not quite as good at making things shiney.

Friar

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #17 on: June 07, 2019, 01:57:39 AM »
I had a 2006 Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI on 130k mies that I intended to run into the ground. A colleague of mine had the same engine in his B6 A4 that lasted him 300k miles so I was looking forward to many more years! This was the plan until an old biddy decided to plough into its front end at 23:00 one night as it was parked on the street outside my house.

The frustrating thing was that I had accidentally hit upon a sweet spot with that car. There was this period of about 6 months where the 2.0 TDI engine had been upgraded with an important fix to the oil tensioner (it changed from a failure prone chain system to a more robust gear driven system) and before a DPF was fitted (meaning no risk of needing to change an expensive DPF, although admittedly worse for the environment).

Unfortunately, the insurance payout wasn't enough to find a direct replacement with the same mileage as they are few and far between.

I ended up opting to get a newer 2014 A4 Avant which I got on a great deal on as the accident happened about 5 days before Christmas and the dealer wanted to shift stock.

Not really a tale of badassity, but I do love to wax lyrical about the A4s and it was nice to have enough money saved that needing to buy a new car wasn't an emergency. Urgent, yes, but not financially dire.

EngagedToFIRE

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Re: Car badassity
« Reply #18 on: June 07, 2019, 08:11:51 AM »
For reference, we have saved $68k so far in 2019, and could easily afford to replace it. I sure do get a lot of satisfaction driving it, knowing people must sometimes look at me and assume I must not make very much, save very much, etc.

I'm the same way!  Very high income.  And I get a kick out of driving my little Leaf or my older truck.  People speeding by on their way to work in fancy cars, being judgmental.  I think it's funny.  I prefer people think I'm poor.  Even my neighbors probably wonder if I'm doing ok.  It's a neighborhood loaded with luxury cars, Ferrari's, etc.