Just Economics

The other day I saw a young man wiping down his black Oldsmobile Alero on the street across from my house. I figured this would be a great time to introduce this young man to Whip Appeal - Skin Care for Your Ride! So, as I get closer I tell him that I have this spray on wax that I wanted to demonstrate (Hit it and Quit it - Detail Spray). His response was not quite what I expected from a young man wiping down his ride. He said that he did not know how to wax his car. In looking at the surface of the vehicle it looked as if it had never been waxed since he purchased it. I questioned him about this and low and behold he had never waxed it. Wow. So I took my sample with me as I told him that his ride needed some heavy duty treatment. But since he seemed to care less I was not going to give away gems of product or information to someone who just wanted his car dry and busted.

Let me explain why I entitled this Whip Blog "Just Economics". When you purchase a vehicle either from a new car dealer or even a used car lot, that vehicle has been washed and waxed. Even on the new car lot the car is washed frequently. Here in Los Angeles it is not uncommon to see mobile detailers wash and wiping down those new cars right there on the lot. You see, a car is subjected to the same atmospheric conditions as your skin. Those dang UV rays can do a job on that paint. Road dirt can stick to the paint and contaminate the surface as well. This is especially true in areas where it rarely rains. All of the pollutants in the air will come down like acid rain on your car. Bird crap can "etch" your paint if the crap is not removed immediately.

Here is where the economics comes in. However much you spend on your ride, it makes no sense to just let the elements destroy that paint; especially when a wash and wax can save you thousands in repainting costs. Every car that I have ever owned was cleaned about 3 to 4 times a month (unless of course it was raining). You may think this is excessive but are you aware that you can add a few thousand bucks value to your ride because your car is clean? Some people are of the mind that if you let a car get rained on that is like nature washing it. Ummm that won't do. Actually it is worse.

So by not caring for the surface of your car with regular washing and waxing there are several things you can expect to happen to your WHIP. Faded paint that has bird crap spots on it. Paint that is so full of dirt that even washing it once after it's too late may make little to no difference if not treated with the proper solutions. The cost of a GOOD paint job can cost you thousands if you want it done right. And last but not least a clean shiny car just looks way better than a dried up busted one!