The other day my neighbour came strolling by my place...again. This time he says "so, washing your car again I see". I politely nodded and carried on, talking about the weather.
His car is 2yrs newer than mine and the paint looks 5 years older. His comment got me wondering why some people just don't seem to care about there cars.

Now, I know not all cars are created equally but to each individual it's one of the largest expenses they often have relative to their income.

So why do so many take better care of their $50 blue jeans than they do their $30k vehicles? How can you not take care of something that costs so much money.
This is more of a rhetorical question because I realize I'm not going to find any definitive answers from other forum members because we all care about our cars.

For the record, I usually wash my car every 1 to 2 weeks, dependent on the weather and I get it detailed once a year. Not excessive IMO.

 

All I have to say is, why do some people spend so much on their car and spend so much time caring for it.

While at the same time wearing some crappy azz clothes and looking like shlt. lol

 

L-a-z-y

 

Well to them there car is just getting them to work and going back home, I know some people who dont wash there cars at all. They dont give a crap.

I know many people who could care less about there cars but dont want it to be too dirty.

I actually have had people walk by and laugh at me or smirk at me while I wash my car thinking I am stupid and should pay someone to do it. Like its so odd that I care for my car

 

Some -- check that, most -- people see their cars as only an appliance, a way to get from A to B. They fill it was whatever crappy fuel is handy, get the oil changed at Mr. Lube (if they remember to do it at all) and don't even notice when the paint and interior looks like crap.

Unlike us enthusiasts, for whom a car is part of who we are, so we like it to look, at the very least, presentable.

 

What Swivel said. Most people view their cars as an appliance and a necessary burden. These are the same people who complain about how much trouble their cars give them...well maybe it's because you don't take any care of it.

I get people who walk by and look at me funny too when I'm changing my oil or washing my cars. I remember this little girl as me what I was doing when I was washing my car and I realized that she's probably never seen her parents' cars being washed by a person in a driveway before.

 

I dont get the point of this thread. There are many reasons that people dont wash their cars. Lazy, busy, work, school.... In this world, crappy economy, ppl rather spend their time on something that can make money. If their cars bring money to them, I'll bet they will spend a lot of time on washing them, not only washing, they would also do details, inside and outside. I mean, it is not neccessary to keep the car always clean and shine. A little dirty won't affect anything. Car wash at gas station is good too, $6 for a regular car wash.

 

This pretty much sums it up. The majority of people out there, including pretty much all of my friends, don't really have any appreciation for cars in general. They are nothing more than a means to an end.

Nobody really gives me weird looks when I'm out in the garage or driveway working on or washing my car. I actually got a compliment from an old guy who lives a few houses down. He mentioned how you rarely see anyone work on their own cars these days. That was nice to hear because not only is it something I enjoy doing, but it also gives me a sense of pride when I fix something myself instead of taking it into the shop.

Also, I don't think caring about your car means you have to be one of those guys who washes it every other day. There have been plenty of times that I've gone weeks or even a month between washes (mostly due to the crappy weather). I'm referring more to people who scratch/ding them up, regularly ignore general maintenance, etc.

 

Id go through that every week. The little neighbor girl would ask me all the time, she was kinda slow too... hah, her parents cars looked like demo cars and smelled like ash trays/litter boxes. I get a lot of comments from random people walking on the sidewalk about how Im always washing my car, and how it must be the cleanest one on the block... what it boils down to is I enjoy taking care of everything I own.

But ya I wash mine once a week for sure sometimes twice. My car looks like it rolled off the showroom floor at all times. What really gets me is these a$$holes who can afford multiple $50k+ vehicles and cant even wash them twice a year becuz theyre front rims are black as night from brake dust accumulating. Give that f*cker to me... Ill baby the hell out of it.

 

^ lol you wash your car once-twice a week. Do you think that is too much? I wash my car twice a month and I think that is just good enough to keep it clean. Do you wax your car after washing it too?

 

It's just a car...

 

Swivel is right, some people view their cars as a way to get from point a to point b not caring about what the look like as long as they get there. My Grandfather, my Dad and I always kept/keep our cars in better than new condition so they'd sparkle when removed from the garage. My son and grandsons will do the same because that's how they will be taught/brought up. "Our cars are the mechanical expression of humanity!"
Gary

 

Yes and some people prefer theirs to look nice and last a long time.

 

I think most people just don't care about it enough, like my GF for example I don't think her car has ever seen a coat of wax, even though I offer to help her with it, she just doesn't care. Now what most people don't realize that your car should be treated as an investment, albeit a $hitty one as it will always lose value, but only dependent on how it was cared for. 70% of the resale value is determined by looks alone hence the reason to keep it looking good and lose less resale value. You can always tell how well a car was taken care of just by looking at the outside, if that looks good then chances are that it was also well maintained and mechanically sound.

 

I like that people don't care and don't wash their cars, that just makes my car look THAT MUCH better!