I mean the kids today. Back in the '60's when I was a teenager, no matter how old your car was, how much money we had or didn't have, we kept it spotless and in running condition. Kids today don't seem to care what their car looks like or the condition it is in. Outside of the "rich kids" who drive new cars, all the kids today seem to be driving junkers with the front or rear or both smashed in, trash filling up the back seats, exhaust systems cut off, booming stereo systems, windows covered with rude sayings and stickers galore. I just don't understand it! Sure, we had jacked up or lowered cars, fuzzy dice, and did illegal drag racing outside of town, but at least our cars weren't total wrecks! Oh well, back to reality!

Yeah it's funny how much better you take care of things when you paid for it, not Mom & Dad.

For a long time I bemoaned that so many kids who didn't drive beaters, only wanted bling on their rides - all show and no go. Rarely saw anyone peel out much less drag. They didn't seem to value actually driving the cars, just as social status or plain transportation. A lot of kids don't even get their license as soon as they are eligible which was unthinkable for my generation.

Two signs of hope though. The tuner crowd doing stupendous things with little engines, and the rat rod movement. I really like that people are building cars for the street not just show and that it's cool not to have a $10,000 paint job or even finished interior. When affordability and doing your own custom work are "in", I don't see how youth can resist. And all the retro-sexy girls sure doesn't hurt. Make that rod look like new when you are older and established, but don't wait till then to experience automotive joy.

I completely agree. I keep seeing the kids (wierd saying that as I am 25, I think ) driving these crap cars and not giving a hoot about them. When I was younger, I had a beater car myself. Customized it a little bit, (I couldn't help myself. Still can't ) but fer cryin out loud I still wash and vaced it at least once a month, and kept it in prime running condition. Same goes for my current ride. Got it when I was 19, and it still looks good and runs perfect. I think some of it comes down to parents not preparing them properly for car ownership, so they just assume that the car will still work, ect. with no maintenance or caring. It really grinds my gears to see some of the cars on the road that they are driving looking like hell, because you know they didn't when they got them. I can understand parking lot bumps and stuff like that, because they are younger drivers, and still a bit inexperienced. But you can get a fender or a bumper at a junkyard for not that much money, and at least make the car look presentable again. My Dad has been an auto mechanic for many many years, and thanks to him, I know how to keep my car running properly and looking good. It doesn't take much time or money to keep a car that way, either.

Sort of a generalization to claim that "young people these days" don't treat their cars well. I've seen more than my share of retirees driving around in absolute junkers that haven't been cleaned in... years with the interiors piled high with garbage and used telephone books. I have always kept my cars- even though they've always been cheap econo-cars- in mint condition. I have one 17 year old truck, an 11 year old car, and a 54 year old classic ( which I won't count for this discussion) But the other 2 look like they're brand-new, the oil is changed every 3,000 miles, and they get a coat of wax every month.

Everyone is different. There are people who take good care of their cars and those who don't-regardless of age, wealth, or whatnot.

I think it's all in what you train your eye to see ..... Sure , I've seen plenty of young'uns cars that look like rolling dumpsters , but then , I've ALSO seen lots of old folks with pigsty looking rides themselves ... This ain't an age thing , it's a neat people VS piggy people thing , and slobs come in ALL ages , sizes , and sexes ...

When one of these slobs gets into a wreck it looks like someone dumped a garbage can out onto the street !

Years ago there was a guy that lived down the street from us who seriously had a fleet of at least 10 cars. They were all crappy, old, worn-out cars too. What he would do is buy one, drive it for a few years, and when the car became absolutely packed from floor to ceiling, front to back with only a tiny space for the driver, he'd simply park it and leave it- all the crap still in it! There were some cars that had not moved in decades and the tires were growing into the ground. Gotta' be the craziest thing I've seen.

I don't see kids driving clunkers around here, in fact the cars are much newer than anything I could ever afford.
They have very loud stereos (thunder cars) not like when I was young, I had a $50 car.
Now for some reason kids today have cars that are new or only a few years old.
The newest vehicle we have is a 1991, how these kids afford them I will never know, rich?, in debt?, who knows.
No beater vehicles around here except ours....

To many kids these days, cars are just tools. Just a mode of transpo to the mall.

While scary, that is too funny.

Today unfortunately most youth don't have much hope for the future, so they figure why try.
Dan

Stinkin' Rotten no-good kids. Glad I was never one of those...

Allow me to counter.

I'm 19, and I currently own three vehicles. A 1993 GMC Sierra, 1994 Lincoln Town Car, and a 1995 Chevrolet Caprice Classic.

None of those are new, by any standards. However, I go out of my way to keep them all as clean as possible. The GMC and Lincoln both look absolutely showroom new, because I go through all the effort to keep them that way. I clean inside the door sills, under the seats, between the dash vents, and underneath the air cleaner. Most of these areas are places that people never see, but when you keep a car as clean as I do, any dirt stands out. It's past "OCD" to most people, but I like being the only one at work with a perfectly shiny car, something about driving a vehicle that looks as good as possible just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

The Caprice was owned by my dad since new, and it's now mine, as he doesn't drive it anymore. He never took care of it, so I've done the best I can do with it, and it came out looking very good considering it lived outside on a farm for over 15 years.

3 Cars? Man. I thought I had a lot of cars ( I have 3 as well! )

Anyway, I'd counter that if we're going to make generalizations that in many ways younger people might actually ( at least for a few years) take better care of their cars. I remember when I was 16 I had a used, sort of dinged-up 86' Toyota Celica. Not the best looking car by any means, but I kept that car as shiny as a new penny. I bet I waxed it every 3 days. You could eat off of the engine. I knew a lot of people like that. Maybe they had something sort of drab and boring- like a Reliant or Taurus. But they were their car, their first car, and they were bound and determined to show it off.

A big reason why you don't see 'kids' with shiny perfect cars is because it isn't worth it anymore. Get a bump or dent... somebody keys or otherwise vandalizes your perfect car.... you'll be hotter than a NASA rocket. All of those things are common today and there are even specific neighborhoods around here that people won't park in because of vandalism. Most guys I know don't wax or detail a car more than once a year or when they go to sell or trade in.

It makes sense and is a lot smarter because a layer of dirt and haze will protect underlying paint. When you go waxing it every few weeks, you're actually damaging the paint and making it more susceptible to other damage.

There is no point in re-waxing your car until water stops beading on the paint. You won't really hurt the clearcoat by waxing it every few weeks, but you'll just waste product.

The problem with never waxing is that oxidation builds up on the surface, and it can be very, very difficult to remove. Light Oxidation is no big deal, just hit it with some Liquid Glass or the like. But if it's built up for a decade or more, you need an aggressive polish to remove it.

If you wax your car once every few months, and keep it either in the shade, in a carport, or a garage when you aren't driving it, the paint will look just as good 20 years from now as it did the day you bought it.

Paint isn't designed to live in direct sunlight all the time. Notice how fast the labels on stuff fade when it's in the sun? Clearcoat helps, and waxing it helps, but as the body panels reach 140+*, the caranuba will actually break down, and you'll lose protection, and the wax won't last as long. Over the years, the UV inhibitors in the clearcoat and on the headlights will break down, and the lights will turn yellow, and the clearcoat will start to lose it's shine. Eventually, it'll start to peel off.

That's why you use a Polish. It's synthetic, designed for stuff like this, and will last much longer. I usually put on Liquid Glass first, then wax over top of it. I clay bar once a year, then put on 2 coats of LG, then top it with a wax. Re-wax once every 2-3 months, and you are good for a year.



It's $25 a bottle, but definitely worth it.

As far as wax, I don't think it makes that big of a difference. The clearcoat used these days is really good. I do wax mine about once every month or so. Here's my truck, now almost 17 years old. Its been outside its whole life.

double post...

I'm one of those kids with a junky car and dont care about how it looks as long as it runs...

I am 23 taking 6 college classes and working part time. If I am not at school or work i am doing homework. I just do not have time to care. If I am lucky every 2 months ill have time which I usually just get bombed on a saturday night with a few friends.