anyone lose interest in detailing?

[ExpressThis13]

I have lost my interest in detailing. I don't get joy out of washing my truck anymore. I get more frustrated than joy out of it. Anyone go through this? I used to love it.

[vobro]

Not me! There are sometimes I don't feel like doing anything but I look at detailing like anything else, take care of stuff often that way it doesn't get so bad to where you quit. Biggest thing I've learned is don't obsess over every little thing, now I get to it when I want too instead of "having" to do it. Maybe you just need a break?

[Beemer]

I have a feeling that people who lose interest in detailing don't spend much time on this forum.

[Kingsford]

I have recently. We moved and the new garage doesn't have adequate lighting and it's not in the budget right now. It's also been raining here none stop for about 2-3 weeks now and I'm tired of dealing with my PITA black paint.

 

Just ordered a 2016 Colorado and it's got me excited again... Best part about this is it NOT black! So excited.

Edited June 17, 2015 by Kingsford

[LFairbanks]

I usually get bored with it when I spend a whole weekend cleaning up a vehicle.  But never loose complete interest in it.  The problem I have is time.

[Team Adam's]

Quite the opposite - I miss having enough time for more of it. I talk detailing all day at work, and I get to test/play with new products all the time, but long gone are the days of spending a full weekend on my cars. With 2 kids, a wife, a house and a 'honey do' list that seems to get longer every week I just don't have time for non-work related in depth detailing.
 

If you find yourself getting frustrated or not enjoying it anymore perhaps its time to roll back your involvement. Even just a basic wash and wax can be gratifying, not everyone can justify endless hours making a car perfect, but that doesn't mean you can't find a regimen that will keep your car looking good (better than most) and with minimal effort.

[Gen9Rolla]

If I've been cleaning a lot or doing multiple cars in a short time period then I'll get burned out from it. I certainly couldn't do this as a full time job. But, I usually get the itch back in a little while, and then once winter hits and I get a long break from it, I'm dying to be washing my car again

[Blue17CamaroZL1]

I have recently. We moved and the new garage doesn't have adequate lighting and it's not in the budget right now. It's also been raining here none stop for about 2-3 weeks now and I'm tired of dealing with my PITA black paint.

 

Just ordered a 2016 Colorado and it's got me excited again... Best part about this is it NOT black! So excited.

 

youll love the new Colorado.  I have a 2015 and enjoy it plenty

[fito]

Nope. Funny though, when I first realized I was really, really digging Adam's products, and detailing in general several years ago, I couldn't understand why I was liking it so much. I thought surely this thing is just some bizarre obsession that will run its course and will soon be a forgotten hobby.  But I honestly still get excited about trying new products and new techniques. Even after all these years I still often day dream or go to sleep thinking about them.  Unfortunately, like others, I have a busy life with work and family and I don't always have the time I wish I had. What I do have is tons of product and tools, ha, ha, ha. Til this day this stuff still makes me happy.  The only way I see that it wouldn't would be if I did too much of it and got sick of it. A full detail is hard work. Or, lets face it, there are more important things than detailing and sometimes external factors can take away from your enjoyment of it.

[chops1sc]

I have a problem with having too many hobbies. I am into R/C airplanes and trucks, plastic model tanks, PC gaming, the list goes on. I go thru a rotation it seems. Detailing is the latest. I have always enjoyed washing my vehicles, but I know there will be a day when I what to do something else more than this.

[CTFocusST]

I enjoy it, but just don't have the time for it.  I also probably have too many hobbies that take up too much time.  But all are fun

[07stanggt]

No way ,no how, will I lose my love for detailing. As long as I can remember I have always been detailing and now have opened my own side business doing it professionally. Maybe step back for a bit, take a deep breath, and see if the passion comes back. If not, move on to something else. It's either in your blood, or not.

[goheels]

Nope. But I can see being burned out on it if I was doing it for a living. No thanks -

 

I will be jumping on the coating bandwagon as soon as Adams offers it. I would love to just worry about maintenance washes on our vehicles for years at a time now that we have swirl free paint.

 

I still find using the master blaster strangely therapeutic -

Edited June 17, 2015 by goheels

[TheBurninator]

I have recently. We moved and the new garage doesn't have adequate lighting and it's not in the budget right now. It's also been raining here none stop for about 2-3 weeks now and I'm tired of dealing with my PITA black paint.

 

Just ordered a 2016 Colorado and it's got me excited again... Best part about this is it NOT black! So excited.

 

I can relate to this. Having a single car garage that has been taken over by a project car for the last 8 months and raining almost every day after work for the past month and a half has really taken a toll on my desire to detail. My normal detailing money has gone to the project, and lack of full nice days kills my drive to keep the other two cars clean.

[ramflava]

I wouldn't say I lose interest as much as I can't always work up the motivation to go out and do it. I'm still trying to figure out a step-by-step process that I like and can remember.

What keeps my interest is watching the vehicle go from terribly dirty to jaw dropping shiny. I also occasionally detail cars for others with the agreement that I can take pictures and post them on my detailing facebook page. Its fun to see the comments and be able to go back and look at my work.

[Chris@Adams]

I have been detailing cars since 15yrs. old.....(38 yrs.) I still enjoy the hobby. It has to be in you to want to do it. How many people have you seen that bought a new car and kept it clean for a few months and then just quit....it's either in you to want to do it or it's not.

[MaverickC2]

I had stopped detailing for a few years when i had to sell my GTO for a family SUV. But now I have a Z and detailing is therapy for me. Nothing beats tunes blasting in the garage and putting a coat of Americana on the car.

[rwisejr]

I'm like Dillon not enough time to do as much as I like. Way to much other things in that thing called life.

[Captain Slow]

Uh, it's why I joined Club Silver. The twins are getting more active and since they come first the detailing and fishing will be done less. Speaking of my twins today is their seventh birthday. Happy Birthday Caitlyn and Abigail.

 

[BrianT]

I haven't lost interest, I just have so little time it's not even funny. I took the Firebird out 2 weeks ago for the first time in at least 10 months! So sad. Sucks

[TheWolf]

The best way to not lose interest is to keep reasonable goals.  If you are just getting into detailing seriously, say when you get a new car, and expect to always have it clean and shiny, then you may fall short of this goal (unless you never drive it and keep it in a dust-free garage).

 

Any car that gets driven will get dirty, and it takes time to get it cleaned and protected.  If you get busy with life, and a month goes by without washing, then so be it.  At least you will know that the paint is protected from permanent damage by using sealants on your paint and wheels.

 

You need to make sure that your goals and expectations align with your commitment of time and level of enjoyment in detailing.  You can't have the shiniest vehicle around without working for it, but you also don't want to over-commit and end up regarding detailing as a chore, and then get burnt out.

 

I enjoy detailing, it is a good hobby and I think the results and satisfaction I get from doing it warrant the time I spend on it.

[bjoeaull]

I have felt that way the last year or so.  But its not really losing interest its just time.  I do good to keep the DD's washed every week or so.  Which is why I love the new H2Ogg!  Atleast its easy to get some protection on.  But once things calm down I plan to hopefully get back into some more polishing and what not.  The swirls on our black DD's are like rabbits multiplying!  

[Thorsager]

I haven't lost interest I have lost time. Due to staffing shortages at work I am working a TON of overtime which means less time to detail. I hardly have time to keep the my immediate families cars detailed. I detail on the side but have not pushed for any new business due to work.

 

I am OCD and have a tendency to "kill" hobbies. I get so involved with them that it is no longer relaxing but actually becomes work. With detailing I have taken a different approach. When detailing our Challenger I go all out. If I am doing our daily driver Ford Focus I scale it back. As mentioned the Guard and Gloss has made things a lot quicker with our daily driver.

 

Just tonight we were walking out of work and we walked past a black TBSS. I told my wife, "look how swirled up that paint is!" It made me want to get my Flex out and correct it right there. So I know I still have that passion.

[ExpressThis13]

My biggest issue right now is time. My truck has been severly neglected the last couple months and it just takes a lot of time for me to get it looking right in my eyes and takes hardly nothing for it to be messed up again. I don't park in a garage at home. At work the truck sits outside and gets dusty not to mention everytime I wash the thing I find another scratch or paint chip from who knows what. I know if I had a weekend driver sitting in the garage it would be a different story but maintaining this dark blue paint is a huge PITA. I know for certain my next truck or car will be either silver or white.

[DaveVY]

I have lost some enjoyment and don't detail as much anymore. What triggered this for me was my neighbor cutting down the tree that provided my Saturday morning shade. Trying to wash and detail in the Florida sun is so blazing hot.

But I have been missing detailing so I have been considering getting a good quality pop up canopy or two so I can have my Saturday morning shade back.