BigBriDogGuy
Full Access Member
It was one of the first truly nice days in Western Washington State and the urge struck me to hand wash and detail my 2011 LR4 HSE Lux (Santorini Black). I'm a first time Land Rover owner. Had it for a couple months. Still learning about the rig and what it can do, what problems it has, and what needs to be fixed. Right now, it's mostly solid. I can drive it in normal mode on pavement all day long. Yes, the alternator went out and needed to be replaced a few weeks back. And there was that partially clogged sunroof drain that needed to be cleared. Oh, and the $130 headlight that burnt out and I had to replace, can't forget that. Still, I've enjoyed owning it, driving it, and (yes, I'll admit it) admiring it.
During my cleaning jag. I started to notice little flaws and imperfections that I never saw before. You get that deep into it and you start to uncover stuff that you wouldn't normally be aware of because it isn't line of sight. A small scrape here. A tiny gouge there. A rock chip. A rusted fastener head buried in the crease near the door hinge. Stuff like that.
Basically, what it comes down to is the vehicle is 12-years old. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful and in good shape (for it's age). I guess you could call it "normal wear and tear". For instance, you nicely wash the windshield and notice it's sand pitted. You wash the rear tailgate window and notice it's mildly scratched. At some point, it no longer feels like you are cleaning. Instead, you get to a level where it's clean as it's ever going to be. Additional cleaning only exposes more worn and dinged up areas. Understand, this is nothing major, it's just that when you really examine it close up, you find it's a little "dog eared" in places. That's to be expected in a vehicle that has been driven around and used for 12-years.
The point is there is no fixing old. It's never going to be new again, no matter how well you clean it or how many parts you replace. The overall condition is what you would expect on a 12-year old vehicle. I guess the question is what are you really trying to accomplish? Even if you were able to restore it to mint condition, it would be like one of those vehicles you see at those classic car shows. They look neat. They look cool. But they don't look new. They look well-maintained (for their age).
There can be advantages to accepting that something is a little worn. For instance, you can use it without worrying about every little thing that might happen to cause it to be in less than pristine condition. That's a solid benefit. Also, when it comes right down to it, most (if not all) of the stuff that you see when you are running through it with a fine tooth comb, isn't even noticeable when you pull back to a normal vantage point. For instance, someone might say, "Wow, nice shiny black car!" And you might say, "Yeah, but did you see that little scuff at the base of the fender?" To which they might say, "What? Oh that. Yeah, I guess I see it now that you point it out." It's not line of sight. It's below the level of normal perception and interest. The overall impression is "clean" or "straight" or in "good" condition. There is no need to go beyond that. It's just going to get dirty again anyhow.
After all, we live in a world where people will pay a premium price for artfully ripped up designer jeans.
During my cleaning jag. I started to notice little flaws and imperfections that I never saw before. You get that deep into it and you start to uncover stuff that you wouldn't normally be aware of because it isn't line of sight. A small scrape here. A tiny gouge there. A rock chip. A rusted fastener head buried in the crease near the door hinge. Stuff like that.
Basically, what it comes down to is the vehicle is 12-years old. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful and in good shape (for it's age). I guess you could call it "normal wear and tear". For instance, you nicely wash the windshield and notice it's sand pitted. You wash the rear tailgate window and notice it's mildly scratched. At some point, it no longer feels like you are cleaning. Instead, you get to a level where it's clean as it's ever going to be. Additional cleaning only exposes more worn and dinged up areas. Understand, this is nothing major, it's just that when you really examine it close up, you find it's a little "dog eared" in places. That's to be expected in a vehicle that has been driven around and used for 12-years.
The point is there is no fixing old. It's never going to be new again, no matter how well you clean it or how many parts you replace. The overall condition is what you would expect on a 12-year old vehicle. I guess the question is what are you really trying to accomplish? Even if you were able to restore it to mint condition, it would be like one of those vehicles you see at those classic car shows. They look neat. They look cool. But they don't look new. They look well-maintained (for their age).
There can be advantages to accepting that something is a little worn. For instance, you can use it without worrying about every little thing that might happen to cause it to be in less than pristine condition. That's a solid benefit. Also, when it comes right down to it, most (if not all) of the stuff that you see when you are running through it with a fine tooth comb, isn't even noticeable when you pull back to a normal vantage point. For instance, someone might say, "Wow, nice shiny black car!" And you might say, "Yeah, but did you see that little scuff at the base of the fender?" To which they might say, "What? Oh that. Yeah, I guess I see it now that you point it out." It's not line of sight. It's below the level of normal perception and interest. The overall impression is "clean" or "straight" or in "good" condition. There is no need to go beyond that. It's just going to get dirty again anyhow.
After all, we live in a world where people will pay a premium price for artfully ripped up designer jeans.
Last edited: