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Showing posts from January, 2025

A Stationary Beetle Deteriorates More Than a Running One: The Maintenance Saga of 2025

Anyone with a sizable collection of vintage cars knows this all too well: keeping the fleet in good shape is no small feat, especially when some barely leave the garage. That’s exactly the case with my Itamar Beetle . In 2024, it covered a mere 300 km . And that, dear reader, is a problem, because as any car enthusiast will tell you, a car left idle deteriorates faster than one that’s regularly driven. Now in 2025, I’m taking steps to ensure it stops being a decorative piece and gets back to fulfilling its purpose on the road. The first step? Changing the oil. Yes, even with only 300 km on the clock, the oil was as tired as I am on the Monday after Carnival. Some argue for changing it every six months, but to me, that’s overkill— once a year is just fine . The second step was retiring the awful diagonal tires that were on the car. And when I say “awful,” I’m not exaggerating. I’m not talking about aesthetics here, but pure functionality. The car was simply unbearable to drive w...

The Gourmetization of Car Washing

One thing that every car enthusiast does is wash their car. Whether it's at home, a friend's place, or a car wash, it's almost a mandatory ritual. During my teenage years, washing a car was simple: a hose, any random detergent, a bucket, and a cloth or sponge. If someone was particularly meticulous, they might add a coat of wax at the end, followed by the classic "tire shine." That was the pinnacle of automotive luxury. I admit that I still follow this recipe today. However, with more cars in the garage than time to pamper them, I rarely have the energy for wax or that beloved tire shine. The basics suffice — and barely at that! But then came modern times, and with them, the gourmetization of car washing. Pressure washers, shampoos with formulas more complex than salon cosmetics, microfiber cloths, liquid waxes, sprays that promise to restore the soul’s shine to your car. And, of course, the so-called detailing . To me, this term sounds like a hobby for some...