Confessions of a garageless detail freak: South Florida Summers
Our summers down here might not compare to the misery that is maintaining a daily driver in harsh northern winters, but they are certainly a close second; and they are a true, honest-to-God nightmare if, like me, you don't have a garage. It's that time of year where psychologically, your only reason to wash the car is to get the current layer of dirt off to make room for the next, because otherwise there really isn't a point. Having it look good and clean from the wash is just a perk - a very, VERY, EXCRUCIATINGLY temporary perk. If you drive it, there's going to be a wet road SOMEWHERE from rain that'll completely ruin it, or you'll just drive right into a rain shower as it is.
God, I miss having a garage in my old house... I've really been tossing around the idea of getting one of those easy-up portable carport things, or even add a true gabled carport to my house. Most of the chronic damage to my car's paint occurred over the two summers I've had it here. The main culprit are these little pissant showers that pass over, rain for around 3-5 minutes, and then get followed up by glaring, direct sunlight in 90 degree 1:00 p.m. heat. Over the past couple years, I have some bad water spot etching on my Camaro's shoulders and the roof from the rain water, so even though I am pretty low on the swirl marks, I still have these rain etchings. Thankfully, the rain waterspots will usually disappear by my next wash, but a handful have stuck around and have resulted in the finish I have today. Needless to say, I look forward to my big detail in November that will incorporate a 2 stage polish but I am really hoping the etching isn't bad enough that I'll have to involve a compound. The car is my DD, afterall. It's just depressing knowing that there's no way I can get away from that kinda damage unless I have a garage, but then I still have work to worry about, which is actually where most of the damage takes place since that's where my car is during the hottest time of day throughout most of the week.
Wax really is a double edged sword... it protects, sure, but the way it beads water so tightly is actually kinda bad since it makes each of those water beads act like a magnifying glass, so God forbid you get caught in a small shower and then direct sunlight. Your car will look like a leopard. I'm not gonna complain, though, because I have a feeling my water etchings would be a whooooole lot worst in addition to all other kinds of damage to my paint if I wasn't putting on a wax.
*Sigh* End rant. Summers are a constant battle.
If you don't have a garage, Roshan, I really wish you luck dealing with this place.
You don't know what you're in for. When I graduate school, I plan on moving the hell out of this state. I'm thinking somewhere up north but not so far up that the snow gets bad enough that they salt the roads. I figure maybe one of the Carolinas. It's hot and humid there too, I'm sure, but at least the fear of getting your house blown away by a hurricane every summer is markedly reduced, and they get around 15-20" LESS rainfall every year than FL.