Me And My Car

I've briefly mentioned how I love my car in previous blogs, but I thought this subject deserved its own entry. For the past few years, I've been the proud driver of a 1997 Nissan Maxima GLE, and in these years, I think I've fallen in love to the point where I don't think I ever want to give up my baby. (I don't think Olivia reads my blog, so that's probably a good thing). Anyways, a lot of guys will know what I am talking about, but the fact is that the relationship between a man and his machine is one of the most important in life. It might sound like overkill to consider it a relationship, seeing as how one side is living and the other is not, but I don't think there is any better way of describing it.

In any good relationship, the two sides are relatively balanced. That is, one should never dominate the other. If all you expect from your friends is to serve you, or do what you want them to do, that is hardly a healthy situation and chances are, it's not gonna last long. But, if by way of being friends, you "serve" each other, not doing things only to get something in return, then a true bond is formed and the relationship benefits both sides a whole lot more. When it comes to cars, a lot of people just see it as a thing to carry them around. We fill it with gas because we need to, and we step on the pedal and go. When the car breaks down, we curse at it and blame the car for being a piece of crap, not ourselves for failing to maintain it well. Sadly, these people fail to recognize their car as a relationship, as a friend to be treated with respect and care. As a result, they miss out on the benefits of such a relationship in the end.

Ok, so I realize that there are very many cars out there that are actually crappy, and that they break down even when the owner puts a lot of work into it. I'm very sorry for the owners of such cars, but keep in mind that most of you have some choice over what car you get. Of course, not everyone can afford a Benz or Lexus, but say you have around $20-25,000 to spend on a new car. This would allow you to pick between a mid-range Chevy Camaro and a pretty good Honda Accord. At the risk of insulting some Camaro owners, the one who chooses the Camaro is obviously more interested in speed and flashiness rather than the reliability and class you would find in an Accord. Then, should we feel sorry for the Camaro owner when, 5 years down the road, their car is falling apart, while the Accord is still running like it was new?

Anyways, when it comes to my personal experience, I drove an aging 1990 Ford Taurus for a few years before I got the Maxima. That thing was a piece of crap, my mom got it because it was a cheap used car, not realizing that it was cheap for a reason. When it came to be my turn to pick a car, I vowed not to buy American. Not because I am unpatriotic, but because it's very obvious that Japanese cars are a much better deal in the long run than domestic. I wanted a 4-door, because I like 4-doors, so that left me choosing between the Toyota Camry, an Accord, or Nissan Maxima (or to a lesser extent, the Corolla, Civic, or Altima). In the end, I figured that I did not want a Camry or Accord because every single Asian family has one. So, even though Nissans are not as reliable on the whole as Toyotas and Hondas, I went with the Maxima because it was a little bit cooler looking than the others, and with a little extra kick from the engine in comparison.

Since that time, I have not regretted for a moment that I chose the Maxima. I have been in love with this car pretty much since the first time I got in, sat down, and test drove it at the dealer. Other kids like to parade around in their 2-door sports cars, but I have never envied someone's Mustang or Celica. My car isn't all that slower than those, and it's supposed to be a family sedan.

Anyways, back to what I was saying about maintaining a relationship with my car. By now, a lot of you are probably thinking I am acting queer, but let me assure you that I am purely heterosexual. I'm sure I can't be the only one who understands that your car is more than your slave, more than a combination of moving parts. It is, in almost every sense, a living, breathing companion. So, I don't merely fill it with gas and go, waiting until the day it stops working. I put in my own sweat and blood to take care of my car, like it takes care of me.

Filling it with the right octane fuel is only a start. I recommend that anybody who owns a car should also wash their car and change its oil on their own at the very least. These are two relatively simple things that will help keep your car running smoothly and help you build a better bond between you and your car. When you take it to Jiffy Lube or Walmart to get your oil changed, it might save you time (and even money, maybe), but you lose out on the opportunity to take care of your baby yourself. It's like sending your kids to day care, when someone else is taking care of your children, who knows how they are gonna turn out. Well, if you don't have any idea what kind of engine oil people are putting in your car, what kind of oil filter they are using, and whether or not they tightened the bolts carefully, then don't complain if you don't know why your car is leaking or why the engine isn't sounding as quiet as it should. All you did was drop off your car and keys, and pick it up 20 minutes later, paying 15 bucks or so to have someone else do your job.

In the same way, it pains me to see so many people relying on the automatic carwash at the local gas station to clean their car. It's a simple thing to do: get a bucket, sponge, hose, and a few cleaning agents and towels. When you just drive through a one-size-fits-all car wash, there's no way it will get all the nooks and crannies of your car. And, it's bound to wear away at your paint's glossy finish in the long run, if not waxing in some dirt or unwanted water along the way. Just imagine if you had to take a shower by walking through a machine like that. High-speed spinning brushes press up to you until it feels "resistance" while high-powered jets of water spray from every direction. Then, globs of soap are splattered all over your body, before the brushes and jets return to rinse. Not only is this system gonna miss some spots, but I personally hope that it does miss certain spots, the sensitive ones especially. I would definitely be wise enough to wear an athletic cup or something at the very least. So next time you think it would be a good idea to take your car through the wash, please consider the pain. When you wash and wax your car yourself, it will make your car so much happier and appreciative for not having to endure the brushes and jets. And not only this, but you will get to know each and every last corner of your car's body, every nick and scratch, every stain in the carpet, every little detail that might all seem like imperfections, when in reality, they are all marks of age, or personality, of experience... making the machine more alive and less of an inanimate hunk of metal.

There are plenty more ways to treat your car right, but realistically, not everyone has hours on end to spend working on their car. I think it is one of those things where you get what you put in. I may not do as much for my car as some fanatics might, but I think I take care of it more than the typical owner. This car has given me so much through the years, and it's been one of my best friends, that it's the least I could do in return. There's few things I enjoy more than taking a long drive, just me and my car, listening to music and chilling for a bit. And when I need some time by myself to clear some thoughts, I take a couple hours off to wash my car, and that has never failed to cheer me up or at least get my mind off other things for a while.

My car never complains that I don't spend enough time with it, nor does it get jealous when I turn my head to check out a Ferrari going by. When I got my speeding tickets, or when I crashed into a mailbox, we shared the pain together, just the two of us when nobody else cared or understood. My baby isn't ever gonna leave me for another owner if I go through hard times. And I wouldn't ever trade in my car for a newer model unless it died, and in that case, there would still have to be a period of mourning. It never says a word, but I know what it's feeling at all times. Without my car to drive, I would be absolutely miserable, and without me to drive it, so would my car.

There are few things I love more than my car, because it's my car, I'm its owner, we have a great relationship, and it makes me happy. Some people have pet dogs, some people love fishing, but my car is what brings me joy. It's so much more than something to get me from one place to another, it's like my best friend. Don't laugh at me, it's true.

"I like to max in Maximas" - Notorious B.I.G.