Clueless Tacoma Owner (Humor)

So my neighbor had his 2006 Tacoma re-painted a couple months ago w/ around 235K miles.
I just waxed my 06 Tundra Saturday w/ Griots 3-1 wax and was telling him how good it seemed, and how easy it was.

So he pulls up today and I say, "That paint has dried enough, you should get a coat of wax on it". He replies, "With water"? . . . I said, "What do you mean"? . . . his reply, "Do I need to wash it first"? (oh, nooo) . . . I say, "Yeah, you always wash your truck before you wax it" . . . He says, "Oh I didn't know that, I've never waxed a car before". . . . . . I think I must've given him the 'Blank Beavis Stare' !!!! Then he continues, "Cool, I'll get my truck washed and you can show me how to do it". . . . . . 'uhhhhhhh noh'.

Same guy who had me put on his 'TRD Racing' vinyl decals on the rear quarters panels after he got it painted cause he couldn't figure them out . . . . what has the world come to.

 

Its not too surprising, so many dude just don't know a thing about cars because they have no interest to learn. Still pretty funny though.

Its kinda like how I've known so many guys who get a flat and call Triple A. Man, it takes 15 minutes tops to swap a spare. They just don't know how.

 

Yeah . . . then I got to thinking, "I wonder if he even knows how to wash it'?

 

Does he know the difference between his a$$ and his elbow? Sadly, he may have never had any guidance

 

You'll see him outside with a bar of Irish Spring and a loofah

 

My dad is an odd one too. He will keep the inside of his vehicle meticulous. He hates a dirty interior. He will only wash the outside every few years. I think he might take it through the carwash occasionally. Most folks who care about the inside will also care about the outside. It's usually all or nothing.

 

Man, I can identify with this... Some of the guys I work with (I'm an aircraft mechanic with Delta) They don't have a clue when it comes to vehicle maintenance. These are competent mechanics when it comes to Aircraft Maintenance, but when it comes to cars? Nobody's home...

This actually happened back during the summer; "Hey Gene, looks like you have a small coolant leak" (puddle forming under his Equinox in parking lot). "Really? What do you think I should do?"

You can't make this stuff up...

My son is another one. I love him to death, but he didn't get a SINGLE strand of DNA from me that promotes mechanical aptitude.

I blame his mother...

 

OR !!!

 

In high school, I knew a dude who got a wild hair one night to make a 'Vegas Run' . . . stopped of at the gas station to fuel up . . . and he 'topped-off' his oil as well ! Didn't make it far LOL ! I asked him about it later and he said, "I didn't know, I kept going in the office and buying a couple more quarts"! . . . I said, "How many did you get in there"? he said, "I think it was 12"! . . . . his car was a Volkswagen Jetta !!!!

 

When I was in high school a guy I knew went to top off fluids in a used Mercedes he just bought. He poured brake fluid into his power steering reservoir. It failed almost immediately.

Another guy I knew was riding with his girlfriend and her Cavalier got a flat tire. Her brother was a big car guy but the boyfriend insisted he had it covered. He got out the jack and started jacking, unfortunately he put the jack under the radiator and basically cut it in half. Her brother went out after work and swapped the tire and radiator on the road side.

 

May I ask the age of the Tacoma neighbor please?

Semi-off-topic: I was talking with a Vegan a few months ago. If you didn’t know, Vegans do not eat ‘anything with a brain’. They are adamant about anything with a brain touching their utensils, cooking pans, etc.

I ask if he knew how organic farming made the vegetables grow? He says, no. I explained they use chicken/cow poop. The look on his face.

 

Not everyone is clued in to the good info, and we all start somewhere.

Show some empathy, share your expertise, and spare them the ego trip.

 

My grandpa was the same way. Spotless interiors. Can’t recall him ever washing the outside. Had to be some pay and spray action after hunting season but never a hose and bucket in the driveway.

 

'Clued in to good info'? . . . the Dude is 51 . . . I would think by simple 'osmosis' (and time on this earth) that he'd seen enough on TV by now to at least grab the 'basic concept'.

Super empathetic on my end . . . ZERO EXPERTISE (and always willing to help). . . and as far as an 'ego-trip' . . . well, feel free cruise by my pad... pretty humble set-up, come see for yourself pal.

 

Help him. Please.

 

This. Show him. Maybe do the hood and him do the trunk. If he gets the hang of it and likes the results, tell him where he can buy his own wax / polish.

Then give him the link to the detailing thread on this site. Great information there.

 

Maybe fold a nice lawn chair out for the guy and provide him his favorite beverages. Order some take out delivered on your dime for the guy, too. Do the entire truck for him and then in another couple months do it again for him and maybe he’ll finally learn after watching you a couple times.

If that isn’t enough help I am not sure what else to do.

 

I’ve never waxed a vehicle before either. Your the one who suggested it to him, then went on the internet to talk shit about him when he said he doesn’t know how to do it and asked for help. Waxing a vehicle has probably never crossed his mind once in his life ha direct him to YouTube or something

 

Would you mind sharing your reason you’ve never waxed a vehicle?

 

Sure. I’ve owned lots of used cars and trucks. I washed them if they got super dirty but never really detailed them. I like to think I take care of my tundra and I wash it at least once a week in the winter and when it’s dirty, but I have never waxed it either. Guess I’m not a big detailing guy and just a regular vehicle owner ha that being said I probably should. I know the benefits. Just another thing to add to the to do list. I’m betting most vehicle owners never have.

 

Wax, hell yeah. I've been waxing my rides ever since my hot rod days in high school, at least twice a year. It's all about chicks, man.

 

My first car...'61 Alfa Romeo Spider. Sat in a cow pasture for 20 years. Age 19, I hand cut and buffed it and brought the paint back. Waxing? Hell yes. Good old paste wax and elbow grease. I say show the guy how it's done and make it fun, detailing is like a hobby.

 

David Hasselhoff, is that you?

 

More like...

 

You are still way ahead of most who don’t wash their vehicles on a regular basis. Washing is pretty important. I was brought up washing and waxing similar to Camp Miyagi.

 

Miyagi keep his stuff tight!

 

16 years old, got a flat, my drunk buddies said, relax, we will change the tire. Cross threaded most of the lug nuts. I spent a whole day with a chisel and hammer trying to remove the lugs in little pieces. My dad, waited until the last minute, one lug left. He comes outside takes an oversized socket, pounds it on the lug and wrenches it off in seconds. He was the kind of teacher that would wait and see if I figured it out first, if I didn't he would show me the quick way.

The point of my story, all of us started somewhere, I was lucky to have a father that eventually taught me how to change out and adjust drum brakes, tune a carb, change oil, fluids, etc.