I'm keeping my car/Griot's paint cleaning clay (long)

[Sean_Ford@idx.com]

To:   quattro
Q-list,

I decided to keep my '92 100CS. I think the thing that pushed me over the
edge last week was the passing of Frank. Any of you that REALLY know me,
and that's probably 1 or 2 or you, know that I'm a Sinatra-phile of the
greatest magnitude. I digress. Over this past weekend, I gave this a LOT of
thought, weighed all the options, and then washed and waxed my car. It was
the waxing that got to me. I must have a serious mental instability, but
giving my car the extra attention that waxing provides, cemented with me
the notion that I love this car and I want to have it for AT LEAST 8 - 10
years.

Tangent. I finally got around to using my Christmas presents: Griot's paint
cleaning clay in conjunction with Fast Shine, and then followed up with
Griot's Best of Show wax. Hands down, the best stuff I have ever used on my
car. The paint cleaning clay itself is simply miraculous (no, this is not a
spam, and I have no connection to Griot's Garage), it leaves the bodywork
in such a state that I actually considered skipping the wax altogether. If
any of you are on the fence concerning the paint cleaning clay... get it.
I'll personally guarantee that you'll like it.

Back to my story... so there I am admiring my car and the shine from the
wax, and considering my reaction to a '98 Passat (Fjord blue, or Colorado
red) given the same situation. It hits me, right there and then. THIS is MY
car. My Audi. This is the car that I feel safe in. This is the car that I
prefer to transport my family in. I mean, a 5 star crash rating for BOTH
front passengers, and only 1 driver's side airbag (btw, I'd love to disable
that explosive device pointed at my head). This is the car that had me
emailing a South African gentleman (a friend of Bob Myers) in my quest to
hunt down a desktop model that was the exact titanium gray replica. To use
the vernacular, I'm stupid over this car.

Catch me next year, though, I'm sure I'll be beating myself up over this
issue again. It's my way.

Thank you all for your support. And, Bruce, you were right, it is a
menagerie of mechanical parts, but the whole is much, much more.

Sean Ford
'92 Audi 100CS 5-spd 37k mi  <-- the I-95 Autobahner
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/5528