Scuffs of honour

[Marwood]

"You know how weird that makes you look?"

So said my lovely wife, watching me contentedly polish the cogs on my race bike. I pointed out how logos on the tyres (also cleaned) were now nicely aligned with the valves, adding that my vehicular OCD was a fairly benign affliction for a middle aged bloke, compared to say football, **** or breeding show fish. She took my point while suggesting that I would be sleeping alone for a while.

Having mounted the bike back on its display stand (also cleaned), I got to thinking about scuffs and scrapes and the philosophy therein.

Having got back from last week's Yorkshire blast I'd cleaned the GS and noted how chipped and scuffed it is up close: peppered nose, scrapes on the mirrors, dinks in the windscreen. The immediate impulse was to get it all fixed - spray, touch up, buff, whatever.

Then I thought about how the marks got there. Some are from trucks chucking up **** on tedious rainswept motorway hauls, to be sure. I also have an uncanny homing instinct for recently resurfaced roads. But most of the marks, so I like to imagine, were earned when the car is being driven properly: howled and hurled and thrapped and loved. Its not transport - we all know that. Its an event. So the scars are the tally of illicit morning raids and those 90 second sequences where you can't remember breathing. If I dropped a garden rake on the car - I'd be beyond furious. But if I dimple the rear spoiler having an epic drive down a country road...That's just a momento.

There's a scratch on the carbon of my race bike. I notice it every time I look at it. That scratch should annoy me like ****: its an affront to the perfection of this amazing machine. But it reminds me of the moment it happened - when my friend's bike, in front, flicked up a stone, when we were going down a 25km mountain decent in the Dolomites, on a stunning summer's evening: some of the most exciting, terrifying, absorbing few minutes of my life. That scratch is a badge of honour, so it can stay.

The question, of course, is how far does this philosophy go? Do I keep going until the GS looks like a Rat Rod? Or this guy's Miura?

http://www.petrolicious.com/show-cars-aren-t-limited-to-monterey-s-greens

That's one to ponder.

M

 

[CatmanV2]

I've always been far more of the opinion that what's going on under the bonnet is more important that the paintwork, but I can fully respect other views

C

 

[highlander]

I like the way you think and write M............though you are making me worry that I should be hiding my head in shame breeding fish

 

[safrane]

Eloquently put...the GF does at times wish my hands spent as much time on her body. ..but baulks at my suggestion of using wax!

 

[CatmanV2]

Eloquently put...the GF does at times wish my hands spent as much time on her body. ..but baulks at my suggestion of using wax!

Try chocolate spread. The shine isn't quite as good, though

C

 

[CC4200]

Love that posting M well written!
Must admit I Iike the used look, my OCD is either perfection or ragged
I used to race production bikes and once I got over the new look, felt they looked more authentic with gravel rash and under belly scrapes.
Doing an exciting speed last week in the CC I heard a thump at the front and now have 2 chips and a two inch ding in the bonnet, I'll touch up to stop rust but quite like the DGAF look or might get some go faster italian stripes!

 

[Chrisbassett]

I always liked to have the signs of use, but only for a while...then I started to like the clean look. Leave the scars for 6 months, then get them sorted is my feeling.

 

[2b1ask1]

As ex European training manager for zymöl I have been 'intimate' with the imperfections of some of the most spectacular machines in the world, even to a Bell Jet Ranger copter and a 28 seater Citation jet. When I got my own 'toy' I would spend whole weekends detaiing it because I could but I am firmly of the view expressed by Catman, I am fascinated by the mechanical beast it is.

I have had to live with a big paint scar on the wing that has grown in the last couple of years, for the want of some spare cSh to throw at it. It does pain me but that is all I can do right now. So being aspergic, I can get obsessive obout things and my good lady knows how to rein this in...

What will I be doing with every spare minute till we set off to Italy? Detaiing the car naturally.... My last eBay purchase; a collapsible bucket to take with me!

 

[CatmanV2]

Not going that far, but should weather permit there will be claying, waxing, hoovering and leather treatment. The wheels will be sealed

Any suggestions of something to take to make it shiny on arrival? I've seen people with various spray bottles at assorted shows (including Silverstone classic) but no idea what's in them

C

 

[safrane]

Try chocolate spread. The shine isn't quite as good, though

C

If you run a blow touch over dull chocolate you get a lovely deep shine...though I expect she may have me arrested if I suggested so much.

 

[Chrisbassett]

Not going that far, but should weather permit there will be claying, waxing, hoovering and leather treatment. The wheels will be sealed

Any suggestions of something to take to make it shiny on arrival? I've seen people with various spray bottles at assorted shows (including Silverstone classic) but no idea what's in them

C

Usually just detailing spray, I think it's got some gentle soap and maybe other stuff in. As long as you're not rubbing grit into the surface with it, it can help clean the paintwork up without ruining your hard-earned wax finish.

 

[outrun]

I'm with you on this M. I spend a lot of time thinking about painting the nose area and wing mirrors on my car to bring it back up to standard and then I always check myself and consider the stone chips, minor scuffs and lacquer damaged by the acid in a squished insect to be badges of honour. I can make it concours but them i'm not going to enter it. Use it, enjoy it and wear the odd scuff with pride.

 

[CatmanV2]

Usually just detailing spray, I think it's got some gentle soap and maybe other stuff in. As long as you're not rubbing grit into the surface with it, it can help clean the paintwork up without ruining your hard-earned wax finish.

Hmm. I have some dodo juice born slippy. Do you mean that kind of thing?

C

 

[highlander]

Hmm. I have some dodo juice born slippy. Do you mean that kind of thing?

C

think that is a lubricant for claying..................suggest not using it to lubricate anything else mind!

edit: I've used the autoglym quick detailer before and it worked fine

 

[Chrisbassett]

Hmm. I have some dodo juice born slippy. Do you mean that kind of thing?

C

Never used that one but the web site says it has soapy stuff in it..I only used the Autoglym detailing spray. If you're going to a hotel with any outside space they should have a hose pipe, just ask until someone lets you use it to give the car a rinse down, get rid of the surface dirt then use something like that to get rid of anything stubborn. Then rinse off again.

But it all depends on your priorities if there's a bar in the vicinity!

 

[TridentTested]

That scratch is a badge of honour, so it can stay.

Nicely written indeed Marwood.

The first scratch on a pristine new possession always hurts but I tend to belong to the use it and abuse it camp. For example with my cameras, and I have an indulgent collection of Leica, bodies and glass, I never use cases nor camera bags and rarely lens caps. They pick up a patina of use, doubtless it diminishes their resale values, but I bought them to use.

What Bimota have you got?

I haven't got into Campagnola (yet), just built a 1980s Albruch Kotter frame with Mavic, Shimano and Brooks and I'm catching the road bike bug. I managed to drop it, while standing with it leaned against me no heroic descents(!), and scuffed the saddle. That mark hurt but once again, I built it to use.

 

[2b1ask1]

Not going that far, but should weather permit there will be claying, waxing, hoovering and leather treatment. The wheels will be sealed

Any suggestions of something to take to make it shiny on arrival? I've seen people with various spray bottles at assorted shows (including Silverstone classic) but no idea what's in them

C

Well the zymöl product is called field glaze and contains carnauba sap. Amazing stuff if you have wax on already, complete waste of time if you don't! It is expensive but is in my kit...

 

[CC4200]

@Tridenttested can't beat kit that looks like it's seen action. I loved my first Nikon F when the brass started to show through, not sentimental though so sold it when they fetched good money.

 

[Marwood]

Hi Trident,

A scruffy Leica would be a lovely thing indeed. At the moment I use less far less robust Sony stuff which, when scuffed, just looks er, scuffed.

The Bimota (or Mouse House as its currently known - pending the recommission I promised it this year, until a Maser and baby came along...) is a DB2 - Ducati 900 power. Only 80hp and maybe not the prettiest but a lovely frame, rare (by normal standards) and great fun. Also manages to make a 916 seem almost comfortable. Not worth much but would cost a bunch to fix if I ever drop it. Most of these things really were garage queens whereas this one lived out doors for a while, took me to meetings, got ridden in snow (not planned) and did dozens of track days in all weathers. And of course, it has scuffs of honour! So long as my arthritic left hand can pull in the clutch, I'll be keeping it.




This is my ultimate idea of 'scruffy class' however...I've seen this Bug (and a couple quite like it) at Goodwood and Shelsey - flaking paint, dings and dents, wobbly, hand-painted numbers, worn-leather, the works. Absolutely gorgeous and pretty much everything I love about cars in one go:

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/photos-revival/74.jpg

 

[TridentTested]

Hi Trident,

A scruffy Leica would be a lovely thing indeed. At the moment I use less far less robust Sony stuff which, when scuffed, just looks er, scuffed.

I've been tempted to buy a black M4-P - which I DON'T need - just because they brass so well

The Bimota (or Mouse House as its currently known - pending the recommission I promised it this year, until a Maser and baby came along...) is a DB2 - Ducati 900 power.

That's lovely. No problems with carb-icing? I had a 600SS once, same engine but smaller and it was a b!tch for carb-icing. I don't think the 750s and 900s suffered from it; maybe more heat soak kept it clear.

Speaking of comfort. I had the honour of taking a friends MV Agusta f4 out for a couple of laps. I was terrified of dropping it so can't report at all on its abilities, I gingerly plodded around the circuit using only a few gears, but I do remember it made my 748 feel comfortable.