Only arguments about audio cables and motor oil elicit such
vitriol and heated debate as do auto-care products. SwissVax, Zymöl, P21S… name
your poison. Every owner of a concours winner has a favorite. I actually use a different
product or system based on the specific paint finish of the car. Show cars,
especially old ones with six-figure restorations, rarely need anything but the
finest polish because they rarely, if ever, get driven. Yes, we’re nuts.
Cars that do get driven need a helping hand with more
thorough stages of detailing. And brand-new cars with fresh paint can benefit
from recently developed plastic wrap like Xpel film that protects paint from
elements and even self-heals minor scratches. Think grandma’s precious white
sofas, swaddled in those nasty clear plastic covers. It’s frustrating to pay for Porsche
PTS and wrap a perfect paint job in plastic, but rock chips, bird droppings and
acid rain are worse than a little plastic orange peel on the surface.
What I marvel at is the deplorable way some audio
enthusiasts treat their gear. I have seen so many expensive speakers and
electronics abused with scratches, dents and all manner of careless damage, as
if all that matters is whether or not they are operational. Hey, we have to
look at this stuff!
Maybe it’s time to coat all those auto paint-finished speakers
with plastic and call it a day.
