I Remember My First Car...Do You?

It was a magnificent machine, tan with a black cloth roof; a 1993 Lincoln Town Car purchased for a dollar off a Greek businessman. For a businessman that kind of deal seems like poor business sense but you could imagine he was either a friend of the family or suffering from crack-cocaine addiction; he was the former. And like all first cars-especially those purchased for abnormally cheap prices-I drove the hell out of that glorious steel boat. The saying, "you don't know what you've got until it's gone," comes to mind whenever I find myself reminiscing about that old Lincoln. I should've known I would come to miss the bastard; for fuck's sake the day that I went to pick it up I was in the midst of a mild psychedelic trip, and any introduction of that nature can only foreshadow an interesting relationship to come

I Remember My First Car...Do You?

It was a magnificent machine, tan with a black cloth roof; a 1993 Lincoln Town Car purchased for a dollar off a Greek businessman. For a businessman that kind of deal seems like poor business sense but you could imagine he was either a friend of the family or suffering from crack-cocaine addiction; he was the former. And like all first cars-especially those purchased for abnormally cheap prices-I drove the hell out of that glorious steel boat. The saying, "you don't know what you've got until it's gone," comes to mind whenever I find myself reminiscing about that old Lincoln. I should've known I would come to miss the bastard; for fuck's sake the day that I went to pick it up I was in the midst of a mild psychedelic trip, and any introduction of that nature can only foreshadow an interesting relationship to come

How to Detail Your Car Dashboard

Are you tired of looking at the messy, crumb-ridden disaster that passes for a dashboard in your car? Do you refuse to pay the outrageously high prices that auto detail shops charge to have them do it for you? Then this guide is for you...

Have you ever wondered why car detailing is so expensive? I think its for the same reason that daycare, maid service, garbage pickup and nursing homes are so expensive. If you want other people to clean up your 'stuff' then you're going to pay a premium price to get them to touch it.

Also, detail work is well, detailed. There's a lot to it. You have to work in a cramped space, and the weather isn't always nice. If you're willing to put up with these issues yourself, you can save a bundle and still have a nice clean car. The dashboard is the first thing people see, so we'll concentrate on it today.

First, you've got to get everything off of it. You can't detail it while it's piled with junk. Get a box and a garbage can, and keep them both handy while you work. Empty the entire dashboard by putting anything you need to save into the box, and everything else into the garbage can.

Now go and set the box in the house. Later, you can put that stuff away. (You *know* it didn't all belong in the car!) Keep the trash can handy though; you're not through with it.

Next you'll need some Windex (or the blue spray cleaner of your choice) and a roll of paper towels. Start by spraying and wiping down the inside of the windshield. Some spray will fall onto the dashboard, but that's okay.

Now spray down the whole dashboard with your Windex. The dirtier your dashboard is, the heavier you want to soak it. You may need to let it set a few minutes, and then you start wiping/scrubbing it off. Paper towels should do this job, unless you have a lot of caked on dried ketchup and so on. For that, you may what to use a scrubber sponge.

Once the windshield and dashboard are clean and shiny, you move on to the true 'detail' work. Every knob, vent, and crevasse is full of crumbs and dust. You'll need a box of Q-Tips