I can't believe I'm doing this, but I am going to show you the ugly side of things in the garage.  The slope of my slab forces water out the left-hand side of my garage (when looking out), and with all the water and snow that gets tracked in during the winter, it causes me a bit of an issue.  As you can see in the photos below, the garage door track rusts.  It's not a big deal to clean up, but it is a job I could live without.  You can see the calcium chloride residue that likes to cake itself over everything.  Winter is rough. 

Here's a little run-down of the CG stuff I currently have in the garage.  As you can see from the pic below, I haven't used some of it.  The products I have used are the Citrus Wash & Gloss, Honeydew Snow Foam, and Synthetic Quick Detailer.  The others are still awaiting their turn.  

Citrus Wash & Gloss is one of my favourites.  It is a potent detergent and its finish is glossy, as the name would suggest.  I have used it for years.  

The Honeydew Snow Foam is one of two foams I have used, and it has always impressed me.  It works well in each of my foam guns.  I now buy it by the gallon. 

The Synthetic Quick Detailer is a decent detail spray.  I have to admit I enjoy the bubble gum scent of it.  I use a variety of different detail sprays from a variety of manufacturers, and I probably won't order a replacement bottle when this one's done.  I'll stick with my Griot's Garage Speed Shine for light spray details, and my Griot's Garage Spray-On Car Wash for the dirtier occasions.  

I have yet to use the Speed Wipe, Luber, and P40.  And, that's the thing with Chemical Guys, they produce such a vast array of products that you inevitably end up with more than one product that do the same job.  I wish they had a more cohesive logic to their line up.  

​As for the other products, I am going to make more of an effort to get them into the rotation. My car doesn't ever get to the point where I need a product like the Stain Extractor, NONSENSE, or greenCLEAN, but I have a plan to do some details for friends in the Spring, so that should give me a chance to put them to the test.  

I knew I was going to make the most of our double garage when we decided to build our house, but I had no idea it would evolve the way it has.  I get a kick out of looking back over the years and seeing each step in the evolution.  Here's a pic of the garage while the house was under construction and one from a few months ago. 

I couldn't believe what pristine condition the 2-year-old car was in.  It was flawless.  Even the wheels.  Not a mark.  After ogling it for a bit, we did the deal and we were on our way.  We spent the next week working our way back to North of the border.  We spent a night in Cleveland, two nights in Chicago, a night in Minneapolis, a night in Bismarck, and a night in Great Falls before heading through the border at Coutts.  It was an epic road trip with lots of fun along the way. 

When my wife and I returned to Canada after a decade of life overseas, we agreed that we were going to get a nice car.  We figured something with heated seats would be nice.  So, I spent months researching what kind of deal I could get on a sweet ride from the States.  I narrowed it down to a Chrysler 300 SRT or Cadillac STS.  Soon after arriving home, a 2006 STS-V popped up in Parma, Ohio and it was irresistible.  I phoned the guy up, made the deal, and booked a flight for the next day.  My friend flew into Cleveland from Vancouver, arriving at the exact same time.  Ten minutes and a chest-bump later, we were standing in front of what appeared to be a brand new STS-V.  

The import process went well despite a slight hiccup.  The Friday we arrived in Great Falls, I realized I had misplaced the original bill of sale.  Luckily, I was able to get ahold of the dealer just before he took off for the weekend.  He was highly cooperative and FED EX'd me a replacement copy that arrived later that day!  (That would never happen in Canada).  I dodged a bullet there.  Once the car was in Canada, it was subjected to two inspections.  All that was required to register it was a few minor modifications performed by the local Cadillac dealer.  I pampered that car for two years, but it saw little action.  It was not cut out for the Canadian winters, plus I couldn't bare the thought of subjecting it to the ravages of our winter roads.  It sat, covered, for too many months of the year in our underground parking facility.  With the factory warranty set to expire in a matter of months, I let her go.  

I really enjoyed that car, and I sometimes yearn to hear that 469 bhp V8 wind itself up.  I added a Borla exhaust which really made a ruckus as it made its way down the boulevard.  Around the time I sold it, I took the second generation CTS-V for a spin.  I was shocked by its power.  Tonight, I was checking out the third gen CTS-V online, and it got me all nostalgic about my rad Cad.  Great car.  Greater road trip.  

It's been over a year since I parted ways with my 2011 Kia Optima SX.  I really enjoyed it for the 2.5 years I owned it.  Prior to purchasing it, my wife and I shared one car.  But, with her at home on maternity leave, we needed a second one.  I ordered it in February and took delivery (the first in the city) in May of 2011.  It didn't see a lot of use, and I sold it just prior to Christmas 2013 with only 8,800 kms on the clock.  I sold it for $29k with the summer wheels.  The guy who bought it said it looked better than the brand new model he test drove earlier that week.  <blush>

One of the best parts of owning that car was the attention it garnered.  I rebadged the car with a different Kia logo used in Korea, so that really confused people.  I installed a set of Eibach springs, which in combination with the MRR HR2 19" rims, gave it a pretty aggressive stance.  As fun as the attention was, I did find myself often having to defend the Kia brand against criticism.  Anyone who had some time behind the wheel was impressed with the car, but there are still a lot of people out there who think all Kia's are garbage.  That was a bit frustrating.  

The 274bhp turbo 2.0 was shockingly fast.  Power came on quickly and very smoothly.  The suspension was decent, made better by the low profile Hankooks.  Compared to its competition, this car had personality and spirit.  There were some issues with the quality of finishing, but for $33k, there is nothing that touched it in terms of looks, performance, and value.  It was loaded with equipment you wouldn't find in a $50k car.

There's no such thing as the perfect car, but all things considered, this car was perfect for what I needed at the time.