Ask A Woman: The clothes look good, but the car is another story…
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Beth:
I’ve got one ugly car. (Truck actually, an old, white, Ford F150) It runs great, it’s paid off, and not only is it a decent daily driver, friends ask me to help them move, pick up big items, etc… It’s showing some serious wear though. Especially on the interior. I consider myself to be a decent dresser, and women seem to enjoy the small ways I pay attention to my appearance. But my truck to most everyone but me is an eyesore.
I’m single and dating. How bad is my truck hurting the impression I give to women?
Mike
Hi Mike,
Confession–I don’t care about cars. I know they’re a status symbol for some people who buy expensive ones, and I know there are women who get super excited about being driven around in a Lexus instead of a Honda, but I just can’t get worked up about it either way. So just know that I come from a place of car-enthusiasm-deficiency as I answer this question.
Is the car clean? No empty cans, fast food bags, dirty undershirts? Vacuumed every once in awhile? Coffee spills mopped up? The car has to be clean, no matter how new or old it is. Dames don’t want to sit in filth. You can quote me on that. If the car is clean, good for you, that’s the first step. If it’s not, clean it. Now. And regularly hereafter.
You say the interior is showing some serious wear. This is where it gets dicey. Even a very clean car is going to look bad if you’ve got cracks, tears, dents, smudges, what-have-you in the upholstery, vinyl, and plastic. We tend to generalize what we see, so someone looking at your beat-up truck might assume that it is also dirty or ill-kept. What you DO have working in your favor is that it sounds like you’re a neat, well-dressed guy. This should counteract whatever…shall we say…impression?….that your truck is giving off. If the truck is the only ratty thing in your life, it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker with women. I mean, if you wrote in and said, hey, my truck is ugly as sin, and my apartment has roaches and shag carpeting, and I don’t like soap, but man, I sure can rock an outfit, we’d be having a different conversation.
I don’t think you should get rid of your truck just for appearance’s sake. It drives well, it’s paid for, and it comes in handy with those mooching friends of yours (I hope they’re repaying you with beer). It would be a shame to ditch it just because it’s not pretty.
So, in addition to reassuring you that most reasonable women will not head for the hills after seeing what you drive, I’d like to also offer you some tips on making the best of your vehicle. Again, make sure you keep the truck clean. Sink a few bucks into aesthetic repairs you can do on your own–car seat covers, new floor mats, paint for touching up any small rusted or chipped areas on the exterior. Get some estimates on what the professionals can do for you–cleaning upholstery or carpeting, professional retouching on the exterior, etc–and decide whether it’s worth it.
That’s all I got. From one non-car-lover to one crap-car-lover. You’re welcome.
-Beth
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