Where do you park your Z?
 

I read something in a recent post that made think about the subject of where we all park your Z's.

I always park far away, no matter what I am driving. I have done this for more years than I can remember. I find it's allot easier to just pull in and park out a ways, and walk the distance, instead of driving around looking for that perfect spot. I just want to park and get on with it. And, I don't want door dings on any of my cars, not just the Z, so that is another reason why I park way out too.

So far, I have not had any dings or damage for more years than I can imagine.

However, if I am going to a place, like the doctors, where parking just plain sucks, I do not take my Z. I may as well just ding it myself and get it over with. LOL

How have those who park way out, and those of you who park right in the middle of it all, done regarding the dings or damage?

I simply avoid locations with tight parking spaces.
My previous Bmw was 5yrs old before I sold it, and had no door dings or scratches.
My Z is hopefully on the same path.

Keep in mind there are people that will see your car off by itself, and decide that since you think your car is so special they will key it for you.

That is why I have a "huptie" for cases like that, example going to Lowe's, Walmart, etc. ;)

However, the worth part is when you park your car way out, and there comes this idiot and park close to you with more than 30 empty spots in the parking area. :mad:

I agree with Triple's - I too have parked way off for years and years, and have never had a problem of any kind.

What makes me wonder are those guys who take up two parking spots, and park diagonally across them. To me, they're inviting a key job.

I would think that if someone sees us parked way away, they can see that at least we're willing to work to help protect our Z, and respect that, while the guy who takes up two spots, and usually the better spots, would seem to be just an inconsiderate, selfish jerk, and would at least think seriously about giving his car the old key job, ....or a flat tire.

I'd rather take my chances and park far away, or just not drive the Z in problem territory, than to say to hell with it and park just anywhere.

Also, I do think it does matter what "type" of area we park in.

Just to toss this in for the heck of it, at my Gym, I started to park my Z up on the terrace level of the parking lot. It's far away, but no one parks there.

So, what happened was this; Spring came, and there was my 2010 Z Roadster all alone up there, then a few days later, a stunning mint 2005 white Crossfire Vert parks next to me, then a 2010 orange Dodge Challenger parks next to him, then a new silver Benz pulls in with us, then a new blue 2010 Camero shows up, followed by a member with a white H2 Hummer joined our "auto show!"

There is a young guy with an older Hyundai Tiberon (sp?) who used to park down in the closer area, but has apparently just joined us, and now parks next to the Hummer. He must have thought; "hey wait a minute, my car is special too, I belong up there with those guys!"

The other day I was taking my gym bag out of the trunk of my Z, and he came walking by, and I said, "nice car man!" and he said; "thanks man!" with a big smile on his face. I think that made his day.

garage.

use dd for errands. no dings. dings on my dd, i pull out my PDR gear. no more dings.

I park outside of the mass of cars parked, however far out that might be... but I tend to make sure I park uphill from the store or on the other side of an island so runaway carts dont get a good head of steam to smack my side.

I try to find end or corner spots where I can give the person parking next to me more room to park and open their doors.
Otherwise, I park far away.

I had a pleasant experience last month when I was pulling into the garage at the Marriot in Baltimore. A guy walking to his car called out to me and said "Nice car! I think you'll want my spot. Follow me."
Sure enough, he had a corner spot bordered by a concrete post on one side and a pie of white striped buffer area between the next spot. Thank you, kind sir!

Attachment 14097

Wow! Thank you kind sir is RIGHT! May he, his children, and his children's children, forever live "ding free!!"

I to have tried to park out of harms way for years. And it had worked until last week when i posted about it. Came back outside from the mall and some lady had backed right into my Z. Long story short 4500 in damages.Damn drivers side 19in rays are 995.00 each.Luckily she left her insurance info.Still now my car has a carfax history. Should be ready friday longest week of my life.

Oh wanted to ask you guys the wheel is not really all that bad can be fixed but insurance is replacing with a new one. Can i claim my old rim,it might worth something.

:iagree:

:iagree: I just started parking away from the crowd after I got my Z. I try to do the same thing at work, but it seems like there are people who will purposely part right new to me and leave other spaces open. Since I needed to be more active I just walk to work now. My Z only moves on the weekends.

Sorry to say that now that I read this, it was your post that got me to post mine. I think you'll be happy with your Z once you get it back, but real sorry it had to happen to your car. It's happened to me, so I understand, and if it happens to me again, I won't be surprised. That's life I guess.

If your Z had no real structural damage, like a bent frame, I wouldn't think you have any worries about what the carfax says in your case. Just because a car has some fender dent repaired, there's no reason to suspect the rest of the cars integrity.

I think if they're replacing the wheel, they'll probably want the old one, at least they did with me. But go ahead and ask, if you can get it, you can have someone repair it, then sell it or keep it for yourself.

Many years ago, I had a tire place screw up my chrome mag wheels by not tightening the lug nuts enough. They replaced the wheels, but kept the old ones. Maybe they needed them to prove that the new wheels were actually replacements for damaged ones, and not some "special gift" for the store managers girlfriend.

simple! do NOT park your ride next to any kind of SUV, or old looking car(you know what i mean). keep in your head that our Z is very weak when we get into paint stuff.. sad.

Tend to park on corner spots as far away from the other cars as possible if it one in the spot next to me in both the Z and Max. I try to avoid parking next to hoopties or 2 door cars if all possible, if I have to park in a location without much parking (doctos office etc).

These people should not be allowed to reproduce!!!

sad truth, and they do. some will even purposely open their doors wide to get their obesity out the door, and even PUSH the door against another car to get extra clearance cause their cellulite arse is stuck. that's a good 6-8" crease for ya.

i just got tired of dealing with garbage like this and got a dd.

We have a small private parking lot at work right now, but our office is moving in a month to one will general parking. I will have to start scouting less populated areas to park.

I also like corner spots... less chance in door dings from only a car on one side. But I usually park far away unless I'm in a rush then I'll park closer between 2 nice cars.

i feel sorry for the person who dings my car because i might accidentally fall on their car repeatedly with my elbows flailing wildly from the shock of seeing my dented Z

sad part is they probably wont care, or use the insurance $ to buy more burgers.

thought about that yesterday coming back to my car at walmart.

i decided a good firm knee about 3-6 inches from a crease in a panel would suffice.

I decided when I first purchased my z that I will park far away from other cars, but there have been times when I come back to my car and two asshats park right next to me. I then hike up my pants and ready myself for the accidental donkey kick to their fender in case there are dings in my car.

H2 is going on 8 years old and NO door dings! Had my Z about 9 months and so far, NO dings, etc either. Always an end spot, as far as I can get away from the line where the other car can park. At the mall, I have a few spaces I park in, mostly the odd angle spaces, that have the large white striped triangle space between them. I walk farther, but my cars stay nice and new. Also--a little lucky, I'm sure! 8 years with no door dings is amazing!!

I park in a parking stall at my apartment complex. It gets dusty so quick. I need a garage. Oh well, lease ends in November...

I am really lucky. I garage it at home. I have a reserved covered space at work, between a Porshe Cayenne Turbo and a BMW. When I take it out, I look for an end spot that is one row further than most, but not too isolated. I want attention when I am in the car, not attention from psychopaths when I am not. I also try to park in the the line of sight of most folks who would be going in and out of establishments. No problems so far...

Next to my Jags.

I have a carport at my apt, and nothing except a driveway on work week.

When in Parking lots I usually park far out, espec at Walmart, but sometimes I am in a hurry/lazy and just pull in anywhere.

I have already had a lady park so close to me that she couldn't walk between my and her side mirrors. She actually pivoted my mirror inward to create space! WTF!?

She's lucky I didn't upward elbow strike her in the head, just for principle. :shakes head:

Well, after all the posts about parking far away, in the corner, maybe attracting the attention of a jealous car-keyer and etc, yesterday at the Gym, a 2009 or 2010 Maserati GranTurismo Convertible pulls into the parking lot, and just zipped into an open parking space between a pick up truck and an older Buick. He didn't seem to care a hoot about door dings or whatever.

Covered parking, as far away from everyone else as possible. While I don't do the double parking thing, like a douchebag, I do try to park in areas where it's impossible for someone to park next to me. Like a very corner spot.

I have also been known to park in an end spot, and put a shopping cart in the open spot :icon17:

Behind your mom.

No, just kidding! I usually always park away from the "infested" areas, and as close to a wall as possible. I have a door ding, it sucks balls. People need to get licenses on how to properly open their car doors when entering and leaving.

If I have to park in general parking, I have a rule -- park next to cars that are nicer than mine! They sure as heck don't want a ding in their car either!

Ha Ha Dr. Frost , I don't think that is a good idea with a shopping cart. As have happened to me before in my previous car, all it need is for some kid or punk to use that shopping cart to test your car's rigidity! Oops didn't know it scratches so easy!

There's always some douche bag that parks in that nicer car's spot when they leave. Even if it's a nice car, it's still a car, with a door, being driven by an UNKNOWN person. Who knows, he/she could be drunk, right? Just be more mindful of your surroundings. Park on the other side of the block if you have to. :tup:

Yeah, you have to lay it down, or the wind may get it :bowrofl:

Thought this was funny. At work i always park off in the back of the building where no one else parks because its not under and trees and no one drives or parks there. Naturally, when i return to my car, this is what i see.

http://www.the370z.com/members/jeffb...t-next-you.jpg

Nice door Dent:
http://www.the370z.com/members/jeffb...33-photo-4.jpg

Spots as far as the eye can see:
http://www.the370z.com/members/jeffb...-over-line.jpg

As you can see, i'm literally the ONLY car parked in the entire row of spaces:
http://www.the370z.com/members/jeffb...31-photo-2.jpg

See! no matter where you go, they will park right next to you for no reason, and park as close as they can to the line.

That really annoys me, bloody sheep effect :gtfo2:

The last time someone did this to me they parked their piece of sh!te Smart car so close to me that I couldn't get in the driver side of my car, had to get through the passenger side :shakes head:... i was peeved to say the least.

Very nice & clean Z by the way :yum:

I have a garage so when I am at home it is in there. that being said I got my new 370 Roadster on thursday, had a ding the size of a quarter on Friday. Not even 24 hours...

Have an appointment on Wed to get the ding out. I had my 350 for 4 years and only got one ding about a month before I upgraded to the 370.

I think the aluminum doors may contribute to ease of acquiring a door dent...

you should have just picked the car up and moved it


Thanks very much!