I've had my V6 base manual transmission for about a year (this August 16th. But who's counting?).

To all others who daily drive this car, what is your relationship with the reality of door dings, damage, parking & your parking philosophy?

There is such a culture of being analytical & thoughtful of how to best park, and where, when you own a car like this..... and I bet the philosophy behind it can be hilarious.

But when school got out, my car got two door dings within one week because of the neighborhood kids playing near it. I park in a covered spot alongside other cars, and my neighbors are unbelievably careful so I doubt it was them, and it's a moot point because it happened. ( I have no garage)

I know it's sort of a scam, but I did get the dent protection and the rim protection programs. The guy came out to my car within a couple days of making the claim, and he literally blow torched and hammered my car (plus snaked under body) and removed both dents in about ten or twelve minutes... like it was absolutely nothing. I would have bet $100 that paintless dent repair did not work on an aluminum body, but it's literally indiscernible from magic. Lol I can't even remember where they exactly were located.

Then, on Saturday, in the madhouse town of Sausalito, I was parked and having a drink with friends, and a Lincoln Navigator without its parking brake on rolled into my rear end at about 1 to 3 miles per hour, moving my car about 3 or 4 feet. A police officer got the info and put the case number on my windshield. The cosmetic damage pictured here is so minute, it is *absolutely shocking*. I also just finished a 12 point inspection and it passed with flying colors and no damage under that plastic bumper. Not being in the car and being completely no fault, I'll definitely fix that.

But I'm trying to reconcile how much I love this car and the fact that it is still just a car that is going to be in the pool of daily driving cars.

Do you daily drivers constantly fret, or "it is what it is", as they say? Just curious. Do you get even the most insignificant damage repaired immediately?

 

I don't fret - I never have done about any of my cars (and owned Ferrari and 911 Turbo in the past and parked them in grocery store car parks), although I am somewhat careful about where I park. I will find the least busy area of the carpark / furthest away from entrances where people generally like to park - as they don't like to walk.

It's just a car and as long as I try my best to be careful I don't let it worry me or restrict where I will take the car.

 

All of my cars are daily drivers. The Land Cruiser and Pickup are trucks, so minor dings or scratches just add character. I'll park those without any discretion. My MINI and Jag are cars to be kept pristine and are parked at far corners of lots and no closer than more than a door width from the next car. 14 years and 150000 miles, the MINI body and interior are perfect. (Every blemish immediately fixed). I have ding insurance for the Jag.

 

I look for "ends" of the row, far from the traffic/door, away for carriage corals, far from any handicap spots ( as they tend to be older drivers and I've seen them bang into nearby cars on many occasions). There are a few restaurants that just have the tiniest spots that I won't go to unless we take the "other" car. Fix all paint chips immediately. Never follow dump trucks on the highway or 4x4 trucks without splash guards.

I've gotten top dollar for all my trades/private sales just because of condition. It pays off.

I recently went to an upscale restaurant that had valet parking. I was hesitant....but allowed the kid to park it. When we came out at the end of the night, they had 3 Jags all lined up in the first spots, mine included. Was a site to see....beautiful cars. There was a gaggle of suits waiting for their Audi's to be retrieved, and when my wife and I stepped out the door, the kid yelled, "white jag" and the other kid jumped in and pulled it up for us, cutting the suits. It was priceless.

 

You've hit the nail on the head - not the car! - when you say "it's just a car". It is practically inevitable - if not guaranteed - that if one drives their car s%^&'s gonna happen. It just comes with the territory. Naturally we all do our little bit to try to avoid (including attempting to avoid rock chips while on the highway) dents and dings and who-knows-what...but such is life. In my daily driving to our indoor parking lot, I tend to park among other like-minded drivers (we all generally park in the same area, parking on the third floor even though the first and second are available) and, when I can, park in "corners". Life is far too short to fret...about this or even most stuff.

 

Daily driven. Picked her up with 26 miles in February of 2016 and as of today have about 8000 miles on her. Its just a car.

 

All the engineering work, all the sweat and effort to build it, test it, then get it to you? These people would not say "it's just a car."

 

Owners have actually been known to invent waving protocol.

 

Mine is a daily driver, you have to develop a level of fatalism that it is going to get some collateral from its life. I also don't have a garage. I have car covers and use it always when at home and sometimes when parked at work. I do think about where I am parking, but the one time it got serious damage it was parked in a quiet corner of a car park so now I try to park it in more public areas where there will be people about, I also try to park it hard next to a column in covered carpark which gives it some protection on the column side and some space on the other.

But really it is just a matter of shrugging your shoulders and accepting that the price for getting to drive such a wonderful car every day is some wear and tear.

 

I'm dense right now... what is this?


Parking:

I park in corners, I park next to other nice cars, and if need be closer to that one than the dinged up one on the other side. I park next to passenger doors, when I safely assume it's a single occupant driving it. In lots I often end up in, I start noticing employee cars that sit for hours and hours, so I know they won't be approaching it or moving it while I am there.

My wife thinks I am just insane, because she doesn't follow the logic. It's the age old "why are you parking so far away" thing.

I like the Very Remote Parking at airports, too.

 

A door ding can be something feared before it happens, and enraging after it happens.
I don't really like the idea of living in fear or rage.

So to me it's just a zen exercise of letting go of that which I cannot control.
Ex ante, I'll make efforts to park it somewhere safe then fuggedabout the fear...I'd rather enjoy my day.

Post facto when I get a ding, it's a learnable moment. I could get enraged but what's the point of that....I'd prefer to enjoy rather than become a slave to the things I own.

The alternate approach is to let it go and accept what is clearly beyond my control (it's in the past). That unlocks a healthier perspective on life, and then at least the ding accomplishes something positive rather than just multiplying disappointment into useless anger.

 

It's this at about 1 minute in

 

Park in a private garage at work, but fear my business partners suburbu that she drives rather recklessly. I park in remote corners of lots. I don't want to bring on any jinx so no comment on what we don't want to occur, or might occur. I xpeled car extensively.

Recently I parked in the most remote corner of a parking lot and I didn't even get the car in park, when a white kia type suv pulls in the spot immediately next to me. The young women driving waves to me, jumps out of her vehicle and says " I just bought it, it's brand new, and I don't want to get any dings" as she skips off."

Sometimes you just can't win.

Yes, I fret, but still drive the car daily and every chance I get.

 

I always park in an end space in the garage at work, and typically on the passenger side of the car adjacent to mine (nobody brings a friend to work).

I park in distant spaces in parking lots.

I avoid drive thru lanes and parking garages that I know have high curbs and tight turns.

I will give a valet a fat tip if they will "keep it close" (ie. leave my car right in front of the restaurant).

 

I am a grounded non-religious dude, but I love me Lao Tzu. A drunken wise man from 2500+ years ago thinking about the fact that expectations basically pull you out of happiness are the moment.... so don't have them. I really enjoy the Tao te Ching as a philosophical excercise, and you nailed it. Thank you. VERY much. We could be pals. =)

 

Man... this show. It's constantly still relevant. Bravo.

 

This! What's the point of owning something and letting the fear of damage dictate your enjoyment? Within reason, I like to "drive it like I stole it" and fix the dings as they happen. Oddly enough, I've found that people tend to be a bit more careful around the F Type than the 911 I had previously (LOL!)

 

Over-developed and well-practiced sense of denial. This is how I deal with DD my F-type.

 

I don't think I have much to say here that isn't already apparent from other threads.

When I got my first exotic vehicle (2000 MV Agusta F4S) people would say things like "It's so beautiful! How can you ride it?"

That's why I bought it. No difference here.

 

OT, but you're totally right. In the last 2500 years we built superchargers and electronic traction control but human nature has barely changed.

My comment was Daoist (you nailed it!) but one doesn't have to be religious to believe the behavioral psychology around why long hoodlines create the perspective of speed, large front intakes create the perception of a predator, and reframing can the difference between happiness and rage in reaction to a door ding!

https://www.ted.com/talks/rory_suthe...ng?language=en