Why can't i have a good looking car

[OM605]

Sidepanels clean, rear too. Hood is a battleground of stone chips. paint otherwise OK.

Thanks to a lot of highway driving, my windshield is full of impacts, the hood too. It will probably be the first thing to rust out.

Makes me realize that 10k OCIs aren't much of an issue...

 

[Car guy]

We have a dedicated car we use whenever we go to a parking lot

 

[IndyIan]

I think unless you never park on the street in an old european city, your car is going to be subject to some park by feel scuffs/dents... Subaru's tend to have lots of black flexible plastic on the bumpers, so maybe next time get one of those? My wife in the Outback backed into the front corner of my Focus in the winter it's impressive how good the Outback bumper is and bad the Focus took it... Probably could have wrote off my car if I carried collision insurance on it...

 

[Huie83]

Yeah I hear ya, it's hard. I've had my new car for 8 months now and when I was detailing it the other day I noticed someone had tapped my rear bumper as well as scraped my front bumper corner. I have no idea how as I always park out in the lot away from people. I've just kind of given up. I'll keep it as nice as possible but no one besides me cares.

 

[DGXR]

Everyone who parks in shared lots, we all deal with this and yes it's getting worse. No way to avoid it. I'm trying to change my attitude about this and having some success but at times it can be difficult to accept that most of us can't have nice vehicles if we are going to use them as intended. I remember a time when we all had a healthy fear of the consequences of our actions. Cue rant about how people suck and it's just getting worse.

 

[wolfox03SS]

Ugh. I had a new to me Subaru Legacy wagon. In alpine white. 2 weeks into ownership while I was still in the car, writing a check for my cellular bill... (No offense but it's always a heavy girl from here on out)

A singular example of the porcine persuasion *smashed* her door open into mine as she hobbled out of her ride sideways. Lady, I'm right here! She walked away like nothing happened.

At an apartment complex, years later... it's always one or the other electric mirror hanging by wires on my T-10 Blazer. A vastly corpulent neighbor lady would alternate parking on either side of my mini- truck. As soon as she would get out, having always parked over the line in my spot? She'd grab the mirror to haul herself up and out between vehicles. I caught her snapping a third mirror off on camera and confronted her. I got a proper replacement on her dime and never had it happen again.

Have dash cameras installed in SS Silverado. I have nearly 360° coverage. Some crazy fellow just rammed a Walmart shopping cart at full run into rear bumper. Cracked and hazed now. Same truck... month later. Some gimpy, wobbling heavy-girl wanders up to front bumper. She hooks her trotter into the driver's side brake vent in my front bumper to tie her shoe laces. Cracks it right off and walks away... in a Dollar General lot.

Even with video evidence, local PD isn't remotely interested. Not even for a report to document and fix via insurance. Both incidents happened on private property they claim and as such, can't or in this case, won't assist.

Of you want a pristine ride, put it up on blocks in a red velvet carpeted garage. Wipe it with a diaper every weekend to keep the dust off. Never take it out.

 

[NYEngineer]

Back when my Suburban was still considered new I went to a local burger place and parked all the way in the back away from everyone else. While I was inside waiting for my food, this guy came in to pick up an order he had phoned in. He was so old I couldn't believe he was driving.
Five minutes later when I left, I'm walking back to my truck and said old guy passes me in the parking lot. I thought to myself, why was he all the way back here? BECAUSE HE NEEDED TO BACK INTO MY DRIVERS DOOR AND CAVE IT IN. I PDR'd it as best I could but it still has a small dent in it. I'm actually having it repaired in August because the whole nose needs to be touched up from traveling. Can't wait for it to be all straight again.

 

[ZedzAmg]

Every single one of my cars has a door ding from some idiot. I park in the back of every lot and for some reason I always get someone next to me. It's a curse, liking nice cars is a terrible hobby lol

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Narrow streets and limited parking? The joys of Europe ! <sarcasm>

 

[Jetronic]

It amazes me that no matter what i do to keep a car looking good, there's ALWAYS someome backing into my car, who doesn't give a **** about anything. It's been the same since i've started driving. When i bought my C180 two years ago it was in mint condition. It is starting to fall under the "reliable POS" category pretty fast and this wasn't the plan. It already has a very deep gouge in the paint, door dents everywhere and slightly broken corners on every bumper. This morning i had my rear right fender heavily dented and scratched by my mom maneuvering while looking at her phone. I park my cars as far as i can from other cars, do everything i can but there's just no way around it, i have to drive around in cars looking like trash and i don't know how some people keep their cars looking so fresh. This is a bit of a rant but why can't people have any respect for what's not theirs? Not that i have very interesting cars but i'm utterly ******.

the further south I go in europe, the worse this gets. aecdote, went to Barcelona, parked in the most expensive underground garage, in an out of the way spot and came back to a car with one corner of the rear bumper cracked....

 

[OM605]

I'm getting my car back from the body shop tomorrow. I'm wondering, do they usually polish/clean the car before giving it back to the customer? It's fairly clean but far from perfect, has tar on it etc...

 

[grampi]

I feel your pain. Doesn't seem to matter how far away you park, there is always a couple dumb sheep who has to follow and park right next to you.

That's why you carry around a valve stem core tool. Remove one of the cores to let the air out, reinstall core and cap...no damage done, just an inconvenience...

 

[sk_pete]

I'm getting my car back from the body shop tomorrow. I'm wondering, do they usually polish/clean the car before giving it back to the customer? It's fairly clean but far from perfect, has tar on it etc...

(you can buy spray for tar removal.)
about 4days i am working on cleaning,compouding, polishing , and ceramic coating my car.
whole body aches, so much sweat on this hot weather. be glad somebody else doing it.
today i want do second coat, then i call for ambulance...

 

[OM605]

(you can buy spray for tar removal.)
about 4days i am working on cleaning,compouding, polishing , and ceramic coating my car.
whole body aches, so much sweat on this hot weather. be glad somebody else doing it.
today i want do second coat, then i call for ambulance...

Good luck with that!

 

[R1jake]

I just take the wife’s car when I know I’ll be in a crowded parking lot not that I won’t be ****** when someone dings it but I’ll just not be as ******. The weird part about this is my wife’s car is much newer than mine but mine stays clean at all times. She is far to lazy to wash hers so it only gets washed when I get around to it.plus I also always park way away from anything.

 

[MParr]

Have you ever watched women exit their cars? There is a similar process across the board. Their pocketbooks are usually on the passenger seat or in the passenger floorboard. It goes like this and it’s a fluid move. Pop the inside door handle, reach for the pocketbook and kick the door open with the left foot.
I had this very thing happen to me one day. I was sitting in my car and checking my receipt and wham. A 4’8” 250 pounder got out and waddled inside. I was steamed. I caved her door in with my foot.

 

[svtrit]

The cars I personally drive have good luck, but I do carefully chose where I park. My son and wife both have “hit me” on their cars. I’m amazed at how many new scars I see each year on their cars. Even our newly acquired Beetle obtained a new ding a week after I handed the keys to my wife and daughter. They barely went anywhere!

It’s about where you park, for the most part.

 

[xgmad]

thats why you only drive a toyota or horrible f150 when in those areas, no remorse for the cars. Same things happened to my 2011 2.5, but always spent ALOT of money on body work.

 

[joekingcorvette]

My lowly 2012 Honda Civic is my daily driver and it gets its share of dings and scratches. It keeps the other vehicles in better shape that's for sure.