parking at a store?
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,435
Likes: 9
From: Kalamazoo Mi
First of all I will probably get flogged for saying this but; Our c3's are somewhat valuable, say from 7k to 20k. Most daily driver cars trucks are upward of 30k trucks are more. I used to have a Ford 550 4 door 4X4 diesel truck worth over 50k, I never thought twice about parking in a crouded parking lot. Why do our C3's deserve special care? I don't know, but for some reason my 81 C3 gets to park inside and our new suburban parks outside, go figure???? Al
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 30,995
Likes: 99
From: Ontario
First of all I will probably get flogged for saying this but; Our c3's are somewhat valuable, say from 7k to 20k. Most daily driver cars trucks are upward of 30k trucks are more. I used to have a Ford 550 4 door 4X4 diesel truck worth over 50k, I never thought twice about parking in a crouded parking lot. Why do our C3's deserve special care? I don't know, but for some reason my 81 C3 gets to park inside and our new suburban parks outside, go figure???? Al
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,560
Likes: 4
From: Arlington texas
First of all I will probably get flogged for saying this but; Our c3's are somewhat valuable, say from 7k to 20k. Most daily driver cars trucks are upward of 30k trucks are more. I used to have a Ford 550 4 door 4X4 diesel truck worth over 50k, I never thought twice about parking in a crouded parking lot. Why do our C3's deserve special care? I don't know, but for some reason my 81 C3 gets to park inside and our new suburban parks outside, go figure???? Al
So far, knock on wood, haven't gotten so much as a scratch yet.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,247
Likes: 471
From: Glen Allen, VA
alswagg, you've got a point, except in my case the Vette is the most valuable vehicle I own. I read one time (this was part of a long list), only in America do most people with garages fill thier garage with junk and leave the 2nd most exepensive thing we own outside. Of course that wouldn't be us, we'd NEVER leave our Vettes outside!
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 3,775
Likes: 4
alswagg, you've got a point, except in my case the Vette is the most valuable vehicle I own. I read one time (this was part of a long list), only in America do most people with garages fill thier garage with junk and leave the 2nd most exepensive thing we own outside. Of course that wouldn't be us, we'd NEVER leave our Vettes outside!
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,079
Likes: 314
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Hmmm...I remember reading a thread (maybe on the NCRS board?) where a guy down here in Miami parked his green '69 vert in a Home Depot lot, away from everybody else. Somebody with a tall 4 X 4 evidently backed into the nose and destroyed the whole front clip, bumper and hood. Never even left a note saying he was sorry. Bottom line, NEVER leave your car in ANY parking lot. When I am not with my car, it is in the garage.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,485
Likes: 7
From: Peekskill NY
I do think you could certainly get a crack if a door or shopping cart hits it hard enough, especially at the mid height body length edge. I would think the flatter panel portions would have more give.
I do occasionally park in big lots, maybe 5-6 times a year. Besides parking away from everyone because of swinging doors etc..I ALWAYS pop the hood & pull out the coil to distributor wire. If they try to steal it, they'll need a flat bed and by the time it shows I'm gone.
I do occasionally park in big lots, maybe 5-6 times a year. Besides parking away from everyone because of swinging doors etc..I ALWAYS pop the hood & pull out the coil to distributor wire. If they try to steal it, they'll need a flat bed and by the time it shows I'm gone.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,697
Likes: 3
From: Woodinville WA
I park any of mine in large parking lots frequently. I don't park out in the back, I park as close to the front as I can...like a regular car. I don't leave items in the car that can be stolen, so I will often leave the windows down, doors unlocked, and tops off.
Racer
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 441
Likes: 22
From: Northeast OH
First of all I will probably get flogged for saying this but; Our c3's are somewhat valuable, say from 7k to 20k. Most daily driver cars trucks are upward of 30k trucks are more. I used to have a Ford 550 4 door 4X4 diesel truck worth over 50k, I never thought twice about parking in a crouded parking lot. Why do our C3's deserve special care? I don't know, but for some reason my 81 C3 gets to park inside and our new suburban parks outside, go figure???? Al
In my case the daily is a 12-year-old Cavalier so it sits out while the C3 is inside next to my wife's Liberty.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,223
Likes: 174
From: Fort Wayne IN
Agreed. Park it in with all the other cars and people will probably leave it alone.. Park it all the way in the back by itself taking up 2 spaces and it screams "I'm a douche, please key my car."
Administrator
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53,981
Likes: 6,207
From: About 1100 miles from where I call home.
If I had to choose a restaurant based on the ability to see my car, and then spend my meal looking at my car, I'd stay home.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 924
Likes: 15
From: DFW Metroplex Texas
I wouldn't consider taking the Vette to a "Wal-Mart" type store parking lot, that's what my drivers are for. There are too many idiots out there who 1) leave shopping carts in the middle of the lot and either the wind or the slope of the lot has a cart aiming straight for your Vette 2) Jealous people who would key it 3) Idiots who just don't care and open their door into the side of your Vette 4) see you parked far away and decide they have enough time to steal it before anyone notices.
Just too many instances of possibility today. If I go to a store, I sit in the car and the wife goes in. If we go out to dinner, I request a seat where I can see it(and I prepick the restaurant that has that option). Call me cautious, but my car has never been scratched or stolen.
Just too many instances of possibility today. If I go to a store, I sit in the car and the wife goes in. If we go out to dinner, I request a seat where I can see it(and I prepick the restaurant that has that option). Call me cautious, but my car has never been scratched or stolen.
A couple years ago I drove the Vette to a restaurant for a lunch date. I parked way out in the lot to avoid the idiots that love to park right next to you.
When I came out I was alarmed to see an old beat up pickup truck parked right next to my baby. Some lowlife was sitting in the truck looking like he was up to no good. I quickly got in and left. There was no damage done to the Vette but I have to think this guy was waiting for his buddies to get there so they could make off with it.
My advice to anyone that asks is, don't leave your Vette unattended in a parking lot.... period.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,345
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne Australia
its amazing, you can park far away from everyone else, but yet you will always find a car parked next to you when you come back!!!!! 
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 11,482
Likes: 0
From: Common courtesy and common sense are not common.
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-'12-'13
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 946
Likes: 0
From: Lake Geneva WI
I've found the farther away I park, the more damage I receive. Never fails. If its gonna happen, its gonna happen. The only way I know to really keep from getting any damage is to store it and never drive it. That said, I just don't worry too much about it.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 409
Likes: 3
From: St. James, NC
Once I got chewed-out by a little old lady for taking up 2 spots way out in BFE with my 71. Got me thinking, if I got a little old lady that worked up for taking two spots where no one wants to park, I'm just asking for it. I don't take two spots anymore.