How do you safely park your FGT?


R

REDEEMED

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Oct 10, 2008
142
My fully Shadowmanized FGT is dead gorgeous with NO dings on doors or anywhere! I drive it (6000+ miles) but I'm careful with where I leave it. How many of you routinely take 2 parking places at restaurants (not all places need or have valet option) and has anyone ever had 'revenge' or complaints about being so rude as to take 2 places? Yes I know taking it to restaurants may seem silly but my wife loves the car and likes a 20' evening trip to various watering holes in the area.

And how many of you worry about the rear clam vents drinking too much rain-water and would NEVER park outside if rain looks like a 50/50 bet?

I'm looking for reasons to NOT leave this puppy in the garage, but I also enjoy the clean perfect look. How many of you have acquired the occasional door ding and have matured to the level of not giving a rip!

Thanks for the various viewpoints.
 
When I go out for lunch with the GT, I will only go somewhere where nobody can park next to it. I guess if you were going out a lot, I'd leave the handbrake off (assuming it's a level parking lot) as it's easy to roll out. Taking two spots could upset someone...
 
Neilda said:
Taking two spots could upset someone...
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Park in the back.
 
when it comes to a GT planning is everything :wink spontaneity with a GT will get it into trouble......
 
Meh, I park like it like every other car I own. Except that I look for places that leave room on the drivers side. I've found that people are nervous about parking next to it (when watching from a coffee shop, I've seen several people consider parking next to the GT then rethink it and move on). 25k miles and no door dings.
 
I also plan ahead a little. I know which restaraunts have an area where I can parallel park. It's usually not a designated parking spot, but a place I can park and not block the road, etc. I also look for end spots on the driver's side so I'm assured I can open the driver's door when I return. I then can back out to let the passenger enter.

I'm also afraid of taking up 2 spaces as I have heard people comment in years past about keying a car that was so rude as to take up 2 slots - so I don't do that.

I live in Florida, so if I worried about the rain, I'd never take it anywhere. If rain gets on the engine through the clam shell it just dries and I clean the engine compartment every once in a while.
 
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My car is out in the rain a lot. It never really gets wet in the engine bay, either at speed or parked. Most common people's nightmare-a GT Rally with 50 cars in the lot, ha, ha.
 
Fubar said:
Meh, I park like it like every other car I own. Except that I look for places that leave room on the drivers side. I've found that people are nervous about parking next to it (when watching from a coffee shop, I've seen several people consider parking next to the GT then rethink it and move on). 25k miles and no door dings.
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Agreed, 23K miles and no door dings.

Quit worrying or sell the car. Life is too short to "worry" about it. Just drive it and enjoy......keeping it "pristine" removes a great deal of enjoyment imo. I can assure you something WILL happen sooner or later...so be it....you will get over it. :cheers
 
Nardo GT said:
Quit worrying or sell the car.
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I know of at least one person who actually had that same view and "pulled the trigger" because of it... :willy :wink :cheers
 
My sons words of Wisdom

My oldest son sent me a reply when I first announced that I had bought a FGT. This was a complete surprise to him. My first email to him I was describing how nice the car was and how I hoped to have fun with it he sent this back to me which I think is good advice :cheers:

"As long as you treat it like what it is - a car and not an investment, museum piece, family member, etc - I think you'll have a lot of fun with it."


Magic
 
I'm surprised how often people stare at me incredulously and say "you drive this car to work??!!" As many others on this thread have observed, if you stress out about using the car, you're not really enjoying it to the max. It's surprising how pratical it is - good A/C, decent ride, conmfortable seats. Hell, even the visibility is a lot better than some of my previous vehicles. As far as parking, I always try to find the end-of-row spot that gives me the ability to fully open the drivers door. Of course, I'm saving my pennies to get the butterfly doors that might mitigate parking hassles - any "butterlfy people" out there who could comment on increased usability from this (not so cheap) but awesome modification?
 
I park on the end of a row. If I can get in then I can back it out and the missus then hops in. If valet is available, I politely ask them if I can park it myself and give them an extra $20. Never had a problem that way. I drive the car to work at least once a week (underground secure parking) and take my dog places in it all the time. Took him in my silver GT to a concours recently. That freaked out the purists, but I won two trophies.
 
EP would say only in your own garage with good locks and a video surveillance and alarm system and only bring it out in the public roads if the tires never touch the ground.
 
OMG! It is raining here in Texas! My GT won't melt will it? :biggrin:lol:rofl
 
Years ago when I was in college and with a sports car, I used to routinely take 2 spots; I was young and thought I (or the car) was all that.....

Then, I realized taking up 2 spots at any parking lot/garage would only induce others to potentially "mess" with your car. Haven't done that for 2 decades.... Just do like others have said, either really take care of the valet guys or park it at the far end fo the lot/garage.

GTED
 
"Meh, I park like it like every other car I own. Except that I look for places that leave room on the drivers side. I've found that people are nervous about parking next to it (when watching from a coffee shop, I've seen several people consider parking next to the GT then rethink it and move on)."

Fubar, I wish that was the case around here. For some reason, and I'm not being paranoid, everytime I drive the car to a busy parking area, no matter how carefully I try to isolate the car, the next thing I know, some idiot with a 200,000 mile Toyota HAS TO PARK RIGHT NEXT TO ME, even if there's numerous extra spaces on either side. I realize that some people want to get next to the car to gawk at it, but I also think some people automatically resent the car and what it represents to them, and they park as close as possible.
 
djs said:
Fubar, I wish that was the case around here. For some reason, and I'm not being paranoid, everytime I drive the car to a busy parking area, no matter how carefully I try to isolate the car, the next thing I know, some idiot with a 200,000 mile Toyota HAS TO PARK RIGHT NEXT TO ME, even if there's numerous extra spaces on either side.
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For that EXACT reason, I never parked #1079 in a "busy parking area". 'Only actually "parked it" in a certain PROTECTED, clearly observable parking spot at a restaurant we frequent for breakfast on the weekends...or in my garage. Other than that, if the car was "parked" - I was standing right there with it.


djs said:
I realize that some people want to get next to the car to gawk at it, but I also think some people automatically resent the car and what it represents to them, and they park as close as possible.
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Exactly. And they're the type who'll gleefully bounce the door of their junker off the side of your GT (or any high end car) just for spite - or run a key down the side of it. Or BOTH.

My own "paranoia" in this area stems from having too many paint jobs INTENTIONALLY damaged by these dirtbags over the years. I therefore decided long ago not to just HAND THEM an opportunity.

I know a few of you are probably shaking your heads in disgust at the above right now, but, so be it.
 
BlackICE said:
EP would say only in your own garage with good locks and a video surveillance and alarm system and only bring it out in the public roads if the tires never touch the ground.
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EGG-flippin'-ZACKLY!!!!!!!!
 
Empty Pockets said:
My own "paranoia" in this area stems from having too many paint jobs INTENTIONALLY damaged by these dirtbags over the years. I therefore decided long ago not to just HAND THEM an opportunity.

I know a few of you are probably shaking your heads in disgust at the above right now, but, so be it.
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I am in full agreement with EP!

For some reason those dirtbags never touch my 91 pickup even when I park it in a compact space next to a BMW or MB. :biggrin
 
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I have found that virtually all adults respect the car, asking intelligent questions and seem proud that Ford made it.

On the other hand, their children can be a handful and have to be watched constantly.
 
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