Parking Outside

[BoostRabbitGT]

For anyone who's owned a sports car of any kind, do you have any tips for if life circumstances require you to park outside at your residence? (i.e. not inside a garage or even under a roofed parking lot)

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[smurfslayer]

Build a(nother) garage. If you can’t, move to a new place with a bigger garage and/or ability to build another garage. If it’s parked on the street, and it’s a high crime area or one susceptible to vehicle thefts, you can try to harden the target a bit with cameras, kill switch, trackers (plural)
If possible, make sure peasant cars are easier to get to than your Mustang.

I have relatives living in DC, they have nothing fancier than minivans and a H*nda car or 2, and they have a theft every 2-4 years. Some are found, some disappear into the ether. If your circumstance is similar, don’t get too attached.

 

[RLE55]

Are you concerned about theft / damage or weather? If weather, get a good car cover. They're a PITA to always put on and take off if the car is driven daily, but they will protect it.

 

[BoostRabbitGT]

Are you concerned about theft / damage or weather? If weather, get a good car cover. They're a PITA to always put on and take off if the car is driven daily, but they will protect it.

More so theft/damage than weather.

I've heard that constantly putting on and taking off a car cover will scratch the car up more than just leaving it uncovered to the elements.

I forgot to mention my vehicle/future vehicle is a daily driver.

 

[Farmer Fran]

Good insurance with low deductible

 

[MCS]

This is a tough one Rabbit. It really depends on where you live and what you are willing to accept as part of your routine; risk vs. reward.

My previous S550 was supercharged..... with far more money invested than I would care to admit, epsecially in front of the wife... and I NEVER parked it outside at night. ALWAYS in the Garage. If I didn't have a garage I wouldn't have bought the car and made it what it was. I would have kept it stock.

I also have an indoor camera that faces my driveway, an airtag (decoy), lowjack and Fordpass installed on the vehicle. I had other means of theft deterent too but that varies from country to country ;)

Damage is something you have you to actively mitigate; there is no "Oh, I have anti damage engaged so I'm good".

Park far away from the peasants at the grocery store.
Don't drive into Brampton.
If it's going to hail outside find a roof to put your car under. That kinda thing.

The TL;DR of all of that is "You have to decide what risk you are willing to live with"

 

[AdrenalDestruction]

-pack rats (or your native critters) can wreak havoc; use ultrasonic devices and keep a light underneath if need be
-invest in a good cover; truly water resistant, sun protective, and at least *something between the car and hail
-dash cam (not useful but any visual deterrent is good)
-our s650 usually sits outside (wrapped stuff gets the cover ) but we try to maximize shade and avoid any droppings (little stuff typically, big stuff during storms)
-Re: theft; if your area is such that the Mustang will stick out like a sore thumb - get a new plan or at least wait until your area is more secure. The way people react to different vehicles is absolutely staggering. The Mustang doesn’t get the worst attention for us but anything “nice” becomes a target for the crummiest elements of society. Similarly, if you have a very predictable schedule, your risk is amplified.


Good luck whichever way you go!

 

[Lgb0250]

LOL. I know it’s a nice piece of metal but, that’s all it is, a piece of metal. In
most cases it’s not a forever car. Life evolves. We move on to other needs and the old geezers like me sometimes return to our youth fantasies.

i tried the covers and they were all just a PIA, especially for a daily driver. Either have a good coat of ceramic put on it or do it yourself. I have security cameras all over my property. They are not going to prevent it from being stolen or vandalized but they will make it easier to see who did it and hopefully track them down. I also have an air tag on the under carriage. I just don’t obsess over it. It is what it is.

 

[Skye]

I've heard that constantly putting on and taking off a car cover will scratch the car up

Over time, yes. Putting a cover on a clean car, recently washed, no problem. After one drive, I would not consider any cover as an option. I'm also not a fan of covers in view of passersby; they imply something of value or interest underneath.

Short-term, several things could be done to prevent a theft, such as blocking access with another vehicle.

Mid-term, like a few weeks or months during home construction, remodel or out-of-area, I'd consider a storage facility; many have bays large enough to accommodate a vehicle. It'd be a safe place to stow until the garage opened back up.

Long-term though, like a DD, it's not something I'd consider. If not theft of the vehicle, theft of wheels, eggs thrown and other vandal actions.

I don't have any tells of mice in my area, but I know we have squirrels, which are routinely fed by others; they tend to be aggressive and are always on the lookout for a new nesting area.

I live in what I consider a mid-range neighborhood. Smash-and-grabs are common, especially during the Holidays. Generally not an issue, as long as the vehicle is emptied and secured. But I've never seen anyone park a new vehicle in their driveway. I've never seen anyone park anything "nice" outside. Nowadays, anywhere, it's just not worth it.

As to insurance, I can speak to experience of a family member: filing multiple claims over time can result in you being dropped. And that follows you. We all have a Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) score. Your CLUE is akin to your Fair Issac COrporation (FICO), but for insurance. Like your FICO, your CLUE doesn't go away and follows you for your life.

 

[Zig]

For anyone who's owned a sports car of any kind, do you have any tips for if life circumstances require you to park outside at your residence? (i.e. not inside a garage or even under a roofed parking lot)

Park outside at residence as in on or near the property? Like parking on a pad that is on the lot or at the curb out front or down the street (out of sight)?

 

[REV745DH24]

Put a fake 7 dynamite sticks on the center inside and wired lined to the underside of the dashboard making people afraid to dare anything they are going to steal and get blown up! Lol!

 

[Zig]

Put a fake 7 dynamite sticks on the center inside and wired lined to the underside of the dashboard making people afraid to dare anything they are going to steal and get blown up! Lol!

Leave a roll of police/hazmat tape on the dash?

 

[REV745DH24]

Leave a roll of police/hazmat tape on the dash?

That too!

 

[R3tro GT]

Don't drive into Brampton.

 

[BoostRabbitGT]

Park outside at residence as in on or near the property? Like parking on a pad that is on the lot or at the curb out front or down the street (out of sight)?

Directly on the driveway in my case. Sorry, trying to not be too specific as I've been a little too personal here in the past.

By the way, thank you to everyone who's shared advice here thus far!

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