How are you about someone else driving or working on your car?
 

How are you about someone else driving or working on your car? This is prompted by me recently getting my car smogged. The monkey doing the test chipped the paint at the bottom of the driver's door and I did not notice it until later. I was recently in Oregon, where they don't let you pump your own gas, $10000 fine.

I hate it myself, drives me nuts having someone driving my car, but I was wondering if anyone else was a bit compulsive about this.

You talking about the Porsche, or cars in general? Driving and working on are 2 different things, too.

In general, depends on whether or not they know what they're doing. The daily driver Honda, I don't care. The 911, they need to know how to drive an older 911. Smogging is a bit painful for me to watch, as you've noted above. The car doesn't get valet parked. The motorbike, no.

I'm real bad about letting others drive my cars. P car, DD, beater, does not matter.

There is a lot of potential fuchage that comes along with it.

I got into a Larry David-esque confrontation with a valet parker at a local restaurant a few years ago because I skipped the valet stand and just parked my 993 myself. That idiot kid walked with and nagged me all the way up the restaurant entrance about how they put Bugattis and Ferraris up front and know how to handle exotics. I assured him I didn't care about being seen. I didn't tell him my real reason was that I had two guns in the car. But sheesh. He had no idea if I was a part owner of the restaurant or what and he just nagged and nagged. I was dressed for a business lunch and was really tempted to go complain to his boss, but didn't. No, I never ever valet the 993 and I don't like anyone working on it. I don't mind letting Porsche buddies drive it though.

My wife drives my 911 all the time. I encourage her to drive it. She claims to have no interest in mechanical things, but I can tell she likes heading out for a hair appointment or lunch date with friends in it.

Valets are fine. I'm insured. Its a car, not the holy grail. Now get drinking.

The Bugatti and F-car owner that kid is talking about are likely guys who 1) have the cash to burn (or aren't mechanically-sensitive enough) that they don't care about mechanical wear/tear, or 2) are getting the flavor of the year and will be selling the car shortly anyway, so will be passing along any of that wear/tear trouble onto the next owner anyway.

But considering that I'm intending to keep my 911 for as long as I can drive (and then pass it on to my kids or someone else like-minded), if that ham-fisted valet burns 100 miles off the clutch or grinds a bit off reverse gear by not waiting that one-one thousand between putting in the clutch and engaging the shift lever, that's MY problem that I'll eventually have to deal with. That's the difference.

I see it all the time at the local cars and coffee type gatherings. You rarely ever see the guys with old cars burning out or screaming away from the meet after the car's been sitting there (with cold motor) for the past hour. It's always the guys with the late-model stuff who do that.

I know you guys have way better cars than I do...

But at the end of the day it is just a car... yes I let people drive the Porsche (when it was running) and my Korean DD.

I don't have the time or patients to work on my cars.

I do hate valet parking, but only because I'm cheap and I can park my own car thank you very much.

Sue drives it sometimes, she seems to think it's an "event" when she gets to, but I'd let her drive it to work if she asked more...

Otherwise, it gets driven for 5 minutes, once a year for smog.

Strangely enough, I have heart issues for 5 minutes, once a year...

The wife drives my car if she needs or wants to (which isn't often). Otherwise, I'm not real excited about anyone driving or working on my cars or my family's cars.

I've seen the results of the common hack too many times, and ridden with too many folks that can barely drive a stick, but think that can.

And the Oregon pump your gas thing freaks me out (being born and raised in Lost Angeles).

I instinctively jump out of the car and head for the pump (actually wife grabs my arm before I can open the door).

Then I asked her if I should tip the guy... they also look at your weird if you get out to wipe your windshield.

Not that big of a deal but it can be annoying if the attendant is talking on the cell phone or shooting the breeze with the locals while you sit there waiting for gas.

just a car..
maybe so..
but it's mine..
I delivered & picked up cars for a dealership at 18..
I know what WE DID..
my apologies to all those vette & camaro owners...

Rika

Valet?
No way, not in the 911, rarely in the Lexus (stupid expensive in LA anyway + I'm supposed to tip? BS)

Mechanic?
OK, not a prob but it's still nerve wracking leaving the cars with anyone else.

Family/Inlaws? Prob OK with Lexus (necessary evil when traveling to family - car-less and need to "get out"? Better chance of them lending us their car if we have extended the keys to them previously). Porsche? Not happening in the 911, not b/c it's irreplaceable or a holy relic - it's just that few know how to properly shift/drive older 911s and fewer can relate to my freakish love for these cars and my intolerance to the ignorant is well known among my family...

For me, my 911 isn't just another car (I understand that position) it's the object of my affection that I have spent countless hours and dollars developing to my liking, not going to turn that over to someone with out the required skill and who can't appreciate or relate to that...

ymmv

For me it's less about the car and more about the liability risk.

In the 16 years I have owned my 911 only one valet has touched it. That was at a San Fransisco hotel and the ONLY way to get the car parked there was for the valet to do it. I tipped him 20 bucks to be careful and park it in next to a pillar in the corner of the garage where it was protected from the people walking around. I could hear the engine and he never got above 3,000 RPM.

I do most of my own work but the two different professional mechanics I have worked with know more about air cooled 911s than I do. I did let my brother who drives a 54 VW bug as a daily driver, drive my 911. It was funny, he would shift at 4,000 RPM until I reminded him he was just starting to get to the power band. After that he was OK to run it to 6,000 RPM. We got on the interstate and he never shifted out of third until I suggested we use one of the other two higher gears. I think he was more nervous than I was.

Thanks for the laugh, Rikao.

For me, I just let USAA know. Denis (Speeder) just dropped off my 356 to my Dad in Fairfield, California yesterday.

USAA now knows an 82 year-old is at the helm.

When the car gets home, the family gets to drive it. Everybody. I am long past the day when I cherish metal over the experiences my kids will have going fast, slow.

It is a car. Can you imagine being 17/18 driving a 356 solo after a few hours with Dad?

I'm fussy about my 944 but I just bought a used 03 VW Passat and it is just a car. It came pre door dent dinged and has a few scratches. I don't abuse cars but driving in the city, one expects and few dents, scratches and chips parking and sitting overnight on the street.

I'm mainly scared of people grinding the gears in my 915.
If i had a newer 911 with a more user friendly gearbox, I would probably let more people drive it.

I'm very anal about anybody driving my car, consider it to be bad luck. My mechanic is 7 hours away,so only I work on the car,if I cannot fix it.... it goes on the trailer to Austin,where my mechanic's shop is !

$10,000 fine??? where did you hear that?

I have not heard of that and have been in Orygun a good long while.

IIRC, the term "dispense" is used in the ORS. You might be able to put the nozzle in and have the pump jockey turn on the pump; when it clicks you take it out and hand it to him. I often do that on the 911.

Agree with those that say, "it's just a car". Both my sons learned to drive standard transmissions on my 911, both took her to the prom. Both brought it back in perfect condition. Sheet metal can be straightened, engines fixed...driving a Porsche to prom....priceless!