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Things we all worry about- When other people have our car.

Capri to ST

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#1
This is a cartoon by George Booth, who is one of my favorites. He was a Marine in World War II, and then re-enlisted afterwards so he could be the cartoonist for the Marine magazine, Leatherneck. He has been a cartoonist for the New Yorker since about 1969, and has created his own wonderful world. He has a whole series of great cartoons involving people taking their cars to really sketchy repair shops. George is now 95, and still going strong.
I really don't like it when someone else has my car. George did a good job of expressing, and maybe exaggerating a bit, the concern that I feel in that situation. The cartoon came out a little blurry, but I think you can still read it.
This is why I don't do valet parking.

your-car-will-be-right-down-mr-lundquist-new-yorker-cartoon_u-l-pgrh7m0.jpg
 


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dhminer

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#3
Most people I know can't drive a stick; the ones who do and ask to take my little beast for a spin...I just say no.
Same. Only 2 people have ever driven my car in 4 years/73k miles other than myself - my dad and a good friend who drives like a bigger wimp than me.
 


M-Sport fan

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#4
My effing state requires the inspection shop to do a test drive before passing and getting the stickers, due to the effing POS privatized inspection system here. [mad]

I tell them, as long as I can ride in the passenger seat while your 'tech' drives, it is OK, if not, you are passing me WITHOUT the effing 'test drive'. [wink]

I've seen clutches and gearboxes DESTROYED in much less time than these ridiculous 'test drives' ever take.
 


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#5
I have been known to be fairly free with letting other folks drive my car, provided I've seen them drive before. We sometimes do fun runs after the serious driving at our autocrosses, and it is a great chance to try some cool cars- Porsches, Vettes, etc.
It is really awkward to tell someone "no" after they see the Fiesta passed around like a doobie at a Grateful Dead concert, but there are folks I don't want behind the wheel.
 


M-Sport fan

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#12
Ya I can totally get my head around his attitude. I was trying to diagnose something and I had my mechanic take it for a drive and I went with and he was being all careful and I was like no push it , you want me to drive?:LOL:
That case/scenario is a bit different from what I described above. [nono]

Regardless of just how totally bombproof and indestructible some (most??) on here think our engines/drive trains are (whether stock or modded), all it takes is one low life punk over-hooning with these cars, to do permanent damage, especially going full boost, WOT popping the clutch, and lighting up the tires, especially when cold. [mad] [:(]
 


Dpro

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#13
That case/scenario is a bit different from what I described above. [nono]

Regardless of just how totally bombproof and indestructible some (most??) on here think our engines/drive trains are (whether stock or modded), all it takes is one low life punk over-hooning with these cars, to do permanent damage, especially going full boost, WOT popping the clutch, and lighting up the tires, especially when cold. [mad] [:(]
ya well that is not going to happen as I usually put in in valet mode. :LOL: Or basic tune if I am going to leave it somewhere. Plus If it was at a Ford dealership the only Ford dealership I will trust is Galpin. They get GTโ€™s Cobraโ€™s and Mustangs as well as Raptors my car ainโ€™t gonna draw the that kind of driver there. :ROFLMAO:
 


M-Sport fan

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#14
^^^I was not talking about a dealership where one might have the option to deny a test drive by any tech after the work they did on the car, but about a state inspection mandated test drive where one cannot even have an AP valet mode map in the ECM because they might fail one for such in the first place.
 


Dpro

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#15
^^^I was not talking about a dealership where one might have the option to deny a test drive by any tech after the work they did on the car, but about a state inspection mandated test drive where one cannot even have an AP valet mode map in the ECM because they might fail one for such in the first place.
We donโ€™t have that here. All we have is smog inspection and on newer cars that does not even involve putting it on the dyno or a tailpipe sensor. All they do is inspect it the engine compartment and maybe look underneath and plug the computer into your OBDII port and read your ecu.
 


haste

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#16
Took my car to get the windows tinted and the guy tinting the windows commented on how good it sounded but it would only rev to 3k rpms...lol. I told him I put it in valet mode and he was taken aback as to why I would do such a thing, haha.

Only four other people have "driven" my FiST, and I rode with all of them(except my wife). I've only let one non-relative drive it, but he owns a FiST himself and knows how to drive. I was pleasantly surprised how smooth he was with it.

Considering I have to get my car inspected once a year, I do let the technicians move it from the parking spot to the bay inside the shop and back out. I CRINGE everytime they stall the car out, but whatever, it's just a car. It's not like they are dropping the clutch at 5K RPMs to inspect it.
 


M-Sport fan

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Considering I have to get my car inspected once a year, I do let the technicians move it from the parking spot to the bay inside the shop and back out. I CRINGE every time they stall the car out, but whatever, it's just a car. It's not like they are dropping the clutch at 5K RPMs to inspect it.
Yeah, the moving 30 feet from where I parked it into the service station bay/lift for the state inspection is not what bothers me.

It is the solo, unsupervised 'test (joy) ride' which makes me cringe. [wink]
 


Intuit

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#18
........... I really don't like it when someone else has my car. ................
Wait, somebody borrowed your car? But I thought the reason we bought stick shifts in the first place, was so no one would want to borrow our cars? ;)

Joking of course. Yeah the I've only smelled clutch two times. Getting it from the dealer new, and getting it from a dealer after "service". Can't much help the first instance, but I knew better with the second but thought I'd risk it. Yeah never again...
 


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#19
Most people I know can't drive a stick; the ones who do and ask to take my little beast for a spin...I just say no.
I mean it's a dying skill, I absolutely take any chance to keep it alive by sharing it. It's not like these cars are known to have fragile clutches and they're not super expensive to repair or buy so I spread the love as often as I can. I love my car, and while its precious to me I still want to share it with people because it's special. As long as it ends up back in my parking spot in one piece I'm happy.
 


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