Parking A New Corolla Outside

just had a thought, you will know that you are getting over your corolla obsession when you start singing to yourself, 'oh Lord, won't you buy me a mercedes benz? my friends all drive porsches, i must make amends......'

Here's kind of a related question.

Is there any way to protect the rubbery seal around the doors? You know, the part that kinda folds back out and forms a seal in the gap?

I could see that breaking apart in no time after being left out in the element for a couplefew years.

I've used Armour All on mine. Had the car a bit over three years- seems to be working...

The "obsession" will last about a week. Then you're shiny, new Corolla will get it's first parking-lot door ding, stone chip, or some other such typical scar, then you'll go back to normal. My '03 Corolla has been washed in automatic car washes plenty of times, but still looks great. I wax it no more than twice a year with premium Turtle Wax. The car exists to serve me, not for me to serve it. I'm not going to obsess over it's appearance. If anything gets damaged in an ugly manner, I'll get it fixed. Other than that, I understand that over time it will get that "lived in" look, and I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. A good thing about the "silver" color (Lunar Mist Metallic in my case) is that it looks good no matter how dirty it is.

The parking lot where I work is very dust so washing my car is almost a lost cause. I still do it once a month on the weekends just so the dirt doesn't build up beyond a light film of dust. After 1 year, it still looks like a new clean car after I wash it.

I Personally don't think it's worth hte tiem and effort to cover and car and worry about precisely where you park it. You live in the city. Having scrapped paint on the bumper and a few ding s is part of city life. I never saw a car in downtown Chicago that didn't fit that description.

just had a thought, you will know that you are getting over your corolla obsession when you start singing to yourself,  'oh Lord, won't you buy me a mercedes benz?  my friends all drive porsches, i must make amends......'

Muzak- some students at the University of Cincinnati did a study on how we get songs stuck in our heads. They came up with a name for those songs- "earworms." Gross, but oh so accurate. (OT, of course)

I only have street parking available to me. That led me to buy a used rather than a new car. Parking on the street in Toronto is notoriously hard on a car. For all the reasons that others have stated plus the heavy use of salt in the winter.

I also agree that the "fever" of owning a new car dies down quite quickly. Like everything else, the novelty wears off. I am getting to the point where I would just as soon take the bus or subway.

I would not cover the car if I parked it on the street. That brings far too much attention. The idiots walking down the street say to themselves: "if this guy l ikes his car so much that he covers it, this is the one I will key..." Car covers are only for private property.

I would rather spend money on good car alarm if you going to park on the street. So you would not wake up 10 times at night...

a new car is always a rush. it's great to have something NEW ,LOOKS COOL, SMELLS GOOD AND EVERYTHING WORKS! plus the way your friends and family gush over it is nice as well. life is full of small joys. just grasp every single one of them and enjoy them to the hilt.

a mother-in-law joke I heard yesterday..."I went to see her awhile back, she lives 8hrs away, by broom". lol

I went to the local Toyota open house today and found out a little advice from one of the parts guys I know. Yesterday, a Corolla ownder had his driver's window smashed just for a few toonies (dollar coins) that he had in the coinholder. Some idiots will do anything for a few bucks!

What about "The Club" and Club-esque products? Are they worth it, or do they just exist to trick suckers to spend $50 on something dumb?

I have heard that LoJack is a good investment... although if somebody steals your car, you might not want it back!

I didn't get the optional alarm, because I absolutely hate the noise of them going off, and I don't think they do a lick of good anyway. My Corolla came with an engine immobilizer, though, which means there's a radio frequency in my key (kind of the same technology as Mobil's "SpeedPass"), and if the key is not in the ignition, the car won't start. I imagine that's good anti-theft protection, although if someone wants to steal the car, they're gonna steal it. I don't think Corolla's are high on the list of "most stolen" cars, anyway -- the Camry and the Civic are usually tops there.

Muzak- some students at the University of Cincinnati did a study on how we get songs stuck in our heads. They came up with a name for those songs- "earworms." Gross, but oh so accurate. (OT, of course)

Max, remember the Seinfeld episode where they mention the great composer Schumann who allegedly went crazy because he couldn't get a tune out of his head.

The same thing is gonna happen to me eventually, but in my case it's these inane jingles on morning radio, I'm humming them all day and the people in adjacent cubicles think I've already gone nuts.

OT off

Kemeyer, congrats on the new wheels, and welcome to Corolla-land. Couple of tips from someone who doesn't obsess too much about his car, but will do anything necessary that is not too much a pain in the a$$ to keep my car happy:

1/ I have to tell my girlfriend this repeatedly, but here goes: don't leave anything of value in plain view inside the car (money (even spare change which is a fortune for downtown hobos), briefcase, sunglasses). Even if your briefcase is empty, the passing thief doesn't know that, and it may cost you a broken window.

2/ Park as close to the curb as possible. Less likelihood of some idiot motorist dinging your side-view mirror, or just hitting you anywhere.

3/ My favourite parking spots at the mall are the ones where it's between another parking spot, and a curb (usually the end spot). Playing the odds, less probability of stray shopping carts colliding with your car, and basically just less traffic around your car, since there's only one spot beside you. You can go one better by being like those Vettes you sometimes see in the most remote spots in the mall, but then you might be too conspicuous which may result in a higher chance of theft.

4/ Every time I wash my car (maybe once a month, tops) I use Armor All for the interior. It looks fantastic. I'm about to use some OxyClean for those dastardly carpet stains, let you know how that turns out.

Besides that, enjoy the wheels. They should last to 2015 and beyond.

'Pa-ta-pa-pa-pa, I'm lovin' it!'

I would rather spend money on good car alarm if you going to park on the street. So you would not wake up 10 times at night...

I know these things can be adjusted. I just never had it done.

I didn't get the optional alarm, because I absolutely hate the noise of them going off, and I don't think they do a lick of good anyway.

Who ever hears an alarm and thinks, "Oh, I'd better call the cops, someone's breaking into someone's car out on the street!"

By contrast, how often do people think, "I WISH THE #$(*$)*#&%*$* NEIGHBOR WOULD SHUT HIS CAR ALARM OFF!!!"

There's still that $500 deductible, though, so I'm on the hook for anything that costs less than $500 to fix!

I'm sure you know that, though, but I wanted to be sure. I worked in the insurance biz for several years, and you'd be surprised what people believe about their insurance policies.

muzak-yes i do remember 'my shenronah". now i have that bloody song with it's deep 'dum....dum....dum.....' in my head. oh man, i think i have earworms!

and as for the club. i had read an article in consumer reports years ago about someone who had one and her car still got stolen. the thieves removed the entire steering wheel with the club still attached, sat that up by a tree and took off with the car. if someone wants your car badly enough, they will find a way.

01loadedle-glad to hear that your m.i.l. got a kick out of your new car. now you need to buy a new one every 5 years or so and keep giving her a new thrill!

kemeyers,

not to burst your bubble, but just treat the car normally. If you've got a car cover and a semi-good place to park it, it will be fine for many many years. Paint and body panels these days are chemically engineered to stand up to many many different types of harsh conditions. If you obcess about your new Corolla it will likely cause much stress in your life when most people wont even notice that you've taken such good care of it. If it was a 250,000 hotrod or something they it is worth washing at such a high frequency. Another thing to consider is washing it once a week will put water in unsuspecting places every week. The car is more-or-less engineered to accept water of all normal driving conditions, but not necessarly of washing conditions. Water could then become trapped in tiny crevices etc and slowly eat away wehre it isnt supposed to.

Now, for some winter cleaning tips: (I'm from both NH and Rochester, NY so I hear ya about the whole Boston winters thing.)

Contrary to popular belief, frequent washing in the salty winter conditions isnt always a good thing. Washing salt dissloves it in the water and ... (read above about water from washing)

Also, parking your car in a garage (or any warm atmosphere) tends to activate the salt (ice melts in a garage). Many people believe that parking outside in the cold fights rust by keeping the salt frozen in the ice crystals.

Personally, I have my car undercoated every year about October. Not with any normal undercoating though. I use bar and chain oil. I have both done this myself (with a HVLP spray gun) and had it done. Honestly, I dont konw what the laws are on it, but I do it. I then drive on dusty roads to set and secure the oil on the undercarage of the car creating a tough salt barier that washes right off in the spring (DO NOT WASH IT OFF DURING THE WINTER). Standard undercoatings have the ability to crack and wear over time allowing water (and salt) to get underneath and eat away.

I guess to summarize, washing is great, but not toooo often, for both your sanity and your new friend's.

-IJF

Alright people, I know a lot of you are going to disagree with me and many of my above points, I'm ready for it. I've been hearing it for years, but have never lost a car to rust.

PS, if a paint chip or whatever does happen, get a good touch up paint in THREE stages (primer, base/color, clear coat) www.paintscratch.com. Regular touch up paint sux.

And if for whatever reason a rust spot does occur take car of it RIGHT AWAY. gently grind off the rust just bearly down to the metal and then coat with your touch up paint. Properly applied touchup paint is good for small spots, get a spray can(s) for larger spots.

UPDATE: one thing that i forgot to add was that despite what i said above, if you leave dirt on your car and leave it in direct sun, the dirt specks can heat up and damage paint causing pits. although paint has become more advanced in recent years, i do not know if they have been able to overcome this.

An added note to ijfo regarding minor paint chips. The other day at the Toyota dealer I saw these neat little double sided things that look like pens. They cost 10 bucks and one end is the paint and the other end is clear coat. I don't know know good they are, but at least you get the exact colour for your car.

bw, state farm screwed me out of a $500 on an easily winable traffic collusion case. Ive since learned that they've screwed many people so now Im with farmers. from another collusion caused by an idiot hitting me as before Ive since found that they atleast work a case instead of giving up before its even started. state farm gave up after learning that the idiot got a lawyer...rediculous.

from your experience what insurance provider do you like the best?

Hey gang -- Just wanted to follow up on this, and let you all know that I found a great rate on a secure, underground garaged space a short walk from my apartment. I figure it's worth it, for peace of mind at least. Since I commute to work via the subway, my plan is to leave the Corolla parked in the garage Monday through Friday, and take it out on the weekends for fun! It'll also provide a bit more safety against theft, vandalism, and the harsh Boston elements. Thanks for your advice, everyone.

What about "The Club" and Club-esque products? Are they worth it, or do they just exist to trick suckers to spend $50 on something dumb?

While it's a pain to put on the CLUB after I parked my car, but I've been doing it for a while, so I'm used to it.

- uchok00

I dont put on the club for the Corolla but I do with the Civic, even tho it has a immoblizer, since it has a higher theft rate n being a Si. Sometimes I forget to take the club off when I start the car, n thats annoying.

they showed on tv years ago how the club or alarms dont stop thiefs. I forget what show it was...maybe dateline, but they had thieves break into cars on the show so the public would know how easy it is for them alarms or not. they disabled the alarm and cut thru the steering wheel and threw the club away and had the car running ready to drive off in under a single minute. lol

I've since spoken to a Boston cop, who essentially laughed when I told him I was considering using a Club or an Autolock. If someone wants to steal your car, they're gonna steal your car. The best thing you can do to prevent theft is to park in as safe a place as possible, roll up the windows, lock the doors, take the key, and have good insurance. If I drove a $50,000 Bimmer, I MIGHT be able to justify spending $700-1000 on a car tracking device like LoJack, but I can't justify spending that much on a $15,000 Corolla.

The best advise is to park your car in a safe place. Other then that, you could do some other custom things to slow down theft. I have a rare car to protect and it's in a garage, but I've thought about some things to do, but I havn't done them yet. They should be simple enough tho.

Custom fuel cut off switch. This is nothing new, but as long as you install it and hide it well, then only you should be able to start your car. Any real thief will steel your whole car and then strip it later. Now days tho, the popular thing is to tow a car because no one really questions a tow truck. It's too easy for them to play the repo man.

I've also thought about putting a strob light in my car to go off at the same time as my stock alarm. Why? Cause most breakins are at night and it would be hard to see in the car if a strob light was going off. You can get really small ones now. I think it would be a big enough surprize to scare away most people. You could adapt a security system UPS with a alarm or strob light and have fake power wires so it can't be turned off as easily. You just got to be tricky and do things different. Any off the shelf system can be reversed engineered by a thief.

The number one rule in security is to be harder to break in then the other cars on your block. Theifs don't go for the hard target.