Yikes! That gives me the *******. How's your bumper? My friends live in the city and I pray to the car gods my bumper won't get chewed up from parallel parkers. My black Maxima had brown pock marks all over it when I lived in Chicago for 1 yr.

 

The Z is just like any other car. Paint, window/door seals, interior, etc. will all wear faster sitting outside. You can only do whatever is within your control to protect it if it's important to you. My Z has never spent a night outside, and probably never will.

 

Don't want to scare you but theres lots of pictures with Z's missing there headlights I would definatly get the garage if its within your means.

 

I live in AZ and only park in a garage to hide from the cops. Never on a daily basis. My last car was black so I have seen the worst of it. The 2 problems you are going to have is 1 It will only be clean for like 2-3 days and need washed again. So I only wash every couple months or for a show/meet. And 2 if you live where it will be 120+ degrees and the car is black and you have black leather an T-tops and get in the car with no shirt on you will, I repeat will regret letting your back touch the seat.

But quit being a weiner and park it outside

 

After spending a billion hours doing the whole Zaino treatment, parking it outdoors would be almost criminal.

Back when I was in NY, the weather and salt corroded the paint on my old '94 Integra. Had to get her repainted. Additionally, when I parked that car outdoors, it was broken into 3 times and outright stolen once. Cops found the car 5 hours later, more or less intact.

 

Salt=great point, no salt in AZ, did not consider. And Zaino is waaaay too much work for a shine to me. To me the least important thing about a car is how clean the exterior is.

Honda product=high theft, but people in my old neighborhood knew not to steal from me. My new neighborhood I keep a much lower profile. So a little worried there but that is what insurance is for right?

 

Thank God you didn't get a SB. People warned me not to buy a black car and now I see why. Rain spots, bird crap, pollen, etc....
I love the car but it actually hurts to see it when it's dirty.

 

It doesn't hurt to have a garage. Keeps away from possible vandals, outside debris. No need to worry about walking out in the morning to see your car missing.

 

A garage would be great. I wish I had one, but I also wish I had a lift and a couple mil in the bank. Just do a cost to benefit analysis. If it makes "sense" it makes sense.

 

It only snows here rarely and when it does it only lasts for a day or so. My car lives outside. I wash it at least once a week and wax it when i have the time. It's a Z not a 911 so I'm not going to cry if it has to sit in the rain occassionally. If I owned a Porsche then yes a garage would be a must. Come on, it's a Nissan not an exotic. It won't kill the car to sit in the weather if you can't afford or don't have access to a garage.

 

Mine stays outside and is SB

I'll have a garage as soon as I move (in a few months)

I wouldn't recomend having a dark color outside, the paint get damaged too soon. I have to wash it like 3 times a week and apply quick wax after I wash it. But of course, thats not enough to keep SB swirl free. I have to wax it with the buffer every 2 weeks to make sure it has thick enough wax film to protect it.

 

Picture yourself trying to sleep in a new garage-less condo.....

What was that noise outside?

There it is again...

Have to get up and look outside...

Run outside yelling, barefoot in your pajamas, to chase them away....

 

That is why you live in a safe neighborhood. Your car will be fine parked outside. I live in an apartment complex with a lot of other nice cars. Do you have a garage to park your car in when your at work, movies, mall, grocery store, etc?

 

+1
If you live in a nice area, then you don't worry about your car every waking or I guess non-waking minute.

 

Get the Garage if you can.

My car is usually outside for a total of 3hrs a day thats it. Home garaged, work garaged, movies/mall garaged. It makes a huge difference because my last car was not garaged and man you lose the new car look and smell a lot faster. I have 51k and when i roll up to a starbucks or fast food they go is that car new. I say fairly its 3yrs old. They always tell me they can smell the new car smell through the window. I was like, hmmm never noticed it was that strong.

Those that have the cover and have used it, does it repel water from like a good rain. I have scotch guard and I was thinking about spreading my cover out and spraying it on, off the car of course. I park it at my parents house when I go to class, Mom lets me take her car since it blends in until i get my beater.

 

so what have we learned here?
DO NOT PARK YOUR Z OUTSIDE
PARK YOUR Z IN A GARAGE,
OR DONT COMPLAIN WHEN YOUR Z GETS F'D UP

 

Or you can park your car outside like I have for the past 7 years and not have anything happen to it...

 

It's a comfort knowing your Z is safe and sound in the garage. I even have door mats outside of my Z, lol. It's a good feeling for sure though when there is a foot of snow outside and you know you don't have to worry about cleaning it off. Obviously the garage would be a better choice if you have the chance.

 

djnc350Z, parking a Z in the garage is no more necessary than is owning one. Both are privileges, and those us who have both simultaneously are very lucky. But that is not to say that the latter without the former is a "bad idea" or a "terrible mistake".

Yes, nice cars naturally attract a lot more attention than beaters do, and that can be both good and bad. But we can't slap a blanket "must have garage for Z ownership" on every member here. Everyone knows the risks of outdoor parking. If you think your benefits outweigh them, then who cares? Enjoy your Z! I recently moved into a new condo and made sure it had a 2 car attached garage. In fact, that was the first question my wife and I were asking every property's office when I called them.

Moral: Don't sweat it. Car covers rock too! Look at davidv; those who love their cars always figure out a way to care for them...garage or no garage.

 

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