Hartawan

iTrader: (1)

I really think my IS350 is a ding magnet, ever since Oct 05 I have 5 dings. I dont even park too close. Sometimes I have to park in a tight parking spot, but I have never gotten a ding from that, weird. I hate stupid people who dont care about their car or other people's.

How many dings do you have on your car?

is4me2

Luckily no dings yet.....but trying to prevent the dings I've got rim rash on both front rims trying to park close to curbs to prevent the dings

kensteele

No dings...since 11/2005

Oum'sIS

I think rim rash has to be another category. I get when I drive through bank all the time and it kills me/

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

No dings on the IS, one tiny ding on my '93 Supra. I never worry about where I park. They're cars. They can be fixed if necessary. I refuse to be a slave to my possessions any more than I must.

ecr527

No dings on my IS yet either (knock on wood) but I'm sure that day is coming. It's just a matter of time.

Cali_Girl

No dings on doors.....but I do have 2 rock chips on the hood and a few on the bumper.

vcept

i got nothing, had the car for 6 months too =)

omgitsroy

iTrader: (1)

where do you park.. you should really watch out for small compact car areas....

the help you out.. in a parking lot.. you want to park where there's an island on the right side of the car and get really close to it. Then you're only vulnerable on the left side... but most people only have a driver and then open with their left door so in that case.. there is no chances of you gettin hit.

next...if you're on a slated area.. you want your car to be at the highest part of the slant. Let's say your on the second highest... and you're parked... your car is tilted so that the left side is higher than the right... now if someone opens the door to the right... gravity will be working against them .... so it would be harder for them to hit you....

next you can also park towards the bottom of the slant where there's no one on the right side and get close to the right as possible.... again ... on the left side now is exposed.. but a car on the left would most likely open their left door.. so you're good.. now if they have a passenger... you do risk that gravity will carry the door outward to hit your car... but since you're so far to the right... it probably won't reach....

visa versa if it's slanted the other way... sorry.. if you can't understand me.... it would be easy to explain it in real life...

Hartawan

iTrader: (1)

I understand what you mean but 1. It's hard to always find a parking with an island on the side 2. I moved to So Cal, meaning theres not much slanted hills anyways, unlike SF. For some reason, I only get dings when there is quite some space between the cars i park next to. Maybe because they think because it has a big space, they can just swing open their door and thinking that it wouldnt hit my car.

Also, where can I get the dings fixed and approximately how much does it cost?

omgitsroy

iTrader: (1)

i am also from So cal.. anyhow when i say slanted i mean parking structures.. sorry i wasn't clear on that...

also when i mean island... there's almost an island in every parking lot you're at... wheater it's a wall or an island where little flowers grow..

You want to atleast keep one side safe... .by parking where a car can't park (say next to an island) you're safe on that side... then you reduce your chance by 50%. Now if you can cover your right side.. that's the best thing because it's a guarantee that when a car parks on the right side ... the driver will open their door.

On the other hand.... if you ever see other people driving ... 90% of the time they only have one person to a car. That means your chance of getting hit on the driver side of the car gets reduced... (this assumes that you're not reverse parking in a slot)

so punchline
1) Avoid being vulnerable on both sides (try to find a wall or island)
2) Try to avoid having passenger side exposed to getting hit
3) on slated areas (ie parking structures) try to reduce your chance of getting wacked hard by a door since gravity is not in your favor...

krazykanuk

I took my car to a paintless dent doctor about a year ago. ~$80-100 and he took out all my dings, even one that was right on the body line on the gas door of my IS300. Probably about 5 in all.

shaolin

iTrader: (2)

0 so far. very very very lucky

Bichon

I always protect the left side of my car when possible. Two reasons: first, kids riding in the passenger seat of an adjacent car are FAR more likely to carelessly fling open a door than their parents in the driver seat. Second, and more importantly, if luck runs out and I do receive a ding, I'd rather it be on the passenger side where I don't have to look at it every time I get into the car.

omgitsroy

iTrader: (1)

bichon... you have a very good point. I guess it depends on where you park also. In more public places you're correct... for my situation .. at work... no one really carpools so i don't have to worry about little kids.

I guess it depend on geographics also. You are correct about the carelessness, but your right side is more of a guarantee that it will see a door open.

I don't know how it is in NJ... but you do bring up a good point ..