A question to everyday GT40 drivers

[HeathGT350]

When I get my GT40 I plan to use it as an "everyday driving" car.

My question to you guys is, Do you have trouble getting into the car when it's parked in a parking lot?

I remember on the Top Gear episode where Jerermy Clarkson did a review of the Ford GT, the other guys on the show made an issue of the fact that the GT was almost impossible to get into with another car parked next to it due to the roof panels on the door.

I assume the GT40 suffers the same fate in a parking lot.... How do you guys get around that?

[gt40power]

well i dout that anybody really uses a 40 as an everyday car, its just not for that kina thing. people might go for a blast in it every day but use it as an everyday car it would proberly not be suited. i see were you are coming from when i have mine i will want to use it everyday.

a trick over here for people that have a nice car, expensive car or just a car they like a lot is to park at an angle and take us 2 spaces, this means they wont get people parking and slaming doors into there pride and joy. it does not go well with the traffic wardens tho.

[alan114]

Maybe you should get in touch with that nice gentleman Noel Edmonds[not],i remember reading an article when he owned a GT40 and was a disc jockey working at the BBC he used it as his daily transport.One advantage was he could drive under the car park barrier and annoy the car park attentant

[Fred/Belgium]

To me it does not take more space than any other door of a normal car in such a parking lot.
The only difference is to exit the car trough the roof opening rather than next to the car...you should see people watching you.... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]
Fred

[Dave Bilyk]

The only solution is to use an end space (if available) so that the door opens out of the parking lot and not into an adjacent space. Of course this can be very limiting as they are usually occupied already, or have a lampost or bush in the way of opening the door anyway, and it means reversing into the space 50% of the time. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
regards
Dave

[Mark Clapp]

Many people have gotten a good laugh at me duck-walking out from under the door when the parking is tight. But I had a lot more fun getting there than they did! The place I work has secured parking so I drive it whenever the weather is nice.

[DaveWharran]

I ran mine to work every day this summer that the weather was nice. Like others, I have an end spot in a reserved parking lot. If you can't open the door all the way, you have to crawl out. Sort of like caving and having to wiggle through small openings.
In other lots, I only park it when I have to and then it is as far out and unpopulated by other vehicles as it can be.

Practical as a daily driver? It is fine unless you want to carry much. I put 10K miles on mine in a years time, so for me, yes, it is practical.....and a lot of fun!

[Howard Jones]

Early Sunday morning drive down highway 1 at about 130mph or so, very practical. Run to home depot for plywood....

Short blast down the freeway at 11pm befor bedtime, beats the blue pills. Workday 45 min drive at an average speed of 10mph on the freeway in stop and go traffic.....

Get the picture?

[Malcolm]

On one trip out with a couple of club members we stopped at a motorway service station to eat. With dubious locks and no alarm we just parked my 40 up and then parked one normal car each side with about 4" gap between cars. No one could get close without looking very out of the ordinary!

[JOSEPH]

Mark Acton,
Take two parking places here in the USA may get someone to accidentilly scratch their key the length of your 40. Joseph [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[Peter D]

I am starting to stretch my 40 out as an everyday driver - the limitations are easy :

- Any hint of rain, forget it !

- Destination client must provide easy access to their ultra-secure carpark

- Shopping Centres - don't bother unless you can park at the kerb-side

There are some up-sides - I used to drive my Vette into the city on a regular basis & the big buzz was to set off at least 2 other car alarms per floor as I left - the 40 will be even louder, so I'm banking on about 4 alarms per floor !!!

Kind Regards,

Peter D.

[gt40rick]

Joseph, I agree, I never took two spaces and I always parked wherever there was an available spot, never locked the car and never worried about it and I can say that I never got a scratch from a door or a key or whatever. When my wife and I would come back from shopping, dinner or a movie there were usually people "guarding" (ok so they were looking), my car for me. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Peter, That is kind of fun... my GT40 was so loud that any car within 100 feet that had an alarm would go off as we drove by. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Fred/Belgium]

Rick

I am all your on that one.Looks like I feel more confortable to leave my car with the keys than my wife on the street.The guardians seem to have a different objective in both cases... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
Fred

[F3L]

Unfortunately, some insurance companies will not cover you if you elect to park in a shopping centre parking lot UNLESS it is car show-related, etc.

Daily driver, don't know, unless the sun is out, it's Friday, and I feel like taking the car to work...

You may have a crappy day but who cares because at the end of the day, as you stride out to your waiting steed, all the BS just disappears... (listen to Bon Jovi Wanted Dead or Alive while writing this)

Rick [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]