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    Do you Valet your 911?

    I know this is a silly question, but i'm curious how many people are scared to valet their "baby". I'm asking this because the other day I was in the middle of handing my keys to a valet when the car in front of me was badly smashed into a wall. Is it worth the 5-20 minute inconivence to not valet your car. Or do you not mind a person you don't know shifting gears in the thing you love.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    This question was once proposed, and the overwhelming answer was H-ell NO

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Never valet any vehicle that you have a stong attachment to. Having a beater to drive and park in the city is my choice...

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Absolutely agree!

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    let's just say ... I rather walk 100 miles to the restaurant/hotel/place, then drive there just to have someone else drive my porsche.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Any upscale restaurant in any major US city I know of (ex-NYC where affluent have an S-Class and driver follow them around Manhattan) has valet pkg where, if one tips valet appropriately, car sits where you park it in front of restaurant (any smart restaurant owner likes to have impressive cars sitting in front of his establishment and wants to make sure car guys who are regular custs feel their toy is safe) . Any major city in world has only 3-4 key restaurants....and if one is a regular cust, one quickly knows the valets...who tend to watch major customers'/tippers' cars fairly carefully.....reducing risk of random vandalism of car/risk of being mugged walking to car self-parked in some obscure, "free" parking location....

    In SF's fin dt, the high-end office bldgs all have valet pkg (for some $800ish/mth) where pkg attdts (most of whom are car nuts who avidly read evo, car, autocar, etc)carefully park the "big dogs": Enzo/612/430/65/996TTS/etc in a row in front of the bldg's pkg garage elevator lobby; and one appropriately tips valets at end of yr....again, risk of vandalism/careless door dings, etc is next to zero in such a "controlled" setting vs a typical office/shoppg ctr pkg lot/street pkg.....

    Why would anyone drive a "beater car" if one has resources to drive a new P???? If in any crash, would want to be in a new P/Merc w/world's most advanced active and passive safety systems protecting me from injury/death....after all, it's a mere, disposable and insured car; though I do everything I can to avoid dings/vandalism/swirls/etc, one replaces any car every 1-2 yrs b/c of tech obsolescence anyway.....

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Quote:
    VKSF said:
    Any upscale restaurant in any major US city I know of (ex-NYC where affluent have an S-Class and driver follow them around Manhattan) has valet pkg where, if one tips valet appropriately, car sits where you park it in front of restaurant (any smart restaurant owner likes to have impressive cars sitting in front of his establishment and wants to make sure car guys who are regular custs feel their toy is safe) . Any major city in world has only 3-4 key restaurants....and if one is a regular cust, one quickly knows the valets...who tend to watch major customers'/tippers' cars fairly carefully.....reducing risk of random vandalism of car/risk of being mugged walking to car self-parked in some obscure, "free" parking location....

    In SF's fin dt, the high-end office bldgs all have valet pkg (for some $800ish/mth) where pkg attdts (most of whom are car nuts who avidly read evo, car, autocar, etc)carefully park the "big dogs": Enzo/612/430/65/996TTS/etc in a row in front of the bldg's pkg garage elevator lobby; and one appropriately tips valets at end of yr....again, risk of vandalism/careless door dings, etc is next to zero in such a "controlled" setting vs a typical office/shoppg ctr pkg lot/street pkg.....

    Why would anyone drive a "beater car" if one has resources to drive a new P???? If in any crash, would want to be in a new P/Merc w/world's most advanced active and passive safety systems protecting me from injury/death....after all, it's a mere, disposable and insured car; though I do everything I can to avoid dings/vandalism/swirls/etc, one replaces any car every 1-2 yrs b/c of tech obsolescence anyway.....



    I agree with you VKSF. Enjoy it, drive it. Ten years ago during my search for a 356 Cab, after asking this same question to a collector, he told me not to get over-emotionally attached to the car, to remember: it is metal, rubber, plastic, etc...

    Although, I feel it would be somewhat irresponsible to toss one's keys to any valet, some careful examination of the restaurant/hotel's crews, it's reputation, should give you a head's up... If going to a "sketchy" neighborhood, I'll take the Lexus RX-family car...

    There's nothing wrong with asking the valet to leave it out front when there's space, and a good tip... Money talks.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    i have only valet once, it was the ritz on the water and as i exited the car and gave the valet the keys, i pointed to the spot i wanted it park in 10 feet from where it was sitting. tipped heavily on the way out

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Better to have the car at the front, w/ valet, rather than parked in a packed parking lot where you can't see it. Also helps if the valets are older gentlemen rather than young kids.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    In LA, the valet is pretty much unavoidable, although I try to do so to the extent possible. It's a bummer that I have taken as a fact of life here and come to live with.

    Unfortunately, most valet drivers, no matter how much experience they have, simply do not know how to drive a 911. In particular, they do not know how to work the clutch and they typically over-rev the engine and sometimes burn the clutch. On one occasion at a trendy Hollywood restaurant I will never forget, I heard the valet reving my engine from 500 feet away and started to cringe. When he pulled up, the cluch was burnt and reaked. Heck, it was practically smoking. I screamed at the top of my lungs several repetitive explatives for over a minute. My date was none too impressed with my behavior but I was so totally steamed I could not help it. Afterwards, I could smell the clutch for days and considered making a claim against the valet company for a new clutch.

    These days, I ask to leave it out front and give a nice tip. Or I simply ask to leave it out front and let me park it there. That sometimes works when the option is available. But, as mentioned above, sometimes it's unavoidable and just I kindly ask the valet to be careful with the clutch and rev slowly and feather the clutch.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Same thing in San Jose. I actually tip the valet well, and park it in the very front myself, alongside others that are very good company for my 997s... And, I take the keys with me.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Quote:
    VKSF said:
    one replaces any car every 1-2 yrs b/c of tech obsolescence anyway.....




    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Quote:
    Grant said:
    Never valet any vehicle that you have a stong attachment to. Having a beater to drive and park in the city is my choice...



    Agreed, I love my e30.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    I think the movie "Ferris Buller's Day Off" taught me to NEVER valet a car you want to be driving home....

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    I will valet my car no problem. For me if I don't want to valet it I will dirve a different car.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Question for the rennteamers who do not valet their cars:

    What do you guys do when you have to hand in your car for a service and/or repair?

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Quote:
    LB said:
    Question for the rennteamers who do not valet their cars:

    What do you guys do when you have to hand in your car for a service and/or repair?



    Good question.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Quote:
    LB said:
    Question for the rennteamers who do not valet their cars:

    What do you guys do when you have to hand in your car for a service and/or repair?



    Pray.


    Seriously though, you have to have mechanics drive your car, you don't have to have valets do it. I trust mechanics more (I don't need stories about mechanics who abuse the cars, I know it sometimes happens).

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    i dont valet my car ,i give him few $ an he find out a nearby place for me to park. i have no problems with porsche mechanics as they know how to drive it properly ,they drive them all the time

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    I would valet park the car myself in front of fancy restaurants, malls and hotels since my insurance prohibits un-named drivers in the policy to drive the car other than mechanics for authorised repair purposes.
    This policy has been in placed after several disastrous incidents happened due to unwilful negligence or ignorance....which is Good! I would not let anyone else touch my car.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    I will use the valet only if I can park it up front, I will tip them well for letting me do this, and I also will keep the keys. Luckily here in Connecticut it is a not as common as out in LA.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Quote:
    jpcourt said:
    I will use the valet only if I can park it up front, I will tip them well for letting me do this, and I also will keep the keys.



    Likewise

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Who drives to valet locations in their Porsche anyway? That would mean you require your wife/girlfriend to "sport it" in her party dress or gown to the elegant restaurant,benefit or wedding. Better to drive the BMW sedan or..., hehe..., the Bentley to the valet wrecker service.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    It's LA everybody Valet their car.
    I do not think anybody here in LA knows how to park !!!!!

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Quote:
    MMD said:
    Who drives to valet locations in their Porsche anyway? That would mean you require your wife/girlfriend to "sport it" in her party dress or gown to the elegant restaurant,benefit or wedding. Better to drive the BMW sedan or..., hehe..., the Bentley to the valet wrecker service.



    In LA, whether the restaurant is fancy or not, you gotta valet the car. And why would I want to drive a BMW anyway when I have a 997S?

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Quote:
    U Boat Commander said:
    Quote:
    MMD said:
    Who drives to valet locations in their Porsche anyway? That would mean you require your wife/girlfriend to "sport it" in her party dress or gown to the elegant restaurant,benefit or wedding. Better to drive the BMW sedan or..., hehe..., the Bentley to the valet wrecker service.



    In LA, whether the restaurant is fancy or not, you gotta valet the car. And why would I want to drive a BMW anyway when I have a 997S?



    I forgot about LA (don't live there). With Porsche when out informally, I never have to valet the car.

    I drive the BMW sedan when the woman is wearing dresses. Anything less would be uncivilized.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    No chance in... H E L L...

    I used to vallet cars once in my life... no way dude...

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Quote:
    VKSF said:
    Any upscale restaurant in any major US city I know of (ex-NYC where affluent have an S-Class and driver follow them around Manhattan) has valet pkg where, if one tips valet appropriately, car sits where you park it in front of restaurant (any smart restaurant owner likes to have impressive cars sitting in front of his establishment and wants to make sure car guys who are regular custs feel their toy is safe) . Any major city in world has only 3-4 key restaurants....and if one is a regular cust, one quickly knows the valets...who tend to watch major customers'/tippers' cars fairly carefully.....reducing risk of random vandalism of car/risk of being mugged walking to car self-parked in some obscure, "free" parking location....

    In SF's fin dt, the high-end office bldgs all have valet pkg (for some $800ish/mth) where pkg attdts (most of whom are car nuts who avidly read evo, car, autocar, etc)carefully park the "big dogs": Enzo/612/430/65/996TTS/etc in a row in front of the bldg's pkg garage elevator lobby; and one appropriately tips valets at end of yr....again, risk of vandalism/careless door dings, etc is next to zero in such a "controlled" setting vs a typical office/shoppg ctr pkg lot/street pkg.....

    Why would anyone drive a "beater car" if one has resources to drive a new P???? If in any crash, would want to be in a new P/Merc w/world's most advanced active and passive safety systems protecting me from injury/death....after all, it's a mere, disposable and insured car; though I do everything I can to avoid dings/vandalism/swirls/etc, one replaces any car every 1-2 yrs b/c of tech obsolescence anyway.....


    Excellent points.

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    It's ONLY a car. What is the big deal?

    Re: Do you Valet your 911?

    Quote:
    997 S Cab said:
    It's ONLY a car. What is the big deal?



    Come talk to me when the valet fries your clutch and your wallet is $1500 lighter. You can easily fry the 997 clutch in about 10 seconds if you reved the engine up to 5K and let the clutch out half way. I've seen valet drivers in LA do exactly that many times.

     
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