First carpark dent after 4 1/2 years...

[01CDsedan]

I suppose I should be thankful in having had such a good run with it...but while washing the Astra today (5/01 build TS CD sedan), I came across the first dent in its side caused by wayward shopping trolleys/carelessly opened doors etc in four and a half years of ownership.

Just a small one, with a corresponding paint chip, on the rear quarter panel about 10cm behind the rear door. Right on the crease line that runs down the side of the TS Astra.

I guess the run of good luck in carparks had to end sometime (if you exclude the time it got hit by another car in a hospital carpark and I had to get the rear bumper resprayed). Still ****s me though. (And let's not talk about the bug marks that won't come off and paint chips on the front end after 131,000km of mostly highway driving).

It's a much better run than I had with the Gemini, though - in that car, I must have picked up about a dozen of them in four years. Then again, I used to work in retail at the time and the Gemini was noticeably less solid than the Astra is.

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[CJB]

Sorry to hear man. At least 4 1/2 years is a good run. Very good infact, what's your secret

I have three on the drivers side, from doors, and two chips in the back where someone from here ran into me, carelessly of course

AND YES I know exactly what you are talking about with the marks on the front! What are they? Because unless they are bugs extremely flattened they aren't coming off!!!! grrr...

but sorry to hear. are you having it fixed or just consider it something minor?

[01CDsedan]

I think my secret might actually be living in Canberra, where parking is easy and a lot of the time there's no need to park next to any other cars. I also don't go shopping during busy times

With the marks on the front, I'm pretty sure they're dead bugs. It takes a lot of scrubbing to get them off and a lot of the time the acid from their guts has eaten through the paint in the meantime.

I don't think I'll have it fixed - it's pretty small and given that it's right on the creaseline it would probably be a bit difficult to fix. I'll just leave it alone and let it annoy me every time I see it.

[Lucky_Astra06]

Little bug removal secret:

go to bunnings and buy a bottle of Simple Green.This stuff is GOLD removes all bug n tar crap from cars and best thing to wash wheels with. just spray on leave it for few seconds then wash off with a cloth.

Works evertime 4 me. Best thing about it is that its car and boat friendly (doesn't affect paint work even on black cars-unless u let it bake in da sun...lucky 4 me it was my sisters barina)

[btm]

No good to hear... and right on the crease line... makes it more expensive to fix (if you decide to)

my secret is trying to park between/next to one or two concrete poles as much as possible - they rarely move and hit my car

[01CDsedan]

And this morning...first flat battery in four and a half years!

[btm]

And this morning...first flat battery in four and a half years!

still a very good record... and one that will be very hard to beat

[CJB]

watch out it comes in threes

That is bad to hear though. But, a reasonable life out of a battery right?

ahh yes btm, I park next to them as often as possible, and I always hug the pole, so there is ample room between me and the car next to me. But like I said before, most of my dents come from the Garage, where you would think the car is safe! WRONG!

[caspers turbo]

sorry to hear it mate, yeah i always tri to park between fixed objects if i can or at least 1, rarely go shopping when its busy if i do i always park as far away from shops as pos, plus you get a walk in as well, being anal about car leads to fittness, lol, or just find a BMW or other expensive car an park next to that, they usually look after there cars, so they wont open the door up onto your car.

Carpark rage, term for the new millenium, lol

[rusole21]

being anal about cars is so annoying. buying new kills cos from the day you drive out the car is never going to be good again. aaaahhhhhhh
i stress soooo much about my wheels. 17s that scratch if you look at a curb