Le Chef

End of a perfect day. Drop off a friend on the way home - top down all the way - and leave my car for the garage guys to park it. 10 minutes later I get the call. Someone who shouldn't have been in my condo garage has taken most of the side off my new car - not even run in yet. There are fluids leaking from somewhere, the driver's door won't open, one wheel is damaged, the front and rear bumpers are hanging off, driver's door, front and rear fenders are crumpled...

I guess I should never have driven that SL550...

Now I'm going to miss my car. I had a trip planned to drive from Chicago to Minneapolis next weekend, and so on...At least no one was hurt and I'm hoping most of the damage was panels and nothing structural.

Enjoy your Porsches guys and think of mine in the body shop for a few weeks.

SilverSteel

I can't believe it. Sounds like something that would happen to me. I'm sorry to hear your bad news. I'm glad you weren't hurt.

uzj100

Hope this ordeal turns out better, much better than you expect. Talk about a kick in the groin. Really sorry to hear this.

ScottS

Don't forget about diminshed value when talking to your insurance ( their insurance hopefully)- the decrease in resale value due to the history of damage ...

Good luck

THPorsche

Ouch!!! That really sucked.

texas911

Damn, did they catch the guy? At least you weren't in the car!

I'm sorry to hear this story. Chin up LeChef.

gpjli2

Sorry to hear this Chef. Maybe the time for an aero kit, carbon fiber doors, or some such. Lemons into lemonade can be uplifting. Good luck w it.

Sunshine

That's terrible news Le Chef. My heart goes out to you.

Jay Wellwood

That sucks.

icruze

I sorry to hear about your car. You seem to be taking it better than I would have. The only thing that would make me feel better would be if "At least the guy who caused the damage was seriously hurt."

OCBen

Hey Chef, so sorry to hear that. ... Damn!

I'm not sure I follow you, though, in your explanation of what happened. Maybe it's because you're still in shock over what happened and are too numb right now to describe exactly how it happened. Not trying to be insensitive, just trying to understand. But do all cars in your condo garage get valeted? Did this someone who wasn't supposed to be in your condo garage take the keys from the valet cabinet and take your car for a demolition ride inside the garage, knocking loose both front and rear bumpers as he banged around the garage posts, hell bent on destroying your car? Or was he in another car and just ran into yours? Just trying to picture how both bumpers got severely damaged in the process. Did they catch the guy?

At any rate, my heart goes out to you. It's easy to get depressed over something like this, especially when you dwell on it by yourself. Seek out close friends and loved ones for comfort and support. Take comfort in knowing there was nothing you could have done differently to prevent this. It was out of your control, as your thread title implies. And as you're suspecting, it was probably just body panels and nothing structural. May it get put back together as good as new.

micgreeny

sorry to here that. once its all fixed you'll just be left with a story to tell "I remember the time when..." -----------mike

Coochas

Very sad to hear it Chef. The fact that the car is farily new bodes well in terms of making it right again. Yes, it sucks but I'll bet you'll be a happy boy again in a few weeks.
Again, my condolences man.

Le Chef

Thanks for the condolences - you have to vent - but in truth it's a car and not a person who got hurt.

Explanation on what happened: there are a few owners in the building who self park rather than valet, and it costs them considerably more to do so (for obvious reasons when you read this). The valet guy was driving my car up the ramp and the daughter of one of the self parkers was driving down. The valet guy did not know she was in the garage, hence the big bang...

Building manager and I will get it resolved for sure, but I'm just anxious to get the repair process going and get the car back and some more top down driving before the summer ends.

snarf

Make sure to protect yourself from UV - just had a disappointing biopsy result - good thing it's a coupe I'm waiting on