Valet

[Alan]

Does anyone here leave their car with a valet?

[Jonathan]

Only if it's with a professional.

34755

(Seriously though, no, never, not in a million years)

[ccurzio]

Nope. I simply tell them I don't want anyone else to drive it. So far they've all respected it.

[David T]

Nope. I simply tell them I don't want anyone else to drive it. So far they've all respected it.

The few times I went were they had valet parking they allowed me to park it myself and in fact insisted it be parked RIGHT UP FRONT in the most conspicuous place possible. Just tell them it has an alarm system and you don't give out the key. If they won't let you park it just say you will tell the manager/owner that the valet is chasing away business, they never like to hear that.

[Rich_NYS]

No, I don't think I ever would.

[Ryan S.]

I have done it several times. Each time guys are very careful and usually park in front with Lambo, Ferrari, and etc...
One kid told me that it was a dream come true when he brought back my car. Yes, I checked. He didn't joy ride to LA.

[Rich]

Loving this classic movie reference! Comments below.
Only if it's with a professional.

34755

Same experience as Ryan for us. Often the car rates a primo location, as he says.

All of the valets we've run across know how to work a stick.

Be sure to show them where the inside door release is and, if you have one, how to get the 5-speed into reverse.

Have done it 4-5 times without a worry.

[Shep]

I haven't been to a place that requires a valet yet, but still wouldn't even if I had the opportunity to. Reason being, until I can save up enough for a more "stable" solution than K-Jet, I wouldn't trust a first-timer to start her for the life of me. It takes a tiny bit of finagling the gas pedal to get mine to catch when you cold start it. Just turning the key isn't enough, you need to give it just the right amount of gas once the starter finishes its job, which is something I've just learned to do by second nature. Hot starts (e.g. right after I fill up with gas) work fine, no gas pedal required. Something about those camshafts I guess.

My concern is more or less that the valet will either kill the battery trying or flood the engine by doing it too early, which I have actually done. Then again, I'm not sure my classic car insurance allows for valets either, I'd have to check my policy. Living by a "I'm the only driver outside of servicing" rule works far better than you'd think.

[OverlandMan]

I've not and probably never will. Same traffic for my 308. Heck, I rarely valet my wife's A5, mostly because I'm worried they won't know how to get it into reverse. Now my 4 year old Tahoe? All day long.

[Alan]

Good answers so far. I appreciate them. Sounds like there are a number of people here who use valet but not for their DeLoreans. Though there were a couple of people who do even for their DeLoreans. For those it sounds like good experiences.

[dmc6960]

12 years ago I worked as a valet for a single weekend at a country club. It was a fun experience. I didn't beat on the cars too badly, but timing was important to get it back to the owners at the end of the day. :evil3:

Had my DeLorean parked in the front spot for all to see both times, people seemed to enjoy that. The other two people I worked with couldn't do stick shift. Though at an old-timer's country club there were very few to work with.

BTW Alan, CONGRATS on your new D!

[drdelorean]

I did once at the magic castle in LA, I made sure to show them the inside door handle and how to reverse it like mentioned above. ALSO I forgot to tell them about the wheel lock/key insert, and I overheard them on the radio, they thought they had the wrong key, kinda funny so eventually I had to tell them ;)

[Some guy]

I had a valet bust the plastic part around the gear shifter on my Girlfriend's SUV. (It is an automatic) Then he hits on her for a few weeks while she is working for this company. The whole time denying he broke it.

I have a friend who was a valet, and has told me stories of what he did to cars.

I am ok with not letting someone recreate the BTTF burn out scene while i eat dinner.

[OverlandMan]

I am ok with not letting someone recreate the BTTF burn out scene while i eat dinner.
Your D will spin the tires? :smile:

[Timebender]

I'm not willing to let a valet drive mine. We had our Honda Element at the Hard Rock Hotel here in San Diego where they get a lot of nice, NICE cars, I'm sure they probably treat okay, however with our car there's a permanent gray mark on one of the doors from a car that was parked next to it- hopefully it was just another regular car and not something much more expensive. And then there was the time I waited for my VW Beetle (2000 Turbo) and waited and waited - about 20 minutes before they asked me to go down to the garage because it wouldn't start. Turned out the steering wheel was locked, and the attendant didn't know you had to move the wheel a little bit in order to get the key to turn. Almost broke the key off in the ignition because of his lack of knowledge.

So, no.

[Jonathan]

Almost broke the key off in the ignition because of his lack of knowledge.

So, no.

Our cars can be a little fragile. I don't mean like they are made of crystal or popsicle sticks, just that you can break things on them not knowing what you are doing.

The ignition key interlock is one, so is not knowing which key is for the doors and which for the ignition and damaging one or the other. Door lock cylinders themselves even as my locks seem to have enough freedom in them that if you weren't somewhat careful with it, you could turn it too far and take it off the rods (or so it feels that way).

Getting in the wrong way can land your knee right into a bent or broken horn/wiper stalk, locking the doors when one isn't all the way closed can burn out a lock solenoid or kill the battery from the lights being left on. Pushing up on the windows for too long and burning out the motor, pushing down too far for that matter too and taking it off the track.

Many folks aren't delicate with their things and the DeLorean is one of those things that can suffer from guys being "rough" on it.

[JRNY13]

Never in a million years would I let a valet touch it. Plus, if I were, my mind would be on the car the whole time I'm at dinner--not worth it.

[Rad Dad]

In 32 years of ownership, I have twice. I must admit, both were at hotels and both were parked right next to the front door covered entrance. In both cases, I watched as the car was parked, saw the pride that came to the attendants face, and I knew that the nature of that particular hotel was that there would be someone watching the car all night long.

And, as an aside to an earlier comment, with over 150,000 miles on this DeLorean, I have never had a starting problem due to the K-Jet. In fact, that was also true of my first DeLorean which only covered somewhere north of 70,000 miles.

[Shep]

And, as an aside to an earlier comment, with over 150,000 miles on this DeLorean, I have never had a starting problem due to the K-Jet. In fact, that was also true of my first DeLorean which only covered somewhere north of 70,000 miles.K-Jet's not the problem, just the limitation in my case. The camshafts I have installed are what's causing it, but until I get EFI, starting will always be a bit tricky. Should've clarified that one, my bad.

[GR8SCOTT]

I was recently at a restaurant with valet service. As I approached the three (smiling from ear to ear) 18 year olds, I drove right past them. No chance kids :wink::wink::wink:

[Alan]

BTW Alan, CONGRATS on your new D!

Thanks, Jim.