Anyone park their F-car outside in Texas?

Dear All…Long story, short: I live in a 100+ yr old house WITHOUT a garage, and since it is in a historic district, I've concluded that the biddies on the commission will not let me have the garage I want, and my wife & I refuse to cave and build it with their limitations.

We've explored other options - move, no Ferrari, car condo, etc. - and the one doomsday scenario I come back to is to just say, F*** it!, park the Fezza in the back yard!

Our back yard is fully fenced (6 - 8" high wooden fence), has a concrete parking pad, a Shelter Logic portable garage that I use to keep tree crap off my Porsche & provide some measure of protection against sub-crazy sized hail. Our back yard has a couple each mature elms and pecans, which keeps it relatively cool. However, this is Texas, and I know the second I pull the trigger, we're gonna have a repeat of Summer 2011.

2011 North American heat wave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My big fear is all that Ferrari leather shrinking like George Costanza's frightened turtle, and Ferrari plastic parts turning to goo. Am I being too much of a worry wart? Does anyone here park their Prancing Pony outside in the Texas heat? Are there options to keep my wished-for Ferrari in climate-controlled comfort that I may not have thought about? Thank you, in advance, for any advice…T

 

i don't think you are being a worry wart unless your not really concerned about some of the results you mentioned. The Texas heat will be a big drag on it.

 

Rob kept his 328 in what amounted to a lean-to for a couple of years. It IS just a car, but do your best to cover it. Can you build a carport?

 

Thanks. I am worried about Texas' weather being a drag on it and me. I already have every weather app imaginable on my phone, in case I have to run home & move the Porsche under cover ahead of a hail storm. A car port would offer protection from above, and sides would be protected by house/fences. I'll have to check with the busy bodies. I suspect the answer is it'll be a pain if they deem it's a permanent structure/visible from a public street.

I treat the leather in my Porsche about five or six times per year, Meguiars Leather Conditioner (switching over to Leatherique when this bottle runs out) + Griot for rubber/vinyl, in the hopes that it'll do some good, and as an offering to appease the gods of car care. My real worry is the heat, given Ferrari's rep with plastic, leather, etc....T

 

In fairness, the 328 interior isn't plagued by the melting button syndrome.

 

Buy a car that's been de-stickied? Not sure how much the heat has to do with it, I've seen garaged cars sticky as hell.

 

My theory was humidity as a major factor in stickiness. Once it starts, it goes down hill fast.

My 348 that was over ten years old when I bought it was perfect and not sticky. It was stored in a climate and humidity controlled garage for those ten years.

I used a dehumidifier in my garage and it seemed to help.

 

That's encouraging, since Dallas is reasonably dry, but that's coming from someone who used to live in Memphis, TX, which is very humid. I've seen more threads on sticky 430/360 buttons than sticky 456M/575M threads, so that may need to go into my calculus, especially as I do really want a V12. Thanks for the thoughts....T

 

Houston has places that you rent a spot to store your exotic (or anything if you pay the rent, i suppose). Google shows there to be several places that provide that service in Dallas. The one in Houston i've seen offers security, climate control, and plugs for a battery tender, video feed.

My insurance carrier (Leland West) requires a garage.

 

Didn't think about the insurance angle. I'll have to look into that w/ our carrier.

The car storage places I've seen in DFW are either far from where I live, northwest of Dallas, so that it'd be a chore to get up early on the weekend, drive to the location, take car out, enjoy a good ride, put it back, drive back home. If anyone can recommend a car storage place that I may have missed, I'd really appreciate it….T

 

Thanks, Rob. With a metal roofed car port, I would guess that would protect from all but the craziest weather Texas can dish out. Plus, it'd keep tree related detritus off the car. Direct sunlight is really not an issue, since trees are leafed out in summer, and it's cool in winter when the trees are bare. I'll def check to see if a car port qualifies as a permanent structure and hence what level of issues I'll have with the local HLC.

Yeah, I have worried about wild life issues. Apart from squirrels, have only seen the occasional possum in the back yard. I suspect that if suggested leaving the dog - she's a terrier - outside to guard my car, I would be the one sleeping out back.

Thanks again, for the thoughts….T

 

There was a place adverstising at Cars and Coffee last weekend, off of 635 and the Tollway as I recall. Website is basically useless.

Dallas Automobile Storehouse

 

Hi Jim…Saw them. As you say, web site is info poor. Also have seen this place, on-line.

Frequently Asked Questions | Dallas Car Storage

It likewise seems to be down in FW, so a good ways away….T

 

I had a Mitsubishi Mr. Slim installed and it's stays 70-75 degrees year 'round. Should have done it long time ago. You do something similar Rob?

 

I don't even park my pickup without cover in Texas and always hangar my aircraft. IMO not worth having if it can't at least be unde cover

 

Agreed. That'd be my pref too, but I'm not willing to move from a paid-for house, in a neighborhood/city my wife & I otherwise love, and sacrifice a 10 min commute (if I walk) to work. Not to mention, give the HLC satisfaction. Hence, my seeking advice on a Plan B....T

 

Rob, on the same (or related) subject - do you keep your aircraft in an enclosed hanger or just tied down outside?

 

Same here - I think I paid more for the lease on that hanger than I paid for the airplane.

But it was fabric, and I saw about three friends have their planes destroyed by parking them outside due to wind or hail. (it was in Oklahoma City)

 

So you need a new hangar. And a house to go with it. And I'm still a licensed real estate sales guy (very much part-time). So when you're ready . . .


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Gotcha. Mr Slim is a ductless unit where the evaporator coil sits outside and a couple lines run to the unit mounted on the inside wall. It operates on the heat pump principal to provide heat in the winter.

It's very energy efficient and actually it never turns off like a typical house central air unit.