Thinking of buying a new car.
The current car is 20 cms shorter than depth of the garage, so when the nose is in and against the far wall the garage doors close with 20 cms between them and the car.
But as it's a titchy Aygo, lots of cars we're looking at are too long for garage, just. As the garage is considerably wider than it's long, I'm wondering if I can turn the car as it goes in. Effectively there are no side walls to worry about.
I'm trying to work out if I can relate the quoted "turning circle" to any measurements I can make on the ground to see whether potential cars will fit.
Is there a calculation I can make (like "subtract length of car from width of door and multiply by pi over the turning circle" or something, which I know is gibberish but you get the point), or is this a case of "make up a frame the size of each of the potential cars out of bamboo canes and try the blasted thing"?
|
|
Reversing in may be the only option. If you are interested in a particular car rent one for a day, you will be able to try the garage and have a good drive of the car as well.
|
|
The width of the garage door is equally, if not more, important than the internal width of the garage. Making a drawing would be more helpful than a frame of bamboo canes. All you need is a piece of paper, the relevant dimension including the turning circle, and a pair of compasses.
|
Do a scale drawing and cut out a rectangle from cardboard and pretend you are driving in, forwards or backwards. Make a mental allowance for the position of the wheels and which end is steering.
It may in the event be the amount of overhang that is crucial, rather than the turning circle per se.
|
|
It's probably important to know how the width at the rear reacts when turning. Unfortunately that entails knowing the relevant positions of the four wheels, and remembering that the rear wheels don't steer. I still think that a detailed drawing might be best.
|
Is it feasible to move the garage door to the side wall, and be done with it?
Failing which don't most manufacturers show turning circles in their brichures?
|
Thanks everyone - looks like I over complicated it by trying to do it with maffs, and undercomplicated it by imaginary bits of bamboo. A scale model/diagram/compass seems the way to go.
Oh, and no, it's not feasible to move the garage doors, and the turning circle data usually seems to just be a number, like 17 metres, and I can't with my little brain figure out what that actually means in relation to the problem.
I'll break out my geometry set later - it's upstairs with my slide rule, clackers and a can of Tizer I think.
|
"the turning circle data usually seems to just be a number, like 17 metres, and I can't with my little brain figure out what that actually means in relation to the problem"
I can't either. But my enormous Lexus has a much tighter turning circle than my medium-sized Peugeot. So maybe you should buy a larger car...?
|
>>
>> I can't either. But my enormous Lexus has a much tighter turning circle than my
>> medium-sized Peugeot. So maybe you should buy a larger car...?
>>
Stop that. I sold my Lexus to buy the Aygo.
|
>> I'll break out my geometry set later - it's upstairs with my slide rule, clackers
>> and a can of Tizer I think.
>>
Ah, clackers, I remember them well and mourn their passing. www.aquarterof.co.uk/blog/toys-that-got-banned-clackers/
Last edited by: L'escargot on Wed 9 Mar 11 at 17:52
|
>>remembering that the rear wheels don't steer
They probably don't on an Aygo, but remember when it was the 'must have' on cars. Whatever happened to it?
|
What about this?
www.carturntables.co.uk/?gclid=CMPs7trywacCFUdP4QodDluEAA
Drive in, rotate slightly, drive forward?
|
Genius idea, the turntable. If I were a man of means...a quick trawl shows lots of sites selling them, but they are reticent about pricing. The only price I've found so far is £6500.
I bet I could make one out of bamboo canes and an old compass though.
|
>> I bet I could make one out of bamboo canes and an old compass though.
>>
A few scaffolding boards and some old rollerskates should do it. Or of course you could jack up the back of the car with a trolley jack and shove it sideways. Also good for shifting cars blocking your drive. :-)
|
|
I can't see this flying unless the garage door opening is much (at least a couple of feet at a guess) wider than the car; assuming CC turns left on entering the garage, the passenger door will bash into the L/H door frame I reckon. You need to know not only the turning circle but where the wheels are positioned in the overall plan view of the car.
|
How about these, the place who restored the Commer used these for moving vehicles around
in the workshop
thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/m/mN6HyOVT028oABvoxJvjl1w/140.jpg
|
>>>A few scaffolding boards and some old rollerskates should do it.
I looked at an old town house many years ago where it had a narrow singe drive passing up the side of the house to a garage in a small town garden. The very inventive owner had doubled the size of the garage and fitted rails in the floor widthways so you drove the first car in onto ramps (with sideways wheels onto the rails) then got out and pushed it sideways into the extended part. Then the second car would drive in normally to take the vacated space.
The house was in a street of semis close to a major engineering works. It looked very much like the materials were *brought home in his lunch bag*.
|
>> The very inventive owner had doubled the size of the garage and fitted
>> rails in the floor widthways so you drove the first car in onto ramps (with
>> sideways wheels onto the rails) then got out and pushed it sideways into the extended
>> part.
Known as a traverser in railway terms, here's one with tram on it:-
tinyurl.com/6yx8gtg
|
|
Yep that's it... just like that. Even had an old Minor that had been left on the ramps bit in the far side.... agent said the car came with the house.
|
|
My brother in law bought a house that came complete with a Morris Minor, and there were several derelict ones in my garden when I bought the house. They seem to be the "must leave" fashion accessory.
|
I think what you need to park in an tight space is Russell Swift:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cQ4SHqC7yo&feature=related
turning circle is irrelevant when handbrake is on :)
|
Turning circles - Old Navy
