Tell me when to stop
 

I was wondering what ingenious apparatus you all use to gauge your stopping point in your garage?

If I don't pull up far enough, my back sticks out under my car port and I get some run-off from the roof on the back of my car. If I pull too forward forward... Dont want to think about what would happen !!


I'm using the ol'tennis ball method, but this is pretty unsightly. Take a look. Any ideas?!

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/..._DMD/image.jpg

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/...MD/image-1.jpg

I bought one of those laser pointers for parking devices, works great.

I'd say use the ball and string but you've got that covered.

They sell electronic devices that you mount on the wall and sensors tell you when to stop vie lights.??

I bought a concave 18" mirror on amazon
it was like 50 bucks and is a hell of a lot more useful than a suspended tennis ball
try that

I use a sensor stoplight
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Park-Zon...item4abe219c45

Bingo.:D

I use the audible method..................j/k don't need for my garage

as an idea, you could always screw/glue a piece of wood on the floor so that you will know when to stop

I use the "Braille" method...as soon as I "FEEL" it hit the front wall, I back up 6" and I'm fine !!

:funnypost::lolg:

I don't think that's so bad: the tennis ball/string method. But, my friends use an anchored in piece of quite narrow, but about two inches high wood--it works but it's sort of easy to trip over (after a year or more, this past week they shaved it down to about 1 inch). I use a plastic roll over stop but it slides around so it's not really the best. I also have just enough room to put in a crushable box that I can hear if I get too close (and start to push on it). Unlike you, I back in.

I use a brick. The front end just barely clears it.

Knock the wall down and push it back 2 feet. Corvette needs more room that you do. :willy::rofl:

Usually the walls are my first indication i've gone too far.

http://www.liftmaster.com/lmcv2/page...x?modelId=8132

laser

rubber parking block that is the width of the tire, sticks to the concrete floor. the ball had to go...:D

I use the tennis ball for all three cars. If you are worried about the looks go with the electronic device or a wheel stop.

I have a piece of 90 degree PVC glued to the floor....roll up and stop when I feel it...

double bingo...works great

What you have works so I would stick with it.

good ol' tennis ball from a string.

I have an LED that is adjusted to stop me exactly on the spot. Cheap and easy to install. :thumbs:

I'm thinking a high tech ping pong ball on a string. Color it the same color as your car :D

cheap and easy

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/...ortby=ourPicks

Mark 1 eyeball. :thumbs:

I stop when my passenger mirror gets to the orange-handled garden fork on the right hand wall. Hope that helps!

I use a 2" X 10" X 6' wooden board on the garage floor for a stop.

I use the "0" on the HUD as a sight.

I line up the bottom of the 0 with the top edge of a white box (with old wheels inside) that is next to the skinny MG I'm parking behind.

I end up with 4" clearance in the front and about 6" for the door to come down behind.

You could park your car where you need it and have someone draw a line on the wall that lines up with the HUD's display.

Rubber parking block I got on ebay

glue a 2X4 about 30" long to the garage floor at the frt tire...............right where i need the car to be....:):)

Honestly, the ingenious apparatus I use is my brain, it has yet to fail me.......and it is free. :lol:

http://www.autosportcatalog.com/park...FcxcMgodwTkAUA

http://www.autosportcatalog.com/imag...g_signal_1.jpg

I use a 2"x6" piece of wood I have painted bright red and then put white stripes* on. It is glued to the floor and when I feel it I stop. I also use a weighted piece of string hanging from the ceiling with a weight on it to guide me in horizontally.


*Red with white stripes is to keep stupid people like me from tripping over it when the car is not in the garage.

I use a very simple method and since I change cars often it makes sense for me.
I park the car where I want it in the garage and open the door.I put a piece of masking tape on the floor (or a sharpie mark) in line with something on the door sill of the car.
Everytime I pull in I just crack open the door open and pull up so the tape aligns with my chosen spot on the sill and it is perfect everytime.
No silly balls hanging from the ceiling that shows everyone you can't park your own car.:D

I wish I knew about this. I use the tennis ball on my garage door release string.

I use a piece of 2x4 about 18" long for the right front tire. My is now anchored, but I have a line drawn to indicate were it goes.

works well, you put the car where you want it to stop and set the distance on the sensor by holding the button. Then when you pull in it turns green, then yellow to slow and red when you reach the set distance, parks perfectly every time.
:thumbs:

Tennis ball idea with a small white plastic nut. I'm just as concerned by right and left since I tend to pack the garage. Drive straight toward the nut and stop when it touches the mirror mount on the windshield. This gives me a very tight grouping of tire marks on the floor.

I have some utility carpet squares piled up on the floor of the garage and stop when I roll up onto the edge of the pile.

This is what I have used for years... Easy to move when the car is not in the garage. Works even better if you back your car into the garage or carport. You can see it through the rear hatch window.

Park your car exactly where you want it in the garage, then sitting in the seat normally, turn your head to the left and look for a object on the wall and just look for that same object everytime you are parking. I have a 2X4 stud on my wall that dish network installed their splitters on and when I am looking at that, I know my car is parked exactly where I want it. Free!!

Put a piece of foam against that wall just in case!!

Great idea!! or just a piece of wood. :D

I thought this was about having a "safe word".......I used a ball on a string.

If the teatherball court in the garage doesn't appeal to you maybe you could simply paint a small mark...a target on the wall to aim for. Chances are you can learn to park the car where you want it just by line-of-sight (without any gizmos). It could be a minor trip hazard but you could affix a small wheel-stop to the carport floor to stop your car in the correct spot. An electronic 'eye' seems a bit much just to park your car but hey....whatever works. Good luck.

:thumbs: It's foolproof....when you run into something you know when to stop (just like parallel parking in NYC). ;)

I put a 'bullseye' on the wall next to the car at my eye level. I pull in until I can look across and be even with the bullseye.

Since I'm typically pulling into the garage with the headlights on, I've noticed that as I approach the wall, there's two distinct curved lines created by the lights....they kinda have the shape of a bass clef (for all you musicians) and it's mirror image. As I get closer to the wall they cross over each other and eventually form a heart shape. Once it's a perfect heart shape, I'm in the perfect spot.

I use a rolled up sock on a string instead of the tennis ball and pull it back up to the ceiling after parking(out of the way).

Install Curb Alert. Not only keeps you from hitting curbs it keeps you at least one foot from anything else taller than a curb.

It took me about 15 minutes to pull into my garage when I first got my car home, I was so worried about hitting something (while pulling in, backing out, opening the door...). I've got the "how far do I pull in" part covered, what I need some help with is how to judge how close the front wheel fender is to the side of the garage door frame when I'm pulling in. I usually use the side view mirror as my distance gauge, but until you get close enough it's hard to eyeball how much clearance you're going to have with the mirror. I have a side entry garage, and it requires some interesting angles upon entry...

I've always used my left mirror and a mark on the wall. When the edge of the mirror and the mark match I'm good.

I put a piece of blue tape on the floor of the garage. When I open my door, I line it up with the crack at the end of the door seal. Can't get any cheaper than that!

I use a stop sign and tennis ball. The tennis ball is accurate, but doesn't work when backing in.

I just have a small piece of a 2x4" sitting loose on the floor. No need to attach it, just a mark on floor to be sure it's in the right spot if you kick it by accident.

I use a 1" x 2" strip of wood that is held to the floor with double sided tape. Easy to remove later. You can paint it to match your floor too.

Homemade ramps.

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/o...s/971fe08a.jpg

I use a rubber park mate that just goes on the garage floor and the car just rolls over it and sits in a little valley. You just have to feel for it. You can also use a piece of firring strip that will accomplish the same thing Just mark where your tires should be and then glue the strip to the floor.

Clif

I have a rain coat hanging on the hook in front of my DD - I drive up until I see the coat move LOL - high tech, I know. For the Vette, I pull up until I think I'm close, then get out and eyeball to make sure the garage door will clear. My husband's car has a sunroof, you pull up until you see the emergency handle of the garage door line up with the rear edge of the sunroof. The things we do to make sure we get it just right :-) But for things to fit just right in the garage, each car has to be parked in it's proper place.

Twin laser that puts a red dot on the hood of both cars to not only determine how far into the garage but how far left and right both cars should be so doors can be opened without hitting the other car or adjacent walls. Comes on whenever their is movement in the garage. Plus have a Curb Alert on the Vette as a back-up.

I'd like to know how you get in that door.

I use a plastic 'whiffle' style practice golf ball on a string. Heck, you could cut one in half and glue it to the floor in front of a tire.
http://www.enasco.com/prod/images/pr...6/VC133904.jpg

I
LOL ! I'm real skinny . just kiddin' We don't use that door 99% of the time. We go in/out our front door which is outside the frame of that pic ...

Thanks all for these ideas!! I will report back to this thread (with pics of course)once we have a new method of stopping installed !

Stop Light
 

Home Depot has a light for $20.00

Lawnmower is parked in front of my space. When it gets a scared look on its grill, I know it's time to stop.

A 6' 2x4.

:iagree: I have a double 2x4 bolted to floor because I always back in, I park on the left & it would be impossible for my fatass to get out of car!

i found a patch in the drywall that's right even with me, so i pull forward til it's at my shoulder.

Don't use the string and ball thing, I you are off center, you might run into the wall if you are just inches away from it.

have a styrofoam strip glued to garage wall where driver door opens. Also helps protect door edge from scratches.

Excellent point. Everytime I pull in I am thinking my windshield is not a flat plane of glass so the ball is touching in slightly different places depending what line i drove into the carport. I have started stopping just shy of the ball for now, till I get something permanent installed!

Smarthome.com has a motion sensor-activated laser pointer that you aim at a spot on your dash (like the center speaker grille edge).

Two-car version is $19 and the single car version is $15.

The best solution...by far. IMHO

I have a 12" wide x 8' long x 1 1/2" thick wood board strategically placed on the garage floor and that also doubles as a "step" when I use my ramps so my front splitters won't scrape....:thumbs:

MT

hahahahahahaha:thumbs: