VX220 and a single garage. How do you cope?

[Megaflow]

So before I got to excited about a VX220, I decided it would be a good idea to check the size of the car against the garage, a big thanks to Ratboiler from VX220.org for popping over with his car!

The good news is it fits!




The bad news is I have got no hope of getting out!



Also, the rev-limiters motorbike won't fit behind it during the winter months.

Now, the last one I think I can over come with a bigger shed in the back garden, or a mates garage just around the corner where my lives in the winter. But the first one is a bit more of an issue, I can either:

1) Leave it on the drive with a cover on it
2) Dukes of hazard style over the top of the door
3) Get out on the drive and push it in

Anybody else around with a single garage and how do you get on?

TIA

Martin

[HedgehogFromHell]

I have the same issue in my RS. I park, open a window, climb out and slide down the garage wall. I then use total closure button on the key fob to do up the offending window.

Dukes of Hazard. Too much to go wrong by pushing it in.

[ED209]

Put it in the garage with the roof half off and drivers window down, then simply step out of the car without opening the door. simples.

[cliffie]

I push mine in and out as I have a full roll cage and permanent hardtop although rolling the roof back and re-securing it after exit is the best option I found when I had a soft top on.

I have built mine into a race car with nothing more than a single garage with no power or light so man up and get it sorted.

[vx220]

I found I could do it if I reversed in, so I could use the mirrors to get within mm of the wall

I painted the wall as garage was dark

Obviously I accept no responsibility for your reversing skills!!!

[Megaflow]

Thanks all. Some more thought about this has brought up a potential solution. The garage door is slightly offset, and there is more room on the left hand side than the right hand side.

So, by reorganising the garage slightly and moving the racking from the left to the right hand side and reversing the car in, so I get out on the leftside of the garage, by using a piece of carpet on the wall to protect the door, I reckon there is enough room, certainly enough to put up with for a couple of years until we moved to a double garage.

[Frimley111R]

Yep, that's it! I did the same with my Elise. I drive it forward and get as close to the wall on the offside as I can and then wind the pax window down and hop across, opening the door an step out. Carpet means you can get the door open as far as poss. That said, mostly I leave my car in the drive.

[jay140285]

Not a VX but when I had my MX5 I had carpet on the wall, something soft on the wall at the front of the car just in case I got to close and got out by dropping the roof and opening the door a little.

[striker1660]

hi megaflow, if you do consider a vx220 have a look at mine its in the classifieds http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

Ther great fun you won't regret it.

[Megaflow]

Hi Striker

Your like doesn't work. Thanks for the offer, but I'm not looking to buy until next year, I've got a Westfield to shift first if I decide this is the way to go.

Following an annoucement at work yesterday, all plans like this are on hold in the short term.

[drgoatboy]

I used to drive mine into the single garage getting it as close as possible to the LHS wall. Carpet on the RHS wall meant I just had enough room to squeeze out, but it took a bit of practise to get it right!

To get it out I just used to open the door, roll back the roof, release the handbrake and push the car out (if you put the ignition on that will obviously give you the ability to steer it too if needs be). Sometimes if I knew I was going out again I wouldn't bother putting the handbrake on, cars not going to roll away in a garage.

Whatever you do though don't push it from the windscreen surround. They don't like that!

[John D.]

Never had a big problem with an S1 Elise in a single garage (with motorbike parked in front! )

Reverse in keeping nearside nice and close to wall.
Open door on to carefully deployed carpet tile fixed to wall.

Job done


Leaving the roof off obviously give you less to manouver around too.