What American car for a UK garage?

What American car for a UK garage?

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Discussion

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

59 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
quotequote all
I currently have a Monaro which just fits in my garage (about 1/2 inch to spare on the width and 4 or 5 inches on the length). It's a double with 2 single doors so when inside I can get out easily. The Monaro is as follows:

length 4.789 metres/188.5 inches
width 1.841 metres/72.5 inches

I've seen a really nice Buick Riviera boat-tail but it's too damn big so this got me thinking, what 60s/70s Americana would fit in the average garage like mine?

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 23 December 18:29

GM4life

93 posts

149 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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Most good american cars doing the 60s/70s were big. Exception Corvette. The Camaro, Firebird, Mustangs of the time maybe the same sized of the Monaro.

Robin Hood

703 posts

210 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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A Mustang would give you SPACE !!

64 - 66 4.610 Long 1.730 Wide

67 - 68 4.660 Long 1.800 Wide

69 - 70 4.760 Long 1.820 Wide

(metres)

shovelheadrob

1,564 posts

176 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
quotequote all
Mopar "A" body, Dodge Dart, Plymouth Barracuda, Duster etc. They are also usually a bit cheaper than the rest, although prices are going up. They are around 16ft bumper to bumper & come with anything from a straight six to a hemi (original hemi cars make serious money) plenty of good small block cars for under £10k

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

59 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
quotequote all
Thanks everyone. Mustangs are not my thing (sorry) and one of the things that attracts me to the Buick is the styling, just looks mad in a classic American way and I love the revolving headlamps of the earlier model. I also like the C2 Corvette for the same reason, not just the boat-tail. The Ford Galaxie appeals too.

I guess everything I like is too big?

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 23 December 18:29

AdeTuono

7,365 posts

232 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
quotequote all
Gremlin or Pacer; not much else.

When I had a single garage, I had a '74 Firebird. It would just about fit in, but I had knock a couple of bricks out of the inner skin of the wall for the front bumper and hammer a bit of clearance into the up & over door to clear the back. And then climb out of the window and over the roof to get out. The doors on the 'Bird are massive, as are most 2-door cars, and only open a small amount before they hit the walls.

vaughan watkins

512 posts

216 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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Simple you just need to move house :-)

Motown Junk

2,041 posts

222 months

Monday 23rd December 2013
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My 71 Camaro fits in my single garage with just enough room at front to use the workbench. If I'd got a Bandit Trans Am (same body pretty much but bigger bumpers) may have been too long. Still managed to do a complete suspension swap and transmission change, though had to remove rear spoiler with car up on stands to open up and over door.

As it is you have to roll the window all the way down and squeeze in/out with, as Ade said, the mahoosive doors. Helps that I'm so lithe and supple.....

anonymous-user

Original Poster:

59 months

Tuesday 24th December 2013
quotequote all
Motown Junk said:
My 71 Camaro fits in my single garage with just enough room at front to use the workbench. If I'd got a Bandit Trans Am (same body pretty much but bigger bumpers) may have been too long. Still managed to do a complete suspension swap and transmission change, though had to remove rear spoiler with car up on stands to open up and over door.

As it is you have to roll the window all the way down and squeeze in/out with, as Ade said, the mahoosive doors. Helps that I'm so lithe and supple.....
That's good to know, the Camaro is one of the cars I was looking at but I thought it was too big. Once through the garage door aperture it opens up into a normal double garage so getting in and out will be ok. Don't want to sell the Monaro so may end up building another garage anyway.

roscobbc

3,580 posts

247 months

Wednesday 25th December 2013
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Most of the 'pony' will be small enough to fit - trick is to get a car with electric windows - drive in garage as close as possible in left hand side - slip over to the other side to exit vehicle - if garage is really narrow (and remember with a two door car the doors are quite long) opening the window will help matter. I had an AMC Javelin some years ago in a very narrow garage and this was exactly what I needed to do. Garage still too narrow to open door? - choose a ragtop - OR - be prepared to drive the front end in to align the car, jump out and push it in the rest of the way.

Madscanner

536 posts

199 months

Wednesday 1st January 2014
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Fiero - I had mine in an ex-council lockup for several years, and could get in and out of the car while parked in the garage, without too much trouble.