Marking parking positions

[TimAndRoar]

Does anyone have amazing ideas for marking the parking positions for cars (i.e. knowing how far to pull in)? The standard tennis ball hanging from a string seems kind of ugly to me. I have some of these parking mats from Griot's, and they seemed great at first. However, I've discovered that they "creep" over time -- one of our cars was parked six inches further forward than I'd originally positioned it. And the adhesive has proven impossible to get off of the floor, which is another mark against these.

My folks have something like this flashing stop sign, but I don't like them. They don't stay in place, and we have cabinets at the front of the garage (right in front of the cars) that they'd get in the way of.

I'm almost resigned to just giving up and hanging tennis balls, but I'd love to hear about any other creative solutions you guys have.

 

[TheOtherChris]

Laser pointer similar to this
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F6F99G/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[spotco2]

What's worked for me for many years is a short 2x4 laying in the floor that the front tire bumps. There is a mark on the floor where the board goes so you can put it back if it gets kicked out of the way. Just roll in and wait until you bump the board.

My dad has an old oil can on a shelf on the side wall that he looks at when he pulls in. It's straight across from his shoulders so he just turns his head and watches it and stops when he is lined up with it.

My great aunt and uncle only had about 6" between the difference in the length of their land yacht and the depth of their garage with the door closed. They were just careful. I never knew of them hitting the wall in front or closing the door on the back.

 

[softailgarage]

Mount a little red light or 2 depending on how many cars your parking, either in the wall or cabinet directly in front of you or in the ceiling where you can see it from the driver seat. Then set up a laser "trip wire" or use the laser lights from a garage door opener. Wire 'em up and when you trip it the light comes on and yer parked.

 

[BBChevro]

I like the laser idea.

 

[bad_idea]

My garage is 14x20 w/ a shitpot o' tools and materials packed in it. I have a rack storing my sheet goods just inside the garage door on the driver's side. I pull forward with the door open until I can open it past the rack of material. I have used the 2x4 method too. For a woman, the tennis ball on a string that raises and lowers w/ the door is nice.

 

[APEowner]

In my old shop I just bolted a piece of aluminum bar stock I had laying around to the floor with a couple of tapcons. In the summer when my wife's car gave up its parking space I unbolted the bar and stuck a couple of set screws in the holes.

 

[btlegacy]

Maybe something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0030ICO3U/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[TimAndRoar]

Thanks for the ideas so far! I like the laser idea, mostly because I'm a geek so complicated tetchy things always appeal to me more than simple solutions (which are, of course, cheaper and more likely to work -- don't get my wife started). I've also been thinking about maybe trying a solution with a pressure sensing mat, but I'm having a hard time finding one that is durable enough to handle cars rolling over it, but low-profile enough that it's not going to have similar problems as the Griot's mats I have now. And the durable ones I've found are also pretty expensive.

The problem with those ultrasonic ones and the like is that I don't have a great place to mount something in front of the cars. Both cars have cabinets in front of them and I don't like the idea of mounting something on the cabinet doors.

 

[gipp]

How about the old gas station air hose and bell. It's simple yet quirky enough to be cool. It also announces her return. I use a couple rubber bricks, they work good for me but my wife usually misses them.

 

[4xdog]

How about the old gas station air hose and bell. It's simple yet quirky enough to be cool...

A friend of mine has one of those in his garage. Very cool, and the ding-ding of that bell brings back lotsa memories from being a kid in the 60s.

 

[Streetbu]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002UQ9NA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

One of these, then paint around it once you find the correct location. That way if you have to move it, you can just put it right back to the correct location without having to figure it out again.

 

[sqft]

I use the laser pointer like in the link above. Works great. Just aim it at a convenient spot on the dash. Perfect every time.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I hang a broom on the back wall. Pull in slowly til the broom moves then back up 1".

 

[evildky]

I just use a visual reference, when I back my truck in I have 2 reflectors stuck to the side of a cabinet, i should be able to see one not the other, and my antenna should line up with a handle a cabinet near the right front corner of my truck.

 

[Joe Reed]

On my wife's side of the garage there isn't much wiggle room between the CX7, the upright freezer & treadmill at the front and the garage door at the back. I used to use the tennis balls but didn't like them hanging down when the cars weren't in the garage....and my wife didn't always stop just when the ball hit the windscreen. Now I just have a piece of scrap 2x6 laying on the floor where the left front tire need to stop.

I was originally going to drill a couple of holes through the board into the slab and drop nails or bolts into the holes to hold it into place, but still be able to pick it up and move it without any drama when I wanted a smooth floor. So far that's not proven to be needed.

On my side, where the MGB resides, I have a big wiring diagram hanging on the wall. I just look to the right as I pull in and the car is in the perfect spot when the middle of that diagram is even with me. Precision isn't as much of an issue on that side since I've got a couple of feet to the rear and about 6 feet to the front before I hit the workbench

 

[JTG]

My MIL parks in my garage. I've used a piece of 2x4, iron pipe and a brick. They all moved. Most likely from her not feeling them. I finally bought a tall parking stop. It was cheap and has held up well. For this one I drilled two holes in the floor and dropped to lag bolts through the stop and into the floor. They aren't bolted in but they are long enough to keep the stop in place. This way if I need to remove the parking stop I can just lift it up and drop it back in when I'm done.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008EL3YL4/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Hpozzuoli]

My neighbor has a garage door openner eye connect to a traffic light. When he hits the beam from the eye the red light goes on and he is in far enough. I can find out the particulars if you are interested.

 

[SalukiATO]

On my wife's side of the garage there isn't much wiggle room between the CX7, the upright freezer & treadmill at the front and the garage door at the back. I used to use the tennis balls but didn't like them hanging down when the cars weren't in the garage....and my wife didn't always stop just when the ball hit the windshield

Oh, idea! Pulleys and cables tied to the door. When the garage door opens, ball lowers into place. Park and close door, ball rises out of the way. At least keeps it out of the way when cars are gone and door(s) are closed.

 

[TimAndRoar]

My neighbor has a garage door openner eye connect to a traffic light. When he hits the beam from the eye the red light goes on and he is in far enough. I can find out the particulars if you are interested.

I'd certainly be interested in hearing more details about this if you get a chance. It sounds interesting.

I ordered a few components to prototype some potential options next weekend. Some of them are kind of harebrained, but this is the kind of project I enjoy... I'll report back if I find anything that actually works.

That laser thing looks like it would do the trick for me, but sometimes it's more fun to build something myself (and just as many times, I curse myself for not just spending a few bucks on the commercial option).

 

[94LX]

I use small stick on reflectors. One on the back wall that I center in the back window, and one on the wall to know when to stop. I park in the exact same spot every time.

 

[805gregg]

Remove your roof and use google earth

 

[thefultonhow]

Painter's tape. For me, with my car on the left side of the garage, one piece on the wall to roughly align me, the other piece on the ground next to the driver's door. Pull in while looking to the left and with my back firmly against the seat until the painter's tape on the wall is aligned with the back of the driver's window, then open the door and align a landmark on the door frame with the painter's tape on the floor (I have a little notch near the rear of the door frame that I can use, but on my fiance's old Mustang, I just put a small piece of painter's tape on her door sill).

For the rough landmark for my fiance's side (right side), she lines her right mirror up with a pressure washer that we have on that side. Her new car is a Veloster Turbo, which is 16" shorter than her Mustang, so that's about as exact as she needs to be now. With her Mustang, it was pressure washer first, then the tape on the floor.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

I like the 2 x 4 & the gas station bell ideas. I'll probably never use either idea. I don't have any clearance issues. Maybe when the car is actually on the road I'll find I need something.

Tommy