Clever idea wanted please

[Raistlin]

As some of you may know, the S-Type Jaguar's bonnet drops away quite quickly towards the front and as a result, lining the car up between the vertical posts of my garage door is something of a nightmare, the garage doorway being scant inches wider than the car.

Once inside the garage, no problem as my lasers act as a perfect guide to the final position of the car.

So, what I'm looking for is a clever idea that I can use to centralize the car's nose with the garage door entrance prior to entering the garage.

Any ideas please?

[Old Peter]

Hi Paul,

 

Can you see the head of the Leaper on your way in?

 

I used to use a table tennis ball on a string the get the distance right inside the garage.

 

Peter.

[Raistlin]

It's not the distance that is the problem Peter. My laser markers take car of that.

 

The problem is initially aligning the car, before entering the garage, so that the front wings do not touch the sides of the entrance.

[cass]

Hi Paul

perhaps a rope or cord suspended from middle of front entrance frame would indicate central position.

regards  Cass.

[Raistlin]

It's an "up and over" door George. When open sticks out about 1 metre from the garage front.

[O.T.H]

Hi Paul

Now this needs thinking about ---Can side lazer markers be fitted to front corners to tell when too close ????

                                                     

                                                  ---Or can a sensor be fitted some how on the garage walls so a red light

                                                       comes on --on the wall that you are too close to.?????

 

Think.??   Think.??

 

Frank

[Raistlin]

Thanks Frank.

 

I'm beginning to think that it will have to be another laser marker, possibly mounted centrally and angled so it hits the bonnet well before the car reaches the threshold of the garage.

 

I could then aim to get the laser to hit the leaper and then track up the bonnet to hit the solar sensor. That would provide a centre-line to run up.

 

Not sure yet. I'll need to buy another laser marker and test it.

[O.T.H]

Hi Paul

Good thinking and well worth a try keep us informed as it sounds good.

 

Frank

[cass]

Hi Paul 

Same thing just secure rope or cord to hang from up over door .

[numkelfutumch]

Paint a pair of guide lines up your driveway, stay on the lines and you know you're central.   That must be the trucker coming out in me 

[Raistlin]

Problem solved.

I mounted another laser marker on the inside of the garage "up and over" door such that, when the door is open, the sensor is sufficiently sensitive to detect the car some two metres before it reaches the threshold.

The laser is aligned to run up the centre of the bonnet, from the leaper to the sensor just inside the windscreen, allowing a small amount of leeway for adjustment.

The upshot of which is that I am now confident that my car is sufficiently well aligned to get through the entrance to the garage unscathed :)

[O.T.H]

Hi Paul

 

Sounds great and all neat and tidy .

 

Frank

[Tom H]

Wow, hats off for solving the problem. I would have knocked one of the walls down.

[Raistlin]

Probably more by luck than judgement that I didn't Tom

[dinkydimps]

Glad you got sorted, when I bought my house 20yrs ago I wasn't that bothered that the previous owner had converted the double garage into a single using the other half for an extra bedroom.

Now I have the big cat it's a bit of a squeeze to get her in the garage, but retracting the mirrors and being very careful I can get in and out, I have a ball on a string to indicate how far to go in. Happy days...................