How do I know if my car will go into the drive

yottie · 15 Apr 2011

I have a narrow approach to my drive which then goes downhill into a carport. Is there a safe (non scratch !) way of calculating whether the car can get in. The car is a Mazda MX5, the approach road is about 6 feet wide. the drive about 7 feet wide at right angles to the road.
Thanks

freddiemercurystwin · 15 Apr 2011

6ft 90° 7ft! You're avin a laugh! What year is the MX5?

If I'm bored later and i can find a CAD drawing of an MX5 I'll do an ickle CAD sketch.

^woody^ · 15 Apr 2011

I saw something on Blue Peter once which involved a lot of cornflake boxes and four dustbin lids

I think the Mazda will fit, but just remember to get up enough speed to do the required hand-brake turn into the house driveway

OwainDIYer · 15 Apr 2011

yottie said:
I have a narrow approach to my drive which then goes downhill into a carport. Is there a safe (non scratch !) way of calculating whether the car can get in. The car is a Mazda MX5, the approach road is about 6 feet wide. the drive about 7 feet wide at right angles to the road.
Thanks

Get some scrap carpet and cover the car roof with it. Then drive in v-e-r-y slowly.

freddiemercurystwin · 15 Apr 2011

You sure you're drive/road are that small?

Untitled

freddiemercurystwin
15 Apr 2011
1

yottie · 16 Apr 2011

OK sorry my estimates were a guess and were a bit out.
Approach road is 9 feet wide....Drive is 11 feet wide...I think the
MX 5...2.5 (2003) is 29 feet turning circle

RedHerring2 · 16 Apr 2011

Any reason why you can't re-model the corners of your drive?

yottie · 16 Apr 2011

The corners are fixed really, certainly at the moment. I can jiggle with the inside a bit (to widen the space the MX front wheel will take up on the drivers side when swinging in) The sketch is correct as to the way the car approaches,
ie. from the right of the sketch then turning left towards the bottom. Hope that's not too garbled !

Nige F · 16 Apr 2011

yottie said:
OK sorry my estimates were a guess and were a bit out.
Approach road is 9 feet wide

not 6 then - as Hendrix once said " if six turned up to be 9 - I don`t mind , I don`t mind " and neither do I

maltaron · 18 Apr 2014

Draw the road and drive to a scale and cut out a piece of card the same size as your car to the same scale. You can then move the card over the drawing to see if it fits. It may be better to consider reversing in, that effective makes the car rear wheel steer.

tony1851 · 18 Apr 2014

I imagine he's ditched the Mazda by now and got a Smart car

ban-all-sheds · 18 Apr 2014

No - he still has the Mazda.

But it looks like this now:

alan333 · 19 Apr 2014

To the OP...go to a deserted industrial estate tomorrow and drive along the road with the middle white line about level with your right wing mirror, and turn tightly left into a road somewhere. Measure how much space you needed.

HERTS P&D · 19 Apr 2014

Alan, this is 3 years old!

Andy

Nige F · 20 Apr 2014

Indeed , Andy - but there will be a lot more deserted estates now

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How do I know if my car will go into the drive

RedHerring2

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