Driveway woes...

[dd74]

Here's the sitch:

My car is low - quite low, in fact, and at my work, if I don't pull in and out of the driveway on a very radical angle, I make what sounds like steel hamburger meat of my toe hooks, and potentially, my tailpipe.

To further aggravate things, I plan on mounting 50-series tires soon (I use 60-series at the moment), and I can already feel the joint pain I experience now when I don't enter/exit the driveway properly. With 50-series tires, I know this scraping will greatly intensify.

So what do I do? Parking in H'wood is like finding a needle in a haystack. Plus, there's the occasional junkie around here who likes to rifle around parked cars after bashing out their side windows with a spark plug or something.

Then, there's the city of LA who once came out and said, "Can't mess with anything from the sidewalk to the street; i.e., leveling out the driveway is not an option.

It's a *****, I know, but I was thinking of ramps or something, and actually putting them down to roll my car over as come in and out, only so I don't tear apart my undercarriage.

Is this too extreme? Do you guys have any other suggestions?

Thanks...

[widebody911]

Airbags!

[trader220]

move to santa monica

[McDaniel]

Sneak up and drop a used 2X4 against the lip. Glue it down
with some kind of epoxy and deny all knowledge.

[dd74]

Good answers! That's why I love you guys!

[Jack Olsen]

This was a concern of mine, when I was house shopping not too long ago. My just-in-case solution was to epoxy down wood that's been painted to match the concrete. Bevel the edges so it blends in.

Chances are, it'll get left alone.

[JavaBrewer]

Our new home community has the rolled curbs instead of the traditional ones hence driveways have no cutouts and we instead drive up the rolled curb. I enter and depart our driveway at an angle to prevent my chin spoiler from contacting. A guy down the street has a Viper with what appears to be aftermarket spoilers. He made two ramps out of wood about 2 feet long that he drives up. If they're out tonight I will take a picture and post here tomorrow.

Sounds like the single 2x4 or 2x6 is simpler.

[Zeke]

Ramps are a PIA and they can't interfer with drainage or the street sweeper. I have been waiting for the City of LB to fix my driveway approach for 2 years as it is 4 inches above the sidewalk due to tree roots. The only car that's ever been up my driveway is my PU. The other cars are in another garage accessed from the rear.

But, back to the original question. I have seen 2 foot long steel plates used to cross the lowest part of the approach. I think even 2 x 12 lumber will work if not too long. I don't think there is any law about leaving these items next to the driveway between use. Maybe start a planter in the parkway to stash them. You will loose a couple now and then due to mischief, but lumber is cheep. What do you do when it rains? Anyway, I feel your pain.

[McDaniel]

I was being serious...especially since his problem is at work, not
at home. You'd be surprised how long a piece of wood can just
lay there.

[dd74]

Originally posted by Zeke
Ramps are a PIA and they can't interfer with drainage or the street sweeper. I have been waiting for the City of LB to fix my driveway approach for 2 years as it is 4 inches above the sidewalk due to tree roots. The only car that's ever been up my driveway is my PU. The other cars are in another garage accessed from the rear.

But, back to the original question. I have seen 2 foot long steel plates used to cross the lowest part of the approach. I think even 2 x 12 lumber will work if not too long. I don't think there is any law about leaving these items next to the driveway between use. Maybe start a planter in the parkway to stash them. You will loose a couple now and then due to mischief, but lumber is cheep. What do you do when it rains? Anyway, I feel your pain.

Well, we have access to the entire building. There is a patio off to the side of the parking lot, where I'm sure I might be able to store some ramps.

Come to think of it, the reason I haven't done an RSR spoiler on my car is the driveway. I saw a 73RS at TRE, newly backdated for a month, and already the front spoiler was chipped and broken - the culprit: driveways.

But back to the ramps: what kind does anyone recommend? I guess Pep Boys or someone sells them. Maybe Summit Racing.

Any thoughts where I can purchase them? Maybe Pelican Parts, or a fellow Pelican member?

Thanks.

[widebody911]

Solving the driveway issue is easy - HTF do you deal with the obscene speed bumps? Around here, they like to make them tall, supposedly to keep the lowrider crowd away. There's a shopping center @ Sunrise & Madison on which my 911 would scrape before I lowered it! I simply don't shop there anymore.

[masraum]

Does Pelican sell these??

[dd74]

Speed bumps are the latest thing in trendy L.A. neighborhoods. None of the residents there care because they all drive SUVs.

[masraum]

nope, not speed bumps, speed humps. When I was in college I could park my car on some of them.

[Bill Douglas]

I just put up with it. I've twice worn off the tow hook on my SC and have welded new ones on. I guess the rubber skirt on the front spoiler thingie is getting shorter by the day, but hey, who cares, I'll just replace that if I have to. My exhaust only does a small scrape so I get away with that plus fat chicks can't get into the recaros so the ground clearance nevers gets worse than it is normally.

[dd74]

I thought "speed hump" was something you do IN the car.

[dd74]

Originally posted by Bill Douglas
...plus fat chicks can't get into the recaros so the ground clearance nevers gets worse than it is normally.

A little OT, but have any of you guys ever told someone they're just too darn fat to ride in your car?

[Bill Douglas]

Hahaha. I don't want to get beaten up by some fat chick. So no, I wouldn't dare.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally posted by dd74
A little OT, but have any of you guys ever told someone they're just too darn fat to ride in your car?

No, but I wish the airlines would be a bit more strict. I can't stand being wedged in by a person next to me who is literally spilling over the arm rest and into my seat. Perfect for the 4.5 hour flight to D.C. Time to put the big mac down buddy.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally posted by dmoolenaar
No, but I wish the airlines would be a bit more strict. I can't stand being wedged in by a person next to me who is literally spilling over the arm rest and into my seat. Perfect for the 4.5 hour flight to D.C. Time to put the big mac down buddy.

Oh yeah, wife had the Carrera on Monday. So she calls me in the afternoon and says "Guess how many people your Porsche can hold" "How many" I reply "Six!" "WFT" I said - not thinking of safety but my poor potato chip Carrera.