How to NOT run into curbs and parking berms?

[euro911sc]

So I slapped one of these on the car:



And I lowered the car so now the bottom edge of the front bumper is just shy of 4" off the floor. A friend of mine did the same with his 1st gen RX-7 and promptly hit a curb in the 1st week cracking it in half or so. I would like to avoid said embarrassing act!!

So I thought about curb feelers...

Amazon.com: Superior 26-6441 Adjust-O-Matic Curb Feeler, 10" Long: Automotive

But my friends laughed at me and called me ghetto

So I ordered this instead:

Amazon.com: SOUND AROUND/PYLE INDUSTRIES PLPSE4 Reverse Parking Curb Sensor System: Electronics


~$35 all in. I'll give it a shot and see if I can mount it on the bumper in such a way as to detect parking berms and curbs. I opened the box and it seems to be of reasonable quality. I can mount the box in the front boot, out of the way and virtually unseen. It has a visual and audible notification. Not sure if or where I will mount the visual part. Certainly not on the dash as recommended in the installation manual! I may mount it at the top of the a pilar at the roof line. We'll see.

I may yet return to the curb feelers and mount them under the front bumper sticking forward. They would be pretty hidden at that point. Maybe paint them black.

How have you guys/gals solved this possible issue outside of just being extra careful?

-Michael

[Joe Bob]

Just be aware and don't get to close.

[McLovin]

If you have a Home Depot near you (or a spare grocery cart you can strip for parts), and a big azz drill, you could always try this classic solution:

[Tim K]

Oh boy. I remember that post.

[911pcars]

There's no need to park that close to a parking berm. Car isn't that long in the first place.

Clearance for driveways is another issue. The bolt-on rub plates once sold/still sold by Perf. Products, as well as the skateboard wheel project are options.

Sherwood

[T77911S]

this is second only to the guy that cut a big hole behind the rear seats to get to the back of motor for things not to do to a 911.

thats not going to stop you from tearing up the spoiler. do like i do, i dont pull up that far when parking and i DONT let my wife(your wife/girl friend) drive the car, actually she does not want to, but i like to think i dont let her.

[john walker's workshop]

dream on. i'd kill it in a week.

[AZAirCooled]

What Joe Bob said.

Please know I am not judging or mocking a fellow Pelican. But you should be aware that if you put curb feelers on a purpose built sports car modified to be more precise for racing, there will be those out there that will do both.

I am not without sin. I will admit to "tapping" a curb in the past. But these older 911's are narrower and shorter tha the average car. So while it may feel a little weird, just park a little ways away from the curb. When you get out of the car you will most likely find that you are not protruding on the opposite side. If every once in a great while you have to get back in the car and move it a little, I would imagine you would suffer less frequent embarassment than you would comments about curb feelers.

I appologize if I am out of line. I'm just trying to protect a fellow Pelican.

Bob

[Winter]

Maybe just drive it and never park it? Or at least just park it in your garage when not driving it?

+1 on not going with the feelers, the alarm is kind of interesting, let us know how it works out.

[AZAirCooled]

John may be right. I just remembered I scraped the front valance this week pulling into a parking lot driveway.

You are going to have to be carefull on the street with that...

[Joe Bob]

You get used to approaching a drive way on a slant. I also approach a parking space with a cement stop with care.....you get used to it after awhile. You also get adept at bondo/fiberglass repair.

Try driving with a four inch splitter extension.

[911pcars]

Does this belong under the broad heading of "driving skills"?

Use curb feelers if you must, or park it in the garage.

Practice with the Lexus or an Alfa GTV with an unguarded oil sump.

Sherwood

[scoe911]

Originally Posted by 911pcars

does this belong under the broad heading of "driving skills"?

+1

[Tim K]

I say go for it. What the heck. Let's see how it works.

[RSBob]

Did the same on another car and was extremely careful, which was like driving on pins and needles when parking and going up and down steep cuts. After coming out of a store drive way which looked like I could make it - Crunch. Even stock height spoilers get hit, but I guarantee no matter how careful you are you will destroy it. Recommend only using it for track or return it and find something less aggressive - you will be $ and frustration ahead in the long run.

Do like the electronic approach - hope it works.

[Joe Bob]

You could also put it back to stock ride height and run it on the street like that.....bring the front end down when on the track.

[clutch-monkey]

Originally Posted by AZAirCooled

I am not without sin. I will admit to "tapping" a curb in the past. But these older 911's are narrower and shorter tha the average car. So while it may feel a little weird, just park a little ways away from the curb. When you get out of the car you will most likely find that you are not protruding on the opposite side. If every once in a great while you have to get back in the car and move it a little, I would imagine you would suffer less frequent embarassment than you would comments about curb feelers.

i agree with this. sometime i park and feel like i'm miles from the curb (and (sometimes i am.. ) but even being a foot or so away i still don't protrude into traffic anymore than other cars parked along the road with me.
i'd rather park conservatively, and move the car again if i have to, than hit the curb and have to repair something..

[jonesb930]

I think the key is proper placement of the sensors. Have you tried to find data sheets on the sensors they are using? You could certainly mount two on either side of the cooler opening and two sort of facing out to sense curbs. You will need to find the best hight from the ground to mount them so they can actually "see" the curb and not false on the ground. I would suggest making a test rig out of wood that you can adjust up and down to find the best mount points. You could even take it to work and test it against the parking stops and curbs around town.

I still think my original idea (discussed in one of my emails) of using a backup camera would be best. You could mount it just under the bumper part facing down at an angle giving you a slight forward view and still keep the lower part of the spoiler in view. You could creep right up to the stop. The camera would be hidden.

[aldente295]

I think many of you missed the point of what he's trying to do - he's not worried about how far away from the (side) curb he is - he simply doesn't want to ram into the curbs in front of him when he parks.

That being said, agree it's a driving skill thing, that you'll just need to get used to (quickly, especially with your friend's RX-7 experience fresh in your mind).

There's lots of things you _could_ do to these cars... Doesn't mean you _should_ though. I'd put this in the same camp...

[VroomGrrl]

It took me awhile to get a feel for how far up to pull my car in various situations. Still, sometimes if I am not paying attention, I pull up far enough that my front plate bracket dragggggs over the curb. I HATE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS. Of course all of yall have probably removed the front plate bracket to save some weight mine is still on there.

One other solution I have not seen mentioned - RALLY 911! JACK THAT BABY UP!