How wide is a C5?

How wide is a C5?

Author
Discussion

zektor

Original Poster:

583 posts

248 months

Thursday 29th April 2004
quotequote all
Hi All,
I hope you can all help me?

I've got a C5 coming in a couple of weeks, and now I am getting seriously worried that it won't fit in my garage! I've read somewhere that the C5 is 73.6" wide. What I need to know is this - Does this include the door mirrors or not?

If someone could be so kind to go outside, pop both leccy windows down on their C5, and stretch a tape measure from the edge of one mirror to the other, and post the result here it will be most appreciated!!!

And if poss, whilst you are at it, take another measurement with the mirrors folded up.

Thanks in advance!!!

Cheers!

ZR1427

17,999 posts

250 months

Thursday 29th April 2004
quotequote all
Zektor,cant help you on your question but congrats on the new purchase,i read with interest the thread on GS.

c4koh

735 posts

245 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
I can't help either, but for my ZR1 (which I believe is less wide than a C5), the arse is wider than between the wing mirrors... for anybody who might want to check...

You are right - checking my C5 brochure, it does say 73.6" so I guess that would be correct...

kenski

276 posts

245 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
Erm, you may find that even if you can fit the car in the garage that you may not be able to open the doors far enough to get out. The doors have quite thick trim panels... Perhaps it's worth asking people who *do* garage their vettes how wide their garages are (and whether they have beer bellies!!!)

-kenski

vetteheadracer

8,271 posts

254 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
Mine is a about 20' wide! (It's a double, plus corridor to the side makes it even wider).

You will have 2 options with the standard weedy width new build garages.

1. Exit the car Dukes of Hazzard style by leaving the door shut and the window open.

2. Put a big bit of carpet or something else door friendly on the wall and squeeze out through the gap.



c4koh

735 posts

245 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
I have a yellow carwash sponge superglued to the left hand wall of my garage which means I can push the door to the wall and "squeeze" out...

Gixer

4,463 posts

249 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
A ZR1 is length 177.4 in(4536mm), width 74in(1856), height 46.7in(1177)

From memory, on the Euro tunnel last year we noticed that the ZR1 width wheel to wheel was slightly wider than a C5 but the C5 body (at the mirrors I think it was) was slightly wider than the ZR1, although there really isnt that much difference.

zektor

Original Poster:

583 posts

248 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
Hi All,
Thanks for the responses!

But, I still need to find out exactly how wide including the mirrors up and down. Basically, the width of the car will go through the entrance ok, but if the width given does not include the mirrors then I could still be stuffed. It could mean expensive garage entrance modification (has anyone got a sledgehammer! Ha! Ha!).

Cheers
Dazza

C5RagTop

1,610 posts

249 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
I've measured mine and the width mirror to mirror is 82" (with the windows down) i.e. this is the maximum width. I would guess that each mirror sticks out 3 or 4 inches proud of the body. When they are collapsed they are inside the body line by about 1 or 2 inches each. This would imply that the 73.6" you quoted earlier is the body width only without taking into account the mirrors.

However, Kenski is spot on - you must allow a lot of room to get in and out of the car. My garage is a double so by parking the Vette on the right hand side of the garage, I get out into the middle but with my wife's car parked next door I still cannot open the door as much as I would like to. My garage has two single doors with openings of 84" so I simply collapse the driver's mirror on the way in and the car slips in a treat.

Incidentally the factory measurement on the C4 does not include the mirrors - the US mirrors don't collapse. You are right to check this as the buyer of my C4 didn't realise this - he now has a lovely new double garage to use as well as the single that his C4 won't fit into.

In view of this, the Author of this posting cannot be held responsible for anyone buying a C5 who later finds he can't park it in his garage. I was going to say "for god's sake check it our first". However as yours is on its way I suppose it's too late anyway.

Hope this helps - what are you buying and where from?




>> Edited by C5RagTop on Friday 30th April 14:40

kenski

276 posts

245 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
If they're 82" wide it's no wonder I cringe going through a 7' width restriction!!! If they're *really* 7' (which I'm guessing most aren't) then that's only an inch to play with either side!

-kenski

zektor

Original Poster:

583 posts

248 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
Thanks Ragtop!!!!

That's just the information I needed. I have a single garage but the inside is fairly wide... it's just the entrance that was the problem. I used to have a C3 that used to park in there no problem, but that car is slim at the waist and so there was plenty of room to get in and out.

The C5 is fatter as you guys suggest. Perhaps I need to buy a winch and pull it into the garage!!! ha! ha! ...now there's an idea!!!!

Cheers
Dazza

Gixer

4,463 posts

249 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
When I use my mates pit (in his single garage), I have to remove the roof I then put the window down and get out of the car by stepping over the door !

viperdave

5,530 posts

254 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
Whatever you do, the first few times you put it in the garage get some one to spot you in.

82” sounds about right as we have a standard 7 foot up and over door and the C5 is VERY tight on both sides. Tend to leave the mirrors out so I can see how close it is rather than risk a big scrape down the side, caught them a few times though when not paying attention properly but generally they survive better than a body panel would. You will need 18” or so extra once in to get the door open enough to get out, more if your porky, and something on the wall to protect the paint.

Surprisingly the Viper is actually narrower than the Vette and slips straight in with room to spare.

anonymous-user

55 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
Zektor - don't forget that the C5 body itself is widest across the rear wheel arches; much wider than the front. It's not easy to measure but I make it about 74 inches which is consistent with the 73.6 mentioned above. These cars are W-I-D-E at the back. Also the doors are long so you need a fair amount of space to get them open anyway.

C5RagTop

1,610 posts

249 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
kenski said:
If they're 82" wide it's no wonder I cringe going through a 7' width restriction!!! If they're *really* 7' (which I'm guessing most aren't) then that's only an inch to play with either side!

-kenski



They are 82" wide mirror to mirror. To get it into my 84" wide garage I collapse the driver's mirror and stick my head out of the window in order to see the front wing which I get as close to the garage opening as possible. Once the mirror has cleared I push it back into position so that I can view the rear wheel arch and I get that as close as I can to the garage opening. I figure that if I can get the driver's side close, then the other side will clear. Has worked so far.
That's the easy bit as my garage is only 3" longer than the car (integral garage which builder cocked up) - I ain't got time to tell you about the contraptions installed to make sure I don't drive the car through into the lounge or the time that my C4 didn't stop - ouch.

>> Edited by C5RagTop on Friday 30th April 16:38

malc350

1,035 posts

247 months

Friday 30th April 2004
quotequote all
viperdave said:

Surprisingly the Viper is actually narrower than the Vette and slips straight in with room to spare.


Who would have thought that, eh?