Vantage - Trials & Tribulations of Fitting one in a Garage

[Baron Von Alders]

I am on the verge of doing a deal on a Vantage and the question of will it fit in the garage keeps coming back to haunt me.

Previously I owned an Esprit, which according to the dimensions is the same width as a Vantage with the mirrors folded in. For this I used to line the car up, exit the car and then push it into the garage and then push it out again when I wanted to use it next.

Now I'm in no illusions that I'll be able to drive the Vantage in & then be able to open the door to get out. So I'm going to be in the same boat again.

However the Vantage is notable heavier than the Esprit for pushing in and out, so I'm after anybody with a similar problem or a similar situation to offer their experiences or alternatives.

My main questions are:

How easy is it to push?
How easy to line up accurately (I plan to reverse up so that I can use the mirrors for alignment)

Ta in advance for any advice

[lady topaz]

Our garage is full of crap so every car I have owned stays outside through summer and winter. A bit of tlc by hubby and never had a problem keeping them immaculate.

I certainly wouldn't be bothered with pushing and doing contortions on a regular basis.

Di

[steveatesh]

lady topaz said:

Our garage is full of crap so every car I have owned stays outside through summer and winter. A bit of tlc by hubby and never had a problem keeping them immaculate.

I certainly wouldn't be bothered with pushing and doing contortions on a regular basis.

Di

What Di said. Do you NEED to put it in a garage? It made no difference to my insurance at all. I'd certain,y not wanting to be pushing a Vantage every time I wanted to drive it - they are really solid.

[George H]

My car won't even fit through the garage doors, I just invested in an outdoor car cover from AM. It just lives under that during winter.

[Neil1300R]

Got a very small garage. If I am very very careful I can just (only milimeters to spare) get the car in with the mirrors out. Mirrors in, its slightly easier. Then have to park at a slight angle to give me rooom to get the car door open - cardboard on the side of the garage, to avoid damaging car door. Car only just fits lengthways as well, so have a strip of loft insulation at the far end to stop damaging the front (front numberplate holder is on, so I can touch the loft insulation). Looking at having a side door put into the garage to line up with the car door opening - open garage door, then open car door into the gap.
To answer your question - how easy is it to line up - first few times its pray and be careful! You can't see the front of the car or the front corners of the wings, even if you jack the seat up. Reversing out needs the mirrors to dip to check the rear three quarters as they are wider than the front.
As for pushing it out - no chance for me as their is a slope immeditely after the garage opening.

Car is insured to be parked on the driveway - it was actually cheaper than being in the garage. Checked with ins co and I am allowed to park either on the driveway or the garage.

Aston Annie absolutely refuses to get the car out of the garage - just mentioning it to her causes her to have a nervous breakdown.

[bogie]

Dave, you need a bigger garage

or a Specialised cover works well

[Baron Von Alders]

bogie said:

Dave, you need a bigger garage

or a Specialised cover works well

Mark - bigger garage will come with the next house when we follow your route out of the smoke in a year or so's time

With the windows being frameless, unlike the Esprit's I "might" if I go on a diet, be able to get out through the door!

As the Vantage will in the main be a weekend toy I'd like it out of sight & harms way - our road is a walking route home from the town centre and the number of times we hear shouting and rowing (and singing!) plus kicking cans and stuff down the road after closing time would make me a nervous wreck if it was left on the drive. The drive is only a car length deep so the nose of the Aston would be level with the footpath.

Edited for crap spelling and grammar by Baron Von Alders on Wednesday 17th August 19:26

Edited by Baron Von Alders on Wednesday 17th August 22:28

[bogie]

the doors are not so bad, I can imagine with the windows down someone slim could squeeze out ...I guess you are used to it with the Elise

[peterr96]

Neil1300R said:

Got a very small garage. If I am very very careful I can just (only milimeters to spare) get the car in with the mirrors out. Mirrors in, its slightly easier. Then have to park at a slight angle to give me rooom to get the car door open - cardboard on the side of the garage, to avoid damaging car door. Car only just fits lengthways as well, so have a strip of loft insulation at the far end to stop damaging the front (front numberplate holder is on, so I can touch the loft insulation). Looking at having a side door put into the garage to line up with the car door opening - open garage door, then open car door into the gap.
To answer your question - how easy is it to line up - first few times its pray and be careful! You can't see the front of the car or the front corners of the wings, even if you jack the seat up. Reversing out needs the mirrors to dip to check the rear three quarters as they are wider than the front.
As for pushing it out - no chance for me as their is a slope immeditely after the garage opening.

Car is insured to be parked on the driveway - it was actually cheaper than being in the garage. Checked with ins co and I am allowed to park either on the driveway or the garage.

Aston Annie absolutely refuses to get the car out of the garage - just mentioning it to her causes her to have a nervous breakdown.

Sounds very similar to our last garage.
The V8V just squeezed between the open doors and then if parked slightly diagonally you could open the door to get out.
Forget pushing it. That is nigh on impossible on fat tyres.
Lining it up is pretty easy. We always reversed it in. You can guage it fine doing that looking down the length of the car in the mirrors.
Did it 100s of times through summer winter over four years and never had any mishaps. Putting it away took a couple of minutes tops.

[mikey k]

Buy a roadster and climb over the boot (or out the hatch in a coupe )
They are easy enough to push if the hand brake is not binding
My last one lived outside for 18 months before I got it - never again!
It had a load of warranty claims related to it (corroded brake pistons & rear calipers, corroded mirror mounts, failed boot button, TPMS sensor errors, headligh replacement due to delamination etc)

[Neil1300R]

peterr96 said:

Neil1300R said:

Got a very small garage. If I am very very careful I can just (only milimeters to spare) get the car in with the mirrors out. Mirrors in, its slightly easier. Then have to park at a slight angle to give me rooom to get the car door open - cardboard on the side of the garage, to avoid damaging car door. Car only just fits lengthways as well, so have a strip of loft insulation at the far end to stop damaging the front (front numberplate holder is on, so I can touch the loft insulation). Looking at having a side door put into the garage to line up with the car door opening - open garage door, then open car door into the gap.
To answer your question - how easy is it to line up - first few times its pray and be careful! You can't see the front of the car or the front corners of the wings, even if you jack the seat up. Reversing out needs the mirrors to dip to check the rear three quarters as they are wider than the front.
As for pushing it out - no chance for me as their is a slope immeditely after the garage opening.

Car is insured to be parked on the driveway - it was actually cheaper than being in the garage. Checked with ins co and I am allowed to park either on the driveway or the garage.

Aston Annie absolutely refuses to get the car out of the garage - just mentioning it to her causes her to have a nervous breakdown.

Sounds very similar to our last garage.
The V8V just squeezed between the open doors and then if parked slightly diagonally you could open the door to get out.
Forget pushing it. That is nigh on impossible on fat tyres.
Lining it up is pretty easy. We always reversed it in. You can guage it fine doing that looking down the length of the car in the mirrors.
Did it 100s of times through summer winter over four years and never had any mishaps. Putting it away took a couple of minutes tops.

Reading that back it does sound as if i don't put the car in the garage often. Its nearly always put in the garage. like you say, only takes a couple of minutes. Practice makes perfect.

[JohnG1]

Getting big things into small places is part of the job....

Question:

Is the vantage one with a key or with an ECU?

Without being a bit rude, are you built more like Kate Moss or Giant Haystacks?

I have a tiny garage and I got a V8 with a key in easily. The V12 with an ECU is an absolute nightmare to the point I've asked Bamford Rose to build me some circuitry to bypass the wiring for the window module.

If you want to discuss PM me with your number and a few times and I'll phone you and explain WTF I am talking about - there is method in what I'm saying...

[Murph7355]

Is it a std width single garage? What sort of door does it have on it? I put a roller door on mine - gives a couple of inches extra opening width.

[Baron Von Alders]

Thanks all for the responses.

To answer a couple of questions, closer to Kate Moss than Giant Haystacks .... just. 13 stone of prime British beef (that bit may not be true) starting to go a bit round in the middle.

Probably an 07my Vantage, so predating the ECU. Thanks for the offer of a chat.

Standard garage door with a 2,000mm opening, so mirrors in to pass through. Garage has a step / Pillar in the wall on one side so changing to a shutter will only gain me space on one side.

And the Elise was a doddle to get in and out of the garage, especially as it was narrower. It spent 99% of the time with the roof off so I just wound down the window & stepped out

Edited by Baron Von Alders on Wednesday 17th August 22:06

[David W.]

http://www.undergroundgaragesystems.co.uk/undergro... is the answer.

[yeti]

My Esprit (81 turbo) is coming to live at home with me soon - susprised it's ony as wide as a Vantage, which is of course an Aston for children, and only one step up from the pedal car.

I had always just assumed the Esprit was collossal in width (having owned it for 8 years and ner driven it) and I'd have to avoid any narrow gap. Good to know

[Jockman]

mikey k said:

My last one lived outside for 18 months before I got it - never again!
It had a load of warranty claims related to it (corroded brake pistons & rear calipers, corroded mirror mounts, failed boot button, TPMS sensor errors, headligh replacement due to delamination etc)

Sounds like a failure to look after properly on an older model more than anything else Mr K (pre-dating your ownership).

Mine stays on the driveway, specialist cover, regularly cleaned etc, just like Di and Georgeous

[Neil1300R]

Jockman said:

Mine stays on the driveway, specialist cover, regularly cleaned etc, just like Di and Georgeous

Typical Jock, too tight to invite guests into his house. Leaving poor Di and Georgeous under a cover on your driveway.

[Grant3]

Make sure you buy a car with Powerfold mirrors and put carpet on the garage wall (doors) where you open the door, they are swan-wing so rise up slightly, which means with carpet to lean on you may be able to squeeze out ok!

[Jockman]

Neil1300R said:

Typical Jock, too tight to invite guests into his house..

Paying guests only please Neil