[Win]

Ever since Fred's post about his accident, I have been thinking about the Elise having no bumpers and it is scaring me. Last night, I came home from the store and was not paying attention when I was pulling into my garage (side garage) and clipped the middle pillar. The bumpers got most of the damage and sheet metal just a bit. But if that was the Elise, I would be crying.

No bumpers on the Elise is not going to prevent me from buying it but it does scare me.

 

[Sownman]

I started a thread here quite a while ago mentioning that I was starting to drive my pretend Elise, and think where is it safe to park ?

I'm not concerned about what I might do, but about what the soccer moms will do. Parallel parking is OUT So many people use the "slow and bump" method to get in and out of spots. When they bump your Elise it's not a 5mph bumper they're hitting. On the plus side though, for guys that have no experience with fibreglass cars you no longer need to be concerned about door dings. Fibreglass bends then snaps back. Only a hard contact might crack the paint or the fibreglass. I drove a Vette for 12 years and never got a single mark except stone road rash. No parking lots troubles.

Steve

 

[jml1952]

If you are going to hit your own garage, I don't think there's much hope for you.

I'm worried about parallel parking situations. I do believe that people are morons and will back into the car, so I'm going to look into some front protection. Everybody laughed at my boat fender suggestion, but I think it has merit- something cheap that you can hang on the car when needed to absorb a light impact. I'm less worried about the rear end, since I think most people can see what's in front of them and hopefully won't hit the car or will barely tap it.

Stall parking I think I can handle by seeking out paranoid spots.

 

[NMRJock]

If you are going to hit your own garage, I don't think there's much hope for you.

I'm worried about parallel parking situations. I do believe that people are morons and will back into the car, so I'm going to look into some front protection. Everybody laughed at my boat fender suggestion, but I think it has merit- something cheap that you can hang on the car when needed to absorb a light impact. I'm less worried about the rear end, since I think most people can see what's in front of them and hopefully won't hit the car or will barely tap it.

Stall parking I think I can handle by seeking out paranoid spots.

I don't think the boat bumpers will help. At least not the white hard plastic ones that you posted. I imagine that if somebody backed into the car they'd either miss the boat bumper and hit the Elise directly or hit the boat bumper and that will crack the fiberglass. That would really tick me off after I put up with all the hassle of hauling around a bunch of white cylinders on ropes.

 

[_JD_]

You won't be able to feel a boat fender if you're in the offending car anyway, so they would be pointless other than to attract ppl messing with your car even more IMO.

 

[zvezdah1]

I use a large plastic bucket in my garage in front of my car, if I hear the scuffing I'm far enough and need to go no further.
Chris

 

[jml1952]

Well, I was hoping that something with a little give would absorb the light impact and avoid damaging the car, because presumably people will stop once they feel an impact. Some of the boat fenders are inflatable, so you can control how hard and rigid they will be. There also is a type that attaches with suction cups, because I agree that I don't want to deal with ropes and such. Placement could be a problem. They may be too low to prevent SUVs from coming right onto the hood before they hit anything.

I'm not too worried about attracting extra attention to the car. I think Lotus has ensured that the car will grab everyone's attention as is.

I probably need my car so I can park behind a few other vehicles and evaluate where problems may occur.

 

[Randy Chase]

http://www.virtual-bubblewrap.com/popnow.shtml

 

[agent.5]

I think we need some kind of buoys that can be setup two feet in front and behind the vehicle.

 

[MotorCade]

How about spike strips that we can place a few feet in front of and behind our cars. Threat of damage to their vehicle should be enough to deter them from damaging ours...

Cade

 

[Lumn8r]

I think a bicycle flag bracket that screws into the two ring adapter. Then you have a flag sticking up that the other motorist will see as they are backing up.

 

[jml1952]

I think a bicycle flag bracket that screws into the two ring adapter. Then you have a flag sticking up that the other motorist will see as they are backing up.

That assumes that people are paying attention to what is behind them and can gauge distances. I've seen many people, mostly in big SUVs, men and women alike, who simply back up until they tap something. Once they feel the contact, they stop and pull out of the spot. So I want a cushion on the front clam that they could hit rather than making the car itself the first point of contact. But it needs to be something that is quick to install, doesn't take up much space in the car and is cheap so that it doesn't matter if its stolen.

 

[agent.5]

But it needs to be something that is quick to install, doesn't take up much space in the car and is cheap so that it doesn't matter if its stolen.

But you also need something not connected to the car body so the impact force will not crack the fiberglass.

 

[mikester]

I'm getting one of those clear plastic bubbles that you drive your car into and then it inflates with a small compressor, that should keep people and vehicles away from the car....:huh:

But seriously, I recently got another test ride/drive, and dips in the road, transitions in and out of driveways etc. are pretty intimidating, at least at first, and the site lines as far as maneuvering around in a parking lot, blind spots etc. will take some getting used to.

 

[Stan]

>>But seriously, I recently got another test ride/drive, and dips in the road, transitions in and out of driveways etc. are pretty intimidating, at least at first, and the site lines as far as maneuvering around in a parking lot, blind spots etc. will take some getting used to.<<

My Elise has a bit over 300 miles on it now...it has way, way better visibility than my Lotus Europa S2 (with the sail panels).

Many times if you position yourself when you park so that leaving will be easy it helps. Preplanning, looking ahead so to speak. And when you approach stuff where you need more visibility toward the rear part of a side view in areas that are partial blind spots, just angle the car appropriately at those times where in a normal car you might have the car straight. After a few days the car gets easier and easier to get into an d out of and little tricks such as the abovenoted become automatic.

 

[NtflBlueLiz]

>>But seriously, I recently got another test ride/drive, and dips in the road, transitions in and out of driveways etc. are pretty intimidating, at least at first, and the site lines as far as maneuvering around in a parking lot, blind spots etc. will take some getting used to.<<

My Elise has a bit over 300 miles on it now...it has way, way better visibility than my Lotus Europa S2 (with the sail panels).

Many times if you position yourself when you park so that leaving will be easy it helps. Preplanning, looking ahead so to speak. And when you approach stuff where you need more visibility toward the rear part of a side view in areas that are partial blind spots, just angle the car appropriately at those times where in a normal car you might have the car straight. After a few days the car gets easier and easier to get into an d out of and little tricks such as the abovenoted become automatic.

Hey Stan,

I've been out a couple of days and hadn't seen anything about you getting an Elise. Please post info! and Congratulations!

 

[MattG]

More than anything else, it's the Elise's lack of 2.5mph bumpers that makes it not practical as a daily driver.

 

[zvezdah1]

Matt,
The car's too much fun not to be a daily driver, I'd hate to leave it stuck in the garage everyday.

I've decided not to worry about vandalism or other such possibilities, just enjoy it to the best of my abilities. But I will be careful where I park.

Chris

 

[Stan]

>>>More than anything else, it's the Elise's lack of 2.5mph bumpers that makes it not practical as a daily driver<<<

Even in cars with 2.5 and 5 MPH bumpers there is at least cosmetic damage to nearly every car...and sometimes worse if something greatly heavier or at a different height hits you. It's not a blanket protection thing by any means evenif you have it.

 

[MOKOSpeeD]

reverse parking assist device?

A good invention might be a system similar to the parking-assist device, but instead, it works for the parked car. A motion detector senses the car in front or behind or even sides approaching within feet or engines and flashes it's lights or beeps in intervals proportionately to the gap size. Horn goes off when the parking car is too close. Sound like a decent idea (not that I have the ability to make it)? Oh and in the case of contact, the Elise's radar locks upon target and destroys it with it's missiles!

-Martin