Curb Feeler

[sochermit]

I am going to show my age but here goes. Many moons ago they had a device installed on the side of the car by the wheel that would touch the curb and let you know that you were close to it. It was a short length of metal on a spring.

I was wondering if something similar could be mounted on the front to prevent from running over parking barriers. Yes I know you should know the length of your car. But sometimes it is difficult.

The length would not have to be long just enough to touch the cement block.

I would hate to install an expensive carbon lip and then scratch it up or worse break it.

Just wondering.

[Everfly]

Parking sensor will be best and cheap. $30 or some from ebay

[sochermit]

Thank you, I will look into that.

[RoundelM3]

While you're at it, take a look at the new electronic "necker knobs".

Bet you forgot about that favorite accessory from the 50s and 60s when steering was nearly 4 turns lock to lock. Now who's showing his age?

[pinmagic]

Don't have a link handy, but in Japan, BMW sells thin little posts for the 1-er that you mount at the front corners of the car, so you can easily see where the corners are. The deluxe version even has little light-up BMW logos on top. Very bizarre.

[1speedbike]

As mentioned, parking sensors that you can aim slightly downwards would work and would be pretty cheap. That way no part of your car would even have to touch anything. Just mount it discreetly in one of your ducts, angle it slightly downwards, do a few test runs to learn what amount of beeping to listen for to know you're close (since the weird mounting location and angle might not make it obvious), and you're good to go!

[sochermit]

Originally Posted by roundel335

While you're at it, take a look at the new electronic "necker knobs".

Bet you forgot about that favorite accessory from the 50s and 60s when steering was nearly 4 turns lock to lock. Now who's showing his age?

I never heard them called that. I know them as suicide knobs. Thanks for that one.

How about pressing on the started on the floor? Wing windows which I really like and steering before power steering? We could go on and on but suffice to say there were some very good things that have been lost.

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by sochermit

I never heard them called that. I know them as suicide knobs. Thanks for that one.

How about pressing on the started on the floor? Wing windows which I really like and steering before power steering? We could go on and on but suffice to say there were some very good things that have been lost.

Well - I suppose it depended on whether or not you had a girlfriend.

Yes, so true - remember when the radios actually had vacuum tubes and you had to listen to them "hum" until they warmed up? "Three on the tree" stick shifts? Remember drum brakes all around and bench seats? Back seats that were so big you could literally open both back doors and walk through from one side to another? Trunks that you could literally get 3 or 4 friends into the drive-in with? Yeah...these kids have it so good these days.

[sochermit]

Originally Posted by roundel335

Well - I suppose it depended on whether or not you had a girlfriend.

Yes, so true - remember when the radios actually had vacuum tubes and you had to listen to them "hum" until they warmed up? "Three on the tree" stick shifts? Remember drum brakes all around and bench seats? Back seats that were so big you could literally open both back doors and walk through from one side to another? Trunks that you could literally get 3 or 4 friends into the drive-in with? Yeah...these kids have it so good these days.

Yes all remembered. Seats front and back where you had a couple in front doing their thing and a couple in back doing their thing up in lovers lane. Vacuum tubes - yes I worked with my dad on TV's, radios and all appliances. It seems that now the best sounding devices use these antiquated tubes. And they have silver and gold in them just like yesteryear. And getting someone into the drive-In by hiding them in the trunk. Memories, memories...

[.b0link]

Originally Posted by roundel335

While you're at it, take a look at the new electronic "necker knobs".

Bet you forgot about that favorite accessory from the 50s and 60s when steering was nearly 4 turns lock to lock. Now who's showing his age?

I have one of those on my beater Civic right now (Ive always heard them called "suicide knobs")

I can whip that thing around like no ones business. Just wish I had had one on my first vehicle (79 El Camino). Talk about feather light turning, you could use one finger if you wanted to!

[sochermit]

Suicide Knob:
If I am correct, in the movie Rebel Without A Cause, didn't the guy go over the cliff, drag racing, because his jacket sleeve was caught on the knob?

[.b0link]

Also in regards to the original question.

My father went the extreme way. He has a Dodge Magnum SRT8. He is 65 years old. He is stubborn. After RIPPING the front bumper off not once but TWICE on parking blocks, he decided the best way to take care of the issue was to put electronically controlled airbag suspension and a front mounted camera. That way he could lift the front bumper high enough to clear the parking block.

I thought that was a bit drastic. But the camera makes for an interesting question. I am now wondering if there is a way to wire in an auxiliary video input onto iDrive equipped vehicles. Then you could just get one of those license plate mounted cameras, wire it into your iDrive, and program a preset button to take you straight to the aux input "Parking Camera"

Will let you actually see what the bumper is looking at up close and personal!

[Mr Kleen]

Originally Posted by roundel335

remember... "Three on the tree" stick shifts?

I learned to drive in my dad's Chevy pickup with an inline 6 and a 3-on-the-tree. Eventually the forks started to wear out so you'd have to be really careful when you shifted or it would pop out. Then you'd have to open the hood or crawl underneath (depending on which gear it was in) and pop it back in with the huge screwdriver Dad kept under the seat.

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by .b0link

I have one of those on my beater Civic right now (Ive always heard them called "suicide knobs")

I can whip that thing around like no ones business. Just wish I had had one on my first vehicle (79 El Camino). Talk about feather light turning, you could use one finger if you wanted to!

Yes, quite true - but remember, in the 50s and 60s the steering wheel in the average car was almost the same diameter as the tires! I saw a bunch of cars with TWO knobs installed!

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by Mr Kleen

I learned to drive in my dad's Chevy pickup with an inline 6 and a 3-on-the-tree. Eventually the forks started to wear out so you'd have to be really careful when you shifted or it would pop out. Then you'd have to open the hood or crawl underneath (depending on which gear it was in) and pop it back in with the huge screwdriver Dad kept under the seat.

Yes...in those days we carried tools aside from the bumper jack and lug wrench/tire iron combo in the trunk. A small hammer or large wrench for "tapping" the starter when it "froze up" was a must, especially in cars with the old 6-volt electrical system. I bet there's a few out there who remember what an "Oklahoma socket set" was, too.

[RoundelM3]

Originally Posted by .b0link

Also in regards to the original question.

My father went the extreme way. He has a Dodge Magnum SRT8. He is 65 years old. He is stubborn. After RIPPING the front bumper off not once but TWICE on parking blocks, he decided the best way to take care of the issue was to put electronically controlled airbag suspension and a front mounted camera. That way he could lift the front bumper high enough to clear the parking block.

I thought that was a bit drastic. But the camera makes for an interesting question. I am now wondering if there is a way to wire in an auxiliary video input onto iDrive equipped vehicles. Then you could just get one of those license plate mounted cameras, wire it into your iDrive, and program a preset button to take you straight to the aux input "Parking Camera"

Will let you actually see what the bumper is looking at up close and personal!

Yeah, that is an interesting idea...although it could scare the bejeezus out of you if you left it on while driving and saw some debris or hapless small animal trying to cross the road in front of you right in front of your bumper!

[Gravitron]

@pinmagic, Do you know what those little posts are called? I'd love to see what they look like.

[pinmagic]

Originally Posted by Gravitron

@pinmagic, Do you know what those little posts are called? I'd love to see what they look like.

The Japanese term translates to "Line Control." I don't think these are the ones that light up, but IIRC, they looked the same.
Line Control But in reviewing it, I think it's more about knowing where the passenger side of the car is, rather than the front/corner. The description says (using Bing online translator): "To put in the garage and turn left on the narrow road and a convenient line for confirmation."

To see all the crazy accessories and performance parts BMW sells for the 1-series in Japan, download the 3 different catalogs here: BMW Japanese Accessory Catalogs The prices in Japan are outrageous, but if anyone really wants something, I know someone who ships from JP (for a fee, of course).

[pinmagic]

For a better view of the corner markers (with prices for lit and unlit versions), go here: Japanese Accessory Catalogs, the dowload the SECOND 1-series catalog (4.58 mb), and look on page 31. Whew!

[sochermit]

Originally Posted by pinmagic

For a better view of the corner markers (with prices for lit and unlit versions), go here: Japanese Accessory Catalogs, the dowload the SECOND 1-series catalog (4.58 mb), and look on page 31. Whew!

Thank you for your assistance in information. After seeing them I know that I would not want them on my vehicle.

[tuco44]

Originally Posted by sochermit

Suicide Knob:
If I am correct, in the movie Rebel Without A Cause, didn't the guy go over the cliff, drag racing, because his jacket sleeve was caught on the knob?

IIRC, his sleeve was caught on the door handle, not the suicide knob....maybe I am wrong tho, been a while since I watched that movie. Also, they weren't drag racing, it was a game of chicken.

Being 68 years old, I remember a good number of the "older time" stuff discussed in this thread. Some fondly, some not so fondly. In the not so catagory would come the metal curb feelers, and anything attached to the corners of your car so you know where the corner is. Ugly as hell, and talk about labelling your car as driven by a "wizened old geezer". Really old ppl around here (ie, those much older than 68) usually drive thru storefronts when they get the gas and brake pedal confused. Of course, afterword they always claim that the car did it on its own (shades of both the Audi situation in the early 80's, and Toyota recently).

Suicide knobs were kind of neat really, and almost necessary with those old large steering wheels, plus few cars with power steering.

[sochermit]

Originally Posted by tuco44

IIRC, his sleeve was caught on the door handle, not the suicide knob....maybe I am wrong tho, been a while since I watched that movie. Also, they weren't drag racing, it was a game of chicken.

Being 68 years old, I remember a good number of the "older time" stuff discussed in this thread. Some fondly, some not so fondly. In the not so catagory would come the metal curb feelers, and anything attached to the corners of your car so you know where the corner is. Ugly as hell, and talk about labelling your car as driven by a "wizened old geezer". Really old ppl around here (ie, those much older than 68) usually drive thru storefronts when they get the gas and brake pedal confused. Of course, afterword they always claim that the car did it on its own (shades of both the Audi situation in the early 80's, and Toyota recently).

Suicide knobs were kind of neat really, and almost necessary with those old large steering wheels, plus few cars with power steering.

You are absolutely right. It was the door handle and a chicken run to the edge of the cliff.
Being 70 I just scratched the bottom of right front on the curb. You have to bend down to see it, being underneath, so that is not bad. And I just broke the 1200 miles barrier.

Thanks for the response and reminding me what happened in the movie.