Car whiskers?

[katie ta achoo]

I don't know what these are called. As you can see from my beyond awesome drawing, they're on the sides of cars and I think they're for help parking.

I'm a horrible parker. The sides of my tires are all scraped up because I always run into the curb as I'm parking.

What are these wonderful devices and how do I install them on a 2001 4-door Hyundai Accent?

Thanks.

 

[xUKHCx]

I have absolutely no idea what you are referring to, maybe hasn't stretched across the pond yet.

Or i have become completely out of touch since being banned from driving 2 1/2 months ago.*





*Medical reasons, i was sleep walking and fell down the stairs and hospitalised myself for a week, and the DVLA are still deciding if i am able to drive or not.

 

[CanadaRAM]

View attachment 71737

I don't know what these are called. As you can see from my beyond awesome drawing, they're on the sides of cars and I think they're for help parking.

I'm a horrible parker. The sides of my tires are all scraped up because I always run into the curb as I'm parking.

What are these wonderful devices and how do I install them on a 2001 4-door Hyundai Accent?

Thanks.

hee hee Curb Feelers

Been 35 years or more since I saw those. My Dad had them on the '58 Chev Belair.

xUKHCx. they make a sproingy scraping noise when they rub up against the curb, so as you don't rub your nice new whitewall tires on the curb. All the rage in the '50s

KT: Amazon to the rescue - $10 each

 

[katie ta achoo]

Ooh, danke, Mr. RAM, but are these magical whiskers compatible with a hyundai?
I mean, it's not like a hyundai accent is a $$$$$$$$$$$ car; so why bother with curb feelers unless you REALLY suck at parking...

I'm not a car person, so should I just head to the local car place and ask real nice?

 

[TheAnswer]

I used to have these on a old '84 Buick LeSabre that was passed down from my Grandpa. IIRC, you can't hear them unless you've got the window open and the radio turned off.

What you probably need is more practice (I suck at parallel parking too, because it's very rarely needed where I live). Get a couple of friends or relatives and head to an empty parking lot (with at least one curb) one afternoon, have your friends' cars as the cars on each side of the space and half them give you pointers as you park.

After that you probably own them dinner or at least a cake.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Ooh, danke, Mr. RAM, but are these magical whiskers compatible with a hyundai?

With enough pop rivets and Bondo, ANYthing can be attached to a car.

Check your local auto parts store, they may have stock that you can eyeball (or even take out to the parking lot to compare to your wheel wells. I'll leave it up to you to figure out how to convince the parts clerk to let you...)

 

[xUKHCx]

Or you could just buy a Pirus if you really can't park. With it's Intelligent parking system you don't need how to park. Just select where you want to park on the in car display and the car will park for you.

Intelligent Park Assist (IPA) is extremely helpful when you’re parking in an urban area where space is at a premium. Although not a complete substitute for careful observation and awareness, if you simply turn on the IPA it will relay, via a rear-mounted camera, the space you intend to park in. Program in the details and then all you need do, while looking out of course for pedestrians and other road users is control the brake pedal while the car does the rest for you.

1. Locating the parking spot.
2. Setting the IPA.
3. Steering wheel automatically turns in the right direction.
4. Driver needs to control the brake if and when necessary.
5. The Toyota Prius automatically parks.

Even comes with handy diagrams

 

[katie ta achoo]

Or you could just buy a Pirus if you really can't park. ...

Uhm... Next time $30k+ falls into my lap, I'll get on that....

and I can park in other situations just fine, I just always hit the curb when I'm pulling up at home!

 

[iGav]

Just select where you want to park on the in car display and the car will park for you.

Here's a thought, maybe we could just make the driving test more difficult, so that learners actually have to learn how to be able to park a car before they're actually given a driving licence.

Katie, why don't you just spend an afternoon practising until you nail it? it worked on a bicycle yes? unless you still require stabilisers bolted on to stop you falling over.

I take it it's the reverse parallel parking maneuver that's the problem?

 

[Music_Producer]

Here's a thought, maybe we could just make the driving test more difficult, so that learners actually have to learn how to be able to park a car before they're actually given a driving licence.

When I first got my driver's license in India, that's what I had to do.. parallel park in reverse.. between two cars. You practice so often that it becomes really easy.. hell, if I can drive fine in Bombay.. I can drive fine anywhere else in the world

 

[NightFlight]

Or you could just buy a Prius if you really can't park. With it's Intelligent parking system you don't need how to park. Just select where you want to park on the in car display and the car will park for you.]

Ew. A Prius


Anyway, they are called curb feelers and are for people who don't know how to park.

 

[ErikCLDR]

I remember seeing something on TV about back in the old days (50's i dunno) there was some invention where to parallel park you would pull the front of the car into the parking spot. Then you would press a button and the spare tire located on the back of the vehicle would drop down and jack the back wheels of the car off the ground. Then the driver would press a button and the wheel would turn so the back end of the car would swing into place.

I should mod that on my car. I have the turning radius of a school bus. I don't know why though, it has a pretty short wheel base. Its really embarrassing in parking lots and at the gas station.

 

[MACDRIVE]

Before I clicked on this thread I had envisioned a car with the face of a cat with whiskers.