Garage / car port advice

[bazza]

Hi All

Bit of an unusual post but i thought i would call on your combined wisdom and knowledge

Since owning my RS6 (7+ years), I had the luxury of keeping it dry stored in my company’s basement car park. We’re going to be moving buildings soon (end of Nov) so it looks like I have to look at options if I want to keep it dry stored.

Why dry store you ask……. Well in the 7 years of ownership I’ve only done 14,000 miles (it’s my pride and joy) and as well as being dry stored, its only ever been driven in the dry. The car is like new and I want to try and keep it that way. Also my last RS6, which I only had for 3 days…..was stolen so I’m a bit paranoid on the security front to say the least.

My options are as follows
1. Build car port in driveway
2. Build garage in driveway
3. Get top quality car cover
4. Sell the RS to someone who will actually drive it.

Option 2 may be a long awaited approach as it will require planning permission and option 3 I have reservations regarding scratching and ease of use. Option 4 is the one the wife is opting for  but I don’t know if I could bring myself to do it.

I was looking for advice really from you all car ports and your experiences if any. Some do not look all that sturdy and I would preferably like one for the long term (so not a temporary one like a car coon) It will be detached from the house, in the driveway at the bottom of the garden so any info on recommended companies and types of design would be good.

Thanks

Bazza

[mavada]

...there are ready-made garages.
http://www.hansonconcretegarages.co.uk/
http://www.h2engineering.co.uk/uk/modular.asp

[Shoppinit]

I like the look of the carcoon, but I don't know how suited it is to being outside. Garage is the most favourable option.

By the way, good work that man for keeping the car as it should be.

[bazza]

Mavada
Those links are spot on. no planning permission as well as they are classed as temporary structures.

Thanks Shoppinit, shes only covered a total of 43k so i want to keep he mint as possible.

Te wife is desperate for me to sell her as she thinks its a waste of a car.......but im a petrol head through and through and i love my Audi's..... I will see if i can do some arm bending over the next couple of weeks. If you do see a missano 6 up for sale soon then you know ive been beaten in to submission by the wife.

[Shoppinit]

Te wife is desperate for me to sell her as she thinks its a waste of a car.......but im a petrol head through and through and i love my Audi's..... I will see if i can do some arm bending over the next couple of weeks. If you do see a missano 6 up for sale soon then you know ive been beaten in to submission by the wife.

Just park the car out of sight from the kitchen window. QED.

[Shoppinit]

Oh, and rule 1.

You can post a pic of the car, too.

[bazza]

only have a few HDR pics Shoppinit. If i do decide to sell, more will follow along with the full spec

Cheers

Baz

[RustyBucket]

You can also try these guys who do steel garages as well as concrete:

http://www.midbrooksteelbuildings.co.uk/

Car looks lovevly

[Ian_C]

What you put in totally depends on the space you have. There are endless factors. I've been mulling over options hypothetically for a similar Victorian project house nearby to the one I'm currently living in pictured below

If you go for a garage........ You won't want a garage facing up a slope otherwise it will have water coming under the door during a summer downpour. Do you want to be able to see the garage door from the house for security? If you go for an electric door, you will want to watch the door close before you leave. An RS6 is a long car, a standard 5m garage won't be long enough. Side access, do you want to have to get the car out each time you want to mow the lawn / get your push bike out etc? A standard garage door is 6'9, again I'd go for a wider door and a wider internal garage width if you can etc etc

If you go for a car port........ Nice and sheltered up against the side of a house. You can park a second car in front so the RS6 is blocked in and invisible from the road. If not, can you built it up against the boundary and change 5m of wooden fence or lower height wall for a brick wall to make up one side of the car port for some shelter? You don't have to reverse straight backwards into it - you can reverse into it like a parallel car parking space. Even if the roof is over six foot high, nothing stops you putting lower sides on it to keep it more snug. It doesn't even need to be six foot where you drive under - only where you walk under. If its properly sheltered you can have covered electric points

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/$%28KGrHqYOKkQE ... 8800004005
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4 ... SX300_.jpg

We are very fortunate with our 1894 Victorian house to have side driveway access and *just* enough width to fit a car port and a garage side-by-side of the house at the back - obviously built at a much later date. The car port is walk through and gives rear access to the garden. The back door opens into the car port, great for unloading shopping, taking shoes off in winter time, when I'm mucky after cycling etc

I'm no expect when it comes to planning permission, but I *cannot* imagine you'd be able to put up our ensemble without paperwork!

Awaits Bams obligatory comment TL:DR

[Daveperc]

An RS6 is a long car, a standard 5m garage won't be long enough.

This is not quite accurate. Car is 4852 long, so it depends on the thickness of the wall materials and the shape of the door as to whether it will fit. I have a 5m garage (overall length outside) built with single skin brick wall, and an up-and over door. The door has an aluminium frame, and wooden skin, and is setback about 25mm from the face of the brickwork.

Net result: bumper fits into the depth of the door and overall there is approx 10mm spare! I have put carpet on the back wall at bumper level, and "contact park" each time to fit in!

It's a double garage so the other side comfortably takes my Focus ST2, and I park '69' style so there is max width for driver door opening on each.

Very snug - but keeps the cars nice and warm and dry!

Dave

[Ian_C]

............bumper fits into the depth of the door and overall there is approx 10mm spare! I have put carpet on the back wall at bumper level, and "contact park" each time to fit in!

Another thing to try would be a very thin wooden batten across the floor, you'd 'feel' the wooden batten each time with the two front tyres - rather than 'feel' the wall!

[ahoooga]

An RS6 is a long car, a standard 5m garage won't be long enough.

This is not quite accurate. Car is 4852 long, so it depends on the thickness of the wall materials and the shape of the door as to whether it will fit. I have a 5m garage (overall length outside) built with single skin brick wall, and an up-and over door. The door has an aluminium frame, and wooden skin, and is setback about 25mm from the face of the brickwork.

Net result: bumper fits into the depth of the door and overall there is approx 10mm spare! I have put carpet on the back wall at bumper level, and "contact park" each time to fit in!

It's a double garage so the other side comfortably takes my Focus ST2, and I park '69' style so there is max width for driver door opening on each.

Very snug - but keeps the cars nice and warm and dry!

Dave

So 1 good layer of polish and the car wont fit then ?

[skirs6]

You have factors to consider
Cost/ spend more and add value to your house should you sell
type/look ie will it look right with your house
The planning side is a mine field this thing of "temporary" i made this mistake and it cost me a lot of money and i lost, worth checking up first as "temporary" can have time frames as well.
I went for an oak style open fronted in the end but in soft wood to save money. However it now has a door as all the <beep> just kept blowing in. Looks great and is long enough to allow nearly 2ft at the back once the doors are closed

[John Johnson]

I used an outdoor carcoon before the triple garage went up , superb bit of kit and kept the escort minty dry ... Would use one again anytime

[bazza]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Been working in Paris the last few days so haven't had a chance to do any measurements. Best bet at the moment for looks and time frame is probably car port of some description......
I'm also going to contact the local council with regards to temporary structures to see what guide lines there are.

Ill post a pic up a bit later of the front of my house from google street view to get your views/ideas on what would look best

Cheers

Baz