How to Find Car Dimensions

google is your friend. Maybe this is enough to get in the ballpark. Just scale the wheelbase and trust the rest to be close.

 

Using a vehicle template from someplace like Artstation.

 

Go to a dealership and measure.

 

google vehicle outlines or vehicle vector outline, you can download it

 

wikipedia almost always has the wheelbase measurements, and it's pretty rare that you can't find a good square side-shot of a vehicle.

 

learning to use google is best way if your into this type of work, usually most cards will have specs outlined in some presentation sheet or description, harder with older cards but nowadys its matter of searching online, pretty sure some site has it archived. that aside best bet as mentioned find dealership and measure.

 

Not a big fan the "vehicle templates" but probably would get you just as close as the wheelbase measurement. I would still insist on photos of the actual vehicle. The templates don't take into account the different body moldings available throughout the vehicle models. i.e. the templates tend to be too generic. Spend a lot of time getting the design nailed down only to find out, after seeing the actual vehicle, that you can't put text here or there etc.

 

That's why you get photos of the actual vehicle, do the layout on the template, and adjust your art according to the photos.

 

Measuring vehicles is somewhat like trying to flatten a hat. Both are three dimensional objects and signs are laid out in 2 space. Templates are in 2 space and thus inaccurate to a degree depending on the physical shape of the Z axis [depth].

The best way I've ever found is to either use this vehicle or find the same model somewhere. Tape a 16x24 framing square to the vehicle, square to it. Take a picture as close to straight on as you can manage. Make sure the framing square is somewhere at or near the center of the image. Import the photo into whatever software you're using. Adjust the image such that the framing square is as square to your workspace as you can manage. Draw a rectangle around the framing square. Map, mask, power clip, or whatever it's called in your soft, the image into the rectangle. Make the resulting rectangle 16" x24". Un-map the image. Now you have a full-size image of the vehicle upon which you can lay out your work.

For windshields, rear windows, and any other more acutely curved surfaces make a paper template by taping paper over the object and tracing its outlines with a Sharpie. Tape the template to a convenient wall, tape a small 8x12 framing square or a 3x3 or some size Post-it to the template and take a picture. Now you have a three dimensional object flattened into 2 space. proceed as above with the rectangle, mapping, etc.

No tape measures, lasers, tricorders or anything, just a picture with a rectangular object of known size in it. Been doing this very thing for years and am never off by more than 1/8", if at all.