Ground clearance

[jaycee]

I'm hoping to purchase a Noble in the next couple of months (2.5 litre), but am worried about the lack of clearance, particularly at the front.

I have a very steep drive, although the approach is fairly gentle. I live near the Surrey/Hants/Berks borders and wonder if anyone would be kind enough to bring their pride and joy round for a 'look'.

I know it's an unusual request, but I just can't justify a £35,000 car that might have to be parked on the road!

I'll return the favour with a blast in my 215 bhp race Elise (road legal and currently for sale...)


Jonathan Clark

ps: any tips on insurance? I'm 36 with 6 points, protected no claims, Noble a second car as I have company wheels.

[gizard]

Hmm, race Elise - sounds interesting - Does that get up the driveway? if so then the Noble should be fine - you will find if you can take it an angle you can get up most things any normal car has to cope with on a day to day basis.

[hunttheshunt]

Jaycee,

Whereabouts in the Surrey/Hants region are you. I must be fairly close to you I would imagine.

[edmundo]

Jaycee

YHM

Ed

[geoffreytaylor]

Ground clearance is a big problem. Front splitters are easy to damage, particularly in drives, but also crossing road camber, for example pulling out of Mole Valley! I have to crawl into my drive, and take great care with speed bumps, but the open road is not usually a problem as the suspension is so well sorted. There are some previous strings on this topic, including the absence of splitters on the M400, proving that its only cosmetic! They can be unbolted and therefore replaceable at a cost. Its a problem with many sports cars - Elises are regularly dinged aound the front 'ears' and I recently saw a new T350C badly scuffed from hitting London speed bumps!

[joust]

I don't know how people manage it (scraping the splitter) to be honest - it's not hard to get over anything (including my drive)....







Notice the very *slight* angle I took the car onto the drive at - just that 5 degrees or so means it gets over the pathway without any problem (the 3rd and 4th photo shows how sever the dip and hump is)

18000 miles later and mine doesn't have any serious scrapes. Just remember to take everything at a slight angle and you'll be fine!

J

[MisterX]

Your pavement crossover seems quite gentle. I find that often its the camber on the road thats the cause of the trouble, causing the front to point downwards like a dive bomber....

[joust]

MisterX said:

Your pavement crossover seems quite gentle. I find that often its the camber on the road thats the cause of the trouble, causing the front to point downwards like a dive bomber....

Not sure where you live then - but given the drop from the middle of the road to the gutter is some 12" or so (which you can see in picture 4) there aren't many worse camber roads around London. Look at the angle of the other cars to get the idea.

To give you an idea if I park the car half on the road, half on the pavement you can crawl under the rear of the car without it being jacked up.

J

>> Edited by joust on Tuesday 29th June 09:50

[jaycee]

Guys,

many thanks for the prompt advice, I live in Camberley and hope to meet one of you soon!

Jaycee

[hunttheshunt]

Jaycee, I'm in Fleet, so I'll probably see you around.

Happy to pop over if it helps at some point!

[goodlife]

Our drive has a 10 degree upwards slope. Never touched the splitter when attacking it from an angle (steering on full lock turning on/off the drive).

Once forgot and reversed out straight - SSCCCCCHHHHHH...Oops. Noise is always FAR worse than any damage.