front end ground clearance... | FerrariChat

front end ground clearance...

Discussion in '348/355' started by dgpIII, Apr 26, 2007.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. dgpIII

    dgpIII Karting

    Jun 23, 2006
    148
    Los Angeles
    Full Name:
    DGP
    always a concern when going in and out of sloping driveways. And one of those things I need to think about before I pull the trigger and trade for an Fcar.

    The front tip of my '06 Corvette's nose is 22" from the front edge of the front tire and 7 3/4" off the ground.

    How do 348s and 355s measure up? Seem to be much more severe. Anyone know?
     
  2. gothspeed

    gothspeed F1 World Champ

    May 26, 2006
    10,244
    U.S.A.
    Full Name:
    goth
    I think they are both about the same as your vette.
     
  3. vegas1

    vegas1 F1 Rookie

    Jul 28, 2004
    4,202
    Australia
    The 348 is damn low at the front. I have to navigate my neighbours driveway to get my 348 out onto the street as it scrapes on my own driveway. DUH!
     
  4. TexFerrari

    TexFerrari Formula 3

    Sep 11, 2004
    1,194
    Texas of course!
    had a much lower than stock vette and a lowered 348, 348 is worse by all accounts.
     
  5. wingfeather

    wingfeather F1 Rookie

    Feb 1, 2007
    3,653
    rock bottom
    You will most likely scrape it somewhere... don't ask.
     
  6. TopElement

    TopElement Formula 3

    May 14, 2005
    1,540
    OC & Vegas
    Full Name:
    A Montoya
    At some point in time, it will get scraped. Sucks, but sometimes unavoidable. I can't believe the way some driveways or intersections are made!
    Only once have I scraped a visible part of the bumper though, and it was my fault for not paying attention. What mostly scrapes is the flat section on either side ahead of the front tires.
     
  7. hadley

    hadley Formula Junior

    Oct 26, 2006
    680
    lake forest ca usa
    Full Name:
    hadley mcgaughey
    6.75" off the cement, 25" from tip of nose to front of front tire. That's on a '95 348 Spider. Click avatar to view. Yeah, I consider it a BIG problem. Have to enter my driveway amost parallel, then cut in. Have scrubbed the nose several times. Am very attentive to intersections now (knocked a 3" piece of Fiberglas off underside of nose) and driveways. Have just had nose repaired and some other minor paint chips, $950.

    He installed skid pads too.
     
  8. mwhitesell

    mwhitesell Formula 3

    Sep 17, 2006
    1,083
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Mark
    My 97 355 spider seems to be a little lower. It's about 5.25 inches off the ground at 25 inches away from the front tire. I'm not sure why mine is lower, but I was kind of curious so I measured. I also measured from the bottom of the aluminum skid plates, which seem to work great. The good thing about the aluminum ones are that they don't make any noise when you scrape them.
    Someone else with a 355 measure and see if they find it the same.
     
  9. Salsero

    Salsero Karting

    Oct 6, 2006
    198
    MY
    Full Name:
    Rezal
    #9 Salsero, Apr 30, 2007
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Less than an SUV so don't go launching yourself up ramps and speed bumps as my brother discovered...

    And no, as you can see, the skid plates did not save me.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  10. Bullfighter

    Bullfighter Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jan 26, 2005
    22,607
    Gates Mills, Ohio
    Full Name:
    Jon
    Ouch. Actually, the skid plates probably make it worse for anything other than a minor scrape.

    In the 328, I just avoid any driveways/aprons that aren't flat.
     
  11. TopElement

    TopElement Formula 3

    May 14, 2005
    1,540
    OC & Vegas
    Full Name:
    A Montoya
    Skid plates seem to make it scrape more often since they reduce clearance, although only slightly. But at least they can take a bit more abuse.

    As much as I try to avoid stupid driveways, sometimes they're simply unavoidable. Going into a business center or store parking lot with a bunch of traffic behind you, and all of a sudden you realize the entrance is too steep. No way around it, and one must just find the best approach to keep scrapes to a minimum.
    I really don't understand how some driveways get approved. Being involved in RE development, I would throw a fit if someone tried to build something steep on one of my projects. What's worse is those intersections where there's a huge dip on each side and cars are expected to go through at 35+ mph! Absurd, as even "normal" cars leave huge gouges in the asphalt. Ahhh, this issue really bothers me.
     
  12. Lazy Ace

    Lazy Ace Rookie

    Feb 20, 2007
    41
    Cody, Wyoming
    Full Name:
    Bob Ferguson
    My skid plates scrape every once in a while on the 355 that i just got. Unfortunately, I scraped the bottom of the front air dam slightly on a driveway entrance. Its only a few scratches. I tried some color wax to disguise it but they still show. I don't man to highjack your thread but I would appreciate any suggestions on how to repair this type of scrape without major body work?
     
  13. No Doubt

    No Doubt Seven Time F1 World Champ

    May 21, 2005
    72,740
    Vegas+Alabama
    Full Name:
    Mr. Sideways
    The black air dam for the front radiator on my 1995 Corvette convertible scraped a lot!

    I've got 13 CM clearance on my 348, though.

    You've actually got several options with these cars. The 348's height is fully adjustable, so you can raise it manually for city driving and lower it when you are at the track.

    Larger diameter wheels and/or higher profile tires likewise help. This is especially useful if you have one set of track tires and a different set of street tires.

    The only skid pads that I'd recommend would either be rubber (to help absord impact) or wheeled...otherwise you are lowering your car instead of protecting it.
     
  14. gothspeed

    gothspeed F1 World Champ

    May 26, 2006
    10,244
    U.S.A.
    Full Name:
    goth
    Exactly!! They hang down an extra 3/8"!!
     
  15. notoboy

    notoboy F1 Rookie

    Jul 8, 2003
    2,531
    NYC
    Full Name:
    David
    You're going to scrape and maybe crack it at some point if you drive the car at all, so put it in your mind that you will have it repainted and/or fixed every couple of years.

    I just got my 355 beautifully repainted, and the front spoiler is already full of scratches underneath - I'm as careful as I can be, but it still happens :(
     
  16. SGM

    SGM F1 Rookie
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Sep 27, 2006
    2,797
    Rockville, MD
    Full Name:
    Steve
    I am usually very cautious when pulling into parking lots and driveways but wasnt paying complete attention the other day when I pulled into a parking spot and scraped the front on the concrete.
     
  17. vvassallo

    vvassallo F1 Veteran

    Aug 4, 2006
    8,329
    Palos Verdes
    Full Name:
    Vince V
    Tip 1: Kick the passenger out first.
    Tip 2: Always take a slope at the most severe angle you can.
    Tip 3: Go slow and listen for scraping sound; when u hear it, stop. Slowing further isn't gonna make it stop.
    Tip 4: If you can enter without scraping, then back out the same way.
    Tip 5: Keep the passenger out of the car until you are on level pavement.
    Tip 6: If you suspect a dip in the road to be scrape-worthy, slow down and treat it like a curb or driveway.
    Tip 7: It is much safer to enter an upslope nose first and back down it; similarly, a downslope is easier if u back down it and exit nose first.
    Tip 8: Scout out a gas station before needing one with either minimal or no curb slope and use only it.
    Tip 9: Start saving now for a chin spoiler repaint because you are going to need one eventually.
    Tip 10: Never park nose in against a curb, especially down slope, or let a valet do it for you; also, don't parallel park where where there is room in front of your car for another.
     
  18. gothspeed

    gothspeed F1 World Champ

    May 26, 2006
    10,244
    U.S.A.
    Full Name:
    goth
    Great advice Vince !! Now when are we going for an f-car run with Plugzit :)??
     

Share This Page