550 ground clearance: question from Belgium

I sent an email to the «leader» of air cups, Phantom Suspention, and here is their reply... A standard kit from other suppliers is about 6-700 dollars. But I have not yet found any suppliers that can offer cups that are big enough... The positive side with these from Phantom is that they proclaim that you can run the car with air pressure in them while at speed. Might be be a sort of air cushioned ride. But then again, I don’t want to drive 200 mph. with a suspention that is not set up by the factory!

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Hey Erik,

Kennedy (the owner) told me to reach out to you and go over a few things about the kit.

The good news is, you're in luck as far as a Ferrari compatible kit, we have done a few notable exotics including Kato's Liberty Walk 458.

Our kits are all machined in house out of aircraft grade billet aluminum, made to order. Being made to order we have complete control over the process from start to finish and even offer free assembly if you ship us or bring us your coilovers to install the kit on them.

Being the spring diameter size that you have, we do have to change those out for swift springs, usually a set of 2 for your car runs about 200-300 depending on specs, etc.

As far as the cup kit goes, the kit itself with manual management is $2400 for the front and $3200 for the full kit, of course this price can go up depending on coilovers and other accessories added on.

We actually have so much experience with installing on exotic cars we even offer a special custom tank (for an additional price) that is smaller and tucks away in the trunk area.

Being that you are in europe, I don't see you being able to necessarily bring us the car, but do you have a shop in mind that would be doing the install ?

I appreciate the fact that you sent us a picture of the suspension set up itself, that helps out a lot.

Did you see the video on our site going over the kit and how it works?

--
Robert Kochis
Phantom Suspension
"The Original Patented Cup Kit"»

 

I was about to start a thread on this, but see now that our Belgian friend had already done so.

Tho' it seems to have gone quiet for a few years now.

Are there any other European + UK owners (we probably have worse street-furniture than our US members ?) that could comment on how they cope with speed-bumps, and "Berlinois" we call them in France, which are pads conceived to keep cars centred in ther lanes.

I'm still looking for reasons not to buy this car I've found ................

Tho' I note it's almost the same footprint as my 1962 E-Type .............. plus 28cm width aaaarrgghh, and that probably doesn't include the mirrors.

 

My 550 is lowered (I bought it, used, like that), and it still copes with French speed bumps - I just need to avoid going frontally.
I will investigate how to put my car back to stock though.
Worse than speed bumps, a pothole probably bent one rim and damaged the steering (because with the lowered suspension, there is less shock absorption).

 

550/575 has plenty of ground clearance (especially compared to modern Ferrari). I never ran into a clearance issue with the car lowered.

 

You have never seen my driveway. Looks like a ski-jump ramp. Needs a Bridgit and an angled approach up or she drags. Have to back down and cut sharply at the bottom. 575 has better clearance than the 550, but not much better.

 

Speed humps shouldn't be a major concern on a 550. I'd actually consider modifying the driveway instead. You could dynabolt a steel plate to bridge the apex of the area that will cause the scrape. Or do a concrete mass pour to level it out.

 

In London there are speed bumps on many side streets. The legal max height is 10cm and my 575 with FHP should be 13cm but likely a bit less after 20 years. I've gently scraped on a few suspiciously high bumps but always got over. I generally stick to main roads to avoid. The one time I went up a multistorey car park I was good. I have noticed that increasingly there are humps at car park entrances so that the pavement is level rather than dipped and found the short wheelbase is helpful in getting over them. In a month I'll be embarking on a road trip around Spain and it has been a lot of work finding hotel parking that can accommodate (I can provide a list for anyone that wants to tour Spain).

 

Thanks for those reassurances. The break in profile at my garage entrance is pretty gradual, coming off the street.

So that gets rid of that argument for not buying a Ferrari after all.

Next one is manoeuvering in off the street, which at 5 metres wide is pretty generous for 1820 ; garage opening is 2m80.

Anyone care to pace out their approach for me, and block another exit strategy I had lined up ?

 

Not sure how much help this is, but as you can see the access road to my underground parking is narrow with cars parked on the right although as I turn right across the pavement hump the entrance is wide so I find access easy.
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That looks pretty easy if taken at an angle.

 

I've got about 5cm clearance over the hump due to the short wheelbase and the front will clear it even fairly straight on if I needed to reverse and straighten up to negotiate a narrower entrance.
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Terry - You and others with this problem should consider something like this...


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Barry- A thought, but would need a bit more land than my half acre.

 

Speed bumps have not been a technical issue for me either, though I always do my best to avoid them even when this requires taking the whole car on the opposite lane. In places where "Berlinois" cannot be avoided, most moderate in small rural towns, I just do a U-turn and wish the death of said towns and never go there anymore. I do not accept to possibly damage the suspension of my car and/or underside because a loony has decided to ruin a road with such devices, particularly so when the said road is already littered with pot holes and has been left abandoned in a derelict state for years. Do not collaborate.

 

Realised I had not thanked the various contributors regarding access issues.

The arguments for not buying one are slowly evaporating.

I may yet not thank you

Patiently working on a deal that has been brewing for 8 years, and now very close.

 

@Timmo Different part of the country, but may be able to offer localized help