I'm realy P&*^d Off. Keep scraping my bumbper | FerrariChat

I'm realy P&*^d Off. Keep scraping my bumbper

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by 355fiorano, Dec 10, 2003.

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  1. 355fiorano

    355fiorano Formula Junior

    Oct 21, 2003
    781
    London
    Full Name:
    Philip
    I wanted to ask you guys if you have the same problem. I have only just bought my 355. It is fitted with the fiorano pack and therefore it is lower than standard (by how much I don't know). What is making me mad is that I am finding it impossible to drive around London without scraping the bottom of my bumper. I know there are "scratch plates" but this is ridiculous. And it's not only just bumps, its also just rough / undulating road surfaces, even getting in and out of petrol stations !!!

    I am seriously considering sueing Ken for all the bad roads for each scrape of the underbody. Please let me know what your experiences are, especially the 355 owners

    Many Thanks
    Philip
     
  2. tonyh

    tonyh F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 23, 2002
    14,372
    S W London
    Full Name:
    Tony H
    phil,
    i have same problem, tho to a lesser degree , as my car's not as low as yours.there's a guy on a rival ferrari board that has manufactured a set of "scuff plates" for the front of the car. he can make in body coloured plastic, metal etc. if you're int. i post a link.
    tony
     
  3. 360CS

    360CS F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    2,641
    Kent
    Full Name:
    Joe J
    Phil/Tony


    That must be a low 355, or is it that phil is just driving around the most bumpy roads in our lovely Capital??


    My car occasionally gets caught out and I know the sound is enough to make you paull your hair out. Perhaps good old KEN will allow a dispensation for all Ferrari Owners due to their lack of commitment and poor road surfaces......I think Not!!!!!
     
  4. tonyh

    tonyh F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 23, 2002
    14,372
    S W London
    Full Name:
    Tony H
    joe,
    yes, phil's car sounds quite a bit lower than mine. i normally get away with most roads in cent. london , tho some have horrendous speed humps that catch on front bumper.
    tony
     
  5. ferrari355gtb

    ferrari355gtb Formula 3

    Nov 3, 2003
    1,600
    UK
    Full Name:
    R
    Always getting caught out with speed bumps. Have to plan my local routes around them. Can just about 'creep' over the bumps without too much scrapping - quite ironic driving a Ferrari at 5mph with a big backlog of traffic.

    Are speed bumps illegal ? (if they cause damage to your car at 30mph can you claim against the council ?) White vans and 4x4's can just fly over these bumps without any incident - bit of a mockery really.

    Had some new tyres fitted a month or so ago and noticed that the suspension is fully adjustable (ie up or down) is this standard and has anyone played around with the settings ? I imagine going any lower must be a nightmare.

    R
     
  6. tonyh

    tonyh F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 23, 2002
    14,372
    S W London
    Full Name:
    Tony H
    i think susp. changes alter the cars stance very little. you certainly won't gain/lose height as a result[range rover style]! i think the susp. changes are really for when/if you track the car as sport mode results in firmer ride .
    tony
     
  7. CraigW

    CraigW Formula Junior

    Apr 11, 2002
    423
    London
    Full Name:
    Craig Williams
    I kicked up such a stink about continually scraping my 348 when leaving my drive & joining the road that eventually they resurfaced it, hee hee
     
  8. Robertb

    Robertb Formula 3

    Nov 19, 2003
    1,331
    South Oxfordshire, U
    Full Name:
    Robert
    We even have speed humps out here in the sticks.

    I like to drive over them reeeeeeally slowly, blipping the throttle and ideally with squeaky brakes as I approach them in order to cause annoyance to people in neigbouring houses. Hopefully then they will lobby the local council to remove them. Probably won't work, but makes me feel better!

    Admittedly this is not so effective in the 355 as it is much quieter than the 328.

    As 355GTB said, they are pointless and would appear to discriminate against low cars. Aren't there a Euro Human Rights laws against such discrimination??

    You London guys, I'm surprised your newt-fancying Mayor hasn't banned Ferraris altogether!
     
  9. 360CS

    360CS F1 Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    2,641
    Kent
    Full Name:
    Joe J

    Robert,

    Im afraid that if limp-wristed Ken was to BAN Ferraris from C-london , Id lobby to bring back Hanging and very quickly make the nose with my good hands......

    My local council said that my car was unpractable for todays urban road systems....fooocking cheek of the b***tards, I pay road fund like all the 4x4 and vans, granny smith & Co...

    I recently went to Dockside Village Outlet in the 360, and was pissed that every road side street and mtr sq of car parking was covered in Very high speed ramps made from cobble stones....

    Got some great underside damage to prove this..............

    Could this just be part of the Ferrari Driving Experience????
     
  10. 355fiorano

    355fiorano Formula Junior

    Oct 21, 2003
    781
    London
    Full Name:
    Philip
    I know this might sound a bit wierd/bad but I feel so much beter to know that you're all scraping your cars ! For a moment there I felt very alone with the thought that I was the plonker going round scraping my undeside while everyone else was just cruising along with no problems !


    Tony
    "there's a guy on a rival ferrari board that has manufactured a set of "scuff plates" for the front of the car"

    Aren't there scuff plates under the bumper as standard? I can see two extensions one either side undere the bumper and I've been told that that's what they are for. If you are down on the 14th I'd love to measure the height difference with your car.
    -----------------------------------------------
    Joe
    "That must be a low 355, or is it that phil is just driving around the most bumpy roads in our lovely Capital??"

    Actually I have hardly driven the car since I bought it 2 monsth ago. So far I've been driving around StJohn's Wood, MAida Vale, Regets Park and Chelsey ! I have ventured up towards Archway once but I will need to consider it hard if I do that again (quicker to walk). Seriously, just going in and out of Petrol stations is a problem due to the curvature of the road and the stations' own surface angle ! I always keep the suspension on sport so at least there is less bounce.
    ____________________________________________

    As for Ken I must ask a lawyer and see if this is a good idea. There must be some basic merit to the argument that having paid my taxes I must be able to drive my factory spec and roadlegal car on all roads at the legal limit or "resonable speed" without damage. This is in the same vain as somone tripping and breaking a leg from a badly maintained sidewalk. They can sue and they have good odds. Just think if we could sue every time our cars got scraped. I reccon all the bumps would be leveled pronto ....

    Cheers
    Philip
     
  11. tonyh

    tonyh F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 23, 2002
    14,372
    S W London
    Full Name:
    Tony H
    Philip,
    i will be there Sunday so we can measure up then! You are right about the scuff plates already being at front of car underneath the bumper.These are made of ?plasticticky stuff and gradually wear away if you keep grounding the front of car.I've had mine built up again but it's inevitable you'll take chunks out again during course of driving.The replacement scuff plates are made of metal[painted] or super hard resin [again painted] and screw into place.
    Tony.
     
  12. tonyh

    tonyh F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 23, 2002
    14,372
    S W London
    Full Name:
    Tony H
  13. Steve275

    Steve275 Formula Junior
    BANNED

    Jun 20, 2003
    364
    UK
    Full Name:
    Steve
    Do all 355's suffer from this affliction then or just overly modified versions ?

    Steve
     
  14. tonyh

    tonyh F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 23, 2002
    14,372
    S W London
    Full Name:
    Tony H
    I'd be surprised if most 355's haven't picked up scrapes , Steve. Ground clearence is 6 inches[which as all us men know is massive!] and all it takes is an off camber bit of road where it joins ,say, an opening to petrol station to ground front of car.
    Tony
     
  15. Steve275

    Steve275 Formula Junior
    BANNED

    Jun 20, 2003
    364
    UK
    Full Name:
    Steve
    Tony,

    I've just measured the GTO groouund clearance and it's just over 5 inches, Not quite as large as yours, (Wife tells me size doesn't matter), And I've never grounded the front spoiler ? - Potentially expensive occurence, but not happened yet, I suppose I don't put the mileage on the car that you guys do, But it's still driven....Properly !

    Regards,

    Steve
     
  16. Robertb

    Robertb Formula 3

    Nov 19, 2003
    1,331
    South Oxfordshire, U
    Full Name:
    Robert
    360Spider,

    Such frankly bigoted replies from your local council should be treated with the contempt that they deserve, and sums up the attitude of the authorities towards motorists.

    Makes one want to borrow a JCB to teach them, and their silly speed humps, a lesson. Not that I'd incite the vandalisation of public property, of course...

    On a similar issue and without wishing to court controversy, where do you chaps stand on the debate surrounding Captain Gatso, the 'vigilante' whose group destroys speed cameras at what they term to be revenue raising sites as opposed to safety related sites?
     
  17. tonyh

    tonyh F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 23, 2002
    14,372
    S W London
    Full Name:
    Tony H
    Steve,
    i'm really surprised you've had no problems with clearence.Maybe your council does it 's job properly and maintains your roads.Richmond/Kingston certainly don't!
     
  18. Steve275

    Steve275 Formula Junior
    BANNED

    Jun 20, 2003
    364
    UK
    Full Name:
    Steve
    Possibly, But I doubt it, Notts County Council are not renowned for good road maintenance, Over zealous Traffic Cops, now that we have an abundance of !

    Steve.
     
  19. tonyh

    tonyh F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 23, 2002
    14,372
    S W London
    Full Name:
    Tony H
    Steve,
    looks like i got the clearence wrong.the quote below is from a previous thread about this very issue.i guess 4 and bit inches doesn't leave much margin for error.
    The nose is just under 6" (like 5.8 on mine), the actual ground clearance is 4.2".

    Tony
     
  20. Steve275

    Steve275 Formula Junior
    BANNED

    Jun 20, 2003
    364
    UK
    Full Name:
    Steve
    Aahah....Very true, Not much we can do about this I guess, Other than be really careful ???

    Sorry....But I have no other useful advice ?

    All the Best,

    Steve
     
  21. 355fiorano

    355fiorano Formula Junior

    Oct 21, 2003
    781
    London
    Full Name:
    Philip
    Steve,

    I have a 308 and I have never suffered from this in 7 years of owning it. Also the 355 is by no means modified. It is entirely standard but just has the factory's fiorano handling option. The main problem on the 355 is that there is a long overhang of the bonnet and therefore any angle is accentuated i.e if there are road undulations, the pivot point is the front axel so if the back wheels are at a higher level the long overhang drags on the ground.

    Clearly what the inches 355 owners lag on height, they recoup in bonnet length.

    Philip
     

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