I'm thinking of making the move.....
I'm thinking of making the move.....
Author
Discussion

samurikid

Original Poster:

54 posts

270 months

Wednesday 28th February 2007
quotequote all
Righto chaps - I'd like to pick your brains. Thinking of making the move to Noble land , looking at getting into a 3.0 GTO R . Trouble is I am getting different information. I think I am right in saying that you should aim for 6 speed , LSD , but what else should I be looking for ?
Also , is the wheel collapse issue actually an issue , and dont I remember a certain weekly auto magazine suffering from a front supsension failure , is it a problem ?
Any help would be greatly appreciated !
Otherwise - looking foward to meeting some of you on a circuit this year !

gadgeroonie

5,362 posts

265 months

Wednesday 28th February 2007
quotequote all
try and get a 6 speed with an Lsd and track day sump

you won't go wrong !

have you had a test drive yet ?

Humpy

1,171 posts

248 months

Wednesday 28th February 2007
quotequote all
gadgeroonie said:
try and get a 6 speed with an Lsd and track day sump

Gadge - are these not standard on a 3R?

H



Edited by Humpy on Wednesday 28th February 23:08

AMG Merc

11,955 posts

282 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
samurikid said:
Thinking of making the move to Noble land


Ahem, you mean to "Nobility"!

epsomjames

790 posts

275 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
Humpy said:
gadgeroonie said:
try and get a 6 speed with an Lsd and track day sump

Gadge - are these not standard on a 3R?

H



Edited by Humpy on Wednesday 28th February 23:08


No, on some of the early 3Rs it was an option. When I was looking I went to see a 3R with 5-speed and standard diff, but didn't buy as found out it had been in a crash.

nickytwohats

2,093 posts

270 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
5 spd vs. 6 spd needs some debate....(yes mine has 5!).

ThatPhilBrettGuy

11,810 posts

269 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
nickytwohats said:
5 spd vs. 6 spd needs some debate....(yes mine has 5!).
Yes but yours isn't a 3R is it? Lots of 3's had 5 speed boxes.

V6GTO

11,579 posts

271 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
I remember that suspension thing...someone did a repair with the wrong bolt, it is not a Noble fault.

As for the wheels...well, at the moment I wouldn't call it an issue. I think in every case where a wheel has broken (3 if I'm right) it has taken a fair old lick. We're keeping an eye on it though...if it happens again it will become an issue.

You must have a track day sump if you're going to take it on circuits, this is to alleviate the problem of oil starvation in high G corners.

One last think you MUST do is avoid boring colours like Azure Blue and Titanium!

Martin.

AMG Merc

11,955 posts

282 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
V6GTO said:
One last think you MUST do is avoid boring colours like Azure Blue and Titanium! Martin.


Also avoid taking advice from owners with retinal damage due to the Spanish sun!

joust

14,622 posts

288 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
V6GTO said:
One last think you MUST do is avoid boring colours like Azure Blue and Titanium!
Martin.
Quite agree. Indigo blue is the best colour

V6GTO

11,579 posts

271 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
joust said:
V6GTO said:
One last think you MUST do is avoid boring colours like Azure Blue and Titanium!
Martin.
Quite agree. Indigo blue is the best colour



I agree...if want the same as other people

Martin.

ETA - before he says it...Justin was first the Noble owner to have Indigo, everyone else copied him



Edited by V6GTO on Thursday 1st March 10:48

twerlie

1,682 posts

296 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
V6GTO said:
I As for the wheels...well, at the moment I wouldn't call it an issue. I think in every case where a wheel has broken (3 if I'm right) it has taken a fair old lick. We're keeping an eye on it though...if it happens again it will become an issue.


Martin.


I cannot comment on the others, but I was right behind Adrian when his wheel broke! We were travelling at approx 22mph in a straight line and the wheel gave way causing the car to violently jump round and hit the central reservation! I don't know about you but I would be concerned if I had the 3R wheels!

nobleguy

7,133 posts

244 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
twerlie said:
V6GTO said:
I As for the wheels...well, at the moment I wouldn't call it an issue. I think in every case where a wheel has broken (3 if I'm right) it has taken a fair old lick. We're keeping an eye on it though...if it happens again it will become an issue.


Martin.


I cannot comment on the others, but I was right behind Adrian when his wheel broke! We were travelling at approx 22mph in a straight line and the wheel gave way causing the car to violently jump round and hit the central reservation! I don't know about you but I would be concerned if I had the 3R wheels!


If there is an issue it does appear that it's the 3R-style wheels. Also, does the 6-speed add any top-end speed compared to the 5?

ThatPhilBrettGuy

11,810 posts

269 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
nobleguy said:
Also, does the 6-speed add any top-end speed compared to the 5?
No. The aero stops both of them before you hit the limiter in 5th (or 6th if you have it). Mine hit the limiter in 6th at VMAX, but it's not standard anymore obviously.....

Waiter

537 posts

239 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
twerlie said:
...I was right behind Adrian when his wheel broke! We were travelling at approx 22mph in a straight line and the wheel gave way causing the car to violently jump round and hit the central reservation!


This is really getting on my tits now. At the time nobody knew what happened, the weather was lousy and nobody mentioned anything about seeing a wheel giving way. I'm pretty sure I'd feel something if a wheel just gave way. You know, a bump or something. But at the time, nothing. Subsequently this frankly mad story about mysteriously breaking wheels all over the shop keeps cropping up yet inspection of the photograph of the wheel in question shows nothing conclusive but a pretty good indication that it gave way after a fairly hefty clump against something.

twerlie

1,682 posts

296 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
Waiter said:
twerlie said:
...I was right behind Adrian when his wheel broke! We were travelling at approx 22mph in a straight line and the wheel gave way causing the car to violently jump round and hit the central reservation!


This is really getting on my tits now. At the time nobody knew what happened, the weather was lousy and nobody mentioned anything about seeing a wheel giving way. I'm pretty sure I'd feel something if a wheel just gave way. You know, a bump or something. But at the time, nothing. Subsequently this frankly mad story about mysteriously breaking wheels all over the shop keeps cropping up yet inspection of the photograph of the wheel in question shows nothing conclusive but a pretty good indication that it gave way after a fairly hefty clump against something.


I saw the whole thing and didn't mention that it was the wheel at first because it was the last thing I though would of happened and didn't want to jump to conclusions. We assumed at first that the wheel broke under impact, but this doesn't seem to be the case. What else could explain the car jumping violently round??? It's not like Adrian is an inexperienced driver is it!!! (we will just all have to wait and see if it happens again....i'm just please i don't have those wheels) IMHO of coure...

obes

3,298 posts

273 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
Surely a proper engineering investigation would prove/disprove at what point the wheel broke. Or at least give a better indication.

It does seem extremely unlikely that it just gave way. Maybe a pothole that was filled with water (it was bloody wet !) is to blame. I've had some experience of seriously damaging a wheel in a such a case yes

adrian w

15,489 posts

257 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
twerlie said:
Waiter said:
twerlie said:
...I was right behind Adrian when his wheel broke! We were travelling at approx 22mph in a straight line and the wheel gave way causing the car to violently jump round and hit the central reservation!


This is really getting on my tits now. At the time nobody knew what happened, the weather was lousy and nobody mentioned anything about seeing a wheel giving way. I'm pretty sure I'd feel something if a wheel just gave way. You know, a bump or something. But at the time, nothing. Subsequently this frankly mad story about mysteriously breaking wheels all over the shop keeps cropping up yet inspection of the photograph of the wheel in question shows nothing conclusive but a pretty good indication that it gave way after a fairly hefty clump against something.


I saw the whole thing and didn't mention that it was the wheel at first because it was the last thing I though would of happened and didn't want to jump to conclusions. We assumed at first that the wheel broke under impact, but this doesn't seem to be the case. What else could explain the car jumping violently round??? It's not like Adrian is an inexperienced driver is it!!! (we will just all have to wait and see if it happens again....i'm just please i don't have those wheels) IMHO of coure...



I got bored with this, but if you can be bothered to look I made my feelings and the cause of the accident quite clear at the time. The cause of the accident was the broken wheel. I have had the pieces inspected unofficially buy a metallurgist and he had serious concerns regarding the quality of my wheelcraft wheels. Other very qualified engineers have inspected the wheels and the car and have come to the same conclusion.

I was also told that if the wheel had been designed and manufactured correctly the centre and the spokes should never have come out, the rim should have deformed on any impact and possibly the wheel could brake in half.

If someone wishes to get the wheels inspected officially I am happy to let them have all four wheels, I would suggest BSI in Hemel Hempstead. They can then publish the report here.

The replacement wheels are another make. The Wheelcraft wheels have no type approval, are not manufactured to any recognised standard (iso 9002 minimum) or from what I can find out no destructive testing has ever been carried out. Of course it’s up to you which wheels you use but I feel that continuing to use these wheels is a serious accident waiting to happen, I really really hope I am wrong.


Adrian

gadgeroonie

5,362 posts

265 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
The 5 speed vs 6 speed box thing can only be considered if the boxes are unmodified

a modified 5 speed box with an LSD could actually be a better choice

i'm not sure - but the 5 speed might be quicker on a track because it needs less gearchanges !

i wouldn't let a 5 speed box out you off if it has the right diff - or at least budget to get it done at some stage in the future

Waiter

537 posts

239 months

Thursday 1st March 2007
quotequote all
Well I don't want to bang on about it but, Adrian, still none of that is conclusive and I have to wonder why you haven't made those particular comments public on here before.

Anyway, Twerlie's first comment after the accident:

Twerlie said:
Well i was about 50ft behind him when it happend and we couldn't of been going much slower on the A10! It was all down to oil and standing water on FAT tyres....not the best combination!


Oh, there was this as well:

After Ash M400 had: said:
I can not help but think that the wheel failed and caused the accident.

What Adrian said bears this out, one min he was in a straight line, the next, the car jumped...


Twerlie: said:

Don't forget that there was oil and standing water on the road!


I've said before, I can understand if people want to change the wheels, it's up to them, but there isn't a general problem with breaking wheels.