T350 Ground clearance?

[Findles]

Thinking of getting a T350 this summer but need to get past a fundamental issue (not the wife!) but whether or not i can garage it. The drive is short and relatively steep and im concerned about possibly grounding it. The 5 series makes it no problem but i suspect the 350 will have 2/3rds the clearance at best.

Cant find any data on ground clearance and any help would be appreciated - short of asking a Nottingham based t350 owner if they'd come round with their pride & joy and try (likely to be a really popular request!) not sure how to resolve it.


Any help appreciated...Thanks

[grumbledoak]

IIRC they were standardised at 10cm under Smolenski, and my '05 goes up a mate's very steep drive in Bath a couple of times a year without issue. I think they were less before that (i.e. about 2004) though I don't know exactly how low they were. What year are you looking at buying?

Obviously, careful trial and error will be worth a thousand internet opinions...

[Findles]

Am budgeting 23.5 - 25k and would hope to get an 04/05' for that(?).Yep careful trial is the key but whats the odds of getting someone over to try for me?! (dont answer that!)Suppose i could hunt around to trial it with any other car with a 10cm clearance & similar wheelbase
Cheers for the info

[grumbledoak]

I'd say, depressingly, that you'll get a 2004 car for that money. There were never many '05 T350s (11 sold?) but I think there was one for sale in the last "Sprint", so you may be in luck.

Nottingham is a little far for me, try here: http://www.tvr-car-club.co.uk/ or here: http://www.tvrcc-eastmidlands.co.uk/ for a volunteer; we are a friendly bunch, barring those with chest wigs and medallions (Griffith owners, if you don't know the cliche).

[bomb]

The clearance is between 100 and 110mm. I once got stuck at in a hotel car park as it had a gravel driveway and kept grounding the nose on the way ouit.

Ended up borrowing a shovel and digging an impromtu 'ramp'. (Nice job for the wife )



Also I've had to use a couple of scaffolding planks to get into a friends driveway as it was very steep on the approach.

The aft under-tray is also very low so beware of speed humps and the odd deep pot-hole too. ( dont you just love the UK roads !!)

[Oat$y]

I'm having my Tamora ride height increased (front only) and softer springs adding, (new shocks) I have to drive over speed bumps extremely slowly to the frustration of other cars behind. At the moment I use some scraps of wood to get my car in and out of the garage and in one car park I use I can't go above the ground floor. I'm trying out 125mm clearance at first and see how that goes. The suspension can be lowered for track days so i can have the best of both worlds.

[Findles]

Good idea Oat$y and thanks guys for your earlier comments - my problem will be grounding as i start up the drive (less likely) & grounding between front & rear wheels as i enter the garage (more likely). Presumably I could get Fr & Rr raised but i guess its gonna kind of detract from the look of the car. Did TVR do any 4X4's?!

[purpleperil]

grumbledoak said:

There were never many '05 T350s (11 sold?)

If that's true then you have a 1 in 11 chance of getting mine - I hope its improved with age (I suppose being registered on 1 April didn't help matters) - Easy to spot though - only one T350c in Amethyst Pearl

BTW ground clearance in it was a PITA!

Edited by purpleperil on Wednesday 30th April 14:48

[Blue-Lightning]

grumbledoak said:

There were never many '05 T350s (11 sold?)

Do you know how many '06 T350s there are? - just out of interest.

[Dr John]

Blue-Lightning said:

Do you know how many '06 T350s there are? - just out of interest.

I've got one, Jan 2006.

[grumbledoak]

Blue-Lightning said:

Do you know how many '06 T350s there are? - just out of interest.

I would have thought 5 or less legitimate T350 sales in '06 (though I don't have access to figures). Some of the last cars may later have been '06 registered after the factory shut, mind. Rare beasties, either way.

[Blue-Lightning]

Dr John said:

I've got one, Jan 2006.

So that's 2 as mine is a March 2006.

[andyatkins_1]

Mine too january 2006!

[Pharoah]

My mate has an 06 T350T but doesn't post on here. Findles why dont you get a test drive in one (from a dealer if you have one nearish) and go via your house and then try it?