[maxxfish]

I'm just as bored and antsy to get my car as everyone else, so here's another mindless, off-topic question.

Friday night I was sitting at a nice little cafe, when I lookd outside the window. Hey... there's a black Toyota Landcruiser just like mine being put up on a flatbed towtruck...hey, it has the same suspension lift and tires as mine...hey, it has the same Bull bar and antenna as mine...wait, that is mine!!!!

Long story short, I was parked illegally because the 'no parking' sign was completely onscured by an overgrown tree (damn public works dept). The cop apologized and agreed with me about the tree. I paid my fine and they let my truck down on the spot.

Anyway, what would happen if someone tried to tow an Elise? I would think they would do MAJOR damage. No tow points, low ground clearance front and back, and a delicate suspension, Anyone have any idea how they would try to snatch it? Do tow truck drivers generally stay away from rare/exotic cars to limit their liability?

I know, the best answer is to avoid being a dumbass and don't park illegally in the first place. I agree, anyone that knowingly parks illegally deserves to get towed. But in a situation like mine, it would have sucked to have the Elise trashed. Max.

 

[smoseley]

Anyone have any idea how they would try to snatch it?

Four guys and a flatbed.

 

[amcmahon]

I had a guy that owned a tow company come tow my Prowler. He did it personally because he knew others would bottom it out when pulling it up. The only way to get it up there is with blocks and slow and steady work. It will be a minor pain to have this car towed.

 

[OneFastLotus]

I too am worried about towing the elise. With my miatas its always been a task and I have to explain to the flatbed operator how to do it. We put down boards and often my front lip spoiler would still bend and scrape. I worry because the Elise doesnt 'bend" like the lower lip spoiler on a miata.

 

[LotusLust]

I had a guy that owned a tow company come tow my Prowler. He did it personally because he knew others would bottom it out when pulling it up. The only way to get it up there is with blocks and slow and steady work. It will be a minor pain to have this car towed.

same story with my spyder. blocks or else scrape

 

[meat]

You should really start worrying about the people who work at the dealer service departments the first time they try to jack the car up or put it on a 4-pt lift.

 

[waelsie]

I don't know if your cars will be the same, but previous Elises have a towing eye that is kept in a holder inside the car and has to be screwed into a bracket behind the front grill in order to enable the Elise to be towed. So if you haven't screwed your towing eye into the bracket, there is no where to attach a tow or winch rope. So to winch it on to a truck they would have to....? tie a strap right around the back of the car ? maybe even worse, tie it to some part of the front suspension, if they can ? (instant bent suspension). Even when the official towing eye is fitted, it is not super strong......
Try to avoid parking illegally ?
Giles.

 

[chouca]

You should really start worrying about the people who work at the dealer service departments the first time they try to jack the car up or put it on a 4-pt lift.

big fun watching. Because if they try to jack the Elise on the 4 marked spots, the real wheels stay on the ground. Because the engine is behind these spots. The undertray has to come off first.

 

[TotallyGreen]

enlighten me as to said blocks? how exactly would one tow an elise without damaging it?

 

[pinmagic]

I paid my fine and they let my truck down on the spot.

You paid your fine on the spot? Is that possible? I suspect that may have ended up in someone's pocket.

 

[Craigy]

big fun watching. Because if they try to jack the Elise on the 4 marked spots, the real wheels stay on the ground. Because the engine is behind these spots. The undertray has to come off first.

Sorry, that's wrong. The "C" location lift points (which have blue stickers) which are at each side of the car, in front of the shear stress panel, under the backs of the doors. If you jack up these points, it's possible to jack up the whole car - they are where the CofG lives.

If you don't believe me I can take a picture to prove this as I've done it a number of times.

The "D" locations are what you are mentioning about the undertray. They do require the undertray to come off - they are the rear supports when you're doing major work that requires the car to be securely held up when doing work that requires the wheels off.

Craigy

 

[Craigy]

Re: Re: Getting Towed...

You paid your fine on the spot? Is that possible? I suspect that may have ended up in someone's pocket.

You would hate continental Europe. The police escort you to a cash machine for payment!

Craigy

 

[maxxfish]

Craigy,

So how would you go about changing from your street rubber to your race rubber? If you're changing, say, the left front tire, would you use 2 jacks , one at the front left and one at the rear left, and try to bring them up to the same height? I assume you could also change the left rear out at the same time, and then switch over to the right side.

Pinmagic, yes, in Virginia (at least the city of Richmond, not sure about Alexandria) the tow truck driver becomes and agent for the government and collects the fines as well as his hookup fees. He then passes the fine on to the city/county. The cop that was having me towed confirmed this. That was good news, as the tow lot was (of course) a half-hour outside the city!

 

[Craigy]

Craigy,

So how would you go about changing from your street rubber to your race rubber? If you're changing, say, the left front tire, would you use 2 jacks , one at the front left and one at the rear left, and try to bring them up to the same height? I assume you could also change the left rear out at the same time, and then switch over to the right side.

Pinmagic, yes, in Virginia (at least the city of Richmond, not sure about Alexandria) the tow truck driver becomes and agent for the government and collects the fines as well as his hookup fees. He then passes the fine on to the city/county. The cop that was having me towed confirmed this. That was good news, as the tow lot was (of course) a half-hour outside the city!

I jack up one side at a time, using the single "c" position jackpoint, then changing both the wheels on the side that's off the ground. All you need is a jack that can get under the car, and has a flat rubber cap on it (or a flat piece of wood) between it and the chassis.

If I am changing just one wheel, I jack up the side of the car that wheel's on, using the "C" jacking position on that side of the car.

It's dead simple really.

 

[meat]

Changing wheels is easy as stated.

It's putting the car on stands or a 4-pt lift that will be interesting.

There are specific places under the car that jacks can go - if you miss these, even by an inch, you can damage the car.

I'm sure all Elise owners who work on their own car have some indentations near where jack stands go under the tray because they missed the spot by a 1/2 inch.

 

[Craigy]

Changing wheels is easy as stated.

It's putting the car on stands or a 4-pt lift that will be interesting.

There are specific places under the car that jacks can go - if you miss these, even by an inch, you can damage the car.

I'm sure all Elise owners who work on their own car have some indentations near where jack stands go under the tray because they missed the spot by a 1/2 inch.

uhu - I do! (not bad ones though... it *is* possible to seriously damage the car if you do it wrongly and are unlucky)

Craigy

 

[meat]

I have them too - but I didn't do it. My buddy did it when he was helping me out.

I take lots of time to make sure the stands are in the right spot.

 

[chouca]

Sorry, that's wrong. The "C" location lift points (which have blue stickers) which are at each side of the car, in front of the shear stress panel, under the backs of the doors. If you jack up these points, it's possible to jack up the whole car - they are where the CofG lives.

If you don't believe me I can take a picture to prove this as I've done it a number of times.

The "D" locations are what you are mentioning about the undertray. They do require the undertray to come off - they are the rear supports when you're doing major work that requires the car to be securely held up when doing work that requires the wheels off.

Craigy

help me Craig: how can you get to "C" without removing the panel? Is there a difference between S1 and S2?

 

[meat]

You can't get to C without removing the undertray. You can't get to D without removing the diffuser.

 

[Craigy]

My bad - I got C and A mixed up. My point about being able to jack up the car on the jackpoint under the doors and getting the rear wheels off the ground still stands though... even if it is point A rather than point C.

I also found this note on the same page of the manual...

Craigy