Ex Lee Noble car for sale

[DivineE]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1742566.htm

This looks like a lovely looking car but why do people bother clocking them. They should just let it sell on condition. I mean really..

Lee Noble had the car converted to Turbo S spec at 161,000miles. I assume he probably then drove it for a bit having spent all that money/time. He sold it to an employee who I'm sure had some intention of driving the car having paid for it and this current owner bought the car 18months ago. The present mileage gives it 3000 miles to cover a fair few years and three owners since the conversion.

Really? That has to be stretching the boundaries of imagination slightly.

 

[barks944]

Nice car 3k does seem a little low for 3 owners and 3 years, coincidently I remember a while back a chap in a very nice new Noble stopping next to me in traffic and giving me the thumbs up. Hmm....

 

[ukmastiff]

And I will resist buying this one even though I do like the colour lol

On a serious note , I dont know the car or re the mileage but you always here me say how a car is for me a bit overpriced for the market and I know some folk dont like/agree with that. This one is potentially bang on dont you think ? and if I were looking to buy another then I would definately be round looking at it tomorrow []

Regards
Mas

 

[DivineE]

ORIGINAL: barks944

Nice car 3k does seem a little low for 3 owners and 3 years, coincidently I remember a while back a chap in a very nice new Noble stopping next to me in traffic and giving me the thumbs up. Hmm....

Was he a well rounded, friendly Northan looking chap with grey wavey hair?[] I was really lucky to meet Lee Noble and get chatting to him for 20-30mins.He's such a nice guy that there is no sense of awkwardness chatting to him, its like chatting to any other car enthusiast. I would have loved a chat about the 944 with him if I'd known he'd owned one!

 

[DavidL]

I really try not to read the specs on cars like these when they come up at this price. Sadly prices do still seem to be dropping, if that car is as up together as it sounds then its like wasn't available 2 years ago when I bought mine.

 

[robwils]

This is up 'near' me (N Yorks) do you reckon its worth a look ?

Rob

 

[DivineE]

ORIGINAL: robwils

This is up 'near' me (N Yorks) do you reckon its worth a look ?

Rob

If it was near me I would be viewing it today. If you do go please give us a write up about it on here. Would be interested to know how good it really is in terms of wear to components etc. I'm just wondering why its had so many owners if its as good as it looks but I suppose I only keep most cars for 6months to a year so cant comment.

 

[DivineE]

Couldn't resist. Just phoned the chap and had about an hour long conversation! That's going to cost a bit on the pistonheads premium line!! Excellent fellow, he's a traffic officer but no one is perfect[]. The car is apparently not the maroon colour I thought it was but a copper colour. He said he got a shock when he first saw it because it doesn't come out in photo's.

I've said I'll look at it and all I can say is I hope it's as described because dry as a bone with not a sign of oil under the engine or leaks under the steering would be a first for me on a 944.

Looking forward to seeing it and I will post my thoughts here soon[]

 

[Sandspider]

When I bought mine the chap who inspected it (local indie) said he'd never seen such a dry block before. He didn't mention leaks from the steering, but I've never noticed any!

 

[TTM]

Hasn't this car been discussed about 6 months or one year ago?
At this time there was no mention of Lee Noble being one of the previous owners

 

[DivineE]

Really? I would be very interested to know about that if that's the case. VERY interested.

 

[TTM]

Well as far as I can remember it was put down by most who commented about it. Don't quote me on this though my memory is a bit shady

 

[DivineE]

I've emailed him to ask but he's sent me some very detailed pictures and seems genuine. I hope the car your thinking of turns out to be a different one.

 

[TTM]

As I said take my words with a big pinch of salt, as since it's been discussed here there has been plenty of time for it to get worse or better!

 

[DivineE]

He tells me this is the first time its been for sale since jan 2009. Could it have been a different car?

 

[TTM]

Maybe it was discussed more than a year ago.
I am 100% sure though it was an '86 in a similar colour with CS wheels and M030 struts top plastic caps.
This looks like a nice car on the current ad. Regardless what is said I think it's worth a visit, but not sure why you'd drive 6hrs if you are not looking for one yourself.

 

[DivineE]

Hmmm does sound a bit too close to be a coincidence! With the mileage clocking as well I will be EXTREMELY careful to look over the history, take proper kit like a bore scope to inspect well and take the car for a good drive but if it looks as good as its add and its full M030 turbo S spec for £4k I'll be doing more than just looking at it. I need a car for Le mans / the summer and that would be a perfect car at that money.

Its the best of both worlds. Early offset, stronger 86 bottom end and all the good extras from the later car. It's pretty much what I'm trying to do with my project car.

 

[TTM]

ABS seems to be the only thing it misses from the later car.

As for early cars having a stronger bottom end, it's an urban myth - all rods are the same.

PS : I always thought there was no better way to storm down to Le Mans in a British car? []

 

[DivineE]

ORIGINAL: TTM

ABS seems to be the only thing it misses from the later car.

As for early cars having a stronger bottom end, it's an urban myth - all rods are the same.

PS : I always thought there was no better way to storm down to Le Mans in a British car? []

On the first point. I've always hated ABS, I've only ever had bad experiences so whenever it's kicked in in a car I've been driving it's increased my braking distance and scared me, it always kick in too early when you know you could brake harder and it removes all pedal feel so you lose contact with what's going on at the tires.

As for the rods I've seen both kinds. I could take you a picture when I'm building my engine as there are both types sitting still connected to pistons by my block. There is a strong possibility that more engines use the early rods than people think (I couldn't comment) and maybe you've been lucky with the engines you've had but there really are quite different designs. The early rods are almost square. The connecting shaft looks as wide as it is deep and made of a darker metal. The later rods are much flatter in profile (more like the 968/911 rods but those are a diamond shape rather than an H shape).

As for the British car to Le mans, love the theory and money no object probably the best car in the world for the journey would be an old D-type Jag. In the real world I hate convertibles because they always feel like boats and have appalling chassis stiffness so I need a proper road racer. If I have any British car again it would be another Cerbera because I fell in love with the engine but the cabin of my Cerbera was about 40*C, even on the nicest of days with the tiny letterbox windows open it had no natural light and felt like a dark cacoon, which smelt of hot plastic.

The 944T is the only thing I can think of that can have the roof and wondows open for that convertible feeling, while you sit in comfort with no worry about reliability. It still has enough power to keep up with the quick convoys happily crusing at 100+ on the motorways without overrevving like a caterham type or using ridiculous fuel like a big V8 and then handles like a proper sports car when winding your way throught the back roads to avoid the usual speed traps at the end. That lovely turbo assist in the high gears just makes long trips feel so easy, the miles melt away.

 

[TTM]

Would be very interested to see pictures showing both rod designs.
As for rods I stand corrected - PET indeed shows there was two types of rods until the later cars but doesn't mention when the switch was done.

I have access to an early M44/52 ('88) engine with the sump removed, will have a close look at the rods next time.