| Author | Message | ||
     Rocketman |
Saw this on Ebay and thought of my American friends. This is what looks like a lovely example of a very real British sports car. I should know I own one!  For Sale on Ebay Tube steel backbone chassis, double wishbone fully adjustable independent suspension all around, plastic body. This thing will truly fly with a 302 in it. The original fit V6 Essex motor is way heavier than a 302 for sure and only gives 138BHP and they fly with that in it. Someone buy this car so I can come and borrow it next time I visit !! Rocket  | ||
| Signguy |
TVR? | ||
| Rocketman |
TVR build sports cars by hand in Blackpool , England and have done so for more than 50 years. Not only do they build sports cars they make a lot of the components themselves in house rather than raid the parts bins of mass production motor companies. As well as steering racks , complete interiors, instrument panels, chassis components and body shells they also produce a modular series of their own engines , AJP V8 to V12 and sliced in half for a straight 6. TVR run the fastest one make race series in the world, faster than Formula 3 or British Touring Cars. Sometimes they run in World Sports Car racing not necessarily winning up against the Porsche, Lister Storm or Callway Corvettes or Vipers but TVR do have the most powerful car on the grid. Their more than 50 year achievements speak volumes for such a tiny company employing a few hundred local people living close to the factory. A true British cottage industry that flies in the face of global imperialist car manufacture. Unlike Jaguar, Aston, Ferrari etc etc TVR are still owned privately. Peter Wheeler is only the third chairman since the companies inception. Clearly he \ they have a winning formula. Sorry for the history lesson!!! TVR Engineering Got to the showroom and check out the 440R and prepare to be bewildered!! Rocket | ||
| Signguy |
Thanks Rocket. I think I should have typed "is that a TVR?" (-: I didn't click the ebay link till just now. I've seen a Griffin run at an autocross event a few years ago. It looked and sounded like its about to fall apart but it was fast-as-hell. (-: | ||
| Rocketman |
I'm thinking you're referring to a Griffith? An old style one and not the 90's model right? They were very simple cars and when Mr Griffith's shoe horned a V8 in it a legend was born. Back in the 60's they were doing 165MPH and that must be very scary in one of them if for no other reason the noise the things make <grin> Rocket | ||
| Signguy |
Yes, Griffith. | ||
| Newfie_buell |
Thats one sweet car!!!! The TVR website is very impressive - those care are very unique. | ||
| Rocketman |
$7900 Fools, you're all fools!! Rocket | ||
| Signguy |
Too high or too low? The seller must be satisfied. | ||
| Bomber |
I co-worker had a griffith years ago . . . tiny lil thing with a small bolck ford (?) in it . .. went like stink! at 6'2", I could barely get behind the wheel . . .. . (not that he let me drive it . . . .he was way to smart for that) | ||
| Rocketman |
If you've never experienced a TVR such as that I just can't put into words what you're missing but I'll try. My Taimar is that car on Ebay except mine had until recently the bone stock 3ltr Essex V6 motor - found in many British Fords around the 1970's including the Transit van and the Capri 3ltr GT and GXL's. The Transit van motor was a low compression version but never the less used exstensively throughout Britain in many an ambulance. In the Capri it ran with a higher compression ratio and a twin down draught carb with 3 branch exhaust manifolding was standard fit in the GT. All up on a good day probably a tad less than 140BHP at the crank! Those Capri's were good for anywhere between 115 - 125 MPH. The Taimar is considerably lighter! I'm in the process of building a hot motor for my Taimar - should be finished in about a fortnight. The crank and rods have been lightened and balanced as has the flywheel. The motor is bored to .060" giving it 3088cc, the most these blocks will take without getting very serious. The pistons are short skirted and lighter than stock and the heads have been flowed with bigger valves fitted. I'm running a Kent V65 cam in her and this is a very sweet cam for fast road \ competition use. Finally I'm fitting a Swamar manifold with a 360 four barrel Holley and 3 branch exhaust manifolds. Estimate about 200BHP! To summarize, with the stock 138HP motor this sports car is bloody amazing. It is nothing like driving an MGB or Roadster nor is it like a Triumph TR6. If I was to give it a fair comparison I would pitch it in Lotus Elan territory but the Elan would be that bit more nimble and quicker steered but only a bit. I have it on good authority the 302 motor is slightly heavier than the V6 Essex motor. So you tell me what HP a lowly rated 302 puts out? That puppy will fly and if the write up and pic's are to be believed nothing short of a Supercar would touch it! $7900 is an awful lot of money but that would be an awful lot of performance too. It's been a pleasure. Rocket | ||
| Bomber |
302s regularly produce 300+ hp at the crank in race trim . . . . you can count on a solid 250 from a build streetable version . . . its done all the time . .. . you sure it's lighter than the Essex V6? I'd be tempted to put the alloy ex-Buick V8 in instead . .. . | ||
| Rocketman |
I have it on good authority the 302 motor is slightly heavier than the V6 Essex motor. Yep the Rover \ Buick is the cheap and easiest way to go for V8 performance Bomber but I didn't have one available at the time, then this very nice race tuned Essex motor came up and my mind was made up. Rocket | ||
| Bomber |
Rocket An available lump is soooo much better than an unavailable one, n'est pas? the Essex motor must be a stout son-uv-a-gun if it's only slightly lighter than a 302 .. . . block out of depleted uranium, perhaps? |
