Model history assumptions on the dashboard... !?
Discussion
Hi,
As some of you know I have recently purchased a tidy early S1 (1987). So early it is one of the first 20 made, and has the twin bonnet pulls on either side of the car, rather than the one under the steering column.
Interstingly, in true TVR style, a couple of elements of the car make no sense.
One is the clock. The learned texts all suggest that the early cars had a digital clock, and indeed there are both 1987 and 1988 dashboards pictured in the bible (2nd Ed.) with this digital clock moulded into the heater control knobs. My car has the "later" analogue clock and dashboard style, although the "early" non-offset spedomoter and tacho within it.
Does anyone else have or has seen a true S1 with an analogue clock.. or was perhaps the digital clock originally a "later" addition that was then removed again.. Hmmm...
Cheers,
Matt.
As some of you know I have recently purchased a tidy early S1 (1987). So early it is one of the first 20 made, and has the twin bonnet pulls on either side of the car, rather than the one under the steering column.
Interstingly, in true TVR style, a couple of elements of the car make no sense.
One is the clock. The learned texts all suggest that the early cars had a digital clock, and indeed there are both 1987 and 1988 dashboards pictured in the bible (2nd Ed.) with this digital clock moulded into the heater control knobs. My car has the "later" analogue clock and dashboard style, although the "early" non-offset spedomoter and tacho within it.
Does anyone else have or has seen a true S1 with an analogue clock.. or was perhaps the digital clock originally a "later" addition that was then removed again.. Hmmm...
Cheers,
Matt.
tvrgaas said:
Not sure what the question is but....
Mine's a late S1 (2.8 F-reg) and has a Analogue clock, but most S1 I've seen had a digital clock.
I look out the handbook when I get home, I'm sure there's a reference to chassis numbers and change in the clock.
Very Intersting..
..well My chassis number is 333 for 1987. Cheers
Matt.
Le TVR said:
Too true, mine is '132 for 1988
twin bonnet pulls, digital clock, 'normal' speedo and rev counter
Well that makes no sense at all...
Apparently only the first 20 S series cars had twin bonnet pulls! ..and as they made 89 S's in 1987, let alone the 515 in 1988, your car "should" not have them at all..
Methinks this first 20 cars = twin bonnet pull thing is a bit of a myth...
Cheers
Matt.
Quick trip home, via dentist - (350i, 4.3 Griff, Griff 500, early Tuscan and S2000!)
So S Handbook.
From VIN SADS28POHB019316
{or H-316 for sort in the rest.} Dated March 88.
Pg6 says 2 Bonnet releases to J-160, J-161 on single
Pg7 says Fig 5a Vehicles from June 1988 will have circular clock....
P28 says J-157 have towing eyes at front.
Mine J-400, interesting a RAC search on F40xMLR give a few TVRs!
So S Handbook.
From VIN SADS28POHB019316
{or H-316 for sort in the rest.} Dated March 88.
Pg6 says 2 Bonnet releases to J-160, J-161 on single
Pg7 says Fig 5a Vehicles from June 1988 will have circular clock....
P28 says J-157 have towing eyes at front.
Mine J-400, interesting a RAC search on F40xMLR give a few TVRs!
Le TVR said:
It was just interesting that your chassis #333 was 87 and my #132 was 88??
What number did they start from? (thought it was #019100?)
No it doesn't work quite like that.. the number is year specific and there is a year letter prefix before it in the vin code... my car was the 333rd TVR car made in 1987 (regardless of model) and yours was the 132nd made in 1988.
Cheers,
Matt.
>> Edited by M@H on Wednesday 18th February 14:57
tvrgaas said:
Quick trip home, via dentist - (350i, 4.3 Griff, Griff 500, early Tuscan and S2000!)
So S Handbook.
From VIN SADS28POHB019316
{or H-316 for sort in the rest.} Dated March 88.
Pg6 says 2 Bonnet releases to J-160, J-161 on single
Pg7 says Fig 5a Vehicles from June 1988 will have circular clock....
P28 says J-157 have towing eyes at front.
Mine J-400, interesting a RAC search on F40xMLR give a few TVRs!
How odd... My car is SADS28POHB019333 (H-333 for short), so well within the first twenty.. doubtless there was a wedge or two between 316 and 333 as well so it could even be in the 1st 10.
If your "Pg6 says 2 Bonnet releases to J-160, J-161 on single " is correct, then that would suggest the first 100 or so cars had this, not the first 20, as J-161 is a fair way into 1988, and they made 89 S's in 1987 (according to Bible v.2).
I can't explain the "Pg7 says Fig 5a Vehicles from June 1988 will have circular clock.... " bit at all though as mine is definitely a 1987, definitely with a circular clock... and there's no way they are interchangeable thats for sure.
.. Cheers,
Matt.
>> Edited by M@H on Wednesday 18th February 14:50
Le TVR said:
M@H said:
the number is year specific
Ahh, so that makes it J-132 (03/88) then
To give the full analysis of the end of the VIN, the last 8 digits tell you a bit about the car as follows:
EG: SADS28POHB019333
H = Year made (h 1987, J 1988, k 1989 etc)
B = Factory code (B = Blackpool)
019 = Model Number (019 being an S series)
333 = Production Number of the car produced that year (not model specific)
Cheers
Matt.
>> Edited by M@H on Wednesday 18th February 15:06
M@H said:
I can't explain the "Pg7 says Fig 5a Vehicles from June 1988 will have circular clock.... " bit at all though as mine is definitely a 1987, definitely with a circular clock... and there's no way they are interchangeable thats for sure.
Cheers,
Matt.
I can ....TVR
Customer spec ?
M@H said:As that table (in v.1 anyway) is very basic with guestimates for some numbers I'd take some of the numbers with a small pinch of salt.
(according to Bible v.2).
Cheers,
Matt.
We could always demand the head of the author or...
or just follow the words of PW on Pg1.
"...look forward to sharing in the pleasure of open top motoring.."in "an 'entry level'...powerful, well handling driving machine...!
Yep..reckon you're both right.. My car is also in breach of a couple of other notes on the model differences (eg also it "should" not have a single wipe operation on the wiper switch but it does..)
Lets just call it "individual" and I'll stop worrying about it
(and steve can perhaps amend Edition 3 to include my car next time round
)
Cheers,
Matt.
Lets just call it "individual" and I'll stop worrying about it
(and steve can perhaps amend Edition 3 to include my car next time round
) Cheers,
Matt.
If your car is one of the first then it should have the LCD clock, twin pulls and single wipe. If it is (registration and chassis number) does indicate that it is, and has the analogue clock and the single wipe, I would suspect that the dash has been changed and the wiper switch upgraded.
Also be aware that it is not uncommon for cars to be registered out of order for various reasons and this can cause these type of problems. TVR have also been known to use up parts and this is very true for the S1.5 where they used almost whatever they had. I am not surprised that they are different cars out there as it is very difficult to know exactly unless you can see every single car that was ever made. even then , you don't know what mods have been made.
Also be aware that it is not uncommon for cars to be registered out of order for various reasons and this can cause these type of problems. TVR have also been known to use up parts and this is very true for the S1.5 where they used almost whatever they had. I am not surprised that they are different cars out there as it is very difficult to know exactly unless you can see every single car that was ever made. even then , you don't know what mods have been made.
Sorry ,I'm late for the topic
My S1 reg Jan 88 no 107 has digital clock and two bonnet pulls.
Probably the early anologue was a sample they were trying out.
All sorts of odd bits were fitted at differant times depending on what was available.
Ny S is now sweet 16 and can legally have sex
My S1 reg Jan 88 no 107 has digital clock and two bonnet pulls.
Probably the early anologue was a sample they were trying out.
All sorts of odd bits were fitted at differant times depending on what was available.
Ny S is now sweet 16 and can legally have sex
Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff