Anyone want a Wedge going.......
Discussion
I think part of the "feeling" is probably due to the lack of Cats on the wedges. Throttle response is much snappier on my 400 than it was on my Chim.
Also, given TVRs notorious range of power outputs from supposedly similar engines (production tolerances?) it's entirely plausible that a "good" 400se will be quicker to 100mph than an "average 4.0l Chim".
FWIW I gave up relying on TVR's own BHP and 0 - 60 times yonks ago. From my seat, MY 400 is quicker than MY Chim. Might not be the same for everyone else though!
Lets not turn the wedge forum into another T350 stylee war zone eh? The suns out, we've all got TVRs, and they all go bloody quick!
(sorry to any one not owning a TVR at this point, but feel free to contact me for a ride in the 400 sometime! :big grin: )
Also, given TVRs notorious range of power outputs from supposedly similar engines (production tolerances?) it's entirely plausible that a "good" 400se will be quicker to 100mph than an "average 4.0l Chim".
FWIW I gave up relying on TVR's own BHP and 0 - 60 times yonks ago. From my seat, MY 400 is quicker than MY Chim. Might not be the same for everyone else though!
Lets not turn the wedge forum into another T350 stylee war zone eh? The suns out, we've all got TVRs, and they all go bloody quick!
(sorry to any one not owning a TVR at this point, but feel free to contact me for a ride in the 400 sometime! :big grin: )
i think that the 350/400 wedge whatever may "feel" faster than a 4 litre chim but probably isnt, or certainly not if the figures at to be believed.
This probably has something to do with the refined suspension and ride in the Chim compared to the older TVR's.
I know my V6S felt quicker to 60 than a 4 litre Chim did. It certainly wasnt! in fact it must be almost 2 seconds slower which is quite a margin when you are talking these low figures. but the car made a lot of noise, wasnt very refined and felt as it you were blasting along. Come alongside a fairly average repmobile and when you struggled to pull away you realised that it wasnt as quick as it felt sometimes...
This probably has something to do with the refined suspension and ride in the Chim compared to the older TVR's.
I know my V6S felt quicker to 60 than a 4 litre Chim did. It certainly wasnt! in fact it must be almost 2 seconds slower which is quite a margin when you are talking these low figures. but the car made a lot of noise, wasnt very refined and felt as it you were blasting along. Come alongside a fairly average repmobile and when you struggled to pull away you realised that it wasnt as quick as it felt sometimes...
Andy
Not looking for an argument mate, just trying to dispel Mungo's ridiculous theory that his 350i was quicker than a Chimeara....
I drove my friends 400SE on quite a few occasions and like I said previously it felt as quick as my Griff but not quite as agile and the brakes were very poor. Thats probably because of those dreadful inboard Jag brakes though!
At the end of then day it's down to personal preference and whatever rattles your cage.
Happy roof-off Tivving, although I am beginning to enjoy being spoilt by the aircon, driving the courtesy Chim from TVR Power the other day with the roof off in the heat reminded me of being cooked alive!!
Not looking for an argument mate, just trying to dispel Mungo's ridiculous theory that his 350i was quicker than a Chimeara....
I drove my friends 400SE on quite a few occasions and like I said previously it felt as quick as my Griff but not quite as agile and the brakes were very poor. Thats probably because of those dreadful inboard Jag brakes though!
At the end of then day it's down to personal preference and whatever rattles your cage.
Happy roof-off Tivving, although I am beginning to enjoy being spoilt by the aircon, driving the courtesy Chim from TVR Power the other day with the roof off in the heat reminded me of being cooked alive!!
I think it's largely to do with the direct involvement. Doing 80 in my wifes Yaris feels way slower than 80 in the 350. But its still 80. The difference is the Yaris is reving quietly at 4500rpm, with fairly decent sound insulation, well composed steering geometry and suspension.
At the same speed, the 350 is snorting at 2,500rpm, bellowing like an insane bull, rattling and shaking, and requiring constant close attention to the steering because I can feel every undulation in the road surface.
The problem is that the sensation of speed is incredibly subjective. Something may seem much faster, but you are actually just getting more sensory overload. The only way to be sure about which is quicker is to do timings.
And with timings, the Chim will be quicker, unless theres something wrong with it.
However, I can get a really nice sensation of speed, and get a really involving drive at 80mph...Thus keeping my license. To get the same level of involvement in a Chim, I'd probably have to be doing, what, about 120mph.
I know which I'd prefer (120mph, of course...but I like not killing people, so it has to be the same involvement at the lower speed).
This is also (btw) why I asked a question a while ago about the relative 'hardness' of Chims and Griffs. I want to move to one of these, but I'm concerned that I'm going to loose the involvement I get with the wedge.
At the same speed, the 350 is snorting at 2,500rpm, bellowing like an insane bull, rattling and shaking, and requiring constant close attention to the steering because I can feel every undulation in the road surface.
The problem is that the sensation of speed is incredibly subjective. Something may seem much faster, but you are actually just getting more sensory overload. The only way to be sure about which is quicker is to do timings.
And with timings, the Chim will be quicker, unless theres something wrong with it.
However, I can get a really nice sensation of speed, and get a really involving drive at 80mph...Thus keeping my license. To get the same level of involvement in a Chim, I'd probably have to be doing, what, about 120mph.
I know which I'd prefer (120mph, of course...but I like not killing people, so it has to be the same involvement at the lower speed).
This is also (btw) why I asked a question a while ago about the relative 'hardness' of Chims and Griffs. I want to move to one of these, but I'm concerned that I'm going to loose the involvement I get with the wedge.
SORRY GUYS, seem to have started a riot.
Mungo, started this conversation about Chim v 7 a week or so ago with you on another thread. Can only quote certain well practiced bends. Live axle 7 got very skittish at speeds that the Chimaera, with iffy rear shock, gets round with ease at much greater speeds. Frightens the life out of me, cos if i come off at those speeds.....& would corner faster on TIGHT corners probably, accelleration in 7 SEEMED faster than Chim, 'til I look at the speedo. & feels fast at standstill, like a wedge probably. & more involvin to drive, but wouldn't want to do many more motorway miles in it, that's why i bought the Chim. To be honest, my old Orion was faster in a straight line (top speed),than the 7 cos you couldn't stand the wind blast of the 7 (and i had it 12 years & 22k miles) for as long as you could put up with the Orion. 7 was a 1700 Scholar Engined live axle, 130bhp job.
Mungo, started this conversation about Chim v 7 a week or so ago with you on another thread. Can only quote certain well practiced bends. Live axle 7 got very skittish at speeds that the Chimaera, with iffy rear shock, gets round with ease at much greater speeds. Frightens the life out of me, cos if i come off at those speeds.....& would corner faster on TIGHT corners probably, accelleration in 7 SEEMED faster than Chim, 'til I look at the speedo. & feels fast at standstill, like a wedge probably. & more involvin to drive, but wouldn't want to do many more motorway miles in it, that's why i bought the Chim. To be honest, my old Orion was faster in a straight line (top speed),than the 7 cos you couldn't stand the wind blast of the 7 (and i had it 12 years & 22k miles) for as long as you could put up with the Orion. 7 was a 1700 Scholar Engined live axle, 130bhp job.
flasher said:
Must admit Wayne, I drove my friends 400SE on many occasions and the actual performance wasn't far off my 4.0 Griff until you hit about 120mph when the aero package came into play. The only major difference for me was the brakes which were terrible compared to teh Griff.
As you say a comparison between a 350i and a Chimeara is very unfair.....
I disagree here. My 4 litre ( bless its poor soul ) would eat a 4 litre chimp .. acceleration it had it, brakes too. Handling .. the 400 sticks like glue to the roads, the chimps feel too wallowy and soft.
no problem. Im not saying the wedge is best, its not, but lets get things into perspective.
flasher said:
Andy
Not looking for an argument mate, just trying to dispel Mungo's ridiculous theory that his 350i was quicker than a Chimeara....
I drove my friends 400SE on quite a few occasions and like I said previously it felt as quick as my Griff but not quite as agile and the brakes were very poor. Thats probably because of those dreadful inboard Jag brakes though!
At the end of then day it's down to personal preference and whatever rattles your cage.
Happy roof-off Tivving, although I am beginning to enjoy being spoilt by the aircon, driving the courtesy Chim from TVR Power the other day with the roof off in the heat reminded me of being cooked alive!!
dreadful Jag Brakes ... rubbish. They are good enough to haul a 2 tonne Jag V12 from 150 to 0, they are also far capable of stopping a TVR. if you have poor rear brakes, get them serviced, change the pads. Nowt wrong with the 9" inboard disks.
jvaughan said:
Andy
Not looking for an argument mate, just trying to dispel Mungo's ridiculous theory that his 350i was quicker than a Chimeara....
I drove my friends 400SE on quite a few occasions and like I said previously it felt as quick as my Griff but not quite as agile and the brakes were very poor. Thats probably because of those dreadful inboard Jag brakes though!
At the end of then day it's down to personal preference and whatever rattles your cage.
Happy roof-off Tivving, although I am beginning to enjoy being spoilt by the aircon, driving the courtesy Chim from TVR Power the other day with the roof off in the heat reminded me of being cooked alive!!
dreadful Jag Brakes ... rubbish. They are good enough to haul a 2 tonne Jag V12 from 150 to 0, they are also far capable of stopping a TVR. if you have poor rear brakes, get them serviced, change the pads. Nowt wrong with the 9" inboard disks.
You have obviously not driven a modern TVR mate. The Jag brakes are shit compared to any modern TVR, I have driven several of them and they have ALL been appalling. Are you seriously trying to tell me that the brakes from a 1970's Jag are better than the ones on the 92 onwards Griff/Chim (which came off a Sierra Cosworth)?
As for your wedge being quicker and better handling.....go and sit with Mungo in the dreamers corner mate!
Come on guys! Just having a bit of a debate. Unlike our resident TVR handling and performance expert Mr Mungo, I have actually driven all the TVR's and most of them on the track. If you seriously think your wedges handle better on the track than a Chim/Griff than you are completely deluded. Unless we are talking about Geoff Statham's 450 SEAC race car or Steve Heath's 500SE and one other hot red 400SE that I saw at Snetterton earlier this year (which incidently apart from the corners was quicker than my T350C!), they don't handle well at all!! All those cars were heavily modified......
If the Jag inboard brakes were so good, they would be using them now!!!
Please don't misunderstand me, I love all TVR's (I have owned and loved most of them!) I just find it tiresome when people say their 350i/400SE/whatever is faster than a Griff/Chim/whatever. It has always seemed to me to be a bit of "my Dads harder than your Dad" mentality.
I have been to TVR club meeting's and heard people say stuff like "I don't like the Tuscan it's not as quick as my Griff" one such incident caused a challenge at Duxford the other year and resulted in two very humiliated Griff owners who watched a Speed Six Cerb completely destroy them up the runway by several car lengths.
Enjoy your TVR's for what they are is all I'm saying. I know when I owned my wedge I knew it wasn't the quickest thing out there, but it was rare, turned heads and made a great noise, above all it was a TVR!
If the Jag inboard brakes were so good, they would be using them now!!!
Please don't misunderstand me, I love all TVR's (I have owned and loved most of them!) I just find it tiresome when people say their 350i/400SE/whatever is faster than a Griff/Chim/whatever. It has always seemed to me to be a bit of "my Dads harder than your Dad" mentality.
I have been to TVR club meeting's and heard people say stuff like "I don't like the Tuscan it's not as quick as my Griff" one such incident caused a challenge at Duxford the other year and resulted in two very humiliated Griff owners who watched a Speed Six Cerb completely destroy them up the runway by several car lengths.
Enjoy your TVR's for what they are is all I'm saying. I know when I owned my wedge I knew it wasn't the quickest thing out there, but it was rare, turned heads and made a great noise, above all it was a TVR!
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