RE: PH Carpool: TVR Tuscan 2 LS7

[Don1]

The Topcats conversion is a large figure, mainly for the fact it's a nut and bolt rebuild (effectively), of the whole car.

They are seriously well engineered, and deeply impressive. The LS can be done for a lot less, but it's not engineered to the same degree.

[After_Shock]

AyBee said:

Is the conversion cost really that much?

Must be some serious labour work in for that money I agree, can get an LS2 engine for very good money, the LS7 unfortunately is alot more but an LS2 can still easily crack 500hp so that would reduce the cost massively.

[TA14]

After_Shock said:

AyBee said:

Is the conversion cost really that much?

Must be some serious labour work in for that money I agree, can get an LS2 engine for very good money, the LS7 unfortunately is alot more but an LS2 can still easily crack 500hp so that would reduce the cost massively.

I'm sure that an american V8 installation can be done for a lot less and others have offered that service however if you want a car similar in spec to the one in the article then the costs above appear to be the going rate. (Could be £20K on parts.)

Others have cut the cost by: using second hand engines, using LS1, 2 or 3 engines, having less than 550 bhp, using the original car's running gear, brakes, suspension, cooling etc., doing their own labour/fabrication.

[Tvr Power]

PascalBuyens said:

El Capitano said:

What's the difference in weight between the Speed 6 and the LS7?

Fully trimmed, the LS7 weighs 458 lbs. A Speed Six supposedly weighs 444lbs.

Simon, correct me if I'm wrong, but you still have the T5 gearbox, right? Or was it converted to a T56/TR6060?

Benny Lad were have you been ? you got that Turbo package built yet, Simon well done mate hats off to "Top Cat Racing" she looks well

Dom

[dinkel]

. . . an american V8 installation can be done for a lot less . . .

Certainly, but hey: to make a Tusc handle accordingly? I bet that's where the money goes.

Superb to see TVRs preserved this way.

If, if and if . . . 2nd half of the 90s Wheeler chose to drop Yank mills into his cars and had added extra R&D into chassis development . . .

Wiki: Under Wheeler's ownership, TVR moved from cars with Triumph and Ford engines to using the Rover V8, and later the Speed Eight and Speed Six designed for TVR by Al Melling. The cars produced under his control were typically stunning to look at, with incredible performance.

. . . we had missed some great cars like the Cerbera and Tamora.

After 2004 the wise decision should have been to use - euro regs compliant - Corvette or Ford V8 engines for the Sagaris a.s.. IMO the best thing should've been upgrading the AJP8 to 32 valve heads, and in 4, 4.5 and 5 litre guise and use these in Sagaris and Thypoon cars.

We've had the discussion (...) and see what happends now: the true enthousiasts pick up the spirit and create personal favoured cars that are right in the true TreVoR spirit.

Well done, these cars are all national automotive treasures.

[Zippee]

spartridge said:

Mustang Baz said:

He won't mind me saying though that the Sp6 through carbon cans is still louder

Nothing beats a Sp6 through carbon cans.

I still remember your comment to me once following a run out with the H&B lot, on the dual carriageway at around 80 you mentioned my car was one of the first you've ever heard from inside yours and I was behind you
To echo the comments though your car is stunning and even better in the flesh

[Cockey]

spartridge said:

Can't use standard carbon cans as whole exhaust system is custom (runs a central silencer) and much wider bore.

You also can't use them because I bought them off you last year! Although you don't have stupid ribbons

[spartridge]

Great to see you are putting the cans to use Piers. Not sure about that aerodynamic 'enhancement' though

[Termy]

Hi Simon,

Very impressed with your article and heard a lot about your car before I followed in your footsteps.
I admit I used to keep looking at Paul Black's Sagaris pages too. That's another very fast beautiful motor.

Mine's a generation one TuscanS which I bought from James Agger Autosports on my 40th birthday.
(The best presents are always to yourself eh?) I suspect the car must've been an early prototype (say no more...)
I pay my respects to the guys at TVR power in those early days.
And my friend Giles who is effectively the second owner and comes up with all the project ideas and spends a lot of his time underneath it.

Sadly the TVR engine lost compression on a cylinder and the thoughts of a rebuild turned to the LS7 instead.
Though even with 5 cylinders we were 300 plus brake on the rolling road!

I agree the guys at Topcats are excellent and watching the 2-3 months labour to see the transformation was unbelievable.
The car came out new and the attention to detail to get everything fitted it looks better than a factory build.

The car is so quiet and smooth pootling round town but under that we both know there are 500-550 horses in the stable.

So yours is 1/10 and mine is the second I believe :-)

Regards,
Mark

[chris watton]

Damn! I am in a dilemma now. You see, I had my heart set on either another Tamora (and get TVR Power to make the engine a 4.3), or build a Gardner Douglas Cobra with an LS3 6.2 litre engine. I was heading toward the latter because it would be completely new with a good engine. However, I didn't know there were places out there that can put that very same LS3 with 480bhp into a Tamora.

I really don't know what to do now - wish I could save up for both!

[Termy]

There is allegedly a Topcats conversion of the Tamora with the 7 litre LS7.
But the Cobra sounds tempting.
I wanted an Ultima Spyder / Can-Am originally but got a bit side tracked :-)

[dinkel]

Termy said:

There is allegedly a Topcats conversion of the Tamora with the 7 litre LS7.
But the Cobra sounds tempting.
I wanted an Ultima Spyder / Can-Am originally but got a bit side tracked :-)

I bet the TVR is the more comfy of the 3. CanAm is a riot when sorted and properly specced: at 165 mph I wasn't blown away, a Cobra will mess up your hair even when stationary.

[Don1]

Termy said:

There is allegedly a Topcats conversion of the Tamora with the 7 litre LS7.
But the Cobra sounds tempting.
I wanted an Ultima Spyder / Can-Am originally but got a bit side tracked :-)

Nothing 'alleged' about it. One exists, but is a work in progress. Nice owner as well.

[anonymous-user]

You could go to DynoTorque who also know a thing or two about engine conversions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0fmSEDRL-g&lis...

[spartridge]

Termy said:

Hi Simon,

Hi Mark - thanks for coming onto PH and posting. Yes - I've seen your car at Topcats (and even been given a quick lift to the station in it )...very nice indeed.

Hopefully we can get the Tuscans together at a PH meet this year. There is also some talk of possibly getting all the TVRs with LS conversions together at Santa Pod in the Summer! Will keep you posted.

[spartridge]

chris watton said:

dilemma

Warren (@Topcats) has a T350 demonstrator if that helps?

[spartridge]

wormus said:

DynoTorque

Yep - never spoken to these guys but hear good things about them also.

[chris watton]

spartridge said:

Warren (@Topcats) has a T350 demonstrator if that helps?

Cheers. Am saving up to buy either/or. The Tamora was the best car I had, and still miss it (we had to move to Italy, but am back in UK now) - but then I bought a kit car mag when bored one day and seen this beautiful Cobra replica, so researched more into it. To me, it's not that different to a TVR, especially if you buy the rolling chassis with all new bespoke parts.

...But I still think back to my Tamora, and I want one of them just as much. Perhaps a (relatively) bullet-proof LS3 (I think LS7 would be too much, and the price between the LS3 and 7 is substantial) would be a perfect compromise. I don’t know….dammit!

[7 TVR]

Morning Simon can't believe i missed this, great write up and pictures!
I'm trying to get all us LS TVR's together for a photo shoot and shoot out but struggling to find a venue to rent that will let us play
I've been turned down by 2 venues so far one on noise grounds and the other just did not want 10 to 15 500+hp TVR hooning about!!!
Personally think yours is one of the best conversions i've seen with both mechanical and aesthetics addressed in equal measure.
I'm hoping to have the Griff back with the new cam and ECU for Spa @ the end of March are you coming this year??
PM me if you have any ideas on venues? if all else fails we could go down the runway @ Topcats but not ideal!
Loving the Reflex charcoal and was the only colour i wanted the Sag in

[spartridge]

Thanks for your comments Christian - will drop you a PM