RE: TVR wedge: PH Heroes
Discussion
Love the Wedge shape TVR's and struggle to fathom why more people don't want one. I'd much rather one of these over an MX-5 tbh. 
That said, my heart lies with another British V8 powered Wedge, but I will admit the TVR does have a nicer interior
Similar, yet oh so different.
neither are mine..
That said, my heart lies with another British V8 powered Wedge, but I will admit the TVR does have a nicer interior
Similar, yet oh so different.
neither are mine..
I have had two Tasmin 280i's
and whilst they lack a little of the grunt present in the later 350's and beyond, they are still "silly grin generators", I too sturggle not to blip the throttle as I pass various groups on the road and especially under bridges and through tunnels.
By far the most smiles per mile of any car I have owned.
and whilst they lack a little of the grunt present in the later 350's and beyond, they are still "silly grin generators", I too sturggle not to blip the throttle as I pass various groups on the road and especially under bridges and through tunnels.
By far the most smiles per mile of any car I have owned.
DonkeyApple said:
It is impossible not to smile when one of these cars goes past and whatever car you are in still feel a bit of envy. A true PH classic. Affordable, dangerous, smelly, exciting. Brilliant.
Sadly, most Wedge owners seem to prefer to use their Wedge as a garden ornament to roll around under every week or so and cover themselves in muck and oil. That's when they aren't whinging on PH about not having enough time in life to do enough rolling around on the floor next to the car. Strange folk the Wedgies. Strange folk
I agree with the first part entirely.Sadly, most Wedge owners seem to prefer to use their Wedge as a garden ornament to roll around under every week or so and cover themselves in muck and oil. That's when they aren't whinging on PH about not having enough time in life to do enough rolling around on the floor next to the car. Strange folk the Wedgies. Strange folk
I took my Chimaera to Gunwharf Quays and parking in the underground carpark, by the time i'd driven round their were two chaps giving us a standing ovation and clapping, guess they appreciated the underground noise from a decatted and sleeved Chimaera
smash said:
I gotta say I'm coming round to the Eclat - I even nearly bid on a silver Elite that had a V8 conversion on ebay a couple of months back. Very Space 1999/UFO Commander Straker!
In that case I very nearly bid against you!Snap one up while they're still cheap as chips, I reckon. Chapman-era Lotii have got to start appreciating one day...
(Hopefully this century!)
So a question to those who have/had one (talking 350i here). What are the big issues with these? And how much do you need to set aside for a years maintenance?
Also is a 30+ year old TVR a whole heap of trouble? (Genuine question as I've always liked the looks but never knew much about them) ie. Would I need to be a very competent mechanic and committed owner to keep one going?
Also is a 30+ year old TVR a whole heap of trouble? (Genuine question as I've always liked the looks but never knew much about them) ie. Would I need to be a very competent mechanic and committed owner to keep one going?
Love it and can't believe how cheap these still are. I'll never forget, aged 15, Chorley town centre back in 1989, on my Peugeot racing bike, keeping up with a dark blue 400SE in the traffic and just sitting behind it in the queue. The best road car I'd ever heard at close quarters and after 3 years of mithering I finally managed to persuade my dad to buy a Griffith 4.0 just after they'd come out. Yes the Griff is probably superior in every way but there's something a touch exotic about the wedges and the sound of a V8 or even V6 TVR is why Lotus have never done anything for me.
patmahe said:
So a question to those who have/had one (talking 350i here). What are the big issues with these? And how much do you need to set aside for a years maintenance?
Also is a 30+ year old TVR a whole heap of trouble? (Genuine question as I've always liked the looks but never knew much about them) ie. Would I need to be a very competent mechanic and committed owner to keep one going?
I haven't owned one. But logically I'd say it's all about condition. Make sure the chassis isn't rusted to buggery, although it can be fixed. But it's more than a home DIY job for most.Also is a 30+ year old TVR a whole heap of trouble? (Genuine question as I've always liked the looks but never knew much about them) ie. Would I need to be a very competent mechanic and committed owner to keep one going?
Mechanical bits should be pretty solid, although like most British things, maybe just a bit fickle and leaking oil.
The engine is just a Rover V8, as found in SD1's, TR7 V8's, Range Rover's and many others.
In most cases TVR only did little to them, maybe a cam and a little head work. On this basis, should you need a replacement, then you can buy 3.9's, 4.0's and even 4.6's off ebay for not a lot of money.
Gearboxes are I think the LT-77, Leyland Transmissions. Found again in things like TR7's, SD1's and even Defenders.
This means sourcing, maintaining and fixing the major mechanical bits should be fairly straight forward and there is no reason why they can't be durable and reliable either.
Body's are GRP, so quite easy to repair, but can often need some TLC. And the interiors, personally I love the TVR interiors, but there are some bespoke bits in there. So bear in mind bespoke items will always be more difficult and potentially more expensive to source.
TA14 said:
Apart from the fact that the two bits that he mentions he misled: the RV8 is not just any old 155bhp or less common or garden variety and the gearbox is one of the better versions of the LT77.
If you're looking to buy one then post on the wedge section here.
Re: the engine. Really makes no odds. As TVR for the most part made up their power figures. You'd certainly want to avoid a low CR variant (MGB, RR) but seeing as these where 3.5 carb engines and fairly rare these days, it's unlikely to be an issue should you be sourcing a replacement engine. If you're looking to buy one then post on the wedge section here.
But there is no reason you couldn't use 3.9 EFI out of a Disco as a starting point. All you'd need is a cam and some head work and you are bang on where a TVR 4.0 litre motor is. TVR didn't use magic fairy dust on any of their engines.
As for the gearbox, maybe you could clarify exactly how they are better than other Lt-77's
cologne2792 said:
It's the first TVR I ever remember seeing when I was kid - well hearing actually ! Awesome concept !
How long does the chassis last and where they powder coated ?
How long a chassis lasts is entirely dependant on how much preventative maintenance has been done by previous owners especially on the parts that can be accessed with the body on.How long does the chassis last and where they powder coated ?
As an idea, watch the Wheeler Dealers episode when Ed removed the body from a 1999 Cerbera, there were sections of chassis in the transmission tunnel completely missing..........
Yes they were powder coated but as the coating deteriorated with age the moisture gets in etc etc
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