Wednesday 19th March 2014

Time For Tea? TVR Tuscan V8

A slightly different take on the modified car theme from one dedicated PHer

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Time For Tea? had to feature something modified today, didn’t it? With over 200 comments already on the Tell Me I’m Wrong, it’s clearly a topic we all have an opinion on.

Trouble is, a 1,000hp GT-R or mega Evo is a little predictable when it comes to tuned cars. So how about this? A TVR Tuscan with an LS7 V8; faster and more reliable than standard, with one of the most iconic soundtracks there is.

Furthermore that more reliable claim isn’t our view, it’s from the owner. See this particular Tuscan was featured in Carpool at the start of last year and is owned by Simon Partridge. The original story included a short drive-by clip and here we have four minutes of nothing but raucous V8 rumble. Loud V8 rumble at that.

Of course some will object to the idea of substituting the original car’s straight six with a more conventional V8. But when the results are similar to Simon’s Tuscan, it’s easy to see the appeal of an LS conversion!

Enjoy.

[Evo]

No objections at all to fitting an "LS" engine in a TVR, TVR's have certainly long since been powered by big V8's

TVR's are about a raw driving experience and it certainly won't be lacking in that department.

Change the rear silencers though, looks like they've been nicked off Smokey and the Bandits Kenworth

Edited by Evo on Wednesday 19th March 16:17

[WolfyJones]

Looks and sounds great, thou I prefer the Straight Six soundtrack

[TheArchitect]

What's the weight if an ls7 compared to the oe straight 6? To me it's a sensible way of adding life to the car! Lovely.

[seismic22]

Love this..though the silencers do spoil it a bit.

IMO this is the right sort of tuning.

[chelme]

WolfyJones said:

Looks and sounds great, thou I prefer the Straight Six soundtrack

Same here, if they made the straight six reliable and emissions regs compliant (would we be asking too much??)

I wonder what is happening with TVR these days...all that talk of a comeback...

[meemperor]

TheArchitect said:

What's the weight if an ls7 compared to the oe straight 6? To me it's a sensible way of adding life to the car! Lovely.

LS series are surprisingly light. Around 370lbs fully assembled.

[Dave Hedgehog]

oh my

that is just perfection, even the colour is fabulous

oh my

[Garlick]

Original engine sounds way better, not much can beat it in fact. Get an expert to fettle the six and you can use it without issue and enjoy a warranty too.

That's what I'd do, anyway.

[WolfyJones]

Garlick said:

Original engine sounds way better, not much can beat it in fact. Get an expert to fettle the six and you can use it without issue and enjoy a warranty too.

That's what I'd do, anyway.

http://youtu.be/luigxD900Yk

[MethylatedSpirit]

Garlick said:

Original engine sounds way better, not much can beat it in fact. Get an expert to fettle the six and you can use it without issue and enjoy a warranty too.

That's what I'd do, anyway.

Ditto. Iirc, there is a rebuilt one still going strong after 200k

[k-ink]

Awesome!

As per the other thread, this is how to do it properly. Choose the correct car (classic, or focused sports car) then do an engine swap.

[chris watton]

Garlick said:

Original engine sounds way better, not much can beat it in fact. Get an expert to fettle the six and you can use it without issue and enjoy a warranty too.

That's what I'd do, anyway.

And that's exactly what I am planning to do - 4.3 S6 with a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty.

This will suit my Tamora perfectly, I think. I also think that the LS7 would be too much power for a Tam, it may tarnish the driving experience a little, having to be always mindful of too much torque - but then, I'm a wuss.....

[Evo]

What is the cost to rebuild and uprate a Speed 6 from Str8ght Six then. I think it's becoming refreshing now that for a decent amount you can sort what was previously regarding as a potentially troublesome engine. The 996 engines now can be modified to remove IMS RMS issues for a few thousand which I'd consider right for cars with this level of performance.

My dilemma in a few years Speed 6 Tuscan or 996 C4S, glad both can sorted properly.

[7 TVR]

WolfyJones said:

Looks and sounds great, thou I prefer the Straight Six soundtrack

No one would ever have guessed lol

[chris watton]

Evo said:

What is the cost to rebuild and uprate a Speed 6 from Str8ght Six then. I think it's becoming refreshing now that for a decent amount you can sort what was previously regarding as a potentially troublesome engine. The 996 engines now can be modified to remove IMS RMS issues for a few thousand which I'd consider right for cars with this level of performance.

My dilemma in a few years Speed 6 Tuscan or 996 C4S, glad both can sorted properly.

It's not cheap, but if you need an engine rebuild anyway, it's about £3k more. A 3.6-4.3 upgrade works out at around the £9k (minimum) mark (TVR Power prices, inclusive of VAT and larger injectors and heavier duty starter motor). Considering a warranty is around £1k per year for a TVR S6 car, the 5 year warranty makes the cost more palatable, to me at least.

I did enquire about converting to an LS3 V8, which of course means new gearbox, wiring, ECU and clutch, and the quote was around £24k! An LS7 is much more expensive so I would think at least £30k for that Tuscan.

ETA - those prices are assuming you need a professional to carry out the transplant...

[WolfyJones]

Evo said:

What is the cost to rebuild and uprate a Speed 6 from Str8ght Six then. I think it's becoming refreshing now that for a decent amount you can sort what was previously regarding as a potentially troublesome engine. The 996 engines now can be modified to remove IMS RMS issues for a few thousand which I'd consider right for cars with this level of performance.

My dilemma in a few years Speed 6 Tuscan or 996 C4S, glad both can sorted properly.

Standard rebuild around £6000, upgraded 4.3 rebuild around £9000

4.3 gives you a bit more punch ( torque ) both come with a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty.

[ellisd82]

that sound!

[b14]

Heavy flywheel?

[soad]

This car is a beauty - I have lusted after reading the article last year, same again now.

[bencollins]

Tuscan S and Muira.
All other cars ming by comparison.

or All time top ten beautiful cars:
1 Joint winner Muira & Tuscan S
2 who cares
3 "
4 "
etc

Edited by bencollins on Wednesday 19th March 17:54