Tuscan V8 SE Spec US cars

[Andrew Gray]

DavidY said:

Andrew

Check out the last half of this page http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

and this

http://www.accelit.ch/Tuscan-e_files/CarFolio%20TV...

and the 'mysterious' French Car -

http://allautosinfo.com/discussion/11004706/1967-t...


The accuracy of either is obviously to be verified (and all is public domain information)

I don't anyone will get to the bottom of this, and I susepct that these cars will keep coming out of the Woodwork (pun intended) for as long as we all live!

Thanks David
yes I was aware of those threads however it seems like there was 24 max and they where certainly not all wide bodied cars
However its the none wide bodied Vixen trimmed V8s that are interesting and would be interesting to see if they where all the same without the features or did some have the features if anyone knows of MAL numbered V8 non wide bodied car with all the normal Tuscan SE features I would be interested to know as that's one of the reasons for posting here and not elsewhere so maybe someone will find the thread and more info will come out
Andrew

[Dollyman1850]

DavidY said:

Andrew

Forgive me if my memory is a little sketchy but I believe that there is at least one duplicate MAL chassis number out there, that said there are probably less MAL cars made than some of the published books would lead one to believe!!

I also know of at least 1 genuine wide body that doesn't have a Mal Chassis number!
N.

[Andrew Gray]

Dollyman1850 said:

DavidY said:

Andrew

Forgive me if my memory is a little sketchy but I believe that there is at least one duplicate MAL chassis number out there, that said there are probably less MAL cars made than some of the published books would lead one to believe!!

I also know of at least 1 genuine wide body that doesn't have a Mal Chassis number!
N.

Yes Neil the 4wd but also another JDG???
Andrew

[Dollyman1850]

This one doesn't have a MAL chassis number for instance…It may have once upon a time but not now.
N.

[Andrew Gray]

Dollyman1850 said:

This one doesn't have a MAL chassis number for instance…It may have once upon a time but not now.
N.

Interesting Neil maybe you should start a thread about the Wide bodied cars that could be interesting and get it all in one place.
Its the None Wide Bodied cars that the thread is aimed at discovering more on although a separate thread on the Wide Bodied cars I would love to read as I know even less about them than the others
Andrew

[oliverb205]

Dollyman1850 said:

This one doesn't have a MAL chassis number for instance…It may have once upon a time but not now.
N.

Does anyone know where this car is now? The article states that the owner lived in Winchester. I now live 6 miles from Winchester and would love to meet the owner for a nosey.

Oliver.

[Slow M]

Dollyman1850 said:

This one doesn't have a MAL chassis number for instance…It may have once upon a time but not now.
N.

It looks awful, thanks to tires of the incorrect diameter.

Best regards,
Bernard.

[davepen]

Andrew Gray said:

The Genuine V8 Cars ...
The Thread is really about those cars and the interesting details and in a way a missing gap in the V8 TVR Story.
And not about the Fully Specked Tuscan SE Cars

Andrew

Andrew, to be honest much of the confusion on the other threads has been caused by yourself. There isn't really a missing gap. In 1976 Filby didn't help with his footnote saying there were 21 Wide bodied cars, built 1968 to 1971. This was then quoted in the other books. As listed in the Swiss MAL010 document, the MAL series were much more complicated, as you say, Guy (and others) have done much work tracking down cars in the USA, this forming the basis of the published MAL010 register. So this isn't new breaking news - except perhaps in Kent.

Perhaps you could expand on the details that make a real V8. Of course the existence of any car on the register, doesn't mean that it is now to the same build standard as when it left Blackpool. Many have been restored, and some had a (hard) life as a race car.

RobMk2a said:

is there any evidence to show that any of the LWB cars were originally built with a 302 block.

Rob, your best bet maybe to chat to Ian M-C ; see you Saturday .

[Andrew Gray]

davepen said:

Andrew Gray said:

The Genuine V8 Cars ...
The Thread is really about those cars and the interesting details and in a way a missing gap in the V8 TVR Story.
And not about the Fully Specked Tuscan SE Cars

Andrew

Andrew, to be honest much of the confusion on the other threads has been caused by yourself. There isn't really a missing gap. In 1976 Filby didn't help with his footnote saying there were 21 Wide bodied cars, built 1968 to 1971. This was then quoted in the other books. As listed in the Swiss MAL010 document, the MAL series were much more complicated, as you say, Guy (and others) have done much work tracking down cars in the USA, this forming the basis of the published MAL010 register. So this isn't new breaking news - except perhaps in Kent.

Perhaps you could expand on the details that make a real V8. Of course the existence of any car on the register, doesn't mean that it is now to the same build standard as when it left Blackpool. Many have been restored, and some had a (hard) life as a race car.

RobMk2a said:

is there any evidence to show that any of the LWB cars were originally built with a 302 block.

Rob, your best bet maybe to chat to Ian M-C ; see you Saturday .

Yes Dave Ian M-C would be the person to talk about the LW Tuscans
However this thread is NOT about these cars.
This thread is about the MAL cars that went to the states and sold as Tuscans by the US importer so far Other peoples research and a small bit of my research has revealed that these Vixen specked cars had V8 Engines and where sold there as Tuscan SE cars.
If you want to say How they left the factory well then you would have to say Engineless just like the Griffiths as the engines where fitted stateside Not Here as during the MAL Period late 60s and maybe early 70s the supply of Ford V8 Engines had dried up here in the UK or that's what those at the factory tell me.

As said earlier I know of two cars in the US where the owners have cars that match this description and one MAL008 will be featured and covered more in the Documentary that is being released shortly in DVD and I am sure will explain more.

you asked David
Perhaps you could expand on the details that make a real V8

In Short a V8 engine

However what makes a real V8 SE car well that is a different question and the SE Features have been dealt will in other threads and as this thread is nothing to do with those LW cars there is no need to say more.

What would be good and the intention of this thread here rather than elsewhere is the hope that someone sees the thread and realises that they had one of these MAL cars new and could enlighten us more as to there history.

No it is not breaking news in Kent I have been in touch with Guy for several years and have read his research however when the cars where described as Non Wide Bodied Vixen bodied cars that could be also describing the LW cars as they shared the bodies although the bonnet was different.

It would be interesting to know more about the MAL V8 NON Wide bodied cars and maybe this thread will bring past owners out of the woodwork that can share some light on this.

Andrew

Edited by Andrew Gray on Friday 9th October 07:46

[USTVRDUDE]

Stumbled here after seeing the MAL thread on fb. Thought a video of my car might be of interest. A "real SE" MAL Tuscan V8 non Wide-Body.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RVmYa73kZ4

[Andrew Gray]

USTVRDUDE said:

Stumbled here after seeing the MAL thread on fb. Thought a video of my car might be of interest. A "real SE" MAL Tuscan V8 non Wide-Body.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RVmYa73kZ4

Yours is certainly the only MAL car that seems to have the full Tuscan SE Features all the rest seem to just have standard Vixen Tuscan V6 features i would be delighted if other owners read this and come on and say theres have as well.
Its been interesting researching these and Guy Dirkins documents have been a help however when he did the research he was looking more for wide bodied or standard bodied whereas i have been trying to work out special equipment against standard equipment on the MAL Non Wide Bodied.
Even though some seem to think this creates a confusion its a fact they exist and hence why i have been interested to find out how many and why.
Apart from the suggestion from one well know Tuscan owner of cost saving i have not really got much further
Andrew

[USTVRDUDE]

I am not sure where some very poor pictures I took of MAL006 ended up. That car (or more accurately, the flyer for) ended up at Woodwork some 13 years ago or so. I did go see the car on the way out of the east coast. At this point I can't even remember if I had a super cheap camera, a new super cheap digital camera or a disposable camera, al I remember was it was dark and the pics were eh... But I actually remember a link or page with better pics somewhere.... wonder if I could find that or its still up. The cool thing about that car was it had a brake problem in about 1971 and had been parked ever since. IIRC with less than 10K miles.

Just tried to look and this

http://thumbsnap.com/Ay4TIYDZ

from GT Rene in Early TVR pics is actually MAL006, not LW 006 but I will keep looking. And yes, Guy Dirkins info was quite invaluable. I was able to trace down previous owners of my car and when color was changed, what mods, etc. I do know mine being the first 302 car was kind of a demonstrator for Gerry Sagerman and then Ray Walle before being sold on.

Edited by USTVRDUDE on Sunday 18th September 21:00

[Andrew Gray]

USTVRDUDE said:

I am not sure where some very poor pictures I took of MAL006 ended up. That car (or more accurately, the flyer for) ended up at Woodwork some 13 years ago or so. I did go see the car on the way out of the east coast. At this point I can't even remember if I had a super cheap camera, a new super cheap digital camera or a disposable camera, al I remember was it was dark and the pics were eh... But I actually remember a link or page with better pics somewhere.... wonder if I could find that or its still up. The cool thing about that car was it had a brake problem in about 1971 and had been parked ever since. IIRC with less than 10K miles.

Just tried to look and this

http://thumbsnap.com/Ay4TIYDZ

from GT Rene in Early TVR pics is actually MAL006, not LW 006 but I will keep looking. And yes, Guy Dirkins info was quite invaluable. I was able to trace down previous owners of my car and when color was changed, what mods, etc. I do know mine being the first 302 car was kind of a demonstrator for Gerry Sagerman and then Ray Walle before being sold on.

Cheers Bill
Looks a nice car it would be interesting to see more the Window frames are as Tuscan not Vixen however the heater vents on the side for dual heating are not there though as you would expect.
I was not aware yours was the first 302 but that makes sense as the 289 engines had stopped being available at that point or at least where available so made sense to use as they where being sold as new cars not period racers .

On another note when you edit a post on here you can delete the last edit or edits so your post only has one edit footnote.

Andrew

[USTVRDUDE]

Found the Flyer... It will probably bother me enough to look for the old pics... wherever they are..

Thanks for the edit note.. Have corrected now.. was trying to get the pic to show in my post and not having any luck, just gave the "picture square" to let you know there was something there.



I seriously thought about buying it and really should have (despite going in hock for it...haha) but as my current MAL 004 was in a shed and I had no garage at the time.. I stupidly passed.. I was the first to get there and look.. Probably could have had it for 20K. They were taking offers..oh yeah, my car trailer was full of a 280i at the time too, So I would have had to drop it to get later..

The guy that had it for sale had seen it in the garage over 20 years earlier and stopped and asked if was for sale, etc and they said no. He said if he was in the area he would swing by to see if the garage was open to spot it and sometimes he would see it still sitting there. Finally stopped again as was the door was open and got the lady to sell. Yes, a WOMAN first owner. She had apparently traded in her XKE as it wasn't fast enough..

Edited by USTVRDUDE on Sunday 18th September 20:55

[Andrew Gray]

Would love to see some picture Bill
A

[RobMk2a]

Andrew Gray - MAL013 is for sale at auction via Moss Green in Australia do you know any history for the car.

Rob

[Moto]

So as MAL013 is RHD, was this a conversion as I thought the MAL cars were shipped to the USA?

Moto

[Andrew Gray]

RobMk2a said:

Andrew Gray - MAL013 is for sale at auction via Moss Green in Australia do you know any history for the car.

Rob

Sorry i missed this dont get over here as often these days have you a link on the car sale Rob i dont think its one i have seen pictures of the MAL non Wide body cars are all so different as someone recently said they when Run on cars as built during the time they knew they where going on to the M Series how true that is i am unsure but it would explain the lack of certain features etc

Andrew

[Flatdash]

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C795369

.. hope that does it.

[Andrew Gray]

Flatdash said:

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C795369

.. hope that does it.

Nice looking car the link to the Auction does not give any details however like most of the MAL V8s but not all there is virtually no difference between that and a Vixen or V6 Tuscan appart from the engine and the Engine bay set up and features dont link up with the LW Chassis cars it would be interesting if the body is bonded on or Bolt on
Andrew