How i would do it and now did (major respray/retrim/upgrade)

[infinity]

Having owned a LHD Griffith 500 (I live in The Netherlands) for a few years around the millenium, i have always been really missing it after i had to sell it in order to be able to make my first real estate moves. I will never forget the first drive i made in a (4.3) Griff and knew the car would have to be in my eternal dream garage. After this drive (in '93) it took me 6 years to buy my first. I knew the car from new, being sold by the Nimag, as i raced its then owner in the Donkervoort Cup. The car had the registration HP-GH-48 and is now still in my carfriends-circle and also underwent a major body-body off restoration during the last one and a half years.

However, having owned (and still owning) several other performance-toys (see my profile)the Griff just scratched an itch i could never forget nor ignore. So beginning 2012 i sold my Tuscan and went searching for a project-Griff that i could fully build to my own dream-specs. A friend tipped me as the brother of my first Griff turned op on a Dutch website. It has the registration HP-GH-47 and was delivered the same day as my first Griff. In fact i already drove this car on this very same day in '94 as i was working together with its first owner at that time.... (How about coincidences....) So being tipped i bought the car the very next morning.

Because i found the cars colors (no offense to others...) a little bit boring (Formula red with black half-hide and hood) i decided after some planning and thinking to go for the following specs;
-Maserati/Ferrari Blue Mediteraneo (pearl)
-Navy hood
-Full brown nappa hide
-Ferrari sized diamond stitchings on doors, middle of seats and luggage-shelf, with leather luggage-straps like the Maranello has
-Tuscan seats
-"newer style dash"
-18" Spiders
-AP TVR brakes
-Nitrons
-Upgrade to Bi-Xenon headlights

And lots of minor details like poly-bushes, a small pocket for my phone, a padded leather part so i can drive it in my shorts without touching the f*^king hot centre console that we also extra heat-insulated, a decent stereo with the tweeters where normally the ashtrays are and lots of other small details, everything looking as standard or TVR-ish as possible.

I hope to inspire some of you, a lot of thinking went into it and i am very happy with the end result. I like the posh and civilised way it looks now combined with the raw way you guys all know it drives....

All credits for the engineering and building together and my very big thanks go to Arnaud van Wijk from http://www.tuningvanwijk.nl/ , without whom none of all this would ever have been possible. His remarkable skills combined with my ideas turned into just what i am proud to share with you all;

Before;


After;


Before;


After;


And just some shots, also from our recent trip to the Scottish Highlands which actually acted as a shakedown as well as deadline.....

Edited by infinity on Sunday 1st September 19:11

[swisstoni]

Really nice work on the interior. Looks very high quality.

[pjac67]

Wow - alot of thought has gone in to a great looking car.

You must be very proud of the end result.

Paul.

[Bluebottle]

Wow! I love those door cards

[jamieduff1981]

That looks lovely. The colour is especially lovely in the sunlight

[infinity]

jamieduff1981 said:

That looks lovely. The colour is especially lovely in the sunlight

You're right about that!! When lit up the paint really starts "talking" just like it's lovely V8....

Thank you all for the kind comments, and yes of course i am quite proud with it.... ;-)

[Stever]

Very nice congratulations a splendid outcome

[MPoxon]

WOW that looks fantastic. I like the luggage straps... very nice touch.

[GTRene]

respect, great job and way better color Dries.

I also still have a weak for TVR so I understand your choice

for me also the older types is what I like, so one day I guess i will get me another.

[cavebloke]

MPoxon said:

WOW that looks fantastic. I like the luggage straps... very nice touch.

I agree, it looks fantastic and the attention to detail is phenomenal.

Great work sir!

[Cerbieherts]

Absolutely superb. Congratulations!

[V8Bart]

Top draw fella, loving the whole package.

[infinity]

cavebloke said:

I agree, it looks fantastic and the attention to detail is phenomenal.

Great work sir!

Thank you, actually that was half the fun!!

For example i arranged the buckles from Santoni (for those who don't know, that is an Italian premium shoe brand) ;



The little pocket between the seat and the centre console, because as you all know there is nowhere to put your phone;



The padded part so you can drive it without the F*^cking hot carpet rubbing your naked leg when driving in shorts (like in Italy for example...);



I just lóve the way the tuscan seats came out;



The Tuscan seats have (of course) Tuscan-logos on the back, so i ordered (through PH, where else....) the right customized logos;



But as i already said, one of the things i personally like most are the tweeters where normally the ashtrays are (since i only smoke tyres ;-) I like the way they look like they are part of the out of factory sound system;



(Sorry for the picture-quality as they are all just taken with the iPhone...)

[snorky]

I like the spider alloys - which ones are they (all rears ?) and did you need spacers etc to make them fit?
obviously you needed to change the hubs

[infinity]

All 33's. (so rears) I needed spacers (Sportmotive) for the front and wanted them for "stance-reasons" on the back as well, but this means that you need bumpstops to prevent them rubbing the wheelarches.

[snorky]

ah ok so 10mm spacers on the front would do it?

[infinity]

I would ask Ian from Sportmotive, because he helped me very well too! (I don't know dimensions...)

[paul2000]

one fantastic looking griffith well done love the leather work colour too AAAAAAA

[natben]

Have you reduced the padding on the seats, where you bum would be??.

Nice job, your car looks fantastic.

[infinity]

natben said:

Have you reduced the padding on the seats, where you bum would be??.

Nice job, your car looks fantastic.

Thank you. Yes, i actually let the cushions out. I like to sit low and feel the car.

To me (and my gf ;-) there is no comfort-difference, the seats really "hug" you.