Discussion
Morning,
I had an s3 a while back for a couple of years and maintained it myself including taking engine and box out to have the box reconditioned and to change the clutch.
I'm in a position where I have about 8k to buy a car and was considering a chimaera but was reminded about the v8s which would appear to be within my budget.
What are the main differences between the s3 and the v8s. I know it has a much bigger engine but what are the chassis difference and how does it handle compared to the s3. What rear diff is used and does it have a LSD fitted?
I will be servicing and maintaining it myself and any pointers in that direction as to how easy (or not) they are to work on would be gratefully received.
Thanks for any pointers.
Regards,
Mark
Edited to add another question: my s3 flexed quite a bit when the roof was taken off (I'm not sure it actually flexed that much but the movement of the console vs the dash always exagerated it. Are the v8s the same?
>> Edited by dern on Monday 26th September 10:53
I had an s3 a while back for a couple of years and maintained it myself including taking engine and box out to have the box reconditioned and to change the clutch.
I'm in a position where I have about 8k to buy a car and was considering a chimaera but was reminded about the v8s which would appear to be within my budget.
What are the main differences between the s3 and the v8s. I know it has a much bigger engine but what are the chassis difference and how does it handle compared to the s3. What rear diff is used and does it have a LSD fitted?
I will be servicing and maintaining it myself and any pointers in that direction as to how easy (or not) they are to work on would be gratefully received.
Thanks for any pointers.
Regards,
Mark
Edited to add another question: my s3 flexed quite a bit when the roof was taken off (I'm not sure it actually flexed that much but the movement of the console vs the dash always exagerated it. Are the v8s the same?
>> Edited by dern on Monday 26th September 10:53
The chassis AFAIK is the same on the V8S but it has a wider track and a few minor mods and discs all round. I would imagine they flex the same although I wouldnt know as mine has a roll bar and other drivers always comment how solid mine feels over a standard car without one? So if its an issue for you get a roll bar fitted?
They are pretty easy to work on getting to the engine is very easy although I get it serviced at an Indie for about £300 and would recommend any buyer to get it serviced properly as they might see things ytou have missed and as always getting things fixed beofre they break is a lot cheaper IMHO.
I would say get out and drive a few, which ever you choose you wont be disappointed, I love mine and it will, hopefully, never be sold.
I am sure some of the more knowledgable guys will be along to offer more detailed differences to the cars, ask Green V8S as there isnt much he doesnt know about the V8S.
Later
Mike
They are pretty easy to work on getting to the engine is very easy although I get it serviced at an Indie for about £300 and would recommend any buyer to get it serviced properly as they might see things ytou have missed and as always getting things fixed beofre they break is a lot cheaper IMHO.
I would say get out and drive a few, which ever you choose you wont be disappointed, I love mine and it will, hopefully, never be sold.
I am sure some of the more knowledgable guys will be along to offer more detailed differences to the cars, ask Green V8S as there isnt much he doesnt know about the V8S.
Later
Mike
V8Smith said:Sorry but I don't trust garages. I've done all my own maintenance and servicing for the last few years and have never left my cars and my bike in a dangerous state which is more than I can say for garages of late.
They are pretty easy to work on getting to the engine is very easy although I get it serviced at an Indie for about £300 and would recommend any buyer to get it serviced properly as they might see things ytou have missed and as always getting things fixed beofre they break is a lot cheaper IMHO.
None of this stuff is rocket science if you have patience, some experience, the right tools and a decent reference book such as Steve's bible.
Regards,
Mark
Wildfire said:I liked the ride in the s3 but found the handling a bit snappy and wondered if the v8s was any different.
The V8S has a strengthend chasis didn't it, crossbraces etc?
The Chim/Griff Chassis is a much less involvind drive than the S chassis, so I'd say drive both becuase you may hate one. Personally I loved the seat of your pants, go kart ride the S had and do miss it sometimes.
Regards,
Mark
Having the LSD makes the handling far more predictable and controllable, and the extra torque gives you a lot more control authority to keep the car balanced. Of course it also gives you more scope to get it wrong, but that's part of the attraction of these cars. The handling is very benign with plenty of feedback so probably rather easier to get to grips with than some of the later cars, which are more isolated. The later cars (Griffs etc) will be more comfortable and relaxing on tour though, so it depends what you're planning to do with the car and what is important for you.
GreenV8S said:The problem I had with my s3 was that when it started to break away on a corner it only broke away at the back and it did extremely suddenly. In comparison to some of the other cars I've had of late it was pretty unnerving and on one occasion I nearly lost it and I wasn't going that fast I thought. My old 944 would let go very progressively front and back and would just drift on all four wheels and my old westfield would break more at the back but it was very progressive and very controllable. Could I put my experiences of my s3 down to my particular car and not representative of the breed (it's unlikely I'd be allowed to try it out on a test drive)?
Having the LSD makes the handling far more predictable and controllable, and the extra torque gives you a lot more control authority to keep the car balanced. Of course it also gives you more scope to get it wrong, but that's part of the attraction of these cars. The handling is very benign with plenty of feedback so probably rather easier to get to grips with than some of the later cars, which are more isolated.
Thanks,
Mark
PS. I don't think that there was anything particularly wrong with my car. Everything worked and was pointing in the right direction. Although the tyres aren't liked my many people on here (p6000s) they behaved impeccably on other cars I've had including the 944 and while they aren't the grippiest things in the world I've generally found them to be progressive on the limit.
One of the 'features' of my old S2 was that it was borderline whether the inside rear wheel was going to pick up and spin. Sometimes both rear wheels would go together and you got nice mild controllable oversteer, sometimes the inside wheel would pick up and spill the torque producing rather severe understeer. It would often switch between these two 'modes' mid corner as the weight transferred around, and on bumpy roads it needed a lot of correcting to keep it pointed the right way. On a smooth track there was none of this trouble and the handling was sharp and neutral. I think the LSD makes a big improvement, I don't have any of these problems on the V8S. The original viscous LSD wasn't brilliant because it still allowed the inside wheel to spin up on tight corners before it transferred torque to the outside wheel, and I do prefer the friction type LSD I've got now.
>> Edited by GreenV8S on Monday 26th September 13:56
>> Edited by GreenV8S on Monday 26th September 13:56
Wildfire said:Yes yes yes, I've been told loads of times
P6000s Tyres of the devil. Horrible, horible thigs! I went from S02 PPs to them and it was horrendous. The back stepped put a lot more and the car felt pretty unstable when cornering at speed.
*However* my 944 lux was utterly planted on them at high speed in heavy rain and cornered extremely well on them in the dry.
As I said, I know they aren't the stickiest things in the world but they don't deserve the stick (sic) they get on here imho.
Anyhoo, my issue with the s3 was not with the level of grip available but with the sudden nature of the transition between grip and no grip. The only other car I've had that required such a "save" was my old 200sx.
Regards,
Mark
dern said:
Re working on them.I cant see them being any worse than a Chim,im guessing most things are easier,especially the battery 
I cant think of anything on the Chim thats easier than on the S
Outriggers are, apparently.
Mark
Outriggers can be repaired/replaced without body off on an S.There is more gap around the outrigger on an s than a chim.The first you will know about rust on a chim is when its as rotten a a pair
Pies said:Joospeed can repair them on a chim with the body on. I guess it's a case of jacking up the bodies on both to do the job.
Outriggers can be repaired/replaced without body off on an S.There is more gap around the outrigger on an s than a chim.The first you will know about rust on a chim is when its as rotten a a pair
Regards,
Mark
dern said:
I think the tyre thing may be to do with the weight of the car, S's being quite light and other cars being heavier usually.
True although there's only 200Kg in it.
Mark
Sounds about right for a modern TVR and they should have similar weight distribution. The 944 is about 1413 kg, that's nearly half a tonne heavier and more of that is probably over the rear axel.
Z
z_chromozone said:944 lux is just under 1200Kg and has 50/50 weight distribution partly because the gearbox is in the rear axle.
Sounds about right for a modern TVR and they should have similar weight distribution. The 944 is about 1413 kg, that's nearly half a tonne heavier and more of that is probably over the rear axel.
We're straying slightly from the point though
Mark
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