Discussion
So after spending the last few months on this I thought it was about time I moved it into cars, it was a project for a while but it's now mine 
It all started out with a friend passing away, pure chance led me to the car. The engine was 'seized' nobody knew much about it. To cut a long story short in this part I paid what they had been offered and have agreed to give any profit back once it sells, whenever that may be!
I knew he'd spent a load of money on the chassis with TVR. There are loads of bills for the car and he'd had it for 16 years. Paintwork is new, hood new, chassis part replaced, interios re-trimmed, it hasn't covered any miles at all really.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/U1MYeP]
Off to a specialist to check out the chassis.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/ULpznv]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/UbjeRW]
It's not original. Spiders and Tuscan seats, but I like them. The rear lights and exhaust though are not to my taste at all.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/TtTFAL]
The only way to find out what was going on with the engine was to give to someone who knows them. It was filthy under there but the chassis was really nice, God love the oil leaks.
Engine coming out...
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Viva8D]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Viv9xR]
Fast forward to today and the engine is all paid for, arriving back next week. It had failed spectacularly, crank cracked in three places, liner split and rods bent. The head gasket had let go quite badly and it hydrolocked. The liners are now top hats to make things more reliable. Steel rods, new pistons, heads cleaned up and new seats. Cam was shagged, as they all are apparently!
So. I saved a Griffith! Next step is to get those exhaust tips sorted and put the original lights in. Run it around and see how it goes for a while. Winter overhaul will then look at what is needed, if anything else? Primary plan was to sell, straight away, but I now want to use it for the rest of the summer. Rude not to I guess.
It all started out with a friend passing away, pure chance led me to the car. The engine was 'seized' nobody knew much about it. To cut a long story short in this part I paid what they had been offered and have agreed to give any profit back once it sells, whenever that may be!
I knew he'd spent a load of money on the chassis with TVR. There are loads of bills for the car and he'd had it for 16 years. Paintwork is new, hood new, chassis part replaced, interios re-trimmed, it hasn't covered any miles at all really.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/U1MYeP]
Off to a specialist to check out the chassis.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/ULpznv]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/UbjeRW]
It's not original. Spiders and Tuscan seats, but I like them. The rear lights and exhaust though are not to my taste at all.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/TtTFAL]
The only way to find out what was going on with the engine was to give to someone who knows them. It was filthy under there but the chassis was really nice, God love the oil leaks.
Engine coming out...
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Viva8D]
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Viv9xR]
Fast forward to today and the engine is all paid for, arriving back next week. It had failed spectacularly, crank cracked in three places, liner split and rods bent. The head gasket had let go quite badly and it hydrolocked. The liners are now top hats to make things more reliable. Steel rods, new pistons, heads cleaned up and new seats. Cam was shagged, as they all are apparently!
So. I saved a Griffith! Next step is to get those exhaust tips sorted and put the original lights in. Run it around and see how it goes for a while. Winter overhaul will then look at what is needed, if anything else? Primary plan was to sell, straight away, but I now want to use it for the rest of the summer. Rude not to I guess.
Lovely, I really should get my own one at some point (I looked after a friend's for about a year a while ago).
Yes, the exhaust is rather nasty, the lights I could maybe live with especially given the likely faff required to change them back. Regarding the exhaust, are those cut outs for it in the bodywork normal; I don't recall those being on the one I "had"?
Yes, the exhaust is rather nasty, the lights I could maybe live with especially given the likely faff required to change them back. Regarding the exhaust, are those cut outs for it in the bodywork normal; I don't recall those being on the one I "had"?
It's not an SE, they're half decent quality but I'm not keen on them. The bonus is we have the originals and it looks relatively straight forward to sort out. Overall for a 22 year old car it's very good. The likelihood of finding that one or two people that really think they're nice are few and far between. I think they need to be original for the car to appreciate.
TR4man said:
Didn't the runout Griffiths have those lights?
I don't know the age of your car bit I'd check they are not original fitment before you get rid.
Earlier cars had Cavalier GSi2000 rear clusters flipped upside down but those are incredibly hard to source these days... basic Cavalier lights (ie non-smoked) are the same but won't look as good but this car has the individual lights moulded in to the bodywork. I don't know the age of your car bit I'd check they are not original fitment before you get rid.
Fabulous thing, not a TVR man but a friends father had one many many years ago and it was the first thing I heard start up and rev that actually gave me a fright... love the concept of these things, the bodywork is just so simplistic and looks utterly superb.
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