Talk to me about the T350 - thinking of swapping the Griff
Discussion
Morning gents.
There must be a disturbance in the force as for the first time in 6 years of ownership I am considering swapping my beloved Griff for a T350. I have spend a lot of money on my Griff getting it to where I want it to be but with the roads in the state they are and the constant war on speed I find myself doing a lot more trackdays. My main concern with the Griff is the lack of roll over protection, I remember driving around Bedford Autodrome last year in the Griff thinking to myself how difficult it must be to roll a car especially at Bedford where there is very little in the way of armco. The day after my track day this happened which made me think again... I spun off many times in mine so that could have quite easily been me....
http://youtu.be/unEONw5-x9s?t=32s
I know you can fit a roll bar to the Griff but IMO they are too low to provide sufficient protection and many of the designs I think you are at risk from cracking your head open in a rear end shunt on the road when you are not wearing a helmet. I think I would be better just buying a car which has a a roll bar integrated already.
Some Qs for those who have T350s:
Headroom with helmet
What is the headroom like when wearing a helmet. I am about 15ft9 and in the Griff with the roof it is at bit tight but just manageable with the roof on.
Harness bar
I read on here a while back of a modification where a bar was installed to allow the installation of a harness for track days. Does anyone have anymore details of this and does it work with both the Tuscan style seats and the later Sag style seats.
Baffled sump
I assume I do not need one of these as it is a dry sump oil system?
noise limits and silencers
Ideally I would be looking at a decat exhaust with JP rear section as they sound pretty awesome. I assume a standard system will get you onto trackdays OK but can you fit the same style bolt on silencers to the T350 that you can the Griff and chim to bring the noise down a bit?
Last anyone who has gone from a Griff to a T350 what where you thoughts and do you miss the Griff?
Many thanks in advance
Matthew
There must be a disturbance in the force as for the first time in 6 years of ownership I am considering swapping my beloved Griff for a T350. I have spend a lot of money on my Griff getting it to where I want it to be but with the roads in the state they are and the constant war on speed I find myself doing a lot more trackdays. My main concern with the Griff is the lack of roll over protection, I remember driving around Bedford Autodrome last year in the Griff thinking to myself how difficult it must be to roll a car especially at Bedford where there is very little in the way of armco. The day after my track day this happened which made me think again... I spun off many times in mine so that could have quite easily been me....
http://youtu.be/unEONw5-x9s?t=32s
I know you can fit a roll bar to the Griff but IMO they are too low to provide sufficient protection and many of the designs I think you are at risk from cracking your head open in a rear end shunt on the road when you are not wearing a helmet. I think I would be better just buying a car which has a a roll bar integrated already.
Some Qs for those who have T350s:
Headroom with helmet
What is the headroom like when wearing a helmet. I am about 15ft9 and in the Griff with the roof it is at bit tight but just manageable with the roof on.
Harness bar
I read on here a while back of a modification where a bar was installed to allow the installation of a harness for track days. Does anyone have anymore details of this and does it work with both the Tuscan style seats and the later Sag style seats.
Baffled sump
I assume I do not need one of these as it is a dry sump oil system?
noise limits and silencers
Ideally I would be looking at a decat exhaust with JP rear section as they sound pretty awesome. I assume a standard system will get you onto trackdays OK but can you fit the same style bolt on silencers to the T350 that you can the Griff and chim to bring the noise down a bit?
Last anyone who has gone from a Griff to a T350 what where you thoughts and do you miss the Griff?
Many thanks in advance
Matthew
1. helmet clearance depends on your actual height
2. not without any modifications but i guess 3 point would work somehow
3. should be fine as is
4. just have experience with decat and power cans. way to loud for any trackday incl. rear silencers. maybe with standard box and cats out plus silencers depending on track noise limit.
next point is the engine. if you compare 3.6 to 5L v8 it´s a different style of driving. a mini S will show you how fast it is if you miss gear in the T car or wrong rev band. with the griff this wont happen. if you go for let´s say a 4.3 you will get some torque back but loose the charakter of the car as it was meant to be. it feels more like a diesel train without the nice punch the 3.6 has in the zupper rev range once you give it some muscles.
if you use your griff as a mixture of roof down fun driving with some trackdays and not only trackdays i would not sell the griff. have a chim 450 and a t350 and both cars are not standard engine wise. i would not sell the chim. it is a way more allround package as the t350 will ever be. t350 is a nice car if you like to but not the kind of turnkey car as griff 500 with ignition on and hey ho let´s go.
2. not without any modifications but i guess 3 point would work somehow
3. should be fine as is
4. just have experience with decat and power cans. way to loud for any trackday incl. rear silencers. maybe with standard box and cats out plus silencers depending on track noise limit.
next point is the engine. if you compare 3.6 to 5L v8 it´s a different style of driving. a mini S will show you how fast it is if you miss gear in the T car or wrong rev band. with the griff this wont happen. if you go for let´s say a 4.3 you will get some torque back but loose the charakter of the car as it was meant to be. it feels more like a diesel train without the nice punch the 3.6 has in the zupper rev range once you give it some muscles.
if you use your griff as a mixture of roof down fun driving with some trackdays and not only trackdays i would not sell the griff. have a chim 450 and a t350 and both cars are not standard engine wise. i would not sell the chim. it is a way more allround package as the t350 will ever be. t350 is a nice car if you like to but not the kind of turnkey car as griff 500 with ignition on and hey ho let´s go.
Mathew 
Glad you only said considering.
If it were me i`d get a bespoke roll bar put into the Griff. Phazed is taller than you and manages in his Chim no problem.
You would loose those warm summer days burbling around to the v8 sound track with the roof down. Enough said now get a grip.
Glad you only said considering.
If it were me i`d get a bespoke roll bar put into the Griff. Phazed is taller than you and manages in his Chim no problem.
You would loose those warm summer days burbling around to the v8 sound track with the roof down. Enough said now get a grip.
GlynMo said:
I went from a Griff 400 to a T350. I'm now in a Griff 500. 'Nuff said!
Went from T350c to a Griff, then I had some kind of brain fart and sold the Griff. By the time I came to my senses the price of a good Griff was silly so bought a Chimp.No doubt the T350 is a better car, but I regret selling the Griff often, never the T350. Might have been different if I'd bought a T350T though - one of the biggest draws for me (apart from the RV8) is a run out with the top down.
Just be absolutely 100% sure if you do change as you're unlikely to find one as good as yours again.
I went griff - T350 - Tuscan - griff.
The T350 is very nice and a considerably different car to the griff. Warming the engine was annoying as I lived in Aberdeen and most journeys were over before it was warmed. And I always caught the rear diffuser. The cabin was very nice with lots of room (I'm 6'2"). The engine noise was fantastic.
I went back to a griff because its prettier (IMHO), classical (a brute of a car to drive) and I wanted the simplicity.
The T350 is very nice and a considerably different car to the griff. Warming the engine was annoying as I lived in Aberdeen and most journeys were over before it was warmed. And I always caught the rear diffuser. The cabin was very nice with lots of room (I'm 6'2"). The engine noise was fantastic.
I went back to a griff because its prettier (IMHO), classical (a brute of a car to drive) and I wanted the simplicity.
Spend the cash on a really good roll bar like Precats.
Fit some decent seats that hold you as well and you won't look back.
I love the look of the T350 but having just returned from a run with the roof down and having savoured the massive torque which is so useful driving country lanes, I believe you'd regret it.
Bedford in the next month?
Fit some decent seats that hold you as well and you won't look back.
I love the look of the T350 but having just returned from a run with the roof down and having savoured the massive torque which is so useful driving country lanes, I believe you'd regret it.
Bedford in the next month?
I went from griff to t350 and loved it, later cars having better build quality, handling for me is awesome in comparison, and yes before I get slated again my griff was set up well with new shock etc etc.
It takes a while to get used to the driving style required for a speed 6 compared to a v8, you need to thrash it more instead of letting masses of torque push you forward, but I loved it.
the trouble is like you, I had my griff for years and it was a headache when considering moving on, but I haven't looked back, yes the griff will always have a special place in my heart especially after all the work and money spent on getting it just so, but for me it was well worth the change.
It takes a while to get used to the driving style required for a speed 6 compared to a v8, you need to thrash it more instead of letting masses of torque push you forward, but I loved it.
the trouble is like you, I had my griff for years and it was a headache when considering moving on, but I haven't looked back, yes the griff will always have a special place in my heart especially after all the work and money spent on getting it just so, but for me it was well worth the change.
I am a couple of inches taller than you and have a Rollcentre roll bar. It's never in the way, is tall enough to give me protection, and I sprayed it Starmist Blue before it was installed, so it matches the car. It also has fittings for a four point harness.
PM me and I will come to Chelmsford in the Chim (I work there once a week) and we can meet up for a look see. Alternative is to meet at a Phazed high speed social, aka track day. I have a spare set of track wheels/tyres if you want to experience what the Grief can really do.
PM me and I will come to Chelmsford in the Chim (I work there once a week) and we can meet up for a look see. Alternative is to meet at a Phazed high speed social, aka track day. I have a spare set of track wheels/tyres if you want to experience what the Grief can really do.
I am 6.2 and Fit in my T350 with helmet on or you can take the swab out of the seat in a T350
Other bits you are asking such as exhaust would be same as sports exhuaust on Griff
I have a Griff and T350 both highly modified
T350 with original 3.6 is very revy and needs to be at full throttle to get it going
My one is a powers 4.5 and a different beast to drive
Happy for you to have a drive in the T350 and Griff
I love them both but for me and I mean for me I prefer the T350 on track more stable and planted but it depends on how good a driver you are in both cars but I would say the T350 in capable hands would beat the griff
Give me a shout if you want to have a go in my T350 but it's not back from body shop for a couple of weeks
She has GAZ Monotubes and 330mm discs as well
Other bits you are asking such as exhaust would be same as sports exhuaust on Griff
I have a Griff and T350 both highly modified
T350 with original 3.6 is very revy and needs to be at full throttle to get it going
My one is a powers 4.5 and a different beast to drive
Happy for you to have a drive in the T350 and Griff
I love them both but for me and I mean for me I prefer the T350 on track more stable and planted but it depends on how good a driver you are in both cars but I would say the T350 in capable hands would beat the griff
Give me a shout if you want to have a go in my T350 but it's not back from body shop for a couple of weeks
She has GAZ Monotubes and 330mm discs as well
Wow many thanks for all the replies and kind offers gents, much appreciated. Certainly lots to think about and very helpful to hear peoples opinions on the matter.
I will not be making any rash decisions as I love my Griff and have spent a lot of time and money getting her where she is. Aside from just the safety aspect I need to work out whether I continue to spend money on the Griff modifying or whether to look at a T350. When I look at what I want to do to the Griff the T350 has most of the improvements I want already included so it seems like a no brainer but as we all know a car is greater than its sum of parts and I am really worried if I do swap then I will miss the epic torque and the V8 soundtrack.
I will not be making any rash decisions as I love my Griff and have spent a lot of time and money getting her where she is. Aside from just the safety aspect I need to work out whether I continue to spend money on the Griff modifying or whether to look at a T350. When I look at what I want to do to the Griff the T350 has most of the improvements I want already included so it seems like a no brainer but as we all know a car is greater than its sum of parts and I am really worried if I do swap then I will miss the epic torque and the V8 soundtrack.
- Roll bar - T350 has a full cage
- Oil temp gauge - T350 has one already
- Mappable ignition - T350 has the later MBE ECU with mappable fuel and spark.
- Tuscan seats - T350 has these already or the later Sag seats.
- Wheels and tyres - Griff tyres are very limited on the original wheels - No issue with T350.
- Individual Throttle bodies - T350 has these already.
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