Mods and upgrades that you wouldn’t go back on!
Discussion
Here on PH we all share our passion for all things Tvr and cars in general.
In our Tvr world we are doing what I see Lotus Esperit and many other car Mark owners doing and that’s taking ownership of them and looking to improve them much like you see Jag E type owners doing with some choice modern parts that look in keeping yet bring the cars on tremendously.
Often we see owners considering tuning or suspension or whatever upgrades
We also see a lot of us getting down and doing it.
So I thought I’d start a mods that worked thread.
Just your honest thoughts about things you’ve updated/ upgraded and over sometime concluded have added to the cars appeal or reliability or even just its look.
You could say it’s a bragging rights thread but that would be completely missing the point as wasting money isn't fun so this is about discussing what works and from personal experience.
Building a car to your personal spec or bank account more like and getting it right is very important as money isn’t easy to come by.
Can be simple things like a resistor mod to use the RR temp sender ( reminds me I need to contact Bob,, 6 months late) good god!
Or something big you took the plunge with and not looked back since.
Compiling a list of achievements that others can read about would be a quick way for new owners or even guys looking to advance there cars to see what makes the difference in real terms.
My list was done over 6 odd years
Aftermarket Ecu
Diff/ cv joints
Tyres
Brakes although this should be number 1 in many ways.
Engine rebuild
Air intake pipe.
engine mountings and all new steering and suspension bushes incl steering column UJ’s
Going back to O/E style shocks.
The best two mods pound for pound have to be New diff and tyres.
Both make a huge difference to the cars performance and class.
Mbe Ecu is the heart that beats so strong it makes these other mods all seem so worthwhile as the Ecu gives the car an air of invincibility and reliability that’s priceless.
Engine rebuild is magic because of it’s balance but very expensive and if I knew more back then would have approached it differently but it’s fast for its spec so I’m happy.
BMW 7 series Brakes by Brembo are a stroke of world class motoring brilliance that’s for sure.
Fantastically linear and feel.
Stop you quicker than you think you can and are really safe to use and in the wet take on another level of control.
I can’t stress enough how good these are and all for your safety.
Tyres are like number 1 for cost to effect ratio.
Rainsport 3
Grip in the wet or dry, cut through deep water very well and resist aquaplaining.
Also offer a level of comfort that’s hard to achieve on a Tvr, bumps are now absorbed by the tyre rather than the chassis and man hole covers come and go without me cringing.
My enjoyment level and basic safety had increased a lot from this one change.
Wheel spin is a thing of the past. Sort of sad about that but my nerves are better off.
So anything that takes your fancy or your happy you’ve done to your car tell us here so we can all share the joy of stuff working out on these most infamous cars.
Or just ignore me and get on with your life
Pictures are most welcome as stuff that looks good usually is
In our Tvr world we are doing what I see Lotus Esperit and many other car Mark owners doing and that’s taking ownership of them and looking to improve them much like you see Jag E type owners doing with some choice modern parts that look in keeping yet bring the cars on tremendously.
Often we see owners considering tuning or suspension or whatever upgrades
We also see a lot of us getting down and doing it.
So I thought I’d start a mods that worked thread.
Just your honest thoughts about things you’ve updated/ upgraded and over sometime concluded have added to the cars appeal or reliability or even just its look.
You could say it’s a bragging rights thread but that would be completely missing the point as wasting money isn't fun so this is about discussing what works and from personal experience.
Building a car to your personal spec or bank account more like and getting it right is very important as money isn’t easy to come by.
Can be simple things like a resistor mod to use the RR temp sender ( reminds me I need to contact Bob,, 6 months late) good god!
Or something big you took the plunge with and not looked back since.
Compiling a list of achievements that others can read about would be a quick way for new owners or even guys looking to advance there cars to see what makes the difference in real terms.
My list was done over 6 odd years
Aftermarket Ecu
Diff/ cv joints
Tyres
Brakes although this should be number 1 in many ways.
Engine rebuild
Air intake pipe.
engine mountings and all new steering and suspension bushes incl steering column UJ’s
Going back to O/E style shocks.
The best two mods pound for pound have to be New diff and tyres.
Both make a huge difference to the cars performance and class.
Mbe Ecu is the heart that beats so strong it makes these other mods all seem so worthwhile as the Ecu gives the car an air of invincibility and reliability that’s priceless.
Engine rebuild is magic because of it’s balance but very expensive and if I knew more back then would have approached it differently but it’s fast for its spec so I’m happy.
BMW 7 series Brakes by Brembo are a stroke of world class motoring brilliance that’s for sure.
Fantastically linear and feel.
Stop you quicker than you think you can and are really safe to use and in the wet take on another level of control.
I can’t stress enough how good these are and all for your safety.
Tyres are like number 1 for cost to effect ratio.
Rainsport 3
Grip in the wet or dry, cut through deep water very well and resist aquaplaining.
Also offer a level of comfort that’s hard to achieve on a Tvr, bumps are now absorbed by the tyre rather than the chassis and man hole covers come and go without me cringing.
My enjoyment level and basic safety had increased a lot from this one change.
Wheel spin is a thing of the past. Sort of sad about that but my nerves are better off.
So anything that takes your fancy or your happy you’ve done to your car tell us here so we can all share the joy of stuff working out on these most infamous cars.
Or just ignore me and get on with your life
Pictures are most welcome as stuff that looks good usually is
My top 11 mods in order......
Unfashionably rather than adding power I've focused on
I view even a standard Chimaera as the very best way for mere mortals to enjoy an old school analogue classic British sports car with enhanced performance, braking, handling and ergonomics for the modern age, improve it still further as I've done and what you end up with is something that on many levels competes with an Eagle E-Type for well under £20k all in.
In an age where classic car prices have rocketed into the realm of unobtainable for most, a TVR Chimaera has to represent the very best value option of it's type.... and by a huge margin
.
- Canems Dual Fuel ECU & LPG conversion: 45-50mpg (petrol cost equivalent) and massively enhanced drivability
- Mk4 Tuscan S Bilsteins with bespoke spring and damping rates by Ben Lang: Superb handling with best in class ride quality
- Uniroyal Rainsport Tyres: Fantastic grip in the dry, hugely confidence inspiring in the wet, excellent ride quality
- BMW E38 Brembo's with Mk1 RS Focus 324mm discs: Outstanding braking power with excellent feel at the pedal
- Jaguar XJS leather Recaro seats: Improved comfort, far more supportive when pressing on, raised driving position for improved visibility
- S10 tail housing mod: Improved action and gear selection
- Main and pre-cat removal: Improved throttle response and idle quality, far less engine bay heat
- Single throttle spring: Lighter and more pleasing throttle action
- Mk 3 faired headlights with high power LED H4s: Much better night time visibility, no more corroding reflectors, enhanced aesthetics
- PIAA LP270 LED driving lights: All the extra light you could ever wish for without dazzling oncoming drivers
- Rain-X on the screen: The best way to improve the rather marginal wipers on a Chimaera
Unfashionably rather than adding power I've focused on
- Reliability
- Drivability
- Engine behavior & idle quality
- Fuel economy
- Feel of controls - gear selection quality, clutch action, steering feel ect ect
- Ride quality
- Ergonomics & comfort
- Handling
- Braking performance
- Safety
I view even a standard Chimaera as the very best way for mere mortals to enjoy an old school analogue classic British sports car with enhanced performance, braking, handling and ergonomics for the modern age, improve it still further as I've done and what you end up with is something that on many levels competes with an Eagle E-Type for well under £20k all in.
In an age where classic car prices have rocketed into the realm of unobtainable for most, a TVR Chimaera has to represent the very best value option of it's type.... and by a huge margin
.Of all the things I've done so far (and I'm not finished yet) the following three stand out:
The most transformative mod by far. Car is stable, progressive, supple and totally transparent in its responses now. Puts driver comfort and confidence levels at heights comparable with modern high tech sports cars without losing any of the immediacy and vibrancy of the experience.
- Intrax 1K2 Black Titan suspension (stage one)
The most transformative mod by far. Car is stable, progressive, supple and totally transparent in its responses now. Puts driver comfort and confidence levels at heights comparable with modern high tech sports cars without losing any of the immediacy and vibrancy of the experience.
- ACT carbon twin/triple throttle plenum with Jenvey throttle linkage.
- 123 Ignition 123tune USB mappable 'distributor'.
Edited by 900T-R on Thursday 15th March 11:59
phazed said:
V8D stage 4 heads. That and a decat gave me 40 plus bhp on my old 4.6.
When I bought my 5.5 it had stage 3 heads on it and produced about 356bhp. I fitted the stage 4 and power instantly went up to 385 bhp.
Best investment of all the mods imho.
And the size of those inlet ports are massive. When I bought my 5.5 it had stage 3 heads on it and produced about 356bhp. I fitted the stage 4 and power instantly went up to 385 bhp.
Best investment of all the mods imho.
If you want to stay normally aspirated and gain as much power as possible this has to be the best mod and I’m glad it’s at the top of this thread.
Thanks
Dave mentions reliability etc and says it’s unfashionable but most of us owners are getting on a bit and I’d say it’s actually very fashionable and clearly the most important aspect to enhancing the cars.
Who wants 350 hp that never runs!
I have a split personality that shows through on my car, I spend a year making it a better road car but still can’t help wanting to make it faster so get bored with that and go back on the path of power searching.
This is a very enjoyable endeavour however as I’m a racer at heart and this stuff excites that child in me.
Supercharger/ Turbo owners rather than talk of the massive power which in nearly all cases is very impressive and fairly obvious you can achieve it would be nice to hear of what they are like to live with etc
There will be loads of little things people do and detailing them all here time consuming but if they have really added to your enjoyment or faith it’s worth mentioning.
As the first few posters have demonstrated there’s plenty of ways to skin a cat and I enjoy the diversity of design and effort.
It doesn’t have to be a mod. I once rather insanely buffed up my manifolds knowing full well they’d rust again.
So what, I put some Solvol over them everynow and then and boom, shiny.
Just makes me feel happier when in the engine bay and I dont regret that for a second.
Steering wheel polishing I do regret.
Things that annoyed me like steering uj stiffening up become something of pleasure as I replaced both and the steering is indeed very smooth and better for it, less judder through the wheel.
I’ve not mentioned shocks as this is very personal choice in what people want
I’ve gone back to o/e type shocks as in 20 year old Koni off an early Griff so possibly firmer sprung anyway but still 20 years old. I put them on to use the car whilst deciding what to do with my adjustable shocks and that was about a year ago now.
One rattles a bit now and they are tired but still have a superior ride and quality to them.
I’ll be getting them rebuilt as they do most things quite well. I really like them as a road shock.
Air intake pipe from ACT.
a little thing but does a great job and very robust. Smooths out the air flow through the wing and protects the cool air from engine heat well with the heat shielding supplied. I asked for that to be long enough to reach to the very elbow as I’ve removed AFM.
Good bit of kit that should last donkeys years.
Brake and tail lights for the led ones that are a bit brighter.
Don’t effect indicator or fog light effectiveness but since using these I’ve noticed other road users sit a bit further back. It’s worked.
It’s a subtle change but does make me feel safer and my rear lights are more akin to the powerful ones modern cars all seem to have.
They look better too as the light fills the lense and just looks less kitcar!
Classic Chim said:
This is roughly the size you’ll need to go to on an inlet manifold to match Peters heads, puts it in perspective a bit more!
Remember you are trying to achieve intake ports a tad smaller a slight step in this way is not detrimental to the flow 
the trouble is with perfectly matched intake and head ports is to get perfect alignment every time you will need to index the two somehow dowels marks etc 
not ideal because of the V configuration, those scribed lines above the inj hole are too high also 
gasket area will be minimal and a source of future air leaks, you only level off just with the inj hole not above it there is just not enough meat there for a satisfactory seal , this is a borescope image of my intake man into head ports there is a minimal step but in the right direction and I was cutting things fine hence the checking on all 8 runners this had been trimmed but need a little nibble extra according to the picture description 
just as well it was about 3 years ago now 
Edited by Sardonicus on Thursday 15th March 11:10
Edited by Sardonicus on Thursday 15th March 11:13
You put some work into that.
Yes better to have a smaller inlet so doesn’t catch head edges.
Pencil is just guess work based on Peters pic.
I hear what you say about inj area.
The gap between 2/4 is so thin as to be non existent.
Stage 4 so I’ll not be going that extreme anyway.
It all keeps pointing back to the heads and what you do with those.
Yes better to have a smaller inlet so doesn’t catch head edges.
Pencil is just guess work based on Peters pic.
I hear what you say about inj area.
The gap between 2/4 is so thin as to be non existent.
Stage 4 so I’ll not be going that extreme anyway.
It all keeps pointing back to the heads and what you do with those.
Still relatively early days for me as I've only had the car since August-16, but two of my favourite mods are purely cosmetic and were actually done by the previous owner:-
Re-trimmed interior with leather door inserts - I didn't realise this wasn't actually standard until I starter seeing more and more cars and wondered why they all had carpet in the doors!
I think it sharpens up the interior no end.
And secondly, the afterburner rear lights - very marmite, but I absolutely love them. To me they just seem quintessentially TVR.
From a practical point of view, the best mod I've done was getting the fusebox relocated to behind the passenger seat, no more laying upside down in the passenger footwell with a torch in my mouth trying to locate fuses. An additional benefit is that as per sod's law, since doing this, I've not had to change a single fuse...
Oh and best value for money mod that I've done was getting the exhaust sleeved - probably the best £150 I've spent on the car
Future mod plans include:
-Brakes
-ACT intake hose
-Black silicone hoses for everything else (all pipework is original and some are starting to look tired)
-Mk3 headlight conversion
-Stealth cam & possibly V8D stage 3 heads & induction package (should then hopefully get a genuine 240bhp as TVR claimed)
-Eventually go over to a modern engine management/ignition system - wasn't originally bothered by this, but the more Alun extols it's virtues about reliability/usability etc the more appealing it sounds...
Once all that's done I'll have comfortably spent the purchase price again on upgrades meaning i'll have no choice but to keep the car forever. Job done!
Re-trimmed interior with leather door inserts - I didn't realise this wasn't actually standard until I starter seeing more and more cars and wondered why they all had carpet in the doors!
I think it sharpens up the interior no end.
And secondly, the afterburner rear lights - very marmite, but I absolutely love them. To me they just seem quintessentially TVR.
From a practical point of view, the best mod I've done was getting the fusebox relocated to behind the passenger seat, no more laying upside down in the passenger footwell with a torch in my mouth trying to locate fuses. An additional benefit is that as per sod's law, since doing this, I've not had to change a single fuse...
Oh and best value for money mod that I've done was getting the exhaust sleeved - probably the best £150 I've spent on the car
Future mod plans include:
-Brakes
-ACT intake hose
-Black silicone hoses for everything else (all pipework is original and some are starting to look tired)
-Mk3 headlight conversion
-Stealth cam & possibly V8D stage 3 heads & induction package (should then hopefully get a genuine 240bhp as TVR claimed)
-Eventually go over to a modern engine management/ignition system - wasn't originally bothered by this, but the more Alun extols it's virtues about reliability/usability etc the more appealing it sounds...
Once all that's done I'll have comfortably spent the purchase price again on upgrades meaning i'll have no choice but to keep the car forever. Job done!
Classic Chim said:
Door cards in leather,,, damn threads already adding to my list of future mods
That looks very plush, love the vertical lines of the stitching
Agreed carpet looks sThat looks very plush, love the vertical lines of the stitching
t I rather liked Mac's suede dash/interior 
here's another for you Alun 
its an early one cos I havnt even completed the under intake plumbing sure I have more pics of this somewhere 
... Edited by Sardonicus on Thursday 15th March 17:28
emerald
rotrex blower
hispec brakes
blueprinted engine
mc cleod 10.5in clutch
tko 500 gearbox
nitron shocks
electric power steering
bespoke roll bars
intertrim bucket seats
aquamist water injection
baffled cherry bombs for track days
team dynamics 1.2 17in wheels
pirelli p zero tyres
sure ive forgotten some stuff but there the main mods
john
rotrex blower
hispec brakes
blueprinted engine
mc cleod 10.5in clutch
tko 500 gearbox
nitron shocks
electric power steering
bespoke roll bars
intertrim bucket seats
aquamist water injection
baffled cherry bombs for track days
team dynamics 1.2 17in wheels
pirelli p zero tyres
sure ive forgotten some stuff but there the main mods
john
Sardonicus said:
greed carpet looks st I rather liked Mac's suede dash/interior here's another for you Alun its an early one cos I havnt even completed the under intake plumbing sure I have more pics of this somewhere
...
Love a bit of suede,,, you can trust Mac to do cool in a big way t I rather liked Mac's suede dash/interior here's another for you Alun its an early one cos I havnt even completed the under intake plumbing sure I have more pics of this somewhere ... Edited by Sardonicus on Thursday 15th March 17:28
I’d sure like to see more of those porting pics John if you can find them.
If you can post them on the 45 mm Plenum thread I’d very much appreciate it as I’m taking many pointers from these valuable photos.
Regards Al
Classic Chim said:
Love a bit of suede,,, you can trust Mac to do cool in a big way
I’d sure like to see more of those porting pics John if you can find them.
If you can post them on the 45 mm Plenum thread I’d very much appreciate it as I’m taking many pointers from these valuable photos.
Regards Al
AlunI’d sure like to see more of those porting pics John if you can find them.
If you can post them on the 45 mm Plenum thread I’d very much appreciate it as I’m taking many pointers from these valuable photos.
Regards Al
I've got a freshly ported inlet manifold for 45mm trumpets and stage 4 heads on the bench right now, I'll photograph it for you tomorrow.
Mister T that’s music to my ears.
Thank you very much indeed.
I find this air intake stuff fascinating and thouroughly enjoyable to learn about.
I can also see why engine tuners stopped wasting their time on this porting stuff years ago as the gains for amount of work is very small but to me a N/A engine with a ported this and that rocks my world.
If I end up with 14 mpg I’ll bin the lot mind
We used to try and jet two strokes as kids, make em faster etc, usually failed but this is very much like a blast from the past and working metal I enjoy so I’ll,study the pictures very carefully.
Thanks again Alun
Thank you very much indeed.
I find this air intake stuff fascinating and thouroughly enjoyable to learn about.
I can also see why engine tuners stopped wasting their time on this porting stuff years ago as the gains for amount of work is very small but to me a N/A engine with a ported this and that rocks my world.
If I end up with 14 mpg I’ll bin the lot mind
We used to try and jet two strokes as kids, make em faster etc, usually failed but this is very much like a blast from the past and working metal I enjoy so I’ll,study the pictures very carefully.
Thanks again Alun
Right here goes.
The first two I would really class as general maintenance, new tyres and four wheel alignment but made a huge improvement to handling.
Fiesta st 150 brake upgrade, nice simple upgrade if you want to keep the standard wheels.
Gaz Monos.
Set of spare wheels with 888s for trackdays.
Set of big valve heads, 45mm inlet manifolds and trumpet base,72mm plenum, new cam.
The last upgrade added around 80hp after a remap and my initial response was was this is really quick but after a couple of weeks I had become used to again.
I would be interested to hear from those running cars with hp nearing 400 if they have had the same experience, I'm hoping not.
Emerald.
Custom tailpipes for euro tour's, Madrid this year.
I'm really pleased with how the car is now but why do I keep looking at threads on turbo's and superchargers.
The first two I would really class as general maintenance, new tyres and four wheel alignment but made a huge improvement to handling.
Fiesta st 150 brake upgrade, nice simple upgrade if you want to keep the standard wheels.
Gaz Monos.
Set of spare wheels with 888s for trackdays.
Set of big valve heads, 45mm inlet manifolds and trumpet base,72mm plenum, new cam.
The last upgrade added around 80hp after a remap and my initial response was was this is really quick but after a couple of weeks I had become used to again.
I would be interested to hear from those running cars with hp nearing 400 if they have had the same experience, I'm hoping not.
Emerald.
Custom tailpipes for euro tour's, Madrid this year.
I'm really pleased with how the car is now but why do I keep looking at threads on turbo's and superchargers.
Classic Chim said:
Mister T that’s music to my ears.
Thank you very much indeed.
I find this air intake stuff fascinating and thouroughly enjoyable to learn about.
I can also see why engine tuners stopped wasting their time on this porting stuff years ago as the gains for amount of work is very small but to me a N/A engine with a ported this and that rocks my world.
If I end up with 14 mpg I’ll bin the lot mind
We used to try and jet two strokes as kids, make em faster etc, usually failed but this is very much like a blast from the past and working metal I enjoy so I’ll,study the pictures very carefully.
Thanks again Alun
No reason for MPG to suffer with your intended mods Alun Thank you very much indeed.
I find this air intake stuff fascinating and thouroughly enjoyable to learn about.
I can also see why engine tuners stopped wasting their time on this porting stuff years ago as the gains for amount of work is very small but to me a N/A engine with a ported this and that rocks my world.
If I end up with 14 mpg I’ll bin the lot mind
We used to try and jet two strokes as kids, make em faster etc, usually failed but this is very much like a blast from the past and working metal I enjoy so I’ll,study the pictures very carefully.
Thanks again Alun
trev4 said:
Right here goes.
The first two I would really class as general maintenance, new tyres and four wheel alignment but made a huge improvement to handling.
Fiesta st 150 brake upgrade, nice simple upgrade if you want to keep the standard wheels.
Gaz Monos.
Set of spare wheels with 888s for trackdays.
Set of big valve heads, 45mm inlet manifolds and trumpet base,72mm plenum, new cam.
The last upgrade added around 80hp after a remap and my initial response was was this is really quick but after a couple of weeks I had become used to again.
I would be interested to hear from those running cars with hp nearing 400 if they have had the same experience, I'm hoping not.
Emerald.
Custom tailpipes for euro tour's, Madrid this year.
I'm really pleased with how the car is now but why do I keep looking at threads on turbo's and superchargers.
Power corrupts and the more power the more corrupt you become. The first two I would really class as general maintenance, new tyres and four wheel alignment but made a huge improvement to handling.
Fiesta st 150 brake upgrade, nice simple upgrade if you want to keep the standard wheels.
Gaz Monos.
Set of spare wheels with 888s for trackdays.
Set of big valve heads, 45mm inlet manifolds and trumpet base,72mm plenum, new cam.
The last upgrade added around 80hp after a remap and my initial response was was this is really quick but after a couple of weeks I had become used to again.
I would be interested to hear from those running cars with hp nearing 400 if they have had the same experience, I'm hoping not.
Emerald.
Custom tailpipes for euro tour's, Madrid this year.
I'm really pleased with how the car is now but why do I keep looking at threads on turbo's and superchargers.
When you look at a power curve when changing gear the power drops dramatically so even though you built tuned the engine for 400hp at 5500 revs it’s not got anything like that at 3000 so not as fast as your assuming, vibration removes some of this power too I think and doesn’t feel as fast as the numbers suggest.
Drag strip times prove this I think. Cars with more power only shave of 1/2 to 1 second off more standard cars.
Very encouraged by your power hikes there.
trev4 said:
The last upgrade added around 80hp after a remap and my initial response was was this is really quick but after a couple of weeks I had become used to again.
I would be interested to hear from those running cars with hp nearing 400 if they have had the same experience, I'm hoping not.
Unfortunately, that is only natural.I would be interested to hear from those running cars with hp nearing 400 if they have had the same experience, I'm hoping not.
I must say, your car drives extremely well and hopefully you will be satisfied with it for awhile
As I often don't drive my car for a week or two, especially in winter I am quite often surprised at the amount of power that it is on the road and therefore I have never had the urge for more power, (on the road).
On the track, it's a different matter. You could always do with a little bit more power for those long straights! I don't think I ever will add any more, just finely tune and improve the car as a whole.
You have been a passenger in my car before Trev, hopefully you noticed the difference!
I must say, I have offered you many more passenger rides and you always decline. I had thought it was because you didn't like power
For anyone looking to make good power gains on their engine, it must be heads, heads, heads.
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