more power for a 500!!!!!!!
Discussion
quote:
I HAVE SEEN ZERTEC UPGRADE EXHAUSTS, AND K,N FILTERS AS WELL AS CHIP UP GRADES,
1 HOW MUCH EXTRA BHP WILL YOU GET, WHEN COMBINED??
2 HOW MUCH IS THE CHIP??
3 HAS ANY BODY HERE DONE IT ,IS IT WORTH WHILE??
If you stop shouting I'll tell you.
Exhaust upgrades do virtually nothing and may even reduce power. The standard filters are pretty good and K&N are no real advantage there.
Chipping is/can be but depends on the engine and how hand built it was. Costs around £750 as you need rolling road sessions to set it up.
The first stage in extra performance (after driver training, brake upgrades etc) is to fit an enlarged throttle, inlet manifold, Jag V12 air flow meter and get it rechipped. Cost about 2-3 grand depending on how fancy you go. Might gain 15-20 bhp maybe. Cam changes are needed after that and then things get really expensive. Also don't forget the rest of the car needs improvements to cope as well.
See www.t-v-r-services.co.uk for power graphs of various engine mods they have done.
If you remember that there is no cheap upgrade you won't go far wrong. Search the archives as this comes up a lot.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
ROR350 - you need to remember that all the standard cheap ways of upping power (rechip, air filter, enlarged throttle body, etc.) that are applicable to most cars when you decide to start modding them have already been done by TVR. Believe me, if there was a cheap way of increasing the performance, TVR would have done it already. So you're left with all the expensive stuff that Steve has already outlined.
quote:
So...
...unless your a serious "Heath-Head"about it, isn't it better to save up the pennies for a Cerbera/Tuscan/Tamora?
Generally yes. My reasoning for tweaking the Griff was that I'd done the Cerbera thing for three years, about to get a Tuscan but Team Central went bust and a lot of money dissapeared. Thought about another Cerbera but went for a Griff on the grounds that I knew how to tweak it from the Wedge stuff, it has a lot in common with the Wedge so much of the Wedge technology could be retrofitted and the running costs were lower than a Cerbera. I was lucky in that a high mileage 500 came up that had the engine mods already done and was a very honest car. The mods and mileage had put people off despite the fact that it had been seriously well looked after. So the price was tumbling down which helped as the owner had to sell. Not immaculate - it had some stone chips- but just right for me. So all I had to do was get a roll bar and upgrade the brakes (reused the 2001 spec Wedge stuff) to get it to the spec I wanted. It shares tyre sizes with the Wedge so they get bought in bulk. I've ended up with a nice very sorted Griff Shopping Trolley for not that as much as I thought I would have to pay when budgeting. It is extremely driveable as a shopping trolley but incredibly good fun on a track or the T car for the 520.
If you can find a car that has been already modded and had those done correctly, then that can be a cheaper way of getting to a sorted but tweaked car. The problem is finding one that has been done correctly and/or knowing what that all means.
I'm in the process of detailing the Shopping Trolley spec Griff for Tower View's web site.
Steve
I bought my Tiv because I enjoy driving it at all speeds, not just at warp speed. If you buy into the TVR experience, then you obviously realise it's not just about power, although there's plenty on tap and it is fun.
Many people mentioned to me in the past that driver training is key. They were right, best money I ever spent on the car and a hoot into the bargain. There's no point owning the fastest coffin in the west. If power is all you really want, why not get a Jap box (skyline etc.) and turbo it to death? If not, think on.
Cheers,
Steve.
Many people mentioned to me in the past that driver training is key. They were right, best money I ever spent on the car and a hoot into the bargain. There's no point owning the fastest coffin in the west. If power is all you really want, why not get a Jap box (skyline etc.) and turbo it to death? If not, think on.
Cheers,
Steve.
quote:
ROR350 - you need to remember that all the standard cheap ways of upping power (rechip, air filter, enlarged throttle body, etc.) that are applicable to most cars when you decide to start modding them have already been done by TVR. Believe me, if there was a cheap way of increasing the performance, TVR would have done it already. So you're left with all the expensive stuff that Steve has already outlined.
Not quite true, TVR do a good job with the 500 considering that its a production car, but there are some small relatively cheap mods that can be done, the trumpet base has straight steel tubes, and the plenum is totally standard (65mm throttle), I assume due to volume production TVR stopped modifying plenums in the late eighties. So there are two areas for improvement.
You have to understand that details such as these are expensive in terms of production line costs and would noticably increase the new price of the car, TVR always seem to offer amazing value for money.
I don't know, not even got the car and it's, "more power Igor!" every time. 
Perhaps you should hook up with this chap: www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=13&h=&t=15988
On a more serious note, which is it to be - Griff or Chim?
Steve.
>> Edited by Steve _T on Monday 30th September 10:45
Perhaps you should hook up with this chap: www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?f=13&h=&t=15988
On a more serious note, which is it to be - Griff or Chim?
Steve.
>> Edited by Steve _T on Monday 30th September 10:45
quote:
so how would you modify them, how much would these mods cost ,if you changed them would you need to remap the ecu???
Trumpet base changed for one with proper trumpets ( £190-240, fit larger throttle plenum £150-200, + vat.
Although plenty of people have not bothered to re-map, i think if your going to do the job properly you need to go on the rollers with ecu mods. you will then see the full benefits, for this first level of tune you should allow £1,200 which includes ECU chip Tune & vat. expect something like 10-15lb ft increase, some do much better!
Something worth pointing out, in some cases other components such as injectors,coil, module etc etc are in need of replacement, although you can't count these in the price of the upgrade, (as they needed replacing anyway) the final final bill could be much higher.
Griff every time....but I am biased I spose, on a practical note, the Griff is roomier for the passenger, has a glovebox and is a very purely styled TVR, the Chimaera (IMO)is a more commercial vehicle hence it's popularity. They're both the ultimate V8 TVR but the Griff wins for me on the grounds of maximum grunt minimum compromise......and it looks fantastic
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