Discussion
Today, was a fine day. Today I took a 450 out for a test drive. WOW!!!
I can't believe the torque of it. If I do buy a Chim, I want to make sure it's the right one. I have a Westfield at the moment which I love. It has a Vauxhall 16v on 45s which is a real flier but of course needs revs. Now I've tried the 450, I'd love to know how the 500 compares. Is it more torquey again? I found the 450 was all over by 5000 revs (I don't mean that in a bad way!!!) Is the 500 as much of a monster as people make out?
Any views would be most welcome!!
Also, does the TVR owners club site have its own classified page as I've been looking everywhere else!
Many thanks
Nick
I can't believe the torque of it. If I do buy a Chim, I want to make sure it's the right one. I have a Westfield at the moment which I love. It has a Vauxhall 16v on 45s which is a real flier but of course needs revs. Now I've tried the 450, I'd love to know how the 500 compares. Is it more torquey again? I found the 450 was all over by 5000 revs (I don't mean that in a bad way!!!) Is the 500 as much of a monster as people make out?
Any views would be most welcome!!
Also, does the TVR owners club site have its own classified page as I've been looking everywhere else!
Many thanks
Nick
500 all the way. Have tried the other two and while they are all brilliant the 500 is just monster.Prices are not that much different and they way I looked at it (as I have seen some one else on here also saying) was that if you're going to buy a Chimera then get the biggest one and never have that feeling of "what if".
Which leads me on to a dreaded topic which i will post later- 500 is absulutely ace but i'm thinking of (Tin hat at the ready) selling and getting a tuscan S...
Which leads me on to a dreaded topic which i will post later- 500 is absulutely ace but i'm thinking of (Tin hat at the ready) selling and getting a tuscan S...
Until recently we had a Chim 450 (now sold) and a Griff 500.
Although the 500 has a lot more torque, I wouldn't want to have driven it every day... the HC cam is a sod around town, whereas the 450 was a smooth as the proverbial infants arse.
The 450 was a strong one (thanks to a V8D cam / fettling) and was putting out similar power to the 500 (until that was fettled).
If it's a toy, go for a 500, but if you need to use it on a daily basis, I'd go fo rthe 450.
Although the 500 has a lot more torque, I wouldn't want to have driven it every day... the HC cam is a sod around town, whereas the 450 was a smooth as the proverbial infants arse.
The 450 was a strong one (thanks to a V8D cam / fettling) and was putting out similar power to the 500 (until that was fettled).
If it's a toy, go for a 500, but if you need to use it on a daily basis, I'd go fo rthe 450.
If you have driven a performance car like the one mentioned before then you will easily handle a 500 with rear drive characteristics, they can bite, but don't think it will handle like a Westerfield coz it won't without fettling.
I have a 500 and the power is very useable, no problems on tick over or around town, its a pussycat but of course it prefers to be driven than idle around a supermarket car park. I'm not sure where this rhetoric has arisen as i've driven 400's as well and found no slow/idle difference between them and mine is an early 500 with 340bhp before they improved low down driveablity on teh later post-97 500 with 320bhp.
Enjoy
I have a 500 and the power is very useable, no problems on tick over or around town, its a pussycat but of course it prefers to be driven than idle around a supermarket car park. I'm not sure where this rhetoric has arisen as i've driven 400's as well and found no slow/idle difference between them and mine is an early 500 with 340bhp before they improved low down driveablity on teh later post-97 500 with 320bhp.
Enjoy
andy jb said:
I have a 500 and the power is very useable, no problems on tick over or around town, its a pussycat but of course it prefers to be driven than idle around a supermarket car park. I'm not sure where this rhetoric has arisen as i've driven 400's as well and found no slow/idle difference between them and mine is an early 500 with 340bhp before they improved low down driveablity on teh later post-97 500 with 320bhp.
Enjoy
Enjoy
er.. in my case - experience.
That'll be a claimed 340bhp then...
Podie said:
Although the 500 has a lot more torque, I wouldn't want to have driven it every day... the HC cam is a sod around town, whereas the 450 was a smooth as the proverbial infants arse.
If it's a toy, go for a 500, but if you need to use it on a daily basis, I'd go fo rthe 450.
I have a 500, and it just had a brand new (standard factory-spec )Cam, as the old one was worn to the point the engine was only putting out about 220hp (on Austec's RR).
Both before and after the change, it is good as gold in traffic. Not exactly smooth as silk, but perfectly livable. Certainly not a "sod", as Podie's was.
As with most things TVR, they are all different. Try a few. Inevitably there will be one that really stands out. And it may not be the spec, engine size, or colour you were hoping for - but you will "know" when it is right.
My view is, based on standard, unfettled engines, a 500 generally feels a lot more muscular - you dont have to open the throttle so far as the 450 or 400 to liberate the considerable torque, and make rapid progress.
Sharky500 said:
Both before and after the change, it is good as gold in traffic. Not exactly smooth as silk, but perfectly livable. Certainly not a "sod", as Podie's was.
To clarify - Chim 450 was smooth (which has gone to a new home), the Griff 500 is comparitively a bit jerky in traffic at low revs.
Podie said:
andy jb said:
I have a 500 and the power is very useable, no problems on tick over or around town, its a pussycat but of course it prefers to be driven than idle around a supermarket car park. I'm not sure where this rhetoric has arisen as i've driven 400's as well and found no slow/idle difference between them and mine is an early 500 with 340bhp before they improved low down driveablity on teh later post-97 500 with 320bhp.
Enjoy
Enjoy
er.. in my case - experience.
That'll be a claimed 340bhp then...
They do say there are no two cars alike, i guess this may apply to engines too - plus yours is a Griff and we all know they were rough anyway
andy jb said:
Podie said:
andy jb said:
I have a 500 and the power is very useable, no problems on tick over or around town, its a pussycat but of course it prefers to be driven than idle around a supermarket car park. I'm not sure where this rhetoric has arisen as i've driven 400's as well and found no slow/idle difference between them and mine is an early 500 with 340bhp before they improved low down driveablity on teh later post-97 500 with 320bhp.
Enjoy
Enjoy
er.. in my case - experience.
That'll be a claimed 340bhp then...
They do say there are no two cars alike, i guess this may apply to engines too - plus yours is a Griff and we all know they were rough anyway
Rough, but about £5k premium compared with Chims.
FFG
andy jb said:
Podie said:
andy jb said:
I have a 500 and the power is very useable, no problems on tick over or around town, its a pussycat but of course it prefers to be driven than idle around a supermarket car park. I'm not sure where this rhetoric has arisen as i've driven 400's as well and found no slow/idle difference between them and mine is an early 500 with 340bhp before they improved low down driveablity on teh later post-97 500 with 320bhp.
Enjoy
er.. in my case - experience. Enjoy
That'll be a claimed 340bhp then...
at the end... we all know that a 5 litre makes around 265-275 bhp. Rich...I really liked the 450, but being a power crazed fool, I would naturally opt for the 500! BUT - One thing I love about my westy is the revs. Now I found the 450 would top out by about 5000 rpm (of course, its a V8!) and if the 500 was more torquey again at the expense of revability (if there's such a word!) I'd probably enjoy the 450 more. Of course, I love the sound of 380bhp - who wouldn't?
On a more technical note, from looking at adverts, it seems you are lucky to get 50k from a clutch. Is this an engine out job to replace or can the gearbox be removed from underneath?
Thanks all for your replies!
On a more technical note, from looking at adverts, it seems you are lucky to get 50k from a clutch. Is this an engine out job to replace or can the gearbox be removed from underneath?
Thanks all for your replies!
richb said:
... we all know that a 5 litre makes around 265-275 bhp. Rich...
From what I've heard and read, the range is probably a bit wider than that - perhaps 250bhp to 300bhp. My Chim 500 was dyno'd at 296bhp a while back at Austec. The only "Mod" I've made to mine was fitting the ACT induction kit.
richb said:
... we all know that a 5 litre makes around 265-275 bhp. Rich...
s5tvr said:
From what I've heard and read, the range is probably a bit wider than that - perhaps 250bhp to 300bhp. My Chim 500 was dyno'd at 296bhp a while back at Austec. The only "Mod" I've made to mine was fitting the ACT induction kit.
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