Ocean Haze Factory 4.3BV Griff virgin needs help

[FactBV]

A pistonHeads and Griff virgin! I bought the Factory ocean haze 4.3BV advertised by James Agger, owned by Dom at TVR power. The Griff Growl was my first outing with the car. Great people, great weather, great venue; it really doesn't get much better. My thanks to all those who organised the event and made us feel very welcome

At 19k the car was not cheap and to be honest it was the last colour combination that I was looking for. I almost did n't buy it because of the colour. However, now I have got it back on the original five spokes, with the pre-cat sound, it all seems to make sense.

The car has a very interesting spec and has been completely updated as the factory went along. Unfortunately it is turning into a bit of an obsession, I have spent another 3k plus on it and I am trying very hard to stop messing with it.

My real concern is the history. When I bought the car; Dom from TVR Power agreed to provide me with a spec sheet and details of the last engine rebuild but I didn't get it and to be honest I have given up the hope of getting it. I received some past MOTs a key fob, and one stamp in the service book, basically take it or leave it.

However, Dom told me that it was a standard 4.3BV,the first one, also that they rebuilt the engine approx 18 months / 6000 miles ago. It had a new 500 chassis, interior, gearbox, diff, fans, ali rad etc. I won't bore you with the detail.

The car itself has been absolutly fantastic, more than I could of asked for, but obviously I would really like find out more about it. Roger Shackelton's book has been excellent but there is still a lot that I don't know.

The car does seem to be very quick for a 4.3 but I don't have much to compare it with, the griff is obviously a quick car anyway. It spins very easily in the dry in second gear and my Road Angel snaps of the window mount in third gear, I have n't tried it fourth. Maybe they all do that? The tyres on the back are Avons for some reason, so maybe that's the reason.

Maybe the gearing is low; is 3,000rpm at 70mph and 4,000 rpm at 100mph about right?

I couple of people at the Griff Growl said quietly that it was a 4.5BV last time they heard about it? Unfortunately the only difference as far as I know is 3mm in the crank stroke. I am sure that it would be almost impossible to measure this in situ.

Someone mentioned that Clare Gaffer or Heath Briggs maybe able to help with the history. I have no intention of selling the car but I am concerned that with all the changes at the factory, any history maybe lost.

If anyone can help in anyway, I would be very grateful.

I would also like to buy any posters, brochures or magazine articles that has the car it it. Any for sale?

Thanks again to all those who orgainised the growl and made both myself and my girlfriend very welcome.

[Ballistic Banana]

Hi Pete Welcome to PHglad you enjoyed the Growl.

heres claire cummings profile you can mail her through it Gaffer

Have you tried ringing Blackpool Direct, they are can be very helpful Sometimes, depends when you catch them

BB



>> Edited by Ballistic Banana on Wednesday 24th August 22:48

[FactBV]

BB

Many thanks, I'll do just that.

Peter

[Luv Griffs]

I have at least one performance car issue which tests that particular Bv griff, I think its jeremy clarkson comparing it to an ac cobra, I will try and dig it out for you,

[stringbag]

What a fantastic car to own.
If it is a 4.5, legend has it that it will show a 500 a clean pair of heels...
Anyway, Heath at the factory is a fantastic bloke - could not be more helpful (once you track him down - rather busy!). If anyone knows about it, it will be him.
Best of luck
Karl

[FactBV]

Karl

Thanks, I gave him a call today but no joy, I'll keep trying.

Cheers

Peter

[just trouble]

FactBV said:

Maybe the gearing is low; is 3,000rpm at 70mph and 4,000 rpm at 100mph about right?

Hello FactBV.Interesting thread.Glad to hear that you are not disappointed with your Griff and that you enjoyed the Griff Growl.I am no mechanic or even qualified to discuss such matters as speed/gear ratio but I own an early slow underpowered Griff 400 (tongue in cheek)and my Griff is turning about 2,100/2,200rpm at 70mph and 3,000/3,100rpm 100mph so yes your gearing seems low but your 0-60+mph must be fantastic.You might want to invest in a neckbraceCheers.
JT

>> Edited by just trouble on Friday 26th August 09:47

[Ballistic Banana]

Peter,

I have quite a few Articles of your car Here, will be happy to copy(private use only them and Post them to you.

See HERE

BB

[Gaffer]

The last engine it had in it was a 5l.

Claire

[OctaneBooster]

Welcome to the exclusive BV club! Your gearing seems very low, assuming the speedo is correct. My unmodified 4.3 BV is 27mph/1000rpm in top which is lower than most other griffs/chims. If you have 5litres as well then no wonder things are coming loose in the cabin!

[FactBV]

OB

Thanks for the info. I checked mine again tonight: 23mph / 1000rpm in top. The speedo is spot on with my GPS. So it is low. It does help explain the wheel spinning and the 70-90 times on the motorway, which are just mad.

It is definately an early engine externally, thin V belt, early distributor, water pump etc. I know that some of the factory cars were used for development work and had different engines fitted. I have checked the numbers; the log book and the ident plate (which looks quite old) are the same. However, the number on the engine has a series of large digits and then the engine number, that is in the log book, in smaller digits below it.

Does anyone know if the large numbers form the original number that Rover would have put on it and the digits below it are the ones that TVR added.

Or does it just look like TVR have put another engine in the car and stamped the original number below it?

Thanks in advance

[griffter]

FactBV said:

OB Thanks for the info. I checked mine again tonight: 23mph / 1000rpm in top. The speedo is spot on with my GPS. So it is low. It does help explain the wheel spinning and the 70-90 times on the motorway, which are just mad. It is definately an early engine externally, thin V belt, early distributor, water pump etc. I know that some of the factory cars were used for development work and had different engines fitted. I have checked the numbers; the log book and the ident plate (which looks quite old) are the same. However, the number on the engine has a series of large digits and then the engine number, that is in the log book, in smaller digits below it. Does anyone know if the large numbers form the original number that Rover would have put on it and the digits below it are the ones that TVR added. Or does it just look like TVR have put another engine in the car and stamped the original number below it? Thanks in advance

TVR overstamp the LR engine number with their own. If your engine's been changed, TVR might have updated the DVLA - which would reslt in an updated log book. But that would me mighty diligent of them.

[tweety]

Hi Peter, good to meet you at the Growl. As I said there, on Ebay there is a plasticised A3 poster for auction 'TVR Griffith The Spirit of Driving'. This looks like it could be your car and even if not its a gret poster, I've bought one myself.

Cheers, Al.

[FactBV]

los angeles said:

If it's the one I'm thinking of, it is fitted with a Tuscan transmission. And it's seriously noisy. Wheeler used it as his personal "experimental" runner. And I had one hellova run driving it across the borders chased by a belligerent bank truck (the reverse chase) me doing 90 on the corners and 120 on the straights.

You are right. The gear lever sits quite high. When I took it to Tower View they thought that it had Tuscan linkages / lever as it went straight into the box.

Did Peter Wheeler say that it had a complete Tuscan gearbox fitted? If that is the case it might explain the low gearing the car has. Or maybe the gearing is the same on the tuscan but can be altered with the diff?

Did he mention any changes that had been made to the engine?

I am sorry that this is all a bit one sided at the moment, asking all these questions but it is a great help

[FactBV]

tweety said:

Hi Peter, good to meet you at the Growl. As I said there, on Ebay there is a plasticised A3 poster for auction 'TVR Griffith The Spirit of Driving'. This looks like it could be your car and even if not its a gret poster, I've bought one myself. Cheers, Al.

Al many thanks

Peter