Griff 4.3 or stick with S2
Discussion
Question: Has anyone moved up from a V6 S to a Griff? Any regrets? Any comments? Any advice?
I have an 89 S2 with 69k on clock (weekend car and all that) in fairly good condition and have been tempted with a 92 Griff 4.3 Precat in Rosso Red - looks the dogs whatsits - also with 68k on clock.
Apart from sheer power, how else does the Griff score over the S, and what are the drawbacks I need to be aware of.
Any info greatfully received, then I can decide whether to let my head or my heart rule!!
DaveM
I have an 89 S2 with 69k on clock (weekend car and all that) in fairly good condition and have been tempted with a 92 Griff 4.3 Precat in Rosso Red - looks the dogs whatsits - also with 68k on clock.
Apart from sheer power, how else does the Griff score over the S, and what are the drawbacks I need to be aware of.
Any info greatfully received, then I can decide whether to let my head or my heart rule!!
DaveM
Yeah I had an S3, sold it while kids went to uni, now have a 4.0 Griff.
Loved the S3 but the moment I saw my first Griff I wanted one. It looks gorgeous, sounds fantastic, really shifts, a great head-turner, wonderful interior. I thought the S3 was perfection, but the Griff is just incomparable. Go for it, the pain of losing S3 will soon be forgotten in the overwhelming joy of owning and driving a Griff
Loved the S3 but the moment I saw my first Griff I wanted one. It looks gorgeous, sounds fantastic, really shifts, a great head-turner, wonderful interior. I thought the S3 was perfection, but the Griff is just incomparable. Go for it, the pain of losing S3 will soon be forgotten in the overwhelming joy of owning and driving a Griff
Skip said: Yeah I had an S3, sold it while kids went to uni, now have a 4.0 Griff.
Loved the S3 but the moment I saw my first Griff I wanted one. It looks gorgeous, sounds fantastic, really shifts, a great head-turner, wonderful interior. I thought the S3 was perfection, but the Griff is just incomparable. Go for it, the pain of losing S3 will soon be forgotten in the overwhelming joy of owning and driving a Griff
ditto times ten
andy
I went to buy an S3 about 27 months ago; ended up with a Griff. IMHO the benefits of the next step up build- and technology-wise are a real boon.
The handling and the styling won me over to the 500. I reckoned that the potential running costs would be similar, and don't think I am that wrong. Of course the pre-500s sound even better
Trouble is, you're on the slippery slope - I am already coveting all the Tuscans I see!!!
If you want to balance your thoughts with a "head" rather then "heart" thought, remember that you know all about your current car, what you've lived through, what has needed attention, what will probably happen next. See if you can get a feel for what maintenance the Griff has enjoyed and what it will be expecting soon....
....otherwise what are you waiting for?
. IMHO the benefits of the next step up build- and technology-wise are a real boon. The handling and the styling won me over to the 500. I reckoned that the potential running costs would be similar, and don't think I am that wrong. Of course the pre-500s sound even better
Trouble is, you're on the slippery slope - I am already coveting all the Tuscans I see!!!
If you want to balance your thoughts with a "head" rather then "heart" thought, remember that you know all about your current car, what you've lived through, what has needed attention, what will probably happen next. See if you can get a feel for what maintenance the Griff has enjoyed and what it will be expecting soon....
....otherwise what are you waiting for?
Question: Has anyone moved up from a V6 S to a Griff? Any regrets? Any comments? Any advice?
-----------------------------------
I've just made the same change, S3 to 500.
Don't get carried away with the road test. If the car is any good, you'll sign anything to get your hands on it, so great is the feel-good factor. I did, despite being normally pretty level-headed.
As long as the car is right and you are aware of any faults that might need attention (probably best to get it inspected by a reputable independent-you'll be far too biased to rely on your own judgement), GO FOR IT.
The downside is that everything is more expensive, from the cost of petrol, both grade and quantity, to insurance. Multiply your S budget for running costs by about 1.3 to 1.5 and you'll be about right.
Enjoy !!!
Paul.
DaveM said:
everything is more expensive, from the cost of petrol, both grade and quantity
What gas does a 4.2 need? Rocket fuel!
Almost. S runs on plain vanilla unleaded, griff needs super unleaded, preferably Optimax.
I believe you can retard the ignition a few degrees to run ordinary unleaded, but at a cost of power loss, and maybe some pinking when the engine/air temperature is really hot. best not to go there really just to save a few pence per litre.
Paul.
You don't have to run it on Super, btw. It will run happily on 95, although check out that it's set up for it. Running my 500 on 95 was fine (which I did for the first year), although you would notice pinking under load. Now I run it full time on Optimax, have better smooth running and no pinking, but at higher costs and no noticeable differnece in consumption.
As far as I'm concerned the Griffith is the logical prgtression from the S. I had an S3c and now have a Griff 500. In many respects they are similar except that the grin factor is 10 times bigger in the Griff (mind you I loved my S 
) Regards costs are they really more expensive to run? Servicing similar, batteries, exhausts similar, but come on if you can afford to buy/run a TVR are you really going to split hairs comparing mpg's etc.? I think not - get a Griff Rich...
) Regards costs are they really more expensive to run? Servicing similar, batteries, exhausts similar, but come on if you can afford to buy/run a TVR are you really going to split hairs comparing mpg's etc.? I think not - get a Griff Rich... sounds like a good price. it should be loud, responsive, steer sharply, have a few stone chips on the nose and a bit of surface rust on the chassis (it is after all 10 years old!). but other than usual tvr cr*p electrics should not pose to many problems to run and maintain if you are already used to a tvr. go for it. not many nice 4.3 griffs around now.
RichB said: I think not - get a Griff
RichB - I read that and had, in the back of my mind, this:
"Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a f**king big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers... choose DIY and wondering who the f**k you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mindnumbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, f**ked-up brats you spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose Life. Choose a Griff ...
But why would I want to do a thing like that?"
BEANO500 SAID "Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a f**king big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers... choose DIY and wondering who the f**k you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mindnumbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, f**ked-up brats you spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose Life. Choose a Griff ...
But why would I want to do a thing like that?"
Eh?
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