500 Options (PAS, A/C)
Discussion
Im still new to wanting a Griff so am yet to test drive one.
PAS - Required? I have always preferred cars without but just how heavy is it in a Griff?
A/C - I really do want this as the car will be used for trips in Europe. Did many 500's have A/C fitted or will I be struggling to find one? Adverts sometimes dont state whether or not they have it so its hard for me to tell.
BTW: Budget = £15K
>>> Edited by DustyC on Wednesday 12th November 08:52
PAS - Required? I have always preferred cars without but just how heavy is it in a Griff?
A/C - I really do want this as the car will be used for trips in Europe. Did many 500's have A/C fitted or will I be struggling to find one? Adverts sometimes dont state whether or not they have it so its hard for me to tell.
BTW: Budget = £15K
>>> Edited by DustyC on Wednesday 12th November 08:52
Hi Dusty,
A/C was a £1930 option new, so unless it states in the advert that the car has a/c, recon it does not. Like wise PAS was circa £950 option new.
I've had a 94 car with aircon and it was not worth having, because no matter what I did, it did not work well enough. I've also had a 99 Griff and that was pretty good (for TVR, nothing like Merc efficiency). Some of the earlier cars have a seperate cooling fan for the driver, which does help in the summer heat.
I'd recommend you buy as new as possible.
Regards
James
Edited to add: You need to drive a couple of non PAS cars, as the setup and feel varies. If it was my first TVR, I'd try and get PAS though.
>> Edited by tvrinbfg on Wednesday 12th November 08:29
A/C was a £1930 option new, so unless it states in the advert that the car has a/c, recon it does not. Like wise PAS was circa £950 option new.
I've had a 94 car with aircon and it was not worth having, because no matter what I did, it did not work well enough. I've also had a 99 Griff and that was pretty good (for TVR, nothing like Merc efficiency). Some of the earlier cars have a seperate cooling fan for the driver, which does help in the summer heat.
I'd recommend you buy as new as possible.
Regards
James
Edited to add: You need to drive a couple of non PAS cars, as the setup and feel varies. If it was my first TVR, I'd try and get PAS though.
>> Edited by tvrinbfg on Wednesday 12th November 08:29
PAS is a personal thing. No doubt it makes the car easier to drive but as mine is a second car and I like the back-to-basics feeling, I prefer it without. In normal driving it feels rather like a big kart, which is fine, though parking does require some push-pull effort. Still, how many miles do you spend parking?
But as someone said above they do differ - I drove a friend's Griff and thought it had PAS. It didn't. So geometry and tyres make a very big difference.
I like aircon in my everyday car but am neutral about it in a TVR, at least a convertible one. Summers are not that hot for very long, it's something else to go wrong, how reliable/efficient is TVR aircon anyway, and you can always get the roof off. Seems daft to drive along on a sunny day with the roof on, windows shut and AC on.
But these are only my opinions and apply only to weekend cars!
But as someone said above they do differ - I drove a friend's Griff and thought it had PAS. It didn't. So geometry and tyres make a very big difference.
I like aircon in my everyday car but am neutral about it in a TVR, at least a convertible one. Summers are not that hot for very long, it's something else to go wrong, how reliable/efficient is TVR aircon anyway, and you can always get the roof off. Seems daft to drive along on a sunny day with the roof on, windows shut and AC on.
But these are only my opinions and apply only to weekend cars!
I have a '94 Griff, with all the toys, and found AC very useful when abroad: eg. necessary motorway journeys or in traffic. I'd agree that it does not work to Audi standards, but certainly helps a lot. However, I'm biased 'cos mine is for sale (in the classifieds), £18.5k though, I'm afraid.
I personally like PAS too, but I'd suggest you try with and without.
PAS and AC more common in Chimaeras, because they are for girls. I'll get my coat.
I personally like PAS too, but I'd suggest you try with and without.
PAS and AC more common in Chimaeras, because they are for girls. I'll get my coat.
Recent cars (mine was Sep 2000) had PAS fitted as standard, no choice. I still find the steering heavy at slow speeds, and progressive, which is perfect. Can't imagine what it would be like without.
AC was £1930 as someone else noted. I'd consider it mandatory. Without it, you will get fairly hot air out of the vents regardless of control position. If you want anything approaching cool air, you need AC.
People say "just take the roof off" but when you're in a summer thunderstorm that's not so easy. Stops misting up too, without having to crack window open and get wet leg.
cheers,
c.
AC was £1930 as someone else noted. I'd consider it mandatory. Without it, you will get fairly hot air out of the vents regardless of control position. If you want anything approaching cool air, you need AC.
People say "just take the roof off" but when you're in a summer thunderstorm that's not so easy. Stops misting up too, without having to crack window open and get wet leg.
cheers,
c.
I bought a 500 nearly-new (well, 1999) from a main dealer and had PAS fitted by them as part of the deal.
I like PAS - but the pump has always made a noise that seems to come straight up the steering column, which is mildly annoying. Perhaps the pump noise only affects cars that have PAS fitted as an after-thought.
>> Edited by prop on Wednesday 26th November 13:27
I like PAS - but the pump has always made a noise that seems to come straight up the steering column, which is mildly annoying. Perhaps the pump noise only affects cars that have PAS fitted as an after-thought.
>> Edited by prop on Wednesday 26th November 13:27
PAS is a personal thing, I didn't spec' it on mine when ordering new because having tested with and without both my wife and I preferred without. Don't forget the non-PAS cars have a 2.7 turn lock-to-lock rack whereas the PAS cars a 2.2 turn l-t-l rack, and this compensates somewhat. I know Steve Heath will say that the racing Tuscans al have PAS and the quicker rack allows one to catch a tail slide that much more quickly but hey, i) I’m not racing it and ii) the Tuscans have rather wider tyres !!! Also I was stepping out of an S3c and the non PAS Griffith 500 feels lighter than the S.
I do think however that one can get too hung up over Air-con, I didn't spec a/c because I thought it would be one less thing to go wrong! And as I have the roof off most of the time I really couldn't see the point. There has only been one occasion when I would have used it and that was in mid-France in about 100 deg heat. People don't believe me but honestly I have managed to adjust the servo and valves to get cold air from the vents and am quite happy with this.
All IMHO of course - happy hunting, Rich...
>> Edited by RichB on Wednesday 26th November 16:08
I do think however that one can get too hung up over Air-con, I didn't spec a/c because I thought it would be one less thing to go wrong! And as I have the roof off most of the time I really couldn't see the point. There has only been one occasion when I would have used it and that was in mid-France in about 100 deg heat. People don't believe me but honestly I have managed to adjust the servo and valves to get cold air from the vents and am quite happy with this.
All IMHO of course - happy hunting, Rich...
>> Edited by RichB on Wednesday 26th November 16:08
I have air con on my Griff, it did come in very handy when we went to Italy, its also nice to have in the summer months as the heat soak through the car can make driving uncomfortable, mine wasn’t working when I went to mania and we had to stop in McDonalds to cool off on the way home.
my 94 500 has a/c and pas and both work.
the pas and a/c have had the hoses changed as they are very old (94) and are in a hostile environment.
do this and it works fine!
bin all over europe and it is VERY useful.
griffs are hot cars! and go anywhere hot and you will need it.
just as a note...you may not want to take the lid if if you have a days drive to do on the autoroute...and its 100+!! bin there, done that.
NOT so essential if it gonna stay in th uk! but sitting in traffic on a rare hot day can spoil things if you are too hot! (the cars fans will be washing the outside with HUGE amounts of VERY hot air!
they are rare, and people keep hold of them, so bide your time. took 8 months to find mine!!!
IMHO
PS its a luxury toy...get the luxurys!! it'll make it easier to sell...if you ever do
the pas and a/c have had the hoses changed as they are very old (94) and are in a hostile environment.
do this and it works fine!
bin all over europe and it is VERY useful.
griffs are hot cars! and go anywhere hot and you will need it.
just as a note...you may not want to take the lid if if you have a days drive to do on the autoroute...and its 100+!! bin there, done that.
NOT so essential if it gonna stay in th uk! but sitting in traffic on a rare hot day can spoil things if you are too hot! (the cars fans will be washing the outside with HUGE amounts of VERY hot air!
they are rare, and people keep hold of them, so bide your time. took 8 months to find mine!!!
IMHO
PS its a luxury toy...get the luxurys!! it'll make it easier to sell...if you ever do
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