Griffith value

[SILICONEKID350HP]

Is the price of this realistic or is the guy dreaming!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

For another 3k you can buy a nut and bolt rebuild with the lS engine ..the one forsale.

[carsy]

Bit under valued if you ask me.

[Ant.]

Looks about right to me, its not a cheap Chim you know !!!

[SILICONEKID350HP]

So a good original good condition car is worth 20k ! That LS one forsale must be a bargain..

[V8 GRF]

SILICONEKID350HP said:

So a good original good condition car is worth 20k ! That LS one forsale must be a bargain..

TBH I think this is an indication of what will happen in the future, 'original' Griffiths will be worth more than their heavily modified, engine swapped brethren.

I foresee a time in 10 or 20 years when the LS engines are pulled out and cars are restored to their original RV8 state.

[davep]

I'm surprised no one has snapped up this little beauty yet:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...

[Ant.]

V8 GRF said:

TBH I think this is an indication of what will happen in the future, 'original' Griffiths will be worth more than their heavily modified, engine swapped brethren.

I foresee a time in 10 or 20 years when the LS engines are pulled out and cars are restored to their original RV8 state.

^^^^^What he said ^^^^^

Originals are always worth more.

[EGB]

Ant. said:

V8 GRF said:

TBH I think this is an indication of what will happen in the future, 'original' Griffiths will be worth more than their heavily modified, engine swapped brethren.

I foresee a time in 10 or 20 years when the LS engines are pulled out and cars are restored to their original RV8 state.

^^^^^What he said ^^^^^

Originals are always worth more.

Seriously, keep the ' original' RV8 engine with bits, along with the LS3 option including mod bits and it will be worth even more.

[

Edited by EGB on Saturday 2nd February 08:42

[ThePrisoner]

V8 GRF said:

TBH I think this is an indication of what will happen in the future, 'original' Griffiths will be worth more than their heavily modified, engine swapped brethren.

I foresee a time in 10 or 20 years when the LS engines are pulled out and cars are restored to their original RV8 state.

Ah.. The Triumph Stag Syndrome, i hope not . Necessity and Evolution are very different things.

ETA David you are quite right about Originality, but there is a difference here as what is deemed an Improvement.

Edited by ThePrisoner on Saturday 2nd February 09:51

[EGB]

I'm told by some, that a Stag with the RV8 imotor is no longer original and is therefore worth less, and is not the choice of the purists.

[TA14]

SILICONEKID350HP said:

So a good original good condition car is worth 20k ! That LS one forsale must be a bargain..

Why the surprise? It's what people have been posting for ages. Oh, and the difference in asking prices is £4K. Are you upping your £20K bid now?

[V8 GRF]

ThePrisoner said:

Ah.. The Triumph Stag Syndrome, I hope not . Necessity and Evolution are very different things.

ETA David you are quite right about Originality, but there is a difference here as what is deemed an Improvement.

Adding some element of Devil's Advocate here

Whether it's an 'improvement' is questionable in the context of the era the car is from. It may well have been what TVR should have done but they didn't so that's irrelevant in the argument, especially if you're looking in period the cars should be having Small Block Chevy engines as the LS was introduced after Griffith and Chimaera production had ceased.

I'm sure the argument of improvement has been used many times, for example the fitting of American V8s in a good number of US E-Types! I can't imagine anyone looking for an E-Type now would ever pay decent money for one of those, unless it's a project with the aim of installing the original Jaguar six or similar.

I'm not sure that putting a 400+ BHP engine in a car that struggles to deal with the 280 to 300(ish) they have on a good day is actually an improvement, unless you go the full route of uprated everything else and in some cases a different chassis altogether.

Without a doubt those cars will have value and have merit as a standalone but history has proved that a more or less vanilla car (and I'm using the term lightly as I'd say the majority of TVRs have had some modification) will command higher values all day long.

The idea suggested above about retaining the original engine and running gear is the way forward if the value is being considered at all, so at least the car can have all it's proper numbers reinstated if required.

[TA14]

V8 GRF said:

especially if you're looking in period the cars should be having Small Block Chevy engines as the LS was introduced after Griffith and Chimaera production had ceased.

Did Griffmeara production cease in 1997 then?

[FlipFlopGriff]

davep said:

I'm surprised no one has snapped up this little beauty yet:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...

Registered 01/01/92?
Is this before the first customer delivered car?
As mine was the first BV (AFAIK unless anyone can prove otherwise) and registered April 92 then I think this isn't an original BV. Too blingy and never heard of it so no proven history either. If you asked the factory when it was open they'd have sent you any letter you asked for.
FFG

[davep]

Month and day fields seem to be set by default to 01/01 in this dealer's Pistonhead ads.

Edited by davep on Sunday 3rd February 00:46

[ThePrisoner]

V8 GRF said:

Adding some element of Devil's Advocate here

Whether it's an 'improvement' is questionable in the context of the era the car is from. It may well have been what TVR should have done but they didn't so that's irrelevant in the argument, especially if you're looking in period the cars should be having Small Block Chevy engines as the LS was introduced after Griffith and Chimaera production had ceased.

I'm sure the argument of improvement has been used many times, for example the fitting of American V8s in a good number of US E-Types! I can't imagine anyone looking for an E-Type now would ever pay decent money for one of those, unless it's a project with the aim of installing the original Jaguar six or similar.

I'm not sure that putting a 400+ BHP engine in a car that struggles to deal with the 280 to 300(ish) they have on a good day is actually an improvement, unless you go the full route of uprated everything else and in some cases a different chassis altogether.

Without a doubt those cars will have value and have merit as a standalone but history has proved that a more or less vanilla car (and I'm using the term lightly as I'd say the majority of TVRs have had some modification) will command higher values all day long.

The idea suggested above about retaining the original engine and running gear is the way forward if the value is being considered at all, so at least the car can have all it's proper numbers reinstated if required.

Fair enough. Your Original post jut reminded me of the Stag Saga.

[T1pper]

I always try to keep my car as original wherever possible, making changes is a very personal choice and I believe that the more original cared for cars will be sort after and command higher prices.

As times passes and more cars are modifided, written off, exported etc the prices are set to rise and the original cars are at least a blank canvas and appeal to the widest number of people.

[V8 GRF]

TA14 said:

V8 GRF said:

especially if you're looking in period the cars should be having Small Block Chevy engines as the LS was introduced after Griffith and Chimaera production had ceased.

Did Griffmeara production cease in 1997 then?

That'll teach me to trust the internet for dates.

I was going to put that they would have needed to have the LS1 installed to be period and then had a quick Google to check my dates and read a site that said the Small Block continued until 2003 when it was replaced by the LS, so I changed my post.... bugger.

Should have stuck to my first thoughts.

[davep]

FlipFlopGriff said:

Registered 01/01/92?
Is this before the first customer delivered car?
As mine was the first BV (AFAIK unless anyone can prove otherwise) and registered April 92 then I think this isn't an original BV. Too blingy and never heard of it so no proven history either. If you asked the factory when it was open they'd have sent you any letter you asked for.
FFG

Apart from polished wheels and red ignition leads where's the bling?

I don't understand what you mean by "never heard of it so no proven history". Do you have the definitive Griffith register or similar?

[RochdaleGT]

davep said:

I'm surprised no one has snapped up this little beauty yet:

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...

wishbone bolts, body fixing bolts are painted in grey chassis paint...and there is also some grey paint visible on one of the rusty platforms from the hydraulic ramp.

warning bells ring...the chassis has surely been painted with the body still fitted to make it look shiny and blend potential buyers.