Returning to the fold, looking for Griffith

[mhag]

Garage waterproofed, permission slip from petticoat chancellor, cash surplus; all checked.
After 15 years of window shopping (mostly on Pistonheads Classifieds) since I swapped an S2 for an Elise I'm planning a road trip trip over the next 5 weeks to find a Griffith. Ideally a blue 500, £15-20k.
Anyone planning putting theirs up for sale please let me know, I might be able to save you the hassle of tyre kickers. In the meantime off to Racing Green etc.
Also anyone in South Devon who can give me advice on buying/servicing etc very much appreciated. I know from TVR S2 experience that, although rewarding, TVRs like pampering by mechanics...
Mike

[LordGrover]

Going for a record between first and second post?

Best of luck.

[davep]

Mike,

If you want to meet some Griffith owners we hold a TVRCC meeting each month at the Turtley Mill pub near Avonwick. There's one tonight, you don't have to be a member.

Most of us use Colin at TVRSSW, near Wellington, for servicing, etc.; or MBMotorsports at Loddiswell:

http://www.tvrssw.com/

http://www.mbmotor-sport.com/

Good luck with your search.

Dave

[T1pper]

PM sent (I think)

[acalex]

Lots of coincidences here! See my email to you. Could have just what you are looking for down the road....and its not even on the market yet.

[mhag]

LordGrover said:

Going for a record between first and second post?

Best of luck.

Is there a prize?

When I needed PH (TVR S2) the internet was only just up & running
The Elise never let me down & sailed through 40K miles of MOTs and servicing
The camper needed 1/2 a VW butchered every time it went to the garage, but I used other sites to source bits
The other cars I've had were mostly unworthy of PH.
Once I'm a paid up Griff member I've no doubt (or misapprehensions) that I'll be a regular...

[MikeE]

Mike I've sent you an email ref my Griff 500 which may suit your requirements.....

[V8 GMS]

Hi Mike, I have a wonderful 'Paris Blue' Pre-cat that may be of interest?! It's not for sale yet - it's a great spec and was keeper for me! I've just had new outriggers and suspension refurb, but a child and also approved plans for a house extension seem to have turned my priorities upside down. I'll probably have to let it go this year!
Edit to add: I'm not far from Racing Green (I bought my Griff there) so I'm happy to meet for a natter if you're ever in the area.
Graham

Edited by V8 GMS on Monday 20th January 17:48

[Aandytvr1]

1992 pre cat will be for sale shortly
Expecting 14-15 k
New clutch
Just serviced
Just mot
New cam just fitted

[Aandytvr1]

Maybe

Get in touch

[pwd95]

Aandytvr1 said:

Maybe

Get in touch

Nurse,... wipe me...

That is stunning. Wish I'd kept my Black 500.

[marz92]

V8 GMS said:

Hi Mike, I have a wonderful 'Paris Blue' Pre-cat that may be of interest?! It's not for sale yet - it's a great spec and was keeper for me! I've just had new outriggers and suspension refurb, but a child and also approved plans for a house extension seem to have turned my priorities upside down. I'll probably have to let it go this year!
Edit to add: I'm not far from Racing Green (I bought my Griff there) so I'm happy to meet for a natter if you're ever in the area.
Graham


Graham,
What????????????

Stop!!!!!!!!!'

Don't do it!!

Priorities rule! Keep it... End of!

From one Griff to another, you are letting the side down!! LOL

Otherwise trust all is well

P

Edited by V8 GMS on Monday 20th January 17:48

[marz92]

V8 GMS said:

Hi Mike, I have a wonderful 'Paris Blue' Pre-cat that may be of interest?! It's not for sale yet - it's a great spec and was keeper for me! I've just had new outriggers and suspension refurb, but a child and also approved plans for a house extension seem to have turned my priorities upside down. I'll probably have to let it go this year!
Edit to add: I'm not far from Racing Green (I bought my Griff there) so I'm happy to meet for a natter if you're ever in the area.
Graham


Graham,
What????????????

Stop!!!!!!!!!'

Don't do it!!

Priorities rule! Keep it... End of!

From one Griff to another, you are letting the side down!! LOL

Otherwise trust all is well

P

Edited by V8 GMS on Monday 20th January 17:48

[mhag]

[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/kjWBQAUb[/url

After a 600+ mile TVR-hunting safari in the merc, viewing about 20 Griffs and driving 5 I ended up with the one just down the road.
I learnt:
-they're all different to drive, some are smoother but less snappy, others shunt but then seem to want to go faster. Dirve as many as you can
-test driving every car revealed faults or things needing fixing, including dashboard problems, gauges/dials not working, trim coming loose, overheating (loose fuse) steam & all, central locking failing and glove boxes that keep falling open...
-test everything that moves as many times as you can & see what comes loose.
-there's a lot of mythology about the Griff: outriggers all need replacing by now, cams fail at 40k, radiators at 20 (!). None of it'S necessarily true, just check the car from top to bottom, take a mate who knows their stuff & then pay for a third opinion.
-getting back in the merc & a mate's boxter is an instant reminder of how unrefined TVRs are. You've really got to want one. I really did, have done for over 20 years :-)
-One dealer valued his time to clean the car over my 71/2 hour round trip & £70 diesel on just about the only dry day of the month, so no test drive there :-(

The one I went for had the best interior, almost spotless, everything works on the dash, unmarked leather/vinyl, new-ish carpets, new hood/rear screen, fast smooth windows.
Bodywork, minor stone chips in odd places only & a small graze on a wing mirror. Respray a few years ago & new rear wing (heavy R foot in a corner ?). Perfect colour combo.
Mechanicals: new cam ("stealth", no idea what that means), by far the best throttle response but slight shunt at 20mph, which annoys me because I was looking for it & found it. However Colin's team at TVRS SW reassure me its not noticeable to them. There's a knock from a worn bush on the rear antiroll but that's it on the mechanical report. The roads round me are so offing awful I can't hear it over the potholes...
Otherwise all original.
£16K with a bit of tax/MOT, 1300 miles since its last service. 2 folders full of service history. It needs nothing more than a sunny day & a clear run from Totnes to the Tutley Mill to put a huge smile on my face. One day I might even be brave enough to put the R foot all the way down...

[davep]

Nice one Mike!

Good to see you conducted 'due diligence' and tried a few. Sounds like you've got the perfect car that fits the bill.

Look forward to seeing you around and at Turtley Mill.

Dave

[TimJM]

Very nice! In the best colour - not that I am biased:


I can't see the interior on yours but the headrests look light so it may be similar again:


It took me a while to find mine when I bought it a few years ago, very low mileage, unmarked inside and out, with a silky smooth engine that pulls like a train from low RPM in any gear. I was much luckier than you though on my purchasing trip - this one was the first I saw and it was/still is faultless. Everything works as it should and I snapped it up immediately. I didn't need to see any others.

The car when I bought it was as it left the factory and I have though about a cam upgrade. But, I would hate to lose the smoothness at low rpm and around town driving. It would be worth asking others with stealth cams how theirs drive at low rpm. I am used to Cerbs that are a bit shunty around 2000RPM but I want my Griff to stay a sunny day cruising machine which is a joy to drive. In three years of owning it I think I have only had to drive with the roof on twice!

Well done on your purchase - they are wonderful machines.

[seaside]

That is one of the nicest looking interiors I have seen on a Griff. The colours work so well together including the contrast around the dash.
If and when I find the pre-cat '92 Griff I want to refurb it might just end up looking like that.

[Colin RedGriff]

mhag said:

After a 600+ mile TVR-hunting safari in the merc, viewing about 20 Griffs and driving 5 I ended up with the one just down the road.
I learnt:
-they're all different to drive, some are smoother but less snappy, others shunt but then seem to want to go faster. Dirve as many as you can
-test driving every car revealed faults or things needing fixing, including dashboard problems, gauges/dials not working, trim coming loose, overheating (loose fuse) steam & all, central locking failing and glove boxes that keep falling open...
-test everything that moves as many times as you can & see what comes loose.
-there's a lot of mythology about the Griff: outriggers all need replacing by now, cams fail at 40k, radiators at 20 (!). None of it'S necessarily true, just check the car from top to bottom, take a mate who knows their stuff & then pay for a third opinion.
-getting back in the merc & a mate's boxter is an instant reminder of how unrefined TVRs are. You've really got to want one. I really did, have done for over 20 years :-)
-One dealer valued his time to clean the car over my 71/2 hour round trip & £70 diesel on just about the only dry day of the month, so no test drive there :-(

The one I went for had the best interior, almost spotless, everything works on the dash, unmarked leather/vinyl, new-ish carpets, new hood/rear screen, fast smooth windows.
Bodywork, minor stone chips in odd places only & a small graze on a wing mirror. Respray a few years ago & new rear wing (heavy R foot in a corner ?). Perfect colour combo.
Mechanicals: new cam ("stealth", no idea what that means), by far the best throttle response but slight shunt at 20mph, which annoys me because I was looking for it & found it. However Colin's team at TVRS SW reassure me its not noticeable to them. There's a knock from a worn bush on the rear antiroll but that's it on the mechanical report. The roads round me are so offing awful I can't hear it over the potholes...
Otherwise all original.
£16K with a bit of tax/MOT, 1300 miles since its last service. 2 folders full of service history. It needs nothing more than a sunny day & a clear run from Totnes to the Tutley Mill to put a huge smile on my face. One day I might even be brave enough to put the R foot all the way down...

Well done that sounds like an epic shopping trip! Good result as well

[mhag]

seaside said:

That is one of the nicest looking interiors I have seen on a Griff. The colours work so well together including the contrast around the dash.
If and when I find the pre-cat '92 Griff I want to refurb it might just end up looking like that.

I was sceptical about a light dash top, however here the vinyl/leather is darker than the cream. Aftermarket dash but I think looks good with full Leven extras.

[TimJM]

seaside said:

That is one of the nicest looking interiors I have seen on a Griff. The colours work so well together including the contrast around the dash.
If and when I find the pre-cat '92 Griff I want to refurb it might just end up looking like that.

Cheers - I am proud of it as you might tell. It's the best Griff I have ever seen - and it's all mine!

mhag said:

I was sceptical about a light dash top, however here the vinyl/leather is darker than the cream. Aftermarket dash but I think looks good with full Leven extras.

Not bad at all, I specifically wanted a light interior but also wanted a dark dash top as I was worried about the reflection. The ali dash looks better with the black dials. With the white dials I'm not sure it would work so well.