Is this the earliest S1?
Discussion
The car is a D reg and was registered in July 1987. I did try to get some history from the factory but all they could say was it was probably one of the motor car show cars that then got sold off to a dealer. It has done 67000 miles got leather faced seats, white TVR dials (original special I'm told) and the ski flap that never went into production (pictures available soon!!). Would love more history if anyone knows.
craigy said: What's your cars chassis number ending? Mine is 109 and also has a ski hatch. I rekon the ski hatch must of gone into at least the first twenty although my car wasn't registered until march '88.
If you had said the first few I would have agreed...It is pretty rare. Yours might well have been one of the show or pre=production cars that got registered later. My own S1 Sept 87 didn't have it but it was within the first 20.
Steve
The reg is D551 CRK, it was first registered on 6th July 1987 and interestingly it is described on the V5 as a "2-axle-rigid body sports" and not a 280S. Did anyone used to own this? The colour is a dark blue and this is original. Another thing, do the S1's have sun visors as mine doesnt and there is no suggestion it ever did.
It looks as if my car had been hidden for up to a year. As far as I can make out, the ski hatch or cutout between boot & parcel shelf along with the twin bonnet pulls is a difinitaive pre-production or first few production models. By the way the hatch is superb as a CD interchanger mount as you can change your CDs without leaving the warmth (or in my case dampnes) of the car!
Perhaps as little knowledge is dangerous, someone with in depth TVR wisdom could let us know what the actual chassis numbers can tell us about the build date, as if they are sequential we'll know which came first.
Perhaps as little knowledge is dangerous, someone with in depth TVR wisdom could let us know what the actual chassis numbers can tell us about the build date, as if they are sequential we'll know which came first.
The chassis number is a sequential number but it is often not unique to one particular model so that the numbers are often used for the Wedge production at this time. Also bear in mind that chassis were often made in advance so you can get 88 chassis on 89 registered cars, TVR had a habit of loosing and finding cars and it is quite difficult form the chassis number to say anything.
Mervyn Larner of the TVRCC may have more info.
So chassis 0148 would be the 148 chassis made that year. Doesn't mean it was the 148th S though.
Mervyn Larner of the TVRCC may have more info.
So chassis 0148 would be the 148 chassis made that year. Doesn't mean it was the 148th S though.
According to Mr Heaths book yours is car production number 109 in 1988. The J denotes the year of manufacture (not necessarrily when it was registered). I think what Mr Heath said on an earlier thread, that yours sounds like a late "1st 20" rather than one of the early ones. Anybody else up for the challenge??
By the way I had fun re-bushing the passenger door hinges, but now have a door that shuts with a satisfying clunk rather than an annoying scraping sound as it hits the sill. Found out that on my hinges the two holes that you screw through to the door frame are not eqi-distant from the centre hole and just by turning the hinge 180 degrees gave me alot more scope for hanging the door properly.
By the way I had fun re-bushing the passenger door hinges, but now have a door that shuts with a satisfying clunk rather than an annoying scraping sound as it hits the sill. Found out that on my hinges the two holes that you screw through to the door frame are not eqi-distant from the centre hole and just by turning the hinge 180 degrees gave me alot more scope for hanging the door properly.
No my outriggers which were rusty are now saved and fine but having heard all the horror stories I regularly waxoyl them.
I have had to replace the rear suspension arms which I had to upgrade to S3 and this has been a big improvement.
I've also had to have an engine rebuild 1000miles ago so I'm still running in.
Needless to say I am keeping it for long term now I've got it well sorted.
Mines still in the original paint with the side stripes. I wondered about a respray but have decided to keep it original with cracks for patina.
Has yours been altered/rebuilt in the last 15 years?
I have had to replace the rear suspension arms which I had to upgrade to S3 and this has been a big improvement.
I've also had to have an engine rebuild 1000miles ago so I'm still running in.
Needless to say I am keeping it for long term now I've got it well sorted.
Mines still in the original paint with the side stripes. I wondered about a respray but have decided to keep it original with cracks for patina.
Has yours been altered/rebuilt in the last 15 years?
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