Cheapest V8 2 seater?

[DodgyGeezer]

maz8062 said:

One of these:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301293...

Knight rider

Do they do them in manual?

Each to their I guess.

IIRC there are quite a few C4 (and C5s) available in the UK with 'stick-shift' (to be fair it may be worth your while expanding your search parameters to include Europe and the US for a far larger pool to choose from)

[CM2020]

cerb4.5lee said:

CM2020 said:

Shifter1 said:

CABC said:

CM2020 said:

But TVRs have always been known as cars you should not take by the scruff of the neck. They are famous for snapping and "killing people". I don't expect it to be a MX5 on B roads. But if I can't push it without risking my life or you got to be Lewis Hamilton, no much point for a sports car.

there are a lot of "XXX are famous for" sayings. mostly vastly exaggerated. if you have no feel for what a car is saying to you and you want to press the throttle hard all the time with the nannies keeping things on the black stuff, then yes, it's not for you. FE cars rarely snap, even MR cars don't snap at public road speeds. For sure, put a younger hot hatch guy into a Trevor and things might go wrong, but it would not be an unexpected "snap".

Snap might be interpreted in different ways. But all those videos of Mustangs, Camaros and other powerful V8s RWD cars spinning around and crashing just after leaving Cars and Coffee parking lot on YT would "prove" you wrong.

I just had this video suggested to me by youtube. Probably because I'm searching non stop for TVR reviews and the like:

It reminded me of your post.

You need to buy a Cerbera and bin the 2 seater idea off I reckon!

Why do you say it?

[CM2020]

DodgyGeezer said:

maz8062 said:

One of these:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301293...

Knight rider

Do they do them in manual?

Each to their I guess.

IIRC there are quite a few C4 (and C5s) available in the UK with 'stick-shift' (to be fair it may be worth your while expanding your search parameters to include Europe and the US for a far larger pool to choose from)

Indeed a C4 is looking more and more likely. So far I have found way more info on it. It seems to be difficult to find good and accurate info on anything 80s TVR. Apart from these 2, everything is either not V8, heavy, automatic, too much money or all the above.

[cerb4.5lee]

CM2020 said:

cerb4.5lee said:

CM2020 said:

Shifter1 said:

CABC said:

CM2020 said:

But TVRs have always been known as cars you should not take by the scruff of the neck. They are famous for snapping and "killing people". I don't expect it to be a MX5 on B roads. But if I can't push it without risking my life or you got to be Lewis Hamilton, no much point for a sports car.

there are a lot of "XXX are famous for" sayings. mostly vastly exaggerated. if you have no feel for what a car is saying to you and you want to press the throttle hard all the time with the nannies keeping things on the black stuff, then yes, it's not for you. FE cars rarely snap, even MR cars don't snap at public road speeds. For sure, put a younger hot hatch guy into a Trevor and things might go wrong, but it would not be an unexpected "snap".

Snap might be interpreted in different ways. But all those videos of Mustangs, Camaros and other powerful V8s RWD cars spinning around and crashing just after leaving Cars and Coffee parking lot on YT would "prove" you wrong.

I just had this video suggested to me by youtube. Probably because I'm searching non stop for TVR reviews and the like:

It reminded me of your post.

You need to buy a Cerbera and bin the 2 seater idea off I reckon!

Why do you say it?

I was only saying it as a bit of fun, and I was just alluding to the Cerb staying straight and not crashing, whereas the 2 seater binned it that's all.

[FHCNICK]

cerb4.5lee said:

I was only saying it as a bit of fun, and I was just alluding to the Cerb staying straight and not crashing, whereas the 2 seater binned it that's all.

that is from one of the crazy dutch tvrcc infamous Zolder track days I believe

[FHCNICK]

CM2020 said:

Indeed a C4 is looking more and more likely. So far I have found way more info on it. It seems to be difficult to find good and accurate info on anything 80s TVR. Apart from these 2, everything is either not V8, heavy, automatic, too much money or all the above.

You keep mentioning 80s TVR's just to be clear are you talking about the curvy soft top S series cars or the Tasmin/wedge series?

Either way there are lots of knowledgeable people about on the dedicated forums here or on fb and also the tvrcc site.

I have been driving wedges since 1991 when I bought my 1st (a V6 Tasmin FHC) and then a 350i and these days a 390i.

If you want a passenger ride in mine you are welcone to meet me at Cadwell Park in May or Donington Park in August, I am sure you would be offered rides in other cars too.

[CM2020]

cerb4.5lee said:

CM2020 said:

cerb4.5lee said:

CM2020 said:

Shifter1 said:

CABC said:

CM2020 said:

But TVRs have always been known as cars you should not take by the scruff of the neck. They are famous for snapping and "killing people". I don't expect it to be a MX5 on B roads. But if I can't push it without risking my life or you got to be Lewis Hamilton, no much point for a sports car.

there are a lot of "XXX are famous for" sayings. mostly vastly exaggerated. if you have no feel for what a car is saying to you and you want to press the throttle hard all the time with the nannies keeping things on the black stuff, then yes, it's not for you. FE cars rarely snap, even MR cars don't snap at public road speeds. For sure, put a younger hot hatch guy into a Trevor and things might go wrong, but it would not be an unexpected "snap".

Snap might be interpreted in different ways. But all those videos of Mustangs, Camaros and other powerful V8s RWD cars spinning around and crashing just after leaving Cars and Coffee parking lot on YT would "prove" you wrong.

I just had this video suggested to me by youtube. Probably because I'm searching non stop for TVR reviews and the like:

It reminded me of your post.

You need to buy a Cerbera and bin the 2 seater idea off I reckon!

Why do you say it?

I was only saying it as a bit of fun, and I was just alluding to the Cerb staying straight and not crashing, whereas the 2 seater binned it that's all.

I see.

Well, Cerbera is AJV8 or speed6. So probably even more expensive and trouble to keep on the road? Plus I really don't like the looks. A bit like they were trying to copy a Dodge Viper and then mixed so many different styles and lost sight of what they were trying to do. This actually seems to be a thing in TVR starting with the Chimaera. So many mixed styles that it becomes a mess. Only the T350C is well resolved and looks nice and not too crazy.

[CM2020]

FHCNICK said:

CM2020 said:

Indeed a C4 is looking more and more likely. So far I have found way more info on it. It seems to be difficult to find good and accurate info on anything 80s TVR. Apart from these 2, everything is either not V8, heavy, automatic, too much money or all the above.

You keep mentioning 80s TVR's just to be clear are you talking about the curvy soft top S series cars or the Tasmin/wedge series?

Either way there are lots of knowledgeable people about on the dedicated forums here or on fb and also the tvrcc site.

I have been driving wedges since 1991 when I bought my 1st (a V6 Tasmin FHC) and then a 350i and these days a 390i.

If you want a passenger ride in mine you are welcone to meet me at Cadwell Park in May or Donington Park in August, I am sure you would be offered rides in other cars too.

I mean the pop up headlights models. Ok, so maybe I'm just looking for info in the wrongs places. But I asked here a few times about how easy or hard is to put a Rover V8 in a V6 TVR with pop up headlights, but nobody knew, or answered. I'm also not on FB. Never did the FB thing really.

[CM2020]

FHCNICK said:

cerb4.5lee said:

I was only saying it as a bit of fun, and I was just alluding to the Cerb staying straight and not crashing, whereas the 2 seater binned it that's all.

that is from one of the crazy dutch tvrcc infamous Zolder track days I believe

I think it does show how much of a hand full these cars are though?

[Belle427]

They are perfectly fine in the dry with good tyres, they can become a bit sketchy in the wet but that’s understandable.
I’ve seen instances of people saying the cars can snatch a little when they get out of shape and grip again maybe due to weight/diff behaviour.
I’ve owned both a Chimaera and a Mk 1 Mx5 and if you offered me the keys of both for a spirited b road drive I’d be in the Mazda every time.

Edited by Belle427 on Tuesday 14th March 07:25

[CM2020]

Belle427 said:

They are perfectly fine in the dry with good tyres, they can become a bit sketchy in the wet but that’s understandable.
I’ve seen instances of people saying the cars can snatch a little when they get out of shape and grip again maybe due to weight/diff behaviour.
I’ve owned both a Chimaera and a Mk 1 Mx5 and if you offered me the keys of both for a spirited b road drive I’d be in the Mazda every time.

Edited by Belle427 on Tuesday 14th March 07:25

And you would take the MX5 over the TVR exactly because of the TVR tendencies of wanting to run away from you?

Have you driven Corvettes? That is a level of "wildness" I think is still fun in a sports car.

But a sports car where you have to be constantly worried and careful if you try to drive fast or push it is not a sports car. It's a badly designed and badly balanced car with a powerful engine. Maybe behavior acceptable for a muscle car. I know the Viper is supposed to be that way. But I never heard anybody saying it's a good sports car.

[Belle427]

CM2020 said:

Belle427 said:

They are perfectly fine in the dry with good tyres, they can become a bit sketchy in the wet but that’s understandable.
I’ve seen instances of people saying the cars can snatch a little when they get out of shape and grip again maybe due to weight/diff behaviour.
I’ve owned both a Chimaera and a Mk 1 Mx5 and if you offered me the keys of both for a spirited b road drive I’d be in the Mazda every time.

Edited by Belle427 on Tuesday 14th March 07:25

And you would take the MX5 over the TVR exactly because of the TVR tendencies of wanting to run away from you?

Not really it’s just the Mx5 is so beautifully balanced and feels nimble whereas the Tvr doesn’t.
Never driven a corvette but have always loved them.
Open flowing roads the Tvr is great and has always been seen as a bit of a GT car tbh.

[CABC]

it's not a binary question. It's one of feel, balance and feedback as well as confidence to push.
I agree with Belle, that the mx5 is a better B road blaster than a Chim. as well as power, it's mostly torque that can give TVRs that 'sudden' breakaway feeling. Funny thing is that the Elise beats both and yet you wouldn't want to be 10/10 on a public road. Just feels great at 9.5 and it tells you what is 9.5 or 9.7 quite well.

How many people would drive a 911 at full pelt with electronics disengaged? That would be a shocking experience to most I suspect, though a modern 911 is certainly well balanced and manageable compared to rear drive beasts of old.

[cerb4.5lee]

CM2020 said:

FHCNICK said:

cerb4.5lee said:

I was only saying it as a bit of fun, and I was just alluding to the Cerb staying straight and not crashing, whereas the 2 seater binned it that's all.

that is from one of the crazy dutch tvrcc infamous Zolder track days I believe

I think it does show how much of a hand full these cars are though?

I remember mine snapping out on me once in the rain on my way back from work. Hardly any throttle and it just decided that it wanted to go sideways on me! I'd been driving it for about 18 miles so it wasn't like the tyres were cold or anything like that. You do have to respect the throttle and they definitely keep you on your toes at times. They involve you in the driving experience even at slow speeds, and there aren't many cars that do that I reckon.

[FHCNICK]

CM2020 said:

I mean the pop up headlights models. Ok, so maybe I'm just looking for info in the wrongs places. But I asked here a few times about how easy or hard is to put a Rover V8 in a V6 TVR with pop up headlights, but nobody knew, or answered. I'm also not on FB. Never did the FB thing really.

The chassis on the V6 cars is too narrow in the engine bay to take a RV8 without modification but why would you want to? There are more V8 engined cars out there to start with and these are available from resto project status up to A1 condition so why go to the bother of shoe horning a V8 into a V6?

[CM2020]

FHCNICK said:

CM2020 said:

I mean the pop up headlights models. Ok, so maybe I'm just looking for info in the wrongs places. But I asked here a few times about how easy or hard is to put a Rover V8 in a V6 TVR with pop up headlights, but nobody knew, or answered. I'm also not on FB. Never did the FB thing really.

The chassis on the V6 cars is too narrow in the engine bay to take a RV8 without modification but why would you want to? There are more V8 engined cars out there to start with and these are available from resto project status up to A1 condition so why go to the bother of shoe horning a V8 into a V6?

Ok, I guess I should have been saying wedge TVR rather than 80s TVR. But I asked because I came across somebody selling a V6 wedge TVR with a bad or blown engine, for cheap. So if it was an easy drop in for the Rover V8, I thought it could be a very cheap way into a manual V8 2 seater.

[CM2020]

Belle427 said:

Not really it’s just the Mx5 is so beautifully balanced and feels nimble whereas the Tvr doesn’t.
Never driven a corvette but have always loved them.
Open flowing roads the Tvr is great and has always been seen as a bit of a GT car tbh.

All of them are supposed to be GTs then and not true sports cars? I can see the Cerbera being a GT. But Sagaris, T350C, Griffith? The 80s wedges? I would have though these would or should be sports cars. But if I'm wrong, my misconception then.

MX5 is nearly the perfect weekend car. If it only had a bit more grunt and sounded any good. I know about all the swaps etc. But really not looking for a frankenstein car and all the effort and expense of getting there and staying there.

Edited by CM2020 on Tuesday 14th March 10:42

[CM2020]

cerb4.5lee said:

CM2020 said:

FHCNICK said:

cerb4.5lee said:

I was only saying it as a bit of fun, and I was just alluding to the Cerb staying straight and not crashing, whereas the 2 seater binned it that's all.

that is from one of the crazy dutch tvrcc infamous Zolder track days I believe

I think it does show how much of a hand full these cars are though?

I remember mine snapping out on me once in the rain on my way back from work. Hardly any throttle and it just decided that it wanted to go sideways on me! I'd been driving it for about 18 miles so it wasn't like the tyres were cold or anything like that. You do have to respect the throttle and they definitely keep you on your toes at times. They involve you in the driving experience even at slow speeds, and there aren't many cars that do that I reckon.

I love driving involvement. But at which point it stops being involvement and becomes just you desperately trying to compensate for the car's incompetence?

[CM2020]

CABC said:

it's not a binary question. It's one of feel, balance and feedback as well as confidence to push.
I agree with Belle, that the mx5 is a better B road blaster than a Chim. as well as power, it's mostly torque that can give TVRs that 'sudden' breakaway feeling. Funny thing is that the Elise beats both and yet you wouldn't want to be 10/10 on a public road. Just feels great at 9.5 and it tells you what is 9.5 or 9.7 quite well.

How many people would drive a 911 at full pelt with electronics disengaged? That would be a shocking experience to most I suspect, though a modern 911 is certainly well balanced and manageable compared to rear drive beasts of old.

So what would you say a wedge TVR is? 7/10? 8/10?

[coldel]

CM2020 said:

All of them are supposed to be GTs then and not true sports cars? I can see the Cerbera being a GT. But Sagaris, T350C, Griffith? The 80s wedges? I would have though these would or should be sports cars. But if I'm wrong, my misconception then.

MX5 is nearly the perfect weekend car. If it only had a bit more grunt and sounded any good. I know about all the swaps etc. But really not looking for a frankenstein car and all the effort and expense of getting there and staying there.

Edited by CM2020 on Tuesday 14th March 10:42

Throw a BBR tune or similar at one? Even 30bhp extra on a lightweight car transforms it?