Original (and typically TVR!) Griffith development
Discussion
Hi TVR chaps
Some while before the Griffith was launched in the UK, I was at Mallory Park for a test session (Tuscan racers). Probably 1989-ish. The TVR S was there and so was a 'secret' Griffith development car. We could look at it in the pit garage but not go in. It seems that there was an issue with the dash on the passenger side vibrating at speed, so a modification was required. In typical TVR fashion, the guys from TVR set to with a hacksaw and duly 'modified' the troublesome dash, holding it all together with the ubiquitous gaffa tape!
This is the sort of development that should be done on cars, not the CAD/CAM version that keeps many an 'engineer' in an air-conditioned office! My late cousin was an engineer at Lotus, at Ford in the UK and the USA and he certainly would never have been cooped up. He needed to feel the development car 'in the metal' (or fibreglass for Lotus!).
My passion these days is Alpine-Renault and particularly A310's (I have three). See them on my website at:
www.a310alpine.com
Happy days.
Some while before the Griffith was launched in the UK, I was at Mallory Park for a test session (Tuscan racers). Probably 1989-ish. The TVR S was there and so was a 'secret' Griffith development car. We could look at it in the pit garage but not go in. It seems that there was an issue with the dash on the passenger side vibrating at speed, so a modification was required. In typical TVR fashion, the guys from TVR set to with a hacksaw and duly 'modified' the troublesome dash, holding it all together with the ubiquitous gaffa tape!
This is the sort of development that should be done on cars, not the CAD/CAM version that keeps many an 'engineer' in an air-conditioned office! My late cousin was an engineer at Lotus, at Ford in the UK and the USA and he certainly would never have been cooped up. He needed to feel the development car 'in the metal' (or fibreglass for Lotus!).
My passion these days is Alpine-Renault and particularly A310's (I have three). See them on my website at:
www.a310alpine.com
Happy days.
Sadly they didn't want any pics taken.....but I did anyway!! I will find out how to post them here and you can take a look for yourselves. Gaffa tape must be one of the 20th Century's greatest inventions!
Oh, the central seat position would be in a Matra Bagheera (or Murena, can't remember which), but not an Alpine A310, which were all left hand drive, except the odd conversion job.
Oh, the central seat position would be in a Matra Bagheera (or Murena, can't remember which), but not an Alpine A310, which were all left hand drive, except the odd conversion job.
a310man said:
Oh, the central seat position would be in a Matra Bagheera (or Murena, can't remember which), but not an Alpine A310, which were all left hand drive, except the odd conversion job.
The Bagheera had 3 seats, but not a central driving position. I thought the Murena was the same - where the centre seat folds to become an armrest.Yes, Podie - you are correct. I recall that during the design phase a central-driving position was mooted (it would have beaten the MacLaren F1 GT), but rejected in favour of three abreast seating. One seat for the driver and almost like a Ford Transit passenger seat for two! Thanks for remembering and jogging my old memory.
a310man said:
Yes, Podie - you are correct. I recall that during the design phase a central-driving position was mooted (it would have beaten the MacLaren F1 GT), but rejected in favour of three abreast seating. One seat for the driver and almost like a Ford Transit passenger seat for two! Thanks for remembering and jogging my old memory.
Glad I was not seeing things, or was it perhaps a Matra? That's another French historic.Look forward to your pics. Need to be converted to digital, easy. We can help with posting to PH, but again easy. They may even show a shot of P.W. the man himself.
Edited by EGB on Saturday 3rd March 11:32
I found the pics, or rather the negatives. I've scanned them in and done some colour correction, but sadly the quality is not so good. If I can find the original photographs I'll scan them again.
First pic is the gaffa tape liberally applied to the hacksawn dash. The car was, as usual, registered as TVR 100.
Other pics show me in Clive Greenhalgh's dayglo Tuscan (No. 22), then me in the Shell-sponsored, usually guest driver, Tuscan. Barry Lines was in No. 77 behind and we had a bit of a play around the circuit. 450hp on skinny slicks was fun! I also remember it being cold, so we had absolutely no heat in the tyres.
First pic is the gaffa tape liberally applied to the hacksawn dash. The car was, as usual, registered as TVR 100.
Other pics show me in Clive Greenhalgh's dayglo Tuscan (No. 22), then me in the Shell-sponsored, usually guest driver, Tuscan. Barry Lines was in No. 77 behind and we had a bit of a play around the circuit. 450hp on skinny slicks was fun! I also remember it being cold, so we had absolutely no heat in the tyres.
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