Scratching that Itch
Discussion
Hi, as you may of guessed by my ph name i'm a big TVR fan and currently run an LS3 powered Griffith and a tuned 4l 350c, i really enjoy allot of track action and it was at Spa last year i really fell in love with Ultima's as there was a yellow can am and a nice GTR. So i'm now in a position to look at a car in the 30 to 45k mark dependant on spec and age etc, what i was hoping is that i could get some sort of education at what i should be looking out for in a s/h Ultima, small block or Ls? can am or gtr? what mods for hard track use? I have learnt allot about TVR in the last ten years but must confess to knowing very little about Ultima bar they look like a race car on the road! and seem to be more track orientated than most. I've been following the classifieds so have tried to get a feel for the market but i would be more interested in a well driven car than a garage queen thats not proven!
One last Q, does anyone on here race an Ultima in any class?? Thanks for any advice :]
One last Q, does anyone on here race an Ultima in any class?? Thanks for any advice :]
If you got this for about £45k I think it would be a fair price:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3735403.htm
Had a lot spent but was overly personalised which I guess is why it hasn't sold - bin the wheels and budget for a new interior if you don't like it and that's probably a nice car.
Jonny at MacG racing is running an LS7 Ultima in Britcar, next round 21st April.
Personally nowadays, I'd always go LS if I was buying now, I think 2s, 3s and 7s are similar performance wise realistically.
I guess a LS3 dry sumped would make a nice track car, you could always buy an older one and fit a leftfield engine from an Audi in - RS4 lumps make very nice packages, light, powerful enough and a little cheaper then LS3 equivalents.
Strangely, not so many Ultimas seem to find their way on track. Would be worth you nipping along to Stoneleigh where there is likely to be a few for you to look at and see the differences in approach. Not many are identical
Good luck!
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3735403.htm
Had a lot spent but was overly personalised which I guess is why it hasn't sold - bin the wheels and budget for a new interior if you don't like it and that's probably a nice car.
Jonny at MacG racing is running an LS7 Ultima in Britcar, next round 21st April.
Personally nowadays, I'd always go LS if I was buying now, I think 2s, 3s and 7s are similar performance wise realistically.
I guess a LS3 dry sumped would make a nice track car, you could always buy an older one and fit a leftfield engine from an Audi in - RS4 lumps make very nice packages, light, powerful enough and a little cheaper then LS3 equivalents.
Strangely, not so many Ultimas seem to find their way on track. Would be worth you nipping along to Stoneleigh where there is likely to be a few for you to look at and see the differences in approach. Not many are identical
Good luck!
deadscoob said:
If you got this for about £45k I think it would be a fair price:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3735403.htm
Mr TVR... I inspected it last yr with a friend who was looking to buy at the time. I'd suggest it's true value at the time would start with a "3", although the car may have changed since September, so could be different now. Feel free to PM me if you want more info.http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3735403.htm
deadscoob said:
If you got this for about £45k I think it would be a fair price:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3735403.htm
Had a lot spent but was overly personalised which I guess is why it hasn't sold - bin the wheels and budget for a new interior if you don't like it and that's probably a nice car.
Jonny at MacG racing is running an LS7 Ultima in Britcar, next round 21st April.
Personally nowadays, I'd always go LS if I was buying now, I think 2s, 3s and 7s are similar performance wise realistically.
I guess a LS3 dry sumped would make a nice track car, you could always buy an older one and fit a leftfield engine from an Audi in - RS4 lumps make very nice packages, light, powerful enough and a little cheaper then LS3 equivalents.
Strangely, not so many Ultimas seem to find their way on track. Would be worth you nipping along to Stoneleigh where there is likely to be a few for you to look at and see the differences in approach. Not many are identical
Good luck!
Well thank you for posting sir, i was beginning to think it was something i had said http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3735403.htm
Had a lot spent but was overly personalised which I guess is why it hasn't sold - bin the wheels and budget for a new interior if you don't like it and that's probably a nice car.
Jonny at MacG racing is running an LS7 Ultima in Britcar, next round 21st April.
Personally nowadays, I'd always go LS if I was buying now, I think 2s, 3s and 7s are similar performance wise realistically.
I guess a LS3 dry sumped would make a nice track car, you could always buy an older one and fit a leftfield engine from an Audi in - RS4 lumps make very nice packages, light, powerful enough and a little cheaper then LS3 equivalents.
Strangely, not so many Ultimas seem to find their way on track. Would be worth you nipping along to Stoneleigh where there is likely to be a few for you to look at and see the differences in approach. Not many are identical
Good luck!
i know it's no TVR forum but it would be great to get some feedback on peoples experiances! I have already looked at this car before the black wrap was taken off and yes i thought the car was over priced and i did not like the wheels, after speaking to the seller i have been told the car is under offer!I would prefer an Ls car as i have some experiance after the LS3 install in my Griff, my confusion really comes from a lack of knowledge as to the best set up etc, i realize there seems many differant ways to skin the Ultima cat so to speak so i'll guess i'll keep loitering and take the advice to go and see as many cars as possible! Once again thanks for the reply ;]
Edited by 7 TVR on Friday 13th April 09:33
Edited by 7 TVR on Friday 13th April 09:34
Edited by 7 TVR on Friday 13th April 09:34
Personally I would go LS engine, which one would be less important than the overall build quality. Have looked at a few over the last 12 months and the only one I would have bought was the one Sone has up for sale on here now.
I obviously haven't seen all the cars up for sale now (apart from the Red one mentioned above) so can't comment on their build quality
Good luck in your search
Dave
I obviously haven't seen all the cars up for sale now (apart from the Red one mentioned above) so can't comment on their build quality
Good luck in your search
Dave
Hi Christian. I was going to respond to your opening post, but it was looking like War & Peace, so thought better of it, LOL!
By way of a summary.... Whether you go GTR or Can Am is really down to personal choice on open vs closed cockpit. As for the specs, most people stick with the Factory's chassis setups, so big AP brakes and adj suspension (now twin-adjustable on the newer setup). Where cars mainly differ is: engine bay & interior. Again, this is down to personal preference.
Many cars have the std factory interiors (centre analogue gauges, rocker / togle switches, etc), although a Stack setup is a factory option. Where folks have done different installations, you'll need to inspect the quality of the install and that includes getting under the dash and opening up the access panels.
Centre / right hand shift is another question. Do you want the RH "race car" fell, or a more usual centre change? Cable shift or rod? Your gearbox choice will affect this as well... older G50 units (mostly 5-speed) are rod change, but can be converted to cable. Newer (Porsche 996/7) 'boxes are cable and come in different varieties, ratios, etc.
As for engines, as you'll have seen, most stick with Chevy V8, unless you really fancy doing something unusual. The carb fed engines have a character all of their own, but the LS's are a more civilised unit. Lots of choice & spec variations here and your personal choice / intended use will influence things here.
A very thorough inspection of any car is needed as quality varies a lot from car to car. I'd suggest getting your must-haves & nice-to-haves sorted, looking at as many cars as possible and ultimately, buying on condition, even if it means some compromises. Be prepared to spend time looking, don't rush into anything.
I can comment on a few of the cars in the classifieds at the moment, but it'd be unfair to do so in open forum. Feel free to PM if you want a chat.
Mark
By way of a summary.... Whether you go GTR or Can Am is really down to personal choice on open vs closed cockpit. As for the specs, most people stick with the Factory's chassis setups, so big AP brakes and adj suspension (now twin-adjustable on the newer setup). Where cars mainly differ is: engine bay & interior. Again, this is down to personal preference.
Many cars have the std factory interiors (centre analogue gauges, rocker / togle switches, etc), although a Stack setup is a factory option. Where folks have done different installations, you'll need to inspect the quality of the install and that includes getting under the dash and opening up the access panels.
Centre / right hand shift is another question. Do you want the RH "race car" fell, or a more usual centre change? Cable shift or rod? Your gearbox choice will affect this as well... older G50 units (mostly 5-speed) are rod change, but can be converted to cable. Newer (Porsche 996/7) 'boxes are cable and come in different varieties, ratios, etc.
As for engines, as you'll have seen, most stick with Chevy V8, unless you really fancy doing something unusual. The carb fed engines have a character all of their own, but the LS's are a more civilised unit. Lots of choice & spec variations here and your personal choice / intended use will influence things here.
A very thorough inspection of any car is needed as quality varies a lot from car to car. I'd suggest getting your must-haves & nice-to-haves sorted, looking at as many cars as possible and ultimately, buying on condition, even if it means some compromises. Be prepared to spend time looking, don't rush into anything.
I can comment on a few of the cars in the classifieds at the moment, but it'd be unfair to do so in open forum. Feel free to PM if you want a chat.
Mark
356Speedster said:
Hi Christian. I was going to respond to your opening post, but it was looking like War & Peace, so thought better of it, LOL!
By way of a summary.... Whether you go GTR or Can Am is really down to personal choice on open vs closed cockpit. As for the specs, most people stick with the Factory's chassis setups, so big AP brakes and adj suspension (now twin-adjustable on the newer setup). Where cars mainly differ is: engine bay & interior. Again, this is down to personal preference.
Many cars have the std factory interiors (centre analogue gauges, rocker / togle switches, etc), although a Stack setup is a factory option. Where folks have done different installations, you'll need to inspect the quality of the install and that includes getting under the dash and opening up the access panels.
Centre / right hand shift is another question. Do you want the RH "race car" fell, or a more usual centre change? Cable shift or rod? Your gearbox choice will affect this as well... older G50 units (mostly 5-speed) are rod change, but can be converted to cable. Newer (Porsche 996/7) 'boxes are cable and come in different varieties, ratios, etc.
As for engines, as you'll have seen, most stick with Chevy V8, unless you really fancy doing something unusual. The carb fed engines have a character all of their own, but the LS's are a more civilised unit. Lots of choice & spec variations here and your personal choice / intended use will influence things here.
A very thorough inspection of any car is needed as quality varies a lot from car to car. I'd suggest getting your must-haves & nice-to-haves sorted, looking at as many cars as possible and ultimately, buying on condition, even if it means some compromises. Be prepared to spend time looking, don't rush into anything.
I can comment on a few of the cars in the classifieds at the moment, but it'd be unfair to do so in open forum. Feel free to PM if you want a chat.
Mark
Top man Mark, thanks for the informative post. The gearbox and gear lever position is high on my priority list, with a background in bike racing and a goal of a very track oriented car i would like to go with the shortest smoothest action available? would this be the newer Porsche boxes? I'm leaning towards the left hand gear change as i drive allot of differant cars and get confused enough with what nob does what never mind getting confused about were my gearstick is mid corner at 120mph :] By way of a summary.... Whether you go GTR or Can Am is really down to personal choice on open vs closed cockpit. As for the specs, most people stick with the Factory's chassis setups, so big AP brakes and adj suspension (now twin-adjustable on the newer setup). Where cars mainly differ is: engine bay & interior. Again, this is down to personal preference.
Many cars have the std factory interiors (centre analogue gauges, rocker / togle switches, etc), although a Stack setup is a factory option. Where folks have done different installations, you'll need to inspect the quality of the install and that includes getting under the dash and opening up the access panels.
Centre / right hand shift is another question. Do you want the RH "race car" fell, or a more usual centre change? Cable shift or rod? Your gearbox choice will affect this as well... older G50 units (mostly 5-speed) are rod change, but can be converted to cable. Newer (Porsche 996/7) 'boxes are cable and come in different varieties, ratios, etc.
As for engines, as you'll have seen, most stick with Chevy V8, unless you really fancy doing something unusual. The carb fed engines have a character all of their own, but the LS's are a more civilised unit. Lots of choice & spec variations here and your personal choice / intended use will influence things here.
A very thorough inspection of any car is needed as quality varies a lot from car to car. I'd suggest getting your must-haves & nice-to-haves sorted, looking at as many cars as possible and ultimately, buying on condition, even if it means some compromises. Be prepared to spend time looking, don't rush into anything.
I can comment on a few of the cars in the classifieds at the moment, but it'd be unfair to do so in open forum. Feel free to PM if you want a chat.
Mark
Interesting to hear your views on the chevy V8 as opposed to the LS, i know how civil my LS3 can be even at v low speeds but have no experiance of carb fed V8, i guess its a bit more raw in character??
Interiors seem to be very personal and vary a fair bit but i've seen a few i like!
Once again thanks for the advice.
The red Ultima was mostly built by Kyle I believe.
The wheels need replaced, the angle on the drive shafts is a bit steep IMO.
The interior has personalised monogramming on the seat and dash IIRC, but not a bad build,
I dont think that the dash layout in the photo is current, it was changed a few times because it fell foul at IVA inspection.
Had I not bought another car just before the original owner dropped the price (around 40K) I may have bought it.
The wheels need replaced, the angle on the drive shafts is a bit steep IMO.
The interior has personalised monogramming on the seat and dash IIRC, but not a bad build,
I dont think that the dash layout in the photo is current, it was changed a few times because it fell foul at IVA inspection.
Had I not bought another car just before the original owner dropped the price (around 40K) I may have bought it.
7 TVR said:
Top man Mark, thanks for the informative post. The gearbox and gear lever position is high on my priority list, with a background in bike racing and a goal of a very track oriented car i would like to go with the shortest smoothest action available? would this be the newer Porsche boxes? I'm leaning towards the left hand gear change as i drive allot of differant cars and get confused enough with what nob does what never mind getting confused about were my gearstick is mid corner at 120mph :]
Interesting to hear your views on the chevy V8 as opposed to the LS, i know how civil my LS3 can be even at v low speeds but have no experiance of carb fed V8, i guess its a bit more raw in character??
Interiors seem to be very personal and vary a fair bit but i've seen a few i like!
Once again thanks for the advice.
From what you've said, I'd suggest you try both shifts, as while I like the feel of the cable change 'boxes, the rod shift (when properly setup with good support for the mechanism all along) might suit your more track orientated requirement.Interesting to hear your views on the chevy V8 as opposed to the LS, i know how civil my LS3 can be even at v low speeds but have no experiance of carb fed V8, i guess its a bit more raw in character??
Interiors seem to be very personal and vary a fair bit but i've seen a few i like!
Once again thanks for the advice.
Certainly a carb fed V8 is a pretty raw motor, but they're very characterful. The noise they make is part of what attracted me to Ultimas in the first place, but my own criteria lead me to an LS. It's really horses for courses and again, trying one would be advisable. I don't know the spec of the factory demo car these days, but if it's the same as early last yr, it's a silver GTR with SBC & side change G50 'box and would be worth a try.
I stress again, buy on condition and don't rush into anything or it could compromise your ownership experience. Thoroughly inspect any car and look into it's history, the PH search is your friend
If you're going for a mostly track day car then you need to take into consideration the noise level of the exhaust, as most will not get past the static test although the drive by shouldn't be too much of problem.
Maybe find the car you like regardless of the engine/box and then give it a transplant, I'd go LS3/G96 turbo box with a mild cam and a tune. Of course this would be dependent on getting the car at a reasonable cost in the first place.
Good luck
Graham
Maybe find the car you like regardless of the engine/box and then give it a transplant, I'd go LS3/G96 turbo box with a mild cam and a tune. Of course this would be dependent on getting the car at a reasonable cost in the first place.
Good luck
Graham
Graham-P said:
If you're going for a mostly track day car then you need to take into consideration the noise level of the exhaust, as most will not get past the static test although the drive by shouldn't be too much of problem.
Maybe find the car you like regardless of the engine/box and then give it a transplant, I'd go LS3/G96 turbo box with a mild cam and a tune. Of course this would be dependent on getting the car at a reasonable cost in the first place.
Good luck
Graham
Coming from TVR's noise is always high on the agenda[i even have my own meter] and lots of it! Both the LS and SP6 run decatted straight through systems and are well over 115db Maybe find the car you like regardless of the engine/box and then give it a transplant, I'd go LS3/G96 turbo box with a mild cam and a tune. Of course this would be dependent on getting the car at a reasonable cost in the first place.
Good luck
Graham
I run silly cans at all circuits just scraping through at Spa a couple of weeks ago with a 104.5 limit was 105. I noticed the factory do tame end cans and JP could make me a bespoke set!
Thanks for the advice
The 350 with the silly cans on the back
As a bit of a lurker on here who's kept looking at the classifieds over the last couple of years wondering whether to take the plunge, if my memory serves me correctly wasn't that mjpmarks car? I'm sure it came up for sale virtually as soon as he built it about a year ago? I seem to remember he had a build site, but I can't find it anywhere.Personally I really like it,don't know anything about the quality of build, but I seem to remember a conversation on here where he suggested he'd spent 100k on parts!
sjc said:
As a bit of a lurker on here who's kept looking at the classifieds over the last couple of years wondering whether to take the plunge, if my memory serves me correctly wasn't that mjpmarks car? I'm sure it came up for sale virtually as soon as he built it about a year ago? I seem to remember he had a build site, but I can't find it anywhere.Personally I really like it,don't know anything about the quality of build, but I seem to remember a conversation on here where he suggested he'd spent 100k on parts!
Yes - you are correct.I think Mark wanted a car with more of a production type feel and the Ultima is not that animal. I also believe he had about three different interiors. After all the mucking about and money spent I think he just felt the car did not meet his needs.
sjc said:
As a bit of a lurker on here who's kept looking at the classifieds over the last couple of years wondering whether to take the plunge, if my memory serves me correctly wasn't that mjpmarks car? I'm sure it came up for sale virtually as soon as he built it about a year ago? I seem to remember he had a build site, but I can't find it anywhere.Personally I really like it,don't know anything about the quality of build, but I seem to remember a conversation on here where he suggested he'd spent 100k on parts!
Yes - you are correct.I think Mark wanted a car with more of a production type feel and the Ultima is not that animal. I also believe he had about three different interiors. After all the mucking about and money spent I think he just felt the car did not meet his needs.
Ahh my baby still causing a stir. Good to see she's still about.
The wheels to be fair guys, are still the best bit ;>
Never did it for me i have to say, not because the car is bad, simply just wasnt what i was after, and too much ahd to be changed to make it work. As an Ultima it works just fine. Change the wheels and interior and she is still an Ultima.
Kyle did the build. Ill leave my thoughts on that there.
Anything you need to know feel free to ask. (DHGTR) Dave hows she running, had many outings this year?
Oh i got a pathetic price, trust me!!!!
The wheels to be fair guys, are still the best bit ;>
Never did it for me i have to say, not because the car is bad, simply just wasnt what i was after, and too much ahd to be changed to make it work. As an Ultima it works just fine. Change the wheels and interior and she is still an Ultima.
Kyle did the build. Ill leave my thoughts on that there.
Anything you need to know feel free to ask. (DHGTR) Dave hows she running, had many outings this year?
Oh i got a pathetic price, trust me!!!!
I'm also getting close to scratching that itch... and fairly critical what I want... LS motor track proof, track day noise headers / performance headers, heat protected (live in South France), G96 Gt2 spec strengthened gear box, simple lightweight dash (stack dash like my Cat R500 is my preferred option otherwise factory standard spec, stereo waste of time, front splitter included preferred, build quality and history to name a few. Looking for a bargain on a LS motor then being extravagant on the upgraded bits!
Ult-jim
Ult-jim
Edited by Ult-Jim on Friday 13th April 20:58
Edited by Ult-Jim on Friday 13th April 21:01
Mark
Your pistonhead email does not allow me to send you a message? Whats the best way of asking a couple of questions?
Thanks
Barrie
Your pistonhead email does not allow me to send you a message? Whats the best way of asking a couple of questions?
Thanks
Barrie
Mjpmark said:
Ahh my baby still causing a stir. Good to see she's still about.
The wheels to be fair guys, are still the best bit ;>
Never did it for me i have to say, not because the car is bad, simply just wasnt what i was after, and too much ahd to be changed to make it work. As an Ultima it works just fine. Change the wheels and interior and she is still an Ultima.
Kyle did the build. Ill leave my thoughts on that there.
Anything you need to know feel free to ask. (DHGTR) Dave hows she running, had many outings this year?
Oh i got a pathetic price, trust me!!!!
The wheels to be fair guys, are still the best bit ;>
Never did it for me i have to say, not because the car is bad, simply just wasnt what i was after, and too much ahd to be changed to make it work. As an Ultima it works just fine. Change the wheels and interior and she is still an Ultima.
Kyle did the build. Ill leave my thoughts on that there.
Anything you need to know feel free to ask. (DHGTR) Dave hows she running, had many outings this year?
Oh i got a pathetic price, trust me!!!!
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