Just been for my first drive! :D

[ChrisPap]

Well the car build is covered in it's own topic, but i just went for my first drive in a (my) TVR and it was fun!

Car feels a bit different to everything I've driven before. First impressions: brakes are definitely NOT over assisted, but do work, just have to get used to exerting some pedal effort again! Didn't feel as fast as I thought it would to be honest, I know it's not a torquey engine but I didn't really realise how so until now. Probably also because of the super long throttle travel. It certainly does start shifting once you get the revs above 5 though. Also feels slightly nervous at the rear once you have some speed on, particularly over the bumps.
Traction is excellent. You really have to provoke it to break traction and when you do it seems very progressive breaking away and coming back.

Quite chilly today with the roof center out, and there's no hot air from the vent by my hands, but the rest work (though not that hot) so I'll need to look into that. Oil Temp also took a long time to get above the 60's. Water temp stayed at 80 when moving and just under 90 in traffic. Will have to get used to how it acts and when to panic!

I can see that this is a car that's going to take some time and scare me on the way, rather than jump in it and feel comfortable to push the limits straight away. Should be fun!

[shep1001]

You can alter the pedal set up for the brakes to changes the effort required to apply them.

The screen vents only provide hot air and the other vents should only blow cold air. I would guess you need to alter the heater flap position, via the dash pod

[ShiDevil]

Hi,

Like the conversion mate, lovely colour too, here's a hint though.

Drop it down a gear and give it some beans, on cam, acceleration to make you cackle!

Don't be scared to give it some once it's nicely warmed up, it likes it

Steve

[crazyidea]

Your conversion looks great!!!

Not a torque engine? Only shifts when over 5K? Why drive it under 5k?

Seriously as new to the S6 fold it does take some time to get used to, the edge is a little further up the rev counter than in anything else I have driven but when you get there... big grins and insane laughing because it will tempt you to do things at 5-7k just because you can. Just make sure that you have warm oil before you do.

[Sevenman]

ChrisPap said:

Quite chilly today with the roof center out, and there's no hot air from the vent by my hands, but the rest work (though not that hot)

That is normal. The TVR doesn't mix the hot / cold air. Cold air comes out of the vents facing you, hot air from the vents to windscreen / knees. The temperature control adjusts the mix of that if from windscreen / knees only (full hot) to front vents only (full cold).

My Tamora seemed to be really hot in the cabin until I found out that, even on the cold setting, lots of hot air was coming out of the other vents. I had to go into the menus and adjust the 'flap zero' setting to get this right.

See this bit of Graham Varley's website if it needs adjusting or checking. I found a setting of 16 worked fine for me.

ChrisPap said:

Oil Temp also took a long time to get above the 60's. Water temp stayed at 80 when moving and just under 90 in traffic.

It can, that's why you should hold it against the rev limiter from cold for a couple of minutes. The neighbours like it too.

I did meet someone at a trackday who did that in a Supra to the horror of other drivers. Unsurprisingly I heard that his engine let go a few weeks later.

The temeratures stated sound fine. The usual advice to warming up these engines holds. No point sitting there with the car stationary - start driving as soon as it is started but keep things steady. TrackVRoad gave me the advice of basically RPM less than temp x 100, i.e. no more than 3000 below 30C, 4000 for 40C, 5000 for 50C and then free revs after 60C. A lot of drivers, myself included are more cautious than this.

In the winter the oil temp may struggle to reach 70C, so it is a matter of judgement as to when the engine is 'fully warmed up'.

[ChrisPap]

Cheers guys. As you all suggest, there will need to be some fine tuning and adjustment to get the car how I want it, in terms of controls, pedals, heater setting and whatever else.

There's also going to be an adjustment period to how the car drives and the engine characteristics. I was just a little suprised that it was so different to a normal 'get in and turn the key and drive' car.

I did love the drive though and I can tell it's going to be a blast once I'm used to it. I forgot to say that I was quite impressed with the springing/damping esp on B roads, and the steering felt good. After a long succession of Alfa Romeos (which have brilliant steering) I now find it weird to have to move my hands on the wheel to turn a 90 degree corner like a lot of cars, so the TVR scores points there!

[m3coupe]

Hey Chris, you got the car painted yet? What colour did you go for?