LS powered TVR's

[GruFFnuTT]

Hi all,

Just thought I'd pop by here and share my thoughts after I drove past a house today in Gosport, Hampshire with a lovely blue (R reg) Cerb parked on the drive with black wheels and I thought... WOW!!! They do look gorgeous even today and are an increasingly rare sight.

I'm still trying to fill the void thats been left by my Monaro VXR (LS2) and I have found myself looking at getting (amongst other things) another TVR and have wandered over to Racing Green on more than one occassion recently. I did own a GTS Viper Blue Tam (Reg Y10TVR) from RG, but I was scared to death of that Speed 6 going pop.

Where do people sit with V8 or Speed 6 Cerbs. Are the V8's generally a safer option and when did the SP6 engines start kicking in?

I met a chap this year at Le Mans with a very stripy Tam with a 6.0 LS2 in it. I thought that was a bloody awesome idea as this is a bomb proof engine in a car that I loved and seems to be the perfect recipe!?

Do these converted cars come up very often? I would be very interested to hear views on the V8 Cerb and LS conversions in general. I would love to be able to own a realtively 'worry free' TVR. Does such a thing even exist???

Cheers guys

GruFF
(Jamie)

[Alexdaredevils]

If you want one, you will most likely have to convert it you're self

There is a LS Griff kicking about some where for sale

[carsy]

Theres a well known LS griff for sale in the Classifieds. Its had a full body off refurb last year, new everything and respray.

[Vee8ight]

I personally don't think the TVR engines are anymore unreliable than other highly tuned engine, IF looked after.

[GruFFnuTT]

Vee8ight said:

I personally don't think the TVR engines are anymore unreliable than other highly tuned engine, IF looked after.

I expect you're absolutely right, but it's the 'IF' that's my probelm! I'd hate to face a bill for an engine out job which seems more prone to the SP6's. I don't really know much about the V8 Tiv's...???

[GruFFnuTT]

Ah yes!!!
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...
Very nice, but rather more exspensive than I was expecting...

[Vee8ight]

GruFFnuTT said:

Vee8ight said:

I personally don't think the TVR engines are anymore unreliable than other highly tuned engine, IF looked after.

I expect you're absolutely right, but it's the 'IF' that's my probelm! I'd hate to face a bill for an engine out job which seems more prone to the SP6's. I don't really know much about the V8 Tiv's...???

And how do you know a LS engine or any other won't fail too?

[Brummmie]

Mines been pretty good and quite useful!

[Alexdaredevils]

GruFFnuTT said:

Ah yes!!!
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...
Very nice, but rather more exspensive than I was expecting...

He is practically giving it away!

A Cerb with the same restoration/engine as that griff will be more money

[GruFFnuTT]

Vee8ight said:

GruFFnuTT said:

Vee8ight said:

I personally don't think the TVR engines are anymore unreliable than other highly tuned engine, IF looked after.

I expect you're absolutely right, but it's the 'IF' that's my probelm! I'd hate to face a bill for an engine out job which seems more prone to the SP6's. I don't really know much about the V8 Tiv's...???

And how do you know a LS engine or any other won't fail too?

I dont, but just look at the number of TVR's with engine rebuilds... Pretty worrying really!? I'm not trying to discredit TVR's or their engines. I'm a TVR fan!!! It's just that the LS engines seem to only go pop when they have an over boosted blower on them. I've not heard of any total failures and it's a power plant that sits in a mass produced environment globally (GM).

[camel_landy]

'kin ell... That pretty much makes the Grif a daily driver in my books.

M

[Brummmie]

Alexdaredevils said:

He is practically giving it away!

A Cerb with the same restoration/engine as that griff will be more money

If as and when, I sell mine I will actually say it has been tracked, and for any money you pretty much can't go any faster!

[Tanguero]

GruFFnuTT said:

...it's a power plant that sits in a mass produced environment globally (GM).

Which is exactly the reason that I would never under any circumstances put one in a Cerbera.

A V8 Cerbera is a unique car precisely because of the engine. It is the only road car ever to have that engine and in my personal opinion it is an inextricable part of the identity of the car. Some others will disagree, however many - even most - owners feel that if you put any other engine in a V8 Cerbera it looses so much of its essential character that it is no longer fit to be called a Cerbera.

Yes I have seen and ridden in an LS powered car, it was a beautiful piece of engineering and doubtles more powerful and tractable than a standard AJP powered car, however I would never do it to a Cerbera that I owned as it completely and utterly changes the car.

[Alexdaredevils]

Brummmie said:

for any money you pretty much can't go any faster!

Why sell then?!

[Brummmie]

Tanguero said:

Which is exactly the reason that I would never under any circumstances put one in a Cerbera.

A V8 Cerbera is a unique car precisely because of the engine. It is the only road car ever to have that engine and in my personal opinion it is an inextricable part of the identity of the car. Some others will disagree, however many - even most - owners feel that if you put any other engine in a V8 Cerbera it looses so much of its essential character that it is no longer fit to be called a Cerbera.

Yes I have seen and ridden in an LS powered car, it was a beautiful piece of engineering and doubtles more powerful and tractable than a standard AJP powered car, however I would never do it to a Cerbera that I owned as it completely and utterly changes the car.

Come to Silverstone on the 16th next month, lets see what 6.9 Ltrs on throttle bodies that revs higher than your AJP does to your soul, really come and try it....

[tvrolet]

GruFFnuTT said:

I would love to be able to own a realtively 'worry free' TVR. Does such a thing even exist???

So would I.

As soon as you want to get some decent power even the Chevrolet powered (Small Block and LS) engines are not immune from going pop Arguably a standard create motor might be real robust, but its a slippery slope because there are so many ways to 'easily' boost the power.

[Brummmie]

Alexdaredevils said:

Why sell then?!

Didn't say I was, but life/death does get in the way..

[Tanguero]

Brummmie said:

Come to Silverstone on the 16th next month, lets see what 6.9 Ltrs on throttle bodies that revs higher than your AJP does to your soul, really come and try it....

I have tried it. I said so. I don't doubt the power and competence of the combination at all, I have experienced first hand in blackiepauls Sagaris. I agree it is awesome.

However it is different to an AJP and for me, that particular engine is why I bought the car. Without it, it may be jawdroppingly fast, but it not a Cerbera.

[Brummmie]

Tanguero said:

I have tried it. I said so. I don't doubt the power and competence of the combination at all, I have experienced first hand in blackiepauls Sagaris. I agree it is awesome.

However it is different to an AJP and for me, that particular engine is why I bought the car. Without it, it may be jawdroppingly fast, but it not a Cerbera.

You tried one way of skinning the cat!...

[gruffalo]

I have also tried it and hated it, just completely the wrong feel.

TVR never user an LS in a ny car therefore putting an LS in a TVR stops it being a TVR.