350i or 390i?

[JumboBeef]

OK, I'm still wanting a Wedge. What I do want is a usable car, not a project made from glass. Yes, I know they will all need TLC but I was used to our RRC 1991 3.9 which we recently sold, and we had this for four years and it was used (almost) daily without any major issues.

Anyhoo, looking at 350i or 390i. Motors above these are (I think) a bit above what I want to spend. So, talk to me about the difference between these two. Yes, one is quicker (but in real life, by how much?) and the 390i has different styling. But the 350i is cheaper and I feel (tell me if I'm wrong) the 3.5 is more bullet proof than the 3.9

(I have in the past owned RRC 3.9, LSE 4.2, Disco I 3.9, 110 3.5 and a 88" SIIa 3.5 and have never had engine problems with any of them, however, the 2x 3.5 were noticeably slower than the 3.9s but this might just have been because the engines were older).

Thanks!

[smash]

390SE is 350i with minor tweaks - 400SE is the revised styling. 390SE is TVR's own version of 3.5 taken to 3.9 whereas 400SE is Rovers 3.9 engine with more modern mass airflow system sensor. So....if you'r talkign about a wedge with a Rover 3.9 you should really refer to 400SE to avoid confusion. Confusd?!

[maston]

Having owned a 350i and a 390 SE I can confirm that a 390 is much faster than a 350i

[smash]

Ah OK, didn't realise that - I just thought from the way the OP was talking he was really referring to 400SE (being the different styling) rather than the rarer 390SE that's all

[Wedg1e]

There's no such thing as a 390i. Unless you take a 350i and put a 3.9 engine into it WITHOUT all the other bits

[Wedg1e]

smash said:

390SE is 350i with minor tweaks

If a bored, ported and tuned engine, uprated brakes, limited-slip diff, a whole new set of bolt-on body panels and a different set of wheels is minor, could you explain what you'd call major?

They may be minor tweaks to you but they put about £6500 onto the price of a 350i in 1987, making a 390SE about £3K more expensive than a Sierra Cosworth.

[smash]

Easy Tiger! Read it again - I was talking about the body styling to highlight he was probably talking about the 400SE. Wheels look identical and to those who don't know, the 350i looks similar to 390SE whereas 400SE would look to them totally different. Calm down!

Edited by smash on Friday 8th November 19:26

[Englishman]

Yep, the 390SE is a very different car to 350i in both S1 and S2 guises. The 400SE is basically the same as a 390SE S2 with a modified body and interior. The 450SE is another step up in performance and handling.

[Rockettvr]

JumboBeef said:

Anyhoo, looking at 350i or 390i. Motors above these are (I think) a bit above what I want to spend. So, talk to me about the difference between these two. Yes, one is quicker (but in real life, by how much?)

As regards price I think you'll find that good 390's are going to be priced at considerably more than a 350, probably up there with the larger engined wedges due to the extra performance over the 350 and the rarity of the model. As for performance I can only go by Ian Mastons 390 which definitely has a very noticeable increase in power over a std 350. I'm not sure if all 390's engines are quite as good as Ian's as I believe there was a lot of variation during the models production run
If money is an issue (isn't it always?) then a 350 is a better bet as they are more available and cheaper in comparison. If you have the readies then look for a good 390 for the extra performance.
Good luck with the search

[carob]

smash said:

the 350i looks similar to 390SE whereas 400SE would look to them totally different. Calm down!

Edited by smash on Friday 8th November 19:26

I would definitely say a 390se looks more like a 400se than a 350i. Under body spoiler, boot spoiler & vents in the bonnet. Flared arches more rounded.

Also Wedg1e did tip a wink in his post, which i think is meant to be taken in a friendly way.

Rob

[Wedg1e]

Bobby Shaftoe said:

some of the 350i i test drove had truely diabolical stopping power, i gather there were a few different setups used over the years so they will vary.

Some 390SEs have cr*p brakes as well! My pedal is so hard it's like trying to shove a brick through treacle whilst wearing thick socks and clogs, but the resultant effort down at the wheels is akin to being 3-up on a Raleigh Chopper on a steep cobbled road.
I do have some Princess 4-piston calipers somewhere and one day, before I'm old(er) and grey(er) I'll get them fitted and see if that makes any difference - unleashing 256 horses with no reins is a tad

[Wedg1e]

Bobby Shaftoe said:

Ah i thought all the 390s had the ap 4pots (and hideously expensive brake discs with seperate alloy bells), like a man in orthopedic shoes

I'd get them 4pots fitted if i were you Ian, they are very good, no problems stopping from xxx mph repeatedly with a set of decent fast road/track pads.

Granada vented set-up: put it this way, Jimmy Savile had more feel and Ed Milliband more power

[JumboBeef]

Thanks for the replies.

Sorry for the confusion re: 350/390/400. My question was based on my limited knowledge, which is mostly based on the internet. Pages like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVR_Wedges seem to imply that there is a defined step from 350 > 390.

So it would seem it is worth paying the bit more and going for the 3.9 over the 3.5.

Thanks again.

[adam quantrill]

There is nothing wrong with the 350i stopping power even with standard granny calipers and solid discs. I regularly got mine to do 60-30 in 5m - the seatbelt locks come and your chest really presses against the belts.

If they don't stop quickly it's usually because they aren't used often enough.

[Number 7]

Just to give another alternative for consideration: the 350SE - basically a 25 limited edition 350i with different wheels and a 3.9 motor. Doesn't have the flared arches / vented bonnet / OZ rims / spoilers / dashboard that some variants of the 390se and all of the 400 / 450se models had though.