Top Gear
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siwes

Original Poster:

347 posts

288 months

Tuesday 9th November 2004
quotequote all
I wonder if they would have the B******s on top gear to run that circuit with a T440R or even a Tuscan2 S
I think driven well it would be up there with the Zonda at least, what is it about Top Gear and TVR they should be behind the marque all the way.
In fact I would love to put my sorted Griff up against many of the lap times posted. at 350plus HP there would be not much to catch it , in the dry of course

comments welcome
simon

TimW

3,848 posts

276 months

Tuesday 9th November 2004
quotequote all
Id say ur griff would set a 1:35-40 if your lucky and the stig was driving? Does it have any brake or suspension mods?

ian8542

615 posts

281 months

Tuesday 9th November 2004
quotequote all
TimW said:
Id say ur griff would set a 1:35-40 if your lucky and the stig was driving? Does it have any brake or suspension mods?



I'd be more interested in the engine mods at 350 plus BHP!

Painey

534 posts

285 months

Wednesday 10th November 2004
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I've thought for some time what it'd be like to see a Griff go round their track. I'd be interested to know other people's thoughts but personally I think a well setup Griff with the right tyres could post a pretty reasonable time.Certainly below 1.30 and especially if it's been modded to 350bhp+?? This is presuming the stig would be driving of course!!!

Am I mad to think that?

K67 KRB

221 posts

280 months

Wednesday 10th November 2004
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I think a Griffith would be hard pushed matching the 1:27.5 posted by the T350

siwes

Original Poster:

347 posts

288 months

Wednesday 10th November 2004
quotequote all
Ian8542 the mods have been well documented in many past threads that is a true reading at the wheels.It was a year ago and I have to say the car is a lot smoother now after covering 6000 miles, There have been no mods done to the suspension , not counting new shocks all round new ball joints top and bottom new torsion bar bushes front and rear , oh and new Toyos all round, it can pull a sub 4 second 0-60 if driven well so thats the t350 out of the game.
I really do think the Griff could do very well at that track, in the right hands.
simon

Painey

534 posts

285 months

Wednesday 10th November 2004
quotequote all
siwes said:
Ian8542 the mods have been well documented in many past threads that is a true reading at the wheels.It was a year ago and I have to say the car is a lot smoother now after covering 6000 miles, There have been no mods done to the suspension , not counting new shocks all round new ball joints top and bottom new torsion bar bushes front and rear , oh and new Toyos all round, it can pull a sub 4 second 0-60 if driven well so thats the t350 out of the game.
I really do think the Griff could do very well at that track, in the right hands.
simon


I agree, in the right hands and with the right tyres. By that I mean that if the Griff was wearing similar tyres to what the M3 CSL comes equipped with (can't remember what they are exactly except they're not far off being slicks), then surely it will beat the CSL's time, which from memory is well below 1.30? I've raced a CSL on the track and my standard Griff is definitely quicker, if a lot more of a handful through the bends!!!

All the best - Chris

ian8542

615 posts

281 months

Wednesday 10th November 2004
quotequote all
siwes said:
Ian8542 the mods have been well documented in many past threads that is a true reading at the wheels.It was a year ago and I have to say the car is a lot smoother now after covering 6000 miles, There have been no mods done to the suspension , not counting new shocks all round new ball joints top and bottom new torsion bar bushes front and rear , oh and new Toyos all round, it can pull a sub 4 second 0-60 if driven well so thats the t350 out of the game.
I really do think the Griff could do very well at that track, in the right hands.
simon


The power output you claim is indeed impressive (350BHP plus), particularly at the wheels!
What do the mods consist of as i cannot find any recent threads on this?

siwes

Original Poster:

347 posts

288 months

Wednesday 10th November 2004
quotequote all
Ian8542
from memory as Im in deepest darkest Luanda at the moment
Piper 285 blue printed cam giving a valve lift of 0.45 inches
Two stage 3 fully ported heads ( expensive)
Jaguar XJ12 air flow meter
silicon air hose with ram box
Carbon Fibre trunpets 48mm ( not act)
78mm throttle body again not act
I have fitted a ss exhaust system, the precats are out as well as is the main cat the rear box is still in place
ACT 8 mm HT leads
new Lucas high temp force oil coil ( to my mind these last two items made one hell of a difference for the cost)
new coil amp.
ah nearly forgot a new chip for the ECU and it wasn't a mark adams I can't remember the map maker off hand
The car before all this work and more was done gave a very respectable 321 BHP at 6380 RPM
it gave 350 plus after the mods I say plus as there was some doubt with one of his runs.
the car is awesome ( aren't all Griffs) and Ive nearly killed myself a few times a Tuscan s would not catch me 0-60 that will upset a few people but its the truth.
Its also a bitch to drive lumpy as hell in tickover and traffic, In truth I have taken it too far and it will be going into TVR power for a standard makeover in the new year.
There isn't much more you can do to them unless like that maniac on PH you twin turbo charge them or blow them.
hope this answers some questions
regards Simon

ian8542

615 posts

281 months

Wednesday 10th November 2004
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Sounds very impressive indeed, especially the bog standard power output. Was this also at the wheels?
I notice you are not too far from me in the North west,which rolling road did you use?
Regards
Ian

Shame you can't remember the tuner's name.

siwes

Original Poster:

347 posts

288 months

Thursday 11th November 2004
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orignal test done at www.ccengines.co.uk good rates was some time ago. I aquired the car in Slough so a ffair way to go
simon

siwes

Original Poster:

347 posts

288 months

Thursday 11th November 2004
quotequote all
If i could work out how to get pictures on to this thread I would post some pictures of the love of my life!
any instructions gratefully received
simon

IPAddis

2,518 posts

313 months

Thursday 11th November 2004
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siwes said:

The car before all this work and more was done gave a very respectable 321 BHP at 6380 RPM
it gave 350 plus after the mods I say plus as there was some doubt with one of his runs.


The 30bhp released by your upgrades sounds plausible. However a before reading of 321bhp suggests that the rolling road or engine dyno is optimistic.

Standard output for a 500 is 275bhp on a good day and you can spend a LOT of money getting to 325bhp at the flywheel.

I don't think you meant "at the wheels" either, they sound more like flywheel figures.

Correct me if I'm wrong or course.

Ian A.

K67 KRB

221 posts

280 months

Friday 12th November 2004
quotequote all
Hmm, another thing is your Griff is modified and this is supposed to be for standard vehicles.

If they allowed you car, then it would get silly, with the mad Japenese coming over with there 1000bhp Supras!!!!!

The Typhoon or Sagaris ( if they ever happen ) might be interesting.

Top Gear is basically a show for Clarkson, and he doesn't like Tiv's very much.

siwes

Original Poster:

347 posts

288 months

Saturday 13th November 2004
quotequote all
You don't get much more modified than a 650 hp Zonda my 355 hp Griff is only 15 hp over claimed.
by the way IPaddis if your 500 Griff is only putting out 275 hp then its one of two things

aa it's fg knackered
bb is not a Griff 500 ( may be a rebadged MGF) check and see, there will be 4 cyclinders missing.

simon

davehammerton

809 posts

270 months

Saturday 13th November 2004
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Or

It's the same as everyone elses standard 500!

I thought it was common knowledge that standard Griffs put out around this power?

ian8542

615 posts

281 months

Saturday 13th November 2004
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Ah, now you are accepting the fact that your hypothetical claimed power is at the flywheel not the wheels.
That clears things up!
No standard Griff or Chim 500 makes 340BHP at the crankshaft never mind the wheels. As has been said earlier, 275 is about the best you can get on the HC model.
I personally think you are a Max Power teen with a souped up Nova or something. The Griffith is a car of your dreams!

siwes

Original Poster:

347 posts

288 months

Saturday 13th November 2004
quotequote all
I think you will find that the Serp engines built by TVR power and put on their Dyno. pruduce upwards of the 340 hp claimed in the hand books , I have heard and witnessed 360 hp produced from a "standard" power unit ( there is nothing standard about a TVR engine)
losses in transmission and final drive can count up to 30 HP but its really anyone guess depending on conditions.
Suffice to say TVR's claims are as accurate as any other car or engine manufacturer.
If you are recording 250-275 hp from a 500 serp engine then you better start looking to find out whats wrong.
I have seen one of these engines produce 265 hp at 6200 rpm , a simple air filter and a new set of plugs gave an output of 305 hp at the same revs, so look at your engine.
By the way TVR power deliver a "standard" engine to the factory with all sorts of different cams fitted, different valves and in some cases heads. so you might have been lucky and got a good one. Thats why I say there is no such thing as a standard Griff engine
Simon

siwes

Original Poster:

347 posts

288 months

Saturday 13th November 2004
quotequote all
Ian8542
I have owned many cars in 32 years of driving , cars you could only dream of, certainly the most fun of them all was my Griff which I have owned for over three years
a cobra ( in pieces) sold I might add for 1,890 pounds still in pieces
a 4.2 1968 e-type jag drop head of course
4 lotus , elan , elite 503 ( pity me)
esprit s3 and an essex turbo
a 1967 mini cooper S
MGA
a handful of MG B and GT's oh and a C
and a rare one now a Bora
I won't go on but I do know a bit about cars .

How was your souless XKR ?
CLAIMED 400 HP ha
simon

gerjo

1,627 posts

311 months

Saturday 13th November 2004
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Not going to happen, Simon. The RR you used must have been way off. As said, a good standard 500 will produce around 275 bhp on a well calibrated RR. It takes a lot of upgrades to reach 300-320 bhp. Over that you need a turbocharger or a 5.3 monster. Mind you, 300 real bhp's is plenty in a 1.000 kg car!

siwes said:
I think you will find that the Serp engines built by TVR power and put on their Dyno. pruduce upwards of the 340 hp claimed in the hand books , I have heard and witnessed 360 hp produced from a "standard" power unit ( there is nothing standard about a TVR engine)
losses in transmission and final drive can count up to 30 HP but its really anyone guess depending on conditions.
Suffice to say TVR's claims are as accurate as any other car or engine manufacturer.
If you are recording 250-275 hp from a 500 serp engine then you better start looking to find out whats wrong.
I have seen one of these engines produce 265 hp at 6200 rpm , a simple air filter and a new set of plugs gave an output of 305 hp at the same revs, so look at your engine.
By the way TVR power deliver a "standard" engine to the factory with all sorts of different cams fitted, different valves and in some cases heads. so you might have been lucky and got a good one. Thats why I say there is no such thing as a standard Griff engine
Simon