LS3 In a Cerbera
Discussion
OMG I never thought this could happen to me as I seem to be the biggest fan of the S6 in the Cerbera... But after being taken for a spin by Paul Black in his monstrous LS9 Sag i seem to have been bitten by the American bug!
Thinking of going down this road... Anyone else??
Feel free to share thoughts and experiences. My biggest concern at the moment is aesthetics as the LS3 Cerb (converted 4.2AJP) did not look very nice under the bonnet
Thinking of going down this road... Anyone else??
Feel free to share thoughts and experiences. My biggest concern at the moment is aesthetics as the LS3 Cerb (converted 4.2AJP) did not look very nice under the bonnet
Thats exactly what were in middle of doing. Picture of engine below - see http://tvrengineer.co.uk/ for build progress.
Bit of a difference between an LS3 and the LS9 in Paul Blacks car?!?.....its not just any old LS9 !....I have been around Bruntingthorpe in Paul`s Sag a couple of times with him and it is awesome, the torque is amazing. I think if your looking at going the LS route then the cost of it needs investigating very carefully.
Ok not a Cerb but..
I have completed my own DIY LS Conversion into a Chimaera
Its now a 6.3 Fully Forged, Twin Turbo with a 6 Speed Box.
Its addictive stuff the LS and the noise is INSANE!!!!
Really enjoyed doing it..All built in a poxy single garage where I also took the body off...
LS all the way GO FOR IT
I have completed my own DIY LS Conversion into a Chimaera
Its now a 6.3 Fully Forged, Twin Turbo with a 6 Speed Box.
Its addictive stuff the LS and the noise is INSANE!!!!
Really enjoyed doing it..All built in a poxy single garage where I also took the body off...
LS all the way GO FOR IT
neal1980 said:
Ok not a Cerb but..
I have completed my own DIY LS Conversion into a Chimaera
Its now a 6.3 Fully Forged, Twin Turbo with a 6 Speed Box.
Its addictive stuff the LS and the noise is INSANE!!!!
Really enjoyed doing it..All built in a poxy single garage where I also took the body off...
LS all the way GO FOR IT
See.. LS in a Chimp I agree with.. It's just a better version of the RV8!I have completed my own DIY LS Conversion into a Chimaera
Its now a 6.3 Fully Forged, Twin Turbo with a 6 Speed Box.
Its addictive stuff the LS and the noise is INSANE!!!!
Really enjoyed doing it..All built in a poxy single garage where I also took the body off...
LS all the way GO FOR IT
Here's my take on it...
I've now been fortunate enough to experience the following big power TVR's:
1. a1rak's supercharged AJP8 Cerbera
2. Macdeb's 450hp turbocharged Rover V8 Chimaera
3. Sonnylad's 6.3 litre LS engined Cerbera
All amazing cars, all mind bendingly fast, all a credit to their owner's, but without any shadow of a doubt the LS engined car was the one for me.
While the LS Cerbera matched the power of the turbo Rover V8 car and was probably a bit down on the supercharged AJP8 one, the truth is on the road there would be nothing to separate them. But the LS engined car was definitely the one you'd want to keep and use on a regular basis.
No TVR could ever be described as sensible, so a modified TVR like the above three examples is really taking things to the extreme. But it was the LS engined car that felt the most refined and OEM while still being stupidly powerful at the same time.
From my experience it's very very hard to beat the combination of a modern 6.3 litre normally aspirated V8 engine in a TVR
All the above is just my personal opinion you understand, but after experiencing three different ways to create a big horsepower TVR I wouldn't think twice about selecting the LS option
I've now been fortunate enough to experience the following big power TVR's:
1. a1rak's supercharged AJP8 Cerbera
2. Macdeb's 450hp turbocharged Rover V8 Chimaera
3. Sonnylad's 6.3 litre LS engined Cerbera
All amazing cars, all mind bendingly fast, all a credit to their owner's, but without any shadow of a doubt the LS engined car was the one for me.
While the LS Cerbera matched the power of the turbo Rover V8 car and was probably a bit down on the supercharged AJP8 one, the truth is on the road there would be nothing to separate them. But the LS engined car was definitely the one you'd want to keep and use on a regular basis.
No TVR could ever be described as sensible, so a modified TVR like the above three examples is really taking things to the extreme. But it was the LS engined car that felt the most refined and OEM while still being stupidly powerful at the same time.
From my experience it's very very hard to beat the combination of a modern 6.3 litre normally aspirated V8 engine in a TVR
All the above is just my personal opinion you understand, but after experiencing three different ways to create a big horsepower TVR I wouldn't think twice about selecting the LS option
Edited by ChimpOnGas on Thursday 22 October 09:41
ChimpOnGas said:
Here's my take on it...
I've now been fortunate enough to experience the following big power TVR's:
1. a1rak's supercharged AJP8 Cerbera
2. Macdeb's 450hp turbocharged Rover V8 Chimaera
3. Sonnylad's 6.3 litre LS engined Cerbera
All amazing cars, all mind bendingly fast, all a credit to their owner's, but without any shadow of a doubt the LS engined car was the one for me.
While the LS Cerbera matched the power of the turbo Rover V8 car and was probably a bit down on the supercharged AJP8 one, the truth is on the road there would be nothing to separate them. But the LS engined car was definitely the one you'd want to keep and use on a regular basis.
No TVR could ever be described as sensible, so a modified TVR like the above three examples is really taking things to the extreme. But it was the LS engined car that felt the most refined and OEM while still being stupidly powerful at the same time.
From my experience it's very very hard to beat the combination of a modern 6.3 litre normally aspirated V8 engine in a TVR
All the above is just my personal opinion you understand, but after experiencing three different ways to create a big horsepower TVR I wouldn't think twice about selecting the LS option
Being refined and sensible ISN'T what a Cerb is about though.. The AJPV8 is brash, loud, brutal and a little uncouth. Exactly how it should be! If I wanted fast and refined I'd drop an LS in a BMW.I've now been fortunate enough to experience the following big power TVR's:
1. a1rak's supercharged AJP8 Cerbera
2. Macdeb's 450hp turbocharged Rover V8 Chimaera
3. Sonnylad's 6.3 litre LS engined Cerbera
All amazing cars, all mind bendingly fast, all a credit to their owner's, but without any shadow of a doubt the LS engined car was the one for me.
While the LS Cerbera matched the power of the turbo Rover V8 car and was probably a bit down on the supercharged AJP8 one, the truth is on the road there would be nothing to separate them. But the LS engined car was definitely the one you'd want to keep and use on a regular basis.
No TVR could ever be described as sensible, so a modified TVR like the above three examples is really taking things to the extreme. But it was the LS engined car that felt the most refined and OEM while still being stupidly powerful at the same time.
From my experience it's very very hard to beat the combination of a modern 6.3 litre normally aspirated V8 engine in a TVR
All the above is just my personal opinion you understand, but after experiencing three different ways to create a big horsepower TVR I wouldn't think twice about selecting the LS option
Edited by ChimpOnGas on Thursday 22 October 09:41
Jhonno said:
Being refined and sensible ISN'T what a Cerb is about though.. The AJPV8 is brash, loud, brutal and a little uncouth. Exactly how it should be! If I wanted fast and refined I'd drop an LS in a BMW.
Wrong!I think you've misunderstood "refined and sensible" here.
Putting an LS in a TVR doesn't remove the unique character of a TVR, it enhances it
The LS is exactly the engine to put in a TVR, trust me I've tried a few different ways of doing things.
The AJP8 is an iconic engine for sure and I totally agree there is a very strong argument to keep it on the grounds of originality and charterer.
But nobody can deny it also comes with some less than desirable traits, traits that don't always sit well with the guy who actually wants to use his TVR.
For sure there's a place for both, but for me the LS wins hands down on so many levels it becomes the no-brainer choice.
ChimpOnGas said:
Jhonno said:
Being refined and sensible ISN'T what a Cerb is about though.. The AJPV8 is brash, loud, brutal and a little uncouth. Exactly how it should be! If I wanted fast and refined I'd drop an LS in a BMW.
Wrong!I think you've misunderstood "refined and sensible" here.
Putting an LS in a TVR doesn't remove the unique character of a TVR, it enhances it
The LS is exactly the engine to put in a TVR, trust me I've tried a few different ways of doing things.
The AJP8 is an iconic engine for sure and I totally agree there is a very strong argument to keep it on the grounds of originality and charterer.
But nobody can deny it also comes with some less than desirable traits, traits that don't always sit well with the guy who actually wants to use his TVR.
For sure there's a place for both, but for me the LS wins hands down on so many levels it becomes the no-brainer choice.
An LS removes the unique character of an AJP engine'd Cerb.. I'm not saying the end result is a bad car. The LS is significantly heavier than the AJP I believe.
For a Chimp/Wedge etc, I think an LS is perfect, it keeps the RV8 character with much more power.
Jhonno said:
Less desirable traits? Such as? I can think of short service intervals..
An LS removes the unique character of an AJP engine'd Cerb.. I'm not saying the end result is a bad car. The LS is significantly heavier than the AJP I believe.
For a Chimp/Wedge etc, I think an LS is perfect, it keeps the RV8 character with much more power.
You're probably right, I can only speak from experience and the LS Cerbera was immense.An LS removes the unique character of an AJP engine'd Cerb.. I'm not saying the end result is a bad car. The LS is significantly heavier than the AJP I believe.
For a Chimp/Wedge etc, I think an LS is perfect, it keeps the RV8 character with much more power.
The AJP8 is certainly an iconic engine for many reasons, I remember seeing it in a perspex case at the UK Motor show in 1996 and just staring at its compact symetrical beuty for a good 10 minutes (sad I know).
And you could easily argue replacing the AJP8 with an LS is a but like dropping a big ol yanky V8 in a Ferrari.
In years to come we may well find people return the LS cars to AJP8 as these cars become more valuable, buying a classic car is often about experiencing exactly what the car was from new in its purest unadulterated form.
I totally get that, but I also get the whole LS thing too (in a big way), I guess it's all down to what you want which is why the debate will never find a consensus.
Horses for courses and all that but for me I sit on the side of the LS simply because it adds performance in a totally reliable and easy to maintain package, and I'm definitely someone who likes to use their TVR as much as possible.
Perhaps the answer is to have a Cerbera 4.5 AJP8 in the garage, and stick an LS3 in my Chimaera, best of both worlds as they say
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