Griffith is a cruiser?
Discussion
Hi all
Looking for discussion, slightly contentious. Having had 6 TVRs over 40 years, plus racing cars and motorbikes as long. Should we acknowledge that a Griff is now a classic for driving slowly and sounding nice? I see lots of posts on performance, but, we should acknowledge that the Griff is old tech and the best use is to enjoy classic status, cruise and make a nice noise! If you want to go fast get a modern car. My wife’s Peugeot 208 is much faster cross country, drives like it is on rails!
So, surely we,should be focusing on how to make a Griff drive smoothly at low revs and handle safely, not on cams for power at top end?
Ready for lively discussion!
Best
Nic
Yr 2000 Griff 500 in Rolex Blue.
Looking for discussion, slightly contentious. Having had 6 TVRs over 40 years, plus racing cars and motorbikes as long. Should we acknowledge that a Griff is now a classic for driving slowly and sounding nice? I see lots of posts on performance, but, we should acknowledge that the Griff is old tech and the best use is to enjoy classic status, cruise and make a nice noise! If you want to go fast get a modern car. My wife’s Peugeot 208 is much faster cross country, drives like it is on rails!
So, surely we,should be focusing on how to make a Griff drive smoothly at low revs and handle safely, not on cams for power at top end?
Ready for lively discussion!
Best
Nic
Yr 2000 Griff 500 in Rolex Blue.
Classic, fairly comfortable, great noise, and quick but still slow enough to be comprehensively beaten down a windy road or round a track by most modern hot hatches - all true! Still a sports car in my book, just one that is 30 years old in manufacture, arguably older in design, and needs to be considered in that context.
Here’s a related question - if you could press a magic button and your Griff suddenly transforms to have a modern feeling chassis with grip and brakes to match, would you? I don’t think I would, as much as I enjoy modern sports cars it’d just feel odd!
Here’s a related question - if you could press a magic button and your Griff suddenly transforms to have a modern feeling chassis with grip and brakes to match, would you? I don’t think I would, as much as I enjoy modern sports cars it’d just feel odd!
Assume you don't mind Chim owners joining the conversation 
I bought mine because it's analogue, if I'd bought some modern fast car I'd most likely drive it fast everywhere but a TVR is something to savour. It's great to cruise in with that V8 noise and when you want to play it's fast enough that you have to pay attention.
Wouldn't swap mine for any modern car.
Just waiting for them to stop gritting the roads
I bought mine because it's analogue, if I'd bought some modern fast car I'd most likely drive it fast everywhere but a TVR is something to savour. It's great to cruise in with that V8 noise and when you want to play it's fast enough that you have to pay attention.
Wouldn't swap mine for any modern car.
Just waiting for them to stop gritting the roads
I remember getting tailed by a diesel Golf in my Griff 500 down the twisty back road to our village, he was there with me all the way 
Maybe I wasn't trying hard enough but I handed in my TVR badge of honour that day and reverted to relaxed but noisy cruising so I would never have to live down the shame ever again.
Maybe I wasn't trying hard enough but I handed in my TVR badge of honour that day and reverted to relaxed but noisy cruising so I would never have to live down the shame ever again.
It's still a fast car, if only in a straight line. Still has the ability to surprise some.
When posts mention more modern machinery, I presume they mean VERY modern. I haven't noticed many cars at £20k or less that do 0-60 in 4.1s ?? WRX or EVO import cars maybe but they aren't modern, or hatches. A Golf R was faster than my 4.0 litre Chimaera I found out
, but not a Griff.... 
Still has the ability to surprise some.When posts mention more modern machinery, I presume they mean VERY modern. I haven't noticed many cars at £20k or less that do 0-60 in 4.1s ?? WRX or EVO import cars maybe but they aren't modern, or hatches. A Golf R was faster than my 4.0 litre Chimaera I found out
, but not a Griff.... I find my Griff to be fun at any speed. It's great to be able to drive something that doesn't need to be going at silly speeds to be exciting.
I've not had the urge or confidence to find its limits on the road as it's too precious to risk losing it. So yes, I mostly settle into the comfy seat and bumble along, interspersed with some leg stretching in 2nd and 3rd on the straights.
I've not had the urge or confidence to find its limits on the road as it's too precious to risk losing it. So yes, I mostly settle into the comfy seat and bumble along, interspersed with some leg stretching in 2nd and 3rd on the straights.
Hi, yes, give me a wooden steering wheel any day! To be honest, going fast on the road is a losing battle, too many cars, too many policemen (well, cameras). So, slow and nice noise good option.
To sound briefly like an old git, had my first TVR in 1980, a 1976 3000M in silver. Tall tires, plenty of torque. You could tail slide on demand, long before top gear! Every mini roundabout was used for 2nd gear tail slides. Even in towns! Never got stopped. Those were the days…
Nic
To sound briefly like an old git, had my first TVR in 1980, a 1976 3000M in silver. Tall tires, plenty of torque. You could tail slide on demand, long before top gear! Every mini roundabout was used for 2nd gear tail slides. Even in towns! Never got stopped. Those were the days…
Nic
Plenty of info on here and the various FB groups as well as other online sites on getting the TVR RV8 to run and pull smoothly from idle.
Indeed, I would say most TVR owners who decide to 'tune' go down the smooth, pull evenly throughout the revs route rather than creating a screaming monster that only works north of 4000rpm (not that there aren't those that do want this).
I also think this is true when it comes to chassis set up too. Most go for comfort / fast road rather than fast road / performance.
You just have to see how many 'refuse' to do trackdays against how popular mini tours in the UK (or further) are.
I suspect the OP is starting to realise what most already know. Whilst it can be ferocious, the Griffith (and other TVRs) are only as fast as you [want to] push the loud pedal
Indeed, I would say most TVR owners who decide to 'tune' go down the smooth, pull evenly throughout the revs route rather than creating a screaming monster that only works north of 4000rpm (not that there aren't those that do want this).
I also think this is true when it comes to chassis set up too. Most go for comfort / fast road rather than fast road / performance.
You just have to see how many 'refuse' to do trackdays against how popular mini tours in the UK (or further) are.
I suspect the OP is starting to realise what most already know. Whilst it can be ferocious, the Griffith (and other TVRs) are only as fast as you [want to] push the loud pedal
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