Discussion
Nothing as the 500 in Chimaera spec is the same as 500HC.
Caused by rapid changes in the Griff 500 spec before it hit the streets. TVR said it would have a 500 325 bhp spec but when it appeareed ot had a 500HC spec with 340 bhp.
Chimeara owners have used the HC on the 500 in an effort to make their car just that bit special but it is not relevant. Yours is only a 500 (engine plate), mines a 500HC therfroe it is worth an extra £4000/5000 etc.
The Chimaera 400 and 400HC are different with a high lift cam and gas porting on the innerds.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Caused by rapid changes in the Griff 500 spec before it hit the streets. TVR said it would have a 500 325 bhp spec but when it appeareed ot had a 500HC spec with 340 bhp.
Chimeara owners have used the HC on the 500 in an effort to make their car just that bit special but it is not relevant. Yours is only a 500 (engine plate), mines a 500HC therfroe it is worth an extra £4000/5000 etc.
The Chimaera 400 and 400HC are different with a high lift cam and gas porting on the innerds.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
).The 4.3s came with a different cam but the hot 4.3 BV had all sorts of tweaks done to them. mainly for the Griff but there are the odd special 4.3 BV Chim out there.
Also don't believe all the stories about BHP. The only consistent thing is that they all had some.
There is a cam list going through what TVR usulaly fitted in the bible 2 but I can't remember which is which.
Basically 400 is bottom of the tree 4.3 /400HC is next rung up (some say 4.3 is better) then the 4.3 BV, then the 4.5 and then the 5 litre. Usual disclaimers apply.
Steve
Also don't believe all the stories about BHP. The only consistent thing is that they all had some.
There is a cam list going through what TVR usulaly fitted in the bible 2 but I can't remember which is which.
Basically 400 is bottom of the tree 4.3 /400HC is next rung up (some say 4.3 is better) then the 4.3 BV, then the 4.5 and then the 5 litre. Usual disclaimers apply.
Steve
No not really. You need to see the valve sizes. There are only a few (like I know of 2) 4.3 BV Chimpari as most people went for the 500 version. Some may have been modified afterwards but I would expect to see some paperwork. If you have a 4.3 and no other paperwork then I would reckon that it is a 4.3 and not a BV.
Alternatively you could buy a 4.3BV plate for a tenner and pretend. There were/are a few "BV" Griffs that were modifed that way...
Alternatively you could buy a 4.3BV plate for a tenner and pretend. There were/are a few "BV" Griffs that were modifed that way...
Cheers Steve. I only know one other 4.3 well, and when he wanted to spend money on the engine (all sorts of upgrades) at an engine place in Thurrock he was told he already had most of it there! BV's and cam etc. So it didn't cost him so much 
So how come TVR quote an extra 40bhp for just 300cc? or do you suspect this is actually for the BV engines?
p.s - sorry for so many open Q's
So how come TVR quote an extra 40bhp for just 300cc? or do you suspect this is actually for the BV engines?
p.s - sorry for so many open Q's
All 4.3s were ported and had hotter than standard cams (most had Kent 214), but valves were vitesse as 4.0L , the 4.3BV had hotter cam and very big valves (as per griff 500) however BHP is similar.
to make use of the big valves on engine this size you would need some serious induction and a cam happy to rev above 6000 rpm, both of which the TVR engine didn't have.
Tim
to make use of the big valves on engine this size you would need some serious induction and a cam happy to rev above 6000 rpm, both of which the TVR engine didn't have.
Tim
my pleasure.To be honest I thought you were referring to the 40 bhp increase for a BV over a plain 4.3 and that is simply due to the internal design.
What is also interesting is that many so called BV engines have been given that status because the Vitesse valves were mistakenly assumed to be the BV ones because they were bigger than standard.... Or that the porting work that was optionally available was mistaken for some of the additional care and attention that the genuine BV cars had done. I must get about at least 6 owners every year say to me that they have discovered that their 4.3 car is a BV.... Either there is an octane fairy or a lot of the claims are mistaken.
So while the number of Griffs and Chimaeras decreases year on year, the number of "factory original BV" cars increases. Draw your own conclusion but the chances are that your car is plain vanilla 4.3 and I would not be surprised that the other one could well be as well.
BTW be careful with the TVR Power figures as they don't match what you see on a rolling road - different ways of measuring. A 4 litre car may only put out 200-210 bhp and the 4.3 about 230-240 ish. A 300cc increase on a 4 litre car is roughly 9% which means that take a 210 and add 18-19 and you are close to 4.3 territory. So in practice that 300 cc increase can actually account for the power increases. The BV version gets a bigger kick because of the other work.
What is also interesting is that many so called BV engines have been given that status because the Vitesse valves were mistakenly assumed to be the BV ones because they were bigger than standard.... Or that the porting work that was optionally available was mistaken for some of the additional care and attention that the genuine BV cars had done. I must get about at least 6 owners every year say to me that they have discovered that their 4.3 car is a BV.... Either there is an octane fairy or a lot of the claims are mistaken.
So while the number of Griffs and Chimaeras decreases year on year, the number of "factory original BV" cars increases. Draw your own conclusion but the chances are that your car is plain vanilla 4.3 and I would not be surprised that the other one could well be as well.
BTW be careful with the TVR Power figures as they don't match what you see on a rolling road - different ways of measuring. A 4 litre car may only put out 200-210 bhp and the 4.3 about 230-240 ish. A 300cc increase on a 4 litre car is roughly 9% which means that take a 210 and add 18-19 and you are close to 4.3 territory. So in practice that 300 cc increase can actually account for the power increases. The BV version gets a bigger kick because of the other work.
Cheers Steve. Tried to send this Sat morn but had a bit of "pc trouble" (that Bill Gates has more to answer for than Pete Wheeler ever will!). Anyway......I'm not talking about RR figures or even actual power outputs. Just what TVR quote - even the owners handbook states 280bhp for "Engine 4.3". As I said I'm not talking about actuals, but TVR didn't make this up so how did they justify a significant increase for just 328cc more? I think Tim had the answer and I reckon the BV versions were a step up from this figure but never quoted.
Any good?
p.s. - the other one I knew could not have had any bigger valves fitted - the dustbin lids in there were almost touching eachother!
Any good?
p.s. - the other one I knew could not have had any bigger valves fitted - the dustbin lids in there were almost touching eachother!
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