Al Melling way is the only way
Al Melling way is the only way
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Discussion

SEN 18

Original Poster:

1,247 posts

242 months

Sunday 3rd June 2007
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This months Sprint interview with the Guru says it all for me.If only his bid had been the one to have won, a true Brit in every sense of the word.


Edited by SEN 18 on Sunday 3rd June 20:04

The AJP Griff

4,360 posts

285 months

Sunday 3rd June 2007
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Al melling is certainly a contraversial character,and for that reason alone he might have suited as the new owner of TVR!Some say he's just a very clever talker,and others say he's a great engineer.I cant make up my mind presonallyscratchchin

anonymous-user

84 months

Sunday 3rd June 2007
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rofl

rev-erend

21,623 posts

314 months

Sunday 3rd June 2007
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It certainly was a great interview - so well done to the TVR CC for having the gumption for printing it.

He sure did plenty for TVR in the couple of years he was there and it's a real shame TVR and Melling parted company so badly - I thing the S6 would have turned out much different had things been better between them and who knows what else would have followed.

He would have made a superb owner of TVR - he is one of the few that I know of to have actually made a small fortune in the motor industry - rather than loosing one
and reading the interview - sounds like he did his homework - which seems to be more than the present owner.. who ever it is this week seems to have done.

Ireland

3,517 posts

244 months

Monday 4th June 2007
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My copy hasn't arrived yet.

I'll read all about it during the coming week.

DonnyMac

3,634 posts

233 months

Monday 4th June 2007
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Do they publish Sprint online?

trackcar

6,453 posts

256 months

Monday 4th June 2007
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So let me get this right? there's an article in Sprint that shows TVR in a truer light? Does this mean the end of the TVRCC pandering to the factory (well you know what I mean) in it's magazine? Unbiased, unP-C reporting in Sprint at last? Well bless their little cotton socks smile

rev-erend

21,623 posts

314 months

Monday 4th June 2007
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trackcar said:
So let me get this right? there's an article in Sprint that shows TVR in a truer light? Does this mean the end of the TVRCC pandering to the factory (well you know what I mean) in it's magazine? Unbiased, unP-C reporting in Sprint at last? Well bless their little cotton socks smile
I think that's just the difference between Howard and Derek.


anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 4th June 2007
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rev-erend said:
trackcar said:
So let me get this right? there's an article in Sprint that shows TVR in a truer light? Does this mean the end of the TVRCC pandering to the factory (well you know what I mean) in it's magazine? Unbiased, unP-C reporting in Sprint at last? Well bless their little cotton socks smile
I think that's just the difference between Howard and Derek.
yes Not a smug grin in sight this issue.

macdeb

8,759 posts

285 months

Monday 4th June 2007
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I'm with the author and rev-erend on this.

alderley

184 posts

263 months

Monday 4th June 2007
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trackcar said:
So let me get this right? there's an article in Sprint that shows TVR in a truer light? Does this mean the end of the TVRCC pandering to the factory (well you know what I mean) in it's magazine? Unbiased, unP-C reporting in Sprint at last? Well bless their little cotton socks smile
There is no longer a factory to upset surely. I am all for calling a spade a spade too but then I'm a northerner!

bosscerbera

8,188 posts

273 months

Tuesday 5th June 2007
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The AJP Griff said:
Al melling is certainly a contraversial character,and for that reason alone he might have suited as the new owner of TVR!Some say he's just a very clever talker,and others say he's a great engineer.I cant make up my mind presonallyscratchchin
You can drive a cart and horses through much of what Melling has to say. For instance:
- The oil filter moved to the other side of the engine ...any chance of a diagram to show where it went relative to the exhaust manifolds then?
- Camshaft offset (or not) limiting power to "no way that engine will ever be able to produce more than 340bhp". Oh really? There's plenty of proof to the contrary already driving about.
- "...no way those engines will give anything like reasonable power with cast iron crankshafts" ... "Engines were designed to have EN408 billet crankshafts" ... "...special con rod material". How does this fit with "an engine that would cost less to build than a Rover". Shirley a failure at first base then Al? The only limiting factor with the cast crank is the RPM ceiling - but the 4 litre displacement in a 220mm deck height imposes RPM limits anyway (due to piston speed), ergo the cast crank is not the problem per se, and neither is the RPM limit necessarily.

TVR's engineers state that Melling's design was flawed. Catch mentions of Melling's other engines (inc. the referenced racing Jaguar engines) in various engine books and this is a recurring theme. Melling's allegations that TVR's changes introduced flaws are disingenuous, particularly with regard to the inference that his prototypes were flawless.

Whatever, like the reporting of Adam Burdette's plans last month, the Melling interview is another wonderful record of a statement from the horse's mouth.

[X Files]The truth is out there[/X Files]

Wilder

1,509 posts

239 months

Tuesday 5th June 2007
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The service engineers at the factory said the brains who really deserves the credit for the AJP engines was John Ravensocroft not Al Melling -- if so, maybe this relates to Phils comments....

wedgeman

1,326 posts

273 months

Tuesday 5th June 2007
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bosscerbera said:
Whatever, like the reporting of Adam Burdette's plans last month, the Melling interview is another wonderful record of a statement from the horse's mouth.
Well, yes it is Phil because that's what interviews are...

The interview isn't an article written by the Sprint team, or the opinion of the TVR Car Club; it is an interview with an engine designer. You are not necessarily meant to agree with it - it is merely Al Melling's opinion.

If you would like to put your point of view I can happily make a few pages available in next month's issue for you to reply.

Cheers - Howard

pistolar

1,474 posts

298 months

Tuesday 5th June 2007
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Fantastic job Howard!!

Now that the club are not brown nosing around the factory because they were scared that the "back home" events may get cancelled., We are reading proper articles by informed people.

Well done Howard, this is how an independant club should be. Factual reporting without the factory PR spin.

bosscerbera

8,188 posts

273 months

Tuesday 5th June 2007
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wedgeman said:
bosscerbera said:
Whatever, like the reporting of Adam Burdette's plans last month, the Melling interview is another wonderful record of a statement from the horse's mouth.
Well, yes it is Phil because that's what interviews are...

The interview isn't an article written by the Sprint team, or the opinion of the TVR Car Club; it is an interview with an engine designer. You are not necessarily meant to agree with it - it is merely Al Melling's opinion.
I know! I was replying to AJPGriff's post. I was not criticising you/TVRCC/Sprint, far from it. smile

glow worm

7,458 posts

257 months

Tuesday 5th June 2007
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pistolar said:
Fantastic job Howard!!

Now that the club are not brown nosing around the factory because they were scared that the "back home" events may get cancelled., We are reading proper articles by informed people.

Well done Howard, this is how an independant club should be. Factual reporting without the factory PR spin.
My sentiments entirely...As an owner of a Tuscan with a Speed Six, I find a Tuscan far more stylish than his Hellcat and to date the engine is great. How many different launch dates have we had for the Hellcat so far???

Edited by glow worm on Tuesday 5th June 11:16

anonymous-user

84 months

Tuesday 5th June 2007
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wedgeman said:
bosscerbera said:
Whatever, like the reporting of Adam Burdette's plans last month, the Melling interview is another wonderful record of a statement from the horse's mouth.
Well, yes it is Phil because that's what interviews are...

The interview isn't an article written by the Sprint team, or the opinion of the TVR Car Club; it is an interview with an engine designer. You are not necessarily meant to agree with it - it is merely Al Melling's opinion.

If you would like to put your point of view I can happily make a few pages available in next month's issue for you to reply.

Cheers - Howard
A good idea Phil. Another perspective? I think it would be great to hear from people like yourself who have worked inside TVR, particularly under the Smolenski era but who have shown as you have that you have a balanced view. (Unusually for me I'm not being faceitious - you know that I have a lot of respect for your views smile).

I enjoyed the Melling interview because it was interesting and amusing, not because I believed much of what he said and at least Howard actually asked some potentially awkward questions, which cannot be said for the fawning rubbish about Burdette last month.

jdharris

225 posts

238 months

Tuesday 5th June 2007
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Having read the article a couple of times last night I thought it would be great to get the other side(s) of the story... Any chance of interviews with the other people who provided the initials of AJP Howard (I realise the chance of P is probably nil)?

wedgeman

1,326 posts

273 months

Tuesday 5th June 2007
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bosscerbera said:
wedgeman said:
bosscerbera said:
Whatever, like the reporting of Adam Burdette's plans last month, the Melling interview is another wonderful record of a statement from the horse's mouth.
Well, yes it is Phil because that's what interviews are...

The interview isn't an article written by the Sprint team, or the opinion of the TVR Car Club; it is an interview with an engine designer. You are not necessarily meant to agree with it - it is merely Al Melling's opinion.
I know! I was replying to AJPGriff's post. I was not criticising you/TVRCC/Sprint, far from it. smile
No worries Phil - well at least it's opened up a bit of a debate...

And I do fully appreciate where you're coming from yes

Cheers - Howard