Considering a TVR...unusual challenge

[GreenMan]

Hi all,

After many years of dreaming, I'm coming around to the reality of being able to get a TVR. I don't use the car daily, don't have to rely on it and can keep it tucked up in a garage.

However, I have a slightly awkward routine for getting the car out of said garage and out onto the open road (bear with me):

step 1) Open the garage (surprise!) and back the car out into a private bit of road.

step 2) Turn engine off, close garage and lock up. Open gate at end of road.

step 3) drive out of private road, stopping engine once out on the open road beyond (it's a fairly busy city street, therefore I can neither leave it there after step 1 (double yellows=ticket), nor can I leave the key in it when I leave it).

step 4) close gates to private road, restart car and drive off.

My concern lies in the engine damage incurred by the continual stopping and starting - will a speed 6 engine suffer more than an RV8? I'm interested in either a Chimaera or a Tam/T350...

Any thoughts welcome - thanks!

[Steve_T]

May I suggest electric garage doors and gates?

[Whitey]

the engine will be fine, but the battery might over time begin to struggle and you will risk flooding a speed 6 engine, so let it run smoothly for about a minute before shutting it off each time.

[V8 GRF]

GreenMan said:

Hi all,

After many years of dreaming, I'm coming around to the reality of being able to get a TVR. I don't use the car daily, don't have to rely on it and can keep it tucked up in a garage.

However, I have a slightly awkward routine for getting the car out of said garage and out onto the open road (bear with me):

step 1) Open the garage (surprise!) and back the car out into a private bit of road.

step 2) Turn engine off, close garage and lock up. Open gate at end of road.

step 3) drive out of private road, stopping engine once out on the open road beyond (it's a fairly busy city street, therefore I can neither leave it there after step 1 (double yellows=ticket), nor can I leave the key in it when I leave it).

step 4) close gates to private road, restart car and drive off.

My concern lies in the engine damage incurred by the continual stopping and starting - will a speed 6 engine suffer more than an RV8? I'm interested in either a Chimaera or a Tam/T350...

Any thoughts welcome - thanks!

I'd agree but if you can't afford both electric garage and gate

I'd alter your process to be

Install Electric operation to Private Gate,

Preferably back car into Garage in first place, then

1) Open garage, drive out car, leave running, lock garage and then open Private gate as you appoach it
2) Drive away with private gate closing behind you.

[ColG]

move house

[GreenV8S]

Is there any possibility of locking the car with the engine running for the few moments (presumably) that you need to nip out and open/close the gates? (Switching off while you are on the private road and only a few yards away seems excessive but I don't know the area; maybe there really are people who are going to jump in and drive off as soon as you turn your back.)

[350Matt]

It will be absolutly fine, providing its then given a thorough warm-up afer all that, damage only occurs if its started breifly / stopped and then left

Matt

[hiltonig]

A nice chim 500 with cherry bombs and you will enjoy starting it !!

[GreenMan]

Good to hear that I wouldn't be causing excessive damage, thanks

I can feel a test drive or 3 coming on this weekend...

[burriana]

Why do you need to turn the engine off when you get out to lock the garage if it is a private road with a gate at the end? You will at the most only be 10ft from the car whilst locking the garage, so there's your starts halved for a, well, start!

[FUBAR]

Not sure where I heard it (wasnt TVR circles iirc), but have you heard of the '2 minute rule'? Was told you should let 'any' engine turn over for 'at least' 2 minutes before switching off, to give the oil a chance to get around the engine.

Maybe an old wive's tale but I try to follow it.

Sorry, doesnt help with your questions.

[virgil]

FUBAR said:

Not sure where I heard it (wasnt TVR circles iirc), but have you heard of the '2 minute rule'? Was told you should let 'any' engine turn over for 'at least' 2 minutes before switching off, to give the oil a chance to get around the engine.

Maybe an old wive's tale but I try to follow it.

Sorry, doesnt help with your questions.

Doesn't make any mechanical sense to me...if there's no oil around the engine during the first 10 seconds of running, it's gonn a be fairly knackered whether you leave it for 1 min or 2 mins.

Surely if you need 2 mins for the oil to get round the engine, switching off after 30 seconds is only helping as you are cutting 1min 30 seconds of the 'grinding time'

??

[Steve_T]

Thought of a cheaper option than the electric gates - get a someone else to open and close them for you.

[PR350]

Take key to garage and private gates off car key ring and leave car idling and hence warming up while you lock said garage door and gates

HTH

Paul

ps - get a Wedge!!!

[davido140]

thats almost like the farmer who has the fox, a hen and a bag of corn and needs to cross the river in his boat....

[B@man]

Re : "2 minute Rule"

I don't think this is an "old wives tale" but I think it only applies to Turbo charged engines, if you have been running at high speed and stop the engine the turbo can cook the oil in it's bearings. If you let the engine idle for a few mins the oil cools the turbo and prevents the oil overheating.

Or at least that was what I have read !

P.S. Good luck with the Drive / TVR problem !

[SwanJack]

What about modifying the alarm/adding a new one so that you have a separate blipper that allows you to lock the doors when the car is running and the keys are in the ignition. The new blipper and the keys to the gates and garage will be on a separate key ring to the car's.

Edited by SwanJack on Friday 21st September 18:31

Edited by SwanJack on Friday 21st September 18:33

[softtop]

B@man" Target="_blank">class="forumQuoter">B@man said:

Re : "2 minute Rule"

I don't think this is an "old wives tale" but I think it only applies to Turbo charged engines, if you have been running at high speed and stop the engine the turbo can cook the oil in it's bearings. If you let the engine idle for a few mins the oil cools the turbo and prevents the oil overheating.

Or at least that was what I have read !

P.S. Good luck with the Drive / TVR problem !

true, this is the only time I think it applies..

[Byker28i]

Automatic gate opener.

Now if you get one of those powerful ones that jusy happen to jam laser speed cameras as well...

http://www.radardetectors.co.uk/lasertrack_lt400.h...
or
http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/le850.htm

Edited by Byker28i on Friday 21st September 18:46

[Hongkongfooi]

Krypton Factor......what a show that was!


(sorry this thread reminded me!)