4.3 Big Valve reg L500BHP - Groomvroom?

[ocean1]

Hi all, Ive been out of the TVR loop for a bit, but ive now aquired a Chimaera 4.3, apparantly a genuine factory big valve. I think that it belonged to Groomvroom previously, anyone know this car, Groomvroom if your out there id like to talk to you if thats OK. Id forgotten what the old V8 lump sounded like!

[ajc118]

Hi, Was that the one on ebay? if so i recognise it as i looked at it on ebay when groomvroom sold it about a year ago.

[ocean1]

Yes thats the one

[FlipFlopGriff]

I've never heard of a Chimp BV built by the factory, only Griffs.
FFG

[Podie]

FlipFlopGriff said:

I've never heard of a Chimp BV built by the factory, only Griffs.
FFG

Ocean, nice to see you back.

FFG, doesn't mean they didn't do one... or that the engine went somewhere other than its intended location... wouldn't be the first time...

[Altrezia]

Mine is a factory 430 BV, too.

[FlipFlopGriff]

Was it an option on any sales literature?
I know it could have been done but unlikely to be any records to prove/disprove. Letters from the factory mean nothing as they seem to have issued them to anyone that asked due to records being poo.
One of the Griffs factory build spec sheet says it has AC and PAS but it doesn't.
Some things will always remain a mystery I guess.
FFG

[Altrezia]

I think mine might have been a 'we only have the BV heads lying about, that'll do' job - as it wasnt on the invoice, not in the history, but found a couple of years down the line by someone working on the engine!

[ocean1]

Altrezia said:

I think mine might have been a 'we only have the BV heads lying about, that'll do' job - as it wasnt on the invoice, not in the history, but found a couple of years down the line by someone working on the engine!

Does yours have a "430BV" plate on the top of the engine Altrezia?

[Altrezia]

Nope, just 430.

But it deffo has the heads

[Meatball]

Altrezia said:

Nope, just 430.

But it deffo has the heads

Got big valve heads on my 450

[schimg]

Mine isn't an original 430BV, had it done when I had the body -off.

However what was a bit strange was that the heads had, had a fair bit of some porting work done on them...but had the standard valves!

Nice to hear that a few of the Chimaera's were actually BV out of the box though.

[daren parker]

stick it on a dyno . my mate as a big valve griff and its so much faster than my 4 l chim,think its pre serpintine

[spend]

FlipFlopGriff said:

I've never heard of a Chimp BV built by the factory, only Griffs.
FFG

Don't think I'd be surprised at anything built by the factory, if you could specify your car you would be able to have just about anything. Official price lists / specs are really only 'guides', pretty sure there are plenty of interestingly 'specced' cars out there (including yours?). You may well be right in a way tho, I'm sure I've read on here of quite a few cars that had BV upgrades by dealers prior to first delivery (& as upgrades).

Dave

[Podie]

spend said:

FlipFlopGriff said:

I've never heard of a Chimp BV built by the factory, only Griffs.
FFG

Don't think I'd be surprised at anything built by the factory, if you could specify your car you would be able to have just about anything. Official price lists / specs are really only 'guides', pretty sure there are plenty of interestingly 'specced' cars out there (including yours?). You may well be right in a way tho, I'm sure I've read on here of quite a few cars that had BV upgrades by dealers prior to first delivery (& as upgrades).

Dave

Cerbs with 4.7s…. Tamoras with 4.0s….

[Altrezia]

Have done.

[ocean1]

The engine number on the one Chimaera I have ends with BV, surely this means it was a factory original