First upgrades
Discussion
I have not long had my 4.3 chim, and while i love the car, its no where near as quick as i thought it would be, and quite a bit down on performance from my old 300zx Twin turbo.
are there standard upgrades that you guys do to get it a little nicer running and a bit more out of them?
as far as i am aware, mine is standard.
are there standard upgrades that you guys do to get it a little nicer running and a bit more out of them?
as far as i am aware, mine is standard.
Many will upgrade the suspension, and brakes (front) as these are relativly poor.
In regard to engine, options from improving air intake with more modern filters, smooth pipes, plenums then new trumpets.
From there, options to new ecu, megasquirt (if that is your sort of thing), bigger engines (either the rover 450/500 or more extreme the LSx range) or supercharging your current engine.
Have a look at:
www.actproducts.co.uk
www.tvrpower.co.uk
Both are good starts.
I am sure others will be on here soon with better advice..
Have fun hunting through the options!
In regard to engine, options from improving air intake with more modern filters, smooth pipes, plenums then new trumpets.
From there, options to new ecu, megasquirt (if that is your sort of thing), bigger engines (either the rover 450/500 or more extreme the LSx range) or supercharging your current engine.
Have a look at:
www.actproducts.co.uk
www.tvrpower.co.uk
Both are good starts.
I am sure others will be on here soon with better advice..
Have fun hunting through the options!
T_Pot said:
I have not long had my 4.3 chim, and while i love the car, its no where near as quick as i thought it would be, and quite a bit down on performance from my old 300zx Twin turbo.
are there standard upgrades that you guys do to get it a little nicer running and a bit more out of them?
as far as i am aware, mine is standard.
Your kidding right .. are there standard upgrades that you guys do to get it a little nicer running and a bit more out of them?
as far as i am aware, mine is standard.
I raced against a 300ZX TT on a RAF runway and left him for dead every time .. and at the time was driving a TVR 400 SE.. on a measured 1/2 mile !
rev-erend said:
T_Pot said:
I have not long had my 4.3 chim, and while i love the car, its no where near as quick as i thought it would be, and quite a bit down on performance from my old 300zx Twin turbo.
are there standard upgrades that you guys do to get it a little nicer running and a bit more out of them?
as far as i am aware, mine is standard.
Your kidding right .. are there standard upgrades that you guys do to get it a little nicer running and a bit more out of them?
as far as i am aware, mine is standard.
I raced against a 300ZX TT on a RAF runway and left him for dead every time .. and at the time was driving a TVR 400 SE.. on a measured 1/2 mile !
Unless it has had a lot of work on the running gear, it should feel frighteningly too powerful.. Easiest way is to get a local specialist to try it out, they test drive enough to tell you pretty quickly if it is lacking. You have posted before that it was 'missing' so there may be something amiss.
The 4.3 seems to like to be revved... but I guess this depends on particular cam/heads? Mine doesn't seem to come alive until 3500rpm, it was 6months before I found out how to tap this extra oomph
Dave
The 4.3 seems to like to be revved... but I guess this depends on particular cam/heads? Mine doesn't seem to come alive until 3500rpm, it was 6months before I found out how to tap this extra oomph
Dave
spend said:
Unless it has had a lot of work on the running gear, it should feel frighteningly too powerful.. Easiest way is to get a local specialist to try it out, they test drive enough to tell you pretty quickly if it is lacking. You have posted before that it was 'missing' so there may be something amiss.
The 4.3 seems to like to be revved... but I guess this depends on particular cam/heads? Mine doesn't seem to come alive until 3500rpm, it was 6months before I found out how to tap this extra oomph
Dave
Thats just it, it really does not feel scary. My zx was always a worry the rear would break free, and often led to a little late night driftting , but the chim feels vert safe, very planted and has not once given any indication of it may bite.The 4.3 seems to like to be revved... but I guess this depends on particular cam/heads? Mine doesn't seem to come alive until 3500rpm, it was 6months before I found out how to tap this extra oomph
Dave
im happy of course that if fells a safer drive, but power wise its certainly not there as i expected.
Spend, your quite right i did have a missing issue, that has since gone, though i will add, through nothing i did. it seemed to clear on its own, as if being used helped ?
i have new plugs and leads for her, but the leads are 8m and mine has 10mm on now, so looking to see if i should get bigger or not.
your quite right about it being a revvy engine too, and my god the sound is better than any song isnt it.once high in the revs the engine sounds like its really growling.
what about dizzy timing? that would possibly give a loss of power, i do notice black deposits on my drive from the pipes when i start it, as if maybe too much fuel ? but then i read also they all do it so unsure again
I remember when I took my 4.3 Chimaera home from the ferry at the Hoek after getting it, that when I finally trusted myself to gradually press the loud pedal to the floor (in fifth) in the Heinenoord tunnel, it didn't feel spectacularly (let alone scarily) quick. It ran fantastically well, sounded like it should (i.e. thunder 
) and I still have to use more than half throttle in the lower gears yet, so I didn't think much of it especially as I am used to the dramatic 'elastic band' delivery of my 300ish hp, 1,250 kg Saab turbo.
Yet after picking up my rebuilt engine, the builder showed me the original cam - one of the lobes was completely and utterly rounded to the point that I was effectively running a 7 cylinder engine.
The moral of the story is these engines are remarkably tolerant - you could tool around with a knackered cam and it will still start, drive, sound as you think it should. And the probability of having a knackered cam is quite high on an older RV8, especially if you don't have any evidence it may have been changed somewhere down the line in the car's service history.
) and I still have to use more than half throttle in the lower gears yet, so I didn't think much of it especially as I am used to the dramatic 'elastic band' delivery of my 300ish hp, 1,250 kg Saab turbo. Yet after picking up my rebuilt engine, the builder showed me the original cam - one of the lobes was completely and utterly rounded to the point that I was effectively running a 7 cylinder engine.
The moral of the story is these engines are remarkably tolerant - you could tool around with a knackered cam and it will still start, drive, sound as you think it should. And the probability of having a knackered cam is quite high on an older RV8, especially if you don't have any evidence it may have been changed somewhere down the line in the car's service history.
Anyway, before you start 'upgrading' it's always good to make sure that the engine is performing to its potential - TBH with older cars like ours it's practically a given that it is not. You could spend thousands on upgrades to find that you're effectively compensating for a drop-off in performance due to wear/things running out of adjustment/inappropriate component (the wrong fuel regulator and/or ignition distributor fitted are classic examples) and would have got the same or better resuls from simply putting the car back into fully working OE condition.
Take it to someone who knows what they're doing, i.e Trackcar, Castle Race Engines. Let them check it out and give it a little tune.
Might be something simple like a blocked cat (has it got cats), a collapsed induction hose or timing that's way off. Or something a little more like a knackered cam, or low compression.
TVRs aren't the fastest cars in the world but they are pretty damn quick. I have a moderately tuned Skyline GTR and a pretty quick hot hatch and my Griffith 'feels' way more urgent than both and puts the willys up me (oooer) way more often
Might be something simple like a blocked cat (has it got cats), a collapsed induction hose or timing that's way off. Or something a little more like a knackered cam, or low compression.
TVRs aren't the fastest cars in the world but they are pretty damn quick. I have a moderately tuned Skyline GTR and a pretty quick hot hatch and my Griffith 'feels' way more urgent than both and puts the willys up me (oooer) way more often
Edited by David H on Wednesday 16th January 19:14
900T-R said:
I remember when I took my 4.3 Chimaera home from the ferry at the Hoek after getting it, that when I finally trusted myself to gradually press the loud pedal to the floor (in fifth) in the Heinenoord tunnel, it didn't feel spectacularly (let alone scarily) quick. It ran fantastically well, sounded like it should (i.e. thunder ) and I still have to use more than half throttle in the lower gears yet, so I didn't think much of it especially as I am used to the dramatic 'elastic band' delivery of my 300ish hp, 1,250 kg Saab turbo.
Yet after picking up my rebuilt engine, the builder showed me the original cam - one of the lobes was completely and utterly rounded to the point that I was effectively running a 7 cylinder engine.
The moral of the story is these engines are remarkably tolerant - you could tool around with a knackered cam and it will still start, drive, sound as you think it should. And the probability of having a knackered cam is quite high on an older RV8, especially if you don't have any evidence it may have been changed somewhere down the line in the car's service history.
Very good point,it may also be nothing more serious than retarded ign timing,that can make most engines feel as flat as a nuns tit,check the air filter as well these are often neglected(filthy & clogged),and you can imagine what a choked one will do for your power output) and I still have to use more than half throttle in the lower gears yet, so I didn't think much of it especially as I am used to the dramatic 'elastic band' delivery of my 300ish hp, 1,250 kg Saab turbo. Yet after picking up my rebuilt engine, the builder showed me the original cam - one of the lobes was completely and utterly rounded to the point that I was effectively running a 7 cylinder engine.
The moral of the story is these engines are remarkably tolerant - you could tool around with a knackered cam and it will still start, drive, sound as you think it should. And the probability of having a knackered cam is quite high on an older RV8, especially if you don't have any evidence it may have been changed somewhere down the line in the car's service history.
a 430 Chim should fly.Edited by That Daddy on Wednesday 16th January 21:53
Inny said:
I have a moderately tuned Skyline GTR and a pretty quick hot hatch and my Griffith 'feels' way more urgent than both
Bloody hell, that selection is more impressive than my Gran Turismo garage...how on earth do you decide what to drive?!
[Sorry to go off topic...]
They aren't really expensive cars, I'm just poor at selling cars, can't bring myself to do it.Bloody hell, that selection is more impressive than my Gran Turismo garage...how on earth do you decide what to drive?!
[Sorry to go off topic...]
Also have a Peugeot 406 which gets driven 99% of the time, it's a crime I know
A simple one to check is the vacuum advance pipe as well, when I got my 4.3 griff the vac pipe was on back to front ( theres a one way valve in it, interestingly the flow arrow on the valve was also wrong....
Blow though it first to make sure its the right way round and then check the ignition timing with a lamp with the vac advance disconnected
And yes a std 4.3 should be quicker than a std 300ZX
Matt
Blow though it first to make sure its the right way round and then check the ignition timing with a lamp with the vac advance disconnected
And yes a std 4.3 should be quicker than a std 300ZX
Matt
spend said:
The air filter is washable, just re-oil afterwards (plenty of threads if you search).
Dave
gave mine a quick wash today, wasnt too fussy as already got a new one coming. And i can see a huge difference already. the engine actually sounds better if that makes sense? she feels as if she is reving easier and quicker. and it does seam better.Dave
so will get the rest of my service done and i se from there.
Does anyone know the timing settings so that can be checked please?
V8ish said:
just out of interest can standard "chain lube" type oil be used as a substitute to proper air filter oil
No, they're completely different. Chain lube is thick grease designed to stick to things that are being whirled around at high speed, filter oil is much thinner oil designed to provide a slightly tacky surface to catch dirt. You need to use proper air filter oil and not any old oil or grease you find lying around.
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