Just how fast are SEACs?

[V8S]

Have known about SEACs for many many years, seen 1 on the road, a couple in the garage, a few at car shows. Have seen videos, heard sound clips, looked at pictures and dreamed. I've always known they were one of the ultimate and rare TVRs.

However, I just don't know how fast and good as a car they actually are, as no one ever quotes times or handling characteristics; they just label them as nutter-fast or somesuch.

The Cerbera is known as one of, if not the, fastest standard TVR so how does the SEAC compare? Is the 450 SEAC a little like the 420 SEAC in that the increase in engine size gives pros and cons, or is it generally the better car?

[350Matt]

SEAC's are quite trick as all of them had a pretty nice engine spec, but I would expect a healthy 450SEAC to put out around 300ish ponies whereas a cerb makes 350+BHP depending on spec and the wedges tend to weigh in at 1200Kg where Cerbs are 1100-1200ish Kg depending on the year.

So the Cerb will be faster, but the look of the SEAC and its rarity, sound make it one of the Boldest TVR's ever made

Matt

[NHyde]

The Cerbera is way quicker , and more planted on the road , but the SEAC is more chuckable , the back ends of both will step out when provoked . Very little differnce between most 420's and 450's due to most of the 450's being GRP rather than Aramid , hence heavier.

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

350Matt said:

SEAC's are quite trick as all of them had a pretty nice engine spec, but I would expect a healthy 450SEAC to put out around 300ish ponies whereas a cerb makes 350+BHP depending on spec and the wedges tend to weigh in at 1200Kg where Cerbs are 1100-1200ish Kg depending on the year.

So the Cerb will be faster, but the look of the SEAC and its rarity, sound make it one of the Boldest TVR's ever made

Matt

Umm factory weight spec of the 400SE is 1040KG so would not have thought the SEAC would be much different.

[tempus]

Road and race cars were different ,race cars had shed about 300lbs and gained about 85bhp in 420 mode and then grew to 5ltr!Tempus

[cuneus]

SEAC race car:

785kg 355 bhp will leave a Cerb for dead on a track

SEAC Road cars

420

early ones were all Kevlar saving about 200lbs (not sure on total weight but under 1000kg)

engines had various specs around 300bhp and up to 350hp

450

bodies were heavier (mainly GRP) and engines around 325 bhp

[jagdpanther]

Wasnt the thing with the SEACs, much like the thing with most TVR's, that you could pretty much order any spec you wanted as long as the money was there...hence the 660SEAC?

I think a healthy and well setup 450 SEAC would give a Cerbie a good run for its money, but Cerbie would edge out

As for SEACs weighing 1200+ kgs, I would've thought closer to 1100kgs, but Im no expert

[eesbad]

I seem to recall a figure of 1040kg for the Kevlar SEACs (about 100kg lighter than the SE)... Dancing around the 300bhp/tonne anyhow!

Edited to add that the 1150kg figure for the SE comes from the Wedgepages

Edited by eesbad on Wednesday 27th February 14:06

[rev-erend]

Not fast enough .. mind you nothing ever is

[JR]

jagdpanther said:

As for SEACs weighing 1200+ kgs, I would've thought closer to 1100kgs, but Im no expert

Barefoot wrote a nice piece last year about SEACs from the buyers point of view. In reality AC cars are like hens teeth; maybe three? two? Then there were quite a few with an AC and fibreglass mix; then there's the remainder (most of them) which had fibreglass bodies. Great idea but customer paint complaints meant that it didn't happen. I would guess a dry weight of 1200kg for most.

Then there are the engines. 4.2s knocking out 350bhp twenty years ago? In road spec, even with racey cams?

The SEACs are great cars and very special without trying to overstate their case.

[jagdpanther]

JR said:

jagdpanther said:

As for SEACs weighing 1200+ kgs, I would've thought closer to 1100kgs, but Im no expert

Barefoot wrote a nice piece last year about SEACs from the buyers point of view. In reality AC cars are like hens teeth; maybe three? two? Then there were quite a few with an AC and fibreglass mix; then there's the remainder (most of them) which had fibreglass bodies. Great idea but customer paint complaints meant that it didn't happen. I would guess a dry weight of 1200kg for most.

Then there are the engines. 4.2s knocking out 350bhp twenty years ago? In road spec, even with racey cams?

The SEACs are great cars and very special without trying to overstate their case.

Ive never been in a SEAC, but Ive heard nothing but good things from Stainless Steve with regards to his 450 SEAC

[JR]

jagdpanther said:

JR said:

The SEACs are great cars and very special without trying to overstate their case.

I've never been in a SEAC, but Ive heard nothing but good things from Stainless Steve with regards to his 450 SEAC

That's a good example. Steve's (sadly now former car) was a very special one (unique) and he modified it (without damaging original parts so that it can easily be resotored is so desired) very impressively. He never boasted or made unrealistic claims (unlike Bristol Avenue) but enjoyed the car for what it was/is - there was no need for anything else.

BTW do try to have a drive in a SEAC or 420/450SE - guaranteed grin factor!

[JR]

tempus said:

Road and race cars were different ,race cars had shed about 300lbs and gained about 85bhp in 420 mode and then grew to 5ltr!Tempus

Could you elaborate on that? I wasn't aware that any Rover block SEAC (i.e. not the 660) had a cc above 4500, road or race.

[cuneus]

JR said:

tempus said:

Road and race cars were different ,race cars had shed about 300lbs and gained about 85bhp in 420 mode and then grew to 5ltr!Tempus

Could you elaborate on that? I wasn't aware that any Rover block SEAC (i.e. not the 660) had a cc above 4500, road or race.

Think that the 5ltr is a typo

[tempus]

Last incarnation of the race seac (when it was banned )was dry sumped,cosworth pistoned, bigger plenum , cams, valves and much more,held 5 lap records,not first hand knowledge,plagiarised from the book" TVR all the cars "by Iain Ayre. It was called 500seac.Tempus

[jagdpanther]

JR said:

jagdpanther said:

JR said:

The SEACs are great cars and very special without trying to overstate their case.

I've never been in a SEAC, but Ive heard nothing but good things from Stainless Steve with regards to his 450 SEAC

That's a good example. Steve's (sadly now former car) was a very special one (unique) and he modified it (without damaging original parts so that it can easily be resotored is so desired) very impressively. He never boasted or made unrealistic claims (unlike Bristol Avenue) but enjoyed the car for what it was/is - there was no need for anything else.

BTW do try to have a drive in a SEAC or 420/450SE - guaranteed grin factor!

Steves was an absolutely fantastic example, plus he kept all the original parts so he could change them over if he so wanted too

As for the driveout, if anyone is stupi.....kind enough to let me drive a SEAC, I would be eternally greatfull

[cuneus]

tempus said:

Last incarnation of the race seac (when it was banned )was dry sumped,cosworth pistoned, bigger plenum , cams, valves and much more,held 5 lap records,not first hand knowledge,plagiarised from the book" TVR all the cars "by Iain Ayre. It was called 500seac.Tempus

Shame Mr Ayre got the 500seac bit wrong

[JR]

cuneus said:

tempus said:

Last incarnation of the race seac (when it was banned )was dry sumped,cosworth pistoned, bigger plenum , cams, valves and much more,held 5 lap records,not first hand knowledge,plagiarised from the book" TVR all the cars "by Iain Ayre. It was called 500seac.Tempus

Shame Mr Ayre got the 500seac bit wrong

I see; I was going to ask if there was a photograph.

The rest of course is standard for TVR built bespoke engines "dry sumped,cosworth pistoned, bigger plenum , cams, valves," if you can use the word standard for such a range of special hand built engines.

[Rocket Pepper]

I remember seeing the light blue one at Bauer Millett's. Supposedly it was PW's at one time. I forget much of its detail now. It sat there for a long time with a high price on it. That said, I got the impression when I looked half interested, they'd have taken much less for it than they were asking. I expect it will be someones pride and joy somewhere. Interesting piece of kit!

[MartinP]

I owned a 420 SEAC for 12 years until 3 years ago when I sold it and bought a T350c. It was a beast of a car. For outrageous looks and noise you just couldn't beat it.

I followed a Griff 500 around Silverstone race track and I could close up on it on the straights - the guy in the Griff was quicker round the corners (probably much more down to him, than the difference between the cars).

I'm sure the T350 would just beat the SEAC in a head to head sprint and it certainly handles better than the SEAC too. But bearing in mind that the first SEAC is over 20 years old now...