Discussion
Hi I currently have a 98 TVR Chimaera 4.0 and toying with the idea of a S2 i know a little about S1’s as my uncle has had one for years but not so sure on the S2’s the one i have in mind is here.
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/uvl/popup.jsp?cur...
The car is really only going to be a toy but how much more usable are these cars over the TVR? I find it quite scary to push on and unnerving some times in damp weather after 2years i am still not 100% confident in it and hold back lots with it how do the S2’s fair against the Chimeara? and are they water tight if left out side form time to time? unlike my TVR and how do they drive around town the v8 is very lumpy and does not like stop start driving and very heavy feel.
Thanks Scotty
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/uvl/popup.jsp?cur...
The car is really only going to be a toy but how much more usable are these cars over the TVR? I find it quite scary to push on and unnerving some times in damp weather after 2years i am still not 100% confident in it and hold back lots with it how do the S2’s fair against the Chimeara? and are they water tight if left out side form time to time? unlike my TVR and how do they drive around town the v8 is very lumpy and does not like stop start driving and very heavy feel.
Thanks Scotty
Edited by scotty_d on Friday 27th November 00:33
scotty_d said:
The car is really only going to be a toy but how much more usable are these cars over the TVR?
Lots.Apart from the practical limitations of luggage space and climbing in and out of the thing, an Elise is as reliable, driveable and manageable as any other 'normal' car with a 1.8 litre 4-pot engine.
Unlike the TVR, you can pretty much forget the worries that you might not finish any given journey because;
a) It might break down or;
b) it might kill you.
Oh, and it'll use about 50% less fuel (normal unleaded, not the high octane stuff that TVR's like).
Don't forget he is talking of a K series and you can hardly describe them as "as relaible as a normal 4 pot" because they aren't. In fact engine wise, its likely to be less reliable than the Rover V8 in the TVR even if everything else about the car is better built (is it?)
The OP should also bear in mind that the Lotus is really rear engined and whilst he wont be able to power oversteer anything like he can in the TVR, the Elise is prone to snap oversteer on wet roads. In short he will need to restrain himself in winter.
With those 2 caveats, they are brilliant cars and more fun than anything else I have driven inc TVRs. Boot is tiny by comparison with TVR.
The OP should also bear in mind that the Lotus is really rear engined and whilst he wont be able to power oversteer anything like he can in the TVR, the Elise is prone to snap oversteer on wet roads. In short he will need to restrain himself in winter.
With those 2 caveats, they are brilliant cars and more fun than anything else I have driven inc TVRs. Boot is tiny by comparison with TVR.
I spent 5 years in a Griffith 4.3 and then last year, changed it for a S2 111S. The TVR was sense-assualting, challenging, blistering, noisy, frightening, exciting and always thrilling. In 5 years and 10000 miles it never broke down. Within weeks of buying the Elise it was in the garage for a clam-off radiator replacement. However I invested hundreds if not thousands of hours in the TVR and the Elise in comparison needs virtually nothing.
The Elise falls short in all of the above respects compared to the TVR, but as a result is much more usable. I jump in, I don't worry about whether or not it'll start (it always does even after weeks idle), I drive off and I enjoy it. On track the TVR was a handful even in the dry and I was always worried about it getting the better of me. The Elise is amazing and can be driven quite hard even in the wet (but it gets VERY tail-happy in very wet conditions). Despite recent 'storm-warnings' I have done hundreds of miles across country in the Elise in recent weeks. The TVR would have been tucked up safe and dry.
BUT...for all this, the Elise never requires tinkering with. I'm hardly ever on here and I've given up on SELOC entirely. The TVR was recently described by someone as an obsession for amateur engineers (that's me) as it requires constant attention - maintentance, checking and improvement. If you don't get into this with a TVR (a) you miss out and (b) you denounce the car as unreliable. But that is to miss the point of a TVR. The thing is I miss that in the Lotus - even though I don't have time for it any more.
TVRs are reknowned as (fixably) unreliable becuase e.g. wires are not protected from heat and moisture. Build quality is variable, but again, the enhtuisatic amateur engineer can enjoy ironing out the original 'characteristics' if he or she wishes.
IMHO the Elise is much better built, but the K series does have a reputation for head gasket failure. I don't think 'unreliability' goes any further than that, and this is now easliy fixed for the long-term, so don't let it put you off. Just as with a TVR, weekly (or journey-ly in the TVR) checking of fluids should become routine and any anomolies investigated and fixed straight away.You need to drive an Elise before you can make up your mind, but I think if you accept it's an entirely different car, but one which gives a totally different set of rewards and with much much more usability, you won;t be disappointed.
My final word is that I bought the Elise a 'toy' car envisaging occasioanl weekend use. It's so good and so usable I regularly use it for commuting and long journey's the long way round whenever I can.
The Elise falls short in all of the above respects compared to the TVR, but as a result is much more usable. I jump in, I don't worry about whether or not it'll start (it always does even after weeks idle), I drive off and I enjoy it. On track the TVR was a handful even in the dry and I was always worried about it getting the better of me. The Elise is amazing and can be driven quite hard even in the wet (but it gets VERY tail-happy in very wet conditions). Despite recent 'storm-warnings' I have done hundreds of miles across country in the Elise in recent weeks. The TVR would have been tucked up safe and dry.
BUT...for all this, the Elise never requires tinkering with. I'm hardly ever on here and I've given up on SELOC entirely. The TVR was recently described by someone as an obsession for amateur engineers (that's me) as it requires constant attention - maintentance, checking and improvement. If you don't get into this with a TVR (a) you miss out and (b) you denounce the car as unreliable. But that is to miss the point of a TVR. The thing is I miss that in the Lotus - even though I don't have time for it any more.
TVRs are reknowned as (fixably) unreliable becuase e.g. wires are not protected from heat and moisture. Build quality is variable, but again, the enhtuisatic amateur engineer can enjoy ironing out the original 'characteristics' if he or she wishes.
IMHO the Elise is much better built, but the K series does have a reputation for head gasket failure. I don't think 'unreliability' goes any further than that, and this is now easliy fixed for the long-term, so don't let it put you off. Just as with a TVR, weekly (or journey-ly in the TVR) checking of fluids should become routine and any anomolies investigated and fixed straight away.You need to drive an Elise before you can make up your mind, but I think if you accept it's an entirely different car, but one which gives a totally different set of rewards and with much much more usability, you won;t be disappointed.
My final word is that I bought the Elise a 'toy' car envisaging occasioanl weekend use. It's so good and so usable I regularly use it for commuting and long journey's the long way round whenever I can.
In general I think that reliability only has 1 winner here and it's not the tvr (nothing to do with the engine, they are bombproof) I had a 4.0 chim for 3 years and loved it, generally I found it more 'satisfying' than the elise, noise, thump and back end adjustability mainly, but the elise is a much better everyday proposition, 100% reliable over the last 3 years (in my view as much so as any normal car, and also I would feel comfortable tracking it (I think my TVR would have fallen apart after 2 laps). I LOVED my TVR, now I Love my elise, although in a way the fact that it is totally reliable sort of makes it LESS lovable (I had a lot of 1:1 time on motorway hardshoulders etc), like having a smelly old grandad. But when it needed to move it could really shift. Both are GREAT cars, just very different.
Cheers for that guys very Good insight to them , both ex-TVR owners are spot on I do tinker on the TVR to keep it tip top but would not dare drive it over the winter months for a few reasons chassis rot and water ingress. Reliability of my TVR has been good i have had the few electrical gremlins but i am a electronics/electrical engineer to trade so not been a issue for myself and it recently took myself and the girlfriend over 3000 miles round Europe and averaged 28MPG so not to bad so it is a solid car now and i know where i stand with it after upgrading so much on it but still nowhere near a every day driver.
I can understand about it being a little hairy in the wet and understand light weight powerful cars and it is a case of drive it with respect unlike a Subaru I used to own you can drive it hard regardless of conditions.
The Elise appeals to me is that can I use it on nice winters days and not worry about any issues? Or do i have to lock it up over winter like the TVR?
And how good is the roof at keeping water out( that really bugs me on the TVR still cant get it water tight after 2 years but it lives inside 90% of the year.
I can understand about it being a little hairy in the wet and understand light weight powerful cars and it is a case of drive it with respect unlike a Subaru I used to own you can drive it hard regardless of conditions.
The Elise appeals to me is that can I use it on nice winters days and not worry about any issues? Or do i have to lock it up over winter like the TVR?
And how good is the roof at keeping water out( that really bugs me on the TVR still cant get it water tight after 2 years but it lives inside 90% of the year.
bordseye said:
Don't forget he is talking of a K series and you can hardly describe them as "as relaible as a normal 4 pot" because they aren't. In fact engine wise, its likely to be less reliable than the Rover V8 in the TVR even if everything else about the car is better built (is it?)
The OP should also bear in mind that the Lotus is really rear engined and whilst he wont be able to power oversteer anything like he can in the TVR, the Elise is prone to snap oversteer on wet roads. In short he will need to restrain himself in winter.
With those 2 caveats, they are brilliant cars and more fun than anything else I have driven inc TVRs. Boot is tiny by comparison with TVR.
1. The k series is a very reliable engine. Sort the HG out and it will keep going and going. What other common problems are there apart from HG and if that is solved properly, it shouldnt happen again. Even if it does happen, its a £500 fix or a weekends work doing it yourself. I find it annoying people are put off K series Elises because they are "unreliable" when the truth is they are not, and you can put huge mileages on them if they are treated well. The OP should also bear in mind that the Lotus is really rear engined and whilst he wont be able to power oversteer anything like he can in the TVR, the Elise is prone to snap oversteer on wet roads. In short he will need to restrain himself in winter.
With those 2 caveats, they are brilliant cars and more fun than anything else I have driven inc TVRs. Boot is tiny by comparison with TVR.
2. I have driven my Elise in all conditions, even heavy snow over the past 3 years, and have never come close to snap oversteer. I have induced snap oversteer on a training day, and you have to really really push it or do something very silly in order to do it. If you are getting to that stage on the road then you are going too fast. It generally seems to be people with no experience of driving RWD cars, and thinking the best thing to do when the car starts to understeer is to back off like you do in a FWD car. This leads to snap oversteer. If coming from a TVR to a Lotus, I would assume the OP already has some RWD driving sympathy.
scotty_d said:
The Elise appeals to me is that can I use it on nice winters days and not worry about any issues? Or do i have to lock it up over winter like the TVR?
Salt could affect the aluminium chassis through corrosion, but I don't think it is a huge problem. Like with the TVR wishbones will eventually suffer, but a post-winter pressure wash or clean should keep mitigate such problems.scotty_d said:
And how good is the roof at keeping water out( that really bugs me on the TVR still cant get it water tight after 2 years but it lives inside 90% of the year.
Elises leak where the roof seal meets the window top if the adjustment is poor. The 'cure' is to expensively install later window seals which have a cup to catch drips. However IMHO the prevention is to carefully adjust the window (easy if a little trial and error to begin with) and crucially to check and if necessary replace the roof location pin sheaths. The location pins which engage the roof with the A & B pillars have a plastic sheath and if this is worn or missing the roof will not stay precisely located. If these sheaths were missing and you'd never seen them you'd never know they should be there.
Having spent some time addressing these, mine (non 'cup' seals) are storm tight.
bordseye said:
In fact engine wise, its likely to be less reliable than the Rover V8 in the TVR even if everything else about the car is better built (is it?)
Personally, I've never had any problem with the K-series cars I've owned (2 Elises and my current Westfield), but even allowing for the well-known HGF problem, I'm not sure that holds up.If you're unlucky, you'll get HGF on a K-series and need to replace it with uprated components that ought to cure the problem once and for all at circa £600.
The Rover V8 in the TVR is prone to a number of faults (overheating, blowing exhaust manifold gaskets - which are a b
h to replace, incidentally - fuel injection problems, etc.). But even without those you only have a typical life of 60-70K miles before the camshaft wears and needs replacement, which as a single job makes a head gasket on the Elise look trivial in comparison. Then there are all the electrical problems to which TVR's are prone; rusting chassis outriggers; sliding brake calipers that sieze on their sliders, etc., etc.
JTBUSH said:
bordseye said:
Don't forget he is talking of a K series and you can hardly describe them as "as relaible as a normal 4 pot" because they aren't. In fact engine wise, its likely to be less reliable than the Rover V8 in the TVR even if everything else about the car is better built (is it?)
The OP should also bear in mind that the Lotus is really rear engined and whilst he wont be able to power oversteer anything like he can in the TVR, the Elise is prone to snap oversteer on wet roads. In short he will need to restrain himself in winter.
With those 2 caveats, they are brilliant cars and more fun than anything else I have driven inc TVRs. Boot is tiny by comparison with TVR.
1. The k series is a very reliable engine. Sort the HG out and it will keep going and going. What other common problems are there apart from HG and if that is solved properly, it shouldnt happen again. Even if it does happen, its a £500 fix or a weekends work doing it yourself. I find it annoying people are put off K series Elises because they are "unreliable" when the truth is they are not, and you can put huge mileages on them if they are treated well. The OP should also bear in mind that the Lotus is really rear engined and whilst he wont be able to power oversteer anything like he can in the TVR, the Elise is prone to snap oversteer on wet roads. In short he will need to restrain himself in winter.
With those 2 caveats, they are brilliant cars and more fun than anything else I have driven inc TVRs. Boot is tiny by comparison with TVR.
2. I have driven my Elise in all conditions, even heavy snow over the past 3 years, and have never come close to snap oversteer. I have induced snap oversteer on a training day, and you have to really really push it or do something very silly in order to do it. If you are getting to that stage on the road then you are going too fast. It generally seems to be people with no experience of driving RWD cars, and thinking the best thing to do when the car starts to understeer is to back off like you do in a FWD car. This leads to snap oversteer. If coming from a TVR to a Lotus, I would assume the OP already has some RWD driving sympathy.
Bordseye, you really don't like the K and seem to have a very jaundiced view of it.
75k on the clock on my S1 including quite a few track days. Never misses and beat and no signs of any problem. I'll thrash the car round a track for the day and then just drive it home 350 miles or whatever.
I'm still waiting to get hgf so I can justify cracking the engine open and getting some porting etc done on the head!
JTBUSH said:
1. The k series is a very reliable engine. Sort the HG out and it will keep going and going.
I just dont see how you can have "it's reliable" and "sort out the head gasket" in the same paragraph. HGF = unreliability in my view. In 2009 I don't expect engine problems period.And from some of the moans on here, it isnt a once only cure.
But if the OP is happy to tinker with the engine, as I did with a Triumph Stag that had the same HGF issues, then a K series might even be attractive because of the HGF. It's up to him.
Like Sam_68 said i dont mind the odd jobs here or there and having done a cam shaft change on my chim i think a K HG change is not that big a deal so does not put me off. only draw back which is keeping me on the fence is that v8 sound which i love and will miss it is a lot to think about.
My next question if you chaps dont mind again what Big difference is there from a s1 to a s2 as I said earlier my uncle had a s1 and I like them but I just prefer the styling of the S2 what other difference is there in the two cars.
My next question if you chaps dont mind again what Big difference is there from a s1 to a s2 as I said earlier my uncle had a s1 and I like them but I just prefer the styling of the S2 what other difference is there in the two cars.
Liveability, is the best word I suppose.
I love my S1 for its stripped back rawness. S2 models gradually became heavier in response to market forces as peeps wanted the cars a big quieter, a few more frills (aircon), etc, etc. The S2 was also set up differently to the S1. From the factory the S2 is designed to understeer earlier than the S1. This was to make the car a bit easier to drive for those coming from fwd after quiet a few S1s went through hedges backwards early in ownership. 120bhp S2 also has a close ratio gearbox. The S2 111S is regarded by quiet a few as the best all rounder - 156bhp vvc engine, longer legged gearboix, option of aircon, bit of sound deadening, easy to fit short soft top, few other bits and bobs.
I still love my S1 to which I've added a 111S seats (bit more comfy than the boggo S1 jobs), c/r box, Nitron suspension, uprated brakes, some 340R wheels and a couple of other bits. With a pair of earplugs I'm happy to drive the car all day, and its a hoot round track.
I love my S1 for its stripped back rawness. S2 models gradually became heavier in response to market forces as peeps wanted the cars a big quieter, a few more frills (aircon), etc, etc. The S2 was also set up differently to the S1. From the factory the S2 is designed to understeer earlier than the S1. This was to make the car a bit easier to drive for those coming from fwd after quiet a few S1s went through hedges backwards early in ownership. 120bhp S2 also has a close ratio gearbox. The S2 111S is regarded by quiet a few as the best all rounder - 156bhp vvc engine, longer legged gearboix, option of aircon, bit of sound deadening, easy to fit short soft top, few other bits and bobs.
I still love my S1 to which I've added a 111S seats (bit more comfy than the boggo S1 jobs), c/r box, Nitron suspension, uprated brakes, some 340R wheels and a couple of other bits. With a pair of earplugs I'm happy to drive the car all day, and its a hoot round track.
I felt that mine felt very nose light compared to my TVR (surprisingly) and I actually found this made me feel LESS confident in the Elise but now I've almost got used to it. I find that I don't play with the back end like I used to in the TVR because it can be harder to catch, the TVRs heavy nose makes it quite easy to correct, and I think both cars need to be treated with respect in the wet. The softtop on mine never used to leak but it does a bit now, but I've never been bothered to tweak it, its got its hard top on now for the winter which is leak-free.
One thing I would say if you haven't driven an elise yet is don't be put off by the first drive, I was totally underwhelmed when I first had a go, didn't feel fast at all, no torque, but once you get warmed up and get it singing it really can fly. Still don't reckon it feels as outright 'fast' as the Chim (although I'm sure it travels quicker) but its really good fun.
One thing I would say if you haven't driven an elise yet is don't be put off by the first drive, I was totally underwhelmed when I first had a go, didn't feel fast at all, no torque, but once you get warmed up and get it singing it really can fly. Still don't reckon it feels as outright 'fast' as the Chim (although I'm sure it travels quicker) but its really good fun.
bordseye said:
But if the OP is happy to tinker with the engine, as I did with a Triumph Stag that had the same HGF issues, then a K series might even be attractive because of the HGF. It's up to him.
Now I feel you have swung a little too far the other way. How on Earth is this ever going to be attractive?I can see the Elise classifieds listing amongst the usual features and spec:
"Free HGF included"
I've had a few cars in my time. I'll trade off the K series HGF weakness against the Griff 500 camshaft weakness (mine rounded off a cam after 12k miles...) but both are standard production engines unless you tune them to buggery.
I'll make a direct comparison between my old Griff 500 and my Exige (hoping it survives
) - the Exige would leave the Griff absolutely everywhere. Even in a straight line. TVR quoted very optimistic weight figures i.e. they were utter BS.
Now I loved my TVR. And on PH, stating that a TVR is a bag of ste will bring down the wrath. But ALL of the Lotuses are better cars. Yes the early S1s leaked, which was a right pain. But the old TVRs leaked too. Compare like with like, and you'll find that the Lotus product was simply a better driver's car.
What TVR offered was a load of stomp, a great noise, and a hairy-chested driving experience. I simply *don't* buy the idea that a Griff 500 is easier to drift on the limit than an Exige S - I've done both and both are tricky and best kept well away from public roads. Perhaps a Chimaera is a friendly drift machine, but the short-wheelbase Griff was not.
Also both manufacturers lie about power outputs, but no-one beats TVR for BS. My Griff 500 had '340' printed on the engine and produced 250 bhp at Austec. Sure, there's loads of torque, and it sounds fabulous. Also, the bks about the 'niggles' are largely worked out of most cars on the market today. My Griff let me down *once* because of a duff fuse. That duff fuse could have happened to *any* car - the Griff / Chimaera era TVRs weren't inherently unreliable IMO.
I guess it depends on what you want out of a car. Assuming you are an extremely competent driver, the TVR will give you loads of throttle adjustability of the tail - a traditional front-engine, rear-drive with LSD experience. The weight's at the front, the drive's at the back, there's an LSD and you can drift it about. The short wheelbase means you've got to be good. Simple as that - if you're not a really good driver then it will scare you because the breakaway, whilst benign, is fast. The Griff / Chimaera era cars were better grand tourers too - large boots, solid roofs (security), and long-legged gearing in top for mile-munching.
The Lotuses focused on a different driving style. If anything, you need to be an even *more* competent driver to get the best out of an Elise. But even if you're merely average like me - they deliver huge pleasure since the razor-like responses make you feel like you're actually a st-hot racing driver. Even at low speeds, find some twisties and the car will make you feel like a God. Of course, the sound and 'feel' are much lighter - it's a four-pot inline, and a very light car - so there's none of the 'blood and thunder' of the TVR. But I bet you'll be going a hell of a lot faster 
Really it's down to driving style and what you want out of the car. Regarding water ingress, I've not had good experiences with early Lotuses but later ones have been fine. Get a hard top if you're concerned about security, and a removable steering wheel both helps with ingress and security too. S2 Elises don't have to be raw - they're not as raw as S1s, and the later cars (e.g. the Elise SC) is a nice comfy thing. But Lotus get their speed from lightness - TVR get their speed from big engines. The first time you turn into a corner in either car will tell you all you need to know.
Get a test drive and see if you like it
I'll make a direct comparison between my old Griff 500 and my Exige (hoping it survives
) - the Exige would leave the Griff absolutely everywhere. Even in a straight line. TVR quoted very optimistic weight figures i.e. they were utter BS.Now I loved my TVR. And on PH, stating that a TVR is a bag of s
te will bring down the wrath. But ALL of the Lotuses are better cars. Yes the early S1s leaked, which was a right pain. But the old TVRs leaked too. Compare like with like, and you'll find that the Lotus product was simply a better driver's car.What TVR offered was a load of stomp, a great noise, and a hairy-chested driving experience. I simply *don't* buy the idea that a Griff 500 is easier to drift on the limit than an Exige S - I've done both and both are tricky and best kept well away from public roads. Perhaps a Chimaera is a friendly drift machine, but the short-wheelbase Griff was not.
Also both manufacturers lie about power outputs, but no-one beats TVR for BS. My Griff 500 had '340' printed on the engine and produced 250 bhp at Austec. Sure, there's loads of torque, and it sounds fabulous. Also, the b
ks about the 'niggles' are largely worked out of most cars on the market today. My Griff let me down *once* because of a duff fuse. That duff fuse could have happened to *any* car - the Griff / Chimaera era TVRs weren't inherently unreliable IMO.I guess it depends on what you want out of a car. Assuming you are an extremely competent driver, the TVR will give you loads of throttle adjustability of the tail - a traditional front-engine, rear-drive with LSD experience. The weight's at the front, the drive's at the back, there's an LSD and you can drift it about. The short wheelbase means you've got to be good. Simple as that - if you're not a really good driver then it will scare you because the breakaway, whilst benign, is fast. The Griff / Chimaera era cars were better grand tourers too - large boots, solid roofs (security), and long-legged gearing in top for mile-munching.
The Lotuses focused on a different driving style. If anything, you need to be an even *more* competent driver to get the best out of an Elise. But even if you're merely average like me - they deliver huge pleasure since the razor-like responses make you feel like you're actually a s
t-hot racing driver. Even at low speeds, find some twisties and the car will make you feel like a God. Of course, the sound and 'feel' are much lighter - it's a four-pot inline, and a very light car - so there's none of the 'blood and thunder' of the TVR. But I bet you'll be going a hell of a lot faster Really it's down to driving style and what you want out of the car. Regarding water ingress, I've not had good experiences with early Lotuses but later ones have been fine. Get a hard top if you're concerned about security, and a removable steering wheel both helps with ingress and security too. S2 Elises don't have to be raw - they're not as raw as S1s, and the later cars (e.g. the Elise SC) is a nice comfy thing. But Lotus get their speed from lightness - TVR get their speed from big engines. The first time you turn into a corner in either car will tell you all you need to know.
Get a test drive and see if you like it
Scotty if you were at the recent TVR Thunder in the Tunnels you could have been shotgun with me for a few laps, I looooove my S2 it rides and handles like a dream. I've previously driven S1s and they are definitely a "rawer" car but tbh in my girly opinion I don't notice that much difference, however the S1s are meant to be the better trackday car.
One thing that makes me grin like a loon while driving mine are ROUNDABOUTS. NEVER have roundabouts been SO MUCH FUN, these cars turn on a sixpence and take roundabouts on rails, leaving anything tailing you, flailing in your wake
Mine had a new HG at 88k and it's now at 95k so hopefully it will be good for a while yet. The head was skimmed too which I think is the norm when replacing the gasket? However the water level seems to go down rather too quickly for my liking which is a potential worry, when I next go and see the car (it's stored 30 mins from me) I will check the oil cap for any "mayonnaise", and hope it's just a drip leak of water somewhere and not a portent of doom of an early HGF
One thing that makes me grin like a loon while driving mine are ROUNDABOUTS. NEVER have roundabouts been SO MUCH FUN, these cars turn on a sixpence and take roundabouts on rails, leaving anything tailing you, flailing in your wake
Mine had a new HG at 88k and it's now at 95k so hopefully it will be good for a while yet. The head was skimmed too which I think is the norm when replacing the gasket? However the water level seems to go down rather too quickly for my liking which is a potential worry, when I next go and see the car (it's stored 30 mins from me) I will check the oil cap for any "mayonnaise", and hope it's just a drip leak of water somewhere and not a portent of doom of an early HGF
Regarding skimming the head.
Dave Andrews at DVA hardness test heads and then peens the firing ring and then skims the head.
Just skimming the head could open areas of porosity around the fire ring leading to further failure. Liner heights need to be checked also - ideally at 4thou or better.
Worth having a dig around on the Seloc technical as there is a raft of information on hgf fixes there - some good, some tosh.
Dave Andrews at DVA hardness test heads and then peens the firing ring and then skims the head.
Just skimming the head could open areas of porosity around the fire ring leading to further failure. Liner heights need to be checked also - ideally at 4thou or better.
Worth having a dig around on the Seloc technical as there is a raft of information on hgf fixes there - some good, some tosh.
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