390SE's - how many made
Discussion
simboy1973 said:
All-righty TVR-ers
Pop quiz.
Who can tell me how many 390SE Wedges were made and how do i find out what number mine is..
Oh and the definition of Frustration is "NOT getting your Wedge out to play because of the WEATHER"
Simboy
This should be a FAQ or a sticky or something, the number of times it gets asked.Pop quiz.
Who can tell me how many 390SE Wedges were made and how do i find out what number mine is..
Oh and the definition of Frustration is "NOT getting your Wedge out to play because of the WEATHER"
Simboy
The 390 was built to order across about 4-5 years of Wedge production. Approximately 103 cars were built, but just to confuse things, some owners with spectacularly deep pockets ordered a 4.2L engine instead of the 3.9. So let's be generous and say 93 390SEs.
The cars were just 350s with the bigger engine and a few bolt-on bits added, but the chassis was standard 350i. So the chassis number of a 390 of any given year just falls into the standard 350i production sequence.
I don't believe that anyone has ever produced a list of all the 390s based on their chassis number, which is the only way you'd know where any car was in the sequence. In the early days of the Tasmin it was easy to tell: chassis FH5036FI was the 36th chassis and 5128 the 128th. The introduction of the long VIN code makes it harder to tell, because a chassis number ending in 337 was the 337th car built that year, not overall.
Graham Robson's book 'The TVRs, Vol.2' gives production figures for each year, I can't look it up because I lent my copy out and it never returned.
As to the Rouse-spec engines, let's just say that in what, ten years of Pistonheads, I don't think anyone has ever claimed ownership of one.
The first 390SEs were B or C reg, most of them seen at BBWF seem to be D, E or F. So where the early cars are is anyone's guess. The one sold up here a few weeks back was on a C plate; the seller was unable to find any identifying marks to prove the provenance of the engine so who knows, maybe it was one of the mythical ones
At one of the wedgefests my car was parked next to a 390 with the consecutive chassis number, bet that didn't happen often
That one had the OZ 5-spokes and the rounder front air dam so maybe mine was the last with the lattice wheels and old-style 'ankle-slicer'...My 390 SA9DH35P5FB019477 was sold in October 1985.
It was supplied as a 350i with a 390SE option set.
The car was registered as 3498cc but the engine number as JE1060.
It had the uprated engine, 15 inch wheels, ventilated front disks, rear spoiler, front dam spoiler with brake ventilation, 390 mirrors, black finished wiper and door handles, oil cooler (no thermostat), Torsen LSD but was otherwise quite standard.
I was told that it was the 17th 390 and the first of the John Eales engines; it certainly uses a lot of oil unless it is really hot (blueprinted?) and has Cosworth forged pistons and significant working around the heads. The ECU, resistor pack and flapper are marked with a yellow dot.
Russ
It was supplied as a 350i with a 390SE option set.
The car was registered as 3498cc but the engine number as JE1060.
It had the uprated engine, 15 inch wheels, ventilated front disks, rear spoiler, front dam spoiler with brake ventilation, 390 mirrors, black finished wiper and door handles, oil cooler (no thermostat), Torsen LSD but was otherwise quite standard.
I was told that it was the 17th 390 and the first of the John Eales engines; it certainly uses a lot of oil unless it is really hot (blueprinted?) and has Cosworth forged pistons and significant working around the heads. The ECU, resistor pack and flapper are marked with a yellow dot.
Russ
My 390SE has engine number A.R.E TVR 18 stamped on the rear of the engine block. It is a 1985 C plate with chassis number ending 320. Yes it does consume oil at the the same rate that I consume chocolate ( a fairly vast amount!!). I carry a small bottle of Mobil 1 in the car just in case.
C O Jones said:
My 390 SA9DH35P5FB019477 was sold in October 1985.
It was supplied as a 350i with a 390SE option set.
The car was registered as 3498cc but the engine number as JE1060.
It had the uprated engine, 15 inch wheels, ventilated front disks, rear spoiler, front dam spoiler with brake ventilation, 390 mirrors, black finished wiper and door handles, oil cooler (no thermostat), Torsen LSD but was otherwise quite standard.
I was told that it was the 17th 390 and the first of the John Eales engines; it certainly uses a lot of oil unless it is really hot (blueprinted?) and has Cosworth forged pistons and significant working around the heads. The ECU, resistor pack and flapper are marked with a yellow dot.
Russ
... and by 7th September '87 my car was SA9DH35****019335 (the * digits differed for the year) - so at a quick glance it looks like it was built before Russ's! Stated capacity on the V5 is 3900cc (so almost correct!). The '35' earlier in the VIN refers to the standard car's capacity, the 390 wasn't separately type-approved (and anyway as Russ says the 390 package was a bolt-on extra).It was supplied as a 350i with a 390SE option set.
The car was registered as 3498cc but the engine number as JE1060.
It had the uprated engine, 15 inch wheels, ventilated front disks, rear spoiler, front dam spoiler with brake ventilation, 390 mirrors, black finished wiper and door handles, oil cooler (no thermostat), Torsen LSD but was otherwise quite standard.
I was told that it was the 17th 390 and the first of the John Eales engines; it certainly uses a lot of oil unless it is really hot (blueprinted?) and has Cosworth forged pistons and significant working around the heads. The ECU, resistor pack and flapper are marked with a yellow dot.
Russ
My engine is NCK 045: ported inlet manifold and heads, flat-topped Omega forged pistons with valve pockets, high-lift cam, dual valve springs, shortened valve guides, duplex timing chain that may or may not have been original fitment... but the injection system was standard 350i apart from the Bosch adjustable fuel pressure regulator and tweaked ECU. The car also has a thermostat on its oil cooler and benefits from power steering! The flywheel may be lightened as claimed by TVR but can't say for definite as I've never had chance to compare it with a standard one. Vented discs, 15" wheels, LSD and bodykit complete the package. Oh, and the all-important badges of course
Any more 390 owners want to chip in? Maybe we can build our own register
OK - my 390SE.
Moonraker Met Black -
Reg'd Aug 87 originally an E reg'd car..
Chassis No SA9DH35*****19306
Eng No NCK041 - still original.
I believe from the TVR specialist i bought it from last year, that back in the day. Vented front Discs', LSD were all standard on the 390SE's. My one has adjustable suspension, power steering also the oil cooler, 420 bootlid spoiler (so i'm told) and non standard Azev alloys.
I was told the engine spec was the typical, polished and flowed big valve heads, high comp pistons, racer cam etc.... My one uses a minute amount of oil, nothing to worry about... It does have a very small oil leak, as i found out when i went out to the garage last week.... (yes no doubt thats where the oils going)
I can confirm although, i don't drive it like i stole it, it is getting on 23yrs old, i can confirm that on those days on the back roads where i stay, when the mood takes me it goes like the proverbiale of a very shiney shovel, the twin cannons at the rear do add to the automotive drama... What a noise....
(i was thinking of getting rid of it, but i can't bring myself to do it at present)
Maybe a wee register could be started...
Simboy
Moonraker Met Black -
Reg'd Aug 87 originally an E reg'd car..
Chassis No SA9DH35*****19306
Eng No NCK041 - still original.
I believe from the TVR specialist i bought it from last year, that back in the day. Vented front Discs', LSD were all standard on the 390SE's. My one has adjustable suspension, power steering also the oil cooler, 420 bootlid spoiler (so i'm told) and non standard Azev alloys.
I was told the engine spec was the typical, polished and flowed big valve heads, high comp pistons, racer cam etc.... My one uses a minute amount of oil, nothing to worry about... It does have a very small oil leak, as i found out when i went out to the garage last week.... (yes no doubt thats where the oils going)
I can confirm although, i don't drive it like i stole it, it is getting on 23yrs old, i can confirm that on those days on the back roads where i stay, when the mood takes me it goes like the proverbiale of a very shiney shovel, the twin cannons at the rear do add to the automotive drama... What a noise....
(i was thinking of getting rid of it, but i can't bring myself to do it at present)
Maybe a wee register could be started...
Simboy
simboy1973 said:
420 bootlid spoiler (so i'm told)
Just to add a little something with my limited knowledge...Nope, that's not the same spoiler as on my 420SE... I'm not up to speed on spoiler terminology, but yours seems to have a sort of rabbit-ears appearance to the ends whereas the ends of mine make about a 90-degree turn and track up the boot towards the back window, narrowing as they go... (the car is completely standard apart from the stereo, so it's not been fitted after-market)
obviously the 420SEAC has its own, um, unique spoiler, and I'm pretty sure the only other 420 variant was the 420SE...
combine said:
'Car ' magazine first tested the 390se in Nov 1984 , reg no was TVR 100 and the rocker covers were red , two tail pipes at each side at back , and had BBS alloy wheels . They did a stop watch test for 0- 60 of 5 secs . They were very impressed .
went to look at a car tested by one of the mags once, TVR had put a 4.2 in it, but badged it as a 390, helped get the performance figure up.blaineuk said:
combine said:
'Car ' magazine first tested the 390se in Nov 1984 , reg no was TVR 100 and the rocker covers were red , two tail pipes at each side at back , and had BBS alloy wheels . They did a stop watch test for 0- 60 of 5 secs . They were very impressed .
went to look at a car tested by one of the mags once, TVR had put a 4.2 in it, but badged it as a 390, helped get the performance figure up.blaineuk said:
combine said:
'Car ' magazine first tested the 390se in Nov 1984 , reg no was TVR 100 and the rocker covers were red , two tail pipes at each side at back , and had BBS alloy wheels . They did a stop watch test for 0- 60 of 5 secs . They were very impressed .
went to look at a car tested by one of the mags once, TVR had put a 4.2 in it, but badged it as a 390, helped get the performance figure up.
My 1988 S2 390 was a damned fast car (NCK 88 motor), would rev its tits off, and did sup some oil.
All part of the Wedge magic I suppose.
combine said:
'Car ' magazine first tested the 390se in Nov 1984 , reg no was TVR 100 and the rocker covers were red , two tail pipes at each side at back , and had BBS alloy wheels . They did a stop watch test for 0- 60 of 5 secs . They were very impressed .
The TVR 100 plate was owned by the factory and appeared on quite a few demonstrators and road-test cars. Think they owned a couple of others as well.I have a road test report somewhere from a couple of years(?) later where they were struggling to find anything nice to say about the 390.
_Absinthe_ said:
Nope, that's not the same spoiler as on my 420SE... the ends of mine make about a 90-degree turn and track up the boot towards the back window, narrowing as they go... (the car is completely standard apart from the stereo, so it's not been fitted after-market)
Sounds like it could be the Zender spoiler (there's a pic of mine in my profile). It was a factory option. I was told that the real McCoy is made of a squidgy foam - as is mine - but that TVR later cheated and made a mould from a genuine one from which they produced replicas in GRP. If they did, it must weigh a bit...Wedg1e said:
_Absinthe_ said:
Nope, that's not the same spoiler as on my 420SE... the ends of mine make about a 90-degree turn and track up the boot towards the back window, narrowing as they go... (the car is completely standard apart from the stereo, so it's not been fitted after-market)
Sounds like it could be the Zender spoiler (there's a pic of mine in my profile). It was a factory option. I was told that the real McCoy is made of a squidgy foam - as is mine - but that TVR later cheated and made a mould from a genuine one from which they produced replicas in GRP. If they did, it must weigh a bit...blaineuk said:
combine said:
'Car ' magazine first tested the 390se in Nov 1984 , reg no was TVR 100 and the rocker covers were red , two tail pipes at each side at back , and had BBS alloy wheels . They did a stop watch test for 0- 60 of 5 secs . They were very impressed .
went to look at a car tested by one of the mags once, TVR had put a 4.2 in it, but badged it as a 390, helped get the performance figure up.Gassing Station | Wedges | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff