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[omegaV6CD]

I just wanted to ask if any of you has had an experience with TVR's and rover V8s. What are they like to own? Are they any good? How durable and reliable are the engines?

[Admin]

Driven a Griffith 500 a few times....

Truly a scary car. Staggeringly fast... and by that I mean real :-Xme  type power!

Also makes the most gorgeous noise!  [smiley=evil.gif]

However I have heard the reliability is really not good (oh and the handling is...twitchy!  )

Mark (of course!) knows the engines quite well and will be able to advise in much more detail.

[TheBoy]

A mate has a chimera, actually, spookily enough, he and I were discussing his reliability over a beer last night. Other than running out of petrol, and a plug lead popping off, its been good as gold. Fast, noisy (in a v8 way ), seems to handle well. Stupid locking system though...

[omegaV6CD]

Thanks guys,
i had a chat with a guy that is a Ford engine designer and has a chimaera 4lt. He was saying that it is a very addictive car and you can buy one in a logical price. He described them as "red meat" Did they fit a/c on those?

[Timbuk]

Ex gaffer of mine had a Chimera and he loved it, did drive it once and scary it was. Ref TB's mention of the locking system, i sat in the car for 5 mins because i couldn't get out. Interior door handles!!!!!! NO

[TheBoy]

I wasn't refering to the unlock knob in the middle, of the exterior 'handle' under the mirrors. It was the having to turn ignition on to open boot  

[Marks DTM Calib]

The Rover V8 is pretty highly tuned in these which does not help teh reliability.

This lump isnt massively good in stansard form (compared to modern day engines) where the non GEMS setups are renowned for head gaksets blowing into the valley (they have an extra row of bolts by the exhaust manifold for some reason), they tend to wear cams out failrly quickely and need VERY regular oil changes.

By 60K mile these problems are normaly beginning to show but, being a V8 it often difficult to spot unless you start carrying out compression testing etc.

The timing chains also stretch badly over time (TVR used Clyes ones which are better) knocking the timing out and the 94mm bore (3.9/4.0/4.6/5.0) do have a habit of dropping liners.

TVR did a few bits to it (welll the Coventry based engine group) but it was little more than ported heads, a wild cam etc.

The Griffiths with the 5.0 used a T5 gearbox....these are not good and do give up the ghost......many fit the Supra box (the 5 speed non-turbo on, not the naff 6 speed Getrag) in its place as it is considerably stronger and easy to obtain.

So my advice....buy carefuly.

[Martin_1962]

There is a TVR dealer opposite my office, just been on their web site looking for Omegas - found office managers Volvo and kitchen place next door to us green & white van and possible our juniors Megane

[omegaV6CD]

The Rover V8 is pretty highly tuned in these which does not help teh reliability.

This lump isnt massively good in stansard form (compared to modern day engines) where the non GEMS setups are renowned for head gaksets blowing into the valley (they have an extra row of bolts by the exhaust manifold for some reason), they tend to wear cams out failrly quickely and need VERY regular oil changes.

By 60K mile these problems are normaly beginning to show but, being a V8 it often difficult to spot unless you start carrying out compression testing etc.

The timing chains also stretch badly over time (TVR used Clyes ones which are better) knocking the timing out and the 94mm bore (3.9/4.0/4.6/5.0) do have a habit of dropping liners.

TVR did a few bits to it (welll the Coventry based engine group) but it was little more than ported heads, a wild cam etc.

The Griffiths with the 5.0 used a T5 gearbox....these are not good and do give up the ghost......many fit the Supra box (the 5 speed non-turbo on, not the naff 6 speed Getrag) in its place as it is considerably stronger and easy to obtain.

So my advice....buy carefuly.

Thanks mate,
I thought that the engines would be bulletproof but it seems not to be the case. I'm put off now.

[Marks DTM Calib]

It seems like a mith as they are not as good as everybody would make out....they do just keep running though and slowly get worse and worse.

The secret is 3K oil changes......

[omegaV6CD]

It seems like a mith as they are not as good as everybody would make out....they do just keep running though and slowly get worse and worse.

The secret is 3K oil changes......

If somebody gets one and gives it a proper full rebuilt is there any way that you could get arround the problems and create a bulletproof engine? Or is it a chevvy small block job? But again it will affect the balance of the car.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Head gasket problem can be overcome by only torqueing the outer head bolts to 25Nm.....

....timing chain is much improved with the cloyes high strength pre-stretched unit plus an oiler can be added.

Cam shaft end float can be helped with a mushroom style end thrust bolt.

Cam shaft wear is much helped by regular oil changes plus good lifters etc make a difference.

At high mileage the rockers wear badly....roller units can help this (TVR used these any way).

The main bearings can walk....ARP studs help solve this.

Sall blcok would still be better plus the later LS1/2 is about the same weight.

[omegaV6CD]

Head gasket problem can be overcome by only torqueing the outer head bolts to 25Nm.....

....timing chain is much improved with the cloyes high strength pre-stretched unit plus an oiler can be added.

Cam shaft end float can be helped with a mushroom style end thrust bolt.

Cam shaft wear is much helped by regular oil changes plus good lifters etc make a difference.

At high mileage the rockers wear badly....roller units can help this (TVR used these any way).

The main bearings can walk....ARP studs help solve this.

You are the man mate,
 Sall blcok would still be better plus the later LS1/2 is about the same weight.

i thought these engines had t

he cross bolted main bearings would they still walk? It would be good to get a chimaera with no engine and get a lancia thema 8.32 and swap the ferrari engine over, that would be fun hehehe.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Only the very late blocks (1996 on 4.0 and 4.6 thor based blocks with crank driven oil pumps) had crossbolted mains, which helped, but was not as good as studs.