Discussion
I Know i am starting to become a pain but i am now thinking if i am going to go for an S should i go for the ultimate ? I know the V8S would be more expensive to run but how much more ? has anyone owned both and how much really useable difference is there in performance between the two cars?
Sorry to be a pain...
Ian
Sorry to be a pain...
Ian
IIRC JSG has owned an S3C and now owns a V8S...
Click on "profile" at the top of this menu bar, the on the left is a "members cars" option... search for V8S and look at the running costs entered... then compare them to the S series...
>> Edited by Podie on Thursday 10th October 08:58
Click on "profile" at the top of this menu bar, the on the left is a "members cars" option... search for V8S and look at the running costs entered... then compare them to the S series...
>> Edited by Podie on Thursday 10th October 08:58
quote:
Just don't look at my running costs, they aren't really representative.
I disagree. I think they are very representitive of your running costs.
Insurance is about the same. Road tax is about the same. Servicing is about the same. Bits are a bit more expensive. Grin is very much bigger.
Steve
(ex S1, S2 and lovely Green 1993 V8S owner)
About 5700 on mine and boy does it get there quickly
Harry
PS I worked on the premis that I got the biggest, baddest, quickest, best looking one I could afford at the time, tried both types, narrowed it down and bought only one type
.
unfortunately they don't do them in 500 spec or i'd want one of them now, just have to wait a tad longer by getting the only true successor the bad*ss griff500.
PPS I know there are a couple of 500 specs out there but I've never seen one in the open market, has anyone else?
Harry
PS I worked on the premis that I got the biggest, baddest, quickest, best looking one I could afford at the time, tried both types, narrowed it down and bought only one type
. unfortunately they don't do them in 500 spec or i'd want one of them now, just have to wait a tad longer by getting the only true successor the bad*ss griff500
. PPS I know there are a couple of 500 specs out there but I've never seen one in the open market, has anyone else?
Ian,
I had a S3C before my V8S. Apart from the obvious higher initial purchase price the rough costs are as follows;
Tax and insurance - no difference
Tyres - no difference (although you can run the S3 on V rated tyres mine had Z rated as per the V8)
Fuel - you will use more, can't be to precise as I don't bother claculating it.
Servicing - via independant, slightly higher for the V8 due to extra plugs etc, but not that noticable.
In terms of performance the V8 sounds and goes better although you may not notice it that much in everyday driving. In some ways the S3 seemed to handle better, the V8 is a bit of a softer ride (I'll be looking at sorting this when finances allow).
I love the shape of the S and the V8 is the best as far as I'm concerned, but don't rule out the S3 depending on your budget.
If you want a look / ride in some come to one of the club meetings.
Cheers,
JSG.
I had a S3C before my V8S. Apart from the obvious higher initial purchase price the rough costs are as follows;
Tax and insurance - no difference
Tyres - no difference (although you can run the S3 on V rated tyres mine had Z rated as per the V8)
Fuel - you will use more, can't be to precise as I don't bother claculating it.
Servicing - via independant, slightly higher for the V8 due to extra plugs etc, but not that noticable.
In terms of performance the V8 sounds and goes better although you may not notice it that much in everyday driving. In some ways the S3 seemed to handle better, the V8 is a bit of a softer ride (I'll be looking at sorting this when finances allow).
I love the shape of the S and the V8 is the best as far as I'm concerned, but don't rule out the S3 depending on your budget.
If you want a look / ride in some come to one of the club meetings.
Cheers,
JSG.
quote:
PPS I know there are a couple of 500 specs out there but I've never seen one in the open market, has anyone else?
Where did you hear that. There isn't to my knowledge. There were three 4.3 models officially made but the customers had to sign release forms. One came up for sale in 1995.
There was a rumour of a 500 made for a friend of Peter Wheeler but I am not sure it existed. It probably fell apart like a certain Green V8S...
Steve
quote:
quote:
PPS I know there are a couple of 500 specs out there but I've never seen one in the open market, has anyone else?
Where did you hear that. There isn't to my knowledge. There were three 4.3 models officially made but the customers had to sign release forms. One came up for sale in 1995.
There was a rumour of a 500 made for a friend of Peter Wheeler but I am not sure it existed. It probably fell apart like a certain Green V8S...
Steve
Steve
When enquiring about my spec (customer requested), the original suppliers HHC (Harrogate not Hexham)confirmed that they had a 500 spec one pass through them, so they are out there.
Can't remember the guys name, service manager I think, very nice chap been there for donkies, he may even remember the details, he certainly remembers mine.
Also one of the guys that used to post on here from the factory (hasn't post for a little while) asked around for me and said that collectively they could remember a handfull of HC's and 4.3's and 2 500's.
Harry
The 4.3's tie up. They went through Team Central. The 500s... well the Wheeler friend lived up North so that explain that one. As for the HC... I'm not sure. I was told that they had fitted Chimaera spec engines to the last few cars but the end of the V8S was effectively in 1993. The Chimaera HC engine didn't appear until 1994 so it is not clear what was going on at the time. This was after the last cars had been build. Logically, the HC spec engine didn't exist. The 4 litre was modified with porting to give 250 bhp so I wonder if that became what they mean by an HC spec. The 500 versions are not the same as the Griff 500 because that didn't appear until after the S had effectively died.
Similar things have happened. There are two 500SE wedges that exist. The factory shipped them as 450SE and they then went straight to TVR POwer who modded the, to a five litre version. They have a 5 litre engine but it is not the same as the Griff 500. The cars have adopted the 500SE logo but there is debate whether they are a genuine factory car. Yes they were but no they are not is the answer.
I'm not questioning (well just a little bit) but it doesn't stack up completely that Chimaera HC engines were put into cars before Chimaeras. I'm afraid we will have to take your car apart along with Ted's and Carzees to see what is going on. I can see a huge bucket of nuts and bolts coming on and I hope we can remember which engine goes where...
Steve
Similar things have happened. There are two 500SE wedges that exist. The factory shipped them as 450SE and they then went straight to TVR POwer who modded the, to a five litre version. They have a 5 litre engine but it is not the same as the Griff 500. The cars have adopted the 500SE logo but there is debate whether they are a genuine factory car. Yes they were but no they are not is the answer.
I'm not questioning (well just a little bit) but it doesn't stack up completely that Chimaera HC engines were put into cars before Chimaeras. I'm afraid we will have to take your car apart along with Ted's and Carzees to see what is going on. I can see a huge bucket of nuts and bolts coming on and I hope we can remember which engine goes where...
Steve
quote:
I'm not questioning (well just a little bit) but it doesn't stack up completely that Chimaera HC engines were put into cars before Chimaeras. I'm afraid we will have to take your car apart along with Ted's and Carzees to see what is going on. I can see a huge bucket of nuts and bolts coming on and I hope we can remember which engine goes where...
Steve
Steve as I said briefly when I got the car it wasn't touted as a HC and I didn't pay a premium, so what ever it is is a bonus, even if its a highly tuned V6
. Whilst investigating it's history though it wasn't until I spoke to the supplying dealer who definately remembers the car as a customer spec'd HC I became plesantly supprised. Which was later verified with TVR power as the engine serial no's match up as a HC (from them quote "speed 8 spec, duplex chain, double valve springs, cam and some head work" unquote).
As for 93/94 production my chasis vin year letter is without doubt a 94 not 93, registerd in march of 94, I know that the year of reg doesn't mean a great deal on its own but coupled to the vin year I'm quite happy to consider it a 94 car
, but if you say that prodiuction definately finished in 93 I'm a bit confused by that bit. I think I am learning and as you already know, with a lot of these cars, no nearly all
, there is little that can be called standard . This side of a rebuild I don't think I'll ever know for sure what is there but it certainly goes well enough
. I had it dyno'd down here, but no work done out of curiousity and got 175 at the wheels corrected to 208 at the flywheel (bosch RR equipment), this was with a weakish mixture (4%) at the top end, so there may be some scope for more as it is :wisheshopefully:.
I realy must get in to mark to see if it is optimised before getting a chip though.
It certainly makes ownership more interesting, there are not many V8S's either way and to have a slightly different angle on it makes it all the more interesting as a owner.
Harry
Very interesting. As for 94 car, it is a 94 car. In the bible based on info from the factory, the few and it is literally a handful of cars that came out in 94 were made from cars that were completed/semicompleted in 93 and were stored at the factory. This is how the last V6 S was mislaid for a year or so and ended up as an M plate.
I checked up in my archieves and the 4.3 engine was still in production late into 1994. What I think has happened is this:
Customer I want a 4.3 V8s
TVR: No can't have one you have to have a four litre.
Customer: I want more power
TVR: welll for a lot of dosh we can tweak the four litre for you.
The head porting would tie in the gas flowed four litre mods that were certainly done. TVR claimed it gave another 10 bhp. The Speed 8 reference is strange as I have only seen that with reference to a 4.3 litre engine.
Is it a true HC engine? I really don't know. It may have been a prototype or it could have been an hybrid made from bits thay had lying around. Happened more than you think. My gut feel is that
it is close to it but more of a hybrid. Anyway that does mean that Mark may have more mechnaical stuff to play with. Get that car to Mr Adams. And start talking to Mr Humphries about upgrading bits. If he gets 240-250 bhp out of it... you are in Humphries territory.
Fascinating though isn't it.
Still reckon would should have a strip-in
Steve
I checked up in my archieves and the 4.3 engine was still in production late into 1994. What I think has happened is this:
Customer I want a 4.3 V8s
TVR: No can't have one you have to have a four litre.
Customer: I want more power
TVR: welll for a lot of dosh we can tweak the four litre for you.
The head porting would tie in the gas flowed four litre mods that were certainly done. TVR claimed it gave another 10 bhp. The Speed 8 reference is strange as I have only seen that with reference to a 4.3 litre engine.
Is it a true HC engine? I really don't know. It may have been a prototype or it could have been an hybrid made from bits thay had lying around. Happened more than you think. My gut feel is that
it is close to it but more of a hybrid. Anyway that does mean that Mark may have more mechnaical stuff to play with. Get that car to Mr Adams. And start talking to Mr Humphries about upgrading bits. If he gets 240-250 bhp out of it... you are in Humphries territory.
Fascinating though isn't it.
Still reckon would should have a strip-in
Steve
Hi Rustoni,
I've had an S3 for three years and drove my friends V8S recently. Bloody hell, is there a difference!
I had driven a 5ltr Griff some years ago and remember feeling knackered whilst I drove it because I couldn't relax at all. Still enjoyed it though! You obviously get used to it with time.
Anyway, I was almost bunny hopping out of the garage because of the power difference. The second you touch the accelerator pedal the car leaps forward. Even at low revs in 5th if you so much as touch the accelerator the whole front lifts up, raring to go.
I'm not entirely sure whether or not I want to power up just yet. I've had a sports exhaust to the S3 that makes it sound far better and I'm sure it's boosted the acceleration a little. The thing I like about the V6 is that I can actually enjoy giving it some around the country lanes. You can drive it closer to it's limit. With the V8, by the time I'd hit the pedal, I'd already arrived!
If it's real pace you want then the V8S is the dogs danglies, but hell you'd better be ready for it if you haven't experienced anything like it before. Good luck!
I've had an S3 for three years and drove my friends V8S recently. Bloody hell, is there a difference!
I had driven a 5ltr Griff some years ago and remember feeling knackered whilst I drove it because I couldn't relax at all. Still enjoyed it though! You obviously get used to it with time.
Anyway, I was almost bunny hopping out of the garage because of the power difference. The second you touch the accelerator pedal the car leaps forward. Even at low revs in 5th if you so much as touch the accelerator the whole front lifts up, raring to go.
I'm not entirely sure whether or not I want to power up just yet. I've had a sports exhaust to the S3 that makes it sound far better and I'm sure it's boosted the acceleration a little. The thing I like about the V6 is that I can actually enjoy giving it some around the country lanes. You can drive it closer to it's limit. With the V8, by the time I'd hit the pedal, I'd already arrived!
If it's real pace you want then the V8S is the dogs danglies, but hell you'd better be ready for it if you haven't experienced anything like it before. Good luck!
I started witha an S2 then had a V8S and have just gone back to an S2. I actually prefer the S2 to the V8S. The balance of power and torque to the rest of the car seems better with the V6. Maybe I'm just getting a bit soft in my old age!
I would suggest that the degree to which an individual car is "sorted" makes a hell of a difference to how much you will enjoy it.
Good luck
I would suggest that the degree to which an individual car is "sorted" makes a hell of a difference to how much you will enjoy it.
Good luck
Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff