is a 420se a conversion?

[ROR350]

is a 420se on a d plate a conversio ,if so who did it are they as good a car as a 400 se???

[kevinday]

If I remember rightly there were a few 420SE models produced, but, I do not think it would be in 86/87, more like 89-90. Steve Heath is the one to answer this, I guess.

[2 sheds]

The 420SE was an early model 1986 onwards i believe, probably only 20 od produced. Steve ?
Tim

[ROR350]

the car in question is in b r green, how would i teel if it is the real thing?

[davidy]

Ring the factory with the chassis number

davidy

[jmorgan]

Is it on the net?

[broadside]

The 420 SEs were 390SEs with a 420 engine derived from the 420 SEAC though having different cam profiles etc not being as powerful as the SEAC. They were not "official" cars, allegedly only offered to favoured customers. I am not sure of the production numbers and come to think of it neither are TVR.


Broadside

[shpub]

broadside said: The 420 SEs were 390SEs with a 420 engine derived from the 420 SEAC though having different cam profiles etc not being as powerful as the SEAC. They were not "official" cars, allegedly only offered to favoured customers. I am not sure of the production numbers and come to think of it neither are TVR.


Broadside

Or they were SEACs without the AC and a different engine. TVR lumped them all together under the category of big wedgy things... It's call the fcatory and check the provenance time.

[19560]

420 SEs are very rare. I have only seen one. I would guess that there are only about five. 420 SEACs without the aramaic construction are badged 420 SEAC and have the SEAC body shell. I dare say that there are exceptions. Owners had complainded that the body panels rippled.
Considering the timescales it is not surprising that there are so few - the 450SE came out shortly afterwards. A customer must have been prerared to pay over the odds for a 390/400 but not want a SEAC or 450.

[jmorgan]

Mine was advertised as one of only 7 4.3,s made. Bit of looking things up and realised a few misplaced words might have given this impression to the seller. That and 400 along the side.

[davidy]

Didn't the second Roadtest 390SE (the red, series 2 car) have a 4.2 engine???

I thought that the number of 420SE's was between 3 and 7.

Also many SEACs were not ACs, they had the bodyshell but were made from standard fibreglass. There are very few original kevlar impregnated ones left and you can tell those as the paint is all ripply on the surface.

AND as one of mates said when the SEAC was launched (he already had a 390SE), you could divorce the wife for less than the cost of the upgrade, and that would equal the weight saving!!!

davidy

[2 sheds]

The first 10 SEACs were full kevlar which is soft and an absolute bastard to work with, the body finish has severe ripples. i believe TVR were only too pleased to reduce kevlar and use more GRP, i heard that they were loosing money producing the first 10.
All the 420SEACs bodies contained Kevlar and in some cases Carbon fibre, although with time they used more GRP. The 450SEACs apparently were GRP but i have never had the chance to qualify this. maybe some of the 450SEAC owners that have restored them know differently ?
Tim

[ROR350]

while we are talking of rare ones i have just {imo)seen the most gorgeous wedge ever for sale, its a 460se is that one of a kind or a limited run?
also is a 460 more powerfull than a 450seac?

[shpub]

ROR350 said: while we are talking of rare ones i have just {imo)seen the most gorgeous wedge ever for sale, its a 460se is that one of a kind or a limited run?
also is a 460 more powerfull than a 450seac?

Neither... It is a 400 that has had an engine dropped in it. In the same way that my 520SE is a 390SE on its docs with a 5.2 litre engine. The different SE names are just names.

As for more power... depend on the engines.

Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk

[2 sheds]

The 460 is an after market engine upgrade, probably a 400SE originally ? totally different to the TVR 450 engine, which is in effect a detuned race engine, the 460 is a Land Rover factory unit, with in most cases balanced bottom end & ported heads, output depends on spec, most produce more torque & probably less bhp but overall similar performance. a very strong engine.
I would suggest worth considering.
Tim

[big wedge]

2 sheds said: The first 10 SEACs were full kevlar which is soft and an absolute bastard to work with, the body finish has severe ripples. i believe TVR were only too pleased to reduce kevlar and use more GRP, i heard that they were loosing money producing the first 10.
All the 420SEACs bodies contained Kevlar and in some cases Carbon fibre, although with time they used more GRP. The 450SEACs apparently were GRP but i have never had the chance to qualify this. maybe some of the 450SEAC owners that have restored them know differently ?
Tim

I've not restored my 450SEAC, however I would say its probably not got much (if any) kevlar in it. The finish on the bodywork is certainly not any worse than other wedges I've seen.

[19560]

Just a note to say that the 430SEs were a very late model of wedge. By that time TVR were using the 4.3 in the Griffith ( and some got dumped in V8Ss. ) I didn't know that they had made as many as seven - most people went for the much cheaper and faster Griffith.

[jmorgan]

19560 said: I didn't know that they had made as many as seven

Sorry if this relates to my earlier comment. What I ment was mine was advertised mistakenly (?) as one of 7, where that figure came from I know not. It was a 400 with a 4.3 dumped in it, a fact that 400 down the side not 430 help prove it was a transplant. Although stickers can be changed.

[shpub]

There are three official ones. Each with different versions of the 4.3 engine.

[davidy]

The fifure of 7, I believe relates to 420SEs, which were the SEAC engine in a 390. All pre 400s

davidy