RV8 reliability 4.0 v 4.5 v 5.0

[notax]

I sold my fifth TVR a year ago and swapped it for a high spec Boxster S. My TVRs have been 4 Chimaeras - all 4.0 and one Tamora. The Boxster is a great car, but there is no theatre, long gearing and it doesn’t like to drift... so I’m considering my sixth TVR! I’m lucky enough to own some very quick cars and this time fancy a faster Chimaera or Griffith. My 4.0 engined Chimaera engines have been extremely reliable. Are the 4.5 and 5.0 similarly reliable, or is it just down to luck and previous maintenance? Is the 4.5 a reasonable jump in real world performance over the 4.0? Thanks. Here’s a photo of my last Chimaera thanks to Andrew Whyte for the photo...

Edited by notax on Monday 5th October 23:58

[Belle427]

The 450 is supposed to be the sweet spot along with the 4.3 BV if you can find one, some 500 engines do have small issues but they are very few and far between.
In reality a well put together 400 with some choice mods can be a lovely thing, they do tend to vary in their feel.

[JulianHJ]

From experience, top end rebuilds (worn camshaft) on 500s. I was told at the time it was a known issue due to oil supply. No idea how accurate this is.

[TV8]

Having had a 400 and a 530 Chimaera and a Boxster and 996, if I went back to a Chimaera, I would go for a 4.3 as I prefer the look of the earlier cars and it would have less torque than the 500. I think the 450s are all the later shape front grills and painted bumper and it would have more than enough torque after the Porsche.

There have been a few crank problems on the 500 as well, which is why mine became a 530!

[notax]

Thanks, I’d heard various concerns about the 5.0, but wasn’t sure if they were representative. I think the Chimaera is fantastic - and like the fact that you can fit a mountain bike or even two spare rear tyres and a trolley jack in the boot. They’re brilliant fun at slaloms too, so although some people think it’s mad, I’m likely to do this again...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyeChgOvhrs

I do, however like the idea of a Griffith this time and as far as I know the only engine options are 5.0 or 4.3. Are there many differences, other than engine size, between the earlier 4.3 and 5.0s?

[citizen smith]

notax said:

Thanks, I’d heard various concerns about the 5.0, but wasn’t sure if they were representative. I think the Chimaera is fantastic - and like the fact that you can fit a mountain bike or even two spare rear tyres and a trolley jack in the boot. They’re brilliant fun at slaloms too, so although some people think it’s mad, I’m likely to do this again...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyeChgOvhrs

I do, however like the idea of a Griffith this time and as far as I know the only engine options are 5.0 or 4.3. Are there many differences, other than engine size, between the earlier 4.3 and 5.0s?

The first cars were 4.0, 4.3 plus very rare 4.5's up to 1993.

[Englishman]

I've owned two Griff 500's, one for 5 years and the current one for over 12 years. Covered something like 70K miles in them with no engine issues. Find a good one and have it serviced annually by people that work on them everyday and you'll be fine.

[baconsarney]

Just to add regarding the 5.0, shortly after buying my 5.0 Chimaera (ten years ago) it developed a top end clatter, then the block became porous.... Rather than a rebuild with top hat liners I went for a V8D 'high performance' rebuild. This entailed a new 4.5 Coscast block (cross bolted), which was bored out to a smidgeon over 5.0. This has a slightly larger bore and a shorter stroke than the original TVR 5.0. No engine issues in 9 years...... And with a few other mods it's rather quick...

I would say the later 4.5 block is definitely stronger than the TVR engineered 5.0..........

Edit to add, just seen Englishman's post above.. I do think I was a bit unlucky with mine

Edited by baconsarney on Tuesday 6th October 08:55

[e42]

Hi, I imagine you’ll have good opinions from pre-cat (I.e. 4.0 or 4.3) and 500 owners, but having owned both variants (currently have the 4.3) I would vote for pre-cat. Reasons are the pre-cat sound and the revvier more sporting nature of the engine. I also went for non- PAS, another debate on here, my 500 had PAS. The 4.3 seems to provide a sportier drive to me, but I ran a Caterham as my daily for two years so maybe I’m just masochistic!

Dom

[900T-R]

By no way representative, but the only catastrophic engine issues I know of in later years have been on 500s...

Engineering-wise, that engine is compromised by having a TVR-cast crank rather than the LR item and LR 4.2 pistons of which the skirts were cut down to make room for the enlongated stroke, compounded by an unfavourable stroke/rod length ratio.

However, as long as you enjoy the 500 for what it is - a big-hearted slogger rather than a revvy sports car engine - in all probability the only issue you will face is the camshaft wearing a little quicker than with the 'smaller' versions. I liken the 500 versions to a Buell sports bike - a big custom/cruiser engine in a sporty frame

The 450 is the only engine version that guarantees you the later RR 4.0/4.6 (P38A) block with a big journal crank, crossbolted mains, better pistons etc. However, '450' can mean anything from a 'RR with a cam' (I would wager to guess most cars) to a much higher specification using the 500 heads etc (sometimes referred to as '450 HC' but that was never an official designation or order item AFAIK).

The 4.3 is - of course - based on the older 3.9 LR engine, most of them pre-serpentine (for what it's worth) but generally regarded to be the finest TVR Power RV8 by a margin. None of the problems of the 5 litre, nice high compression (they used LR 3.9 pistons with the crowns machined down giving a static CR on the far side of 10:1, my best guess calculations indicate IRO 10.5:1) and lovely head porting. The 4.3s in general are responsive, free-revving and seem to be the most consistent performers on the rolling road, too.

[rockits]

I did the same thing but went the other way as had the 987 Boxster 3.2 S and found it a great car but always a little too much of a daily compromise 2-in-1 kind of car. Perfect if you wanted that but I wanted a more raw 4th+ car for a special uncompromising experience.

I had 2 x Chimaera 400's which were perfectly fine but wanted something a little more and bought a restored 500 that had a tone of work done by a previous owner a couple of years ago. Allegedly about £19k spent! So full full rebuild and replacement of pretty much everything.

However I think I have gone a smidge too far and finding it a little too raw for me. Not sure if I am getting old but looking for something in-between now I think. So the 500 will be going. It might be right up your street if you want something raw as this is all of that. Tons of power and torque as the dyno chart proves. I've just sent you a PM.

I might roll 2 cars into one and get something a little newer maybe a later T car. Just not sure about getting into a Speed Six engined car as always loved the characterful noise and feel of the RV8.

Depending on what the Boxster is I might even be interested in some kind of swap deal

[rockits]

With regards to reliability I have had no issues with either Chimaera RV8 400 or 500. There is a massive difference in performance between the 400's I had and the current 500 I have. Massive massive. The 500 is much more torquey with a ton of power anywhere at any speed in any gear. The 400 you had to get going and rev out much more. The difference is more than night and day. A whole different level and ball game. Maybe partly down to low powered 400's possibly or the V8D new build of the 500 being very fresh and strong only 4k miles since new build I think.

Not a bad thing necessarily to rev out a 400 but no RV8 is a high revving V8 motor so it doesn't quite reward the same as revving out a high revving NA motor. Like a lovely Maserati F136 V8 for example.

I think all RV8 motors are pretty simple and my experience also what I have read is in the main the RV8 is a reliable and cost effective motor to maintain. Also the associated gearbox, diff and most other mechanical's and electrics are pretty robust.

[900T-R]

If you have a 320 bhp V8D built 5.0, that is no comparison whatsoever to the bog standard 250-270 bhp factory 500, though.

[notax]

rockits said:

I did the same thing but went the other way as had the 987 Boxster 3.2 S and found it a great car but always a little too much of a daily compromise 2-in-1 kind of car. Perfect if you wanted that but I wanted a more raw 4th+ car for a special uncompromising experience.

I had 2 x Chimaera 400's which were perfectly fine but wanted something a little more and bought a restored 500 that had a tone of work done by a previous owner a couple of years ago. Allegedly about £19k spent! So full full rebuild and replacement of pretty much everything.

However I think I have gone a smidge too far and finding it a little too raw for me. Not sure if I am getting old but looking for something in-between now I think. So the 500 will be going. It might be right up your street if you want something raw as this is all of that. Tons of power and torque as the dyno chart proves. I've just sent you a PM.

I might roll 2 cars into one and get something a little newer maybe a later T car. Just not sure about getting into a Speed Six engined car as always loved the characterful noise and feel of the RV8.

Depending on what the Boxster is I might even be interested in some kind of swap deal

Thanks for coming back to me, your Griffith looks great, but sadly the colour scheme isn’t for me. This is my 981 Boxster S, 29k miles and very big spec...

[rockits]

notax said:

Thanks for coming back to me, your Griffith looks great, but sadly the colour scheme isn’t for me. This is my 981 Boxster S, 29k miles and very big spec...

No worries at all. Feel free to PM or e-mail me some details on your Boxster though. It may still be of interest.

My TVR is a Chimaera 500 not a Griffith 500 though.

To be honest the external colour is not for me either as I am not really a fan of Red cars. However it was a compromise I was prepared to make at the time as really liked the interior as that works really well. I had visions of a respray in a dark red metallic somethink like this:


I thought that would look great on a TVR and would work well with the interior as well:


There is still plenty of room to factor in a respray on my car as had budgeted for this when I bought it. The car price would start with a 1 and not a 2 so is a very cheap car for what work and money has been spent on it.

[Andy JB]

I've had my 500 chim for 16 years, never had any mechanical issues in 30k with engine, regular oil service with good quality oil 10w50, it's now 25 years old so no reliability woes.

It's pretty standard spec but much more powerful than 400 s I've driven, and quicker then other 300hp cars I've driven or owned.

[QBee]

Couple of things to add.

The TVR 500 engines have an offset crank with small journals, as far as I know, in order to get a longer stroke and hence more ccs from a 4.6 RR engine. I do not believe that they are bored out.

The biggest difference I can see is that the 500 has way more torque than any other variant of the engine, which makes overtaking etc so much more fun.
These cars are not about high revving, screaming engines, unlike most other sports cars including Speed 6s, they are about grunt, and the 500 has that in spades. Yes, the standard car is about the same BHP as the 450, its the torque thaqt makes the difference. Get one with a V8D engine and you will have upwards of 40 more BHP and Ft Lbs. Look at the BHP and torque numbers of almost any sports car, and you will see a BHP number higher than the torque number. The RV8 engined cars, it's the other way round, torque number higher than BHP.

I have had a 400 and a V8D 500 engine, but my current format is a 4.6 turbo running a Range Rover cam and very low boost (I mean VERY low - 2.5 psi). It makes 325 bhp, but 395 ft lbs, and it is the torque that makes the car the fun car it is.

[900T-R]

Your idea of fun and mine may be slightly different - in the Griffmaera chassis, I gladly trade some low/midrange lairiness that can send you facing the wrong way in traffic if you're not very careful, for a useable rev range that extends past 5K. Nothing too elevated, mind - around 6K rpm is where the peak should be, with a 6.5K redline - which is 1960s muscle car territory rather than turbodiesel style delivery.

[DangerousDerek]

I think some of the reliability issues are luck of the draw whether looked after service wise or not.
Ive destroyed rover V8s that were built to perform with expensive parts.

On the flip side I currently have a rescued range rover 4.6 bottom end that had the black death. I spent 2 days cleaning the block, self honed the bores, polished the crank, fitted new rings that didn't need gapping due to the bore wear, new main and big end bearings. Fitted my '500' heads using cometic mls gaskets and ARP studs.
With a Chinese turbo at 12-14psi it gave 533 bhp and I drag race the car regularly.

I am at Melbourne this weekend and Santa Pod then next and will be giving it everything its got.

The main key to reliability in my humble opinion is correct tuning. An aftermarket ECU will allow fine tuning for all applications and finding the right guy to do the tune is the most important part. I have mine set up by Dale Bladen and do some fine tuning myself.

[baconsarney]

900T-R said:

Your idea of fun and mine may be slightly different - in the Griffmaera chassis, I gladly trade some low/midrange lairiness that can send you facing the wrong way in traffic if you're not very careful, for a useable rev range that extends past 5K. Nothing too elevated, mind - around 6K rpm is where the peak should be, with a 6.5K redline - which is 1960s muscle car territory rather than turbodiesel style delivery.

I have a V8D lump in mine, 360 bhp and 352 lbft, peak power at 6025 rpm, and peak torque at 4664 rpm. Power and torque are quite linear and very progressive, which makes the old girl a pussy cat to drive, even in the damp or wet, with no surprises I have the last dyno print out if anyone interested..........