Rolling a TVR

[tegwin]

I am not sure what the modern tivs are like... But the M series deffinately has no form of rollover structure built into the shell.... Appart from a thin bit of steel wire the entire strucutre from the tunnel top upwards is made of GRP...


If, heaven forbid, I rolled the car... How well do the GRP roofs fare? Would it crumple into millions of pieces and leave me squished onto the seat? I dont plan on rolling the car...just curious...

[Obiwonkeyblokey]

no experience of it, but I doubt you would fare well. Having said that, I dont think many cars of the same era would either.

[900T-R]

Let's just say I wouldn't install harnesses in a pre-Cerbera TVR without adding a (non-cosmetic) roll bar.

[WazzaL]

900T-R said:

Let's just say I wouldn't install harnesses in a pre-Cerbera TVR without adding a (non-cosmetic) roll bar.

What he said.

IIRC there were a few pics a while back with a Griff that had been rolled. The windscreen and surround were, well, flat against the rest of the car. - Answer is either a proper roll bar or not roll it...

[TimmyArt]

Take your windscreen out and you'll find out how little strength there is. It is alarming yet expected.
When I did that on my M, the front of the roof could be moved an inch each way I reckon..

[Englishman]

I had the unfortunate experience of being forced off the road and up a steep bank which resulted in being upside down and hanging from the seat belts in a Taimar many years ago.

The car actually held up pretty well - the windscreen cracked and the fiberglass broke between the windscreen and the sun roof, but the rest of the roof and tailgate surround remained in one piece. The worst part was the fuel dripping from the fuel filler, so we got out pretty fast.

It went back to Blackpool and was successfully repaired though.

[tegwin]

Hmmm... so its conclusive.... I just wont roll it!


I guess on a similar vein... The side impact protection is non existant.... the rear crumple zone IS the fuel tank... and the front... well I guess the engine would end up in the cockpit...

Remind me not to crash the car! ever!

Are modern TVRs safer?

Edited by tegwin on Tuesday 6th January 11:04

[900T-R]

Um, I'd say TVRs are pretty safe in a frontal impact as -compared to your avarage family hatchback - there's massive length and energy absorbtion available before you even get in the vicinity of the engine (which it has in common with most classic style roadsters - even though the Mazda MX5 didn't structurally change much from 1989 up to the Mk 2.5 models EuroNCAP tested in the early-mid-2000s, it scored a comfortable four stars - mostly for this reason) and the 'crumple zone' at the rear is the fibreglass beyond the chassis which again has pretty good impact arbsorbing characteristics. It's the side impact characteristics of pre-cage (Cerbera-on) models I'd be most worried about although it will always be a point of concern in something so low as most other vehicles will impact at a point well above the sills/outriggers/whatever.

[Aowhs102]

There was a thread a while back about a Tamora that had been rolled into a field, as I recall it held up very well. Can't find the thread though... Shame, there were some interesting pictures.

[Zippee]

Aowhs102 said:

There was a thread a while back about a Tamora that had been rolled into a field, as I recall it held up very well. Can't find the thread though... Shame, there were some interesting pictures.

I remember that one - the roll cage held up and there was only a slight deformation on one corner IIRC. TBH it's one of the main reasons I sold the Chim and bought a T350. After seeing the side impact of the Chim in Germany (posted on here a few months ago) it really made me think about the safety aspect. Not so much for me (I take the attitude if I die then so be it) but for my other half and any passengers.

[TVR_owner]

Zippee said:

Aowhs102 said:

There was a thread a while back about a Tamora that had been rolled into a field, as I recall it held up very well. Can't find the thread though... Shame, there were some interesting pictures.

I remember that one - the roll cage held up and there was only a slight deformation on one corner IIRC.

What roll cage would that be?

Edited by TVR_owner on Tuesday 6th January 11:40

[Chris71]

Isn't the chim supposed to have some sort of roll over protection in the hood frame? Sounds a bit unlikely, but could swear I read that in a book t'other day.

Personally I'd just try and duck down as low as possible and rapidly adopt the most plausible religion I could think of... I don't suppose you'd be in a position to roll an S twice.

[900T-R]

Chris71 said:

Isn't the chim supposed to have some sort of roll over protection in the hood frame? Sounds a bit unlikely, but could swear I read that in a book t'other day.

Probably 'TVR - All The Cars' by Ian Ayre, then?

[Podie]

IIRC Nubbin survived a roll in his Tamora (had to kick out the screen) and promptly bought another.

Back in 2003, another member on here (name deliberately not posted)) was, tragically, not so lucky in his Chimaera.

[RichB]

Chris71 said:

Isn't the chim supposed to have some sort of roll over protection in the hood frame? .

Not as such but if you think about most rolls the car often rights itself because the heavy bits are towards the bottom. Having the roof up would encourage the car to roll 360 degrees and not come to rest on it's roof, it would also strengthen the windscreen frame because it would be braced up against the roof panels and rear hoop. It's clearly not a roll-over bar but I would rather roll a TVR with the roof up than down.

[Chris71]

900T-R said:

Chris71 said:

Isn't the chim supposed to have some sort of roll over protection in the hood frame? Sounds a bit unlikely, but could swear I read that in a book t'other day.

Probably 'TVR - All The Cars' by Ian Ayre, then?

Could well be. I've got two very similar books (both bought as presents) and I can't remember which one it is.

[Zippee]

TVR_owner said:

Zippee said:

Aowhs102 said:

There was a thread a while back about a Tamora that had been rolled into a field, as I recall it held up very well. Can't find the thread though... Shame, there were some interesting pictures.

I remember that one - the roll cage held up and there was only a slight deformation on one corner IIRC.

What roll cage would that be?

Edited by TVR_owner on Tuesday 6th January 11:40

Sorry - not cage - I meant the roll hoop built into/around the windscreen frame.

[julianc]

Aowhs102 said:

There was a thread a while back about a Tamora that had been rolled into a field, as I recall it held up very well. Can't find the thread though... Shame, there were some interesting pictures.

The Tamora has a substantial roll bar around the windscreen. I remember seeing a Tamora at the factory that had rolled, and the windscreen wasn't even cracked.

Julian

[pete]

I spoke to a couple of people who had rolled a Griff and Chimaera before I bought a Griff. In both cases the windscreen collapsed and the car ended up upside down on the boot and bonnet. Both victims walked away pretty unscathed as they had the presence of mind to duck sideways on to the transmission tunnel as the car went over.

Personally I didn't fancy that, so I had a roll bar fitted. Note that you *definitely* need a roll bar if you fit harnesses; with just harnesses, you don't have enough freedom to duck if the worst happens and the roof caves in. It scares me when I see Griffs and Chimaeras with harnesses but no roll bar.

Interestingly both the people I spoke to had rolled at low speed, one of them down an embankment. One hypothesis for this is that at higher speeds you tend to rip bits of suspension off before anything can dig in to flip the car. Either way, it's a pretty rare occurence, but I do feel safer in my Tuscan with a steel hoop in the windscreen surround.

Cheers,
Pete

[Bodmin]

One of the East Sussex TVRCC members rolled his Tuscan a few years back

He hit what was suspected to be oil on the road whilst overtaking a van up a hill just outside Brighton, hit n/s curb then catapulted over an embankment, van driver told the Police he counted the Tuscan roll side over side FIVE times , driver unhurt apart from some bruises & a change of underwear

Just shows how strong these TVRs are made when it counts

Bodders