Discussion
Badly smahed TVR Griff on Sunday evening at junction 22 on the M25 too. Mine! Very grim!
I've never experienced anything like it. Cruising in medium end-of-rush-hour traffic in a "straight" line, not changing lanes or anything and it just went into a spin at 70 mph, hit the crash barrier 2 or more times (difficult to remember) and came to rest wedged under the barrier on a thankfully wide bit of grass in the central reservation. Nothing left of the car beyond the front bar of the chassis. Little damage behind that unless the chassis is twisted. Frankly I felt that if I was in my other car I'd have been hurt. As it was... not a single scracth or bruise. They build them well in Blackpool.
Amazingly everyone behind and in the next lane managed to avoid me; no-one stopped except one who stopped on the hard shoulder for about 30 seconds and drove off when I got out of the car!
Plod reckoned it was either black ice (though it didn't seem that cold) or a nearside front puncture. The was evidence for a puncture occurring before the impact (flat tyre no wheel damage, so its less likely that it was caused by impact with the barrier).
I am extremely miffed as I believe there may be a problem in replacing the front bodywork as TVR may no longer have the mould for the pre-Griff 500 bodies now. My car is/was a pre-cat 4.3BV, so I am feeling guilty too as I believe that only 450 or so were built.
I'm now waiting for the insurance estimate...
Sorry to read about your bad news, glad you're OK at least. Those 4.3BVs are extremely special engines and you must save the engine if possible. Hopefully the rest of the car can be repaired as well.
I wouldn't have thought you would have any trouble finding a replacement front end, but if you do give Dave at Tower View a ring (0208 452 6922). They can source just about all the panels for recent TVRs. When somebody ran into the back of the V8S last year Dave made and fitted a new rear end, it looks just like the original to me. Dave's 'body' man has even made himself a complete Griffith body out of carbon fiber, so I'm sure he would be able to make a new nose section for you.
Cheers,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
quote:
I am extremely miffed as I believe there may be a problem in replacing the front bodywork as TVR may no longer have the mould for the pre-Griff 500 bodies now. My car is/was a pre-cat 4.3BV, so I am feeling guilty too as I believe that only 450 or so were built.
quote:On the 500 they enlarged the grill to surround the spots instead of the spots being outside the grill. I'm worried because I've seen a couple of 4.3 Griffs advertised that now have 500 noses (or complete bodies) and they were still for sale at considerably reduced prices 5 or six months after I first saw the ads. Compare http://homepages.enterprise.net/chimaera/gallery/griffith/grifpic02.jpg with http://www.pistonheads.com/tvr/griffith/images/griffith-14.jpg Edited by britzman on Wednesday 31st January 19:29
Is the pre-500 nose much different to the later ones?
I looked at a green 4.3 a few years ago at Mole Hill it had a 500 nose but when I questioned the guy he claimed ignorance, like he didn't know there was a difference and he works in a TVR garage! I suggested it must have been pranged and he got offended - needless to say I didn't buy it!
NOt 'cos of the nose but because of the guy!
Rich...
Britzman, sorry to hear your plight,good thing you were able to walk away from it unscratched, that's the main thing.
'Classic & Sports car' mag dec 2000, had an interview with Doug Elliot from David Gerald Sportscars, he confirmed what you've said that the front ends are different with the cooling hole around the fogs, but he said the factory no longer make them. but I wouldnt let that put you off, as Peter said, the pre-cat spec still makes it a very special car well worth repairing/keeping.
Good luck with the insurance co etc.
Best regards,
Dave.
Again sorry to hear about the prang!
As far as I know the only difference is the actual grill area The wings and headlight surrounds etc. are exactly the same. If it is indeed impossible to get a brand new 4x nose cone, there are many skilled GRP workers who could take a mould off another cars grill and build you one! I might be a little more expensive than simply bolting on a 500 nose but I'm sure the residual value will more than make up for this, not to mention your own peace of mind
Let us know how you get on.
Cheers Dan
Bitzman, your absolutely right - keep it original. These early cars (particularly the 4.3BV and 4.5BV versions) are fast approaching classic status and should therefore remain 'as they left the factory'.
Regards your predicament, I believe they stopped making the 4.0/4.3 front ends almost immediately. I remember seeing a 4.3 for sale in 1994 which had a 500 body (having been 'stuffed'). However is it not possible to salvage a front end from a right off? (I'm not sure how they go about grafting it on though).
Your estimate of a production run of 450 4.3BVs - surely it must have been far less than this. I would have thought they would have made <1000 pre-cats in 1992 (they were still building the S3/4, V8S, the odd 400SE and 1 or 2 SEACs at the time). The majority of Griffs would have been 4.0 (and 250 gas flows), followed by standard 4.3s, 4.3BVs and, I believe circa ten 4.5BVs were produced.
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A m8 at work had an 85mph shunt in the US in a Cerbie on a mountain pass, luckily he spun and hit the mountain and not the drop the other side of the road. Both walked away though, stupid Yank in a Porsche (that they were overtaking!) wanted the Police to prosecute and throw the book at them! Fools!
Jonathan
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