My V8 powered TVR Vixen
Discussion
Finally sun has been out and I have been able to snap a few pictures of my new pride and joy.
Some of you might have seen my previous project a Zetec powered MGB GT that ended in tears when the building that it was stored in during my 10 year restoration went up in flames due to reckless welding gone wrong. :doh:
http://www.turbosport.co.uk/showthread.php?t=12748...
The MGB was nearing completion and I had high hopes and plenty of mojo to get it on the road this or next year. I was on the final stretch when the car was turned into a heap of scrap metal in under 10minutes.
So to get through the rather hard times I started looking for a replacement to the MGB. I remembered an advertisement for a TVR Vixen that had been on finn.no which is Norway’s largest used car market. It was advertised as being a TVR Vixen Prototype. I googled the site and found the ad that had lapsed two years ago, but luckily the seller hadn’t deleted the ad. The ad came up as “passiv” meaning it wouldn’t show if you used the site search engine, but by performing a site search (site:finn.no) I was able to find the ad. To get time to pass I sent the seller a message expecting the car to have been sold. A week passed and I was still thinking of what the MGB would have been when suddenly a response form the seller came. The car was not for sale by him no more as his son had received it as premature inheritance from the seller. But he also wrote that the car might be for sale by the son. My heart rate rose and I punched the given phone number. I told him I had gotten his number from his father and wondered if he still had the TVR and if he’d consider selling? My heart rate jumped another time as a positive response came. At that moment I was sold, hook line and sinker! The next few weeks I completely forgot about the mangled wreck of an MGB. I spent days and nights thinking of what it might be like to own a TVR. Since the car was located some 350 miles from my home I had my dad go see the car. Only fitting as it is my dad that is the cause of my car related obsession. The viewing was at the 12:00 am. 12:15 passed, 12:16 passed, 12:29 passed and then finally at 12:31 my dad rang. The car was good! Having had a light restoration at David Gerald TVR-specialist in the early 2000s and used very sparingly after that. 12:32 By by dad, “Hello seller?” “Yes?” “I’ll have it”. Ohhh… what have I done? I just purchased a car I have never seen in real life, a model I have never seen in real life. A car I know next to nothing about! But I just had to have it!
14:23 I attached my trailer and headed 350 miles south.
Early Sunday morning at 10:00am far into the woods in south eastern Norway I saw the car for the first time; Covered with dust after being used very very sparingly for the last 3 years.
Car started with the first push of the button, idled as smooth as anything have a right to do. But provoke the throttle and it emitted a combination of thunder and hell. The car had it’s nickname – “Little Thunder”. TVR Vixens were usually fitted with either MGB 1800cc or Ford Kent 1600cc, surely not something that would emit thunder and hell? So what makes this TVR so loud, so mesmerizing?
Well under the hood is one of Edward Turners gems; a 2500cc V8 with hemi heads usually found in either the Daimler Dart/SP250 or the Jaguar 250 V8.
Omit almost all silencers and the sound is in my mind truly epic. I always find myself down shifting in tunnels, backing off and then going for the self-imposed red line at 6000rpm. According to people in the know the engine is capable of a lot more rpm with a few tweaks that I might perform in the future.
The car is by no means perfect. I’ve had to replace the starter solenoid, coil, spark plug leads, spark plugs and door handles. It needs new spline hubs and knock-off wheels, but I might convert to bolt on as the splines might not be up to the plans of tuning the engine in the future.
There are also a lot more options for bolt on wheels.
I’ll update as I go, but now I need to go and have blast through some of the local tunnels – see you all later
Some of you might have seen my previous project a Zetec powered MGB GT that ended in tears when the building that it was stored in during my 10 year restoration went up in flames due to reckless welding gone wrong. :doh:
http://www.turbosport.co.uk/showthread.php?t=12748...
The MGB was nearing completion and I had high hopes and plenty of mojo to get it on the road this or next year. I was on the final stretch when the car was turned into a heap of scrap metal in under 10minutes.
So to get through the rather hard times I started looking for a replacement to the MGB. I remembered an advertisement for a TVR Vixen that had been on finn.no which is Norway’s largest used car market. It was advertised as being a TVR Vixen Prototype. I googled the site and found the ad that had lapsed two years ago, but luckily the seller hadn’t deleted the ad. The ad came up as “passiv” meaning it wouldn’t show if you used the site search engine, but by performing a site search (site:finn.no) I was able to find the ad. To get time to pass I sent the seller a message expecting the car to have been sold. A week passed and I was still thinking of what the MGB would have been when suddenly a response form the seller came. The car was not for sale by him no more as his son had received it as premature inheritance from the seller. But he also wrote that the car might be for sale by the son. My heart rate rose and I punched the given phone number. I told him I had gotten his number from his father and wondered if he still had the TVR and if he’d consider selling? My heart rate jumped another time as a positive response came. At that moment I was sold, hook line and sinker! The next few weeks I completely forgot about the mangled wreck of an MGB. I spent days and nights thinking of what it might be like to own a TVR. Since the car was located some 350 miles from my home I had my dad go see the car. Only fitting as it is my dad that is the cause of my car related obsession. The viewing was at the 12:00 am. 12:15 passed, 12:16 passed, 12:29 passed and then finally at 12:31 my dad rang. The car was good! Having had a light restoration at David Gerald TVR-specialist in the early 2000s and used very sparingly after that. 12:32 By by dad, “Hello seller?” “Yes?” “I’ll have it”. Ohhh… what have I done? I just purchased a car I have never seen in real life, a model I have never seen in real life. A car I know next to nothing about! But I just had to have it!
14:23 I attached my trailer and headed 350 miles south.
Early Sunday morning at 10:00am far into the woods in south eastern Norway I saw the car for the first time; Covered with dust after being used very very sparingly for the last 3 years.
Car started with the first push of the button, idled as smooth as anything have a right to do. But provoke the throttle and it emitted a combination of thunder and hell. The car had it’s nickname – “Little Thunder”. TVR Vixens were usually fitted with either MGB 1800cc or Ford Kent 1600cc, surely not something that would emit thunder and hell? So what makes this TVR so loud, so mesmerizing?
Well under the hood is one of Edward Turners gems; a 2500cc V8 with hemi heads usually found in either the Daimler Dart/SP250 or the Jaguar 250 V8.
Omit almost all silencers and the sound is in my mind truly epic. I always find myself down shifting in tunnels, backing off and then going for the self-imposed red line at 6000rpm. According to people in the know the engine is capable of a lot more rpm with a few tweaks that I might perform in the future.
The car is by no means perfect. I’ve had to replace the starter solenoid, coil, spark plug leads, spark plugs and door handles. It needs new spline hubs and knock-off wheels, but I might convert to bolt on as the splines might not be up to the plans of tuning the engine in the future.
There are also a lot more options for bolt on wheels.
I’ll update as I go, but now I need to go and have blast through some of the local tunnels – see you all later
Edited by Sonus on Sunday 6th April 16:54
Edited by Sonus on Sunday 6th April 17:27
Thanks guys.
Still having problems deciding on what rims to get. Had a quote from Force Racing for some of their very lightweight rims, but they are approx. £1200
Can be made in any ET and a lot of different colours.
Then there is the Minilite style which suits the cars rounded shape. And third is the more motorsport influenced Revolution rims.
Still having problems deciding on what rims to get. Had a quote from Force Racing for some of their very lightweight rims, but they are approx. £1200
Can be made in any ET and a lot of different colours.
Then there is the Minilite style which suits the cars rounded shape. And third is the more motorsport influenced Revolution rims.
I did not know the rears are the screw in type, but i have got new wheel bearings for all four corners sitting on the shelf waiting to be installed. Is the rear drive flange a bespoke item or is it found on other cars? Would it be possible to replace the peened pin screws with studs from another car like a TR6 or maybe a MGB where the serated inner part is pushed throught he flange from the rear?
Edited by Sonus on Monday 7th April 16:53
Adrian@ said:
Can I pass at that..Moto (Steve) has just had my last rear flange, (mine had pull through studs), but then he sourced the other from DG and I don't know if DG ones had screw in or pull through (we think that both his bent flanges, causing wheel wobble, had been attempted to be removed with some kind of tri-puller instead of the correct press..see my note below)
If you are going to do the rear bearings, note that the flange does not need to come off the quill shaft anyway, BUT then you can drill the studs out and replace them with pull through during the rebuild. Once built again can I pass at the knowledge that, IF, you can or cannot swap back to a version of the shorter wire wheel studs IF in the future you want to swap wheels again!
Adrian@
As Adrian said, your can source flanges from DG which take pull through studs.If you are going to do the rear bearings, note that the flange does not need to come off the quill shaft anyway, BUT then you can drill the studs out and replace them with pull through during the rebuild. Once built again can I pass at the knowledge that, IF, you can or cannot swap back to a version of the shorter wire wheel studs IF in the future you want to swap wheels again!
Adrian@
Edited by Adrian@ on Monday 7th April 17:14
Stunning car. Congratulations! Worth looking at this supplier for wheels, they can do their stuff to bespoke offsets etc, and a reasonable price wise;
http://www.imagewheels.co.uk/
http://www.imagewheels.co.uk/
The rear wheel studs are screwed in and peened over to stop then coming loose. Simply grind the peening off and the studs will unscrew LH treads to allow them to have the wheel or splined adaptor nuts to be tightened. You will need to dismantle quill shafts and this will mean the outer wheel bearing will need to be replaced otherwise you cannot replace the outer oil seal ( attempting to tap back in the old seal will 99% of the time damage the rear upright casting), seen it done dozens of times! The assembly is dismantled from the inside not the out, NEVER try to pull the outer TR3 hubs off always dismantle and press out.
If the studs screw out then the threads are probably ok and you can then tap/pull in new longer studs for bolt on wheels. If the threads are in good condition then the new splined studs will "cut" themselves a spline through the threads, belt and braces a dab of weld onto the inner face to the hub will solve any problems. The studs you need are exactly 7/16th UNC wheel studs available in many lengths and are OE on Ford Escorts.
I assume you have resolved the huge angle discrepancies with your propshaft causing the vibrations. My Daimler installation was started from the differential forwards so that the U/Js run at the correct angle. The engine in the "Old Dame" is fitted considerably lower than yours to alleviate this problem and the exhaust exits below the upper chassis member, allowing the starter motor to be simply removed and the vibrations from the transmission eliminated, there is more to fitting a different engine than welding in new engine mounts!
I personally would be resolving the important issues before changing the wheels.
After the events of this weekend (national lunatic assylem freedom weekend) I will probably be breaking the "Old Dame" so the engine may be available, I will email you if it is. I have tried my best to sell it as an important historical car but life is too short and why should I sell it for less to save something that nobody seems to want.
Good luck with your car and I hope it gives you great pleasure.
sTeVeR
If the studs screw out then the threads are probably ok and you can then tap/pull in new longer studs for bolt on wheels. If the threads are in good condition then the new splined studs will "cut" themselves a spline through the threads, belt and braces a dab of weld onto the inner face to the hub will solve any problems. The studs you need are exactly 7/16th UNC wheel studs available in many lengths and are OE on Ford Escorts.
I assume you have resolved the huge angle discrepancies with your propshaft causing the vibrations. My Daimler installation was started from the differential forwards so that the U/Js run at the correct angle. The engine in the "Old Dame" is fitted considerably lower than yours to alleviate this problem and the exhaust exits below the upper chassis member, allowing the starter motor to be simply removed and the vibrations from the transmission eliminated, there is more to fitting a different engine than welding in new engine mounts!
I personally would be resolving the important issues before changing the wheels.
After the events of this weekend (national lunatic assylem freedom weekend) I will probably be breaking the "Old Dame" so the engine may be available, I will email you if it is. I have tried my best to sell it as an important historical car but life is too short and why should I sell it for less to save something that nobody seems to want.
Good luck with your car and I hope it gives you great pleasure.
sTeVeR
thegamekeeper said:
After the events of this weekend (national lunatic assylem freedom weekend) I will probably be breaking the "Old Dame" so the engine may be available, I will email you if it is. I have tried my best to sell it as an important historical car but life is too short and why should I sell it for less to save something that nobody seems to want.
I don't think that its no-one wants it - its that the marketplace is small and not many people have the expertise to complete such a project. Plus TVR Classics are a bit neiche.I've love a V8 Vixen/Grantura but I do not have the skills or resource to take on such a project - as wonderful as I know the end result would inevitably be! (hence why I bought the blue Vixen from Holland...)
If you can hold on till summer, put some more pictures up (of all the bits) and perhaps shorten the description a little, you'll find a buyer. I know its been on the circuit for a while but the promise of a V8, no road tax and 200bhp/ton is an awesome prospect to someone like me!
thegamekeeper said:
After the events of this weekend (national lunatic assylem freedom weekend) I will probably be breaking the "Old Dame" so the engine may be available, I will email you if it is. I have tried my best to sell it as an important historical car but life is too short and why should I sell it for less to save something that nobody seems to want.
That, would be a shame ! Come on Steve, give it a bit more time, she'll sell to the right person ! Removed the rear wheels today to check what I believed was worn bearings. Turns out it's not the bearings, but wobbly spline hubs that needed cleaning and more worringly slack in the inner drive flange/quill shaft interface
So looks like I just spent £200 on bearings which should have gone towards refurbed uprights. You live and learn I guess.
Also managed to measure the wire wheels which turns out to be 6" wide with 90mm/3,55" back spacing not taking the spline drive hub into account. That leaves a fingers width between my 205/60/15 tires and the upright/rear shock lower mount.
All splines except the left rear looked to be in good condition.
I'm on a steap learning curve here
So looks like I just spent £200 on bearings which should have gone towards refurbed uprights. You live and learn I guess.
Also managed to measure the wire wheels which turns out to be 6" wide with 90mm/3,55" back spacing not taking the spline drive hub into account. That leaves a fingers width between my 205/60/15 tires and the upright/rear shock lower mount.
All splines except the left rear looked to be in good condition.
I'm on a steap learning curve here
Sonus said:
Removed the rear wheels today to check what I believed was worn bearings. Turns out it's not the bearings, but wobbly spline hubs that needed cleaning and more worringly slack in the inner drive flange/quill shaft interface
So looks like I just spent £200 on bearings which should have gone towards refurbed uprights. You live and learn I guess.
Also managed to measure the wire wheels which turns out to be 6" wide with 90mm/3,55" back spacing not taking the spline drive hub into account. That leaves a fingers width between my 205/60/15 tires and the upright/rear shock lower mount.
All splines except the left rear looked to be in good condition.
I'm on a steap learning curve here
Would be very careful here...if the hub looks worn, then the wheel usually is due to the make up of the material used.So looks like I just spent £200 on bearings which should have gone towards refurbed uprights. You live and learn I guess.
Also managed to measure the wire wheels which turns out to be 6" wide with 90mm/3,55" back spacing not taking the spline drive hub into account. That leaves a fingers width between my 205/60/15 tires and the upright/rear shock lower mount.
All splines except the left rear looked to be in good condition.
I'm on a steap learning curve here
Not sure that I would put £200 in bearings just to buy new when you purchase the hubs?
Best,
D.
Grantura MKI said:
Sonus said:
Removed the rear wheels today to check what I believed was worn bearings. Turns out it's not the bearings, but wobbly spline hubs that needed cleaning and more worringly slack in the inner drive flange/quill shaft interface
So looks like I just spent £200 on bearings which should have gone towards refurbed uprights. You live and learn I guess.
Also managed to measure the wire wheels which turns out to be 6" wide with 90mm/3,55" back spacing not taking the spline drive hub into account. That leaves a fingers width between my 205/60/15 tires and the upright/rear shock lower mount.
All splines except the left rear looked to be in good condition.
I'm on a steap learning curve here
Would be very careful here...if the hub looks worn, then the wheel usually is due to the make up of the material used.So looks like I just spent £200 on bearings which should have gone towards refurbed uprights. You live and learn I guess.
Also managed to measure the wire wheels which turns out to be 6" wide with 90mm/3,55" back spacing not taking the spline drive hub into account. That leaves a fingers width between my 205/60/15 tires and the upright/rear shock lower mount.
All splines except the left rear looked to be in good condition.
I'm on a steap learning curve here
Not sure that I would put £200 in bearings just to buy new when you purchase the hubs?
Best,
D.
I'm tempted to purchase refurbished uprights with new quill shaft etc. as I am not confident the quill shaft will hold up due to the slack.
Is there something that can be done to remove the slack? Is the inner face tapered? the outer woodrough (spelling?) key might be worn?
I had the same issue on my car. I was suspicious that the quill shaft splines might have become worn, but in fact these are made of a particular grade of hardened steel and it is unlikely that hey are the problem. I replaced my inner drive flange and all was well. These are made of much softer material and so wear preferentially to the quills.
I understand that the inner flanges are available from Steve Reid if you have his details. They are also available from David Gerald's the last time I checked.
I understand that the inner flanges are available from Steve Reid if you have his details. They are also available from David Gerald's the last time I checked.
Astacus said:
I had the same issue on my car. I was suspicious that the quill shaft splines might have become worn, but in fact these are made of a particular grade of hardened steel and it is unlikely that hey are the problem. I replaced my inner drive flange and all was well. These are made of much softer material and so wear preferentially to the quills.
I understand that the inner flanges are available from Steve Reid if you have his details. They are also available from David Gerald's the last time I checked.
Thanks Astacus, I'll give Steve a call. I need to speak to him anyway regarding the Old Dame I understand that the inner flanges are available from Steve Reid if you have his details. They are also available from David Gerald's the last time I checked.
Draging this up from page 5 just to let you all know the car has a new gearbox arriving soon. Won a Borg Warner T5 out of a low milage TVR Griffith. It should move the lever forward about 110mm making for a back and forth shift pattern instead of the up and down it currently has. Fitting it will be a winter project for next winter I think.
Also have my eye on a second Daimler V8 engine in Sheffield for converting to fuel injection in the future
Also have my eye on a second Daimler V8 engine in Sheffield for converting to fuel injection in the future
thegamekeeper said:
After the events of this weekend (national lunatic assylem freedom weekend) I will probably be breaking the "Old Dame" so the engine may be available, I will email you if it is. I have tried my best to sell it as an important historical car but life is too short and why should I sell it for less to save something that nobody seems to want.
That would be a shame; where do you have it advertised, it's not listed in the PH classifieds? Having had a vehicle purge I now have money to burn.hidetheelephants said:
thegamekeeper said:
After the events of this weekend (national lunatic assylem freedom weekend) I will probably be breaking the "Old Dame" so the engine may be available, I will email you if it is. I have tried my best to sell it as an important historical car but life is too short and why should I sell it for less to save something that nobody seems to want.
That would be a shame; where do you have it advertised, it's not listed in the PH classifieds? Having had a vehicle purge I now have money to burn.Nick
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