Anyone own my old Grantura?

Anyone own my old Grantura?

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Discussion

greymrj

Original Poster:

3,317 posts

211 months

Saturday 18th October 2014
quotequote all
45 years ago I owned a Mk1 Grantura, it gave me the TVR 'bug'. I just wondered if it is still in existence.

It went from me, Richard Jarvis, to Graham Macreth (of Pyranha Plastics, the kayaking company) and then I lost track of it. The car should be fairly easy to identify. It had originally had a climax engine and the drivers side sill had been made concave to accept the exhaust. (It had a 1.5 riley engine when I had it). The rear panel had a boot lid inserted (by me!) and the tail lights were refitted into triangular inserts (brake/rear, indicator, reflector, all as per A35) so they pointed to the rear instead of the sky! It also had special wheels and finned drums as it had been raced. Original colour was 'banana' yellow, and it became a little more notorious in my area than I would have liked!

Regrettably I lost the few photos I had and I cannot even remember the registration.

I had to sell it because I needed the money to do up my first house. I think it paid for two window frames! Granturas were worth peanuts then. Bit more fun than my A35 first car though!

prideaux

4,969 posts

156 months

Saturday 18th October 2014
quotequote all
greymrj said:
45 years ago I owned a Mk1 Grantura, it gave me the TVR 'bug'. I just wondered if it is still in existence.

It went from me, Richard Jarvis, to Graham Macreth (of Pyranha Plastics, the kayaking company) and then I lost track of it. The car should be fairly easy to identify. It had originally had a climax engine and the drivers side sill had been made concave to accept the exhaust. (It had a 1.5 riley engine when I had it). The rear panel had a boot lid inserted (by me!) and the tail lights were refitted into triangular inserts (brake/rear, indicator, reflector, all as per A35) so they pointed to the rear instead of the sky! It also had special wheels and finned drums as it had been raced. Original colour was 'banana' yellow, and it became a little more notorious in my area than I would have liked!

Regrettably I lost the few photos I had and I cannot even remember the registration.

I had to sell it because I needed the money to do up my first house. I think it paid for two window frames! Granturas were worth peanuts then. Bit more fun than my A35 first car though!
Nice that you still miss the car its a shame you cant remember the reg number it sounds rather unique have you gone through the grantura register as a lot of the surviving cars are there if not restored in boxes or part restored
A

greymrj

Original Poster:

3,317 posts

211 months

Saturday 18th October 2014
quotequote all
Thanks for getting back to me. I went through the register, all the pictures on TVR Classics on PH and all the Google Grantura images. I did see one with a boot lid inserted but it was a later car. I am trying to find anybody in the family who might have any photo or anything else but no luck so far. My ex-wife can remember adventures in it, and my sister in law (who was tiny then) remembering how excited she was by a drive I took her on over the Yorkshire Dales!
If I could find 'her' again I would giver her more TLC than I did last time!

Slow M

2,787 posts

213 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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Could ask Klaus.

Best,
B.

prideaux

4,969 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
quotequote all
Slow M said:
Could ask Klaus.

Best,
B.
That would be like finding you long lost child in a Foreign Prison with no release date and not even open to Bail money wink lets hope not if we can get some more information then we can put out a missing cars alert its probably out there although probably either restored and the features removed to make it original or hidden away awaiting restoration if it was restored and the features maintained someone would be aware
A

greymrj

Original Poster:

3,317 posts

211 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
quotequote all
Yes, I am afraid it is probably a needle in a haystack job, but you never know. Someone out there may be sitting on it! Racking my memory and those of the family the suggestion has come back that it was a Mk1A, possibly car number 49, but that may be pure speculation. I cannot find anything definite which is very frustrating!

luckycarter

159 posts

283 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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I think i know the car you mean, was its reg LSN 950, if so it was for sale in the states in 2012, i have some pics but for some reason piston heads or my computer wont let me upload them. I think you and i have spoken about this car on the club stand at the NEC classic show. PM me your e-mail adress and i will e-mail you the pics i have,
Rich

Grantura MKI

817 posts

165 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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Rich, do you have a chassis number...I do not use reg numbers for my data.
Best,
D.

greymrj

Original Poster:

3,317 posts

211 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
quotequote all
Amazing, PH is great! Yes, that jogged my memory, it was LSN950. I had heard a rumour it might have gone from Graham Macreth via someone else to an American but I couldnt verify it. Sounds like it might still be alive then? Next port of call sounds like the TVROC of the USA.
You have PM

Tutman

32 posts

137 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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Here is LSN950 around 1981 in the states.

prideaux

4,969 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
quotequote all
greymrj said:
Amazing, PH is great! Yes, that jogged my memory, it was LSN950. I had heard a rumour it might have gone from Graham Macreth via someone else to an American but I couldnt verify it. Sounds like it might still be alive then? Next port of call sounds like the TVROC of the USA.
You have PM
Wow I am delighted for you yes there is a great bunch on here and usually come up with something at least you have a trail follow maybe they will be able to help now they have a picture if you can find the chassis Number that would help a lot more as they move around the world the registration changes but usually not the chassis Number.
A

greymrj

Original Poster:

3,317 posts

211 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
quotequote all
Yes, I am absolutely delighted. If it was indeed a Mk1A, car 49, would that give the chassis number?

Did I do a fair job of that boot lid? The revised tail light recesses were moulded using a kitchen sink tidy!

prideaux

4,969 posts

156 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
quotequote all
greymrj said:
Yes, I am absolutely delighted. If it was indeed a Mk1A, car 49, would that give the chassis number?

Did I do a fair job of that boot lid? The revised tail light recesses were moulded using a kitchen sink tidy!
7/C/49 as it was originally a Coventry Climax car if your correct about the 49 I wondered where I had seen that shape before not sure if I like them but the boot looks like you made a nice job on that bit now the search is progressing its only a matter of time before it turns up I am a bit confused as I thought there was MK1 MK2 the MK2a I was not aware of there being MK1a others on here will I am sure fill us in
A


Edited by prideaux on Sunday 19th October 22:12

Slow M

2,787 posts

213 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
quotequote all
prideaux said:
Slow M said:
Could ask Klaus.

Best,
B.
That would be like finding you long lost child in a Foreign Prison with no release date and not even open to Bail money wink lets hope not if we can get some more information then we can put out a missing cars alert its probably out there although probably either restored and the features removed to make it original or hidden away awaiting restoration if it was restored and the features maintained someone would be aware
A
Hopefully, that wasn't your parents' lament!

My thought was, that Klaus probably knows the whereabouts of all of the early Grannies, but it appears, so does D.

Best,
B.

GTRene

17,776 posts

231 months

Sunday 19th October 2014
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nice old picture, not seen that car before.

Grantura MKI

817 posts

165 months

Monday 20th October 2014
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greymrj said:
Yes, I am absolutely delighted. If it was indeed a Mk1A, car 49, would that give the chassis number?

Did I do a fair job of that boot lid? The revised tail light recesses were moulded using a kitchen sink tidy!
Not sure what a 1A is? All cars have three digit serial numbers, not two....but is it were the 49th built, that could make it 7/?/149. I have that listed, but it is Ford powered?
Best,
D.

Tutman

32 posts

137 months

Monday 20th October 2014
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More LSN950

Tutman

32 posts

137 months

Monday 20th October 2014
quotequote all

Grantura MKI

817 posts

165 months

Monday 20th October 2014
quotequote all
Excellent pictures...are you the keeper and what chassis number does it have?
Best,
D.

Tutman

32 posts

137 months

Monday 20th October 2014
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Thanks not my car and sorry to say I don't know the chassis number.The car was for sale over 30 years ago in the states.