Please explain the 320/340bhp thing

[markez79]

Currently i don't own a TVR but that will all change soon, hopefully ! The car i am most interested about is the Griff 500 so ive got a couple of questions. Firstly, i have read many of the old reviews and a couple of the latest on the griff 500 and my main concern is with the handerling. Are the bad reviews on handerling justified ?? And when they say that the handerling is bad is this because the test drivers are pushing the car to its limits on country roads or driving it 'normally' on country roads ?? One quote sticks in my mind, " ...Smiles can quickly turn to grimmaces with the griff on corners...". Any comments on this from some owners would be greatfully received !! Secondly, what is the difference between a Griff 500 and a Griff 500HC ?? again any ideas would be great.

Thanx. Mark.

>>> Edited by markez79 on Monday 19th November 20:56

[saturn 5]

If you take care youll be fine. Mine was my first hi performance car. And I havent slid it out once yet. Dont be afraid of it. Just respectful of it.
They will bite you if you misbehave.

HC has 20 BHP more than a normal 500 (320BHP). You wont even notice the difference. But i sounds good when you tell your mates.

Edited by saturn 5 on Monday 19th November 21:11

[rev-erend]

They handle just fine on dry roads but they need to be treated with respect on wet / icey roads. The reason is due to a lack of weight 1060KG and huge amounts of torque 350ft lbs and power
340 bhp (or 305 BHP in reality). Dont worry about the real figure because it's nmore than you ever really need.
They can keep up with or even overtake almost anything on good dry roads but only an idiot would try it in the wet !

Take it easy for the first month and you should get the hang of it.

[DIGGA]

The most important thing to keep in the back of your mind is the torque.

Never assume that jsut because the revs are low, you won't have problems. - If the rear wheels slip enough for the engine to 'come on cam' you'll be very luck if you hold it in the wet.

I'm ashamed to say that my one (hopefully only) 'on road' spin, was 100% driver error and occurred due to the above mentioned, combined with having the stereo on too loud (another thing best avoided until you're more familiar with the car).

My other bit of advice, for what it's worth, is that you get some on track instruction - preferably on a TVRCC Track Day - which no matter what your skill & driving style, will certainly be of great benefit.

Marcus
& Ocean Haze Griff 500

[richb]

quote:HC has 20 BHP more than a normal 500 (320BHP). You wont even notice the difference.

Is that right? I know initially they were 340bhp (and no let's not go down that thread again) and then later the published bhp was reduced to 320 but from what you say that would imply that all the early 500's were HC's. I thought that basically ALL 5 litre engines are HC's and it just depends if the owner/seller chooses to call it such? Rich...

[philshort]

Agree 100% with Digga. One day with the car on the track will teach you more about control of the car than you will (or should) ever learn on the highways.

I've always held that if you don't push the limits then you'll never know where they are - until its too late. There is nowhere you can safely push the limits with any TVR other than a race track.

[zippy500]

I was under the impression all early 500's were quoted as 340 and called HC's. Then shortly after you could specify a 500HC version or the 500 version. I dont think anyone really knows the answer to this. I dont really care how much mine pumps out. Its plenty for me.

[Steve _T]

Remember this debate from a while ago. If I recall correctly HC is high-lift cam, which all 5 litres are. There are 2 or 3 different cam profiles. The detune to 320BHP from 340 was just to smooth out low speed running for round the town type scenarios.

Steve

[GasBlaster]

All Griff 500s up to the back of 1997 were HC's. Some were badged, some weren't.

[shpub]

quote:
I was under the impression all early 500's were quoted as 340 and called HC's. Then shortly after you could specify a 500HC version or the 500 version. I dont think anyone really knows the answer to this. I dont really care how much mine pumps out. Its plenty for me.

Repeat after me.... All Griff 500's are Griff 500HC engines irrespective of what the engine badge says. The 320 bhp detune was in response to improving the low speed driveablility. Some Chimaera advertising refers to a 500 and a 500HC version but as far as I know only 500HC engines were made.

Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk

[budd]

Should there be any indication on the block as to the compression ratio of the motor?

[Greenv8s]

quote:
Should there be any indication on the block as to the compression ratio of the motor?

No, and it wouldn't make sense to because the CR is determined by the combination of heads and moving bits and is not a characteristic of the block.

Cheers,

Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)

[cammers]

So, what year was the 500 detuned to 320 BHP?
Can you tell by the date it was made, or by the engine number?

[Popester]

I understand the detune happened sometime around late 96, so P platers might be either or. I have an August 96 registered Chimaera 500 which sports the HC label on the Plenum chamber and the doc all points to 340BHP. I don't know that there was ever an option between 500 and 500HC - guess things changed when the 340BHP engine supply was exhausted at the plant. Plenty of grunt either way

[shpub]

See my earlier post... there is no difference between the 500 and 500HC cos there were never any 500 enhines fitted to these cars. They were all %00HC spec effectively. You can't tell which engine has the so called 320 bhp spec and there are plenty of post detune engines that put out more power than pre-detune. The main difference between the engines is low rev driveability.

As a Griff 500 or Chim 500 will never reach 320 or 340 bhp on a rolling. road, this is all really academic.

Personally I would go for a late a 500 as possible as the better build/suspension etc etc makes all the difference. The improvement between my N reg 500 and the 98 I currently have are amazing.

Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk