GRIFFTH PRE CAT YEARS ?

[SRAPUBLIC]

What's the latest year they made 4.0 and 4.3 pre cats ?
Is it legal to have later models de catted ?

[Ballistic Banana]

2nd question is no not really as you need tehm in to pass the MOT, your Insurance may be void.
1st Get Shpubs Bible as i am sure this has the figures in

BB

[tivhead]

The oldest Griffith 500 I have seen is an 'L' plate, and the youngest 4.x, a 'K' plate. So I assume the last of the pre-cats were on a 'K'. Then came the 500's that had to be catted by law the year they came out.

[griffless]

What's physically involved in de-catting a Griff? Is the modification obvious?

Hypothetically speaking, if you were to buy a de-catted Griff - but hadn't been told that it had been.... well, no charge to answer??

Curious, since I hope not to be griffless some day!

[bjwoods]

Buyer Beware...

NO Cat, No MOT regardless of circumstances, insurance would be iffy as well....

Too be honest I had a 4.3 griff for 5 years (no Cat), then my current GRiff 500 for nearly 5 years now(with Cat) and I really don't know personally why its worth the bother to decat it.

I loved my 4.3 griff, but the 500 is just that little bit better in all areas.

That is a bit of a generalisation, I'm comparing two cars that were both in very good condition, both with a meticulous owner (me).

B



>> Edited by bjwoods on Thursday 5th June 10:00

[2 sheds]

What's the latest year they made 4.0 and 4.3 pre cats ?
Is it legal to have later models de catted ?

The pre-cats were registered until spring 93 but because they were all " in build" before 31st dec 92 ( the date that cats became a legal requirement) didn't need cats . The Griffith 500 was launched late Summer 93,
Tim

[DaveM]

Interesting topic - I have a 4.3 decat (as featured in Sprint last month - Morgan's Mutterings) and last Sunday met a guy who had purchased a 1992 Griff in April. It was originally a 4.3 decat but had been refitted with a 5 litre DECATTED engine by TVR themselves! He bought it direct from TVR!!

Work that one out if you're considering Insurance or MOT legality!!

DaveM

[X000 XXX]

"NO Cat, No MOT regardless of circumstances, insurance would be iffy as well.... "

Are we saying that it is a legal requirement to retro fit a cat then ?

[2 sheds]

Apparently all the pre-cat or 4.X cars avoid the cat issue because the chassis's were built before dec 31st 92, i've also heard Jan 9th 93 being the dead line. despite some of the cars not being registered until much later in 93. basically if you have a pre-cat it can stay as such, when TVR retro fit the 500 engine into a pre-Cat car they use the catted manifolds to avoid the swirl tank and other issues with the serpentine front cover,
Tim

[X000 XXX]

So how much difference in sound in therefore between the post and pre cats ?

[2 sheds]

Pre-cats sound crisper and extra 5dba
Tim

[tivhead]

X000 XXX said: So how much difference in sound in therefore between the post and pre cats ?

Stand behind a 4.3 pre-cat on tickover and the ground literally thumps. You do not get that with ANY catted Griff. I talk from experience, trust me.

[gerjo]

pre-cat sound of a 4.3, especially a BV, is unbeatable (well maybe by a SEAC). However, if you take a 500 and remove the pre-cats and add a sports exhaust (be careful not to add too many dB, otherwise no trackdays) then the sound is also awesome.

[X000 XXX]

The Griff 4.0 / 4.3 and the Griff 5.0 - is the power and driving requirement much different ? Should I go straight to a 5.0 litre out of the blocks ?

[simpo one]

DaveM wrote: 'I have a 4.3 decat... and last Sunday met a guy who had purchased a 1992 Griff in April. It was originally a 4.3 decat but had been refitted with a 5 litre DECATTED engine by TVR themselves!'

There's little point in talking about a 4.x 'decat' because those models never had cats fitted in the first place (maybe some export models did).

Regarding the bit about replacing the engine with a 5.0, if I understand the regs correctly then the requirement to have a cat is linked to the registration date of the car, not the date you happen to change the engine. But I stand to be corrected!

[ljb]

We have a 1994 "L" reg 4.0 non-cat Griff, in 5L body. It was originally purchased and registered in the Channel Islands, which didn't introduce the CAT regs until later than the UK, hence its legality.

[tivhead]

X000 XXX said: The Griff 4.0 / 4.3 and the Griff 5.0 - is the power and driving requirement much different ? Should I go straight to a 5.0 litre out of the blocks ?

Depends on your budget ultimately. Go out and test drive all three. Thats what I did, and found the 4.3 the best mixture of sound and power.

[icamm]

bjwoods said: Buyer Beware...

NO Cat, No MOT regardless of circumstances, insurance would be iffy as well....

Not quite true. The catalyst is there to reduce exhaust emissions to a certain level. The only requirment at MOT is that it meets those levels on their meter. If your engine can do this with the cats removed then you are okay.

Now it is UNlikely that your car will pass with the cats so if you are buying a de-catted car make sure you get the original exhaust for MOT's.

Griffless, the problem is that you will probably fail an MOT. This needs to be rectified to keep the car on the road and Cat's are expensive. It is irrelevant who had the car de-catted and whether the current owner was aware of it or not.