AJP V8 In a Griff?
Discussion
Hope I don't sound really stupid here, but has anyone tried fitting a 4.2 or 4.5 AJP in a Griffith?
I drive a 4.2 Cerby at the minute but fancy something soft top for the weekend (trackdays) with the same performance and I'm not sure I'll get that with a 500 griff. My budget's gonna be less than 20K so a Tuscan is out of the question.
I drive a 4.2 Cerby at the minute but fancy something soft top for the weekend (trackdays) with the same performance and I'm not sure I'll get that with a 500 griff. My budget's gonna be less than 20K so a Tuscan is out of the question.
Yes and they found that the additional power etc meant that everything else needed upgrading as well and that the handling left a lot to be desired. One of the reaons that it never happened. If you have 20 grand to spend that should cover all the work that you would need to do!
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
So it might not be as crazy an idea as I had first thought.
Think I'd best start with fitting bigger brakes though before I even think about an engine.
I don't know a lot about the running gear/ suspension set up on a Griff but would I be best starting with a 500 or would it not really matter 'cos I'll be upgrading the lot anyway.
Thanks for that.
Think I'd best start with fitting bigger brakes though before I even think about an engine.
I don't know a lot about the running gear/ suspension set up on a Griff but would I be best starting with a 500 or would it not really matter 'cos I'll be upgrading the lot anyway.
Thanks for that.
I have been having the same idea but with a chimaera, I know that a Tuscan race car previously fitted with a rover V8 is now being upgraded with a 4.5L cerbie engineso it must be possibile, I have looked at twin turbo options and supercharged options but thing a red rose cerbie engine might be the ultimate and possibile
20K on top of the price of the Griff! Mmmm I suppose it looks like the tuscan race car option might be more realistic, it's just that the griffith looks so damn good - and for the school run - well the dear wife and child will just have to get some waterproofs.
But surely the cost of finding and converting an ex race car is going to be about the same as preparing a Griff then. (based on articles in CCC and Sprint)
Think it might be better to buy an ordinary griff 500 for sunny days and modify my 97 4.2 cerbie for more track fun.
G7TVR, Just a couple of points :
1. Cost of second hand cerbie 4.5L engine with 5 speed box secondhand about 5k last on I saw 9000 miles, you could sell the motor out of the 500 depending age and milage about 3k ish and their seem to be people all ways looking for one judged on the fact that I can't find a decent one anywhere for my chim.
2. Converted tuscans seem to be about 25k ish (have details if you are interested) for a converted one and you can pick up an ex racer for about 12k ish and probably finish it for about another 8 - 10 ish if you wnat any details mail me via my profile
Hope it helps
JNA
1. Cost of second hand cerbie 4.5L engine with 5 speed box secondhand about 5k last on I saw 9000 miles, you could sell the motor out of the 500 depending age and milage about 3k ish and their seem to be people all ways looking for one judged on the fact that I can't find a decent one anywhere for my chim.
2. Converted tuscans seem to be about 25k ish (have details if you are interested) for a converted one and you can pick up an ex racer for about 12k ish and probably finish it for about another 8 - 10 ish if you wnat any details mail me via my profile
Hope it helps
JNA
quote:
My 520 has a competition spec 5.2 litre engine which is 150 bhp more than a Griff at 6000 rpm. It is currently being upgraded to 440 ish bhp. To put itin the car took 200 man hours because everything in the engine bay had to be replaced, refitted and so on. I had to have an ally rad made to improve the cooling. I had to make up special ECU looms for the new engine managment. The suspension had to be upgrdaed to cope with the new power. The clutch became a consumble: it lasts around 3 months currently. The gearbox was rebuilt to take the additional power and torque. 310 mm brakes are fitted. The chassis was strengthened and stiffened. It got to the point where the engine price was almost insignificant. The fuel pumps and filters were around 500 pnds for example. Running costs are not pretty either. A new Cerbie clutch is the best part of 1000 pnds. A set of pads can easily reach three figures. Rear tyres currently last not much more than 1000 miles. Mods like the ones you are thinking off are large (re expensive) engineering projects. Fuel consumption is around 11 mpg going down to 1 on a track.
If you want to get a race Tuscan, get one that has already been done - it will be cheaper. If you are thinking of uprating the engine by more than 10-15% make sure you hav very deep pockets as you will need them. I speak from experience!
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
"cerbie 4.5L engine with 5 speed box secondhand about 5k last on I saw 9000"
Brake upgrade £500 a corner 2000
Suspension upgrade 250 a corner 1000
New rad and cooling fittings 600
New fuel pump 300
Propshaft mods 150
Driveshafts and CV joints 1000
Exhaust manifolds 1000
Total 6050
And this just for the basic bits and not including any labour. I was spending so much with Burton Power and Demon Tweeks that I was almost a VIP with them. With a Tuscan racer, many of these are available but you then need to add the extras to make it road legal if you intend driving it to the track. If not add a trailer.
As I said engine cost is very often the least of problems.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Brake upgrade £500 a corner 2000
Suspension upgrade 250 a corner 1000
New rad and cooling fittings 600
New fuel pump 300
Propshaft mods 150
Driveshafts and CV joints 1000
Exhaust manifolds 1000
Total 6050
And this just for the basic bits and not including any labour. I was spending so much with Burton Power and Demon Tweeks that I was almost a VIP with them. With a Tuscan racer, many of these are available but you then need to add the extras to make it road legal if you intend driving it to the track. If not add a trailer.
As I said engine cost is very often the least of problems.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Thanks guys - JNA and Steve - I appreciate your comments.
not making my decision any easier.
My local TVR service agent warned me about just how expensive it could all get.
So that was one reason why I thought starting with a standard Griff and modifying it over a couple of years might be a good way to ease the pain of the expense.
I get the feeling that unless I went all the way with a full race type set up in Griff that I would just end up with a car that went quick in a straight line but handled like c**p and broke down all the time.
However I would like to be able to enjoy the car on the road a bit as well as on the track so a full race set up might not be ideal.
Perhaps I should just wait till I can afford a Tuscan R or Speed 12!
not making my decision any easier. My local TVR service agent warned me about just how expensive it could all get.
So that was one reason why I thought starting with a standard Griff and modifying it over a couple of years might be a good way to ease the pain of the expense.
I get the feeling that unless I went all the way with a full race type set up in Griff that I would just end up with a car that went quick in a straight line but handled like c**p and broke down all the time.
However I would like to be able to enjoy the car on the road a bit as well as on the track so a full race set up might not be ideal.
Perhaps I should just wait till I can afford a Tuscan R or Speed 12!
It sounds like everyone is trying to talk him out of it.
OK, how about a bit of sideways thinking then.
How much would it cost to get the top lopped off a Cerbie? Zertec are looking at polycarb sunroofs, but surely a few hours with a hacksaw and a bit of artistry with a welding torch would do the trick?
Maybe that would be an easier conversion.
Or how about attacking the bodywork on a Tuscan with a few buckets of filler and some elbow grease. There has to be a good looking car in there somewhere. Hack the front and back off and blend in Griff repair panels.
BTW I am not entirely convinced that an 4.2 AJP is SOOO much more powerful than the venerable 500 unit. But if it isn't, then why bother?
Phil
How much would it cost to get the top lopped off a Cerbie? Zertec are looking at polycarb sunroofs, but surely a few hours with a hacksaw and a bit of artistry with a welding torch would do the trick?
Maybe that would be an easier conversion.
Or how about attacking the bodywork on a Tuscan with a few buckets of filler and some elbow grease. There has to be a good looking car in there somewhere. Hack the front and back off and blend in Griff repair panels.
BTW I am not entirely convinced that an 4.2 AJP is SOOO much more powerful than the venerable 500 unit. But if it isn't, then why bother?
Phil
Phil, goog thinking. I still think that putting the 4.5L cerbie engine in a chim or Griff has to be done even if it does cost a bit so does most fun things in life if you want to do it just do it.
And as for power my 4.5L cerbie gives out 420Bhp on the rolling road that would certainly be fun in in the chimaera and another thing Mr Heath you books are great but watch out for my 549bhp twin turbo Chimaera at a sprint circuit near you next year 440bhp phahh !!!
And as for power my 4.5L cerbie gives out 420Bhp on the rolling road that would certainly be fun in in the chimaera and another thing Mr Heath you books are great but watch out for my 549bhp twin turbo Chimaera at a sprint circuit near you next year 440bhp phahh !!!
Gassing Station | Griffith | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff