Mad Looking Griff...

Mad Looking Griff...

Author
Discussion

Adam2B

Original Poster:

32 posts

279 months

Monday 25th March 2002
quotequote all
Huge air intake and additional meshy bits on the bonnet. Looked like some serious messing about in a quest to go atmospheric. Looked good (if a little scary and confusing!).

Dark Red. P plate. parked outside regents arcade in Cheltenham the other day.

Anybody know it? These are the crazy people we need on pistonheads!

Veg

500 posts

290 months

Tuesday 26th March 2002
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Its not the one Broughtons did with the downdraught carbs? That has some serious bhp, love to have a go.

David Beer

3,982 posts

274 months

Tuesday 26th March 2002
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I saw that at broughtons as well. The guys there said it produced what a 500 says it does !

GreenV8S

30,481 posts

291 months

Tuesday 26th March 2002
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quote:
I saw that at broughtons as well. The guys there said it produced what a 500 says it does !


Just out of interest, how long ago did he say that?

davidy

4,474 posts

291 months

Tuesday 26th March 2002
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Pete

I understood that the downdraught carb Griffith had an engine that was essentially built to Tuscan Racer (Rover V8) spec and therefore on the more restrictive exhaust manifolds probably was around 350bhp (Russ Hughes found that changing the manifolds on his Tuscan gave up to 40bhp more!!)

David

GreenV8S

30,481 posts

291 months

Tuesday 26th March 2002
quotequote all
Maybe Mike will correct me but I believe it's running multi throttle bodies plus DTA injection rather than carbs, the bottom end is relatively standard and it doesn't have a particularly long cam in.

Having heard some of the grief Mike had with this I'm just interested to know when these people reckoned it was putting out 320/340 bhp.

davidy

4,474 posts

291 months

Tuesday 26th March 2002
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About 4-5 years ago I heard these sort of numbers and I had a friend who went to look at the car. Maybe the Downdraughts have been changed for throttle bodies. It would certainly make the setting up (mapping) easier.

There were also claims of a lightweight shell (but this could all be sales talk or good pub talk)

David

>> Edited by davidy on Tuesday 26th March 22:06

shpub

8,507 posts

279 months

Wednesday 27th March 2002
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The Griff 500 shopping trolley is currently at 300 bhp and with a new exhaust manifold Mark ADams reckons we could easily be in the 315/320 mark so it can be done without recourse to special injections etc etc

Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk

PS and yes 300 genuine bhp does make the car a bit more interesting.

JonRB

76,108 posts

279 months

Wednesday 27th March 2002
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Steve - what mods & costs have been involved in getting it to that output?

Cheers
Jon

apache

39,731 posts

291 months

Wednesday 27th March 2002
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Shopping trolley!!!!

flasher

9,238 posts

291 months

Wednesday 27th March 2002
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quote:

Shopping trolley!!!!



dans

1,137 posts

291 months

Wednesday 27th March 2002
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Broughtons lent me that griff for a loan car once when my chimaera was in for a service, it was the fastest thing I have ever driven, different delivery I grant you, but it felt faster then a 4.5 cerbera and when you gave it proper welly the carbs sprayed super U all over the windscreen, I managed to light the tyres up in third on a dry roundabout in traffic, scared the shit out of me that car, but the most fun I have had in any car. It is a real shame they had to put it back to normal spec as it was utterly illegal in that condition - best bit were the straight through exhausts, they were 3.5" in diameter and shot flames out at every opportunity, it made a sound like a top fuel dragster.

I have pics somewhere, I'll try to dig them out.

it was

shpub

8,507 posts

279 months

Thursday 28th March 2002
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quote:

Shopping trolley!!!!


Well it is. It's been my everyday car for the last 9 months. Compared to the 2002 spec 520 it does feel like a Sierra Diesel as well so I tend to poodle about in it. It's the same car that I was poodling around Mallory in at the Team Proactive day.

As for mods...

New hybrid 218 cam, Jag V12 air flow, modified inlet manifolds, enlarged throttle/plenum, Mark Adams rechip and it has been decatted. All done by the previous owner. Cost around 3-4000 pounds ish. Currently transferring the 2001 spec 520 brakes to it and it has the Tower View roll bar. Trying not to create a son of 520 monster though but it does get difficult at times.

Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk

gjm

78 posts

275 months

Monday 1st April 2002
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Just out of curiosity do griff 500s actually produce 325bhp/340bhp at the flywheel or rear wheels. i have a griff 4.3 and assume it produces about 280bhp - that is what the statistics say. Is this over optimistic?

Graham

16,369 posts

291 months

Monday 1st April 2002
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quote:

Just out of curiosity do griff 500s actually produce 325bhp/340bhp at the flywheel or rear wheels. i have a griff 4.3 and assume it produces about 280bhp - that is what the statistics say. Is this over optimistic?



neither only in PW's dreams...

CleG

567 posts

271 months

Sunday 21st April 2002
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I was also told by a tvr technician that the Griff 500 as standard will actualy produce around 270-280 bhp not the factory claimed 320 bhp.
I haven't had mine on a rolling road as yet, has anyone else? and if so what was the output?

shpub

8,507 posts

279 months

Monday 22nd April 2002
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Std GRiff 500 produces around 250-270 BHP on a rolling road. Difference due to measurement techniques etc etc etc. Yes have done it when modding my 500 to 300bhp.

Steve