Description
One of the 35 (ish) 450SEs built and now it's 1 of 1 due to the mods but it's a great 1! OWNED 30 YEARS
1989 Car. Mileage 78K (current engine 17K)
As for the upgrades, probably the most interesting bit for a prospective purchaser is the engine which if you were to spec today would cost you circa £15K for the engine alone.
As well as the engine spec (below), the gearbox has just been fully rebuilt by Competition Transmission Services (a. k. a Gearboxman) (22/ 10/ 26)
Engine Spec
John Eales 4. 8 Serpentine.
quad 48 IDF Webers.
Cross-bolted cylinder block
94mm Omega forged pistons
Medium valved polished & ported heads
218 camshaft and hydraulic lifters
Heavy duty bearings
Baffled sump and pick-up pipe
Cloyes timing chain
Couple of bits of data
Engine provides 316bhp and >300lbft torgue from 2650rpm through to 5000rpm compared with the original 4. 5 engine (showing TVR were somewhat 'fibbing' with their quoted figures) of 265lbft at 4500rpm and 252bhp at 5600rpm
Other mods:
Rollcentre rollcage
Ex-race Tuscan wheels 16" wearing 245/ 45/ 16 at rear and 225/ 45/ 16 at front with brand new tyres all round. Original wheel covers included
Custom made full exhaust system by Top Cats Racing (2013) with centre box replaced with EMP Performance Exhausts custom made in 2024
Hi-Spec upgrade/ enlarged brakes (300mm vented cross drilled) & cooling air ducting.
Twin red-top fuel pumps (one replaced last year) with separate switches on the dashboard
GAZ gold dampers & springs (Top Cats Racing) 2013
Race seat with 5 point harnesses. Original drivers seat included too
Modified bonnet to clear and feed air filters
All relevant engine bay mods for serpentine engine including power-steering, manifolds, cooling, wiring etc
The full MOT history (at least from 2006 but I've got it filed from before that) is online so not much need to repeat here except to say anything causing a fail over the years has been fixed but most failures have been on emissions usually resolved simply by getting car hot by doing a spirited run before being tested!
Good condition all round with some retouching over the years as you'd expect on age of car. Carpets in at least the footwells need refurbing but otherwise interiod good with refurbished dashboard.
Wheels recently refurbished/ repolished and all with new tyres
Many tens of thousands spent on the car in the 30 years owned ensuring all the mechanical bits work well and doing the upgrades etc. Chassis is good.
Full file of all receipts and work from the 30 years. Most recent works are the gearbox rebuild (Oct26) and new hand brake pads, flushed and replaced clutch and brake fluid, oil change and new battery (Jun26)
With the exception of a just a few days here and there it's always been garaged in my ownership.
Registration not included but can be discussed. Original plate G reg (1989).
Original OZ wheels (need refurb) available too.
An ideal basis to have as a modified road car or trackday car or with required mods, configure as a race car. The engine and suspension and other mods puts the car well ahead of standard models.
Those who know the car from the trackdays it's been used for over the years, will know it's a quick car which handles well yet at the same time is pretty forgiving.
Car always starts first time.
Superb, powerful modified road car or trackday car or with required mods, configure as a race car. The engine and suspension and other mods puts the car well ahead of standard models yet could be put back to near standard as a road car just with the uprated engine.
30 years of ownership by me so a massive file of receipts etc held.
