Description
Here is my 1986 TVR 420 SEAC, registration D662 YLP, the car that helped cement TVR’s reputation in the mid 1980s (chest wig and medallion are optional). Just 31 examples of the 420 SEAC were produced, making this a rare and historically important model within the marque. I have owned the car for 10 years and spent over 7 years completing a comprehensive nut and bolt restoration, with the aim of creating the best, most complete road going SEAC I possibly could.
The car was first registered on 1st August 1986 to Mr. Alistair Binning, a London based investment professional and serial TVR owner with strong connections to the factory. Later in life, he would also own the penultimate 450 SEAC, finished in the well known metallic green. The car changed hands to Graham Williams in November 1988, then to Tony Weston in October 1992, before I acquired it in May 2016. I am the fourth owner from new, which is unusually low ownership for a car approaching 40 years old.
Factory build sheets confirm this to be one of the earliest full Kevlar SEACs, chassis number 466, with a factory log date of 16 July 1986. The car was originally ordered by TVR themselves in Charcoal Metallic with Grey Leather and supplied via Giles Cooper at The TVR Centre, Barnet. The car remains numbers matching, retaining its original engine and major components, and remains in its original factory colour scheme.
When purchased, the car had been off the road for many years. After an initial recommissioning phase and a period of use, a full multi year strip down restoration was undertaken.
Chassis, Suspension & Running Gear
The chassis and every suspension component were stripped to bare metal, inspected, repaired where required, blasted, hot zinc sprayed, and finished in a 2 pack epoxy top coat chosen for long term durability and corrosion resistance. OEM rubber bushes were retained on the front suspension, with poly bushes fitted to the rear where original items are no longer available. The suspension uses Gaz Gold dampers, refreshed springs, and has been professionally set up and corner weighted at Spires Automotive (Warwick).
Both driveshafts and the prop shaft were rebuilt by Dave Mac Propshafts (Coventry) using high spec UJs. The braking system was fully refurbished by Bigg Red (Worcester) and fitted with new discs and Ferodo DS2500 pads. New solid fuel lines were installed with fire and heat protection sleeving; both fuel tanks were pressure tested and repaired as required, and the fuel pump upgraded to a later Cerbera unit. A very rare Kiley Clinton quick steering rack is fitted for super responsive steering; the original power assisted rack, pump and ancillaries are included should a future owner wish to reinstate them.
The car currently runs on 16x9 replica BBS split rims with Toyo Proxes tyres. Included in the sale are the original 15” OZ split rims with plastic chrome centre caps, plus an ultra rare set of 16” OZ Tuscan Challenge wheels with bespoke aluminium centre caps made by Autofarm Engineering.
Wet weighed with a full tank of fuel, the car weighs 1140kg, with a near perfect 51% front / 49% rear weight distribution.
Engine, Gearbox & Drivetrain
The original SEAC engine (NCK004) was fully rebuilt by V8 Developments, retaining the original block, crank and Cosworth pistons, and upgraded with Stage 4 heads, H404 camshaft, top hat liners, and fully ported inlet and plenum. Larger Bosch injectors and a bespoke stainless exhaust system improve breathing, while an Emerald ECU and coil pack conversion (thanks to Joolz at Kits and Classics) replace the original Lucas electronics for vastly improved reliability and drivability.
The gearbox and 3. 07 rear differential were fully stripped and rebuilt by JPR Competition (Silverstone) and paired with a 5. 0 Griffith clutch and lightweight balanced flywheel. The engine produces 340 bhp and 325 lb ft, dyno proven at Kits and Classics.
Body, Interior & Documentation
The full Kevlar body was repaired as required and repainted in its original charcoal metallic. During refit, the engine bay was smoothed, unnecessary legacy components removed, and a later Chimera/ Griffith coolant system adapted to reduce complexity. A new Pilkington windscreen was fitted.
The interior was fully retrimmed in OEM correct grey leather with black ribbed carpets. Bespoke fixed back seats were installed to improve space and driving position, with provision for runners if desired. Dash and door trims were hydro dipped in a walnut finish to avoid future cracking. A new bespoke roof section and upgraded metal targa fittings were installed.
The car is supplied with a 3” thick history file, including invoices, over 10, 000 restoration photos, dyno sheets, videos and full MOT history. It won the TVR Car Club Trevor Wilkinson Restoration Award (2024) and featured in an 8 page TVRCC magazine article (copies included). Just serviced & MOT'd at 45460 indicated miles). From August 2026 the car will be MOT and road tax exempt. If you’re looking at a SEAC, you’ll already know this was never meant to be a subtle car. It was conceived as a race car for the road, and even by modern standards it still feels gloriously uncompromising. That sense of intent hasn’t been diluted here; if anything, it’s been sharpened by doing the work properly and removing the usual frustrations that came with these cars when new.
With 340 bhp pushing just over a ton, the performance is exactly as outrageous as you’d expect.
Acceleration is immediate and relentless, and the sound is unapologetically loud, mechanical and addictive. This is not a car that tries to be refined or sanitised — it simply behaves properly. The Emerald ECU and modern ignition don’t tame the SEAC; they just remove the old nonsense. Cold starts, hot starts, traffic and longer runs are all handled without drama, leaving you free to enjoy what makes a SEAC special.
On the road, the car feels cohesive and confidence inspiring rather than edgy. The quick rack transforms the front end, giving proper turn in and feedback, and the suspension setup works with the chassis rather than fighting it. This isn’t a freshly restored car that still needs fettling or “running in” by the next owner — it’s been driven, set up and refined. There’s a real sense of honesty in how it communicates, and once you trust it, the car rewards you in a way few modern machines do.
Visually, it still does exactly what a SEAC should. You don’t park it and walk away unnoticed. People either know precisely what it is, or they know instinctively that they’re looking at something rare and important. It attracts interest not because it’s fashionable or flashy, but because it’s authentic. Even amongst modern supercars, it has a presence that’s hard to ignore.
Inside, it remains unmistakably a TVR of the era — intimate, purposeful and slightly raw — but without the usual compromises that put people off actually using them. The driving position is far better than standard, the interior feels correct rather than overdone, and everything works as intended. It’s not a novelty you tolerate for 20 minutes; it’s a cockpit you genuinely enjoy sitting in.
One of the biggest attractions is confidence of ownership. There are no unanswered questions here. The car has been stripped, rebuilt and improved systematically, with nothing hidden, deferred or glossed over. All the areas that typically cause concern on these cars have been dealt with properly and documented in depth. This is not a project, a recommission or a car that still needs finishing — it’s done.
Winning the TVR Car Club Trevor Wilkinson Restoration Award in 2024 was the highlight of the journey for me. Not because of the trophy itself, but because it confirmed that the car had been restored with respect for the marque and a proper understanding of what a SEAC is supposed to be. The subsequent 8 page TVRCC magazine feature only reinforced that this is not just another restored wedge.
What has surprised me most is how the appeal hasn’t faded. The novelty doesn’t wear off. Every drive still feels like an event, whether it’s a short blast or something more planned. It suits fast A roads beautifully, but it’s just as happy burbling through villages, popping and crackling gently and attracting the kind of attention that leads to conversations at petrol stations.
This car isn’t for the shy or retiring, and it never pretends to be. It’s loud, dramatic, demanding and unapologetic — exactly as a SEAC should be. But if you want something that still feels special every single time you open the garage door, and represents TVR at its most uncompromising, you’ll struggle to find a better example.
Selling it hasn’t been an easy decision. The work is done, the vision has been realised, and it feels like the right moment for someone else to step in and enjoy it as it deserves.
Not sure the YouTube links below correctly work BUT if you copy and paste the below "video titles" into YouTube you will see some nice vids, my You Tube handle is gmw9666. Hoping the video links to supplement the photos will pop up soon.
TVR 420 SEAC Walk around video >
- details above
TVR 420 SEAC Engine walk around video >
- details above
TVR 420 SEAC Close up walk around video >
- details above
TVR 420 SEAC 340 BHP Dyno run >
- details above
