{"id":298,"date":"2019-04-13T10:00:41","date_gmt":"2019-04-13T10:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=298"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:25:14","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:25:14","slug":"five-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-tvr-griffith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-tvr-griffith\/","title":{"rendered":"The TVR Griffith – Five things you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s Blackpool rock, and then there are the \u201890s, when Blackpool <\/span>rocked<\/span><\/i>. It rocked with the constant throb of angry V8s and tyre squeal courtesy of the brilliant lunatics in the TVR shed. Their cars were wild, loud and brash and the British car industry was all the better for them. It\u2019s a shame, then, that TVR is now a brand of the past. Yes, there have been murmurs of a resurrection, but until that actually happens, we should just enjoy the \u2018greatest hits\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TVR,<\/p>\n

A car very much at the top of that hits list is the TVR Griffith. Small, beautiful, luxurious and packing that all-important Rover V8 punch, it represents TVR at its best. But if you\u2019re not careful, it can also represent it at its worst. The Griffith is an old car now \u2013 it was introduced in 1991. Any car from 1991 is going to be showing signs of age. A hand-built sports car is no exception. In fact, it\u2019s a cause to be even more cautious.<\/span><\/p>\n

To find out what\u2019s what, we spoke to the brilliantly-named Richard Kitchen. He\u2019s the man behind TVR specialist,<\/span> Southways Automotive<\/span><\/a> and what he doesn\u2019t know about Blackpool\u2019s fastest export simply isn\u2019t worth knowing. With his help, here are five things you need to look for when buying a Griffith\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

1)<\/b> <\/b>Chassis<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Richard actually just wanted to say chassis five times, we told him we need a bit more variety than that. \u201cThe chassis is the most important element\u201d explains Richard. \u201cNot just because of corrosion, but also because any chassis-repair\/restoration work normally goes hand-in-hand with the renewal of loads of worn mechanical stuff, too. Outriggers are the most susceptible, and the holes are normally hidden.\u201d In ownership terms, that means a MOT pass guarantees nothing. TVRs can hide a lot, and the MOT man can only test what he sees or can operate.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TVR,<\/p>\n

\u201cThe chassis can rust in other places, too\u201d Richard continues. \u201cParticularly under the exhaust manifolds, and along the lower chassis rails. Earlier cars (up to ’96) normally have a silver-coated chassis, which tend to resist rust better than the later white chassis. The very last cars had grey chassis, which were a bit better\u201d. So to conclude, you need to check the chassis as thoroughly as possible. If you can, get the car up on a ramp so you can have a proper look, and make the effort to see into every nook and cranny \u2013 all manner of horrors could be hidden.<\/span><\/p>\n

2)<\/b> <\/b>Bodywork<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The TVR Griffith\u2019s body, much like all other TVRs, is made from GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic \u2013 or fibreglass to you and me). This is great, because it\u2019s light and it doesn\u2019t rust. However, there are some considerable downsides. Over time, it can crack and buckle. Plus, the car isn\u2019t broken up into panels as per a normal car. For example, the front wings and nose is all one piece. This means a small bump can become a major headache. Also, if the paint is getting tired, a respray is going to be a costly, arduous exercise. Various bits of trim are bonded to the body, as at the headlights. This will all reflect on labour, as it\u2019ll take an age to remove and refit them. And finally, body repairs are going to need a fibreglass specialist. You can\u2019t just roll a TVR into any old body shop.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TVR,<\/p>\n

With all that in mind, you\u2019re looking for damage, you\u2019re looking for faded paint and you\u2019re looking for poor-quality repairs. Get your head under the arches, as any repairs will have been done from behind. Pull up the boot carpet, too, and it\u2019s all GRP under there.<\/span><\/p>\n

3)<\/b> <\/b>Interior<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou could easily spend several thousand re-trimming an interior\u201d says Richard. \u00a0\u201cAnd a lot of it is leather. The quality of the materials when new varied (depending on which suppliers TVR weren’t \u2018on stop\u2019 with!), and some suffer from UV damage worse than others.\u201d Ah yes, TVR was constantly running on a \u2018hand to mouth\u2019 basis, so suppliers changed on the regular. If you are looking at a car with a faded interior, you\u2019re going to be looking at a full re-trim, and that\u2019s going to be costly. Then Griffith\u2019s innards are swathed in leather and are filled with more swoops and curves than a Spirograph doodle. That\u2019s going to impact labour times.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TVR,<\/p>\n

But wait, Richard has more. \u201cThe cars often leak too, so you can get mould\/damp on cars stored outside. And then there are the cars that people think they can retrim themselves (never normally goes well). Rear screens go brittle and can fracture too, and roof fabric can be costly to retrim.\u201d Basically, the Griffith is a delicate machine from an interior point of view, so make sure you buy a decent one, or at least be prepared for a big spend to put a rough one right.<\/span><\/p>\n

4)<\/b> <\/b>Exhaust<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The main system is normally OK as long as it hasn\u2019t been clouted on anything \u2013 again, this is a good reason to get the car up on a ramp if you can. The other issue, as Richard explains, is owner intervention. \u201cPeople do tend to play around with them to remove silencers etc. It’s the manifolds that you need to look at, as they often leak. You can tell by driving the car at a low speed in a high gear, and then applying throttle. You’ll hear a ‘chittying’ sound, almost like a click relative to the revs\/throttle load. Best case is the manifold gaskets need doing, which is still at least \u00a3250 labour, but worse case is that they’ve cracked, and that gets expensive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5)<\/b> <\/b>Engine<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Would it even be a British sports car if we didn\u2019t mention the engine? Of course not, so here\u2019s what you need to know about the Griffith\u2019s V8. The Rover V8 engine was updated in late 1994 to the ‘serpentine’ type, by which time all Griffiths were of the 5.0 ‘500’ variety. That\u2019s good, because more cc\u2019s means more power over the 4.0 and 4.1 units. However, there is a caveat. Over to you, Richard. \u201cThe 5.0 uses a flat multi-ribbed drive belt, as per more modern engines, with a spring-loaded tensioner. So, you need to check the condition of this belt and also the tensioner. Listen for any grumbles or rattles. If it needs doing, it\u2019s a tight, complicated job.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TVR,<\/p>\n

The good news is that they have uprated oil pumps which are generally better. They also allowed for the optional fitment of power steering, though again, be cautious. The racks can be very expensive to replace\/overhaul, so check it’s not leaking. Wind it from lock-to-lock whilst the car is running, then have a look underneath for any drips.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s Blackpool rock, and then there are the \u201890s, when Blackpool rocked. It rocked with the constant throb of angry V8s and tyre squeal courtesy of the brilliant lunatics in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":305,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[238],"tags":[15,128,12,13,54,126,14,16,124,125,127,38],"yoast_head":"\nThe TVR Griffith - Five things you need to know -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"TVRs are brilliant, wild and exciting cars. However, they're also prone to the odd fault. 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