JH with 3900cc TVR Conversion

[Julian_S]

I think he's conned you all.

That looks like the early Rover (pre serpentine with dizzy fitted) engine to me. TRV did do their own V8, but that aint it!

It's my bet that engine was pulled from a Range Rover at a scrapyard.

Julian.

TVR didn't make their own engine until well after the TVR 390SE ceased production. The TVR 390SE had an engine based on the old faithful Rover V8, albeit in TVR tuned guise. This same basic engine continued through the Griffith and Chimera and some later models.
The first TVR to feature their own engine, I believe was the Cerbera but only after the first few had Rover based engines fiitted.

The only difference with the TVR tune, I believe, was the subsitution of a ''fast road'' cam, everything else being the same. I wonder how you could tell if that (pre-serpentine) Rover engine started life in a Range Rover?

Julian.

[Kieron]

are the engine number ranges different??

[Tone]

Didn't take long to re-appear!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... SS:GB:1123

[Julian_S]

Didn't take long to re-appear!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... SS:GB:1123

I think that buy in now price is too dear. You could buy a lovely TVR wedge for less than that and get all the goddies like Jag IRS....

Julian.

[zacmarshall]

I like the way it's gone from buy it now of xxx£2,850 to xxx£5,950

I think the earlier one is more realistic..... Does make me hanker after a nice original late Healey again though.

Zac

[Peter Rothery]

I think it was sold to the current vendor at the more attractive price as a result of the earlier auction.

He is looking to make a profit on this as with many other cars he has sold. Good luck to him.

[Wallace]

I wonder how you could tell if that (pre-serpentine) Rover engine started life in a Range Rover?

Julian.

Range Rover V8's have a different water pump housing on the earlier engines, not sure if they carried it across to the 3.9. I know how to check a 5ltr Griffith for originality, not the 3.9. The compression would be lower on a standard 3.9 compared to a TVR so it would be a little more than a cam swap.

[Martin R]

I just found this - I am not at home so didn't have access to my TVR bible and couldn't remember the spec of my old Chimera.

I thought there was a bit more than just a cam swap as the increase in HP over the stock Rover unit is quite large.

"The 390 SE was introduced in October of 1984. TVR Engineering worked with Andy Rouse, a Rover Tuning specialist to produce a blueprinted engine, turning out an extra 85 bhp, taking it to 275 bhp. This was achieved by the following improvements:-

Increasing bore of the engine to 3905 cc

High lift camshafts

Gas flowed cylinder heads with large valves

Cosworth machined pistons

A stronger clutch"

http://www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk/wedge_sp ... 450se.html

[Julian_S]

I just found this - I am not at home so didn't have access to my TVR bible and couldn't remember the spec of my old Chimera.

I thought there was a bit more than just a cam swap as the increase in HP over the stock Rover unit is quite large.

"The 390 SE was introduced in October of 1984. TVR Engineering worked with Andy Rouse, a Rover Tuning specialist to produce a blueprinted engine, turning out an extra 85 bhp, taking it to 275 bhp. This was achieved by the following improvements:-

Increasing bore of the engine to 3905 cc

High lift camshafts

Gas flowed cylinder heads with large valves

Cosworth machined pistons

A stronger clutch"

http://www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk/wedge_sp ... 450se.html

That info relates to the earlier 3.5 with capacity enlarged to 3.9 I think.

The engine in question is from a 390SE so would have already been a 3.9 taken from the Rover production line. If so then I believe that all TVR did was to substitute a cam.

[Julian_S]

[
Range Rover V8's have a different water pump housing on the earlier engines, not sure if they carried it across to the 3.9. I know how to check a 5ltr .

Yes, The main difference was the introduction of the 4.0 Serpentine engine - it lost the distributor too.

Julian.

[Wallace]

[
Range Rover V8's have a different water pump housing on the earlier engines, not sure if they carried it across to the 3.9. I know how to check a 5ltr .

Yes, The main difference was the introduction of the 4.0 Serpentine engine - it lost the distributor too.

Julian.

That's the Thor engine refered to as the 4.0 litre even though it has the same capacity as the old 3.9 engine, the early Range Rovers had a different timing chest and water pump that sits higher than the SD1 or P6 engine and I'm not sure if they carried it across to the 3.9. That's what I meant as regards identifying a Range Rover engine.

Mike

[Julian_S]

That's the Thor engine refered to as the 4.0 litre even though it has the same capacity as the old 3.9 engine, the early Range Rovers had a different timing chest and water pump that sits higher than the SD1 or P6 engine and I'm not sure if they carried it across to the 3.9. That's what I meant as regards identifying a Range Rover engine.

Mike

Ah I see. What would concern me was that the car in question had a 3.5 engine in cooking tune of about 140bhp straight from a Land Rover. Given the many fraudsters on e-blag I'd be doing careful research - I'm not for one minute suggesting that there is any misrepresentation of this vehicle, but you hear so many stories!

Julian.