TVR Griffith 500

TVR Griffith

Now sold because I needed the practicality of 4 seats, this was a monster of a car! Specification was as follows: -

  • 1996 TVR Griffith 500
  • 5.0 litre V8 engine developing between 340bhp (probably less realistically)
  • 0-60 in 4.2 seconds
  • Top speed 170mph
  • Diabolical fuel economy
  • Monster grin factor

The Experience

I ran this car as a daily drive for 2 years. It sounded fantastic and it was staggeringly poweful - the torque from the large V8 pulling much more than any turbocharged car I have ever driven. It also demanded respect, needing very smooth driving at all times. Stamp on the gas and the rear would go sideways. Change down a gear without blipping the throttle and the rear wheels would lock due to engine braking causing a spin!

I thank the TVR for making me a smoother driver.

Reliability

TVR's are "renouned" for their unreliability, but the truth is I used this car for 2 years to get me to work in sun, rain and snow and it always got me there. The unreliability generally comes by leaving them standing. A lot of TVR owners use them on sunny summer days only, which to be hones in England is a rare treat! So, they sit in the garage for days/weeks/months on end. Leave ANY car alone for that long and you will get electrical niggles caused by damp.

The only reliability problem I had with my TVR was a warm-start issue, whereby sometimes it wouldn't start after stopping at the shops or to fill with petrol. This didn't happen very often, but when it did it was very annoying (not to mention embarassing!). There was an aftermarket fix for this problem (to do with wiring of the starter motor), but due to me being lazy and it not being very regular I didn't do!

Running a TVR

Running the Griffith wasn't the cheapest thing I've ever done - it returned an average of 16-18mpg. Basic service cost was generally about £500 (every 6000 miles), plus extras, which there always were - radiator, clutch, etc etc, which generally made each service into 4 figures. It also had worn cam followers which needed replacing, another 4 figure bill.

The key with buying and running a TVR is to decide how much you have to spend on one, then spend a little less and leave a couple of thousand as a "bills fund". That way you're not scuppered when you get a slightly larger than expected service bill!

I got a lot of help and assistance during running this car from the TVR forums at www.pistonheads.com. If you own or would like to know more about all things TVR, go visit the forum.

Would I have another TVR? Hell yes, but maybe not just at the moment...

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