'74 TVR 2500M

So you all bought "Catz" shocks? Looking forward to seeing these on the car. Fun seeing not one but two TVR build threads moving along!

I see GAZ and all I can think is they swiped them from a Soviet car.

Figured I should chime in here re: Hillsborough Yellow TVR 2500M.

Figured you'd may want the story on that car since it keeps getting brought up.

I am now the new owner of that car. I am also something like the old owner of the car as well. This car was my father's from 87-2016 and had sold it prior to retiring out of state to South Carolina from New Jersey.  He didn't tell me he was selling the car, as I live in Chicago, and that always bothered me. There were times when I was a senior in High School in 2004, where I even drove the car to school due to my car had being stolen at the end of the school year.

Fast forward to a few months ago, my mother and I wanted to suprise my father with a car to retire with that he had been lusting after. The TVR 390SE, possibly only one in the US was for sale. I drove up to Detroit area, tested it, made a deal with the owner (and my mother), and surprised him with it . The man who we purchased it from was a club registrar for TVRNAC, I said to him if you could ever find our 2500M, I'd love to be able to ask the owner when he does decide to sell please give me first rights of refusal. The car could not be tracked down.... Until a few weeks later when the owner submitted it to TVR site for sale. I contacted him immediately and now the rest is history.

Here's a photo of me when the car was delivered to my father in 87 before I was even 1 year old. It had the black vinyl top which he hated and removed. 

Everyone asking about the 1600 Toyota engine. I have always loved the engine in here. Glad my father swapped it. Higher revving, more power, lighter, and sounds way better with dual Webers. The car at one point with full interior was around 1900 pounds wet when my father weighed it. What's not to like?

This car will become first an autocross/track sprints car, then to hill climbs eventually. 

Posting in this thread also to follow your build for inspiration, but I figured I'd chime in to let you know the car went back to the right person. Full circle.

In reply to adamjasoncohen :

   Thank you for this unsolicited yet much appreciated update and clarification regarding that 2500/1600M.  Since you apparently have been reading my (and presumably TVR Scott's) GRM build threads, you know we are not purists regarding original equipment, and we were both curious about how that pairing came about.  The fact that I have a 4AGE sitting around the house made it all the more interesting for me, although I'm a dyed-in-the-wool British car guy and Triumph enthusiast.  I can say that I had never thought of putting that 1600 into the TVR until I saw that classified ad, and I can see the appeal of more power and less weight.  I was actually planning to call the guy who placed the ad, as he mentions connections for performance Triumph engine builds.  I intend to keep my TVR Triumph powered, and look forward to finishing this project and moving forward with the 4AGE powered Lotus 7 (replica) after that.  Keep in touch! 

As promised, here's a photo of the Gaz coil-overs installed on the chassis.  Enjoy!

Sorry to highjack the thread, but a 4AGE in a Locost/Lotus 7 brings back fond memories of building and driving this:

In reply to RoddyMac17 :

Very nice! Is that a Westfield 11?  Why is it RHD but with a fairing on the left side?

In reply to adamjasoncohen :

So you bought up your dad's old M from the guy in NC?  That's super cool!

Please do a build thread!  TVR seems to be the new Answer around here!

In reply to TVR Scott (Forum Supporter) :

Correct. It was very trippy when I sat in it again, brought me back to little league just from the smell.

In regards to why the engine swap : 2.5 died, and my father wanted something much lighter and stronger. Confirmed last night. Man of few words....

Will possibly do a build thread. However living in the city and being 34, with extremely limited amount of wrenching capability will make it a boring thread but we will see. I assume most of everything will be commissioned. It will be a slow process as I planned on keeping this in the family forever. However I will be putting the M to work on autocross and track sprints as much as possible. Following your two threads has provided a lot of inspo.

In reply to adamjasoncohen :

Congratulations, on getting YOUR car back. 

I’ve had mine since ‘87, so I get the affinity and affection one can develop, for these cars. 

In reply to adamjasoncohen :

Please do a build thread!  I understand your trepidation, as I also felt that I did not have the capabilities to do the work that would make worthwhile material (especially after seeing some of what Scott has done)!  I still am not so sure, but this group has provided the encouragement and even the resources I've needed to continue.  Scott and I are moving at (relatively) "breakneck" speed compared to many threads here, so don't feel you need to provide frequent updates, although we all like to see progress in everyone's project. If we can't help, we can at least commiserate!

Is that a Westfield 11?  Why is it RHD but with a fairing on the left side?

Not a Westfield, a scratch built replica with most of the correct bits (Coventry Climax, Nash Met axle, etc). The black panels were made using a mold pulled from a LHD Westfield.  I ended up cutting the head fairing off and remaking the center portion of the rear panel.  

Are you going for urethane engine and transmission mounts? Diff bushings? Rack mounts?  

In reply to Slow_M :

At this time I have a new set of stock engine and transmission mounts, and 2-piece aluminum rack mounts. When I figure out how I'm going to mount the R200 diff, I may have to re-evaluate the trans mount to compensate for the drive shaft angles. I won't know until I have my diff in hand, and can see how it lines up. I may not have my engine ready to install for months... still thinking of getting one of Sam Halkias' warrantied hot street motors.

In reply to Stu Lasswell :

I’d talk to Glenn Effinger and Lanky Foushee, too, about having an engine built. Give them a budget number, your parameters, and see what they propose. 

In reply to Slow_M :

Can't find anything on Glenn Effinger... and Lanky Foushee passed away in 2012!

Don’t talk to Foushee. At least, not for a while. 

Glen Effinger 

Stuart, Florida 

Tel:- (772) 283-7700 

Also, Adrian Venn once mentioned, that he has a friend who’s built a n NA 300hp TR6 street motor. I’d love that recipe. I think there were SUs involved. 

In reply to Slow_M :

I'm thinking of the phrase "How fast do you want to go, How much do you want to spend".  Also I think a "street" 300hp TR6 motor would be a grenade with the pin pulled. Reminds me of the Hot Rod magazine articles about ridiculous horsepower "street cars" that needed race fuel, wouldn't idle, and overheated.  Most race-prepped TR6s produce closer to 200hp I believe, and I'm looking at more likely the 135-150hp range.  

In reply to adamjasoncohen :

That's cool that you got your dad's car back.  I love stories like that.

Stu Lasswell said:

In reply to Slow_M :

. . . I'm looking at more likely the 135-150hp range. 

That’s a shaved head, cam, exhaust. Maybe carbs. Unless you have Strombergs, in which case, smash them with a sledgehammer. 

If I ever get back to working on my TR6, I want to finish the initial tuning and get it to a dyno to establish a baseline.  Mine has a 10:1 compression bump, some mild porting and port matching, a fast street cam, tubular exhaust, and the EFI intake.  I'm expecting anywhere from 130 to 170 hp, but may be expecting more than I will get from the fuel injection setup.  Good carbs can flow plenty for a TR6 motor.

I've never heard of 300 hp from a TR6 motor.  Maybe if it flows well and can spin above 7000 RPM.  But at that point, what's happening to the bottom end?  Is that with a forged crank and rods?  I'd be more than a little nervous about it.

Two TR6 motors in series?  That would give you an easy 300 hp.

A 300 hp N/A motor sounds like a hand grenade in the worst way.

I believe Sam Halkias "guarantees" 135-140hp from his hot street motors.  That's with 9.5:1 compression, regular gas. He uses Goodparts cam, ARP fasteners, skimmed head, and breaks in the engine before shipping.  He will build more powerful engines... he is a current racer who supplies engines for many of his competitors, I believe.  As to Zenith Strombergs, Richard Good runs them in his race car that has about 200hp (but I imagine he uses his 3-carb setup).  Honestly, for street or autocross use the Z-S and S.U. carbs are generally better than those bitchin' DCOE Webers... the variable choke design can meter efficiently through a wider rpm range, and handle variable temps and altitudes better.  In road racing, where you run wide open the whole time, Webers are hard to beat.  You know, the guy who designed the Miata set up the Mazda engine with twin S.U.s first!

I had nothing but bad luck with dual SU carbs on my old Spitfire, but that might have been an altitude thing.  I attempted to find a needle from the haystack-of-needles, but never got a new one to try.

The lady who bought it from me took it back down to Texas and after a quick tune up she said it ran perfectly.

YMMV.

I agree about the triple Weber setup.  They are great if your foot is always on the floor until redline.  For the street, they will be a bit off and need tweaking for conditions.  I knew a Spitfire guy that had DCOEs, and he carried his jets around with him and would make changes based upon temperature.