What's the verdict on...

Timo Geusch gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

IIRC, Huge (posts in uk.rec.driving, uk.transport and a few others, dunno offhand about here) races or hillclimbs one.

I don't see any issues with it. The Rover V8 is a very strong lump provided you always keep clean oil in it and don't try to rev it past 5500.

*Do not*, I repeat *Do not* use a Hurricane camshaft in it. I had one in my old and much missed SD1 Vitesse and the cam ruined the car.

There's a Chimera in lovely nick for sale just round the corner for me for =A37995. I'm very tempted to delve into the savings, but I don't think the missus would thank me now she's 6 months pregnant..

Mike P

Changing the cam on the EFI just doesn't work - unless you have the injection and ignition maps modified. Which in practice isn't possible with the factory EFI.

But did she thank you for that? ;-)

The one important bit that people seem to mention is a need for a baffled sump unless you'd want the oil pump to suck air instead of oil during fast corners.

I wasn't thinking of modifying it much but the recommendations I get seem to include uprating the brakes as they're not up to track work, the aforementioned baffled sump and some other odds and sods. Unless I can find a good one cheap (hah!) I think that might be another stillborn idea.

Someone here's just a little sick of looking a sheddy overdescribed Elises...

Not sure if it was particularly the TVR Chimaera or TVRs in general, but an ex race driver I knew that has driven many cars for owners at test days, said the non power steering ones were much better at the high speeds they are capable of. IIRC the issue was that power steering didn't give on bumpy tracks and as a result the suspension flexed steering the car, in contrast the non power steering cars went more or less where they were pointed.

Hmm. Trouble with that might be that the steering might be too heavy without power assistance. Trouble with my duff arm might ensue that way...

I'll probably look at one locally to figure that out.

It was chipped by the one bloke who's meant to be able to do it. Mark someone down by Southampton. Supposedly dynoed and mapped to suit that particular engine. It was shit. Loads of top end, but no grunt.

No low down grunt from a V8 is just wrong.

Mark Adams.

Indeed. The standard cam is just fine for road use.

Yup. Tweaking the injection and timing can improve the bottom and mid range quite a bit over standard with the standard cam. They tend to run too weak.

I'm hoping to get one of these next year as I think they're awesome. I've been out in a standard low comp 4.0 and the full on 5.0 version. Too far apart to tell which felt better, but both felt bloody quick. In the same league as my mates tweaked VX220 Turbo I'd guess.

The 5.0 litre one we just borrowed from a mate to take on a very detoured visit to the shops, but another mate bought a 4.0 litre recently on the cheap. It had a cheap but presentable respray and I believe the clutch was on it's way out and he picked it up for £5k IIRC (before the whole credit crunch media frenzy hit though). He took me out on a long drive and it went plenty quick enough and didn't live up to the 'widow-maker' handling you hear about. Of course you need to be careful, but it was perfectly catchable from what I experienced and cornered well too. And of course the sound is glorious too. Although saying that I'd guess you'll need to watch out for noise restrictions on track days if you get one!

If you test one make sure you test it's hot starting abilities. And everything else electrical too!!

As Pete says the RV8 is a strong old workhorse, as long as you change the oil regularly and use the correct grade. I assume the later engines are pretty similar to mine in that they dont like thin modern oil. I use 20/50 and that seems to work well.

So in summary, DO IT!!