AKU's TVR Griffith - 500 HC (1994)

Hi all, I’m not really a forum person, but a friend introduced me to RMS and the fact it’s local coupled with the breadth of interests and knowledge on here drew me in. That dude customising the American truck! The guy with the black F355. Great site.
 
Anyway, this is my Griff which I took the plunge on about 10 years ago, after the obligitary scaring myself senseless for a few months reading about reliability and chassis issues. I ended up travelling over to Scotland to Golspie, north of Inverness, in November to secure the purchase before someone else snaffled it. This led to one of my more interesting first drives after I left Golspie to try and navigate on unfamiliar roads through Inverness to my overnight B&B, in a rush hour full of mad Scots, in the freezing rain and in a car with wipers that didn’t. But the next day was bright and dry and my B&B was at the northern tip of Lough Ness, so the delivery trip home along its shores and then through the mountains on the A82 was mad epic. I was introduced to some build quality issues when I first floored it on this route when the rear view mirror flew off over my shoulder. But as per the first rule of Italian driving pointed out by Raul Julia in the Gumball movie, “What's-a behind me is not important”. Then as the drive became a little more ‘brisk’ one of the wipers, arm and all, peeled off its hinge and bounced off over the roof. I think it’s called character.
 
That said, I’ve encountered no major reliability issues that were the cars fault, one oil pump that some numpty had been into to raise the oil pressure (not a good idea on these cars), and an immobiliser that was a) wired wrong and b) 25 years old. There is now a full stainless system on it, fully de-catted, an induction kit, billet flywheel, custom Bilstein / Eibach suspension, braided brake lines and, very importantly, uprated cooling fans. This car is truly world class at producing heat.
 
I’m very much a lover of great exhaust notes (The Lambo at the start of Cannonball Run anyone? Porsche 917K? Anyone? Bueller?) and the Griffs is now truly sonorous and unapologetically massive. Anyway, here it is….