Strange really, but you buy a car which it has been your ambition to own and immediately start thinking about how to improve it! Fortunately (or perhaps not!) there was plenty of ideas and advice floating around the TVR Car Club and pretty soon a plan emerged along the usual lines of how to improve the look, feel and handling of the car and of course how can I get more power; because it goes unsaid that the standard power output, even from a 5 Litre V8 can never be enough! 

As part of a deal with my dealer the cam was replaced with a re-profiled item supplied by TVR Power designed to improve torque and bhp by some 10% through extended inlet and exhaust duration (overlap) and increased lift. They also swapped the hydraulic lifters for solid and the push-rods for steel adjustable ones. At the time Portfield (who are no longer a TVR dealer) were looking after TVRCC sprinter Ted Reddick's cars and similar work had already been carried out on his Chimaera 500 with an extra 30-40bhp, being achieved, so I was keen to go down a similar route. See the section more power for details of what I’ve done. see more power. 

Back in 1999 Clive Reed was experimenting with making alloy components for his own Griffith. He posted pictures of some alloy parts to replace the standard GM indicator stalks on the TVRCC e-mail list and the response was "We'd like some of those". I fitted Clive's indicator stalks to Grizzly along with his rake control lever, fluted to match the heater control knobs, and finished it off with another alloy heater knob to cover the black plastic intermittent wiper control. Clive went on to develop a full range of Zertec goodies and I have added a few other alloy bits to complement the interior from Leven Technologies and changed the naff black plastic bonnet release pull for a nice alloy toggle! ! 

When new I ordered a higher spec Pioneer head unit, a 6 x stack CD player a separate amplifier and rear speakers, since then the best addition is the Mod-Wise active aerial which turns the radio into something more than just an unused setting on the head unit! GRP cars it seems have problems getting decent radio reception but I would say FM reception is now about 95% which for a TVR is pretty good! I have also fitted one of their 2 stage cooling fan devices, which for does exactly what it says on the tin! For more information on Mod-Wise electrical components take a look at their web site.