Alembic Car Thread

[valvil]

The general, unofficial traffic law in Italy is that if you get to the intersection first, you win.  
 
Valentino

[son_of_magni]

Adriaan, driving around the Boston area for the last 20 years I came up with the same thing.  If you don't make eye contact they don't get the idea that they can pull out in front of you and you'll mash the breaks to avoid hitting them.  Of course you have to take enough of a glance to know that they see you.

[Bradley Young]

Bill,
 
I always heard it as Lucas, Satan's personal electrician.
 
Brad

[rogertvr]

Bill, tgo:-
 
It's a TVR Chimaera.
 
It's got a Rover V8 engine in it.  All of these engines started life as an ex-Buick unit  http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/index.htm?engineroverv8f.htm
 
However, by the time TVR have finished with them, it's 4 litres, outputs 240bhp in the guise that my TVR has and it has 275 ft/lb torque.
 
The car weighs 1060Kg (just over an imperial ton), giving it a power to weight ratio of about 230bhp per ton without my chubby little carcass in the driving seat!
 
As for performance - fairly rapid really.  0-60mph in 4.7 seconds, 0-100mph in 12 seconds and a top speed the other side of 150mph.  Apparently  :-)
 
I hope this lot is of some interest and not just boring!
 
Cheers,
 
Rog

[jacko]

Bill, I believe you're thinking of the Griffith..
 
http://www.gspovey.demon.co.uk/garage/tvr/models/griff400.htm
 
A guy on our street had one for a while, Jeez it was quick. I always admired Trevor Wilkinson for the way he tried to squeeze the biggest, nastiest engines he could find into roller-skates ;-)
 
Graeme

[mpisanek]

In Rome they have a saying.
 
There are two types of pedestrians, the quick and the dead!!!!

[jacko]

...and in America they have two types of music, Country AND Western ;-)
 
Graeme

[lbpesq]

Yeah, the Griffith looks like what I remember, but this old noggin remembers it as a TVR.  Did TVR make something with a siminlar rear end, maybe a little more triangular?  Either that, or it's another case of cognitive dissonance.  The other name that keeps creeping in is Bricklin - another cool low production British? car - by Marshall Bricklin maybe - that I remember drooling over before '70s Alembics replaced my lust for '60s Roadsters.  Enjoy her Roger and, if she's anything like my old Bugeye Sprite, keep some locktite in the boot!  LOL
 
Bill, tgo

[jacko]

Bill, the Griffith is a TVR. However, looking through the rest of the website I linked to, alot of the earlier TVR models looked pretty much the same, just different names.
 
Graeme

[lbpesq]

Graeme:
 
Thanks. At least some of my brain cells are still intact.  I've had a weakness for British sports cars since I saw my first E-Type Jag in the early 60's at about 7 years of age.  For many years I promised myself I would get myself either an E-Type or a Custom Alembic for my 50th B-day.  The guitar won out.  (As expensive as my Custom Further will wind up being, it is still A LOT less than a good condition Jag).  But if anyone around here has an old Jag (XK-120, 130, 140 or E-Type, heck I'd even take a D-Type LOL) that needs a good home........
 
Bill, tgo

[ajdover]

My Alembic transport ...

[jacko]

Bill.
I've had an MG Midget since I was about 20. It's badly in need of restoration - been in the garage for 7 years. For the cost of my Rogue early this year, I could have bought a new bodyshell, had it sprayed and got the car back on the road. The things we give up for music eh;-)
 
Graeme

[gare]

Alan
Does your Ram have a Hemi in er ? If so, what kind of mileage are you getting/not getting ?

[room037]

 
I love the car LANCIA RALLY.
It's often called production number 037.
My call name means the collection room of 037.
It was born 1982, then younger than my Dis-B and Fan head 5st.
 
BUT! I have never driven with my basses.  
 
Hi Roger,
Did you drive your TVR with dragon ?

[ajdover]

Gare,
 
    Yeah, it's got a Hemi.
 
    Gas mileage in the city is horrid.  I'm getting between 12-13 MPG, sometimes less.  I'm going to have it tuned up to see if that helps.  Failing that, I'm going to install dual exhausts since I'm told that helps with mileage.
 
     Highway mileage is about 19-20 MPG, about average for American, V8, full-size trucks.
 
The milage sucks, but it goes like stink and can carry just about anything.  When  I moved back to NC from Northern VA, I had all 8 (at the time; I've got 18 now) of my basses on the floor in the back seat (it's got the fold flat floor under the rear seats; very handy), and my Ampeg stack and BA115 Combo in the bed.
 
Alan