TVR Grantura (957 GLP).
In June 2011 Adrian dropped me a line, with details of this unusual competition-prepared TVR Grantura that he has owned for some years now. Compared to a standard Grantura it seems that a great number of modifications have been made to it, but as yet Adrian is still somewhat in the dark about its competition life. Can anyone help shed light on the history of this race-prepared TVR, registration number 957 GLP? Over to Adrian now for the story so far....
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Can anyone help id this classic TVR Grantura Mk2?
I'm trying anything and everything I can to trace the history of my car.
We have a TVR Grantura that was obviously built for racing however, at
the moment, we know very little about the car. I am a member of the TVR
Owner's Club and I actually took the car on a trailer to Goodwood this
weekend where there was a large TVR event. No one was able to identify
the car, however they were able to give some advice and it appears to be
a very interesting car and very unusual indeed.
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TVR Grantura MkII maybe IIa. Registration number 957 GLP, chassis number
7C209 full lightweight car. We purchased this car in August 1995, from a local chap in Ramsgate,
Kent, UK. He had obtained the car in approximately 1967 as part of debt
mitigation. He stored the car in a lock-up at that time. The chap he
got it from, as far as he can remember, worked in a local building
society. Unfortunately, he is not able to remember the chap's name and
did not have any history with the car, including not being able to
locate the V5 document. It has a tax disc dated Jun 1967 and was issued
by G.L.C. (C). The tax disc holder bears the name Carr Bros
(Automobiles) Ltd., of Purley.
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Essentially, the car remained in this lock-up from 1967 until the time I
came across the car and purchased it in 1995. From that time, I have
stored the car pending having the time and suitable funds to restore it.
The car appears to be a full lightweight. The chassis tubes seem to be
smaller than a standard Grantura, with the braces having been drilled.
It has "wobbly web" type wheels. The body work is thin; it does not
have door handles or window winding mechanisms, no wheel arches in the
engine bay and no headlining. It has disc brakes on the front and on
the rear; it has "in-board" brake discs that are mounted immediately
either side of the differential. The milometer reads approximately
27,000 miles. The Speedo and Rev counters have been replaced by slightly
small ones than the original fitment, so this mileage may not be
correct.
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The bonnet has been extensively modified, with the addition of
two "humps", presumably to accommodate larger carburettors,
supercharger, air filter or the like. It has three Ferrari-type air
ducts at the front which has a scoop fitted over the top. The roof has
had a large vent fitted at the rear, presumably to vent hot air from the
car. The TVR's chassis number suggests the car was originally fitted with a
Coventry Climax engine, although it currently has an MGB 3 bearing
1800cc engine mated to what looks like a standard MOWOG gearbox. It has
fully adjustable suspension all round. It does not have seat belts
fitted. The interior appears to be the original red leather.
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If anyone can help Adrian with researching his TVR's past, you can get him on: adrian[dot]liepins[at]pfizer[dot]com or alternatively drop me a line via the Contact page and I'll pass on the details. Thanks to Adrian for sending his TVR Grantura story over, hopefully someone out there will recognise this car...? More photographs of the car can be found on this photo-sharing site. The Grantura came out in 1958 and continued in production, undergoing a number of revisions in the process, until 1967.
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