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Grand Grantura: 1963 TVR Grantura Series III

040316 Barn Finds- 1963 TVR - 1

This isn’t the Barn Finds TVR, this one is a couple of decades older; but it’s cool, none the less. The 1963 TVR Grantura Series III shown here is on eBay in Connecticut. The bids around $7,000 as I write this with 9 days left on the auction! This will be one to watch, I’m guessing $20,000-$25,000 for this beauty.

040316 Barn Finds- 1963 TVR - 3

This is a Series III car, the final series of the Grantura model, which was made from 1962 to 1967. The seller says that this is an all-original car and is complete, with 46,500 miles on it to date. The Grantura model name was almost, believe it or not, the “Trevor” and/or the  “Hoo Hill Hellcat”. Wow.

040316 Barn Finds- 1963 TVR - 2

This particular car looks like it’s in great shape for being almost as old as I am. These weren’t super fast cars, at least by today’s standards. This car has the same 0-60 time as a 2016 Prius does. But, I’m pretty sure that there is no question which car 99.9% of us would rather drive. These cars have fiberglass bodies and they weigh around 1,900 pounds. Don’t expect to haul too much luggage with you, there is no boot (trunk, to us Yanks) opening so you’ll have to lug your gear over the seats and into the small rear compartment.

040316 Barn Finds- 1963 TVR - 5

Here is where the power comes from: an MGA B-Series 1,622cc 4-cylinder with a touch over 90hp. It looks pretty good under the bonnet (hood, to us Yanks), doesn’t it? There is just enough detailing work to do here to make for a couple of fun weekends. Only about 60 of these 1,622cc cars were made and about 300 Series III Granturas in total were produced. The TVR Griffith had a small V8 (289 Ford) with about three times the horsepower and a 0-60 time of about 3.9 seconds! That’s quite a change from the MG-powered Grantura models.

040316 Barn Finds- 1963 TVR - 4

Again, the interior looks good with just enough work to do so you can get yourself acquainted with every square inch of it. One thing I’m not sure about is the temperature gauge bolted into a plate in the dash. It’ll need some repairs on the door panels and some switches could be replaced to match the original style, but overall it looks decent in there. What do you think of this car compared to the Barn Finds TVR? They’re about two decades apart but almost light years apart in other areas it seems like.

Comments

  1. Avatar Bill

    Cool little car, but for this kind of money, I’d rather get a nice Europa.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar AMC STEVE

    Two much

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Pfk1106

    Nice car but up to $15k already

    Like 0
  4. Avatar jim s

    this car/listing makes it look like the buyer of the barn find TVR got an even better deal. still a great find.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    I like the shape, but would prefer a…. Griffith

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Pat L

    Griffith took this exact model, the Mk III to turn it in to “The Griffith” with the V8. So all a person would have to do to get a Griffith would be to pop in a 289 and poof you have a Griffith 200 (the first). Okay, not an original, but as close as many of us will ever get. I’d like to see the value of this car get stupid high to see what the market will bear, as I have one!
    Pat

    Like 0
    • Avatar Scotty G Staff

      You are correct, Pat. But, 1964 is when TVR modified the chassis to accept a V8, so you’d be in for some serious fabricating if you were going to drop a V8 into a 1963 Grantura chassis. It was in the 1964 and newer 1800S cars, the ones that had the squared-off back end.

      http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/uploads/cars/tvr/6861664.jpg

      I can’t imagine how fun these light cars would be with a V8 in them!

      Like 0
      • Avatar Alan (Michigan)

        Funny, every time I see one of those bodies from a rear-quarter view, it strikes me as though the builder just ran out of material, and so ended the rear in an abrupt fashion. From some angles, they basically look incomplete to me.

        Certainly, performance was impressive, even by today’s lofty standards. The Griffith was an alternative to the Cobra, or the Corvette.

        Let’s see. Take an American V8 and stuff it into a lightweight British chassis. You get mucho performance in a straight line. If done correctly, the car will also handle well. Of all the conversions, the Tiger was arguably the one which lagged behind when curves were part of the equation?

        Like 0
      • Avatar Charles Pineda, Jr.

        Take a look on U-Tube of the 2017,Graham Hill Trophy, 75MM, Full race, Pre’66 video.

        You are correct re. the lightweight Series 200. I’ve never seen a Griffith 200 win a race. It’s his younger brother, the heavy duty Cobra killer, the Griffith 400 known in the U.K. as the TVR Griffith 400 that wins the races.

        The English and other Europeans were flabergasted that the sixteen year reign of the AC Cobra, E-Jaguar, and twelve cylinder Ferrari 250 LM’s and GTO’s ended. Mike Whitacre and Mike Jordan, who beat the entire field, including the fastest Cobras, did a great job driving the Griffith 400.

        Like 0
  7. Avatar Pat L

    Thanks Scott, I did not know the chassis changed from a ’63 to a ’64, interesting. A buddy of mine has the body body style in the picture link Scott put in with a done up 427, fast does not even begin to describe it.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Mike

    Great car have one!

    Like 1

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