Nine years of TVR ownership and my SEAC

By Karl Cordwell

I have owned four Wedges over a period of about 9 years. My first being a 350i. At the time this was our only car. My wife used it for work / shopping etc. It was a totally reliable car, but all my Wedges have been reliable. I then went on a grey 400SE, which unfortunately left this world via a lamppost! The next Wedge was a mint concours condition  moonraker black 400SE with full black hide. This car I sold in order to buy what most people consider the ultimate Wedge, a 450 seac. Only eighteen 450s were built, mine being number 17.

Karl's SEAC		Rear-end shot

The SEAC is monza red and originally had 1ž2 beige hide, it has now been retrimmed in full black leather at a cost of £2k which includes racaro seats. It also has a cross -bolted 4.6 engine to spec below. Cost of engine was £4k but it has made it much more user friendly car in traffic, but still has awesome power. (300 bhp about same as standard 450 engine but with a much broader torque curve).
 

• 4.6 Lighten and Balanced.
  
• Pocketed Pistons.
  
• Extra Oil Ways.
  
• Modified Big Value Heads.
  
• Hybred 200 cam.
  
• Large Plenum Top.
  
• Large Trumpet Base.
  
• Full Polished and Ported.

The seac is used mostly in the summer (about 5,000 miles per year) In the winter it gives me a chance to work on it. Here are a few things I have done over the past few winters.

• Rocker covers – stove enamelled in pearl red, with the polished TVR logo.
• Polished Plenum Chamber.
  
• Polished Airflow Meter.
  
• Polished Stainless Induction Pipe.
  
• Radical ignition set (the plug leads inserted through polished stainless tubes).
  
• Bought from Radical Ignitions - this is the 1st set for a fuel injected V8. Cost £200.
  
• Stainless braiding throughout.
• Hand Polished X Spoke OZ Wheels.
  

All polishing done by myself or at M&G Metalfinishers at Sowerby Bridge (awesome outfit). It has a full Stainless Steel Exhaust – one-off silencer designed by Act Products & manufactured by JP Exhasts Macclesfield. (cost of silencer £215). I have since had it modified with a side exit pipe. Designed by myself and built by Michael Bloomfield at Shipley. (top man!)  Although this exhaust was suppose to be fairly straight forward. It turned out to be a nightmare as it exits where the fuel pumps & fuel pipes mount, so a large heat shield had to be made. Cost £150 parts, twelve hours labour (ouch) This has given me much better ground clearance as the original seac exhaust runs under the rear diff. As for the noise I do not think I will be doing any track days!!! and yes the neighbours do love me!!. 
                                                                             
I have also fitted Griffith stainless roof struts, a push button start and a roll cage with race harnesses. The roll cage was bought from Tower View Racing (cost £410) It was fitted by me and a friend. Unfortunately we then discovered it had been jigged wrong leaving a mounting bracket about 11/2” off centre. Although this didn’t affect the fitting it just doesn’t look right. So it looks like it is one of this winters projects. The roll cage I think looks stunning and has tightened the handling up, with obvious safety benefits.  Would recommend this mod but make sure the brackets are correctly positioned.
 
I have won a lot of concours with this car  but the real pleasure is driving a car that looks and sounds like nothing else! If anybody wants to discuss anything I have done or just talk about TVRs (especially SEACs) please send me an e-mail.

Regards,

Karl Cordwell