TVR Holden Special... Can you Identify This Lump?

[Wedgeman]

Hi there,

I have managed to rescue the only TVR ever to be Factory Fitted with a Holden V8 Engine.

The car was bought from the Managing Director of TVR before he retired 18 months ago.



It has a twin plenum & fuel injection - and is from 1987/early 88





It is a 1988 prototype concept car, which should really have been chopped up years ago by the TVR Factory, as it was never put into production.

The car was built for, and used by, the then Managing Director of TVR – Peter Wheeler.

The car was obviously very quick - as PW never drove anything slow!

I have been told that it is some type of special Holden racing engine…

The engine carries no stamped engine numbers, but has cast Holden part numbers as below:

Heads: 92060019

Block: Stamped with '5.0'

Crankshaft: 92005960

Crank Stops: Four Hole Type: 92060142

Oil Pump: 2815889

Oil Pump Housing: 7434846

Camshaft: Possibly 7434871 & carries no visible forge marks or numbers

Pistons: 92060078

The lump appears to have standard lifters, and has Crane roller rockers.





The Con Rods look very similar to the VN rods.

So what have I got? It appears to be some kind of Hybrid - but we cannot make it out.



We do know that a Holden Engineer was flown out to the UK to set the car up, and rumour has it that it returned around 300bhp and 300 lb/ft of torque.

We now need to order shells, rings and other parts from Oz, but don't quite know what to get!

Can you possibly help identify this lump for us?

Your help would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks

Howard Bryan

Assistant Editor
TVR Sprint Magazine

[Doctor Bob]

looks like a VL grp a walkinshaw type engine.
Whats the id on the memcal this may help identify it more accurately
the plenum looks taller somehow as the rocker cover is missing the reliefs for the throttlebodys.
the injectors look black, another pointer to it being a VL engine.
do you have a pic of the exhaust ports? if they are rectangle shaped they are std efi heads, the VN grp a heads have roundish ports

Rob

[VLACS]

yeh look s like a vl v8 to me

[VS Omega]

I'd just like to say congratulations to you, you have a very rare car.. I love it!

[vlv8vic]

hell yeah nice work. does indeed look like something of the walkingshaw issue engine. the standard vl v8 was carby fed (and infact the vl v8 was a 4.9 litre), so was anything older. the VN had a similar engine but didnt start til late 88 i think, so looking like the 5.0 walky engine.

[ucwepn]

I thought the walky engine was 4.9 as well to let it compete in the under 5 litre class of group A touring cars (less weight penalty). It could very well be a hybrid or some kind possible a cross between the VL group A SS SV and VN group A SS motors. haha you might need another holden engineer to check it out.
Amazing looking car by the way. Good luck with it all.

[vlv8vic]

might have been... not sure. i know thats the same reason mine is a fraction under 5.

[Wedgeman]

looks like a VL grp a walkinshaw type engine.
Whats the id on the memcal this may help identify it more accurately
the plenum looks taller somehow as the rocker cover is missing the reliefs for the throttlebodys.
the injectors look black, another pointer to it being a VL engine.
do you have a pic of the exhaust ports? if they are rectangle shaped they are std efi heads, the VN grp a heads have roundish ports

Rob

Hi Rob,

The id on the memcal is actually printed on. It states:

SEEQ
DK062019
PGM 21V
8433



The brown carrier that the memcal clips into has got printed on it:

68767 8708



On the outside of the ECM the paper stuck-on label looks like it reads:

RVI 1227808
5.0L MAN PFI
16079 ?? AJID

It also has written on it:
"TVR No.1" in red marker pen



and on the end of the ECM it also states in red marker pen:
"AM320 8-12-87



The exhaust ports are as below:





If anyone can give me any more clues I would be most appreciative.

Cheers

Howard

[Mad Dog]

I believe you are looking at a 5.0L V8 VL Group A SS "Walkinshaw". (PFI) Holden Commodore (12/1987, only 500 built) engine, (or a slightly modified version of it), judging by the dates involved and the ECM information supplied. Here's a link to info on the net about the ECM you supplied at least....

http://www.diy-efi.org/gmecm/ecm_info/1227808/

-Mick

[Wedgeman]

I believe you are looking at a 5.0L V8 VL Group A SS "Walkinshaw". (PFI) Holden Commodore (12/1987, only 500 built) engine, (or a slightly modified version of it), judging by the dates involved and the ECM information supplied. Here's a link to info on the net about the ECM you supplied at least....

http://www.diy-efi.org/gmecm/ecm_info/1227808/

-Mick

Hi Mick,

That looks to be the one - and the date ties in too.

Trouble is, I can't find the part numbers from the car - eg the crank & the pistons etc on any Holden parts list. What rings & shells do I get?

Time for another gin!

Cheers - Howard

[ucwepn]

The engine is a HSV so try going through them. or try contacting a speedshop.

[Mad Dog]

ucwepn is right, try contacting Holden or HSV directly to get the parts info you require. I usually find parts guides from this era were very scant with info pertaining to specially designed "limited edition" engines / parts etc.

Just for those interested in this thread I thought it pertinent to add some general information on the engine we have now identified it comes courtesy of Michael Knowling at autospeed.drive.com.au (full article: http://autospeed.drive.com.au/cms/A_...pularArticle):

"GMH's first injected 4.9 litre V8 was seen in the awesome looking VL Walkinshaw Group A.

Based on the old carbied 308cid V8, this motor was reduced in size slightly to 304cid to allow it to compete under domestic motorsport guidelines, but major performance gains were achieved at the same time. The VL Walky engine used a nodular crankshaft, just over 8.5:1 compression, increased flow, revised cast-iron cylinder heads, roller rockers and a lightened flywheel. The all-new dual staged throttle body injection system did wonders for breathing and a 16k GM-Delco engine management system brought the engine together. The result was 180kW at the engine along with a torque peak of 380Nm at 4000 rpm - enough to accelerate the 4-door sedan down the quarter in the 14s."

-Mick

[fitykemp]

is that the actual picture of your car? when you got it was it shagged? Wat happend to it?

[Doctor Bob]

any engine parts you need are standard holden bits, use VL Walky parts listing, the memcal looks as though it has been tuned to suit the different car, be interesting to see what has been done, the "AM 320" on it is a holden software set number for the base tune used,
looking at it its definitely VL Walky based anyhow
Hope this helps

Rob