Owning a TVR 420 SEAC

TVR specialist Paul Jackson runs Amoré Autos and has owned several 420 SEACS. ‘Originality is important with SEACS because of their variable specification. Only the earliest cars had the full complement of Kevlar in the bodywork and race-derived rose-jointed suspension, making them 200kg lighter and better-handling than identically badged later cars. ‘Kevlar is a temperamental material to work with, and repairing a small crack involves blending in a glassfibre mix, which makes it heavier. The materials are 50 per cent more expensive than regular glassfibre, and require more time and expertise to fix.

‘The 4.2-litre engine is a North Coventry Kawasaki-tuned Rover V8. Make sure it has an ‘NCK’ stamp on the bottom of the block. It has a wider bore than a standard Rover 3.5, but the commonality of parts elsewhere means it’s no more expensive to rebuild – and most will have been by now.’