Speed Six Engine Re-builds
Discussion
We have been thinking about buying a new factory order Tamora, but on a recent visit to Peninsula we tried out a Tuscan and are tempted by an 02 plate with 3.5K miles on the clock.
One concern I have is that I understand (although I may be misinformed) that a number of pre 03 speed six engines have needed rebuilds.
Is this true and if so what sort of money are we talking for a rebuild?
One concern I have is that I understand (although I may be misinformed) that a number of pre 03 speed six engines have needed rebuilds.
Is this true and if so what sort of money are we talking for a rebuild?
Most rebuilds have been done under warranty. There seem to be very few now - it was an issue with a certain batch of cars, due to faulty finger followers, and this seems to have been rectified. I cannot remember the last time anyone mentioned their car going in for a rebuild.
Any recent car, certainly anything less than a year old, should be free from potential disaster.
The engines have a two year warranty anyway, so don't worry, put some miles on the car and see what happens - most go within the first few thousand miles...
(But get the Tamora - much beter drive, and "summer is y-comen" in
)
>> Edited by nubbin on Saturday 14th February 11:34
Any recent car, certainly anything less than a year old, should be free from potential disaster.
The engines have a two year warranty anyway, so don't worry, put some miles on the car and see what happens - most go within the first few thousand miles...
(But get the Tamora - much beter drive, and "summer is y-comen" in
) >> Edited by nubbin on Saturday 14th February 11:34
jigs said:
See a fellow GP about that amnesia or is it selective memory loss syndrome, Nubbin?
Jigs - do us all a favour, andf if you have nothing intersesting/relevant/useful to say then shut the
up, your joke may have been amusing to some people in about 1832, but now it is waring thin, if you can't think of a new joke why not go to a new forum and continue with the same old lines - maybe someone there will find you funny for a while In answer to the question below, yes there were issues with Speed Six engines a few years back, but they are covered under warranty by TVR, and the number of rebuilds has now dropped off to very minor levels (i.e. they have fixed the cause of the rebuilds) and so your chances of requiring a rebuild are a lot lot lower than they would have been in say 2001
Unlike Jigs I am speeking from experience and as an owner of a Speed Six TVR, not from some strange desire to slag them off (I think he wants to buy a Tuscan but doesn't have the cash and so is trying to talk the price down)
Graham
Take off your blinkers - there have been numerous threads lately referring to broken engines - denying it won't make them go away.
I have a stable of desirable cars all bought and paid for - I have the funds to buy another and I have been debating whether to buy a Tuscan or a Porsche 993 next - currently the 993 is well in the lead!
Some Tuscans I believe are on their sixth engine - that must be why they call it the Speed Six - 0 to sixth engine in 20K mls. Nuff said!
>> Edited by jigs on Saturday 14th February 17:12
>> Edited by jigs on Saturday 14th February 17:16
>> Edited by jigs on Saturday 14th February 18:27
I have a stable of desirable cars all bought and paid for - I have the funds to buy another and I have been debating whether to buy a Tuscan or a Porsche 993 next - currently the 993 is well in the lead!
Some Tuscans I believe are on their sixth engine - that must be why they call it the Speed Six - 0 to sixth engine in 20K mls. Nuff said!
>> Edited by jigs on Saturday 14th February 17:12
>> Edited by jigs on Saturday 14th February 17:16
>> Edited by jigs on Saturday 14th February 18:27
Dunno - I'm as surprised as you are!
I just find it hilarious that someone who suffered six engine rebuilds is giving reassurances on engine reliability to prospective buyers.
You sure you're not Irish, Graham66 - you either should be a saint, sectioned or add another 6 to your name IMO.
>> Edited by jigs on Saturday 14th February 18:26
>> Edited by jigs on Saturday 14th February 18:26
I just find it hilarious that someone who suffered six engine rebuilds is giving reassurances on engine reliability to prospective buyers.
You sure you're not Irish, Graham66 - you either should be a saint, sectioned or add another 6 to your name IMO.
>> Edited by jigs on Saturday 14th February 18:26
>> Edited by jigs on Saturday 14th February 18:26
Oh dear oh dear - yet again someone who doesnt speak from experience clouding the waters. As mentioned the SP6 engine seems to have a reputation of going pop. Some of it WAS true, but the recent generation of engines (say for the last year and a half, if not more) have been fine. The problem was diagnosed and corrected - the factory then even offered a warranty on the engines, which I think is 12 months.... kinda puts things into perspective.
Yes, some owners have been unlucky. But there are a lot of others here on PH who can attest that the SP6 engine is fine.
As mentioned above about the 993.... I know a Ferrari 348 owner who is on his second engine, a Fiat Coupe owner who is on his third, a Ford Fiesta owner who has had her engine rebuilt TWICE and a 911 owner who has an engine which regularily goes pop and which leaks badly..... its all in the repuation and it is not helped by these comments.
Personally, sounds like a good deal on the Tuscan though.
Yes, some owners have been unlucky. But there are a lot of others here on PH who can attest that the SP6 engine is fine.
As mentioned above about the 993.... I know a Ferrari 348 owner who is on his second engine, a Fiat Coupe owner who is on his third, a Ford Fiesta owner who has had her engine rebuilt TWICE and a 911 owner who has an engine which regularily goes pop and which leaks badly..... its all in the repuation and it is not helped by these comments.
Personally, sounds like a good deal on the Tuscan though.
Agreed.
And do all A class Mercs roll over when then they go around corners? Do Audi TTs take off when going above 30 mph? The S6 has come in for far too much flak and is now going on to develop 500 bhp in the new supercharged models. If it was as crap as some people say (you know who you are!) then I doubt that TVR would stick a charger on it.
And do all A class Mercs roll over when then they go around corners? Do Audi TTs take off when going above 30 mph? The S6 has come in for far too much flak and is now going on to develop 500 bhp in the new supercharged models. If it was as crap as some people say (you know who you are!) then I doubt that TVR would stick a charger on it.
From what's been written on here in the past an engine rebuild will set you back up to £6.5K.
If it's covered you may still get lumbered with the dealer's costs for removing and refitting the engine, as well as having to do without it for weeks.
The service history of the rebuild may also put potential future purchasers off.
Golden Rule - whenever you're buying something always consider how easy it'll be to sell in the future.
I offer you this advice in good faith and in the spirit of helpfulness. Good Luck.
If it's covered you may still get lumbered with the dealer's costs for removing and refitting the engine, as well as having to do without it for weeks.
The service history of the rebuild may also put potential future purchasers off.
Golden Rule - whenever you're buying something always consider how easy it'll be to sell in the future.
I offer you this advice in good faith and in the spirit of helpfulness. Good Luck.
I was chatting to one of the guys at Dream Machines in Heathfield the other day about the supposed bad reputation of speed 6 engines, and he reckoned the problem was more with the owners than the engines.
He was saying that the s6 lumps are basically a (slightly) detuned race engine, and when people thrash them from cold they don't last 5 minutes, but if you give them a chance and let them warm up gently before giving them stick, they're as durable as anything else out there.
He was saying that the s6 lumps are basically a (slightly) detuned race engine, and when people thrash them from cold they don't last 5 minutes, but if you give them a chance and let them warm up gently before giving them stick, they're as durable as anything else out there.
400sedave said:
.... and he reckoned the problem was more with the owners than the engines....
They all say that, (Sir) !!!
Although I am sure there is a grain of truth in that, all the dealers will come out with that line.
But you are correct to say that the SP6 is a race engine and the cylinders are technically undersized so that they expand to be the correct size when the engine is warmed up - hence there is a critical importance on running in and warming up procedures.
It was the finger followers.....
I heard that the factory were getting them supplied from more than one supplier all at the same time. Instead of keeping the batches apart, they mixed them all up and used them in the early engines. When they went bang, they couldn't identify who's FFs were to blame...so they kept putting them in. Result? more banged engines. For some strange reason, the factory kept putting in the mixed batches until they finally ran out of FFs. They probably thought it wouldn't effect their reputation.
Then some bright spark decided to check out the tolerances of each new batch. And guess what? They sussed out who the offending supplier was. Hence the alleged method of TVR production quality control.
Well....they are from up North you know
I heard that the factory were getting them supplied from more than one supplier all at the same time. Instead of keeping the batches apart, they mixed them all up and used them in the early engines. When they went bang, they couldn't identify who's FFs were to blame...so they kept putting them in. Result? more banged engines. For some strange reason, the factory kept putting in the mixed batches until they finally ran out of FFs. They probably thought it wouldn't effect their reputation.
Then some bright spark decided to check out the tolerances of each new batch. And guess what? They sussed out who the offending supplier was. Hence the alleged method of TVR production quality control.
Well....they are from up North you know
graham66 said:
In answer to the question below, yes there were issues with Speed Six engines a few years back, but they are covered under warranty by TVR, and the number of rebuilds has now dropped off to very minor levels (i.e. they have fixed the cause of the rebuilds) and so your chances of requiring a rebuild are a lot lot lower than they would have been in say 2001
Graham
this does appear to be true these days ..
it's certainly true to say that if you're thinking of buying a SP6 there's never been a better time .. residuals are down becasue of the perceived unreliability, but the irony is that reliablility is actually at an all-time high for this engine ..
tamoras do appear to be unusually good value right now .. just in time for getting the roof off for spring? ..
Best advice is probably to just buy one and see what happens, minimise any possible problems by treating it gently from cold start and carry a small piece of wood around to touch every now and then, although looks like you'll not need it often ..
the other ting is that if it's a toss up of tvr or porsche I'd take the tvr any day ..
nubbin said:
Most rebuilds have been done under warranty. There seem to be very few now - it was an issue with a certain batch of cars, due to faulty finger followers, and this seems to have been rectified. I cannot remember the last time anyone mentioned their car going in for a rebuild.
Any recent car, certainly anything less than a year old, should be free from potential disaster. The engines have a two year warranty anyway, so don't worry, put some miles on the car and see what happens - most go within the first few thousand miles...
(But get the Tamora - much beter drive, and "summer is y-comen" in
>> Edited by nubbin on Saturday 14th February 11:34
Edited to say what I actually posted.....
>> Edited by nubbin on Thursday 19th February 17:29
Could I just add to the original question by asking what a 'rebuild' actually entails? I don't mean all the tiny details, but what exactly is replaced? Do you get to pay up to 7k (if engine past warranty date) for just putting in new finger followers (whatever they are)? Seems unlikely to me. Perhaps when an engine goes 'pop' it's totally knackered and has to be completely renewed? Also, sorry if I should have checked past threads before asking this!
I'm asking this as my missus wants me to think about a Tusk rather than any other TVR. She much prefers their styling. I'm not going to argue!
I'm asking this as my missus wants me to think about a Tusk rather than any other TVR. She much prefers their styling. I'm not going to argue!
My Tuscan is currently on its holidays...... in sunny Blackpool! It hasn't sent me a postcard yet and it has been gone some time :-( Something to do with valve guides wearing out anyone heard of this one? Oh well they do say absence makes the heart grow fonder and I am looking forward to getting it back hopefully in time for the summer ;-)
Garthy said:
My Tuscan is currently on its holidays...... in sunny Blackpool! It hasn't sent me a postcard yet and it has been gone some time :-( Something to do with valve guides wearing out anyone heard of this one? Oh well they do say absence makes the heart grow fonder and I am looking forward to getting it back hopefully in time for the summer ;-)
Its that "bad batch" thats been around for a few years now!!!
>> Edited by venom500 on Sunday 15th February 19:02
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