enough is enough
Discussion
well here it is , I have owned a griff 500 for 2 years now a green 500 full leather and one of the if not the most beautiful cars on the road BUT:
since I bought it with a full service history by the way with a genuine 23000 miles the following has gone wrong with it.
new wood dash total job 500 pounds
new clutch and first service 1300 pounds
hood recovered 200 pounds
tear repaired in fold of hood 100 pounds
front end respray including doors 1300 pounds
new rockers and head overhaul and gasket renewal 2000pounds
belt tensioner and loads of belts 150 pounds another service 800pounds
missing for a year finding that fault and rectifying ( by Blackpool) 500 pounds
starter motor problems 300 pounds
new discs and brake pads ( warped) 400 pounds
I won't add up the oil and tyres , but I make that a grand total of 5750 pounds absolutly stupid and I am being conservative, they are undoubtably the worst cars on the road for reliability they are the highest cost per mile of any car I have had the misfortune to own.
I have finally woken up and removed my rose tinted glasses and will now be selling this heap of very fast junk to some other poor unsuspecting sucker who will also have rose tinted specs on and will fall instantly in love with this monster when he first sees it.
I have owned lots of performance cars over the many years of motoring and I can truely say this will be the first one I will not be sorry to see go , so wake up all you sadly deluded people there are performance cars out there that are built properly and that you can take out and expect to return home under your own power.
Well I feel better for that , anyone know where the nearest Porsche garage is.
Simon
since I bought it with a full service history by the way with a genuine 23000 miles the following has gone wrong with it.
new wood dash total job 500 pounds
new clutch and first service 1300 pounds
hood recovered 200 pounds
tear repaired in fold of hood 100 pounds
front end respray including doors 1300 pounds
new rockers and head overhaul and gasket renewal 2000pounds
belt tensioner and loads of belts 150 pounds another service 800pounds
missing for a year finding that fault and rectifying ( by Blackpool) 500 pounds
starter motor problems 300 pounds
new discs and brake pads ( warped) 400 pounds
I won't add up the oil and tyres , but I make that a grand total of 5750 pounds absolutly stupid and I am being conservative, they are undoubtably the worst cars on the road for reliability they are the highest cost per mile of any car I have had the misfortune to own.
I have finally woken up and removed my rose tinted glasses and will now be selling this heap of very fast junk to some other poor unsuspecting sucker who will also have rose tinted specs on and will fall instantly in love with this monster when he first sees it.
I have owned lots of performance cars over the many years of motoring and I can truely say this will be the first one I will not be sorry to see go , so wake up all you sadly deluded people there are performance cars out there that are built properly and that you can take out and expect to return home under your own power.
Well I feel better for that , anyone know where the nearest Porsche garage is.
Simon
Sorry to hear you've had such trouble - the list of things on our Chimaera is pretty long too. But we love it and we are keeping it nonetheless. I reckon about 2K a year keeps a Tiv happy...sorry to say it seems you've done nearly 3K 
.
Best of luck with your next car whatever you choose.
And maybe, just maybe you'll return to the TVR fold in the future...
. Best of luck with your next car whatever you choose.
And maybe, just maybe you'll return to the TVR fold in the future...
siwes said:That's an understatement. Well, by comparison the only problems I've had with my Chimaera 500 in 2 years and 12,000 miles is a new radiator under warranty and an exhaust manifold gaskett going. Servicing costs have been reasonable too, as have tyres.
In that long tirade
Maybe you would be better off with a Porschaaa Boxtaaa (altogether now).
I had a 1995 Griff 500 which I absolutely loved, when I sold it it was 6 years old, I added the service and repair history up and it came to approximately (from memory) £24,000, pretty steep I think you'd agree. Makes my Ferrari seem cheap by comparison!
Still miss it sometimes though.
>> Edited by craigw on Monday 7th July 17:36
Still miss it sometimes though.
>> Edited by craigw on Monday 7th July 17:36
Ha, well my Griff has cost me nearly £7K so far this year alone (some of it didn't 100% need doing but most of it did) but I'm still not going to sell it - apart from the fact I can't afford to now.
You obviously bought yours for the wrong reason believing you would get Japanese reliability out of it.
(see smiley - means joke, please don't take offence).
Sorry to hear your troubles. Especially the long waits while it was in Blackpool. To be honest I don't think I would ever let mien go back to the factory unless there as no other choice. Their reputation for speed is not what you would hope for.
You obviously bought yours for the wrong reason believing you would get Japanese reliability out of it.
(see smiley - means joke, please don't take offence). Sorry to hear your troubles. Especially the long waits while it was in Blackpool. To be honest I don't think I would ever let mien go back to the factory unless there as no other choice. Their reputation for speed is not what you would hope for.
One man's meat an' all that...
I see that, with a couple of big recent fixes, I've spent over £5k on service/repairs according to the detail on my profile
It's still not as much as the estimate for petrol
though!
And let's see
If I was still on a bike and had covered that mileage I would have changed £250-worth of tyres about seven times in that time!!!!
Still
my TVR!
I see that, with a couple of big recent fixes, I've spent over £5k on service/repairs according to the detail on my profile
It's still not as much as the estimate for petrol
though! And let's see
If I was still on a bike and had covered that mileage I would have changed £250-worth of tyres about seven times in that time!!!! Still
my TVR!I'm still (relatively) new to TVR ownership, and was expecting to have some nightmares. I've had my 500 LE (40/100) for about 11 months and 14,000 miles and in the time it's spat off the main belt - £18.00 from TVR dealer, and boiled on the motorway for no apparent reason, other than it was sulking because we went to Donny Park and I didn't take it on the track. I never did find out what caused that, but it seems to have fixed itself. That's it, no other problems - except the glovebox falling open which was fixed with a matchstick in a minute or so.
I can only echo the others sympathies, and I feel it's a shame that you have fallen out with TVR. But, there is no way there is any other car on the planet that could allow me to do 15,000 miles in twelve months and give me the performance, pleasure and buzz that the Griff does for approx £4,000.00 all in, insurance, tyres, service, fuel the lot. I'd like to see you even try that kind of mileage in your Ferrari, in it's lifetime, never mind a year!
As the others have said, I wish you well with whatever you replace it with, but I have a sneaky suspicion you'll be back...
I can only echo the others sympathies, and I feel it's a shame that you have fallen out with TVR. But, there is no way there is any other car on the planet that could allow me to do 15,000 miles in twelve months and give me the performance, pleasure and buzz that the Griff does for approx £4,000.00 all in, insurance, tyres, service, fuel the lot. I'd like to see you even try that kind of mileage in your Ferrari, in it's lifetime, never mind a year!
As the others have said, I wish you well with whatever you replace it with, but I have a sneaky suspicion you'll be back...
siwes said:Does that include me? No - I'm not deluded, in fact I've had mine over 4 years now and nothing has gone wrong, mind you I've spent a bob or two on it, but that was on upgrades
... so wake up all you sadly deluded people there are performance cars out there that are built properly and that you can take out and expect to return home under your own power...
You obvously bought a duff car, like how come you didn't spot it needed a new roof when you bought it Have fun in your reliable Porker, I'll give you a wave from my reliable TVR nect time I pass! Rich... siwes said:
so wake up all you sadly deluded people there are performance cars out there that are built properly and that you can take out and expect to return home under your own power.
Simon
Sorry to hear off you having a few problems If not paying a little on the steep side for some things IMHO.
But must say i resent that comment quoted and unless of course i have taken it the wrong way.
Go get yourself a Porker and hope you dont have any probs with that.
BB
Sorry to hear of this ... My story ..
Griff 500se (5/100)
17,000 miles in 9 months (yes - you read that right) and so far I have had ....
1 x Replace PAS Rack - Warranty
1 x Replace Radiator - Warranty
1 x Replace Heater control box - Warranty
1 x Replace High Pressure PAS hose - not under warranty
2 x 6,000 services
1 x 12,000 service
1 x pair of front tyres
2 x pair of rear tyres
Plus I change the oil every 3000 instead of every 6,000, some minor upgrades and the front of a black Griffith after 17,000 iles does look somewhat 'peppered'
'Sadly Deluded' !!!!!!!
The car has never left me stranded, I have total faith in it. I know many people with cars who have spent far more money maintaining theirs (incl. Porsches).
I have to agree with others on here that it is 'what lights your fire' at the end of the day, but I do not see me 'Touring' in a Caterham/Elise and I do not find that Porsches put a smile on my face. The roof doesn't come off a Noble, Ferrari and ridiculously expensive and fragile, I don't fit into them anyway, Aston's are out of reach ......
I have used a TVR as my everyday car for 3.5yrs ... I have now done 70,000+ miles in them in that time and still trust them to get me home !
Each to their own ... How often did you use your car ?
Griff 500se (5/100)
17,000 miles in 9 months (yes - you read that right) and so far I have had ....
1 x Replace PAS Rack - Warranty
1 x Replace Radiator - Warranty
1 x Replace Heater control box - Warranty
1 x Replace High Pressure PAS hose - not under warranty
2 x 6,000 services
1 x 12,000 service
1 x pair of front tyres
2 x pair of rear tyres
Plus I change the oil every 3000 instead of every 6,000, some minor upgrades and the front of a black Griffith after 17,000 iles does look somewhat 'peppered'
'Sadly Deluded' !!!!!!!
The car has never left me stranded, I have total faith in it. I know many people with cars who have spent far more money maintaining theirs (incl. Porsches).
I have to agree with others on here that it is 'what lights your fire' at the end of the day, but I do not see me 'Touring' in a Caterham/Elise and I do not find that Porsches put a smile on my face. The roof doesn't come off a Noble, Ferrari and ridiculously expensive and fragile, I don't fit into them anyway, Aston's are out of reach ......
I have used a TVR as my everyday car for 3.5yrs ... I have now done 70,000+ miles in them in that time and still trust them to get me home !
Each to their own ... How often did you use your car ?
2 sheds said:
Sad factor when owning a low volume hand built car, whilst the majority are reliable, there will always be the "friday afternoon" cars, whilst i have simpathy with anybody having continuous problems, it shouldn't deter others from enjoying these beasts.
Tim
Well said Tim .... In support of this will you donate me a triple throttle body
this is TVR weather! 
siwes said:
new wood dash total job 500 pounds
hood recovered 200 pounds
tear repaired in fold of hood 100 pounds
front end respray including doors 1300 pounds
Er, what does all that have to do with reliability? The cylinder head problem was unfortunate, I give you that, but I don't think a ragtop Porker bought in the same kind of shape would spare you above expenses (apart from that most of 'em do not have wood dashes - real Korean-grade plastic on Boxstaaahs
Must say though that servicing rates of TVR dealers in
the UK seem very high compared to what the importer/dealer in the Netherlands quotes. They reckon a major service is mostly between 400 and 700 euro, excluding tyres etc. of course! According to them, servicing on an RV8 Tiv, provided you bought a good 'un, should be 'several times' lower than on a Porsche because of their relative simplicity and being more or less parts-bin specials out of major manufacturer's products (Rover or Borg-Warner 'box, Sierra rear axles and brakes, etc.)...
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