enough is enough
Discussion
Thanks for all your replies since I started this topic a few hours ago the idler pulley shaft has moved allowing the pulley to move forward and start to eat its way through the swirl tank as well as chewing up another belt.
wake up and smell the coffee guys there are proper sports cars out there, its just like kicking a habit ( a bad one)but eventually you will get TVR's out your systems, just be honest with yourselves.
My other car by the way is a T5R now there is a performance car had one for 6 years and just bought a new one that car will do 150+ mph and not take off and the build quality fantastic no repairs in 6 years!! just services so sell those TVRs and buy Volvos you know it makes sense. just joking a little frustrated with the bloody beautiful thing, Im as hooked as the next guy here but it helps to let off steam and hear about everybody elses problems.
Simon
wake up and smell the coffee guys there are proper sports cars out there, its just like kicking a habit ( a bad one)but eventually you will get TVR's out your systems, just be honest with yourselves.
My other car by the way is a T5R now there is a performance car had one for 6 years and just bought a new one that car will do 150+ mph and not take off and the build quality fantastic no repairs in 6 years!! just services so sell those TVRs and buy Volvos you know it makes sense. just joking a little frustrated with the bloody beautiful thing, Im as hooked as the next guy here but it helps to let off steam and hear about everybody elses problems.
Simon
Was going to post a similar thread last week concerning costs, but then I rationalised that I had been unlucky.
I love my Griff, and will buy TVR again in the future (when Tuscan S/T350 reach the secondhand market in decent numbers) but I have to sell, because I'm not in a position to keep paying out. I almost relish getting new bits put on the car - 'it's better than before!' I tell myself. A bit deluded I guess. If I could afford to hang on to it, I would, as it is now truly sorted - it will be very hard to let go.
My Story:
May 2002
Purchased
July 2002
Driveshaft unbolted itself from diff. Someplace PH-ers rave about had supposedly serviced it 8 weeks before. And then had the nerve to charge me to repair it! Got some other bits done at the same time (running hot, leaking cabin), which were ineffective. W
r! £250
September 2002
New starter motor £195 Warranty paid most of it.
New battery £75
Electric window v. slow £50
New front tyres £160 fair enough.
October 2002
New alternator £125 Warranty paid for most of it.
Fan belt, A/C auto tensioner, PAS idler £155
March 2003
24k service, new camshaft, new battery, sort minor bits&pieces including driveshaft bolts! I was told it was just a RANDOM BOLT FROM B&Q that had been used to replace the missing bolt last summer, and the others were loose again!!! I hadn't mentioned this previous problem to the people carrying out the service £1507
Recon radiator & new clutch master cylinder £800 75% paid for by warranty
Sort door release problem (opening itself!)£60
June 2003
Oil & Filter change following camshaft replacement plus
unsuccessful attempt to diagnose intermittent alternator warning light £132
July 2003
New Lambda sensors, injector clean, adjust throttle sensor, adjust timing, another oil & filter change due to contamination from fuel, rolling road check for set-up £615
New alternator to be fitted this Friday £125 I'll be buggered if I'm paying a single penny for it! Warranty can sort it out.
£4,250 IN 14 MONTHS!!!! I have just had a bad run of luck, haven't I?
>> Edited by julianhj on Monday 7th July 22:05
I love my Griff, and will buy TVR again in the future (when Tuscan S/T350 reach the secondhand market in decent numbers) but I have to sell, because I'm not in a position to keep paying out. I almost relish getting new bits put on the car - 'it's better than before!' I tell myself. A bit deluded I guess. If I could afford to hang on to it, I would, as it is now truly sorted - it will be very hard to let go.
My Story:
May 2002
Purchased
July 2002
Driveshaft unbolted itself from diff. Someplace PH-ers rave about had supposedly serviced it 8 weeks before. And then had the nerve to charge me to repair it! Got some other bits done at the same time (running hot, leaking cabin), which were ineffective. W
r! £250 September 2002
New starter motor £195 Warranty paid most of it.
New battery £75
Electric window v. slow £50
New front tyres £160 fair enough.
October 2002
New alternator £125 Warranty paid for most of it.
Fan belt, A/C auto tensioner, PAS idler £155
March 2003
24k service, new camshaft, new battery, sort minor bits&pieces including driveshaft bolts! I was told it was just a RANDOM BOLT FROM B&Q that had been used to replace the missing bolt last summer, and the others were loose again!!! I hadn't mentioned this previous problem to the people carrying out the service £1507
Recon radiator & new clutch master cylinder £800 75% paid for by warranty
Sort door release problem (opening itself!)£60
June 2003
Oil & Filter change following camshaft replacement plus
unsuccessful attempt to diagnose intermittent alternator warning light £132
July 2003
New Lambda sensors, injector clean, adjust throttle sensor, adjust timing, another oil & filter change due to contamination from fuel, rolling road check for set-up £615
New alternator to be fitted this Friday £125 I'll be buggered if I'm paying a single penny for it! Warranty can sort it out.
£4,250 IN 14 MONTHS!!!! I have just had a bad run of luck, haven't I?
>> Edited by julianhj on Monday 7th July 22:05
Simon, you had some sympathy from me and doubtless other PHers until I got to the bottom of your posting.
Quite how you managed to get so much to go wrong with your car is a mystery. I've had a Griff 500 for nearly four years and the worst problem it's had has been a flat battery and a leaky radiator. Cost to fix: less than £200. That's my third TVR; the others were no less unreliable.
The amount you spent is staggering - you must have been to a TVR main dealer each time and asked them to charge you as much as possible. Surely some of the problems you cited must have been self-evident when you bought the car?
'I make that a grand total of 5750 pounds absolutly stupid'
Yep!
'they are undoubtably the worst cars on the road for reliability'
In your opinion. Undoubtedly.
'they are the highest cost per mile of any car I have had the misfortune to own.'
In your case, seemingly so.
'I have finally woken up and removed my rose tinted glasses and will now be selling this heap of very fast junk'
Why did you buy a heap of very fast junk? I prefer to buy good ones.
'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.'
Mr Siwes, I resent being described as sadly deluded. I suggest you get a nice Toyota Carisma. Even you should be able to make one of those work. Don't forget an extended warranty.
Quite how you managed to get so much to go wrong with your car is a mystery. I've had a Griff 500 for nearly four years and the worst problem it's had has been a flat battery and a leaky radiator. Cost to fix: less than £200. That's my third TVR; the others were no less unreliable.
The amount you spent is staggering - you must have been to a TVR main dealer each time and asked them to charge you as much as possible. Surely some of the problems you cited must have been self-evident when you bought the car?
'I make that a grand total of 5750 pounds absolutly stupid'
Yep!
'they are undoubtably the worst cars on the road for reliability'
In your opinion. Undoubtedly.
'they are the highest cost per mile of any car I have had the misfortune to own.'
In your case, seemingly so.
'I have finally woken up and removed my rose tinted glasses and will now be selling this heap of very fast junk'
Why did you buy a heap of very fast junk? I prefer to buy good ones.
'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.'
Mr Siwes, I resent being described as sadly deluded. I suggest you get a nice Toyota Carisma. Even you should be able to make one of those work. Don't forget an extended warranty.
Simpo One - hope you're not about to slate me for spending sooo much! 
Knowing nothing of what to look for when buying my first TVR, I went to an independent specialist, trusting that any car sold by a company held in high esteem would be checked carefully and thus help me avoid painful maintainance costs - wrong!
I used PH recommended specialists each time, only using a main dealer for the starter motor and alternators, cos the car had to get towed somewhere, and the warranty was taking care of most of it. The warranty company were complete twts about everything, particularly the camshaft! (which they didn't cough up for).
I posted questions here on each occasion, researched old threads, listened carefully to advice, and still spent twice what I'd planned on over a year.
For all I've spent, it's been worth it! I love the feeling of getting behind the wheel, the rush of adrenaline when overtaking, driving roof down through empty country lanes on Sunday mornings, the whole lot.
I will be buying another TVR, as soon as I have the big wedge of cash I need to get a Tuscan S or T350.
I have never/would never slate the marque on reliability, and always have a big grin when my friends/workmates take the pi$$ as the RAC turn up again...
>> Edited by julianhj on Monday 7th July 21:54
Knowing nothing of what to look for when buying my first TVR, I went to an independent specialist, trusting that any car sold by a company held in high esteem would be checked carefully and thus help me avoid painful maintainance costs - wrong!
I used PH recommended specialists each time, only using a main dealer for the starter motor and alternators, cos the car had to get towed somewhere, and the warranty was taking care of most of it. The warranty company were complete tw
ts about everything, particularly the camshaft! (which they didn't cough up for). I posted questions here on each occasion, researched old threads, listened carefully to advice, and still spent twice what I'd planned on over a year.
For all I've spent, it's been worth it! I love the feeling of getting behind the wheel, the rush of adrenaline when overtaking, driving roof down through empty country lanes on Sunday mornings, the whole lot.
I will be buying another TVR, as soon as I have the big wedge of cash I need to get a Tuscan S or T350.
I have never/would never slate the marque on reliability, and always have a big grin when my friends/workmates take the pi$$ as the RAC turn up again... >> Edited by julianhj on Monday 7th July 21:54
siwes said:
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 assume that if you advertise it through PH, you'll be including a link to this thread?
Good thing I'm already happily 
ensconced with my Griff 500, or I'd be having great fun quoting this to you during negotiations
Maybe the next 'unsuspecting sucker' will go to the trouble of having it properly inspected by a TVR specialist. I did, and walked away from a couple that looked like minters but had hidden faults. You should get a specialist inspection when you buy your Porschiaaaaa as well, I understand that things can go wrong with German cars too.
siwes said:
Thanks for all your replies since I started this topic a few hours ago the idler pulley shaft has moved allowing the pulley to move forward and start to eat its way through the swirl tank as well as chewing up another belt.
Bloody hell thats creepy, i think the car needs to be Exorcised, don't drive it again ! get a dealer to come and collect it
Tim
PORSCHE!!!! Worst car i ever owned!! Fortune to keep on the road. When it breaks(and they do) get ready for a big bill. Trading a griff will buy an early 90's 911 which still would rather stick its arse through a hedge than go forwards or a Baulkster (Golf GTI performance, curling tongues in the accessory list) Oh well at least you can wave to lots of others as they pass you every morning on the way to work. (Can you tell im not a panzerwagon lover?)
I did have the car looked at by both a very well known specialist and the RAC, both agreed with me that the car was excellent and it was in all fairness ---- for all of three weeks then the fun started,
I know performance cars having owned Lotus ( 3 off )
e types and many more this is my first TVR and while I am not pleased with the car at the moment I will not be selling it , I can see that it one day will become a classic, plus my youngest daughter has made me promise that she can have it when she learns to drive. I see no problem with this as it is unlikely that it will be on the road for any great leangth of time.
I will enclose a picture of the beast tomorrow
Simon
I know performance cars having owned Lotus ( 3 off )
e types and many more this is my first TVR and while I am not pleased with the car at the moment I will not be selling it , I can see that it one day will become a classic, plus my youngest daughter has made me promise that she can have it when she learns to drive. I see no problem with this as it is unlikely that it will be on the road for any great leangth of time.
I will enclose a picture of the beast tomorrow
Simon
siwes said:
..........I am not pleased with the car at the moment I will not be selling it , I can see that it one day will become a classic, .............
........I will enclose a picture of the beast tomorrow
Simon
Good to see you've put your glasses back on, rose tinted or not
. Harry
Lets just hope you never put your car up for sale in the PH classifieds, I know I certainly would look at all the threads started by the owner in the past and in your case I wouldn't even go and view the car. I guess by your very public slagging off you've just knocked your residual value even further.
Well, I have had my Griff for 5 years and the total cost of stuff that has gone wrong, as opposed to worn out or been upgraded & improved is about £350.
However, there is a guy at work here with a 911 and it is always bust! Recently he has had clutch, gearbox & engine rebuild. Both the engine & gearbox rebuilds (done separately) failed within days of the work being completed (by a good specialist) and had to be re-done. Now the roof mechanism has failed and the parts are proving impossible to get hold of.
The bottom line... EVERY marque has good examples and bad ones. ALL garages have good and bad days, it seems.
If TOTAL reliability is what you crave, it woulds seem that only toyota have really cracked it, but I don't want an Avensis!
Jon H
However, there is a guy at work here with a 911 and it is always bust! Recently he has had clutch, gearbox & engine rebuild. Both the engine & gearbox rebuilds (done separately) failed within days of the work being completed (by a good specialist) and had to be re-done. Now the roof mechanism has failed and the parts are proving impossible to get hold of.
The bottom line... EVERY marque has good examples and bad ones. ALL garages have good and bad days, it seems.
If TOTAL reliability is what you crave, it woulds seem that only toyota have really cracked it, but I don't want an Avensis!
Jon H
JonRB said:
Maybe you would be better off with a Porschaaa Boxtaaa (altogether now).
They are utterly wonderful cars - a blend of day to day practicality, excellent reliability, sophistication, and a track day tool.
Jack of all trades and even the master of some.
Doesn't acclerate like a TVR - never will whilst the 996 is on the market - but raw power isn't everything (although its nice!).
As a TVR/Boxster S owner can I just say that although the reliability of Porsche can sometimes be overstated (I had trouble once) if you want a car that is absolutely no shit and still goes like hell then you could do a lot worse.
Tivs have their very own strong points too - otherwise we wouldn't still have one - but if you're fed up with trouble then (unless you are mind-bogglingly unlucky) the fettling a Porsche requires will be a pleasant change.
That said. Exotic Porsches have exotic problems. Exotic the Box and BoxS ain't. Which is why they're a damn fine buy IMHO.
If the Boxster is a jack of all trades and a master of some - what are they exactly?
They are very nice for sure and very capable to a point. This makes them perfect for those people who never want to go past that "point". For my money they are cliche'd and boring in the extreme. They have no soul and can never excite the way a TVR can.
Get a good TVR and its "good", just as "good" as any "good" Porsche or VW or whatever, with the bonus of being considerably faster, better looking, exciting, better sounding and generally just alive!
Bottom line - if you want reliability above all else get a Toyota. If you want extreme enjoyment out of a car, choose it carefully and treat it carefully (as I did with my 500 for 3 years with only routine maintenance costs).
Rant over
They are very nice for sure and very capable to a point. This makes them perfect for those people who never want to go past that "point". For my money they are cliche'd and boring in the extreme. They have no soul and can never excite the way a TVR can.
Get a good TVR and its "good", just as "good" as any "good" Porsche or VW or whatever, with the bonus of being considerably faster, better looking, exciting, better sounding and generally just alive!
Bottom line - if you want reliability above all else get a Toyota. If you want extreme enjoyment out of a car, choose it carefully and treat it carefully (as I did with my 500 for 3 years with only routine maintenance costs).
Rant over
Just thought I would send in my 2 penneth's worth
Current cars:
98 Griff 500
94 Volvo T5
Griff has actually been the cheapest to run per mile than the T5 over the last year with equal mileages and you can actually here the engine in the griff..
Also have to say that the T5 handles like a pig on a shopping trolley compared to the Griff despite what they all say.
Current cars:
98 Griff 500
94 Volvo T5
Griff has actually been the cheapest to run per mile than the T5 over the last year with equal mileages and you can actually here the engine in the griff..
Also have to say that the T5 handles like a pig on a shopping trolley compared to the Griff despite what they all say.
[quote=No 1]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!
For the record I've been driving my ferrari virtually every day, rain, sun, snow.. for the last 2 years, it's (touch wood!!!) never ever failed to start or broken down and has cost me significantly less than mine or around 5 of my mates TVR's in servicing, tyres etc.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not TVR bashing here, I'm one of their biggest fans & love the cars to death(and frequently defend them to all and sundry!) but lets not be under any illusions about reliablity issues.
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!
For the record I've been driving my ferrari virtually every day, rain, sun, snow.. for the last 2 years, it's (touch wood!!!) never ever failed to start or broken down and has cost me significantly less than mine or around 5 of my mates TVR's in servicing, tyres etc.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not TVR bashing here, I'm one of their biggest fans & love the cars to death(and frequently defend them to all and sundry!) but lets not be under any illusions about reliablity issues.
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