TVR Dreadnought any good?

[brakedust300]

Looking for a TVR specialist i can trust my new baby with, anyone had any experience with these guys?

[SHMUSTANG]

i know claire brian and paul of dreadnought we take both our tvrs to them i wouldnt go anywhere else.i bought my mustang from them as well.they are great folk always willing to help and have vast amount of knowledge.
you wont meet nicer people.
regards mike

[tuscan_thunder]

basically, yes, they are very good

[Sparky69]

Had a bad experiance. Everybody can have an off day just not with my car! I do my own mech work now.

[brakedust300]

Cheers for that, think i will pay them a visit, i think my gearbox may need a rebuild as i keep "poping" out of 2nd and its becoming anoying! and its under warranty so may as well get it done while i can!

[BIIOAB]

I've no reason to doubt they are very good and have a great workshop but I got a quote for a basic service which was TWICE the price I got from a very good TVR Indie in Blackpool - got mine picked up, serviced properly by ex TVR technicians, waxoiled, mot'd + some other repairs all for the D/N service price!
OK I had to get a train down to pick it up, but it was a great drive home with the Griff running beautifully - and they even chucked in a complimentary t-shirt!
Come on Dreadnought, I dont really want to go South to service my car, but its a no-brainer to me at the moment...

[hollowpockets]

BIIOAB said:

I've no reason to doubt they are very good and have a great workshop but I got a quote for a basic service which was TWICE the price I got from a very good TVR Indie in Blackpool - got mine picked up, serviced properly by ex TVR technicians, waxoiled, mot'd + some other repairs all for the D/N service price!
OK I had to get a train down to pick it up, but it was a great drive home with the Griff running beautifully - and they even chucked in a complimentary t-shirt!
Come on Dreadnought, I dont really want to go South to service my car, but its a no-brainer to me at the moment...

i agree, im from aberdeen and my car went to blackpool also, i can also say i know half a dozen people from aberdeen who do the same, with all these ex-factory independants popping up with good quotes for services etc its hard not to pay half, i'd like to use Dreadnought but it no more difficult or expensive to have the rac take my car south.

[Peasantplucker]

Yep, i've used Dreadnought in the past, nothing against their workmanship, but their costs are just too high. I combined a trip down south during the summer and saved £600.

[Stang]

I use them and certainly have no complaint's. Even when I had a few problems with getting a wing mirror and when I had a blowout they were on hand to offer help if I was stuck. I don't find them expensive at all.

[northo]

Peasantplucker said:

Yep, i've used Dreadnought in the past, nothing against their workmanship, but their costs are just too high. I combined a trip down south during the summer and saved £600.

They aren't charging enough per hour for there to be this great a difference, surely?

[northo]

BIIOAB said:

I've no reason to doubt they are very good and have a great workshop but I got a quote for a basic service which was TWICE the price I got from a very good TVR Indie in Blackpool - got mine picked up, serviced properly by ex TVR technicians, waxoiled, mot'd + some other repairs all for the D/N service price!
OK I had to get a train down to pick it up, but it was a great drive home with the Griff running beautifully - and they even chucked in a complimentary t-shirt!
Come on Dreadnought, I dont really want to go South to service my car, but its a no-brainer to me at the moment...

How did they pick the car up?

[hollowpockets]

northo said:

BIIOAB said:

I've no reason to doubt they are very good and have a great workshop but I got a quote for a basic service which was TWICE the price I got from a very good TVR Indie in Blackpool - got mine picked up, serviced properly by ex TVR technicians, waxoiled, mot'd + some other repairs all for the D/N service price!
OK I had to get a train down to pick it up, but it was a great drive home with the Griff running beautifully - and they even chucked in a complimentary t-shirt!
Come on Dreadnought, I dont really want to go South to service my car, but its a no-brainer to me at the moment...

How did they pick the car up?

erm... a transporter?

[northo]

hollowpockets said:

northo said:

BIIOAB said:

I've no reason to doubt they are very good and have a great workshop but I got a quote for a basic service which was TWICE the price I got from a very good TVR Indie in Blackpool - got mine picked up, serviced properly by ex TVR technicians, waxoiled, mot'd + some other repairs all for the D/N service price!
OK I had to get a train down to pick it up, but it was a great drive home with the Griff running beautifully - and they even chucked in a complimentary t-shirt!
Come on Dreadnought, I dont really want to go South to service my car, but its a no-brainer to me at the moment...

How did they pick the car up?

erm... a transporter?

Perhaps they drove it......?

[hollowpockets]

northo said:

hollowpockets said:

northo said:

BIIOAB said:

I've no reason to doubt they are very good and have a great workshop but I got a quote for a basic service which was TWICE the price I got from a very good TVR Indie in Blackpool - got mine picked up, serviced properly by ex TVR technicians, waxoiled, mot'd + some other repairs all for the D/N service price!
OK I had to get a train down to pick it up, but it was a great drive home with the Griff running beautifully - and they even chucked in a complimentary t-shirt!
Come on Dreadnought, I dont really want to go South to service my car, but its a no-brainer to me at the moment...

How did they pick the car up?

erm... a transporter?

Perhaps they drove it......?

Possible but unlikely that a good dealer/service centre would expect owners to agree, If i am refering to the same place as BIIOAB then yes they do have a transporter.

[northo]

It just sounds like a false economy to me. What do Dreadnought charge? £60 odd quid per hour ? - so where does the saving come from? Not to mention the fact that the cost of fuel alone to get a transporter to Aberdeen and back would be £150.

[hollowpockets]

cant remember exact costs for servicing and its not detailed on the website however i was charged £105 to replace a fuse which in fact cost £1.50

a fuseable link between the battery and the alternator, i'd have done it myself in 15 minutes if i had the link.

[BIIOAB]

Yes they picked it up expertly on their TVR friendly transporter.
No way is it false economy - I never grudged a penny after all the stuff I had done and the sevice provided by them.
Don't think I would have felt the same about a bill for the same work from D/N - no matter how good they are...

[northo]

BIIOAB said:

Yes they picked it up expertly on their TVR friendly transporter.
No way is it false economy - I never grudged a penny after all the stuff I had done and the sevice provided by them.
Don't think I would have felt the same about a bill for the same work from D/N - no matter how good they are...

What I am trying to say here is that Dreadnought's rates aren't high enough for there to be a giant saving on a service.

For example:

10 hour service at £120 per hour = £1200 + parts
10 hour service at £60 per hour = £600 + parts.

Therefore big saving


10 hour service at £60 per hour = £600 + parts
10 hour service at £30 per hour = £300 + parts.

Therefore £300 saving.

Lets assume the second scenario is approaching the Dreadnought/ Blackpool specialist situation.

Add the cost of the transport ( minimum of £300 in costs), and your return journey ( factor out enjoyment value ) and there is not a great deal of difference.

So either the guys in Blackpool are making no money, or something is amiss with your quote from Dreadnought.

Obviously there are lots of variables, and I might be miles off the mark, but given the service and costs we have had from Dreadnought, going to Blackpool doesn't seem to make sense - to me at any rate.

I know a TVR owner in Aberdeen takes his cars to Hexham, but I can't see the logic in that either - no doubt he will appear to put me right! Just the time spent delivering the car/ picking it up would put me off!

Don't get me wrong, I am sure you got a great price and a great service, but in real terms there can't be such a huge price difference. Put it this way - if someone said to me I could save lets say £500 by driving my car to London for a service, I would still have to think about whether it was worth it, and I am by no means minted. the first think that would enter my mind would be - "Lets try and negotiate a deal with the local guy...."

[hollowpockets]

It would seem there are two types of servicing costs for tvr, main dealer which can be £1000-£1200 for a 12k service or the independants/specialists who can offer the same for £600, in my experience rather than charge by the hour it seems to be a fixed cost and it takes however long it takes, unless theres big problems or extra parts needed of course.

In general a used tvr does not seem affected by service history, be it from a main dealer or independant. People sometimes go for convenience, some people prefer to pay less for an equally good service elsewhere and some have a particular garage they trust regardless of cost or location.

[Sparky69]

£1200 for 12000M service by indy in Scotland (dreadnaught haven't been a main dealer for sometime correct me if I'm wrong) £600 for 12000M service by indy in England! I just think its unfair that the only well knowen garage that can service a TVR in Scotland charges twice as much as most garages down south. And is obviously lossing trade from it which is sad!