TVR Dreadnought any good?

[northo]

Sparky69 said:

£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!

Dreadnaught are an official TVR service centre and have been for 24 years - you stand corrected.

Do they charge twice as much as most garages down south?

We have just had the Tuscan back from a 12k service (yesterday as it happens!) - cost £857 including VAT.

I think it is unfair that people come on to the forum and make crass statements that are not necessarily based on fact.

I seem to recall the last time someone was on the forum complaining about their service prices Brian Luti actually contacted the guy to find out waht the problem was, and the complainant had never even had their car at Dreadnaught.

As a customer, I can say from experience that they offer a great service and at £55 per hour are as cheap as can be expected for a specialist.


Ed

[Stang]

Just out of curiosity. I wonder where the OP is putting his car. I noticed after this post was made he was looking for garage's in Dundee.

[northo]

Stang said:

Just out of curiosity. I wonder where the OP is putting his car. I noticed after this post was made he was looking for garage's in Dundee.

Is that Dundee near Blackpool?

[brakedust300]

The garage in Dundee was just for odds and sods if anything minor goes wrong, but i will need a specialist to service it at the 6 and 12 thousand mile point, my parents live in Peterborough so if i can find a cheaper specialist down south ill go with that as by the sounds of it it will pay from my fuel to get home!

[hollowpockets]

northo said:

Stang said:

Just out of curiosity. I wonder where the OP is putting his car. I noticed after this post was made he was looking for garage's in Dundee.

Is that Dundee near Blackpool?

Do you work for Dreadnought? theres nothing wrong with having the choice.

For the same 12k service i payed £200 less than Dreadnought charged you. minus the £50 of fuel i had to use to cover the extra mileage home, i had my breakdown cover company pick the car up and take it to Blackpool free of charge.(pulled a lead off and the guy didnt want to touch the engine )

I needed a clutch to be done at the same time, Dreadnought quoted a higher price and did not have one in stock, the indie had one in stock and could take my car that week which suited me as i was due to be working away at that time. These things all contributed to my decision as theres more to it than purely cost. Each to their own an all that.

Edited by hollowpockets on Wednesday 19th December 15:36

[northo]

hollowpockets said:

northo said:

Stang said:

Just out of curiosity. I wonder where the OP is putting his car. I noticed after this post was made he was looking for garage's in Dundee.

Is that Dundee near Blackpool?

Do you work for Dreadnought? theres nothing wrong with having the choice.

For the same 12k service i payed £200 less than Dreadnought charged you. minus the £50 of fuel i had to use to cover the extra mileage home, i had my breakdown cover company pick the car up and take it to Blackpool free of charge.(pulled a lead off and the guy didnt want to touch the engine )

I needed a clutch to be done at the same time, Dreadnought quoted a higher price and did not have one in stock, the indie had one in stock and could take my car that week which suited me as i was due to be working away at that time. These things all contributed to my decision as theres more to it than purely cost. Each to their own an all that.

Edited by hollowpockets on Wednesday 19th December 15:36

Hollowpockets:

You said:

"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."

Which provoked the response from 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!"

I quite agree that we all have the choice to take our cars where we wish.

But I know how I would feel if people on a web forum were giving the impression (albeit inadvertantly) that my servicing costs were twice that of everyone elses ( see comments from Sparky69), especially when it wasn't the case.

Your comments regarding the clutch etc. have put your comments in context.

My initial point was that given the hourly rate charged by Dreadnought, how could a service be twice the price - the indy would have to be charging £27.50 per hour - and I don't know any experienced specialist mechanics who would do that (sadly!). Just a simple point.

That said ( and I don't know how much you paid for the clutch)just to get down from Aberdeen to pick a car up from Blackpool and drive it back costs more than £200 (@ 50p per mile and a train fare).

I admire (unofficially) your use of the RAC though - Did the lead fall off itself, or did it have to go down for the clutch anyway?

And no - I don't work for Dreadnought, but I dare say I owe them one......

[hollowpockets]

northo said:

Hollowpockets:

You said:

"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."

I quite agree that we all have the choice to take our cars where we wish.

But I know how I would feel if people on a web forum were giving the impression (albeit inadvertantly) that my servicing costs were twice that of everyone elses ( see comments from Sparky69), especially when it wasn't the case.

Your comments regarding the clutch etc. have put your comments in context.

My initial point was that given the hourly rate charged by Dreadnought, how could a service be twice the price - the indy would have to be charging £27.50 per hour - and I don't know any experienced specialist mechanics who would do that (sadly!). Just a simple point.

That said ( and I don't know how much you paid for the clutch)just to get down from Aberdeen to pick a car up from Blackpool and drive it back costs more than £200 (@ 50p per mile and a train fare).

I admire (unofficially) your use of the RAC though - Did the lead fall off itself, or did it have to go down for the clutch anyway?

And no - I don't work for Dreadnought, but I dare say I owe them one......

It wasn't my intention to give the impression that Dreadnought charge double, on PH it seems some main dealers do charge upto double what i paid though.

The clutch was starting to feel worn and i wanted the car away before i left for the north sea (lead fell off )

[Sparky69]

Northo my service cost me what I quoted in my statment I'm not here to make stuff up. I have never said anything out of order about your self or dreadnought and I would have appreciated the same from you.

[northo]

Sparky69 said:

Northo my service cost me what I quoted in my statment I'm not here to make stuff up. I have never said anything out of order about your self or dreadnought and I would have appreciated the same from you.

Sorry Sparky, are you saying you were quoted £1200 but only paid £600? Or was that quoted from Hollowpockets statement?

[Sparky69]

I paid £1200 for 12k service on my cerb at dreadnoughts.

[northo]

I thought you paid £600?

[YAHOO]

Dreadnought offer the cheapest Main Dealer Servicing in the UK so If you want the best you have to pay (it,s not that much anyway), .And if you think for one minute your Cerbi runs or goes as well as it does coming out of your INDI as it did from Dreadnought i would be amazed

END OF
Thank you
Merry Christmas

[RFC1]

YAHOO said:

Dreadnought offer the cheapest Main Dealer Servicing in the UK so If you want the best you have to pay (it,s not that much anyway), .And if you think for one minute your Cerbi runs or goes as well as it does coming out of your INDI as it did from Dreadnought i would be amazed

END OF
Thank you
Merry Christmas

Hope this is true as i intend to use dreadnought for my major services on my 4.3 griffith. and i am only 1/2 hour fae callander!!

merry xmas to all.

[chibs]

yahoo, haven't spoken to you for a couple of years. clare at dreadnought was teling me you gave up the bus in stirling. i used to pop in every day to get my photos produced. i had a griff then. must try and catch up and you can share your highs and highs with the tuscan now that i have joined that band of brothers!

[MGYoung]

I don't own a TVR but I got the timing belt on my Caterham changed at D/N. They are an official service centre for Caterham. Total bill was £180 which included labour at £65/hour.

No complaints with the service I received.

Merry Christmas.

Martin.

[YAHOO]

[RFC]said
Hope this is true as i intend to use dreadnought for my major services on my 4.3 griffith. and i am only 1/2 hour fae callander!!

==================================================================

Yahoo


The Dutch TVR car club and a load of us stoped at Dreadnought before one of the runs round Scotland we do every summer .
One of the guys had his Grif tuned up by Brian Luti ,and for the first time in 10 years hes had it, its never gone so well [thats what you pay for ! ] not just a wipe over with an oily rag like some Garages)


Hope your car goes like a Rocket

[YAHOO]

Merry Christmas curtis,
Thought you got a Tuscan but never see it going around,looks very cool in silver ,is it locked up for winter now
Yea sold all the retail and Lab side and back building houses in Crieff and Auchterarder.Great fun
Will catch up soon on the road or one of Dreadnought Track days
Cheers
Jas

[chibs]

jason, car away for most part. not had a great deal of fun since the purchase so don't really know what to expect. nice part of the world to be building, any holiday homes? i'll give you a shout when the weather turns and we'll try and get together. nice to hear from, cc

[G Star Racing]

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...

Hi Robert, Good to see you have got your new beast on your profile. Hope your journey back home went well and the speedo came back to life for you? Thanks for your custom, Happy New Year and all the best in 2008. John G Star.

[Jamster]

I would suggest its more of a pay for what you get type scenario. I cant believe for one minute that indies are charging 27.50/hour veruss 55/hour from Dreadnought??? Think you'll find the indie can magically do your service in half the time? ie the labour rate is exactly the same.

wrt the last post 150 pounds for a fuse replacement. I simply cant believe that? I've had my cars there for years and never get charged anything for the bits and bobs on the side. That stuffs always free of charge. Did you not question it at the time?
cheers
Jamster