Why specialists??
Discussion
Guys don't get me wrong, I know the vast majority of TVR specialists are brilliant & I'm yet to speak to anyone at the main ones who wasn't more than happy to give advice & support. As I said before, a lot of the guys are irreplaceable and their knowledge is obviously unrivaled. I'm not disputing any of that. I just don't understand why people send their car 2-3 hours up the road just to get a service done? I know people who do exactly that, even to just get tyres fitted!
If I was looking at buying one I wouldn't look at a service book just to see a TVR stamp & be happy at that. I couldn't care less where it was done as long as the current owner was happy with the work carried out, whoever it may be.
I think people sometimes get too hung up worrying about what 'the next owner' might think, should they decide to sell a few years down the line. If I sold mine I wouldn't get the extra £000's back that it would've cost me to have a lot of the work I've had done had I taken it to a specialist.
I suppose it's kind of irrelivant really anyway as I'm never letting go of it!! Unless someone donates £50k, then I'd get a Sag :-)
If I was looking at buying one I wouldn't look at a service book just to see a TVR stamp & be happy at that. I couldn't care less where it was done as long as the current owner was happy with the work carried out, whoever it may be.
I think people sometimes get too hung up worrying about what 'the next owner' might think, should they decide to sell a few years down the line. If I sold mine I wouldn't get the extra £000's back that it would've cost me to have a lot of the work I've had done had I taken it to a specialist.
I suppose it's kind of irrelivant really anyway as I'm never letting go of it!! Unless someone donates £50k, then I'd get a Sag :-)
In many trades there are 'specialists' with knowledge that non-specialists do not have. A lot of these people will share a lot of this knowledge a lot of the time. Often with potential customers, sometimes doing themselves out of some potential income. I may be talking about a 'minor' job on my car, equally I may be talking about my customers that ring me for my advice before they spend time trying to find a better price on the internet or elsewhere.
However if none of us use specialists (in whatever their field) these specialists go out of business and their knowledge is lost. So I use the guys I use (Bespoke in Ware) firstly because I trust them, secondly I trust that they can do a good job and also because sometimes I really need their knowledge and experience. Not because they claim to be specialists but because they have depth of knowledge and experience. Likewise Dom at Power.
So I will spend my money with 'specialists' in their field, bread from the bakers, nails from the ironmongers/hardware shop, etc, where possible. Or at least until the day where we buy EVERYTHING from Tesco.
However if none of us use specialists (in whatever their field) these specialists go out of business and their knowledge is lost. So I use the guys I use (Bespoke in Ware) firstly because I trust them, secondly I trust that they can do a good job and also because sometimes I really need their knowledge and experience. Not because they claim to be specialists but because they have depth of knowledge and experience. Likewise Dom at Power.
So I will spend my money with 'specialists' in their field, bread from the bakers, nails from the ironmongers/hardware shop, etc, where possible. Or at least until the day where we buy EVERYTHING from Tesco.
glow worm said:
+2 X-Works are always getting calls from "non specialists" .
The crazy thing is like Dom, they always help them out ... not sure I would be so obliging .
I'm not entirely sure why they do it, I don't think I would either! But then again from that I've also bought £000's worth of parts from them following on from their advice, how much they make on bits I don't know?The crazy thing is like Dom, they always help them out ... not sure I would be so obliging .
Edited by glow worm on Thursday 10th April 19:18
Some good points & valid arguments & if I had just bought one & wasn't trying to run the thing on the thinnest, shortest shoestring known to man, I would've probably listened to all your comments & taken it further afield! But as it stands I simply cannot afford to pay the premium price for the benefit of their experience (I was quoted about £2k to replace half time bearings?!). Although I still don't think I'd bother just for servicing, but that's probably just me being cynical.
Still, I'm more than happy with the work my garage does & it's a much cheaper option, which means it's still on the road & I can drive to work in it every day :-)
Also it appears a fair few of you use X-works, where are they based? Probably making myself sound like an amateur but I've never heard of them, I assume they're 'darn sarth' somewhere?
Anyway on a lighter note, I am very much looking forward to Burghley on Sunday, hope to see you all there. Mines the ugly looking purple one with half the paint rubbed off/chips everywhere...
R7EBO said:
I suppose it's kind of irrelivant really anyway as I'm never letting go of it!! Unless someone donates £50k, then I'd get a Sag :-)
You didn't 
as you overtook me on the A1 northbound on the Grantham bypass 
after Burghley. (red Cerb dawdling along as the bloody bonnet wouldn't stay down)Edited by N7GTX on Monday 14th April 17:02
N7GTX said:
You didn't as you overtook me on the A1 northbound on the Grantham bypass after Burghley. (red Cerb dawdling along as the bloody bonnet wouldn't stay down)
I thought I'd waved to everyone I saw, maybe I didn't wave hard enough! Ha. I saw a fair few on the way home, all driving very conservatively I have to say! What happened to your bonnet?? as you overtook me on the A1 northbound on the Grantham bypass after Burghley. (red Cerb dawdling along as the bloody bonnet wouldn't stay down)Edited by N7GTX on Monday 14th April 17:02
lerd said:
Would your local garage cover any damage if you got them to adjust the shims / valve clearance and it dropped a shim on your way home or 30 miles later ?
Mmm I wouldn't take a chance!
Of course they would, they're as reputable as any other garage, more so if anything. This is the whole point, I've never come across a more trustworthy couple of guys in my life. If you met them you'd understand what I mean, they're top blokes.Mmm I wouldn't take a chance!
Big Al. said:
Sorry for the thread prune guys, but the thread was in danger of getting deleted because it was venturing into N&S territory.
Please continue but beware anymore N&S and the thread will be removed.
Completely understandable, although none of that was anything to do with me honest guv. Not sure why some of my other posts regarding pricing etc we're deleted though?? Please continue but beware anymore N&S and the thread will be removed.
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