What TVR?

[BigGingerBob]

Hello all.

Ever since I was a small boy I have wanted a TVR.
I am now in a position to buy one. I am putting an upper limit of £18,000 on it as I would like money left over for other things.
I want a Tuscan and from what I have seen you may be able to get a good one for this amount. Is it a good idea to almost ease yourself into TVR ownership with something less powerful like a Chimera or is a Tuscan as good an idea as I think it is?
Also, I don't have a garage so will this be a really terrible idea? I can get a really decent car cover and be ok? I know a few things to look out for in general on TVRs, such as chassis corrosion and outriggers and also speed 6 rebuilds.
Any advice would be really appreciated. I'm super excited about the prospect of getting my dream car so I would like to make an informed decision.

Thanks,

Bob

[fat80b]

BigGingerBob said:

Hello all.

Ever since I was a small boy I have wanted a TVR.
I am now in a position to buy one. I am putting an upper limit of £18,000 on it as I would like money left over for other things.
I want a Tuscan and from what I have seen you may be able to get a good one for this amount. Is it a good idea to almost ease yourself into TVR ownership with something less powerful like a Chimera or is a Tuscan as good an idea as I think it is?
Also, I don't have a garage so will this be a really terrible idea? I can get a really decent car cover and be ok? I know a few things to look out for in general on TVRs, such as chassis corrosion and outriggers and also speed 6 rebuilds.
Any advice would be really appreciated. I'm super excited about the prospect of getting my dream car so I would like to make an informed decision.

Thanks,

Bob

I did the same 8 years ago now. No regrets whatsoever. 18K should be fine and a Tuscan is the right answer...

Mine lives outside, I have a car cover but tend only to use this during the winter.

In terms of chassis corrosion, yes you need to be careful - a problem you might find is that it is very hard to tell where the chassis is corroding without dropping the exhaust.
In my case, my outriggers were fine but the inner chassis rails needed work, I ended up with a body off chassis resto last year and now have probably the best Tuscan chassis in the country

Engine wise, you will find lots of worry on the web regarding the engine. imho, you'll never know what you are getting - even those that have had a rebuild seem to have had differing levels of rebuild.
Mine now has 54K on it and no official history of a rebuild - it did go back to the factory at some point in its life but who knows what they did to it... It is currently showing no signs of needing any engine work - my plan is to just keep using it..

You may be better off setting aside a fund out of your budget in case of work being needed. (this is what I did and thankfully, I have never needed this for the engine anyway). I prefer this plan as then at least you will know what you have done to your engine when something does go wrong.

I would have thought you could buy mine and have a reasonable engine fund left over for 18K.

Bob

[77racing]

If your car choice is a Tuscan then get one it will only go as fast as your right foot will let it. No point in going for a different model they are all quick once your grow a lead foot with time

[clive f]

looking at your profile and the cars you have had I`d recommend a driving session if you do get a tvr, no disrespect, your profile may be out of date and you have lots of experience with rwd high bhp cars, but a session with someone like Ridedrive or a car limits day on an airfield will teach you so much about you and your new car, enjoy , they are brilliant and addictive.

[mikal83]

clive f said:

looking at your profile and the cars you have had I`d recommend a driving session if you do get a tvr, no disrespect, your profile may be out of date and you have lots of experience with rwd high bhp cars, but a session with someone like Ridedrive or a car limits day on an airfield will teach you so much about you and your new car, enjoy , they are brilliant and addictive.

WOW, almost as nice as Micklesons comments re Watson from yesterday.

[coco79]

+1 or you'll find it's a write-off within a week (I learned the expensive way!)

clive f said:

looking at your profile and the cars you have had I`d recommend a driving session if you do get a tvr, no disrespect, your profile may be out of date and you have lots of experience with rwd high bhp cars, but a session with someone like Ridedrive or a car limits day on an airfield will teach you so much about you and your new car, enjoy , they are brilliant and addictive.

[BigGingerBob]

Of course I will get a driving day under my belt with it. They have a reputation that goes before them.
So from what I can gather it shouldn't be a problem to have it outside with a car cover. I also hear that these cars thrive on being used. That is all good for me!

[Speed 3]

Mine lives on the drive under an all-weather cover (<£200 for a really decent one, I leave it off if its dry).

Golden rules are try before you buy to ensure you pick the right model (Tuscan "similar but different" to Chim, Griff). For me that Mk 1 shape is the best and the few parts bin bits in it are hidden under the skin.

Buy on condition, don't be put off by high miles, they tend to erradicate the niggles. Newer high miler much better bet than old low miler. Reserve a sum for engine rebuild if you can but don't believe its an inevitablity. I got a 2004 one owner "no expense spared" with 52k on it for not much more than your budget. My engine doesn't sup any oil or make any noises it shouldn't and in theory has the correct quality bits in it from OEM build at that year.

Recent buyers in my area have commented on how many bad examples they saw, the patient ones ended up with cracking cars and no regrets other than an aching jaw from all the grinning.

[stevieeg]

BigGingerBob said:

Hello all.

Ever since I was a small boy I have wanted a TVR.
I am now in a position to buy one. I am putting an upper limit of £18,000 on it as I would like money left over for other things.
I want a Tuscan and from what I have seen you may be able to get a good one for this amount. Is it a good idea to almost ease yourself into TVR ownership with something less powerful like a Chimera or is a Tuscan as good an idea as I think it is?
Also, I don't have a garage so will this be a really terrible idea? I can get a really decent car cover and be ok? I know a few things to look out for in general on TVRs, such as chassis corrosion and outriggers and also speed 6 rebuilds.
Any advice would be really appreciated. I'm super excited about the prospect of getting my dream car so I would like to make an informed decision.

Thanks,

Bob

I bought a Tuscan for <£18K then ended up laying out about £7K in remedial work over the next 7 months (Replacement engine, new clutch and a lot of other niggles)

Without a good fighting fund you could find yourself forced out of the drivers seat, especially if you don't have an off-road place to store should it ends up beyond your finances to keep it in working order for an extended spell of time.

That said, I now have another Tuscan which I don't garage and has been no trouble... it's down to luck as well as judgement and if you don't have both then a sizable fighting fund is advisable.

As for judgement - have a good long look through the forums here and on mytuscan.co.uk, and when you find one you think is good, pay for an expert opinion on it.

Good luck.

[chris watton]

What about a Tamora?

I ask because I was weighing up a Tuscan or Tamora 10 year's ago - and it was the test drives that swung it for me in the Tam's favour. It seemed much more planted and made me smile when taking corners, whereas the Tuscan was much more skittish. These were quite new and factory standard back then, though, and perhaps better upgrades may have closed the gap somewhat..

[GG33]

I have owned a Tuscan, a Cerb and a Tamora and would agree with the last posters comments about the handling. The Tamora feels much more planted with controllable rear end on throttle. The Tuscan (Mk1) can get very nervous when pushed due to a very high steering rack ratio. \however, the Tuscan is more practical, it has a bigger boot and the removable roof panel and rear screen are both nice features. The only one of mine that didnt have A/C was the Tamora and I missed it on trips to France when The Tam got rediculously hot in the cabin.
The Cerb is a different ball-game. If you can find one that has had the outriggers sorted and a good engine (4.2 or 4.5). Feels much more like a GT until pushed hard, then it takes on a different character. They are great if you dont really want open top motoring and would be better than the others if living outside.
I had 26000 miles on the Tuscan with no signs of it needing a rebuild whereas the Tamora let go at 15000 and cost about 8K for a Stage 2 top end, of course, you will replace the clutch whilst the engine is out as they dont last very long. Also be prepared for electricasl gremlins (speedo pods, door/window ECU's etc) there are some very good repairers out there if you know where to find them.

Good luck :-)

GG

[BigGingerBob]

Many thanks for all the comments.
I will keep a look out over the coming weeks about what's out there.
A Tamora is probably out of my budget but I will have a look anyway. I will find a way of test driving a couple of models to see what suits me. The only problem is the cars in dealerships are way over my budget, I can't see them helping me out with test drives. However, all maintenance will be at a tvr specialist like tvr power or bespoke performance near me.

Again any advice is appreciated.

[s p a c e m a n]

Don't rush into it, the majority of the bad press that I have seen on any forums revolves around people who blindly bought dogs of cars or the wrong car for what they wanted. It's also a rule of thumb that the price of a car isn't always connected to the quality of it, there have been some right bargains out there as well as people asking crazy prices for mediocre cars.

I understand that it's difficult to get test drives in these cars, but if you pick the right car you may fall in love like a lot of us do and keep it for many years. Try a few, there are random meets and runs that you can pop along to and I'm sure you'll be able to blag a passenger ride from a few people ( TVR Events & Meetings, There's another Thunder in the tunnels run (TiTT12) coming up soon around London and every model will be there making noise )

There's also a few people who specialise in inspecting TVRs who are more than worth the money if you plan on handing over thousands and don't have anyone who knows the cars inside out.

[Nick Brough]

[quote=Speed 3]Mine lives on the drive under an all-weather cover (<£200 for a really decent one, I leave it off if its dry).

quote]
Sorry for the thread hi jack but what cover would you recommend.

Nick

[ChilliWhizz]

BigGingerBob said:

Is it a good idea to almost ease yourself into TVR ownership with something less powerful like a Chimera or is a Tuscan as good an idea as I think it is?

You'll put yourself into a hedge (or worse) just as easily with a Chim as you will a Tuscan in my opinion, the V8's have large gobs of low down torque compared to the speed six which (I'm told) has a far more progressive power delivery.. I was torn between a Chimaera 500 and a Tuscan when I entered TVR ownership, I went for the Chim but it had nothing to do with power or 'easing' myself in

Good luck with it, buy right and with eyes wide open and you'll never regret it...

Chilli

[ackbullchang]

Don't worry about the power in a Tuscan. As long as you are sensible with your right foot and have a mediocre of sense, easing yourself in isn't too difficult. Christ, I'm not a great driver and I went from a 180bhp front wheel drive 205 gti straight into a tuscan no problems. Three years on and I haven't put it the hedge yet.

Wet or damp roads are a bit of a different proposition requiring very controlled and considered power input, but again, my second, or third drive of the tuscan was to and from the 2011 Chatsworth House event when it was monsoon conditions. Again I didn't stuff it the bushes, so it can't be that hard!

[Napper]

I was in the same situation in 2006 with only fwd experience but I plumped for 2000 4.0 Tuscan. It was absolutely fantastic and I loved it. But, for me it felt a little raw and powerful sometimes so after a year I replaced it for 2003 (53) T350C which was a different car to drive again. Much more controllable but didn't feel any slower or less powerful just the power delivery was smoother.
The newer Tuscans do feel very much the same as the T350C do so that shouldn't be an issue.
But, I loved both of them and they both felt like a special journey with every drive so I would recommend getting a newer Tuscan if that is your preference.

The only thing I regret is going staff.......which meant I couldn't afford to keep the T350C

[jesfirth]

If you are concerned about big bills for an engine you could go for a griff or chim. The 5 litre cars are still really quick for road use. The general maintenance bills for a rover based car tends to be lower than a speed 6 or Apm engined car, but it's all relative.

[Speed 3]

Nick Brough said:

Speed 3 said:

Mine lives on the drive under an all-weather cover (<£200 for a really decent one, I leave it off if its dry).

quote]
Sorry for the thread hi jack but what cover would you recommend.

Nick

Classic Additions "Ultimate"

[jamieduff1981]

ackbullchang said:

Don't worry about the power in a Tuscan. As long as you are sensible with your right foot and have a mediocre of sense, easing yourself in isn't too difficult. Christ, I'm not a great driver and I went from a 180bhp front wheel drive 205 gti straight into a tuscan no problems. Three years on and I haven't put it the hedge yet.

Wet or damp roads are a bit of a different proposition requiring very controlled and considered power input, but again, my second, or third drive of the tuscan was to and from the 2011 Chatsworth House event when it was monsoon conditions. Again I didn't stuff it the bushes, so it can't be that hard!

I had a bit more RWD experience when I started but agree TVRs aren't that scary to drive in the wet. They're scary to drive fast in the wet, so don't.

If the road is wet, then just aim to keep up with the normal flow of traffic and you'll have no problems. The only caveat is that unless you're regularly driving something of normal performance, it's easy to forget just how quick your TVR is especially when traffic is light.

The only time mine has given me a moderate slap on the face was when I tried to accelerate off a damp roundabout at a normal rate - which turned out to be the sort of rate a Focus RS would struggle to keep up with.

You need to keep yourself grounded, but otherwise, TVRs are pussy cats for normal driving.