"TVR's are unreliable"
Discussion
Sorry but you won't see me out in mine without my roadside recovery membership. Arguably mine has suffered from years of sitting idle, and the breakages have been inexpensive to date. Even still it has left me stranded twice. A crank pulley bolt shearing off and a failed coil, not sure how you'd even do preventative maintenance against those failures.
Still the most fun car I've ever owned
Still the most fun car I've ever owned
dazee said:
Sorry but you won't see me out in mine without my roadside recovery membership. Arguably mine has suffered from years of sitting idle, and the breakages have been inexpensive to date. Even still it has left me stranded twice. A crank pulley bolt shearing off and a failed coil, not sure how you'd even do preventative maintenance against those failures.
Still the most fun car I've ever owned
You could avoid one of those by not owning a 500 Still the most fun car I've ever owned
am I right? 
Bloody typical, I sing my cars praises and it lets me down. Well, I suppose I'm a little bit to blame, I ran it out of petrol and then couldn't get it started again with the little 5l jerry can I had in the boot.
TVRs are reliable, but never trust the petrol gauge below quarter of a tank
TVRs are reliable, but never trust the petrol gauge below quarter of a tank
- sigh* chalk up another.
It's now blowing the fan/dash fuse every time the ignition is on, even with the fans disconnected. So it's a dash-off investigation job.
In the time I've had her (16 months and 10k miles), I've had to have:
Alternator
Battery
Starter motor
Engine mounts
Alarm rewire (it shorted on the exhaust...)
Fuel tank removal and clean
Fuel pump
Brake lines (one of the originals burst)
Rear brake overhaul
New O2 sensors
The only saving grace at the moment is that 4.6 v8d lump up front, and the decatted exhaust. However, somebody will be buying a fully sorted car from me at some point next year I think!
- sigh* chalk up another.
It's now blowing the fan/dash fuse every time the ignition is on, even with the fans disconnected. So it's a dash-off investigation job.
In the time I've had her (16 months and 10k miles), I've had to have:
Alternator
Battery
Starter motor
Engine mounts
Alarm rewire (it shorted on the exhaust...)
Fuel tank removal and clean
Fuel pump
Brake lines (one of the originals burst)
Rear brake overhaul
New O2 sensors
The only saving grace at the moment is that 4.6 v8d lump up front, and the decatted exhaust. However, somebody will be buying a fully sorted car from me at some point next year I think!
After my praise:
I think this thread is jinxed
Put a post on the Forum for some advise already but today went to go out in the car and my clutch went to the floor no compression .
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I think this thread is jinxed
Put a post on the Forum for some advise already but today went to go out in the car and my clutch went to the floor no compression .
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I bought mine on the grounds that the (middle aged) owner drove it like a bomb proof hot hatch. The previous 4 I had seen drove it like a little princess - and driving them you could see why.
The one I got was so taught n tight, though probably had a greater battering. These cars are designed to be driven - not shown.
Anyway - two years down the line and nearly 10k I trust it. It has never faulted on the road to any degree, but has had a bit of domino effect maintenance.
The one I got was so taught n tight, though probably had a greater battering. These cars are designed to be driven - not shown.
Anyway - two years down the line and nearly 10k I trust it. It has never faulted on the road to any degree, but has had a bit of domino effect maintenance.
By September 2014 I hadn't driven my fifteen year old car for two years. It had stood on the drive, where it has stood for almost 10 years in all weathers. I decided I'd take it for a little drive...
I drove it on to a trailer and delivered it to Ian Lambert at TorqueRVT in Middlewich, with a brief to give it a major service, some new tyres and a fresh MoT. On Thursday 11 September I caught a train to Crewe where Ian picked me up at 8pm. Bills paid, receipts/MoT certificate issued, I was on the road to London at 9pm. I figured if there were going to be any issues relating to it not being used for so long, they'd manifest themselves during the 150-mile drive.
On Friday 12 September I drove the car to Portsmouth and boarded the midnight ferry to Le Havre. By teatime the following day I was in Biarritz. After an early start on the Sunday I arrived in Alicante, southern Spain, by teatime where the ambient temperature was 31°C.
After two weeks of arsing about in the sun I made the return journey over two days, one day covering 743 miles. The car performed flawlessly, as it has always done. You can guess what I think of the notion that TVRs are unreliable......
I drove it on to a trailer and delivered it to Ian Lambert at TorqueRVT in Middlewich, with a brief to give it a major service, some new tyres and a fresh MoT. On Thursday 11 September I caught a train to Crewe where Ian picked me up at 8pm. Bills paid, receipts/MoT certificate issued, I was on the road to London at 9pm. I figured if there were going to be any issues relating to it not being used for so long, they'd manifest themselves during the 150-mile drive.
On Friday 12 September I drove the car to Portsmouth and boarded the midnight ferry to Le Havre. By teatime the following day I was in Biarritz. After an early start on the Sunday I arrived in Alicante, southern Spain, by teatime where the ambient temperature was 31°C.
After two weeks of arsing about in the sun I made the return journey over two days, one day covering 743 miles. The car performed flawlessly, as it has always done. You can guess what I think of the notion that TVRs are unreliable......
Cider Andy said:
On Friday 12 September I drove the car to Portsmouth and boarded the midnight ferry to Le Havre. By teatime the following day I was in Biarritz. After an early start on the Sunday I arrived in Alicante, southern Spain, by teatime where the ambient temperature was 31°C.
After two weeks of arsing about in the sun I made the return journey over two days, one day covering 743 miles. The car performed flawlessly, as it has always done. You can guess what I think of the notion that TVRs are unreliable......
Awesome by the way After two weeks of arsing about in the sun I made the return journey over two days, one day covering 743 miles. The car performed flawlessly, as it has always done. You can guess what I think of the notion that TVRs are unreliable......
Cider Andy said:
By September 2014 I hadn't driven my fifteen year old car for two years. It had stood on the drive, where it has stood for almost 10 years in all weathers. I decided I'd take it for a little drive...
I drove it on to a trailer and delivered it to Ian Lambert at TorqueRVT in Middlewich, with a brief to give it a major service, some new tyres and a fresh MoT. On Thursday 11 September I caught a train to Crewe where Ian picked me up at 8pm. Bills paid, receipts/MoT certificate issued, I was on the road to London at 9pm. I figured if there were going to be any issues relating to it not being used for so long, they'd manifest themselves during the 150-mile drive.
On Friday 12 September I drove the car to Portsmouth and boarded the midnight ferry to Le Havre. By teatime the following day I was in Biarritz. After an early start on the Sunday I arrived in Alicante, southern Spain, by teatime where the ambient temperature was 31°C.
After two weeks of arsing about in the sun I made the return journey over two days, one day covering 743 miles. The car performed flawlessly, as it has always done. You can guess what I think of the notion that TVRs are unreliable......
Fantastic to hear thatI drove it on to a trailer and delivered it to Ian Lambert at TorqueRVT in Middlewich, with a brief to give it a major service, some new tyres and a fresh MoT. On Thursday 11 September I caught a train to Crewe where Ian picked me up at 8pm. Bills paid, receipts/MoT certificate issued, I was on the road to London at 9pm. I figured if there were going to be any issues relating to it not being used for so long, they'd manifest themselves during the 150-mile drive.
On Friday 12 September I drove the car to Portsmouth and boarded the midnight ferry to Le Havre. By teatime the following day I was in Biarritz. After an early start on the Sunday I arrived in Alicante, southern Spain, by teatime where the ambient temperature was 31°C.
After two weeks of arsing about in the sun I made the return journey over two days, one day covering 743 miles. The car performed flawlessly, as it has always done. You can guess what I think of the notion that TVRs are unreliable......
Cider Andy said:
By September 2014 I hadn't driven my fifteen year old car for two years. It had stood on the drive, where it has stood for almost 10 years in all weathers. I decided I'd take it for a little drive...
I drove it on to a trailer and delivered it to Ian Lambert at TorqueRVT in Middlewich, with a brief to give it a major service, some new tyres and a fresh MoT. On Thursday 11 September I caught a train to Crewe where Ian picked me up at 8pm. Bills paid, receipts/MoT certificate issued, I was on the road to London at 9pm. I figured if there were going to be any issues relating to it not being used for so long, they'd manifest themselves during the 150-mile drive.
On Friday 12 September I drove the car to Portsmouth and boarded the midnight ferry to Le Havre. By teatime the following day I was in Biarritz. After an early start on the Sunday I arrived in Alicante, southern Spain, by teatime where the ambient temperature was 31°C.
After two weeks of arsing about in the sun I made the return journey over two days, one day covering 743 miles. The car performed flawlessly, as it has always done. You can guess what I think of the notion that TVRs are unreliable......
Absolutely brilliant story, although while you were taking that picture somebody seems to have stolen your roof?I drove it on to a trailer and delivered it to Ian Lambert at TorqueRVT in Middlewich, with a brief to give it a major service, some new tyres and a fresh MoT. On Thursday 11 September I caught a train to Crewe where Ian picked me up at 8pm. Bills paid, receipts/MoT certificate issued, I was on the road to London at 9pm. I figured if there were going to be any issues relating to it not being used for so long, they'd manifest themselves during the 150-mile drive.
On Friday 12 September I drove the car to Portsmouth and boarded the midnight ferry to Le Havre. By teatime the following day I was in Biarritz. After an early start on the Sunday I arrived in Alicante, southern Spain, by teatime where the ambient temperature was 31°C.
After two weeks of arsing about in the sun I made the return journey over two days, one day covering 743 miles. The car performed flawlessly, as it has always done. You can guess what I think of the notion that TVRs are unreliable......
I have three cars, two German one TVR.
The two German cars are presently: one not working at all (major battery drain) and the other not starting when it feels like it (intermittent crank position sensor I suspect)
My little piece of Blackpool barn door engineering is the only one working reliably...
Nuff said
The two German cars are presently: one not working at all (major battery drain) and the other not starting when it feels like it (intermittent crank position sensor I suspect)
My little piece of Blackpool barn door engineering is the only one working reliably...
Nuff said
BMW Z4 - 1 year ownership necessary fixes: new starter, new washer jets, new wishbone bushes, new discs, new pads all round, new AC condenser, new AC compressor. 5 thousand miles. Stranded twice.
TVR Griffith - 12 year ownership, necessary fixes: New plugs, new tyres. Never stranded. 31 thousand miles.
TVR Griffith - 12 year ownership, necessary fixes: New plugs, new tyres. Never stranded. 31 thousand miles.
I bought a brand new landrover freelander 2 8 weeks ago, it's sat with the dealer now for 6 weeks of as the clutch has failed three times. We rejected the car and LR UK have done nothing to assist us as although it had broken down 3 times we have to give them 3 attempt to fix it. We refused and luckily the dealer has been brilliant and offered 4k off of an evoque as they could find no brand new Freelander's to replace it with.
The Tuscan? Well started first time yesterday after being sat for a couple of months and the Chim previous to that, 5 years and failed once needing a new stater. So unreliability is not reliable information.
I love to hear people saying how unreliable they are having never owned one, I just laugh along with the ignorant buggers.
The Tuscan? Well started first time yesterday after being sat for a couple of months and the Chim previous to that, 5 years and failed once needing a new stater. So unreliability is not reliable information.
I love to hear people saying how unreliable they are having never owned one, I just laugh along with the ignorant buggers.
brazenskies said:
lucky people.
My 500 was one problem after another. Incredibly cheaply put together, although I guess that's part of their charm
As far as you can call 450 man hours to build one 'incredibly cheaply put together'... My 500 was one problem after another. Incredibly cheaply put together, although I guess that's part of their charm
I'd suggest you don't look too deeply under the skin of say, any modern VAG product, you'd be in for a shock.I came from classic 1980s Saabs (which in turn are on a level with the last 'proper' Mercs for build quality) - in some ways, the Chim is better(it doesn't seem to have biodegradable wiring for starters). The worst aspec of it by a long way I feel is the rat's nest of wiring, battery box and fuse/relay panel n the passenger footwell. Whoever thought that was a good idea must not like people very much...
Well after 10 years of ownership of my 500 (now 20 years old) other than minor things i have to say its been pretty good and far better than expected - i guess a lot depends how its maintained.
I did hope to tinker with things oily & general maintenance has allowed me to do that, except larger jobs have annoyingly been absent during my ownership despite it being an ex works car in a hot climate originally. Most issues have arisen from incompetence from garage input such as steering rack, more than the car failing itself.
I do love it but am considering a change after such a long ownership and consideration i may be pushing my luck nothing major has arisen to spoil the ownership experience. Although only a toy, i'm struggling to find something suitable to achieve this - which says it all really.....
I did hope to tinker with things oily & general maintenance has allowed me to do that, except larger jobs have annoyingly been absent during my ownership despite it being an ex works car in a hot climate originally. Most issues have arisen from incompetence from garage input such as steering rack, more than the car failing itself.
I do love it but am considering a change after such a long ownership and consideration i may be pushing my luck nothing major has arisen to spoil the ownership experience. Although only a toy, i'm struggling to find something suitable to achieve this - which says it all really.....
Andy JB said:
Well after 10 years of ownership of my 500 (now 20 years old) other than minor things i have to say its been pretty good and far better than expected - i guess a lot depends how its maintained.
I did hope to tinker with things oily & general maintenance has allowed me to do that, except larger jobs have annoyingly been absent during my ownership despite it being an ex works car in a hot climate originally. Most issues have arisen from incompetence from garage input such as steering rack, more than the car failing itself.
I do love it but am considering a change after such a long ownership and consideration i may be pushing my luck nothing major has arisen to spoil the ownership experience. Although only a toy, i'm struggling to find something suitable to achieve this - which says it all really.....
Hi Andy - Same here 1994 Chimaera 500 and very much the same story as yours. Was planning on moving on in 2015, had the Beast for 10 years and 35k but unable to find anything near the grin factor, so having a cosmetic refresh.I did hope to tinker with things oily & general maintenance has allowed me to do that, except larger jobs have annoyingly been absent during my ownership despite it being an ex works car in a hot climate originally. Most issues have arisen from incompetence from garage input such as steering rack, more than the car failing itself.
I do love it but am considering a change after such a long ownership and consideration i may be pushing my luck nothing major has arisen to spoil the ownership experience. Although only a toy, i'm struggling to find something suitable to achieve this - which says it all really.....
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