Discussion
I am just about to purchase a 1992 pre cat Grif 4.0
and have just found out that it has had 5 previous keepers.(not inclu the current one) he has had it for 5 1/2 years which means it averages one keeper a year for the first 5 years. Is this totally out of the ordinary? Based on this alone would you still go ahead.
and have just found out that it has had 5 previous keepers.(not inclu the current one) he has had it for 5 1/2 years which means it averages one keeper a year for the first 5 years. Is this totally out of the ordinary? Based on this alone would you still go ahead.
I asked David Batty the same question when I was looking at buying my Griff 4.3 He said that it's not too much to worry about, because some people buy a TVR as soon as they're able, and then have to give it up when they realise the cost of ownership.
I've had mine for nearly 2 years, and apart from normal servicing, it's only suffered a dodgy master cylinder and a new battery - Both fairly consumable items in my opinion.
Hope this helps,
Dan.
I've had mine for nearly 2 years, and apart from normal servicing, it's only suffered a dodgy master cylinder and a new battery - Both fairly consumable items in my opinion.
Hope this helps,
Dan.
In this case I would have thought the last keeper was the most relevant. Plus the sports car is ususal the first to go when people loose jobs, move house, start a business, etc..
What sort of mileage has it done, how many miles has the current owner put on it in the last 5 years. What history bills have they got, if a lot that is good news, master cylinders, batteries, etc are consumables every few years,.....
If the previous owners put high miles on it, the servicing costs proably put them off (every 6k or 12 months), 12k a year gets quite expensive (1,200 - 1,500 or more plus tyres) at main dealers.
Do remember it is now an 11 year old car, things will wear out and need replacing now and again. But if you keep it maintained properly I would very much doubt if the value would depreciate in the medium -long term.
B
>> Edited by bjwoods on Thursday 1st May 12:59
What sort of mileage has it done, how many miles has the current owner put on it in the last 5 years. What history bills have they got, if a lot that is good news, master cylinders, batteries, etc are consumables every few years,.....
If the previous owners put high miles on it, the servicing costs proably put them off (every 6k or 12 months), 12k a year gets quite expensive (1,200 - 1,500 or more plus tyres) at main dealers.
Do remember it is now an 11 year old car, things will wear out and need replacing now and again. But if you keep it maintained properly I would very much doubt if the value would depreciate in the medium -long term.
B
>> Edited by bjwoods on Thursday 1st May 12:59
When I bought my 4.3 5 years ago, I was told by the dealer that there was a waiting list in the early days. He would sell a used model to someone waiting for their new car, and buy it back for the same money 6 months later when theirs arrived. Hence, he sold the same car several times in a short space of time. I am the 5th owner of mine, and no major probs in 5 years.
Jon H
Jon H
In the early 90's the Griffith was THE car to have, so many people just had to own one, the second hand prices were the same as new cars so they almost became a currency, hence changed hands regularly.
Sorry this a long winded way of saying, yes its not unusual to have many owners on the log book.
It wouldn't put me off if the car had a good chassis etc.
Tim
Sorry this a long winded way of saying, yes its not unusual to have many owners on the log book.
It wouldn't put me off if the car had a good chassis etc.
Tim
I certainly agree with all that has been said before, I have a 92 4.L pre cat as well and certainly if the chassis is good then dont be put off, check particularly around the front end,you can tell a lot by what you can see of the frame and front suspension from under the bonnet.Try to get the car up in the air if you can to get a good look around.One last point, does it still have the original front end, the later cars have a different nose moulding with a full width grill aperture with the main beam lights within,the early nose has the main beams in seperate recesses.Cars with original nose now getting rarer as no longer available and if its had a front prang will have been updated.Good luck and enjoy!
Thanks for the advice guys. In answer to the last post , yes it does have the original nose cone. It has some surface rust on the chassis visible from under the bonnet but it appears to only be surface. Mongoose is coming to look at it before I buy so he will be able to give an objective view. I cant be objective as I am still grinning from the test drive!
Mine's had 5 or 6 owners, other thing's I was advised to check before I bought my 400 were :-
Check for thrust washers on the front top wishbones and if the wishbones are the original 2 piece items - budget to throw the original wishbones out (probably rusted by now anyway) and have the 500 items fitted - this sorts out the vague steering/tendancy to follow every crease in the road that the early cars had. - from experience this makes it a LOT easier and more reqarding to drive!!
Also check the air filter in the nosecone, due to it's painfully difficult location there is a tendancy for it not to be changed at every service....
Check the fan and otter switch work - fan should cut in just before it reaches the 90 mark on the gauge.
If you can get it up on a ramp check that the differential shows signs of having it's oil at least checked recently (i.e. within the last 6000mi) again it's a pain to get to the filler plug and when it becomes dirty has a tendancy to jam stuck.
Fit of the doors/seals (just had to have mine changed).
Obvious others such as musty smell in the cockpit due to leaks and the condition of the manifolds as they have a tendancy to crack easily I'm told.
The SD1 gearbox is notchy and takes a lot of getting used to (six months in my case), but providing it is properly maintained can be pretty bombproof - remember that to get it into reverse always go via 2nd....
>> Edited by andyvg on Friday 2nd May 10:48
Check for thrust washers on the front top wishbones and if the wishbones are the original 2 piece items - budget to throw the original wishbones out (probably rusted by now anyway) and have the 500 items fitted - this sorts out the vague steering/tendancy to follow every crease in the road that the early cars had. - from experience this makes it a LOT easier and more reqarding to drive!!
Also check the air filter in the nosecone, due to it's painfully difficult location there is a tendancy for it not to be changed at every service....
Check the fan and otter switch work - fan should cut in just before it reaches the 90 mark on the gauge.
If you can get it up on a ramp check that the differential shows signs of having it's oil at least checked recently (i.e. within the last 6000mi) again it's a pain to get to the filler plug and when it becomes dirty has a tendancy to jam stuck.
Fit of the doors/seals (just had to have mine changed).
Obvious others such as musty smell in the cockpit due to leaks and the condition of the manifolds as they have a tendancy to crack easily I'm told.
The SD1 gearbox is notchy and takes a lot of getting used to (six months in my case), but providing it is properly maintained can be pretty bombproof - remember that to get it into reverse always go via 2nd....
>> Edited by andyvg on Friday 2nd May 10:48
the later cars have a different nose moulding with a full width grill aperture with the main beam lights within,the early nose has the main beams in seperate recesses
Thanks for this info - I didn't know it (only had my 92 Griff since mid March. Just looked at a pic of it and it does have the main beams in separate recesses.
I would love to show you a pic, but am not a techno - anyone advise on how to include a pic from my PC (or I could wait as there's a good chance there will be pics in May's Sprint)
Dave (Morgan's Muttering) M
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