Newby joiner with waxoyled questions....
Discussion
Hello,
I'm new to this lark, and am seriously considering purchasing an S Series.
Therefore I have a number of questions which I'm hoping some good people here wouldn't mind answering?:
What exactly does 'Waxoyled chassis' mean?
I seem to be seeing varying reports regarding the 'notorious' reliability of TVRs. It almost an urban legend, is the truth out there? eg Is it true that 'the later the year, the better the reliability'?
I love the cars I've seen, but want to enjoy owning one rather than rue the day I bought it. To be an enthusiast, does one have to therefore become a part-time mechanic?
Thanks for reading this far; any help would be appreciated.
I'm new to this lark, and am seriously considering purchasing an S Series.
Therefore I have a number of questions which I'm hoping some good people here wouldn't mind answering?:
What exactly does 'Waxoyled chassis' mean?
I seem to be seeing varying reports regarding the 'notorious' reliability of TVRs. It almost an urban legend, is the truth out there? eg Is it true that 'the later the year, the better the reliability'?
I love the cars I've seen, but want to enjoy owning one rather than rue the day I bought it. To be an enthusiast, does one have to therefore become a part-time mechanic?
Thanks for reading this far; any help would be appreciated.
Hello mate...
Waxoyl'd... right waxoyl is best described (in non-technical terms) as stuff that stops rust... usually a good sign that it's been cared for. Originally the chassis tubes had plastic over them, but in time this disintegrates... leaving them open to attack by rust. A regular waxoyl helps prevent this.
Nothing is ever 100% reliable... it's mechanical. These cars tend to be better with regular use, and although mine is my second car, I make sure it gets a decent run AT LEAST once a week - even in cold weather - and get it up to temperature. Other's on this site (Shnozz and Psychobert and RichardR) use theirs daily... ask them for their opinions...
Waxoyl'd... right waxoyl is best described (in non-technical terms) as stuff that stops rust... usually a good sign that it's been cared for. Originally the chassis tubes had plastic over them, but in time this disintegrates... leaving them open to attack by rust. A regular waxoyl helps prevent this.
Nothing is ever 100% reliable... it's mechanical. These cars tend to be better with regular use, and although mine is my second car, I make sure it gets a decent run AT LEAST once a week - even in cold weather - and get it up to temperature. Other's on this site (Shnozz and Psychobert and RichardR) use theirs daily... ask them for their opinions...
Welcome and good luck with your search, this site is invaluable , I suggest you let us know were you are located I am sure that an S owner will be happy to meet you and show you what to look for, what sort of budget do you have, is it a second car ? let us know.
Waxoyl is a trade name for a rust inhibitor and water repellant that should be regularly applied to the chasis which is prone to rust !
Also buy the bible , it tells you all you need to know about running and maintaining the car publoshed by Steve Heath, do a search on this site and you will find him.
Good Luck
Waxoyl is a trade name for a rust inhibitor and water repellant that should be regularly applied to the chasis which is prone to rust !
Also buy the bible , it tells you all you need to know about running and maintaining the car publoshed by Steve Heath, do a search on this site and you will find him.
Good Luck
Hi there,
Probably not quite as cheap to run in maintenance terms as a modern car. But I use mine every day and it certainly seems reliable so far.
You don't have to be a mechanic - I certainly am not. But one of the really enjoyable things about being an enthusiast (besides driving it
)is the increasing mechanical knowledge you gain of the car even if you have no previous aptitude for it. Tragic as it sounds - you'll love your car even more. Ahh - how sweet.
You won't regret buying one - their triffic
!
WG
Probably not quite as cheap to run in maintenance terms as a modern car. But I use mine every day and it certainly seems reliable so far.
You don't have to be a mechanic - I certainly am not. But one of the really enjoyable things about being an enthusiast (besides driving it
)is the increasing mechanical knowledge you gain of the car even if you have no previous aptitude for it. Tragic as it sounds - you'll love your car even more. Ahh - how sweet. You won't regret buying one - their triffic
! WG
Thanks for the replies!
I actually viewed a V8S recently, which seems to be in pretty good nick. Looks and sounds awesome, wee bit quick(!) and a lot more spacious than the Evante I looked at previously
The intention is for it to be a second car during the winter and anytime when fuel economy is paramount and enjoyment of driving isn't!
Thanks to Podie for the offer of a blast, but I'm based in South Wales (bet you'd not have offered if you knew
) Will reciprocate the offer if things go well and I'm passing by your way!
I'll be checking out the car again this weekend, with the subsequent intention of getting the owner to put it through its MOT and me have it independently inspected. More news next week maybe.
Any further 'pointers' in the meantime will all be gratefully received.
Cheers!
:clap
I actually viewed a V8S recently, which seems to be in pretty good nick. Looks and sounds awesome, wee bit quick(!) and a lot more spacious than the Evante I looked at previously
The intention is for it to be a second car during the winter and anytime when fuel economy is paramount and enjoyment of driving isn't!
Thanks to Podie for the offer of a blast, but I'm based in South Wales (bet you'd not have offered if you knew
) Will reciprocate the offer if things go well and I'm passing by your way! I'll be checking out the car again this weekend, with the subsequent intention of getting the owner to put it through its MOT and me have it independently inspected. More news next week maybe.
Any further 'pointers' in the meantime will all be gratefully received.
Cheers!
:clap
chutmun said:
Hello,
I'm new to this lark, and am seriously considering purchasing an S Series.
Therefore I have a number of questions which I'm hoping some good people here wouldn't mind answering?:
What exactly does 'Waxoyled chassis' mean?
I seem to be seeing varying reports regarding the 'notorious' reliability of TVRs. It almost an urban legend, is the truth out there? eg Is it true that 'the later the year, the better the reliability'?
I love the cars I've seen, but want to enjoy owning one rather than rue the day I bought it. To be an enthusiast, does one have to therefore become a part-time mechanic?
Thanks for reading this far; any help would be appreciated.
Waxoyle protects your chassis from rust. My chassis is in good condition and i think this is down to regular waxoyling (annually) which is a case of a quick rub down of any surface rust and a generous application of waxoyle to protect her once again. You can get a garage to do it for about £100 (as I did last year as couldnt be arsed and it was in for a service at the time) or buy a DIY kit for about 25 notes, stick it on axle stands and spray away.
Look for condition of car rather than age. I know Johno and M@H old cars were both old models with fairly high miles. But both cars were fantastic in every respect and really cared for by knowledgeable owners, which means a lot.
I use mine daily and I think it runs better as a result. If I am on holiday for a couple of weeks and she is unused I have noticed she likes a good run and then regular use thereafter. I use it for work, play, posing and took her to le mans this year where she performed faultlessly. She has let me down once, when a feed wire to the coil was buggered and the AA sorted that in 5 minutes. Oh, and you could count the accelerator cable snapping which i replaced at the roadside. (always carry a spare as they are renowned for going on the S!)
I am not a mechanic although have been happy to get my hands dirty and learn from others. Steve Heaths bible has been invaluable, as has this site.
I have come on leaps and bounds now and would be happy to take on more technical jobs.
I wouldnt say you need to be a part time mechanic but you do need to be prepared to get your hands dirty on occasion, certainly if you are using it everyday. An important thing is to keep on top of any maintenance as soon as the problem crops up. That way the car will always be in good reliable shape and avoid any bigger bills. They are reliable fun cars - its a ford lump at the end of the day so even if that goes pop its not going to costs you an arm and a leg for replacement!
Go out and get one and enjoy
edited to say - ah a V8S - replace "ford lump" with "rover lump"
ah...bugger
>> Edited by Shnozz on Thursday 10th July 11:16
Podie said:
Seem to recall there is an S owner your way... can't remember who though... 
Stick up another post and ask!
and as if by magic....
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=47583&f=11&h=0
>> Edited by Shnozz on Thursday 10th July 11:17
Shnozz said:
Oh, and you could count the accelerator cable snapping which i replaced at the roadside. (always carry a spare as they are renowned for going on the S!)
When you say "carry a spare cable" do you mean just the wire, yeah ? Where do I get them - I went into Halfords yesterday and the spotty muppet just looked at me blankly when I asked. Do I have to get a specific type - or is it a case of a cable is a cable ?
Sorry - really dumb question I know !
I imagine I'd need a screwdriver to fit ... any other tools ? (Should look in the bible - but it's at home)
Thanks,
WG
go to the Ford dealers mate - according to the parts list its Motorcraft 6720349. IIRC its for a 2.9 grandada.
its the cable and shroud. The end may need adapting so check it before you break down in the sticks... The throttle arm end is either bolted through (as on mine) or clips on. If its bolted through then you are best advised to pre-drill the spare so the bolt can be pushed through when at the side of the road - rather than having to bore it out with a screw driver as I had to....
only needed a flat head screwdriver and a small adjustable spanner to do mine.
and of course i always carry a small headed phillips screwdriver in the glove box in case i get locked out of the boot......
its the cable and shroud. The end may need adapting so check it before you break down in the sticks... The throttle arm end is either bolted through (as on mine) or clips on. If its bolted through then you are best advised to pre-drill the spare so the bolt can be pushed through when at the side of the road - rather than having to bore it out with a screw driver as I had to....
only needed a flat head screwdriver and a small adjustable spanner to do mine.
and of course i always carry a small headed phillips screwdriver in the glove box in case i get locked out of the boot......
Shnozz said:
go to the Ford dealers mate - according to the parts list its Motorcraft 6720349. IIRC its for a 2.9 grandada.
its the cable and shroud. The end may need adapting so check it before you break down in the sticks... The throttle arm end is either bolted through (as on mine) or clips on. If its bolted through then you are best advised to pre-drill the spare so the bolt can be pushed through when at the side of the road - rather than having to bore it out with a screw driver as I had to....
only needed a flat head screwdriver and a small adjustable spanner to do mine.
and of course i always carry a small headed phillips screwdriver in the glove box in case i get locked out of the boot......
.. or carry one with your AA card and mobile..
WonkyGibbon said:Mine went twice in 3 years, second time I had some zippie ties with me and I managed to tie a loop in the end of the cable then zippie tie it to the throttle assembly. Worked for a few weeks til I got the replacement. R...
Oh, and you could count the accelerator cable snapping which i replaced at the roadside. (always carry a spare as they are renowned for going on the S!)
Just pitchjing in to say mine is an everyday car and apart form the sorts of problems you'd expect on any 12 year old car I can't fault it.. If you don't want large servicing bills, you do need to keep an eye open and sort things as and when they occur. Get it checked out by someone that knows their stuff, and better still buy one with a good, known history.. 
Had 2 S's over a 6 year period as every day cars. 10000 miles per year in Scottish weather, rain and snow. There tends to be a very small number of things go wrong with an S, but these with predictable regularity, namely radiator (25k miles), Clutch master cylinder ('bout the same), steering column bush, oil pressure sender, fuel gauge sender, and thats about it. All the important bits (Engine, transmission etc) are rock solid.
Throttle cable failures on S's are invariably due to setting the pedal too high. Often they are set the same height as the brake which helps heel & toe gearchanges, but causes a very sharp kink in the cable where it goes through the bulkhead. If you set the pedal half, to one inch below the brake as per "normal" cars (a simple adjustment) it shouldn't be a problem.
Waxoyl needs to be applied regularly on the outriggers as abrasion by grit erodes it. I recommend 3 or 4 times during the winter.
For what its worth, 6 years of every day S'ing was so rewarding I sold my S3 a year ago and bought a Griff, which I also use every day.
Throttle cable failures on S's are invariably due to setting the pedal too high. Often they are set the same height as the brake which helps heel & toe gearchanges, but causes a very sharp kink in the cable where it goes through the bulkhead. If you set the pedal half, to one inch below the brake as per "normal" cars (a simple adjustment) it shouldn't be a problem.
Waxoyl needs to be applied regularly on the outriggers as abrasion by grit erodes it. I recommend 3 or 4 times during the winter.
For what its worth, 6 years of every day S'ing was so rewarding I sold my S3 a year ago and bought a Griff, which I also use every day.
Hi Chutmun,
As Podie said, I've used my S as an everyday car since last August and not had any reliability issues with it :toucheswood:. Mine is effectively my company car which can mean longer motorway trips to visit clients etc. which were not quite as comfortable during the winter months as in my previous 'normal' cars! However, getting the roof down and hearing that exhaust note more than compensates for a slight chill on a winter motorway.
I'd definitely recommend seeing if you can meet up with an owner (or a few) to get an idea of what to look out for. I've just been caught out by rotten outriggers which seem so obvious to me now, but which I managed to miss at the time of purchase. Find your nearest TVRCC meeting and go along there - I'm sure you'll be made welcome and pick up a few useful pointers.
Happy hunting!
As Podie said, I've used my S as an everyday car since last August and not had any reliability issues with it :toucheswood:. Mine is effectively my company car which can mean longer motorway trips to visit clients etc. which were not quite as comfortable during the winter months as in my previous 'normal' cars! However, getting the roof down and hearing that exhaust note more than compensates for a slight chill on a winter motorway.
I'd definitely recommend seeing if you can meet up with an owner (or a few) to get an idea of what to look out for. I've just been caught out by rotten outriggers which seem so obvious to me now, but which I managed to miss at the time of purchase. Find your nearest TVRCC meeting and go along there - I'm sure you'll be made welcome and pick up a few useful pointers.
Happy hunting!
Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff