i have been offered a cheap tasmin........
Discussion
info as follows,
TVR Tasmin 280i. Dry stored in a barn for a few years and just been re-discovered. Needs minor welding to chassis, a gamble on the state of the engine (Ford V6)
Suspension allegedly very good, as are wheels and tyres. Requires minor cosmetics
havent seen it yet but its in northampton. are there any owners in that area of the country who could come and have a look at it with me. I should know if its still available tomorrow.....
TVR Tasmin 280i. Dry stored in a barn for a few years and just been re-discovered. Needs minor welding to chassis, a gamble on the state of the engine (Ford V6)
Suspension allegedly very good, as are wheels and tyres. Requires minor cosmetics
havent seen it yet but its in northampton. are there any owners in that area of the country who could come and have a look at it with me. I should know if its still available tomorrow.....
It might be worth a bit more as a drophead than a fixed head. It'll only be REALLY worth money if it's a tidy, low mileage car, maybe if it was owned by a celeb and you like that sort of thing.
I sold my 1980 Series 1 fixed-head in 2001 for £2000. That was a useable car, with a recent £800 paint job, mostly original and unbutchered, with the chassis sill rails replaced and an unleaded engine. It was 21 years old and had 105000 miles on it. Fundamentally it was a good car, probably not worth throwing big money at but still worth saving.
If you can get it cheaply enough, ANY Tasmin is worth having. Bear in mind I was looking at a Lotus Esprit for £1500, with full chassis refurb (a new chassis is £1850 for an Esprit, probably about the same for a Tasmin) and the 2.2 Esprit is generally held in higher regard than the Tasmin (at least the 2.8 versions), then it had better be CHEAP.
Of course if you're like me and have masochistic mechanicing tendencies, then you have to weigh up how much you can do yourself to a reasonable standard to get (and keep) the car rolling. If you have to put it into a garage for every little thing, and if you need to have the chassis repairs done, you may be better off looking for a better car (maybe even a V8).
If you CAN do your own spannering, there is a wealth of info around on Pistonheads and elsewhere to help you out.
Best of luck!
Regards Ian
I sold my 1980 Series 1 fixed-head in 2001 for £2000. That was a useable car, with a recent £800 paint job, mostly original and unbutchered, with the chassis sill rails replaced and an unleaded engine. It was 21 years old and had 105000 miles on it. Fundamentally it was a good car, probably not worth throwing big money at but still worth saving.
If you can get it cheaply enough, ANY Tasmin is worth having. Bear in mind I was looking at a Lotus Esprit for £1500, with full chassis refurb (a new chassis is £1850 for an Esprit, probably about the same for a Tasmin) and the 2.2 Esprit is generally held in higher regard than the Tasmin (at least the 2.8 versions), then it had better be CHEAP.
Of course if you're like me and have masochistic mechanicing tendencies, then you have to weigh up how much you can do yourself to a reasonable standard to get (and keep) the car rolling. If you have to put it into a garage for every little thing, and if you need to have the chassis repairs done, you may be better off looking for a better car (maybe even a V8).
If you CAN do your own spannering, there is a wealth of info around on Pistonheads and elsewhere to help you out.
Best of luck!
Regards Ian
Depends how cheap.
I got a tatty but running 350i drop head for £750!!
I also sold one which was similar to the above but good chassis/hood/paint for £1950.
A runnig but needing the interior doing 280i FHC went on e bay for £1,150 recently and it had a TVR plate.
I bought a 280i FHC about 3 years back which was complete but in need of serious TLC (welding, interior tidy-up, underbonnet sort out, etc, etc) - It had stood in a barn for 11 years. I bought it for £400 - it's now being used in the Tasmin race series.
I hope this helps.
Garry
I got a tatty but running 350i drop head for £750!!
I also sold one which was similar to the above but good chassis/hood/paint for £1950.
A runnig but needing the interior doing 280i FHC went on e bay for £1,150 recently and it had a TVR plate.
I bought a 280i FHC about 3 years back which was complete but in need of serious TLC (welding, interior tidy-up, underbonnet sort out, etc, etc) - It had stood in a barn for 11 years. I bought it for £400 - it's now being used in the Tasmin race series.
I hope this helps.
Garry
I recently paid 600 quid for another barn find...
a plate rag top, interior trashed ( got damp when the roof came off the barn) and the hood needs replacing, engine turns over fine, even the electric windows and lights work.
we've since had a poke about and the chassis is percect..
G
a plate rag top, interior trashed ( got damp when the roof came off the barn) and the hood needs replacing, engine turns over fine, even the electric windows and lights work.
we've since had a poke about and the chassis is percect..
G
i have some more details and a photo from the seller. its too big a task for me unfortunately but if there are any masochists out there who fancy a project I will be happy to forward the photo and the sellers name and number on.... here are a few more details about the car.....I kind of get the impression he isnt too much of a car enthusiast 
its a bit cruel but it made me chuckle!
1. TVR Tasmin 280i. So this is the Ford V6 engine, I think its fuel injected (but not 100% sure), not sure if its auto or manual, but if I had to chose I would say manual.
2. The engine won't have run for some years, and was reportedly a bit ropey when last run, so there's a gamble.
3. The exterior bodywork needs a bit of work to chase out the crazing on the front after a bump and to fill and repaint, or to ignore - you know how fibreglass cracks in lots of directions when bashed. Otherwise it looks ok, but I didn't go round the back of the car.
4. The suspension has been rebuilt so "is like new". But that was before the car was left standing for another 5 or 10 years, so its probably not new anymore despite being unused.
6. Wheels and tyres all look good.
7. Interior all looked there, and I've seen far worse, but some bits need putting back in the right place. Not exactly sure why some bits were out, there may be something to do with the gearbox tunnel / gear lever position.
8. The chassis may need minor welding.
9. Its stored a few miles south of Northampton.
10. There is no number plate on the car, but despite this he probably has the proper paperwork.
11. I don't know the mileage or age.
its a bit cruel but it made me chuckle! 1. TVR Tasmin 280i. So this is the Ford V6 engine, I think its fuel injected (but not 100% sure), not sure if its auto or manual, but if I had to chose I would say manual.
2. The engine won't have run for some years, and was reportedly a bit ropey when last run, so there's a gamble.
3. The exterior bodywork needs a bit of work to chase out the crazing on the front after a bump and to fill and repaint, or to ignore - you know how fibreglass cracks in lots of directions when bashed. Otherwise it looks ok, but I didn't go round the back of the car.
4. The suspension has been rebuilt so "is like new". But that was before the car was left standing for another 5 or 10 years, so its probably not new anymore despite being unused.
6. Wheels and tyres all look good.
7. Interior all looked there, and I've seen far worse, but some bits need putting back in the right place. Not exactly sure why some bits were out, there may be something to do with the gearbox tunnel / gear lever position.
8. The chassis may need minor welding.
9. Its stored a few miles south of Northampton.
10. There is no number plate on the car, but despite this he probably has the proper paperwork.
11. I don't know the mileage or age.
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