Hello from a new T350 owner!
Discussion
Hi all
Long time lurker on PH, but finally have a car worthy of sharing! I should probably start by thanking all the regular posters here - searching through previous posts have certainly helped with buying and getting the right garage to look it over etc.
Having completed my PhD at the end of the summer and finally left what seemed like eternal studentdom for a decent job (that I don't need to commute to by car), I decided it was time to invest in something to keep me entertained at the weekend and over the odd euro-trip.
I'd hankered after a Tuscan for years, but prices kept creeping up towards T350 money which were still just out of reach budget-wise...then one day I saw a very well priced (if rather under-described) T350 appear for sale in Ireland. After a long chat with the owner a deal was done and I flew from Manchester to Dublin to collect the car.
The ferry and drive back were interesting to say the least. Plenty of rain and a not-very-well-setup set on Nitrons (and some terrible rear tyres) made my first proper drive in a TVR one to remember!
As soon as it got home I had it taken over to TrackvRoad for a thorough going over and recommissioning. I was expecting a fairly hefty bill (the price I ended up paying for the car was just too good to resist despite the work needed), but not quite the extensive list that was presented
. Still, even with all that work completed I know it'll be a well sorted car that still comes out cheaper than the others on the market (which were out of my budget anyway). It's had some accident damage repaired in the past which I knew about - I decided I'd rather have a car that I wasn't afraid to drive and put miles on that end up with a garage queen so that's fine by me.
I'd be interested to hear if anyone knows the history of the car? SN03 BFA has spent a couple of years driving round Ireland, but was in England before that.
Anyway, apologies for the long post - hopefully I'll be getting the car back mid-Jan, so until then I'm keeping myself entertained on PH!
Obligatory picture (apologies for the number plate...that's how I collected the car - they'll be getting changed!):
Long time lurker on PH, but finally have a car worthy of sharing! I should probably start by thanking all the regular posters here - searching through previous posts have certainly helped with buying and getting the right garage to look it over etc.
Having completed my PhD at the end of the summer and finally left what seemed like eternal studentdom for a decent job (that I don't need to commute to by car), I decided it was time to invest in something to keep me entertained at the weekend and over the odd euro-trip.
I'd hankered after a Tuscan for years, but prices kept creeping up towards T350 money which were still just out of reach budget-wise...then one day I saw a very well priced (if rather under-described) T350 appear for sale in Ireland. After a long chat with the owner a deal was done and I flew from Manchester to Dublin to collect the car.
The ferry and drive back were interesting to say the least. Plenty of rain and a not-very-well-setup set on Nitrons (and some terrible rear tyres) made my first proper drive in a TVR one to remember!
As soon as it got home I had it taken over to TrackvRoad for a thorough going over and recommissioning. I was expecting a fairly hefty bill (the price I ended up paying for the car was just too good to resist despite the work needed), but not quite the extensive list that was presented
. Still, even with all that work completed I know it'll be a well sorted car that still comes out cheaper than the others on the market (which were out of my budget anyway). It's had some accident damage repaired in the past which I knew about - I decided I'd rather have a car that I wasn't afraid to drive and put miles on that end up with a garage queen so that's fine by me.I'd be interested to hear if anyone knows the history of the car? SN03 BFA has spent a couple of years driving round Ireland, but was in England before that.
Anyway, apologies for the long post - hopefully I'll be getting the car back mid-Jan, so until then I'm keeping myself entertained on PH!
Obligatory picture (apologies for the number plate...that's how I collected the car - they'll be getting changed!):
Nothing that unusual looking at common T-car problems, just happens to all come at the same time!
The main one I knew about was the digital read-out having failed on the dash - suspected dash-ECU issue. That's off to Paul Smith via TrackvRoad shortly (and is the main thing stopping the car being ready).
The things I wasn't aware of until I got there:
- Small hole in the rad and sluggish radiator fans. Possibly due to refitting ones that had been damaged after it had it's knock. Getting swapped out for an ally rad and uprated fans
- Terrible ditch-finders on the rear and badly setup suspension. I knew the old rears were low after talking to the previous owner - his answer was to fit the cheapest tyres he could find. Definitely no good in the wet! So they're getting swapped out and a full geo done - not cheap!
Other than that it's lots of little niggles like bushes, alternator belts, door rubbers etc. that all add up. A lot of it (like removing and refitting the rad) is the labour cost more than anything. But TrackvRoad have proved great so far and happy to talk over everything on the phone and explain what needs doing and what can be left for another time.
My main concern was the engine, but the cars done a genuine 10k miles in its lifetime and had a clean bill of health from the garage so I'm happy there. They've said that in some places the car pretty much looks brand new so I'm happy. Plus as I said, at least when I get it back I'll know it should be spot-on for quite some time.
The main one I knew about was the digital read-out having failed on the dash - suspected dash-ECU issue. That's off to Paul Smith via TrackvRoad shortly (and is the main thing stopping the car being ready).
The things I wasn't aware of until I got there:
- Small hole in the rad and sluggish radiator fans. Possibly due to refitting ones that had been damaged after it had it's knock. Getting swapped out for an ally rad and uprated fans
- Terrible ditch-finders on the rear and badly setup suspension. I knew the old rears were low after talking to the previous owner - his answer was to fit the cheapest tyres he could find. Definitely no good in the wet! So they're getting swapped out and a full geo done - not cheap!
Other than that it's lots of little niggles like bushes, alternator belts, door rubbers etc. that all add up. A lot of it (like removing and refitting the rad) is the labour cost more than anything. But TrackvRoad have proved great so far and happy to talk over everything on the phone and explain what needs doing and what can be left for another time.
My main concern was the engine, but the cars done a genuine 10k miles in its lifetime and had a clean bill of health from the garage so I'm happy there. They've said that in some places the car pretty much looks brand new so I'm happy. Plus as I said, at least when I get it back I'll know it should be spot-on for quite some time.
robsco said:
Track V Road will look after you. Craig and the boys know their way around a TVR. If you head over there, please give my stricken yellow Cerb a tap on the rump!
They certainly have done so far! I'll be sure to say hello 
. What work is it in there getting done?billynobrakes said:
Sounds like you got a bargain, sometimes its better that way and you have put all the wrongs right and rescued a T350 and it will be up and running in good shape, just don,t ask me what I have done to mine, just get out and enjoy 
If nothing else too serious happens I think it'll still count as a bargain, but you're right I don't begrudge spending the cash to get another T350 back on the road!SergSC said:
Consider yourself lucky smile
While I was at TvR last summer for my 12k there was a T350 just in for inspection (The owner had just bought it from elsewhere). Absolutely mint condition body work and interior... most people would have bought it on sight.
Underneath the condition was the polar opposite. Shocking condition, chassis was rusted/rotten to ****, brake discs ****ed, brake fluid leak had stripped the powder coat in chassis bits under the cylinder... etc, etc. The list was enormous and we all felt very sorry for the guy who bought it. We concluded it must have lived very close to the ocean.
They made a point of showing it to me when I asked about my car, which was the inverse... mint chassis, well running etc, but crap exterior, really crap interior (taking car of all things mechanical before I go there).
On that day I learned in the most graphic way possible to never ever buy a car without looking underneath, no matter how good the exterior/interior.
I definitely agree with that! Mine is lucky enough to be solid chassis wise, but there were a few bits I might have noticed had I properly got underneath the car. TvR commented that the bodywork had all been done really well, it was just the mechanical stuff that looked like it had been done by somebody who didn't know their way around a TVR. I almost feel sorry for the bloke I got it from - got a huge folder of receipts for parts from Racing Green and labour from a garage in Ireland, they just obviously weren't putting it all together that well! I think we're lucky to have so many specialists kicking around in the North West...While I was at TvR last summer for my 12k there was a T350 just in for inspection (The owner had just bought it from elsewhere). Absolutely mint condition body work and interior... most people would have bought it on sight.
Underneath the condition was the polar opposite. Shocking condition, chassis was rusted/rotten to ****, brake discs ****ed, brake fluid leak had stripped the powder coat in chassis bits under the cylinder... etc, etc. The list was enormous and we all felt very sorry for the guy who bought it. We concluded it must have lived very close to the ocean.
They made a point of showing it to me when I asked about my car, which was the inverse... mint chassis, well running etc, but crap exterior, really crap interior (taking car of all things mechanical before I go there).
On that day I learned in the most graphic way possible to never ever buy a car without looking underneath, no matter how good the exterior/interior.
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