Sell me the T350
Discussion
For years and years I quiety kept an eye on the T350 in the classifieds . I've been 200 miles to look at one and then at the 11th hour backed off. I've test driven a beautiful black one at a dealer but it had an annoying rattle from the dash which they seemed indifferent to put right, so walked away.
I'm really an aircooled Porsche man, but the prices are going mental. so now I'm in the position to sell my 993 and look at something different (and without having to borrow for it, that would be a nono at the moment)... its not my kind of fun to think that a car is becoming valuable so then you shouldnt add miles to it, it takes the fun away.
Hence looking through the classifieds. I want something that isnt 'run of the mill' and low and behold, I'm back after 4 years looking again and again at the T350.
Never owing a TVR, I do wonder about reliability. I drive a couple of thousand miles a time on a couple of trips to Spain and back a year, yet I worry that the 350 might cause trouble. This I freely admit I have only heard in pub talk. So what I'm after is the pros and cons of owning one, and what I should look out for that should have been done to it, or a bargaining tool if it hasn't been done, what extras it should have and is there a good and a bad year to buy etc etc
Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for German levels of engineering, I like the thought the TVR was a handbuilt car and the quikiness that brings, however I havent a bottomless bag of dosh to keep putting one right. Is the engine capable of higher mileage for example? I like driving my weekend toy around 6K miles a year.
Lastly, what do owners think of the Targa? I've heard they can be noisy at speeds above 70 and it can be irrating, is this really the case.
Thanks in advance
I'm really an aircooled Porsche man, but the prices are going mental. so now I'm in the position to sell my 993 and look at something different (and without having to borrow for it, that would be a nono at the moment)... its not my kind of fun to think that a car is becoming valuable so then you shouldnt add miles to it, it takes the fun away.
Hence looking through the classifieds. I want something that isnt 'run of the mill' and low and behold, I'm back after 4 years looking again and again at the T350.
Never owing a TVR, I do wonder about reliability. I drive a couple of thousand miles a time on a couple of trips to Spain and back a year, yet I worry that the 350 might cause trouble. This I freely admit I have only heard in pub talk. So what I'm after is the pros and cons of owning one, and what I should look out for that should have been done to it, or a bargaining tool if it hasn't been done, what extras it should have and is there a good and a bad year to buy etc etc
Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for German levels of engineering, I like the thought the TVR was a handbuilt car and the quikiness that brings, however I havent a bottomless bag of dosh to keep putting one right. Is the engine capable of higher mileage for example? I like driving my weekend toy around 6K miles a year.
Lastly, what do owners think of the Targa? I've heard they can be noisy at speeds above 70 and it can be irrating, is this really the case.
Thanks in advance
Edited by Wozy68 on Wednesday 17th September 15:09
Firstly put aside any pre judged ideas about reliability, if they are used and looked after TVRs are reliable.
We have done many trips into Europe and apart from broken throttle cables and failed fuses have not had any problems.
The speed six engine had some problems in its early life with poor quality components but from late 2004 those were sorted.
Early cars which have racked up the miles shouldn't be any more of a problem than anything else, an early car with few miles or few miles since an pre 2005 rebuild would be worth getting checked by a specialist.
All our TVRs did reasonable mileages with no major problems, when the Sag was sold at 50,000 miles Dom at Power was quite happy putting a warranty on it. I think the speed six improves with miles.
I would look to get a 2005 as the build quality seemed better, don't worry about mileage but buy on condition, there are many high milers that have been well cared for and represent good value.
Talk to the specialists as they will know the history of most cars on the market.
I haven't owned a targa but have driven quite a few and while they have more wind noise than the coupe if the panels are fitted correctly then it is not intrusive.
Think you will enjoy one of the speed six cars, great but often maligned engine with good handling and lots of character.
We have done many trips into Europe and apart from broken throttle cables and failed fuses have not had any problems.
The speed six engine had some problems in its early life with poor quality components but from late 2004 those were sorted.
Early cars which have racked up the miles shouldn't be any more of a problem than anything else, an early car with few miles or few miles since an pre 2005 rebuild would be worth getting checked by a specialist.
All our TVRs did reasonable mileages with no major problems, when the Sag was sold at 50,000 miles Dom at Power was quite happy putting a warranty on it. I think the speed six improves with miles.
I would look to get a 2005 as the build quality seemed better, don't worry about mileage but buy on condition, there are many high milers that have been well cared for and represent good value.
Talk to the specialists as they will know the history of most cars on the market.
I haven't owned a targa but have driven quite a few and while they have more wind noise than the coupe if the panels are fitted correctly then it is not intrusive.
Think you will enjoy one of the speed six cars, great but often maligned engine with good handling and lots of character.
Laser Sag said:
Firstly put aside any pre judged ideas about reliability, if they are used and looked after TVRs are reliable.
We have done many trips into Europe and apart from broken throttle cables and failed fuses have not had any problems.
The speed six engine had some problems in its early life with poor quality components but from late 2004 those were sorted.
Early cars which have racked up the miles shouldn't be any more of a problem than anything else, an early car with few miles or few miles since an pre 2005 rebuild would be worth getting checked by a specialist.
All our TVRs did reasonable mileages with no major problems, when the Sag was sold at 50,000 miles Dom at Power was quite happy putting a warranty on it. I think the speed six improves with miles.
I would look to get a 2005 as the build quality seemed better, don't worry about mileage but buy on condition, there are many high milers that have been well cared for and represent good value.
Talk to the specialists as they will know the history of most cars on the market.
I haven't owned a targa but have driven quite a few and while they have more wind noise than the coupe if the panels are fitted correctly then it is not intrusive.
Think you will enjoy one of the speed six cars, great but often maligned engine with good handling and lots of character.
I second what this man says! A good well cared for TVR is a great car.We have done many trips into Europe and apart from broken throttle cables and failed fuses have not had any problems.
The speed six engine had some problems in its early life with poor quality components but from late 2004 those were sorted.
Early cars which have racked up the miles shouldn't be any more of a problem than anything else, an early car with few miles or few miles since an pre 2005 rebuild would be worth getting checked by a specialist.
All our TVRs did reasonable mileages with no major problems, when the Sag was sold at 50,000 miles Dom at Power was quite happy putting a warranty on it. I think the speed six improves with miles.
I would look to get a 2005 as the build quality seemed better, don't worry about mileage but buy on condition, there are many high milers that have been well cared for and represent good value.
Talk to the specialists as they will know the history of most cars on the market.
I haven't owned a targa but have driven quite a few and while they have more wind noise than the coupe if the panels are fitted correctly then it is not intrusive.
Think you will enjoy one of the speed six cars, great but often maligned engine with good handling and lots of character.
TVRs have rattles and bangs. Mr Varley went through their Sag with a fine tooth toothcombe to elimante the rattles. This was not an uncumbersome task.
As above, buy on condition. They are quirky, but not overly complicated.
One golden, never ignore, must do rule is to warm the engine properly before giving it the lead foot. The S6 engine can get lunched very quickly if not allowed to warm up properly.
Another piece of advice universally given is to ensure you either have or have access to the money for an S6 rebuild.
Buying from the specialist dealers comes with usable warranties, one a 2 year warranty. Comes at a premium though.
As for the model itself. I think they're beaut. Although, watch you head on the roll cage as you get in and out.
As above, buy on condition. They are quirky, but not overly complicated.
One golden, never ignore, must do rule is to warm the engine properly before giving it the lead foot. The S6 engine can get lunched very quickly if not allowed to warm up properly.
Another piece of advice universally given is to ensure you either have or have access to the money for an S6 rebuild.
Buying from the specialist dealers comes with usable warranties, one a 2 year warranty. Comes at a premium though.
As for the model itself. I think they're beaut. Although, watch you head on the roll cage as you get in and out.
TomokoGlennieSan said:
Laser Sag said:
Firstly put aside any pre judged ideas about reliability, if they are used and looked after TVRs are reliable.
We have done many trips into Europe and apart from broken throttle cables and failed fuses have not had any problems.
The speed six engine had some problems in its early life with poor quality components but from late 2004 those were sorted.
Early cars which have racked up the miles shouldn't be any more of a problem than anything else, an early car with few miles or few miles since an pre 2005 rebuild would be worth getting checked by a specialist.
All our TVRs did reasonable mileages with no major problems, when the Sag was sold at 50,000 miles Dom at Power was quite happy putting a warranty on it. I think the speed six improves with miles.
I would look to get a 2005 as the build quality seemed better, don't worry about mileage but buy on condition, there are many high milers that have been well cared for and represent good value.
Talk to the specialists as they will know the history of most cars on the market.
I haven't owned a targa but have driven quite a few and while they have more wind noise than the coupe if the panels are fitted correctly then it is not intrusive.
Think you will enjoy one of the speed six cars, great but often maligned engine with good handling and lots of character.
I second what this man says! A good well cared for TVR is a great car.We have done many trips into Europe and apart from broken throttle cables and failed fuses have not had any problems.
The speed six engine had some problems in its early life with poor quality components but from late 2004 those were sorted.
Early cars which have racked up the miles shouldn't be any more of a problem than anything else, an early car with few miles or few miles since an pre 2005 rebuild would be worth getting checked by a specialist.
All our TVRs did reasonable mileages with no major problems, when the Sag was sold at 50,000 miles Dom at Power was quite happy putting a warranty on it. I think the speed six improves with miles.
I would look to get a 2005 as the build quality seemed better, don't worry about mileage but buy on condition, there are many high milers that have been well cared for and represent good value.
Talk to the specialists as they will know the history of most cars on the market.
I haven't owned a targa but have driven quite a few and while they have more wind noise than the coupe if the panels are fitted correctly then it is not intrusive.
Think you will enjoy one of the speed six cars, great but often maligned engine with good handling and lots of character.
I have a T350 with TVR Powers 4.5 and a few nice upgrades bigger brakes, Gaz Monotubes shocks and a few other little bits and pieces and love it, just going in for its first 6000 miles service, it sits on the motorway at 80 mph and just purrs along and no rattles or squeaks and comfortable but when you push the loud pedal she just flys, around town it's a joy to drive as well no dramas no worries about over heating as you get with other cars, hardly uses any oil or water so just like an everyday car with more power, she has 414bhp and 368lb of torque so a wide range to play with, been to France three times now and never missed a beat, I get in the car and look forward to driving it abroad and the same when I get on track
Tbh, I think with tvrs you either get it or don't. Usually just the look and noise of them is enough to convince most owners, if not then a quick drive soon convinces them. If you've drove a nice one but a little rattle has put you off I'm not 100% sure a hand built tvr is for you, especially if your coming from the Germany half.
The only olus side is if you do buy ine and look after it it shouldn't really lose value so not too much risk in trying one! I like my friends 911 but just doesn't get my heart going like the tvr does, these are cars you have to buy and run with your heart rather than your head imo.
The only olus side is if you do buy ine and look after it it shouldn't really lose value so not too much risk in trying one! I like my friends 911 but just doesn't get my heart going like the tvr does, these are cars you have to buy and run with your heart rather than your head imo.
Been through quite a few TVRs now and none have ever really let me down and left me by the side of the road in a panic!
Moved up from a Tuscan and brought a 2006 T350T from new which was actually a late 2004 car.
Totally different car to drive from the Tuscan but in a good way. It felt more stable and planted on the road but still responded well being a 3.6
I believe you should make sure you get one with Air con if you can, even if you can pop off the roof
I took mine to Paris several times actually as a mix with business/pleasure, preferred the thought of the TVR over the plane and it was well worth it!
Targa Panels are great off and you can have them off most of the time as you get little wind or air disruption in the cabin, however i did find that they were noisy when fitted over 70-80 mph..or so!
Only sold the T350 to get a Sag but still see my old one around the streets of Essex with a big grin on the owners face..
portzi said:
I am not a T car owner, but agree with everything that has been said. I have noticed on the less technological advanced tvr's that owners do most of the work. That's fine up to a certain point. But a tvr specific specialist will find diagnose faults far better than us so l would be very wary of any car that has their owners working on them too much without any specialist servicings!!
This I'm afraid, is completely wrong IMHO.Maybe with the later T cars, I don't know them or how much they need specialist servicing, but with the RV8 based cars or even earlier they are eminently serviceable by a good DIY mechanic and there are a lot of cars out there whIch are being fantastically maintained by home mechanics, with or without occasional help by specialists.
I got tired of paying £500 every time my car visited a garage and have maintained it myself for 10 years. I'd challenge anyone to find a Griff which has been better looked after.
I admit I'm biased as a DIY mechanic, but I would without a doubt be more interested in a car which has been maintained by someone who knows every nut and bolt of their car than someone who turns up the radio to drown out the rattles until they have the money to take it to someone.
A specialist service history isn't the be all and end all and if I ever sell my TVR I will be very picky about who buys it
Wozy68 said:
Is the engine capable of higher mileage for example? I like driving my weekend toy around 6K miles a year.
I share your view on owning a car which is going up in value rapidly and it taking some of the enjoyment out of ownership. I think if my TVR were all of a sudden to be worth double the price I paid I would certainly think twice before doing track days and putting lots of miles on etc which in turn would result in me not enjoying it is much. Fortunately no danger of that at present. I have noticed the prices of air-cooled pork rapidly on the up and rightly so, the last of the proper 911s IMO.In response your query about mileage you may be interested in this:
http://www.powersperformance.co.uk/news/slug/200k-...
I have a Griff but I think the T350 is absolutely stunning and if I could have a second TVR that would be it. I personally would go for the Coupe and not the Targa as I am not sold on the Targa idea, I would rather have a full convertible or a proper hard top, I also know a couple of owners who have sealed theirs up due to leaking and / or wind noise. I also know a few T350 owners who love their Taragas and have the roof panels out at every opportunity. I don't know much about the Targa so there may be an easy fix for the leaking and wind noise so do a bit of research on it before you buy.
Barreti said:
portzi said:
I am not a T car owner, but agree with everything that has been said. I have noticed on the less technological advanced tvr's that owners do most of the work. That's fine up to a certain point. But a tvr specific specialist will find diagnose faults far better than us so l would be very wary of any car that has their owners working on them too much without any specialist servicings!!
This I'm afraid, is completely wrong IMHO.Maybe with the later T cars, I don't know them or how much they need specialist servicing, but with the RV8 based cars or even earlier they are eminently serviceable by a good DIY mechanic and there are a lot of cars out there whIch are being fantastically maintained by home mechanics, with or without occasional help by specialists.
I got tired of paying £500 every time my car visited a garage and have maintained it myself for 10 years. I'd challenge anyone to find a Griff which has been better looked after.
I admit I'm biased as a DIY mechanic, but I would without a doubt be more interested in a car which has been maintained by someone who knows every nut and bolt of their car than someone who turns up the radio to drown out the rattles until they have the money to take it to someone.
A specialist service history isn't the be all and end all and if I ever sell my TVR I will be very picky about who buys it
Wozy68 said:
Thanks guys its very much appreciated. I like the idea of having to warm through the engine before driving off , all part of the experience to me.
Interesting ref post 2004 model as well. I guess if it was built earlier, but engine rebuilt post 2004 the engine should be better!!
Don't do that if you get one mind. Get in it and drive off don't leave it idling.Interesting ref post 2004 model as well. I guess if it was built earlier, but engine rebuilt post 2004 the engine should be better!!
Think Barreti's picked up the wrong end of the stick with the servicing. I wouldn't touch a T car that had been serviced by it's owner.
eta agree with everything Lasersag says in his post
Dash pod died after I left the garage (next time it was started up) frown ... waiting for Paul Smith to fix it, for a second time after I fried the dash ecu by connecting the battery with ign on... Its one of those very testing tvr owning times at the moment... frown
Hopefully it will come back with a silver lining, in the form of decent ride quality at low speed. The nitrons do work very good at speed, but you cannae drive everywhere like that just to smooth the bumps!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
just a little food for thought reading this thread and how an ex factory specialist can help just a little bit every now and then
Hopefully it will come back with a silver lining, in the form of decent ride quality at low speed. The nitrons do work very good at speed, but you cannae drive everywhere like that just to smooth the bumps!
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
just a little food for thought reading this thread and how an ex factory specialist can help just a little bit every now and then
ray von said:
Wozy68 said:
Thanks guys its very much appreciated. I like the idea of having to warm through the engine before driving off , all part of the experience to me.
Interesting ref post 2004 model as well. I guess if it was built earlier, but engine rebuilt post 2004 the engine should be better!!
Don't do that if you get one mind. Get in it and drive off don't leave it idling.Interesting ref post 2004 model as well. I guess if it was built earlier, but engine rebuilt post 2004 the engine should be better!!
Think Barreti's picked up the wrong end of the stick with the servicing. I wouldn't touch a T car that had been serviced by it's owner.
eta agree with everything Lasersag says in his post
Mark
Barreti said:
This I'm afraid, is completely wrong IMHO.
A specialist service history isn't the be all and end all
I must agree with this. Too many people get caught up in this 'full service history with 17 stamps in 12 years' nonsense. I have had cars with 60k purporting to show a full dealer service history but on dismantling the car the original filters other than the oil filter were still in place (BMW). My Aston had a full dealer then specialist service history. Auto-box dangerously overfilled, air filter thrown behind the wheel arch liner and not attached to anything, oil never changed in the supercharger etc.A specialist service history isn't the be all and end all
My Cerb has a million service stamps mostly TVR/Specialist and looking at the invoices can clearly see the previous owner was ripped off by a well known specialist.
I was regularly offered oil, filters, brake fluid, plugs, gearbox oil etc etc for a 'good price' by a tech at a Vauxhall dealer. They didn't change the parts because they saved time and earned bonus. The list goes on.
I service my Cerb and replace the gearbox oil and diff oil every time along with the mundane stuff. So while it is your choice where you have your car serviced, there are those of us out there who do in fact do the job properly, just like Barreti.
its like any other car, look after it and it will look after you.
I service my sagaris myself each winter and then take it to Str8six each spring for a check over and geo set up and mot, I get my work checked over as I don't know everything like the str8six guys do, and its worth it for piece of mind as well.
as for warm up procedure leaving the engine idling on the drive is not a good thing, drive it gently until the oil temps come up.
I took part in the rally for heroes this year, 3000 miles in 9 days around Europe and she never missed a beat.
I service my sagaris myself each winter and then take it to Str8six each spring for a check over and geo set up and mot, I get my work checked over as I don't know everything like the str8six guys do, and its worth it for piece of mind as well.
as for warm up procedure leaving the engine idling on the drive is not a good thing, drive it gently until the oil temps come up.
I took part in the rally for heroes this year, 3000 miles in 9 days around Europe and she never missed a beat.
N7GTX said:
Barreti said:
This I'm afraid, is completely wrong IMHO.
A specialist service history isn't the be all and end all
I must agree with this. Too many people get caught up in this 'full service history with 17 stamps in 12 years' nonsense. I have had cars with 60k purporting to show a full dealer service history but on dismantling the car the original filters other than the oil filter were still in place (BMW). My Aston had a full dealer then specialist service history. Auto-box dangerously overfilled, air filter thrown behind the wheel arch liner and not attached to anything, oil never changed in the supercharger etc.A specialist service history isn't the be all and end all
My Cerb has a million service stamps mostly TVR/Specialist and looking at the invoices can clearly see the previous owner was ripped off by a well known specialist.
I was regularly offered oil, filters, brake fluid, plugs, gearbox oil etc etc for a 'good price' by a tech at a Vauxhall dealer. They didn't change the parts because they saved time and earned bonus. The list goes on.
I service my Cerb and replace the gearbox oil and diff oil every time along with the mundane stuff. So while it is your choice where you have your car serviced, there are those of us out there who do in fact do the job properly, just like Barreti.
Edited by portzi on Thursday 18th September 11:51
Gassing Station | General TVR Stuff & Gossip | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff