Previously owned (and modified):
"Saab 9000 2.3 Turbo SE - 250hp; Volvo V40 T5 - 260hp, old man estate - boy racer speed; Jaguar 4.2 XKR convertible - gulping gallons to the mile; Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo Plus about 300hp - supercar performance if you could get the power down; Smart ForTwo Brabus 130hp - GTI eating performance through the smallest gaps and recently a Daimler 6.0 V12 Double Six because I needed the number plate for the TVR."
"Mercedes R-Class - the workhorse; Mercedes SLK250 AMG CDI - yes a diesel, but a really good one, and perfect for 'er indoors."
A toybox the envy of any red-blooded PHer!
"Spending my working days as a chauffeur it can be so boring driving all of the silent luxury barges with every conceivable extra from 'radar cruise' to 'time for snooze' assistance, while telling 'er indoors' you've spent all day sitting down and being massaged by a heavyweight leather clad German barge is surely grounds for divorce. I wanted a usable old-school, British sports car that was loud and proud. So it had to be a TVR - and it had to be a wedge. Then the search was on, loads of research, reading forums, posts and reviews to pick the best of the bunch for a usable classic. The 400SE won the day, and after scouring through the ads on 'you guessed it' PistonHeads TiVV as he's now called, was there waiting for me, and with the thick end of £20K spent in the last seven years by the previous owners, he was a bargain at £6,800.
Rawness and brutality at the core of the Wedge's appeal
"There followed a trip to Dorset on a sunny Saturday in August to collect him and then an awesome roof down, first trip back home - 125 miles at GRIN FACTOR 10!"
What I wish I'd known:
"Without being blase, nothing. Months of research and looking for the right car reveals all of the potential problems and letting the previous owners spend all their dosh on it first, puts them right.
Key thing for all TVRs? Check the chassis and outriggers and suspension. The venerable Rover V8 and Ford gearbox are pretty tough, and don't be put off by a few electrical niggles - all part of TVR ownership and there are loads of wedge bibles of information available to help with diagnosis and remedy for any problems. The 400/420/450SE and SEAC still greatly undervalued given their rarity, performance and driving pleasure."
It's a bit uncouth and lairy but that's the point, right?
"The NOISE More NOISE and EVEN MORE NOISE - 110db and it's a real V8 burble together with some true 'non engineered' pops bangs and cackles. It's a real challenge to drive quickly, and it demands respect. TiVV will bite back and hard if you get it even slightly wrong - it has character, big V8 character. People look, people point and when you pull away they all GRIN. Other wedge owners all say the same - it's addictive. TiVV is often with me in Supercar Alley (AKA - the back of Harrods) and he holds his own admirably in the number of looks and noise competitions."
Things I hate:
"Not that much - sticky seats in hot weather, appalling visibility from the door mirrors, all the other niggles of no consequence, given the overall pleasure of ownership."
Should 'new' TVR be taking its inspiration here?
"Is it economical? Stupid question, as it's impossible to drive without always pressing the loud pedal. But in general it's not an expensive car to own. Insurance is only £270 pa, parts are reasonable, and seem to be easily obtainable, and in a year of ownership I've only spent £200 to replace the rear tie rod ends, and it's just sailed through its MoT with a clean bill of health."
Where I've been:
"If it's dry, he comes with me even to Tescos - it's that addictive. We've hit the drag strip at Santa Pod and posted a respectable 14.2, and we often play tag with his garage mate, a Tiger Cat E1 driven by my son. Feeling stressed or depressed? Take a large slice of wedge and GRIN again!"
'The bit most cars see' says our proud owner
"With no plans to sell it, the winter will see a new dashboard installed and the interior refreshed, and then a thorough chassis clean and Waxoyl treatment, and then with the first dry days of spring or even January, we'll be out on the road again, doing our bit for global warming ... and annoying the hell out of the neighbours."
Want to share your car with PHers on Carpool? Email us at carpool@pistonheads.com!