New(ish) owner saying hello
Discussion
Hi all,
So yes, I bought an 89 S2 back in October, my first TVR and first classic sports car. It was on Autotrader and one or two may have seen it at the time.... (It's S2 number 42 on the owners list that Tom Traynor owned a few years back)
The drive home was good, roof panels stowed in boot, rear section up, dry sunny Sunday afternoon down the A5 back to Milton Keynes where I live (any MK'ers on here?). Car seemed pretty good, both when I viewed it and the drive back, of course it needs bits and pieces doing as I expected.
First thing was to replace the cracked orange front lenses (with BMW smaller smoked versions that match the smoked sides and green rear taillights). A week later I had it up on ramps doing an oil and filter change, had a much closer feel around the chassis (which looked ok when I visually inspected it) when my finger created this....
So I swiftly stuck it in Salford Service Centre for a full independent inspection, with the result being it requires a body off chassis restoration. The top corners of the outriggers are going and other areas look worse for wear. So I now face the dilemma of get it restored or sell it? Shame as the rest of the car is either good or very good. I've spoken at length with the known specialists who can do the full body off restoration so know exactly what is involved and what it will cost. One big question is at what point in the future will a V6 S become valuable and collectable? 5, 10 years? Longer?
Anyhoo, hello to all. Will spend some time reading up on here and if any MK (or nearby) S owners ever have a mini meet someone please let me know :-)
So yes, I bought an 89 S2 back in October, my first TVR and first classic sports car. It was on Autotrader and one or two may have seen it at the time.... (It's S2 number 42 on the owners list that Tom Traynor owned a few years back)
The drive home was good, roof panels stowed in boot, rear section up, dry sunny Sunday afternoon down the A5 back to Milton Keynes where I live (any MK'ers on here?). Car seemed pretty good, both when I viewed it and the drive back, of course it needs bits and pieces doing as I expected.
First thing was to replace the cracked orange front lenses (with BMW smaller smoked versions that match the smoked sides and green rear taillights). A week later I had it up on ramps doing an oil and filter change, had a much closer feel around the chassis (which looked ok when I visually inspected it) when my finger created this....
So I swiftly stuck it in Salford Service Centre for a full independent inspection, with the result being it requires a body off chassis restoration. The top corners of the outriggers are going and other areas look worse for wear. So I now face the dilemma of get it restored or sell it? Shame as the rest of the car is either good or very good. I've spoken at length with the known specialists who can do the full body off restoration so know exactly what is involved and what it will cost. One big question is at what point in the future will a V6 S become valuable and collectable? 5, 10 years? Longer?
Anyhoo, hello to all. Will spend some time reading up on here and if any MK (or nearby) S owners ever have a mini meet someone please let me know :-)
If you're not looking to do the work (or some of it) yourself it may be as well to cut your losses and sell "as is".
Maybe worth about £2000 now, another £3000+ to sort, will it sell for over £5000 when done?
(very general figures, obviously I don't know the condition of the rest of the car and once the body is off other issues are bound to appear)
but if your plan is to keep and enjoy it for some years get the cheque book out, get it sorted and enjoy
Well she looks a very nice car and if it’s the outriggers that are the main problem then there are many threads on here and info on other sites about doing a body lift and chassis restore
Depends on your level of spanner knowledge and if you have the garage space really, a year ago when I got mine I knew nothing at all… now, with the knowledge base and help available here etc. I’d have a go… (maybe)
If you are going to pay a garage to do it then it comes down to enjoyment v’s cost and everyone’s different in how they evaluate that.. will they go up in valve? Your guess is a good as mine, I would say that they are undervalued right now
Depends on your level of spanner knowledge and if you have the garage space really, a year ago when I got mine I knew nothing at all… now, with the knowledge base and help available here etc. I’d have a go… (maybe)
If you are going to pay a garage to do it then it comes down to enjoyment v’s cost and everyone’s different in how they evaluate that.. will they go up in valve? Your guess is a good as mine, I would say that they are undervalued right now
Hi Andrew , another avenue you could go down , which could save you thousands , a sort of halfway repair ... Do a partial body lift on your driveway 2 to 4 inches ... What you would have to do is grind and wire brush and cut out any rust ... Then get a mobile welder to repair the holes and replace out rigger tubes .. And then repaint chassis by hand ... You would be surprised , what you can do once you get your head round things ...
Also I echo what philpot as also suggested
Kie
Also I echo what philpot as also suggested
Kie
Well I bought it as a 'spring/summer/autumn weekend, roof down, trundle out around the Bucks countryside' car.
It has a garage and me to do service and maintenance and would over time be returned to tip top condition.
If I'd had one summer with it before this had occurred I'd know which way I'll go, so currently the jury is still deliberating...
It has a garage and me to do service and maintenance and would over time be returned to tip top condition.
If I'd had one summer with it before this had occurred I'd know which way I'll go, so currently the jury is still deliberating...
QBee said:
It depends on your plans. It comes down to cost versus rewards. I was faced with the same question April 13 on my Chimaera, but was having so much fun going to meets, PH drives, track days and driving my TVR that I got the outriggers done and never regretted it. What are your plans?
As Anthony has eluded and others. If you scared of spending money on a car and never getting it back on a resale then welcome to a big club of not just TVR owners but many other marques. If this is your dream classic car which is within your budget then get it restored to former glory. If you have any doubts then get shut and sell straight away. But with people knowing that a body off is required then getting a good price is tricky? Good luck and enjoy.Mark
Hello & welcome to the forum Andrew.
You have definitely come to the right place for help & advice, there is immense support on here from a very friendly & knowledgable bunch.
If you were intending to use your S for summer outings, and you have the time, space and determination to do a partial body lift, then the cost is minimal & needn't be a prohibitive factor in returning it to a good standard before summer.
And once it's done, it will last for a good few years to come and is certain to give you a great deal of pleasure in driving it as well as the satisfaction of having done it yourself. It doesn't require a great deal of skill, more perseverance than anything, and if you get stuck or are uncertain on anything, somebody on here will always be willing to help or advise.
In my view, the values of TVR S Series at the moment make them a bargain buy, surely the prices can only go up in the future?
But it's not really about the price, it's about the whole package, the camaraderie, and the sheer pleasure ( mixed sometimes with a little pain
) and the "bang for your buck" that make an S such a desireable
sportscar.
Quite a few have sold an S only to regret it later.
There's nothing to compare really. I may be slightly biased,,,,,
Hope my rambling is of some assistance in helping you decide.
Have a go, you know it makes sense.
Cheers,
Glen.
You have definitely come to the right place for help & advice, there is immense support on here from a very friendly & knowledgable bunch.
If you were intending to use your S for summer outings, and you have the time, space and determination to do a partial body lift, then the cost is minimal & needn't be a prohibitive factor in returning it to a good standard before summer.
And once it's done, it will last for a good few years to come and is certain to give you a great deal of pleasure in driving it as well as the satisfaction of having done it yourself. It doesn't require a great deal of skill, more perseverance than anything, and if you get stuck or are uncertain on anything, somebody on here will always be willing to help or advise.
In my view, the values of TVR S Series at the moment make them a bargain buy, surely the prices can only go up in the future?
But it's not really about the price, it's about the whole package, the camaraderie, and the sheer pleasure ( mixed sometimes with a little pain
) and the "bang for your buck" that make an S such a desireablesportscar.
Quite a few have sold an S only to regret it later.
There's nothing to compare really. I may be slightly biased,,,,,
Hope my rambling is of some assistance in helping you decide.
Have a go, you know it makes sense.
Cheers,
Glen.
Not trying to rub salt in your wounds but this shows the importance of getting a professional (or marque knowledgeable amateur) inspection before parting with your hard earnt pounds, particularly if the car has no evidence of recent thorough chassis work.
Good luck whichever route you choose and I hope this hasn't put you off these cracking little sports cars
As a wise man once said " three things to check when you buy a TVR, chassis, chassis and chassis !
Evening All
Thanks for the warm welcome and words of advice, all sound and understood.
I had considered the local area repairs as opposed to the body off refurb, which would cure the visible issues. But given its 25 years old, and apart from painting with POR15, the chassis has had little work. As Rik from Salford Service Centre said, a 25 year old Ford would be a pile of rust on the workshop floor by now.... So in fairness to the old boy he deserves the full treatment as I expect other unseen areas will be similar to the area on the main rail and the top corners of the outriggers.
Here's a few pics of the tidy aspects (iPhone in poor light).
Thanks for the warm welcome and words of advice, all sound and understood.
I had considered the local area repairs as opposed to the body off refurb, which would cure the visible issues. But given its 25 years old, and apart from painting with POR15, the chassis has had little work. As Rik from Salford Service Centre said, a 25 year old Ford would be a pile of rust on the workshop floor by now.... So in fairness to the old boy he deserves the full treatment as I expect other unseen areas will be similar to the area on the main rail and the top corners of the outriggers.
Here's a few pics of the tidy aspects (iPhone in poor light).
glenrobbo said:
If you were intending to use your S for summer outings, and you have the time, space and determination to do a partial body lift, then the cost is minimal & needn't be a prohibitive factor in returning it to a good standard before summer... it doesn't require a great deal of skill, more perseverance than anything,
Correct - I did a partial lift to repair my outriggers - it took me a few weeks (I have a full time job as well!) but the financial cost was minimal - £12 for tubing and metal sheet, about £80 for paint, prep etc and other materials (I used POR15 on the repair). I did the welding myself with help from Dave Bruce (DB800) so it needn't be cost-prohibitive - the biggest hurdle is building up the willpower to start!
Full details with photos are on my website at http://www.tvrgit.com - go to the "how to" page and see "chassis and body lift". Or see the day-by-day diary starting in August 2010.
tvrgit said:
Correct - I did a partial lift to repair my outriggers - it took me a few weeks...
Full details with photos are on my website at http://www.tvrgit.com - go to the "how to" page and see "chassis and body lift". Or see the day-by-day diary starting in August 2010.
Well there you go! ^^^^^^Full details with photos are on my website at http://www.tvrgit.com - go to the "how to" page and see "chassis and body lift". Or see the day-by-day diary starting in August 2010.
Andrew ( tvrgit )
I hope you realise that your website & diary have long been a most valuable guide & inspiration to so many of us on this forum.
As well as your "How I did it ..." articles in Sprint magazine.
I'd just like to say a big "Thankyou" on behalf of us all.
Your efforts are very much appreciated.
Edited by glenrobbo on Monday 5th January 22:28
Hi AJC77, I read the topic with interest as I was in your situation before. The pics show the car has obviously been looked after in all the other areas and had some time and money spent on it already. I bought my S last year and came across the outrigger rot after about 2 months of ownership, I was gutted as the word " Outrigger rot" spreads fear like it was Ebola. Well I buried my head and just enjoyed the car for the summer and gradually read up on here all about the various options and expertise. The years driving ...and TVRGIT blog has made up my mind that it's worth a go at doing a partial lift and that , well life wouldn't be the same without the TVR . Take some time and just enjoy it for a while before deciding.
glenrobbo said:
I can honestly say that I'm stone cold sober Andrew. It's be kind to my liver week.
Plus my Edradour has all apparently evaporated.
I meant every Ovomaltine-induced word, so don't be modest. Credit where it's due & all that, old chap.
Please don't mention my affliction 
Oh, affection. That's alright then
Mark ( mep ) & Norman ( Gerald-TVR ) & Richard ( greymrj ), OK, EVERYBODY who took the trouble to make their experiences available to the rest of us, also deserve due credit for their great contributions to the collective knowledge pool on this forum. Thankyou all
Back on topic,
OP, your S looks a lovely example, well worth the effort of doing the necessary chassic work.
I like the shiny gearstick gaiter surround.
Could it be a StevieJ creation I wonder?
Oh, affection. That's alright then
Mark ( mep ) & Norman ( Gerald-TVR ) & Richard ( greymrj ), OK, EVERYBODY who took the trouble to make their experiences available to the rest of us, also deserve due credit for their great contributions to the collective knowledge pool on this forum. Thankyou all
Back on topic,
OP, your S looks a lovely example, well worth the effort of doing the necessary chassic work.
I like the shiny gearstick gaiter surround.
Could it be a StevieJ creation I wonder?Edited by glenrobbo on Tuesday 6th January 14:30
glenrobbo said:
Please don't mention my affliction
Oh, affection. That's alright then
Mark ( mep ) & Norman ( Gerald-TVR ) & Richard ( greymrj ), OK, EVERYBODY who took the trouble to make their experiences available to the rest of us, also deserve due credit for their great contributions to the collective knowledge pool on this forum. Thankyou all
Back on topic,
OP, your S looks a lovely example, well worth the effort of doing the necessary chassic work.
I like the shiny gearstick gaiter surround. Could it be a StevieJ creation I wonder?
No Glen, not one of mine, but it does look alright Oh, affection. That's alright then
Mark ( mep ) & Norman ( Gerald-TVR ) & Richard ( greymrj ), OK, EVERYBODY who took the trouble to make their experiences available to the rest of us, also deserve due credit for their great contributions to the collective knowledge pool on this forum. Thankyou all
Back on topic,
OP, your S looks a lovely example, well worth the effort of doing the necessary chassic work.
I like the shiny gearstick gaiter surround.
Could it be a StevieJ creation I wonder?Edited by glenrobbo on Tuesday 6th January 14:30
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