Buying an S series for 2-3k
Discussion
I desperately miss my 98 Chimaera and TVR's in general, can't think of a better car that suits my petrolhead needs.
There has been quite a few S turn up for the 2-3k mark and towards the end of the year when my son goes to school and the Nursery fees stop I'll be able to put a few pennies away for another toy, wife wants a new Fiat 500 first....
How feasible is a car for this type of money, i know this is a sweeping statement, but i can buy it for cash and want something that will give me a servicable fun car. Would this buy a car that is not a complete wreck, tbh i quite fancy the sound of the V6.
There has been quite a few S turn up for the 2-3k mark and towards the end of the year when my son goes to school and the Nursery fees stop I'll be able to put a few pennies away for another toy, wife wants a new Fiat 500 first....
How feasible is a car for this type of money, i know this is a sweeping statement, but i can buy it for cash and want something that will give me a servicable fun car. Would this buy a car that is not a complete wreck, tbh i quite fancy the sound of the V6.
Get a copy of Steve Heath's S manual. In there it has a buyers guide section. I found it very useful. Don't be put off by the state of the chassis most S's will have flaky powder coating just ensure that you check all the obvious places. Engine wise you should be able to tell how it's been looked after. Check the service history although this may not be applicable as most S owners do there own. Talk to the guy your buying from you can always tell a true enthusiast it a good indication that the car has been looked after properly. I bought mine in 07 for £4K so I'd guess in the current climate a good car for £3K is about right.
The problem areas I've had were the suspension needed replacing £500, thought the exhaust baffles had come loose so stupidly bought a new exhaust which it turns out I didn't need, HT leads were worn replaced with magnecor and I replaced the ignition coil with a flame thrower (not literally wouldn't be good for the engine and a bit of a health and saftey risk). My chassis does need work but in general around 80% of it is in very good condition.
When I looked over mine before I bought it the owner allowed me to jack it up so I could inspect the underside I think this is a must for this type of car if the owner refuses to allow you to do this they may have something to hide.
The problem areas I've had were the suspension needed replacing £500, thought the exhaust baffles had come loose so stupidly bought a new exhaust which it turns out I didn't need, HT leads were worn replaced with magnecor and I replaced the ignition coil with a flame thrower (not literally wouldn't be good for the engine and a bit of a health and saftey risk). My chassis does need work but in general around 80% of it is in very good condition.
When I looked over mine before I bought it the owner allowed me to jack it up so I could inspect the underside I think this is a must for this type of car if the owner refuses to allow you to do this they may have something to hide.
Edited by TVRMadPaul on Saturday 21st February 10:42
I just bought mine a week ago - a 1988, 52k miler for £3,850. I really wanted to find one that was owned by an enthusiast and the chap I bought it from owned it for 6 years, was happy to spend the money on it and seemed like a decent guy. It has every MOT/bill/service/part in a big file that I poured over. Cosmetically, there is no crazing or cracks on the bonnet, spoiler, doors or rear end. The roof does leak a bit but I found it is just a seal that needs replacing. Doors could do with a slight lift to them though nothing major. I think it was a very fair price and I think it was worth it. I HOPE it was worth it!
Only problem is the indicator lens that was smashed by a Royal Mail van this morning reversing into my pride and joy....
Good luck with your search, they are fantastic little cars. So far!
Only problem is the indicator lens that was smashed by a Royal Mail van this morning reversing into my pride and joy....
Good luck with your search, they are fantastic little cars. So far!
Certainly the higher end of that is very realistic for an early car - could even be quite a nice one. I found that the asking prices varied dramatically and very rarely correlated with the condition, so make sure you have a look at a few!
Have you driven an S before? I seriously looked at moving to a Chimera or Griffith recently and found I actually prefered the driving experience with a well sorted S. The outright performance difference felt pretty small too - at least at B-road speeds - so you may find it's a pleasant surprise.
Have you driven an S before? I seriously looked at moving to a Chimera or Griffith recently and found I actually prefered the driving experience with a well sorted S. The outright performance difference felt pretty small too - at least at B-road speeds - so you may find it's a pleasant surprise.
I did exactly that. Had to let the Griff go so replaced it with a S1.5 with 89K on the clock for £2.5K and haven't looked back. To be honest the performance isn't quite a match for the Griff 500, but the S is still pretty respectable and in my opinion the handling is much more communicative. What I really like though is that it still hunkers down at the back when I give it beans, just like the Griff used to 
Cosmetically....well....it looks fine from a distance and most people only see the back end
Cosmetically....well....it looks fine from a distance and most people only see the back end
Evo said:
Was your car the white one recently on pistonheads, if so look very nice indeed.
Yes it is! Good spot. Yeah she is a good one but I think there is always something to be done on these cars from what I've read. All the little 'issues' are beginning to reveal themselves to me the more I drive it. For example, I got caught in very heavy traffic tonight and I noticed the temperature creeping up and hold on the white line - it does this when stuck in traffic then drops when I get a free bit of road. The previous owner says it is normal. But then I noticed the rev counter needle was holding on 1,200 rpm even when I know it idles at 900 rpm. Once you accelerate it moved but still won't go below 1,200. I'm hoping it just got too hot and it might be better tomorrow. Otherwise....?Well this is just what i want to hear. My Chim was great in a straight line but over the bumps at high speed it could get pretty nervous especially after my Integrale evo2. I've never driven or been in an 'S' but what i do know is it's a TVR good and proper, low down,roof down,loud noise (sports exhaust ).
I've started my TVR S fund which i shall continue to put a little away each month, so far the pot stands at 450. Are there any upcoming TVR days out where i could have a nose around an S in the Chichester area?
).I've started my TVR S fund which i shall continue to put a little away each month, so far the pot stands at 450. Are there any upcoming TVR days out where i could have a nose around an S in the Chichester area?
The Stiglet said:
But then I noticed the rev counter needle was holding on 1,200 rpm even when I know it idles at 900 rpm. Once you accelerate it moved but still won't go below 1,200.
It's worth just checking the throttle linkage. The spring on mine had moved a bit and was giving this symptom along with occassionally sticking open. A quick fettle to reseat the spring and a bit of a rub down of the dog leg with some wet&dry and all was well again.Has to be said, it's only when you try and drive something else in a similar manner that you realise how communicative the S is. It's not the most nimble sports car out there, nor is it the fastest (and certainly not the grippiest), but it gives you a very good idea what's going on, which makes it very exploitable. IMHO it occupies that ideal position of being fast enough to feel quick (aided by the soundtrack), but just slow enough to really play with on the road without doing stupid speeds.
The only real downside I can think of is that the very low geared, unassisted rack which gives you that beautiful feedback can also lead to flailing arms if you need to wind a lot of lock off suddenly to correct a slide!
The only real downside I can think of is that the very low geared, unassisted rack which gives you that beautiful feedback can also lead to flailing arms if you need to wind a lot of lock off suddenly to correct a slide!
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