running an S as my evening/weekend car
Discussion
Im thinking of buying an 'S' it will be my main car i have a van i use during the day and will be able to use it for small runaround trips but other than that i will have to use whatever car i buy, i could buy my dads 1.8 focus for 3k ish or find an extra few thousand and buy an s, Just to throw a spanner in the works im about to buy a house, am i going to be able to afford to run the TVR or am i going to have to put up with the focus for a year 
Indeed! .. i'm supposed to run my BMW as my everyday car, but it always ends up praked in front of the workshop as i hoon off in the S.
As SImon says, the earlier V6 models cost less to run in terms of juice and insurance etc, but general parts prices are common to both cars, so servicing as such like is virtually the same across all models.
The V8s give biggest grin , but maybe aren't the best value for money given that they only made a few hundred and you never see them under 8k price wise. A good V6 can be had for under 6 k now .. bargain
As SImon says, the earlier V6 models cost less to run in terms of juice and insurance etc, but general parts prices are common to both cars, so servicing as such like is virtually the same across all models.
The V8s give biggest grin , but maybe aren't the best value for money given that they only made a few hundred and you never see them under 8k price wise. A good V6 can be had for under 6 k now .. bargain
I have both, er well my wife's company car is a 1.8 Focus.
Funnily enough, if I want to nip down the motorway, or a quick trip to the shops etc, I take the Focus - It will cruise quietly at any speed you like, and does everything efficiently, and I don't have to mess about with covers etc.
This is where the good stuff stops. It is as boring as you like (no offence to those who like 'em, but I'm comparing to a Tiv here!)It is just a conveyance.
Any TVR is not just a car - you would not pop out in the Focus with no particular reason, but to have a quick blat. The sound is totally addictive, and you don't need a V8.
The best bit is you can get restricted mileage insurance (try ClassicLine) as it will be eves/weekends only, and should cost less than the Focus to insure. The Ford 2.9V6 is a good engine, which will return low/mid 20's mpg (30 on a run), and servicing isn't too costly either. The running costs in general are probably half that of a V8, and the noise is v. v. v. nearly as good!
If used regularly, the S will be reliable as any other car its age, and like any other car its age, purchasing needs care to avoid a howler - make sure you know your stuff before buying - find another tvrcc member, or use the forum - don't buy the first one you see (v tempting). Get a good'un, and you'll never say Focus again!
>> Edited by S3 Kieran on Monday 2nd February 09:03
Funnily enough, if I want to nip down the motorway, or a quick trip to the shops etc, I take the Focus - It will cruise quietly at any speed you like, and does everything efficiently, and I don't have to mess about with covers etc.
This is where the good stuff stops. It is as boring as you like (no offence to those who like 'em, but I'm comparing to a Tiv here!)It is just a conveyance.
Any TVR is not just a car - you would not pop out in the Focus with no particular reason, but to have a quick blat. The sound is totally addictive, and you don't need a V8.
The best bit is you can get restricted mileage insurance (try ClassicLine) as it will be eves/weekends only, and should cost less than the Focus to insure. The Ford 2.9V6 is a good engine, which will return low/mid 20's mpg (30 on a run), and servicing isn't too costly either. The running costs in general are probably half that of a V8, and the noise is v. v. v. nearly as good!
If used regularly, the S will be reliable as any other car its age, and like any other car its age, purchasing needs care to avoid a howler - make sure you know your stuff before buying - find another tvrcc member, or use the forum - don't buy the first one you see (v tempting). Get a good'un, and you'll never say Focus again!
>> Edited by S3 Kieran on Monday 2nd February 09:03
I have to agree with the other positive sentiments on here...
I run my S3 as an everyday car, with my wife's Rover fitting the bill of the family car. In 18 months, the only real problems I've had :toucheswood: (excluding the odd minor thing that I've fixed myself) have been some rot in the chassis outriggers, which more careful buying could've prevented, and one occasion when it wouldn't start, which was down to a dodgy immobiliser (an aftermarket item).
General concensus seem to be that they run better if used on a regular basis, and I'm happy to subscribe to that point of view.
I run my S3 as an everyday car, with my wife's Rover fitting the bill of the family car. In 18 months, the only real problems I've had :toucheswood: (excluding the odd minor thing that I've fixed myself) have been some rot in the chassis outriggers, which more careful buying could've prevented, and one occasion when it wouldn't start, which was down to a dodgy immobiliser (an aftermarket item).
General concensus seem to be that they run better if used on a regular basis, and I'm happy to subscribe to that point of view.
GO FOR IT!!! Agree with everything posted - you always find an excuse to take the TVR out. I use a V8S as a regular driver and its just getting better the more I use it. They are real cars- don't put them in cotton wool! Any machine benefits from regular use.
Do your homework and be prepared to travel to look at as many as possible. Good luck!
Do your homework and be prepared to travel to look at as many as possible. Good luck!
white_van_man said:Go for the S, they are not dropping in price much now, so even if you realise in a years time you can't afford it you won't make a loss on it. And after all you only live once!
Im thinking of buying an 'S' it will be my main car i have a van i use during the day and will be able to use it for small runaround trips but other than that i will have to use whatever car i buy, i could buy my dads 1.8 focus for 3k ish or find an extra few thousand and buy an s, Just to throw a spanner in the works im about to buy a house, am i going to be able to afford to run the TVR or am i going to have to put up with the focus for a year
I bought our house, my S3, the wife's new family car in the space of one year while she was making brewing baby #1 at the same time - so if you're careful it can be done..
However, I wouldn't recommend an S if your evening/weekend trips entail long distances at any time of the year. While in the right weather a rush-hour slog can be great fun, in the middle of the winter or red-hot summer even the noise of the exhaust isn't enough to make it enjoyable. So if your journeys are more mundane go for the Focus, they handle fantasticly for FWD and with enough poke (1.8L+) are grin-worthy.
Agree with what has been previously posted, you certainly will not regret buying an S, they have a grin factor that only other TVR's can match!!! I use a V8S as a weekend/summer car and it just gets better and better. Mine needed quite a bit of work, but you find that parts are not so expensive and prove to be pretty cheap to run. I had a V6 S2 before the V8S and that was a great car too, cheaper to run, quick and made a nice noise they are an excellent start to TVR motoring! And if you want to sell it, if you have looked after it you are unlikely to lose any money. If you take time to improve the car you can sometimes even make money if you make the right initial purchase. If you do go ahead have the car checked over, by someone that knows/owns a TVR, this will prove invaluable and will eliminate most risks!
Good luck in finding a good car.
Mike
Good luck in finding a good car.
Mike
Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff