Will this be a disaster?

[Baryonyx]

I was just searching the classifieds this morning when I stumbled across this:

http://pistonheads.com/sales/3514314.htm

A cheap wedge. Will it break down immediately? This seems very cheap for a TVR to me, what are the chances of being able to run this car day to day without major problems? Or are you expected to get your hands dirty often when owning a TVR of this age? The wedge shapes look very attractive to me but most TVR discussions seem to begin with Chimaeras and Griffiths and end with Sagaris (Sagarii?). Is the wedge a good drive? And would one be advised to buy something like this as a their first TVR?

[vampire222]

Great drive, and they aren't exactly known for super reliability, any TVR isnt...

It looks good on the pictures, and break down can always happen with a wedge.

The fun part is when it drives, you'll feel privileges! It's really exclusive and so enjoyable.

The description says it's missing the targa top piece, making the price realistic. 1990 means you get a more reliable fuel system too, so thats good. Go and have a look at it! It's probably not in pristine exterior / interior condition but will drive well

Edited by vampire222 on Friday 30th December 17:03

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Mate..To be honest it looks a fairly decent car although im not keen on the wheels..I believe these cars are meant to be driven as much as poss as all the sitting about for months on end are not good for them..I bought my 280 after it sat in a garage for 10 years..It has been a rolling restoration for the past year and in the last 6 months ive been using it everyday as most of the main issues has been sorted!!..There are still bits that need doing but in general its all good..Most wedges unless mint will need something doing to them and for that money there is a whole lot of car..The V8 will make you grin like a school boy..Its worth having a look..There are things that need more attention paying to when buying like the outriggers which are the chassis rails that run behind the side sills and under the seating area but in general the SD1 V8s are pretty bullet proof as long as they are not smokey or dripping oil..Good luck..Ziga

[Lean Machine]

My first TVR was a Wedge 350 SE 3.9cc and I was very pleased with it. Each car can be judged by its own merits. No TVR is 100% reliable. If you buy a TVR you have to get your hands dirty and that is a part of the fun, otherwise buy an MX5. I can't comment on the condition of the blue car in the picture as my skills for judging cars just by looking at pictures are limited. If you like its looks go and see it and check it out. Drive it, poke around ask a few questions, and then decide. What we can do on this forum in the way of help and advise is to tell you where to look and what to check. If you are serious about buying this one, and you want advice, then I am sure a lot of the boys on the forum would gladly oblige.

Tony. TCB.

[Wedg1e]

Hmmm, if he's lost the roof then that would suggest the pics aren't recent. Wheels may or may not be original; I suspect not as that style of 'split' spoke was a mid-late 90s trend. Bonnet fit looks poor and seems to have been chavved with those NACA ducts. Rear roof section also looks well-worn. Aluminium coolant header tank is interesting; probably aftermarket as I don't think even late 400SEs have that style.
Without seeing the chassis (and even mid-90s TVRs have knackered chassis' now) I'd be looking to go in well under 2 grand - I'm guessing from the price he's expecting to be talked-down to £2250 but doesn't work for me.

There's a lot of crap spouted about TVR reliability in general; it started with the Hooray Henry's of the IT industry in the mid-90s, kiddies who went straight from the shopping-cart that mummy and daddy bought them for getting to raves whilst at Uni, to a brand new TVR Chimaera when they started earning more money than they knew what to do with. Having sweet-FA knowledge of cars they were unaccustomed to diagnosing the slightest fault at the roadside so off went the car on a low-loader and straight into internet-bhing mode went the owner.
Exactly the same issues can, have and do afflict any other make of car at any time. It helps to be slightly technically competent when owning a 25-year-old car whatever the type. I have 16 years ownership experience with TVR Wedges; neither of my cars has ever had breakdown cover and apart from a failed fuel pump on my 100,000 mile Tasmin (a Bosch part, not a TVR one) I've never had to walk home. That's how 'unreliable' they can be.

[GV]

Any car's reliability can only be measured by how well it's been looked after and that includes TVRs. The best thing to do if you are not sure about the TVR you are buying is to take someone who knows what to look for - someone who has experience of owning and running the spec you are interested in. I would be more than confident in giving an opinion on any Wedge up for sale having owned 2 - the second one of which I've had for the past 10 years....

[Wedg1e]

vampire222 said:

1990 means you get a more reliable fuel system too, so thats good.

Er, nope. That's not a hotwire, it's the old faithful flapper system (spot the airflow meter).

[wca]

I can sell you my roof section if you want

I bought a 350 unseen a few weeks ago. My other cars are an AMG Mercedes and Honda Integra type R. Both great cars but all i have ever done with them is put petrol and screen wash in (separate places).

Since getting the TVR i have replaced the fuel pump, added an extra fuel filter, replaced the inlet manifold gaskets and the rocker cover gaskets, putting the steering wheel on the right way up, replaced the rear tyres, fixed the pop up lights and cleaned a frighting amount of dirt off the interior.

I will not say the TVR is a better car than the others but it does allow you to connect with the mechanical bits in a way the reliable cars never do. I am not some romantic ludite, in fact the last time i touched spanners was on a pedal bike, but I really have enjoyed the TVR so far. In between all the fixes mentioned above I have driven about 500 miles and enjoyed all except for the 300 metres spent sliding from side to side coming out of a damp corner before I replaced the tyres and raised the suspension an inch.

YOu don't need the roof most the time anyway

GO FOR IT.

Edited by wca on Friday 30th December 19:19

[vampire222]

Wedg1e said:

Er, nope. That's not a hotwire, it's the old faithful flapper system (spot the airflow meter).

oh yeah! Didn't know those still used flapper by 1990, or is it non stock?

[combine]

Test drive it , if you like it then buy it , check the underneath looks rust free before parting with cash !

[hallsie]

And even if its not rust freen and the outriggers need some attention, itll be a good bargaining tool, as replacement outriggers will cost you about £700 - £1000 to do.


Stu

[Solitude]

I don't think theses are the cars for you mate......its not a chimp Griff or sagaris !!
Your opening statement "will it break down immediately" and "is it suitable for day to day running" probably indicates it will be your daily hack, and personally i don't think a car of this age should ne relied upon to get you to work every day as any problem you have will need to fixed immediately otherwise the they will accumulate into a big issue.
Some do run them daily....but they are probably more sorted than a sub 3K wedge.

I think you need to research the models better and not be blinded by the TVR badge it carries.

Yes it seems cheap, but not in relation to the current value of these cars.

Again, its NOT a Griff/Chimp/Sag

So yes, it will be a disaster< as you are in Scotland !!!!! and i doubt the Rusty boys can run thier well sorted cars all year .

Edited by Solitude on Saturday 31st December 16:44

[mrzigazaga]

I think firstly you need a passion for these cars..Ive wanted one since the early-mid eighties but couldnt afford them then..The irony is i now own a 1982 280i series 1 and yes when i bought it i rushed in and afterwards thought what have i done..Have i bought a pile of rattly..Smelly..scruffy..unreliable..uncomfortable ste!!..Yes i did....But a year later im not sure if im still willing to part with it as i have spent more hours than money sorting out all the issues and believe me ive had loads..Yes its been my daily run around and i have previously called out the RAC more times in one month than most normal people have in a year..Yes it has cost slightly more than its worth to date and there is still loads to finish but its a 30 year old car that i have fallen in love with and enjoy driving immensely!!..Even if i spent £10,000 on it and kept it for the next ten years and maintained it i believe that it would still be more cost effective than some of the so called normal cars that i have owned..I dont have a garage..Im not a skilled mechanic but it has been my salvation..A massive learning curve that is very rewarding..Each time i fill up at a petrol station i say aloud "TVRs..Un-reliable..Mine isnt"..It was but once you find one that is in probably a better state than mine was and start to drive it and get to know it you will almost certainly start to appreciate it..Its a matter of keeping on top of anything that could go wrong and sorting it out before it causes more damage..This forum and the people on it are here to help...So in the famous words of arnie.."Do it now"...Ziga

[J.B.R.]

I would echo Solitudes comments above.
Do some more research on the wedge to ensure it's the car for you.
There are some used everyday, but I would say most are used as weekend toys these days, what are you looking for from the car?
This forum is a cracking place to start, and remember the golden rules of wedge ownership - condition, condition, condition (of the chassis), don't necessarily but the first one you see and don't whatever you do start it up while still making a decision (you will buy it!).

Cheers
John

[Wedg1e]

vampire222 said:

oh yeah! Didn't know those still used flapper by 1990, or is it non stock?

Even the early 400SEs were on flappers, the 350SE was a way to shift the last of the old-style bodyshells - without using the full-fat 390SE motor. The 350i would always have been a flapper to the best of my knowledge (never seen a Rangey 3.5 on hotwire so presume TVR didn't do it either).

[Baryonyx]

Thanks for the replies! I've always fancied a TVR as a second car. Ideally, it'd be something that could stnad every day use if I needed it, but really it would be more likely to see a handful of drives a week as a second car. I'd ideally prefer something that didn't need loads of maintainence work done on it too, just something that could provide a bit of sporty fun.

[braddeztvr]

Hi,
just joined the forums (don't know whats taken me so long). I've owned my early (1984) 350i for just 24years, and like Wedg1e, never had to walk home. Perhaps I was lucky buying a car just a year or so old and therefore nearly owned it for it's whole life, but it's a bit like a box a chocs as Forest would say "you never know what ya gonna get", but if your not sure if you like chocolate, don't open the box.
Good luck - roar on !

[Mike Brewer]

Welcome .24 Years wow .....Happy motoring .Cheers Mike

[voltage_maxx]

Wedg1e said:

vampire222 said:

oh yeah! Didn't know those still used flapper by 1990, or is it non stock?

Even the early 400SEs were on flappers, the 350SE was a way to shift the last of the old-style bodyshells - without using the full-fat 390SE motor. The 350i would always have been a flapper to the best of my knowledge (never seen a Rangey 3.5 on hotwire so presume TVR didn't do it either).

There were 3.5 hotwire engines made, fitted to late 200 series Discoveries.
The Discovery was deliberately witheld the 3.9 of the equivalent year Range Rover, however one must assume that Lucas had then moved over wholesale to the Hotwire system.

[Wedg1e]

voltage_maxx said:

There were 3.5 hotwire engines made, fitted to late 200 series Discoveries.
The Discovery was deliberately witheld the 3.9 of the equivalent year Range Rover, however one must assume that Lucas had then moved over wholesale to the Hotwire system.

You live and learn, I've never been a Disco fan