Looking for a TVR!

[matt-man]

Hi all,

Ive been looking for a second car to have some fun in for a while now and always had my eye on TVR's. Ive been very actively looking for a S series for a while now as i am only 21 and i assumed this was the only feesable insurable option!

Today i thought i would try a quote for a 390 and i can afford it..just!

So i'm looking for a wedge as i love them! And i really want to get into the V8 soundtrack every time i go out to play!

Whats the main thing i should look for? I love grahams 390 se in the classifieds at the moment but i unfortunatly live in the south of the country in Petersfield and i prefer to buy a little closer to home!

Im ideally looking for a 390 so where should i begin?!

Many thanks!

Matt

[combine]

There aren't many 390's for a start , there were only about 9 at the 2005 wedge fest , so you may have to travel to find one. Unless you like lots of welding and spending lots of unbudgeted cash afterwards its best to find a v8 wedge in the best possible condition , thats one with a fully documented history or as close as poss . Then get underneath and look for nasty rust on the chassis , which is often found on the outriggers - the tubes nearest the doors , check for a holed exhaust while your there too . Take a test drive , any strange noises apart from the nice sound emiting from a decent exhast system will soon be apparent. Thats a start anyway. I bought mine last Jan and she's been fantastic ever since !

[jon@127]

Buy a copy of Steve Heaths book www.shpub.co.uk/ it's got a whole chapter on buying and then when you've got one it's invaluable for repair & maintenance.
Happy hunting
Jon

[matt-man]

Thanks gys, thats a real help...do you guys know the one which i mentioned before which is in the classifieds? Its a very long way up the country from me, but im going to manchester next week so not too far!

I think ill have to invest in that book, i dont want to get stung. What choice do i have with the models? I like the 'kitted' model which is why i like the 390.

Thanks guys!

[combine]

Graham's is likely to be a good'un . It was parked next to mine at the fest and looked stunning in red . Definitely worth a trip , and I am sure he would have bought a good one himself .

[matt-man]

It Does look stunning...perfect price for me too!...

Maybe i should give him a buzz...Sods law always says that cars you like a are so far away!

[blaineuk]

have seen graham's car and it is well worth what he is asking, nearly bought it my self but he beat me to it last year and i now have a 400se. go and have a look when you are up that way, you know you want to

[jmorgan]

Look up here
www.tvrwedgepages.co.uk/

Buyers guide to boot as well as other stuff.

[combine]

If you've never driven a v8 wedge before you are going to have one hell of a big smile !!!!!

[matt-man]

Thanks for that link jmorgan, its so helpful having people who know lots about the car!

My dad and I built an Ultima Spyder which makes me smile so much whenever im a passenger let alone the track days ive driven it on!

Im so excited about getting myself one, i just want to find a goodie!

How reliable are they generally?

[jmorgan]

combine said:

If you've never driven a v8 wedge before you are going to have one hell of a big smile !!!!!

Or a rapid need for some new Y fronts................

[matt-man]

Or a rapid need for some new Y fronts................[/quote]

Indeedy!

I cant wait to get one, should be such a giggle! Implanning on taking it to Le-mans this year, is there a crowd which drive down? A group of us always take our cars, this is the first year im driving along side my dad in his ultima.....hopefully!

[350matt]

I've clocked up about 70K miles in mine and its only let me down once in all that time so if looked after they can be reliable, by the way mine's also up for sale ( plug plug) although admittedly not a genuine 390 it exceeds the 390 specification

www.pistonheads.com/sales/61660.htm

[combine]

Word of warning - these cars are very powerful , you are very young ; drive with care as the amount of power delivered to rear wheels is such that it is very easy to separate from the tarmac with serious results.You have been warned ! Drive them with care !

[matt-man]

Lovely colour!

Im looking for a standard car as insurance is a big enough nightmare as it is already, without throwing the insurance swearword 'MODIFICATION' into the equasion!

[wedg1e]

Reliable? Well it tends to be cars that get used least that break the most. I've had mine nearly 6 years and it's done about 12000 miles+/- a few... it's never left me stranded although it has developed a few bizarre running faults over the years (like the dodgy ECU that meant I got 95 miles out of a tankful - easily fixed though).
Even the early Tasmin that I had before it only left me stuck once in five years: the fuel pump jammed when I hit a pothole - but that was a Bosch part, not a TVR one - could have happened on any car.
As long as you don't have a ridiculously-developed engine (and not many wedges did) it can be fixed with standard(ish) parts. The running gear is pretty strong unless you drive it like a dragster.
Many wedges have had hellish amounts of money thrown at them (although you can't always see where): I have receipts from the two previous owners of my car that total £21,000! The car was only £23K new...

[grahamw48]

Hey wedg1e, you've driven it.
Now you know you said it was faster than yours.

My replacement vehicle is going to have a lot to live up to, whoever buys this one.

Here's another pic from those sunny summer days:

[matt-man]

Graham, YOU HAVE MAIL!!!

[matt-man]

Thnks for the advice Combine, i have had that conversation many times with my dad as he has an ultima and has unfortunatly learnt the hard way once!

Im sensible...but still male!

[wedg1e]

Hell's teeth Graham, that's NOTHING like the actual colour! More fire engine red I'd say.

Need a dyno run to confirm, but subjectively yeah, I reckon it's quicker than mine (more 'urgent' off the line, anyway ) - how much that's down to my engine mods or your ECU coding, who can say?

At the Wedgefest last year, Mick (FrenchTVR) reckoned mine felt quicker once you wound it up, but his definitely pulled harder lower down (Mr. Adams had tuned his injection)... so they're all the same, but different