High Mileage ?
Discussion
Hi There,
I've found a 400SE which has around 80K on it (at what I consider to be a reasonable price
) The current owner is sending some more photos etc via e-mail and as far as I can tell it's worth a closer look. Now 80K does not seem that bad for a 18 year old car but before I dash off to have a good old look over / under / around it is there any thing I need to pay extra attention to at this age other than the usual, chassis out riggers, ball joints & UJ's !
P.S. I've already read the print off SH's wedge bible and spent far too long looking at thewedgepages !
Any further advice will be welcome !
I've found a 400SE which has around 80K on it (at what I consider to be a reasonable price
) The current owner is sending some more photos etc via e-mail and as far as I can tell it's worth a closer look. Now 80K does not seem that bad for a 18 year old car but before I dash off to have a good old look over / under / around it is there any thing I need to pay extra attention to at this age other than the usual, chassis out riggers, ball joints & UJ's !P.S. I've already read the print off SH's wedge bible and spent far too long looking at thewedgepages !
Any further advice will be welcome !
Hi Simon,
For what it's worth I have within the last couple of weeks purchased a 400SE with 81,000 on the clock and asked a very similar question to yours on here before I went to see it. The general feeling was mileage of around this figure is not considered a problem and as you point out is good for an 18 yr old car.
The general advice that I received when looking for a car was that there were only three things to look at when buying a wedge and they were 'Condition, Condition and Condition' and not to get hung up on the mileage. Indeed many would raise a note of caution when looking at low mileage cars!
You have infact listed all the main areas that I was advised to look at and some did indeed mention that at that mileage cams might be an issue. Other than that a full history was also regularly mentioned.
I actually bought mine up in Scotland so had a nice long familiarisation drive back and can honestly say that if you are wavering at all over this model then don't worry, just do it because I can assure you you will not regret buying this awesome car!
Good luck and hope this helps
Richard
For what it's worth I have within the last couple of weeks purchased a 400SE with 81,000 on the clock and asked a very similar question to yours on here before I went to see it. The general feeling was mileage of around this figure is not considered a problem and as you point out is good for an 18 yr old car.
The general advice that I received when looking for a car was that there were only three things to look at when buying a wedge and they were 'Condition, Condition and Condition' and not to get hung up on the mileage. Indeed many would raise a note of caution when looking at low mileage cars!
You have infact listed all the main areas that I was advised to look at and some did indeed mention that at that mileage cams might be an issue. Other than that a full history was also regularly mentioned.
I actually bought mine up in Scotland so had a nice long familiarisation drive back and can honestly say that if you are wavering at all over this model then don't worry, just do it because I can assure you you will not regret buying this awesome car!
Good luck and hope this helps
Richard
Thanks for the info,
I thought about the clutch / Cam just after I posted the OP, I get the feeling that the lifetime of both of these items is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string..." type thing, the clutch will depend on how it's been driven and the cam life seems to be in the lap of the gods.... but yeah I agree that seeing proof of either of these being replaced is a good thing especially if its recent
It's not the one on trader, its on the TVRCC site and It's been in the last couple of Sprint mags at just under 5K Crikey I Just spotted another on the same site for £4500 !, it's even further away and I'm not so keen on the Colour - Looks like the interest rate cut's not enough for people to keep their TIV's !!!
Richard did you end up buying the first one you saw ? I know everyone says never ever buy the first but I know a lot of people who seem to do just that, maybe its the V8 rumble that assists the chequebook out of your pocket extra quick
I thought about the clutch / Cam just after I posted the OP, I get the feeling that the lifetime of both of these items is a bit of a "how long is a piece of string..." type thing, the clutch will depend on how it's been driven and the cam life seems to be in the lap of the gods.... but yeah I agree that seeing proof of either of these being replaced is a good thing especially if its recent
It's not the one on trader, its on the TVRCC site and It's been in the last couple of Sprint mags at just under 5K Crikey I Just spotted another on the same site for £4500 !, it's even further away and I'm not so keen on the Colour - Looks like the interest rate cut's not enough for people to keep their TIV's !!!
Richard did you end up buying the first one you saw ? I know everyone says never ever buy the first but I know a lot of people who seem to do just that, maybe its the V8 rumble that assists the chequebook out of your pocket extra quick
Edited by B@man on Friday 7th November 17:43
B@man said:
, maybe its the V8 rumble that assists the chequebook out of your pocket extra quick
It is a seductive mistress that noise... but be careful the rose tinted glasses don't go on. Some good advice here from those who have been there and got the t - shirt...so to speak.Edited by B@man on Friday 7th November 17:43
My 1st wedge was bought exactly this way, and it bit back...££££
It's not easy but try and see a couple before sinking your cash. You get what you pay for, and i know of a certain 400SE that isn't cheap, but wants for nowt.
Good luck.
Edited by Waynester on Friday 7th November 18:52
Waynester said:
B@man said:
, maybe its the V8 rumble that assists the chequebook out of your pocket extra quick
It is a seductive mistress that noise... but be careful the rose tinted glasses don't go on. Some good advice here from those who have been there and got the t - shirt...so to speak.Edited by B@man on Friday 7th November 17:43
My 1st wedge was bought exactly this way, and it bit back...££££
It's not easy but try and see a couple before sinking your cash. You get what you pay for, and i know of a certain 400SE that isn't cheap, but wants for nowt.
Good luck.
Edited by Waynester on Friday 7th November 18:52
No, it wasn't the first but it was a fairly short list though, I think it was the 4th one that I saw. I was also helped by the fact that soon after I started looking I went along to the Wedgefest meeting. There were so many cars to look at and genuinely friendly and helpful owners to talk to that I came away with a much better understanding as to what to look for and what a good example of a wedge should look like. After that the search was much easier and I just sort of knew the right car for me when I came across it.
I have to say that I have found Wedge owners to be the most genuinely friendly, honest and helpful crowd you could ever hope to meet. The only other piece of advice that I could add to the excellent list above from others far more knowledgeable about such things than me would be to find out when and where your local TVRCC branch have their meetings and pop along for a chat with any wedge owners there for their insight into owning this particular TVR model. Even if you are not yet a member they would be pleased to see you and happy to advise you further.
Richard.
I have to say that I have found Wedge owners to be the most genuinely friendly, honest and helpful crowd you could ever hope to meet. The only other piece of advice that I could add to the excellent list above from others far more knowledgeable about such things than me would be to find out when and where your local TVRCC branch have their meetings and pop along for a chat with any wedge owners there for their insight into owning this particular TVR model. Even if you are not yet a member they would be pleased to see you and happy to advise you further.
Richard.
Hi All,
Re: Exhaust - it's got a stainless one fitted, don't know how old it is but I'll find out when I go to have a look at the car (& Check on the cam / clutch situation)
The car has been in the care of the current owner for 3 years, there are a few minor problems ( that he's aware of )
1. Reversing lights not working (Switch ?)
2. Glove box veneer starting to crack (Centre console has be re trimmed in leather so that needs doing anyway)
3. A few small marks on the paint (hardly noticeable)
4. Hood slight mark on roof (renovo ?)
5. Rear window has small tear
The chassis was misted 18 months ago so really needs doing again this year. The only thing I can't sort myself would be the rear window and I am sure I read somewhere that the rear window can be replaced for around £100 ?
I joined my local TVRCC approx I year ago, just after my first drive in a Chimp, I then swayed toward a Griff until our RO turned up in his 350i since then I've mainly be looking at all things wedge shape...
Anyways, I've about exhausted about as much as I can via e-mail, Next step is to go an have a good look at the said beastie....
Re: Exhaust - it's got a stainless one fitted, don't know how old it is but I'll find out when I go to have a look at the car (& Check on the cam / clutch situation)
The car has been in the care of the current owner for 3 years, there are a few minor problems ( that he's aware of )
1. Reversing lights not working (Switch ?)
2. Glove box veneer starting to crack (Centre console has be re trimmed in leather so that needs doing anyway)
3. A few small marks on the paint (hardly noticeable)
4. Hood slight mark on roof (renovo ?)
5. Rear window has small tear
The chassis was misted 18 months ago so really needs doing again this year. The only thing I can't sort myself would be the rear window and I am sure I read somewhere that the rear window can be replaced for around £100 ?
I joined my local TVRCC approx I year ago, just after my first drive in a Chimp, I then swayed toward a Griff until our RO turned up in his 350i since then I've mainly be looking at all things wedge shape...
Anyways, I've about exhausted
about as much as I can via e-mail, Next step is to go an have a good look at the said beastie.... Edited by B@man on Monday 10th November 20:07
B@man said:
Hi All,
1. Reversing lights not working (Switch ?)Should be simple fix
2. Glove box veneer starting to crack (Centre console has be re trimmed in leather so that needs doing anyway)Nearly all original dashes have cracks, plenty of places can sort this if you don't want to do yourself. London carraige craft seem popular for this.
3. A few small marks on the paint (hardly noticeable)Original paint?I'd rather buy a car that shows it's genuine than one covering a multiple of sins.
4. Hood slight mark on roof (renovo ?)Should do the trick
5. Rear window has small tear You may well find a trimmer to replace just the screen. Especially if the rest of the roof is in decent nick. Otherwise a whole new hood would be the next step
The chassis was misted 18 months ago so really needs doing again this year.Make sure the waxoil isn't covering anything sinister..
until our RO turned up in his 350i since then I've mainly be looking at all things wedge shape...That's the ticket..
Anyways, I've about exhausted about as much as I can via e-mail, Next step is to go an have a good look at the said beastie....
1. Reversing lights not working (Switch ?)Should be simple fix
2. Glove box veneer starting to crack (Centre console has be re trimmed in leather so that needs doing anyway)Nearly all original dashes have cracks, plenty of places can sort this if you don't want to do yourself. London carraige craft seem popular for this.
3. A few small marks on the paint (hardly noticeable)Original paint?I'd rather buy a car that shows it's genuine than one covering a multiple of sins.
4. Hood slight mark on roof (renovo ?)Should do the trick
5. Rear window has small tear You may well find a trimmer to replace just the screen. Especially if the rest of the roof is in decent nick. Otherwise a whole new hood would be the next step
The chassis was misted 18 months ago so really needs doing again this year.Make sure the waxoil isn't covering anything sinister..
until our RO turned up in his 350i since then I've mainly be looking at all things wedge shape...That's the ticket..
Anyways, I've about exhausted
about as much as I can via e-mail, Next step is to go an have a good look at the said beastie.... Edited by B@man on Monday 10th November 20:07[/footnote]
[footnote]Edited by Waynester on Monday 10th November 22:30
Hi Me Again,
Re : Dark side, sorry I forgot that the wedge was the black sheep of the TVR family, Apologies etc
So after a lot of driving I have been and had a good look at said wedge, and managed a very brief test drive before it's owner broke it
The first thing was that it didn't turn over too enthusiastically (been stood for three weeks) and when it did fire up the motor seemed very noisy at idle, there is a leak from somewhere on the offside manifold / y piece joint which doesn't help but I was surprised at how rough it sounded when cold, the owner said he'd been told something about V8 slap, I'm assuming he means piston slap ?
The "all electrics work except reverse lights" now appears to exclude the OS mirror, Heater Blower slow (Resistor ?), and for some reason the cooling fans have been wired to a switch on the dash so they can be switched on all the time.
It was not going too bad until the owner managed to miss 4th gear, over revved the engine and the alternator belt exited stage left, stopping to turn around and head back ( only about a mile) we changed over, I then stalled it, and of course the battery was now flat and the pumpless cooling system ejected it's fury out of the expansion tank.
Anyway while waiting for the jump-leads to arrive I had a jolly good poke about, the chassis looks to be in excellent condition, its been painted with that underseal / waxoil stuff, there are a few dings (apparently from the last two test drives). Anyway by now the car had cooled a lot and the blokes wife had appeared with the jump leads and an operational Seat, A quick jump start later and it was running again - without the rattly "V8 slap" !
I now got a quick test drive at limited revs, but from the mile I drove it seems to be pretty good, it goes, stops, steers as it should.
As we got back to the blokes house I noticed that the temperature was in the red section, I commented that this was due to not having a working water pump, the owner then replied that "Its normally up there"
So having not been put off by the fan belt debacle I am worried about the "V8 Slap" and the temp gauge going into the red, along with the slight paint damage, the exhaust leak, the damaged veneer, tear in the rear window, battery, ECU trying to exit from under the dash, bonnet struts bending the GRP bonnet and inner wings, worn brake disks, bent oil cooler, oil leak (maybe from the cooler - looks like it's been kerbed) I must be mad for even considering it !
Sorry for the long post, what do you think - for me it looks like the price is still too high when you consider what the car actually needs ?
Re : Dark side, sorry I forgot that the wedge was the black sheep of the TVR family, Apologies etc
So after a lot of driving I have been and had a good look at said wedge, and managed a very brief test drive before it's owner broke it
The first thing was that it didn't turn over too enthusiastically (been stood for three weeks) and when it did fire up the motor seemed very noisy at idle, there is a leak from somewhere on the offside manifold / y piece joint which doesn't help but I was surprised at how rough it sounded when cold, the owner said he'd been told something about V8 slap, I'm assuming he means piston slap ?
The "all electrics work except reverse lights" now appears to exclude the OS mirror, Heater Blower slow (Resistor ?), and for some reason the cooling fans have been wired to a switch on the dash so they can be switched on all the time.
It was not going too bad until the owner managed to miss 4th gear, over revved the engine and the alternator belt exited stage left, stopping to turn around and head back ( only about a mile) we changed over, I then stalled it, and of course the battery was now flat and the pumpless cooling system ejected it's fury out of the expansion tank.
Anyway while waiting for the jump-leads to arrive I had a jolly good poke about, the chassis looks to be in excellent condition, its been painted with that underseal / waxoil stuff, there are a few dings (apparently from the last two test drives). Anyway by now the car had cooled a lot and the blokes wife had appeared with the jump leads and an operational Seat, A quick jump start later and it was running again - without the rattly "V8 slap" !
I now got a quick test drive at limited revs, but from the mile I drove it seems to be pretty good, it goes, stops, steers as it should.
As we got back to the blokes house I noticed that the temperature was in the red section, I commented that this was due to not having a working water pump, the owner then replied that "Its normally up there"
So having not been put off by the fan belt debacle I am worried about the "V8 Slap" and the temp gauge going into the red, along with the slight paint damage, the exhaust leak, the damaged veneer, tear in the rear window, battery, ECU trying to exit from under the dash, bonnet struts bending the GRP bonnet and inner wings, worn brake disks, bent oil cooler, oil leak (maybe from the cooler - looks like it's been kerbed) I must be mad for even considering it !
Sorry for the long post, what do you think - for me it looks like the price is still too high when you consider what the car actually needs ?
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