Thinking of buying a wedge
Discussion
Hi
I am thinking about getting myself a wedge as when I always loved the shape and the noise. After a bit of lurking in this bit of PH I know i need to have a good look at the outriggers and the chassis generally, is there anything else that commonly goes wrong or that i need to look for? I am definitely tempted by a v8 and as i will never be able to afford and seac like the one I had on my bedroom wall as a teenager a 350/390 will have to do!
I am thinking about getting myself a wedge as when I always loved the shape and the noise. After a bit of lurking in this bit of PH I know i need to have a good look at the outriggers and the chassis generally, is there anything else that commonly goes wrong or that i need to look for? I am definitely tempted by a v8 and as i will never be able to afford and seac like the one I had on my bedroom wall as a teenager a 350/390 will have to do!
'Anything else that commonly goes wrong?' It's like this. You've got three butts to do on a Friday lunchtime before a lads' weekend in Prague, when your 160 panoramic dies on you. You scrounge another head from somewhere only to find that Billy's run over the head cable with the forklift (again). You twist the raggy ends together and a bleeping noise tells you your processor's run out of fixer. You blag some from a passing Agfa van and that's when you realise that someone left the lid off the film box... 
Wedg1e said:
'Anything else that commonly goes wrong?' It's like this. You've got three butts to do on a Friday lunchtime before a lads' weekend in Prague, when your 160 panoramic dies on you. You scrounge another head from somewhere only to find that Billy's run over the head cable with the forklift (again). You twist the raggy ends together and a bleeping noise tells you your processor's run out of fixer. You blag some from a passing Agfa van and that's when you realise that someone left the lid off the film box...
Wedg1e, Im guessing you had a good night?!?!
Stu
gog440 said:
Hi
I am thinking about getting myself a wedge as when I always loved the shape and the noise. After a bit of lurking in this bit of PH I know i need to have a good look at the outriggers and the chassis generally, is there anything else that commonly goes wrong or that i need to look for? I am definitely tempted by a v8 and as i will never be able to afford and seac like the one I had on my bedroom wall as a teenager a 350/390 will have to do!
There is massive variability on these cars, especially with them being 20+ years old and many have been modded/upgraded over the years. Drive as many as you can beacuse there can be a lot of differnce in performance, braking and handling. I found the brakes on the 350i models to be univerally crap (unless they had been upgraded to ap 4 pots or willwoods or similar).I am thinking about getting myself a wedge as when I always loved the shape and the noise. After a bit of lurking in this bit of PH I know i need to have a good look at the outriggers and the chassis generally, is there anything else that commonly goes wrong or that i need to look for? I am definitely tempted by a v8 and as i will never be able to afford and seac like the one I had on my bedroom wall as a teenager a 350/390 will have to do!
The most common faults are the outriggers as you say and cracks in the paintwotk/gelcoat which is inevitable with fibreglass cars.
gog440 said:
Hi
I am thinking about getting myself a wedge as when I always loved the shape and the noise. After a bit of lurking in this bit of PH I know i need to have a good look at the outriggers and the chassis generally, is there anything else that commonly goes wrong or that i need to look for? I am definitely tempted by a v8 and as i will never be able to afford and seac like the one I had on my bedroom wall as a teenager a 350/390 will have to do!
Just make sure you drive at least 3 wedges , don't get hooked on the sound of the first !I am thinking about getting myself a wedge as when I always loved the shape and the noise. After a bit of lurking in this bit of PH I know i need to have a good look at the outriggers and the chassis generally, is there anything else that commonly goes wrong or that i need to look for? I am definitely tempted by a v8 and as i will never be able to afford and seac like the one I had on my bedroom wall as a teenager a 350/390 will have to do!
grahamw48 said:
gog440 said:
Are you something to d with ssc tvr then?
Nope...been there once though.I was referring to peaktorque's car.
I had seen that one of peaktorques, almost seems too cheap!
It is also a bit too soon for me, i get my company car in april,then need to sell my mondeo then i can buy my tvr. Also need to finish the mk2 escort in the garage so I can flog it.
I have been looking at the ad for this one www.pistonheads.com/sales/1184638.htm any comments?
Don't know the car. Always better to buy off someone who's been a regular on the Wedge forum IMO, simply because you get to know the trials and tribulations thrown up during any particular car's ownership.
Having said that, seems a decent sort of car at a reasonable price.
None of these cars are the same, and none are perfect, but usually only minor fettling is required according to how fussy you are as regards cosmetics. Most have actually been owned by enthusiasts who have emptied their pockets into them whenever the need has arisen. (I certainly have
)
Obviously braking and suspension need to be A1, within the limitations of the original systems.
The broken wing mirror wouldn't concern me, and neither would a malfunctioning electric window.
Poor paintwork would, as that's dear, and who wants to be ashamed to be seen in a car.
I'd certainly give it a look over if I was in the market, but still be paying careful attention to the chassis and anything else that's normally out of sight, or under a recent coat of paint.
Having said that, seems a decent sort of car at a reasonable price.
None of these cars are the same, and none are perfect, but usually only minor fettling is required according to how fussy you are as regards cosmetics. Most have actually been owned by enthusiasts who have emptied their pockets into them whenever the need has arisen. (I certainly have
)Obviously braking and suspension need to be A1, within the limitations of the original systems.
The broken wing mirror wouldn't concern me, and neither would a malfunctioning electric window.
Poor paintwork would, as that's dear, and who wants to be ashamed to be seen in a car.
I'd certainly give it a look over if I was in the market, but still be paying careful attention to the chassis and anything else that's normally out of sight, or under a recent coat of paint.
gog440 said:
It is also a bit too soon for me, i get my company car in april,then need to sell my mondeo then i can buy my tvr. Also need to finish the mk2 escort in the garage so I can flog it.
I have been looking at the ad for this one www.pistonheads.com/sales/1184638.htm any comments?
That one would be my pick, going on the photos. The non-starting red one would have been my top pick, but perhaps not as a first Wedge as there's enough to worry about without the uncertainties of a non-runner.I have been looking at the ad for this one www.pistonheads.com/sales/1184638.htm any comments?
At the risk of getting a
from the forum, might I also suggest you look at the Lotus Esprit? You can get a S3 (ie 2.2L non-turbo) of similar age to a TVR wedge for similar money: the chassis are galvanised so no worries there, the handling's waaay better and all the other niggles of fibreglass cars are much the same as with the TVR - they even use the same headlamp motors For me the only drawback was that the Esprit wasn't as much of an occasion to drive but if I wanted a trackday car now, the Lotus would be my first choice.
Either of them is a glorified kitcar
so you can often improve on the way the factory did things.
I don't think you'll find many disagreeing with that on this forum.
Here's how NOT to get your noisy V8 Wedge off the line.
Admittedly a tuned Elise is a bit quicker than an Esprit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujywKNIRLno
Here's how NOT to get your noisy V8 Wedge off the line.
Admittedly a tuned Elise is a bit quicker than an Esprit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujywKNIRLno
That looks very familiar, I have spent way too much time there at melbourne. I have done 3 rallies there and serviced there dozens of times for my mates when they have been competing. I also used to go there to watch the streetmachine rover v8 championship back in the late 80`s before the strip deteriorated and they actually used to do proper drag racing there
Yep, shame they can't run the really big stuff there anymore.
That was me taking part in the TVR run wot yer brung day last April.
Just my luck that my other 2 runs were against the fastest car of the day (nitroused 450 Chim, which has been down into the 11s).
Basically I didn't want to break anything, but still managed a 14.9, which is within .5 second of the NEW 400SEs 'official' quarter mile time, so not too shabby for a grumpy old man in a standard 20 year-old car.
I've been going to Santa Pod since 1970, but it's a bit of a ball-acher if it gets rained off when you've a 300 mile roundtrip to do.
That was me taking part in the TVR run wot yer brung day last April.
Just my luck that my other 2 runs were against the fastest car of the day (nitroused 450 Chim, which has been down into the 11s).
Basically I didn't want to break anything, but still managed a 14.9, which is within .5 second of the NEW 400SEs 'official' quarter mile time, so not too shabby for a grumpy old man in a standard 20 year-old car.
I've been going to Santa Pod since 1970, but it's a bit of a ball-acher if it gets rained off when you've a 300 mile roundtrip to do.
gog440 said:
I have been looking at the ad for this one www.pistonheads.com/sales/1184638.htm any comments?
I am also in the market for a 'Wedge', and I viewed this car on sunday (I drove from Kent to Birmingham and back, about 360 miles!).It's only the second wedge I've looked at but I was a little disappointed after seeing the pictures in the advert to be honest.
But it certainly went well and sounded fabulous, I've not totally ruled out buying it, but I want to try more first.
Does anyone here have knowledge or experience as to what extent of damage (I realise that's hard to quantify) can cause a 'Wedge' such as a 350/390 to become a Cat D or Cat C write off..?
Thanks!
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