TVR-Buying &Owning!
Discussion
Having owned Cerbs for 2 1/2years & been on Pistonheads ever since I have recently noticed a trend regarding posts about TVR,s.
The thread will start off as a general observation/question with some very constructive responses-THEN-you will get some clown (who generally appears to be a non TVR owner) decides to throw in a pathetic comment on the reliabilty/build quality etc. of TVR,s.
Dont this just p**s you off?
People buy TVR,s because they are unique in there own way,there aint nothing else like them!
I agree they have there issues & I have had plenty with my Cerbs,but as soon as its fixed and i take it for a blast there aint nothing thats gonna put a bigger smile on my face!
The answer is simple,if you buy a TVR you are gonna have to get your spanners out!If you aint prepared to do that-buy a Porch(e)!!!
Ignore them.
Those who've gone down the TVR road have done so with eyes wide open.
Those who criticise or joke about our cars do so mostly out of shear ignorance or perhaps ill informed journalism (stand up and be counted TG), others just like to jump on a convenient band wagon because it makes them feel good to be making a comment...any comment!
I left my house at 6.30 this morning to drive 50 sun kissed miles into central London and lost count of the number of swivelling heads and pointing fingers and even the odd cheer from tourists around the Tower, would this happen in a Porsche,BMW - I think not, ten a penny guv'ner! Feel good factor off the scale.
Now tell me which camp you'd like to be sitting in, the doom mongers, or the smuggly en-lightened?
Oh and when I finish work tonight I get to drive home again and that makes the 12 hours in between so much easier to put up with, now roof off or on
Those who've gone down the TVR road have done so with eyes wide open.
Those who criticise or joke about our cars do so mostly out of shear ignorance or perhaps ill informed journalism (stand up and be counted TG), others just like to jump on a convenient band wagon because it makes them feel good to be making a comment...any comment!
I left my house at 6.30 this morning to drive 50 sun kissed miles into central London and lost count of the number of swivelling heads and pointing fingers and even the odd cheer from tourists around the Tower, would this happen in a Porsche,BMW - I think not, ten a penny guv'ner! Feel good factor off the scale.
Now tell me which camp you'd like to be sitting in, the doom mongers, or the smuggly en-lightened?
Oh and when I finish work tonight I get to drive home again and that makes the 12 hours in between so much easier to put up with, now roof off or on
The green eyed monster I'm afraid.
On my third TVR, had a Chim 4.5 and Griff 5 liter.
Was TVRless for a few years and hated it
Now I have a 1999 4L Chim again.
Never, yes never, had any trouble with any off them (knocks wood.
Yes, I did drive them as daily transport and took them all over Europe (including Poland in 1995)
So these TVR bashing merchants can kiss my ass
On my third TVR, had a Chim 4.5 and Griff 5 liter.
Was TVRless for a few years and hated it
Now I have a 1999 4L Chim again.
Never, yes never, had any trouble with any off them (knocks wood.
Yes, I did drive them as daily transport and took them all over Europe (including Poland in 1995)
So these TVR bashing merchants can kiss my ass
I get this sort of banter off some of the lads at work Ive had mine 3 yrs and yes ive had one or three niggles but usually getting one of these nuggets in the car for atime shuts them up , they usually end up like gibbering schoolboys and start asking good things about owning a tvr instead of the negatives. I think its a bit of a leap of faith if you like , its hard to explain the feeling of owning and running a car like a tvr and if something goes wrong well s##t happens . I feel ive found out more about myself and learnt more about driving these past 3 years than all the other years put together . Spread the word everyone , i think its one of lifes best kept secrets for happiness and driving fullfillment even if s##t sometimes happens.
I agree with the opening comments.
Great cars but why oh why did they seem to stumble form crisis to crisis?
Yes i have had the usual laff about reliability ets.
BUT!!!!
having driven a couple WOW!!!
Lets sincerely hope that this site can keep the enthusiasm going and that TVR stay alive in some form.
sospan
Great cars but why oh why did they seem to stumble form crisis to crisis?
Yes i have had the usual laff about reliability ets.
BUT!!!!
having driven a couple WOW!!!
Lets sincerely hope that this site can keep the enthusiasm going and that TVR stay alive in some form.
sospan
The best one was i had was the local motor factors rep doing a routine visit he quips "nice car but dont they always break down"to which i reply "funny that, most people who say this have never owned one"silence follows,im not bothered about what people say about these cars,and i think none of us are going to state their as reliable as a modern hatch but so what,i think preventative maintainance is the key here.
,im not bothered about what people say about these cars,and i think none of us are going to state their as reliable as a modern hatch but so what,i think preventative maintainance is the key here.Interesting question Esso - I noticed the same thing. I have been a TVR owner for nearly a month now: Pistonheads was my main source of research, and if I had believed everything I read on the forum I would still be driving a Honda. 
You only have to do the arithmatic to realise that if the stories you get were 100% representative you would never ever see a TVR on the road, as they would always be in the workshop. I guess those with bad experiences are more likely to tell people (when did you last tell your mates about a good shop assistant, for example?) and some have been stung badly and have an axe to grind.
If any further proof were needed, not only have I bought a Cerbera to use as an everyday car, it's a Speed 6!
That might be blind faith, but I can't think of another car I'd get more out of at the money, even if I budget £2.5k a year for servicing and things going pop. And I looooooooove it.
I guess it's not entirely a rational decision....
You only have to do the arithmatic to realise that if the stories you get were 100% representative you would never ever see a TVR on the road, as they would always be in the workshop. I guess those with bad experiences are more likely to tell people (when did you last tell your mates about a good shop assistant, for example?) and some have been stung badly and have an axe to grind.
If any further proof were needed, not only have I bought a Cerbera to use as an everyday car, it's a Speed 6!
That might be blind faith, but I can't think of another car I'd get more out of at the money, even if I budget £2.5k a year for servicing and things going pop. And I looooooooove it. I guess it's not entirely a rational decision.... As a tvr fan through and through it really winds me up when people harp on about how tvr,s are unreliable and always breakdown.I owned a wedge in the eighties and it was my only car,in four years of ownership it NEVER let me down once,I only let it go because I started my own business and had a son on the way.Money was tight so I could not own a tvr as I was missing the sound of a V8 a built a Hot Rod Rover powered ,and after many years without a TVR,I purchased a Griffith and have had it for four years now and have had NOT A Single problem,so TVR,S fantastic reliablity not a problem just do some research and look at lots and buy the best you can afford YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE.
) Not long after I'd bought my Griff I gave a friend of a friend a lift back to their house. He thought it was a beautiful car... He loved the looks, the noise, speed but still asked when I was going to buy a Porsche!?!? and went on to say that surely this was just a warm up for a Porsche of Ferarri !!? 
I guess it all boils down to how you view cars... some will only ever see them as a status symbol.. like the dedicated follower of fashion who will buy the latest clothes in the hope they'll look good, whether or not they actually like the style.
As for reliability... I've never had any major problems with mine (fingers crossed) and I don't imagine the maintainance costs are much different to other cars of this type. Besides, I've heard plenty of stories of Porsches and Ferraris left by the side of the road because of big problems and little niggles!! By their nature all performance cars are going to be temperamental.
I guess it all boils down to how you view cars... some will only ever see them as a status symbol.. like the dedicated follower of fashion who will buy the latest clothes in the hope they'll look good, whether or not they actually like the style.
As for reliability... I've never had any major problems with mine (fingers crossed) and I don't imagine the maintainance costs are much different to other cars of this type. Besides, I've heard plenty of stories of Porsches and Ferraris left by the side of the road because of big problems and little niggles!! By their nature all performance cars are going to be temperamental.
ajcj said:
Interesting question Esso - I noticed the same thing..... if I had believed everything I read on the forum I would still be driving a Honda.
I DO still drive a Honda. Sometimes.
V-GOM said:
Unreliable - try a bl@@dy Eurobox for size.
I couldn't agree more.
I have driven my (company) Honda Accord Diesel from new. I selected it based upon Honda's reputation for reliability.
I am truly scunnered by it. In just two years of ownership it has consumed almost its list price in warranty repairs. 4 satnav units, 3 aircon units, 2 stereo head units (or was it 3?). 4 wheels replaced due to corrosion. I'm now on first name terms with most of the service dept.
When I was considering buying the Tamora, I looked BRIEFLY at the Honda S2000. In the end I decided to go for something more reliable.... hence the TVR.
Neil
neilboyd said:
V-GOM said:
Unreliable - try a bl@@dy Eurobox for size.
I couldn't agree more.
I have driven my (company) Honda Accord Diesel from new. I selected it based upon Honda's reputation for reliability.
I am truly scunnered by it. In just two years of ownership it has consumed almost its list price in warranty repairs. 4 satnav units, 3 aircon units, 2 stereo head units (or was it 3?). 4 wheels replaced due to corrosion. I'm now on first name terms with most of the service dept.
When I was considering buying the Tamora, I looked BRIEFLY at the Honda S2000. In the end I decided to go for something more reliable.... hence the TVR.
Neil
Pah - we bought a 2.0 Nissan Primera and drove it into it's first service at the main dealers, running fine, nothing wrong.
It left 18 days later with a brand new engine. It went bang and produced a cloud of smoke after they'd signed off the service, done the road test and called my missus to tell us it was ready. They thought head gasket but turned out pot 2 was badly scored somehow.
Needless to say we don't use that Nissan main dealer anymore
The Cerbera on the other hand has been brilliantly reliable.
Edited by byker28i on Sunday 29th April 08:35
Having wanted a TVR since I was 15 in 1976 and having worked with the factory on a consultancy basis in the late eighties, I have at last achieved my dream, a wedge which has so far kept running 'reliably' for over 1,000 miles in 3 months. I have to admit I am surprised. What used to drive me mad about these cars was the little things that the crappest car makers have no problem getting right such as fuel guages that work to the nearest barrel, electrical earths, etc.. I still bought one though. It was either that or a 07 plate Ford Ka 1.3 with 3 year warranty from Makro for £3,995 + VAT. Who wants sensible!
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