Discussion
Hi.
First time on this forum - more aquainted with the Porsche and Audi ones!
Considering putting my big tow in the water and getting a TVR for a hoon around in on days off.
Previously had a glut of Porsche 911s, and on my second Audi S4 Avant as a "normal" car.
I drive a separate company car to all these, and Mrs. Drybeer drives a Polo TDi, so:
Budget £10,000 - £20,000.
I'm mainly interested in Griffiths and Chimaeras, as I think I want a V8, although Tuscans are now in my price bracket.
A friend has a Griffith 5 which he may be considering selling, but the front is chipped to hell...
Should this put me off, or is this easy to find a specialist to sort?
Should I be looking at 400, 450, 500s? Is there any shame is having the "small" Chimaera? WOuld I get fed up not having the most powerful one when I could have had one for the money I can afford?
I like convertibles so the Cerbera is out.
Any comments as to what I should be buying and not buying?
Cheers,
Andrew.
First time on this forum - more aquainted with the Porsche and Audi ones!
Considering putting my big tow in the water and getting a TVR for a hoon around in on days off.
Previously had a glut of Porsche 911s, and on my second Audi S4 Avant as a "normal" car.
I drive a separate company car to all these, and Mrs. Drybeer drives a Polo TDi, so:
Budget £10,000 - £20,000.
I'm mainly interested in Griffiths and Chimaeras, as I think I want a V8, although Tuscans are now in my price bracket.
A friend has a Griffith 5 which he may be considering selling, but the front is chipped to hell...
Should this put me off, or is this easy to find a specialist to sort?
Should I be looking at 400, 450, 500s? Is there any shame is having the "small" Chimaera? WOuld I get fed up not having the most powerful one when I could have had one for the money I can afford?
I like convertibles so the Cerbera is out.
Any comments as to what I should be buying and not buying?
Cheers,
Andrew.
I bought a Tuscan late last year and just sold my Chimaera 400.
The Tuscan is fantastic and i've never had so many friendly strangers just wanting to ask me questions, have their photo's taken by the car etc.
However, I still miss my Chimaera. Its a totally differend beast but still a real pleasure.
In the last months before aquiring the Tuscan I spent a lot of time considering that a Chimaera 500 would have been the one for me.
Its difficult but overall, the Tuscan is not just a great and thrilling drive, its also an engineering work of art, which I will always be proud to be able to say "I had one of those".
Bit like when I was a kid and wishing one day I would be one of the lucky few to own an e-type.
The Tuscan is fantastic and i've never had so many friendly strangers just wanting to ask me questions, have their photo's taken by the car etc.
However, I still miss my Chimaera. Its a totally differend beast but still a real pleasure.
In the last months before aquiring the Tuscan I spent a lot of time considering that a Chimaera 500 would have been the one for me.
Its difficult but overall, the Tuscan is not just a great and thrilling drive, its also an engineering work of art, which I will always be proud to be able to say "I had one of those".
Bit like when I was a kid and wishing one day I would be one of the lucky few to own an e-type.
My first TVR was a 4l Chimaera, and within months wanted a 450. Got that then wanted a 500. So bought a Griff, and one of the best cars I've ever had, but the Tamora takes some beating. So go for the Griff straight away, looks a lot sleeker than the Chimaera as well. Don't worry about stone chips, as they all have them.
You have 3 choices: a Tamora, a Tamora or a Tamora. 
Many people say that they are the most underrated TVR around. It will be at the top end of your budget, though, and if it's an early one make sure the engine has been rebuilt.
The difficulty is that owners love them so much there are very few on the market........
Julian
Many people say that they are the most underrated TVR around. It will be at the top end of your budget, though, and if it's an early one make sure the engine has been rebuilt.The difficulty is that owners love them so much there are very few on the market........
Julian
I'd suggest a T350C. A 2003 car with sub 20k miles should be around £18k. In my opinion they handle marginally better than a Tuscan and considerably better than a Griffith. I enjoyed my Griffith but it did not inspire confidence through the twisty stuff. The T350 is newer stock and also looks a prettier more compact car than a Tuscan (IMO). Tamora a good choice if you want a soft top. Same chassis as T350 so a good focused driving car.
Get a T350 or a Tuscan, for that kind of dough you'll get a 2003? t350/tuscan privately, or probably a 2000/1 tuscan from a dealer.
Dealer prices when I was shopping for my tuscan a few months ago seemed wildly inflated, and in all honesty if you get a well sorted car (perhaps had a recent rebuild, and of course with ALL the history) paying dealer premiums for a warranty is an unnecesary expense.
Dont get hung up on having a V8 though, the S6 cars sound awesome, have plenty of power and if you get one with a recent rebuild from a decent specialist (austec, power, craft, etc the list goes on) you realy should have a good solid engine that will look after you if you do the same to it!
try to add a red rose engine to your wish list, you'll be craving more power and want to have it upgraded 12 months after buying the car anyway!
FYI I spent £16800 on my 2000 tuscan , the paintwork is a little chipped (but if you DRIVE it you will fill it with chips anyway), the interior is a little jaded too but they can both be sorted easier and cheaper than the mechanical bits which are in tip top condition having had a TVR Power Red Rose rebuild only 2000 miles prior to be buying the car.
Dealer prices when I was shopping for my tuscan a few months ago seemed wildly inflated, and in all honesty if you get a well sorted car (perhaps had a recent rebuild, and of course with ALL the history) paying dealer premiums for a warranty is an unnecesary expense.
Dont get hung up on having a V8 though, the S6 cars sound awesome, have plenty of power and if you get one with a recent rebuild from a decent specialist (austec, power, craft, etc the list goes on) you realy should have a good solid engine that will look after you if you do the same to it!
try to add a red rose engine to your wish list, you'll be craving more power and want to have it upgraded 12 months after buying the car anyway!
FYI I spent £16800 on my 2000 tuscan , the paintwork is a little chipped (but if you DRIVE it you will fill it with chips anyway), the interior is a little jaded too but they can both be sorted easier and cheaper than the mechanical bits which are in tip top condition having had a TVR Power Red Rose rebuild only 2000 miles prior to be buying the car.
Edited by davido140 on Friday 20th July 12:06
Hello drybeer, welcome to the world of TVR. 
As you may've noticed already ... opinion is divided. The basic rule is 'every TVR owner loves their car' and you'll struggle to get us to agree on much else. They're all awesome beasts andif when you get the bug you'll understand.
For my/your money your best bet is a well sorted Griff with a couple of bob left over for enhancements/toys/servicing/repairs.
As you may've noticed already ... opinion is divided. The basic rule is 'every TVR owner loves their car' and you'll struggle to get us to agree on much else. They're all awesome beasts and
For my/your money your best bet is a well sorted Griff with a couple of bob left over for enhancements/toys/servicing/repairs.
Respraying the front end is one of those things that dealers seem to do routinely & most owners do if it really looks a mess. About £800 for full front end respray. Then Armourfend it if you are concerned about it - but not everyone likes the Armourfend effect.
Do it, you know you want to
(Another one rescued from the dark side!)
Do it, you know you want to
(Another one rescued from the dark side!)
LordGrover said:
As you may've noticed already ... opinion is divided. The basic rule is 'every TVR owner loves their car' and you'll struggle to get us to agree on much else. They're all awesome beasts and if when you get the bug you'll understand.
I dont think one is better than another, just different. Lets be honest, with a car like a TVR the subjective element is the main part of most buying decisions. Drive a few and see what works for you. Im a chim bloke myself but there isnt a model I wouldnt have. As soon as you try another model you want one of those. Im currently lusting after a rare Red Rose 4.0 Tamora but Im sure it will pass.
It's a nice problem to have
: Edited by phlap on Friday 20th July 13:23
Andrew
Be aware that there are issues with the in-house 6 cylinder engines (Tuscan, Tamora, T350, Sagaris, some Cerbs). These are well documented, and there are now recognised and warranted fixes available. A full rebuild won't be far off the money you'd spend on an equivalent job on a 993, but the problem is that Tivs tend to need this a bit sooner than Porsches, and you may have to wait some time for parts.
The V8's in the Griff and Chim are a bit more old school, and as such somnewhat cheaper to fix.
I would drive both types and see which you prefer. The V8's are cracking, but the Speed 6 engines have a phenomenal throttle response.
Good luck
Be aware that there are issues with the in-house 6 cylinder engines (Tuscan, Tamora, T350, Sagaris, some Cerbs). These are well documented, and there are now recognised and warranted fixes available. A full rebuild won't be far off the money you'd spend on an equivalent job on a 993, but the problem is that Tivs tend to need this a bit sooner than Porsches, and you may have to wait some time for parts.
The V8's in the Griff and Chim are a bit more old school, and as such somnewhat cheaper to fix.
I would drive both types and see which you prefer. The V8's are cracking, but the Speed 6 engines have a phenomenal throttle response.
Good luck
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