TVR Tuscan runnng costs
Discussion
Chaps welcome thoughts and advice. Just traded my TVR Chimaera 450 for. 2001 Tuscan with 39k miles. Full service history, with documented rebuild to Red Rose spec in 2005. Car inspected by specialist, and currently having 12k service. I am budgeting £1000'per year (may be more or less in each year), plus tyres. Does this sound reasonable? I owned a Lotus Esprit turbo before the Chimaera, so know that we aren't into Fiat 500 service costs. Thanks...
Always been of the opinion that it's not even worth thinking about things like that, it costs what it costs. Are you handy with a spanner? Obviously things are going to be a bit more expensive than the Chim but it all depends on what you want to do with it. I imagine it's not going to be a daily driver so a few weekends out in the sun, a few shows and all should be well 
Where's the pictures of said beastie?
Where's the pictures of said beastie?
The thing is not a lot of people actually like to know the real costs of running any TVR or any out the normal kind of car
If you kept a real honest blog of what your Chimaera has cost you then I would be very doubtful it's cost £1000 a year when we are talking all costs.
It will depend on how unlucky or lucky you are and how often you use the car,but I'm coming up 4 years with my current Chimaera and ALL my costs are running at 4x your £1000 budget including fuel (Not sure If I should put a smiley face or crying face emoji so I'll leave it blank).
Congrats on your new Tuscan
If you kept a real honest blog of what your Chimaera has cost you then I would be very doubtful it's cost £1000 a year when we are talking all costs.
It will depend on how unlucky or lucky you are and how often you use the car,but I'm coming up 4 years with my current Chimaera and ALL my costs are running at 4x your £1000 budget including fuel (Not sure If I should put a smiley face or crying face emoji so I'll leave it blank).
Congrats on your new Tuscan
Edited by TVRJAS on Thursday 4th May 20:09
I "expect" to spend £1500-£2000 per annum but in reality it could be +/- . Over 3.5 years so far on a well maintained but highish miles late Mk1 example that's been about the level but it is due a clutch and brakes over the next couple of years. In that time its probably appreciated a few thousand so net-net its good value but as a keeper it reverts to cashflow rather than paper cost. I only do very basic jobs myself so that's carrying a garage premium for most work.
Congrats on your Tuscan.
Id say my Tuscan cost around £1k in servicing each year. I do about 6k miles annually but get a 6 k and 12k service each year anyway.
Last set of tyres lasted about 5 years.
Does about 28mpg motorway depending on set up or driving style.
Miss owning a Chimaera, particularly my first but not because of any lacking in the Tuscan, just loved the RV8.
I think that you will enjoy one special aspen of your Tuscan in driving with the rear screen out.
I found it great.
We need photo's please.
I think it depends on how many miles you will do, the condition of the car and how hands on you are.
A thousand pounds does not go far as a minimum you will need a 6k service that's approx £500, car tax £235, insurance approx £250. Then there is fuel, tyres and repairs.
I find parts more expensive than my chimaera eg. Brake discs. I have found the electronics more fragile than the chimaera. I do a lot of the spanner work myself this saves load's because tvr labour rates are very high at specialists.
A thousand pounds does not go far as a minimum you will need a 6k service that's approx £500, car tax £235, insurance approx £250. Then there is fuel, tyres and repairs.
I find parts more expensive than my chimaera eg. Brake discs. I have found the electronics more fragile than the chimaera. I do a lot of the spanner work myself this saves load's because tvr labour rates are very high at specialists.
so called said:
Congrats on your Tuscan.
Id say my Tuscan cost around £1k in servicing each year. I do about 6k miles annually but get a 6 k and 12k service each year anyway.
Last set of tyres lasted about 5 years.
Does about 28mpg motorway depending on set up or driving style.
Miss owning a Chimaera, particularly my first but not because of any lacking in the Tuscan, just loved the RV8.
I think that you will enjoy one special aspen of your Tuscan in driving with the rear screen out.
I found it great.
We need photo's please.
Do you mean you have a full 12k service each year, or you have it serviced twice a year?Id say my Tuscan cost around £1k in servicing each year. I do about 6k miles annually but get a 6 k and 12k service each year anyway.
Last set of tyres lasted about 5 years.
Does about 28mpg motorway depending on set up or driving style.
Miss owning a Chimaera, particularly my first but not because of any lacking in the Tuscan, just loved the RV8.
I think that you will enjoy one special aspen of your Tuscan in driving with the rear screen out.
I found it great.
We need photo's please.
Basil Brush said:
so called said:
Congrats on your Tuscan.
Id say my Tuscan cost around £1k in servicing each year. I do about 6k miles annually but get a 6 k and 12k service each year anyway.
Last set of tyres lasted about 5 years.
Does about 28mpg motorway depending on set up or driving style.
Miss owning a Chimaera, particularly my first but not because of any lacking in the Tuscan, just loved the RV8.
I think that you will enjoy one special aspen of your Tuscan in driving with the rear screen out.
I found it great.
We need photo's please.
Do you mean you have a full 12k service each year, or you have it serviced twice a year?Id say my Tuscan cost around £1k in servicing each year. I do about 6k miles annually but get a 6 k and 12k service each year anyway.
Last set of tyres lasted about 5 years.
Does about 28mpg motorway depending on set up or driving style.
Miss owning a Chimaera, particularly my first but not because of any lacking in the Tuscan, just loved the RV8.
I think that you will enjoy one special aspen of your Tuscan in driving with the rear screen out.
I found it great.
We need photo's please.
It's a bit of a mechanically noisy engine so I pay to keep that side as low as possible and have worked to make the rear end as loud as possible.
My Wife is responsible for the loud side, she is a hooligan.
PS,
My wonderful Wife has not batted an eyelid today in my request for a rebuilt on my Cerbera engine.
I love her to bits, my wife that is.
Yes, a bit red wine tipsy but who cares.
Also, I would like to praise Ian at TorqueRVT in Middlewich, Cheshire on the service side. He charges a fair price on servicing and I'm happy to pay him. He's looked after the last 11 years of my wonderful TVR love affair.
Viva TVR.
Edited by so called on Thursday 4th May 23:09
Edited by so called on Thursday 4th May 23:17
Speed 3 said:
I "expect" to spend £1500-£2000 per annum but in reality it could be +/- . Over 3.5 years so far on a well maintained but highish miles late Mk1 example that's been about the level but it is due a clutch and brakes over the next couple of years. In that time its probably appreciated a few thousand so net-net its good value but as a keeper it reverts to cashflow rather than paper cost. I only do very basic jobs myself so that's carrying a garage premium for most work.
I've got a 2004 Mk.1 S - - just coming up for 85,000 miles.In my ownership of 8.5 years, I've accumulated 55K of those miles.
I reckon I've spent ~ £2K a year on keeping it on the road, and that's excluding fuel, tyres and 'consumables'.
Nick
nawarne said:
I reckon I've spent ~ £2K a year on keeping it on the road, and that's excluding fuel, tyres and 'consumables'.
Mine is a 2001 Y - no rebuild and I have had it for ~10 years and covered ~30K miles. The last few years' use have been impacted by kids. I totaled my "bills" up a year or so ago, my spend was £14.5K.
My spending pattern is : most years <£1K with a few bigger service bills getting up to 1.5/2K and one even bigger one to have the body off chassis resto...
I suspect a £1K average is probably a bit low....but possible providing you don't get hit by a big one.
Bob
Well this prompted me to actually tot up what it's been in my hands:
I haven't had to do brakes or clutch yet nor had the need for a rebuild. I do have all the invoices back to birth so one day I'll work out it's lifetime cost.....
With the condition its now in, I'd probably gain £5k over what I paid for it so its been relatively cheap motoring so far.
I haven't had to do brakes or clutch yet nor had the need for a rebuild. I do have all the invoices back to birth so one day I'll work out it's lifetime cost.....
With the condition its now in, I'd probably gain £5k over what I paid for it so its been relatively cheap motoring so far.
Just to give a counter-example, I'm in my 11th month (not year) of Tuscan ownership, and so far I've gotten through a top-end rebuild, new clutch and slave cylinder, flywheel, plus a host of preventative/upgrade work (currently having new shocks and springs fitted at str8six). Haven't totted it all up (not sure I want to!), but it's definitely north of 10k so far in the first year... 
Fingers crossed the next few years (at least) will be more like the experiences mentioned above!
Fingers crossed the next few years (at least) will be more like the experiences mentioned above!
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