Discussion
The seats dont have ISO-fix, i dont think I could even get a baby seat in it. The dogs cant get in cos of the leather, it is so noisy that the baby couldnt sleep, it is so noisy you couldnt hear the baby scream! You cant get to the back seats (Shelf) to tend the baby without the constant need for a chiropractor. Mrs Gooby cant get in due to the bump and after the sunroof (C section) is put in she could not get near it.
It is unreliable, smelly and it overheats but I am so close to blowing Mrs Gooby's "sensible car for the baby" budget.
That car will have to be fast to out run an angry Mrs Gooby
I went from a 4.0 Chim to the Elise (S2 111s) and, love the Elise as much as it I do cos its really a better car, there isn't a day when I don't miss the feeling, the smell and most of all the noise of the TVR. The running costs were horrendous and it was quite unreliable, but at the same time.......there's nothing quite like it......
bogie said:
cant beat em for character and prescence...oh and scary performance...weve had a TVR in the family for near 5 years now, not had any real issues either and done 60-70k miles in em ..you cant be sensible forever 
Bogie, no disrespect, but you are one of the few owners (possibly minority) I've heard of that have had a TVR for more than 18 months. My perception rightly or wrongly is that you are fairly well off and can afford to run more than 1 car per adult.. Almost comprehensively everyone I know loved them, had them almost immediately before having children, and then pretty much found them impractical after becoming parents and found little opportunity to enjoy driving time in them and therefore justify their continued running costs... and many of those held well paid jobs at a Bournemouth based investment bank ;o)
My best man had one and took me to my wedding... so I'm not anti them.. it just could be money down the drain at a time when you may surprise yourself quite how mcuh children cost !!!!
Whatever.. unlike Elises (including mine) they rarely need an exhaust upgrade...
Don't worry about noise - babies and young children will fall asleep anywhere when they're tired. Your biggest problem would be the lack of space for carrying the parephenalia that seems to go with babies. We bought a nice new A3 a few weeks before our first was born and went for a weeks hols in the Lakes when she was about six months old. Now I know the A3 isn't the worlds biggest car but even with the greater part of the rear seat folded flat we still couldn't fit in all the junk Mrs T wanted to take.
A small estate is ideal for family wheels (I got an X-type when No 2 child came along) but by the time No2 was nearly a year old I sold mine as I didn't need it any more although a second 'sensible' car is very useful when you have more than one child. I've just bought an Alfa 156 as a sensible set of wheels for me
On the other hand Gooby: kids are very, very expensive and it might be a long time before you get the chance again and there won't be any more real TVRs............
A small estate is ideal for family wheels (I got an X-type when No 2 child came along) but by the time No2 was nearly a year old I sold mine as I didn't need it any more although a second 'sensible' car is very useful when you have more than one child. I've just bought an Alfa 156 as a sensible set of wheels for me
On the other hand Gooby: kids are very, very expensive and it might be a long time before you get the chance again and there won't be any more real TVRs............
Sounds like a realy big itch there you want to scratch!!! 
For sure you can "make" yourself put up with the limitations of using a sports car as a family wagon ... primarily because it's your money and you are the ones that suffer the inconvenience.
From a practical point of view, a roomy (something you can pack half your house in and have space to change/feed the baby if needed) and reliable (I won't mention the misery and stress levels that occur when the bloody thing fails when you need to get somewhere etc) family wagon will help sustain harmony in the gooby household IMO.
Interesting choice tho
For sure you can "make" yourself put up with the limitations of using a sports car as a family wagon ... primarily because it's your money and you are the ones that suffer the inconvenience.
From a practical point of view, a roomy (something you can pack half your house in and have space to change/feed the baby if needed) and reliable (I won't mention the misery and stress levels that occur when the bloody thing fails when you need to get somewhere etc) family wagon will help sustain harmony in the gooby household IMO.
Interesting choice tho
Grinnders said:
bogie said:
cant beat em for character and prescence...oh and scary performance...weve had a TVR in the family for near 5 years now, not had any real issues either and done 60-70k miles in em ..you cant be sensible forever
Bogie, no disrespect, but you are one of the few owners (possibly minority) I've heard of that have had a TVR for more than 18 months. My perception rightly or wrongly is that you are fairly well off and can afford to run more than 1 car per adult.. Almost comprehensively everyone I know loved them, had them almost immediately before having children, and then pretty much found them impractical after becoming parents and found little opportunity to enjoy driving time in them and therefore justify their continued running costs... and many of those held well paid jobs at a Bournemouth based investment bank ;o)
My best man had one and took me to my wedding... so I'm not anti them.. it just could be money down the drain at a time when you may surprise yourself quite how mcuh children cost !!!!
Whatever.. unlike Elises (including mine) they rarely need an exhaust upgrade...
you could say the same about Elises ...I see people every week, guys that have stretched themselves to own one as an only car, then a child on the way, Elise gets sold etc.
All sportscars are luxuries, and yes, you need to be fairly well off to own one. We have 3 cars and no kids, at one point we had 4, thats through choice though, as we both love cars, touring, motorsport etc.
Go on the TVR club forums, loads of single guys, mid twenties up, TVRs as their only car ..some commute by train, others drive enough each day at least to warm the engine through
..so I guess what Im saying, is that you cant judge something just by your own limited experience of a few people you know having something ...its like me saying I know a few people who have Bmws, theyve all had problems with them, so all BMWs are unreliable, id never own one etc ...there are tens of thousands of TVR owners out there
Grinnders said:
bogie said:
cant beat em for character and prescence...oh and scary performance...weve had a TVR in the family for near 5 years now, not had any real issues either and done 60-70k miles in em ..you cant be sensible forever
Bogie, no disrespect, but you are one of the few owners (possibly minority) I've heard of that have had a TVR for more than 18 months. My perception rightly or wrongly is that you are fairly well off and can afford to run more than 1 car per adult.. Almost comprehensively everyone I know loved them, had them almost immediately before having children, and then pretty much found them impractical after becoming parents and found little opportunity to enjoy driving time in them and therefore justify their continued running costs... and many of those held well paid jobs at a Bournemouth based investment bank ;o)
My best man had one and took me to my wedding... so I'm not anti them.. it just could be money down the drain at a time when you may surprise yourself quite how mcuh children cost !!!!
Whatever.. unlike Elises (including mine) they rarely need an exhaust upgrade...
Re the rest, I can echo those. I am not in the children position, but as it is find it hard to find time to enjoy it, or work on it. It's not so much the money they cost, but the oppourtunity you get to use them when you are earning the money to maintain them and a sensible car.
You cannot budget a child like a TVR.
Similarly I ran mine every day and it never really let me down, mine did leak a bit and occasionally break down but it was no worse than youd expect from a car of the age that it was. Only serious problem (terminal in the end) was that the chassis rotted over time, i've heard of quite a few owners powder coating theirs to rejuvenate. I'm sure that if you check the chassis and then look after it it'll last fine......
I do have to give maximium petrolhead respect to Gooby for this entire thread!
I've read hundreds of threads on PH over the years, where someone is expecting a baby, and basically has to sell their sports car for the usual MPV or estate option. To have a thread where the actual dialema is whether or not to buy a bloody TVR Cerbera is a great change!!! Gooby......
I've read hundreds of threads on PH over the years, where someone is expecting a baby, and basically has to sell their sports car for the usual MPV or estate option. To have a thread where the actual dialema is whether or not to buy a bloody TVR Cerbera is a great change!!! Gooby......
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