Old Newbie Buying A Tuscan

[stlol]

Hi all, ive been a long term member of ph but never made any posts as i used the wscc for my forum fix :-)so with the westfield sold im moving to Tvr.
Anyway, ive agreed to buy the mango yellow tuscan from James Agger, as you all know he has a good reputation on here and i feel i have made a fairly safe decision buying a car from him.
My only concern is the engine with all the horror stories that you hear about, it hasnt had a rebuild and is low mileage.
It does sound a bit tappety when warm but having no previous experience with this engine im not sure if im being a bit panicky.
James will have the clearances checked as its serviced, so can anyone offer any tips re this particalar car, is it known on the forum??
Steve.

[cuzzaluva]

Well we won't miss u in that.

Talk to the garage that did the last big service.

Good luck

[J J]

The last owner is in the TVRCC East Midlands region. And was at the NEC Classic car show in 2010 on the TVRCC stand.

[stlol]

Yes its not exactly inconspicuous is it,
JJ thanks for the link but im not a member yet, so cant view it.

[Light n Hairy]

It will more than likely require a rebuild at some point, judging by the rather low numbers of higher mileage non-rebuilt cars.
I hope it will give you plenty of motoring before then.

Regarding warning signs i know very little but it may be worth talking to a couple of indies about what theye seen/experienced.

Enjoy it, its a rare and very involving car.

[gutu12]

Ensure James is selling it with a warranty that covers the engine?

Edited by gutu12 on Friday 14th September 06:19

[Dickie Dastardly]

I've just bought a 2003 car, similar mileage and also without a rebuild. Giving up a fabulous and sorted Chim it's definately a bit of a leap of faith but I've looked upon it as a long term investment.

They're stunning cars, best of luck and enjoy

[stlol]

It does come with a warranty, albeit only 3 months.
Havnt had much chance to drive it yet, im hoping for a decent weekend,
I realise at some point it will probably need engine work, but until then i will try to get a few years out of it first,
Dickie, how does it compare to the chim?

[gutu12]

I'm sure you'll be fine. Great colour too.

[so called]

The engine is 'noisier' than your RV8 anyway.
Some of the more mechanical sounds come from the timing chain.
There is adjustment but I leave that to the man who knows.

Good luck and enjoy.

[djb666]

I bought the rosso red Tuscan s from James and it has been fantastic so far. James as been nothing other than straight with me and yes he only gives a 3 month warranty but he also said that if there are any issues then get in touch with him asap. After all, the TVR community is quite small and if you trade on your name which he does then you're only as good as your reputation that precedes you and as far as I've been able to investigate, his is very good. Enjoy the yellow peril mate

[stlol]

Overall im happy with the car, a little nervous on all but the smoothest of surfaces though,
What size tyres do most of you run, i have 255 35 front and rear, i think they maybe too wide on the front.
I have a few teething issues, the main one is smoke on upon starting.
Its worse when its hot, im presuming its valve guide seals or possibly valve guides.
Is it possible to get the head off without removing the engine???

[stlol]

Thanks for all the good wishes btw :-)

[djb666]

I think (bear in mind I'm a bit of a newb myself) that the Tuscan S and possibly the Red Rose (I think yours is RR?) should have 255 on the rear and 235 on the front. Again, I could be drastically wrong and hopefully somebody will correct me if so, but the standard car should have 235s on all four corners. I'm currently running 235s all round on the S as thats what it had on when I bought it. I'm pretty sure the rears aren't up to the job of reigning in the extra power as it will still wheelspin in third! Ah well, if I "lunch them" then at least I can replace with 255s! Remembering to warm the engine up sympathetically first of course!

Edited by djb666 on Wednesday 10th October 01:19

[djb666]

Forgot to mention, mine doesn't smoke at all apart from some condensation when started from cold which disappears once warm. Who serviced the car before James sold it to you? Likely to be Paul at PPCTVR as that's the one James usually prefers. worth a call to Paul as he will have a record of the car on his books if so and hopefully put your mind at rest. I have heard that some of them can be a bit "leaky" and burn some oil which may explain the smoke. Also, make sure you're using the correct oil and again Paul can put you straight there. Good luck mate

Edited by djb666 on Wednesday 10th October 01:20

[Dickie Dastardly]

stlol said:

It does come with a warranty, albeit only 3 months.
Havnt had much chance to drive it yet, im hoping for a decent weekend,
I realise at some point it will probably need engine work, but until then i will try to get a few years out of it first,
Dickie, how does it compare to the chim?

Much much faster but very twitchy, the steering is so responsive in comparison to the Chim and dare I say it feels very raw. I've just had the Tuscan down to HHC for a 12k service - it's definately made a difference plus has given me a bit of peace of mind on the cars mechanical condition.

[stlol]

I think when tyres are due i will put 235 40 on the front and leave the rears at 255 35,
Its going back to ppc tomorrow to be looked at, its not too bad when its cold (still smokes initially)but sometimes when started from hot its like a bonfire has been lit behind you, most embarrasing.

[djb666]

I had some mods and a service done by Paul at PPCTVR before I picked mine up. He's a straight-forward guy so ask him about the smokiness and I'm sure he'll explain it. Good luck mate