What? No part available for MONTHS?
Discussion
The car stopped because the clutch decided to do a Paula Radcliffe on me t'other week.
Apparently, there are no clutches available for the Tuscan from TVR. The parts deparment couldn't-care-lessly referref me to a dealer, and the dealers are saying this situation has been ongoing for months. Yes, months!!
I will slowly melt into a pile of goo if I cannot drive my car for that long. There is only so much Audi a man can face.
:furious:
Apparently, there are no clutches available for the Tuscan from TVR. The parts deparment couldn't-care-lessly referref me to a dealer, and the dealers are saying this situation has been ongoing for months. Yes, months!!
I will slowly melt into a pile of goo if I cannot drive my car for that long. There is only so much Audi a man can face.
:furious:
Oz - you may want to try
www.tvrgear.co.uk/
who were able to source me some tough-to-get parts. Very helpful and professional (Nick in parts I think). Best of luck.
www.tvrgear.co.uk/
who were able to source me some tough-to-get parts. Very helpful and professional (Nick in parts I think). Best of luck.
Mustang Baz said:
Oz - you may want to try
www.tvrgear.co.uk/
who were able to source me some tough-to-get parts. Very helpful and professional (Nick in parts I think). Best of luck.
Many thanks Mustang Baz. Will have a go. Also looking at the recon clutch route from the other thread- apparently TVR craft do one where they use tougher bits to put it back together, in theory giving you a better clutch. Will try all these guys first thing tomorrow.
I know this is pretty much answering a question with another question, but is there not an alternative part which could be used? It seems that TVR have their hands in a few other parts bin, maybe more so a while back than now, but maybe it's worth investigating that route.
Could any information be gleaned from referring to the 'box/bellhousing, i.e. what else uses a Borg-Warner T5 (IIRC) and what kind of engine is it mated to in those instances? If there's one with similar/better output (e.g. torque) to the S6, or a clutch specified with a similar clamping force, maybe that could be an alternative?
Just a suggestion, as a number of my friends with Mitsu GTOs/3000GTs have had to go down the same kind of route in order to avoid paying second mortgage money for Mitsu spares or find uprated clutches for tweaked engines.
Could any information be gleaned from referring to the 'box/bellhousing, i.e. what else uses a Borg-Warner T5 (IIRC) and what kind of engine is it mated to in those instances? If there's one with similar/better output (e.g. torque) to the S6, or a clutch specified with a similar clamping force, maybe that could be an alternative?
Just a suggestion, as a number of my friends with Mitsu GTOs/3000GTs have had to go down the same kind of route in order to avoid paying second mortgage money for Mitsu spares or find uprated clutches for tweaked engines.
Sure i saw somewhere that Tuscan clutch same as Ferrari use in some models, now if this is true i would not for one minute suggest that you go to a 'Fezza' dealership. BUT this proves that clutch is not TVR specific. If you get the unit out and take it to local friendly motor part shop they may be able to cross ref no's and who knows you might be lucky?
Ps. Had a brill drive out on Sun, strange smell on return tho. almost like camel spit!
Nah, must be imaganing things.
Best of luck
D.
>> Edited by R TOY on Monday 31st October 20:00
Ps. Had a brill drive out on Sun, strange smell on return tho. almost like camel spit!
Nah, must be imaganing things. Best of luck
D.
>> Edited by R TOY on Monday 31st October 20:00
R555SSH said:
TVR Craft seems to be the prevailing option. Only problem might be that the warranty company will not pay for a non-new part.
Will have to see....
Apparently there is a lack of camels in Wiltshire too, so they may not spit on my clutch at least. D take note.
What if the warranty company doesnt know the clutch is non-new?
If they are invoiced for the same or less than a new part, would they mind?
What possible reason could there be for not being able to supply for so long? In the past it was alleged to be caused by non-payment of their suppliers. Under Smolenski ownership this was all supposed to have changed... is all not as it might appear????? It would be interesting to know how many miles the clutch has covered, cause they don't seem to last very long either!
Urgent Harry said:
What possible reason could there be for not being able to supply for so long? In the past it was alleged to be caused by non-payment of their suppliers. Under Smolenski ownership this was all supposed to have changed... is all not as it might appear????? It would be interesting to know how many miles the clutch has covered, cause they don't seem to last very long either!
Probably something to do with the 'Lean Manufacturing' and 'Just In Time' methods of production that prevail throughout industry nowadays.
You can't keep an excess of stock anywhere, and if you're building 10 vehicles, you only buy 10 clutches. Hence NO SPARES.
Fine if the supplier is allowed to make some for the aftermarket, but this doesn't seem to be the case with TVR and specifically clutches, but all parts seem to be getting scarce recently.
Maybe the logic is you get so fed up waiting for your old car to be fixed, you only but new ones.
Apparently, you can have a brand new car in about six weeks from the time of order.
But 3 months for a clutch, 5 weeks for an oil pressure sender, 10 weeks for a chassis.......
TVR.....
GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER FFS!!!! ...you're on very thin ice my Pedigree Chums...
I agree!
When I did GCSE Business Studies, I learnt of the method used in the far east to keep production lines moving was called kan-ban. The exact spelling I cannot recall but basically for every part you have two boxes. When the first box runs out, you start using the second box, and this trigers the order of a replacement 'spare' box so there is no stoppages when the first box runs out.
Perhaps TVR know better, after all the Japanese are crap at making cars that are well put together, have an inefficient workforce, and their cars only last 5000 miles before you need a new engine...
Oh yeah, they dont.
I realise that there may be more factors involved, but I am sure the problems the customers are having to get spare parts do not also mean the production line is stopped... Surely not?
When I did GCSE Business Studies, I learnt of the method used in the far east to keep production lines moving was called kan-ban. The exact spelling I cannot recall but basically for every part you have two boxes. When the first box runs out, you start using the second box, and this trigers the order of a replacement 'spare' box so there is no stoppages when the first box runs out.
Perhaps TVR know better, after all the Japanese are crap at making cars that are well put together, have an inefficient workforce, and their cars only last 5000 miles before you need a new engine...
Oh yeah, they dont.
I realise that there may be more factors involved, but I am sure the problems the customers are having to get spare parts do not also mean the production line is stopped... Surely not?
Ford adopted the Jap. way of production from Toyota. They changed it a bit to suit, gave it another name, and things have steadily gone downhill from there! 
The whole ethos that all components will arrive in just the right quantity bang on time, 100% quality checked, without any defects is naive to say the least.
Let's just say it works in a perfect world (the strange one most management seem to live in!)
The parts side of things is better, but Ford is huge (for now!)
Now as for TVR, it seems to me they're just out to p*ss everyone off!
The whole ethos that all components will arrive in just the right quantity bang on time, 100% quality checked, without any defects is naive to say the least.
Let's just say it works in a perfect world (the strange one most management seem to live in!)
The parts side of things is better, but Ford is huge (for now!)
Now as for TVR, it seems to me they're just out to p*ss everyone off!
My local TVR indie speculated that the dried up supply from AP could be because
they were impoving the component quality because of early (20K mile) failures ..
After all - they are using a multi plate clutch to improve clutch life and 20K in not a long with just around 350 bhp..
But if you need one right now that the Craft recon is as good a way to get you back on the road as any..
>> Edited by rev-erend on Wednesday 2nd November 20:34
they were impoving the component quality because of early (20K mile) failures ..
After all - they are using a multi plate clutch to improve clutch life and 20K in not a long with just around 350 bhp..
But if you need one right now that the Craft recon is as good a way to get you back on the road as any..
>> Edited by rev-erend on Wednesday 2nd November 20:34
Thanks to all for allowing me to vent safely, and for the sage advice on alternative routes.
I didn't quite grasp just how much dissent there is for TVR's antics in general, and it is all easy to romanticise in retrospect, but I have had to throw my toy out of the pram because the toy doesn't work!
Reconditioned toy it is then. Unless some billionaire amongst you has a spare tuscan, with good clutch, which you would kindly leave unattended, on stands, in the street.....
>> Edited by R555SSH on Thursday 3rd November 14:00
I didn't quite grasp just how much dissent there is for TVR's antics in general, and it is all easy to romanticise in retrospect, but I have had to throw my toy out of the pram because the toy doesn't work!
Reconditioned toy it is then. Unless some billionaire amongst you has a spare tuscan, with good clutch, which you would kindly leave unattended, on stands, in the street.....
>> Edited by R555SSH on Thursday 3rd November 14:00
Kan-Ban, Just-In-Time, Lean manufacturing...... all these things are commercial weapons that the Japanese throw out to the rest of the world to screw-up the competition. The reason that their stuff is usually so reliable is that they focus on applying good old fashioned common-sense to their business whilst others worry about following these daft rules. For example, Just-In-Time works on the principle that the exact quantity of parts will arrive from the suppliers, onto the assembly line at exactly the right time. Oh yeah, since when have sales forecasts been that good! So in order to cope with fluctuating demands, coupled with lead-times to make parts of, say 8 weeks or more(due to queues etc), someone somewhere along the line has to carry stock, so where's the sense in it?
sh1t in a grid? red griff 500 said:
Lots of stuff I agree with....
Here's a good example.........
In our plant, some of the rough casting stock comes over from Mexico. On a boat. Just in time.
See the flaw anywhere?
I hate all this head-up-the-arse, nothing-will-go-wrong shite!
Where do they find these people?
Can I join the waiting for a clutch club?FFS
Just got off the dog and bone to the dealers(my car was in for a service today and all is just dandy) but as I suspected the bloody clutch is rubber ducked
Could be 6 to 8 weeks for a new one apparently ...oh well the weather is crap so that helps
Do Porsche use the AP clutch?...cos if they do they are more than a little miffed
at the mo
all hearsay of course as I was listening to a conversation on a bus
Depending on the cause.... plate or fingers I guess a battle royal is to be expected with the warranty co,but they have played ball up to now.
Just to add .....
TVR get a grip please for everyones sake.
>> Edited by billynomates on Tuesday 8th November 17:48
>> Edited by billynomates on Tuesday 8th November 17:56
Just got off the dog and bone to the dealers(my car was in for a service today and all is just dandy) but as I suspected the bloody clutch is rubber ducked
Could be 6 to 8 weeks for a new one apparently ...oh well the weather is crap so that helps
Do Porsche use the AP clutch?...cos if they do they are more than a little miffed
at the mo all hearsay of course as I was listening to a conversation on a bus
Depending on the cause.... plate or fingers I guess a battle royal is to be expected with the warranty co,but they have played ball up to now.
Just to add .....
TVR get a grip please for everyones sake. >> Edited by billynomates on Tuesday 8th November 17:48
>> Edited by billynomates on Tuesday 8th November 17:56
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