20k mile 3.6 2003 Tuscan - chances of escaping a rebuild?

[fimbo]

Hi all,

I have been looking at the various threads regarding the speed 6 - there are lots! I have seen a Tuscan of above description and am seriously tempted - trouble is I'm not sure I could afford a rebuild if it happened in the next 12-18 months - maybe that in itself tells a tale that I should avoid Tuscans. However, perhaps you could give me some level headed advice on this issue. I am totally smitten on a Tuscan - I just need a nudge in the right direction.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

[dealmaster]

Mines a Y '01 with 37k miles - no record of rebuild! Not all speed 6's needed to get one. FSH is a must and have a chat with the garage who service it.

You get 6K and 12K services - the latter being the "biggy" where the check and adjsut if nescessary the finger followers.

I need to get some new shims which is going to cost circa £450 but apart from that seems fine. As long as the engine is always up to temp before giving it some (the old warm up routine) yiu should be fine.
Bear in mind that all TVR's have niggles, it's part of the typeof car.

It is by far the fastest car money can buy this side of £80k and people will comment on what a great car you have - try that in a Porsche!!

Go for it - but have some spare cash aside for wee probs! Also bear in mind that it's a buyers market for Tuscans so don't pay screen ££££.

Nick

[UpTheIron]

Avoid. Buy an earlier Tuscan and have the spare cash for a rebuild.

[fimbo]

Thanks for your comments. I am not technically minded so excuse my ignorance but would the garage be able to tell if the followers were worn or about to snap? If so, presumably they would have whipped em out and put in some new ones before any engine damage occurs? Also, any idea how much I should be paying private for a one of this age/mileage?

Thanks again.

[J_S_G]

UpTheIron said:

Avoid. Buy an earlier Tuscan and have the spare cash for a rebuild.

Absolutely. If you can't afford an engine bill, what about a gearbox one if you have the circlip issue with 5th? Or if the slave cylinder goes in the clutch? Or the myriad of £500 bills around suspension/tyres/electrics/etc. If you get an earlier one and have a few £k on one side "just in case" for any such problem, then you can enjoy ownership without any "what if" fretting.

[J_S_G]

fimbo said:

Thanks for your comments. I am not technically minded so excuse my ignorance but would the garage be able to tell if the followers were worn or about to snap? If so, presumably they would have whipped em out and put in some new ones before any engine damage occurs? Also, any idea how much I should be paying private for a one of this age/mileage? Thanks again.

Unlikely they can tell without taking the top off the engine
If it has worn valve guides, this will be detectable, though - smoke out of the back
If they were badly worn, then simply replacing them may not be enough - lots of nasty swarf from them floating about in the block. (It might, though!)

[pete]

I've got a September 2003 3.6 on 27,000 miles. No rebuild, and the last two services have shown valve clearances are spot on. Fingers crossed they stay that way...

[Mustang Baz]

As an owner of an Aug, 2003, 3.6li, I may have a slightly different view to some of those posted, but I can see your quandry!

In context, I have had a myriad of issues - engine rebuild and new clutch the most onerous - despite initially trying to mitigate these in the first instance by buying as recent a car as possible (it was 20 mths old, 7k miles, when I bought it privately from a PH'er). There have been a lot of other niggles, which can justifiably be said to negated if you buy an older, established vehicle.

However, the benefits of buying a recent model are still valid; potentially lower mileage to allow you to put on plenty and still have a car with potentially some resale value in the future (although 20k quite reasonable already); lack of "visible" wear inside/bodywork; a number of parts still with a decent amt of life in them. In addition, there is also surely the issue of the TVR warranty. At £1350, plus £200 or so for the check, although this is an annual payment of some significance, it will give complete piece of mind.

[Tuska]

I bought a 2000 4.0 Tuscan two years ago with (then) 20,000 miles clocked. I have since spent about £3000 on servicing and replacing the suspension. I have not had problems with either engine, gearbox or clutch.

When buying i looked for a Tuscan that had been engine rebuilt post 2002 as there is circumstancial evidence that parts used after this time are of better quality.

HOWEVER, i accept that a further rebuild is a possibility and i have a £4000 fighting fund tucked away. I also continue to budget about a grand a year for servicing and 'niggles'.

For me, the suspension upgrade is a MUST for any early Tuscan and should cost about £1200 + VAT to include set up and corner weighting. Hope this helps.

[fimbo]

thanks for your responses - keep them coming. Suspension seems to have been added to the list of items to watch out for but what is it exactly that I should watch out for? I've been for a test drive and it ran smoothly with no clunks and no tramlining even at speed - it was a case of point and press!

[J_S_G]

fimbo said:

thanks for your responses - keep them coming. Suspension seems to have been added to the list of items to watch out for but what is it exactly that I should watch out for? I've been for a test drive and it ran smoothly with no clunks and no tramlining even at speed - it was a case of point and press!

If it drives on the inside lane of a motorway/well-used dual carriageway that has visible rutting without driving to boot you into the verge, you're probably OK on the geometry. Check the inside edge of the front tyres, too, to make sure they're not more worn than the outside edge (again, poor geometry). You should be able to drive it with one finger on the steering wheel on fast A roads without it feeling scary if it's set up right.

The shocks should last for a reasonable length of time... 20-odd/30-odd thousand miles without any trouble (totally variable depending on usage, etc). I'd still always replace them with Nitrons, though.

Check the electrics THOROUGHLY... make sure there are no lines across the dash pod, that the windows work (and don't leak - front half of doors is a fairly common place), air-con, heater, etc. should all be used throughout a test-drive to make sure they're not temperamental.

[Mustang Baz]

Neil - also consider a £300 expense for any car to be checked over by Rob Ingleby. A search on her will give some positive feedback and should give you additional piece of mind on some of the areas JSG correctly points out as potential pitfalls and bills later on.