Checklisted it, Driven it, Do I buy it...?
Discussion
I have been to see a Tuscan, 2001, I took with me the Tuscan checklist and it scored high. It was the first time I had driven a Tuscan and the owner was not able to take me out so I drove it with a friend of his. Concerns, given that I had never driven a Tuscan was:
- When cold, the gearbox is very reluctant to move between some shifts and you really have to push it positively
- When driving along, engine not quite up to temp, 60mph with 2200 or so revs showing, the engine misfired a little when I gave more throttle. This cleared as it warmed up but given that the owner was not in the car, I did not push it beyond 4000rpm even when the engine was warm.
- When slowing down from 70, the car was quite boomy with a little resonance, it is on standard cans.
The car has 23,000 miles, has 10 TVR dealer services with all invoices, a top end (finger follower) rebuild at 12,236 by TVR Centre, Barnet and a new clutch at 18,000 by Fernhurst, 24k service and Tappets done at 19,881
Positives are:
Colour (Ice blue with Dark blue carpets and leather), 18" wheels, all new Toyo's, good brakes, service history, Immaculate body
Negatives are:
Drivers bolster collapsing
Shift lights binnacle loose
Very slight water run marks from door seals - Has outdoor cover
Needs Tax, will need a service and MOT by the end of the summer
Rear boot panel site slightly proud on offside near window (It is supposed to do this?)
He has offered 13,500 (£1000 off the original asking price) which will cover service and MOT and Tax. I am keen to have the car checked over before I part with my cash. Would Westover Poole (Local to car) take it in and check it for a fee? I feel that AA would be pointless. Are there people that will check these cars? If the car had not misfired then I would buy it like a shot, maybe I did not drive it for long enough, maybe it just needs a service (Last one was at 21,000 miles last summer).
All advice greatly appreciated. Also looking at a Gunmetal grey one in Leics with black leather, serviced, new brakes, etc... you may know it?
- When cold, the gearbox is very reluctant to move between some shifts and you really have to push it positively
- When driving along, engine not quite up to temp, 60mph with 2200 or so revs showing, the engine misfired a little when I gave more throttle. This cleared as it warmed up but given that the owner was not in the car, I did not push it beyond 4000rpm even when the engine was warm.
- When slowing down from 70, the car was quite boomy with a little resonance, it is on standard cans.
The car has 23,000 miles, has 10 TVR dealer services with all invoices, a top end (finger follower) rebuild at 12,236 by TVR Centre, Barnet and a new clutch at 18,000 by Fernhurst, 24k service and Tappets done at 19,881
Positives are:
Colour (Ice blue with Dark blue carpets and leather), 18" wheels, all new Toyo's, good brakes, service history, Immaculate body
Negatives are:
Drivers bolster collapsing
Shift lights binnacle loose
Very slight water run marks from door seals - Has outdoor cover
Needs Tax, will need a service and MOT by the end of the summer
Rear boot panel site slightly proud on offside near window (It is supposed to do this?)
He has offered 13,500 (£1000 off the original asking price) which will cover service and MOT and Tax. I am keen to have the car checked over before I part with my cash. Would Westover Poole (Local to car) take it in and check it for a fee? I feel that AA would be pointless. Are there people that will check these cars? If the car had not misfired then I would buy it like a shot, maybe I did not drive it for long enough, maybe it just needs a service (Last one was at 21,000 miles last summer).
All advice greatly appreciated. Also looking at a Gunmetal grey one in Leics with black leather, serviced, new brakes, etc... you may know it?
Hi tch
I bought an '02 Tuscan S in January this year.
Here are my totaly non-professional comments on your post.
I find the gearbox takes even longer to warm up fully and become "sweet" than the engine; maybe 20 miles. No synchro on 5th and reverse, I believe.
Boomy / noisy is normal...
If you are planning to keep it for any length of time, I would keep a reserve of £5000 for a full engine rebuild, at some time
Drivers bolster - don't know? Mine is fine at 29,000 miles
Shift lights binnacle - easy quick fix
Door seals... I found a crack in mine, waterproof when repaired
Boot panel - Is it just the rear window clip holding it proud? Ajustable, anyway
Misfire - my car has a bit of a flat spot between 2000 and 2300 rpm. Respected indie told me the map is not perfect at this point - rember it is a highly tuned engine, in bhp / litre. Maybe this is why owners tend to keep the revs high.
Yes there are people who will check these terms. Never heard of Westover being involved with TVR, they did a good job on my Jag...
Rob Ingleby has a great reputation for checking TVR, but not local, so possibly expensive. If you can afford the "rebuild budget", do you need check also?
OK
If your biggest worry is misfire at 2000, remap to cure that is £750 (assuming nothing else wrong)
Are you sure it has cats? (for MOT)
Last thought... I came from a mildly tweaked Chim 500. If you are not totally blown away by the improvement in the car, is it the right one for you? I still can't get over the grip, the steering, the balance, the brakes, the power, the way it gains speed... (on upgraded springs / shocks).
These are just my thoughts after 4 months of ownership. I work for Tesco, I'm not a mechanic, or car trader. Hope you find my thoughts constructive, cheers, Dean.
I bought an '02 Tuscan S in January this year.
Here are my totaly non-professional comments on your post.
I find the gearbox takes even longer to warm up fully and become "sweet" than the engine; maybe 20 miles. No synchro on 5th and reverse, I believe.
Boomy / noisy is normal...
If you are planning to keep it for any length of time, I would keep a reserve of £5000 for a full engine rebuild, at some time
Drivers bolster - don't know? Mine is fine at 29,000 miles
Shift lights binnacle - easy quick fix
Door seals... I found a crack in mine, waterproof when repaired
Boot panel - Is it just the rear window clip holding it proud? Ajustable, anyway
Misfire - my car has a bit of a flat spot between 2000 and 2300 rpm. Respected indie told me the map is not perfect at this point - rember it is a highly tuned engine, in bhp / litre. Maybe this is why owners tend to keep the revs high.
Yes there are people who will check these terms. Never heard of Westover being involved with TVR, they did a good job on my Jag...
Rob Ingleby has a great reputation for checking TVR, but not local, so possibly expensive. If you can afford the "rebuild budget", do you need check also?
OK
If your biggest worry is misfire at 2000, remap to cure that is £750 (assuming nothing else wrong)
Are you sure it has cats? (for MOT)
Last thought... I came from a mildly tweaked Chim 500. If you are not totally blown away by the improvement in the car, is it the right one for you? I still can't get over the grip, the steering, the balance, the brakes, the power, the way it gains speed... (on upgraded springs / shocks).
These are just my thoughts after 4 months of ownership. I work for Tesco, I'm not a mechanic, or car trader. Hope you find my thoughts constructive, cheers, Dean.
In a similar boat myself, had a test drive last weekend and I'm still mulling over if to buy or not. Loved the car, but I notice more comments above about this 5k emergency fund. The car I looked at is a 52 3.6 with 29k miles. The car comes with a warranty, and I understand the 3.6 is more robust than the 4.0. Trouble is the car is top of my budget and I don't have the spare 5k for a rebuild, am I daft and would I be better off buying a cheaper car and keeping spare cash?
I've come from a Honda S2000 which is an accomplished car but from the opposite end of the spectrum from the Tuscan. It does however have no issues whatsoever and will cover 100k miles easy.
You don't buy a TVR if you cannot put up with the odd glitch. I have run Datsun 240z's for many years so know the annoyance of headlights not working and straight sixes dropping cylinders!
My advice is that if you are stretching yourself to buy a Tuscan, don't. How stupid would you feel with a busted engine'd car. I imagine it would sell for all of £5,000 on ebay. In fact you'd probably want to stick the engine rebuild on your credit card and sell it with 0 miles on a new engine with warranty, that'd be worth a good price!
I didn't really push the engine since it was a slightly damp road, I've never driven a Tuscan, the owners mate is in the passenger seat and I've read so many annoying articles saying doom and gloom, it'll explode at any time.
I'm pretty savvy and can spot if a chassis looks rotten, brakes look worn but wonder if someone like Rob Ingleby or a TVR dealer (Westover used to be but only service them now) can tell me "This engine is about to go bang....somehow I doubt it but very happy to be corrected). I wondered whether I should offer to pay for an MOT at Westover and chuck them an extra £30 cash with a knowing "show me the bad bits" nod...?
You don't buy a TVR if you cannot put up with the odd glitch. I have run Datsun 240z's for many years so know the annoyance of headlights not working and straight sixes dropping cylinders!
My advice is that if you are stretching yourself to buy a Tuscan, don't. How stupid would you feel with a busted engine'd car. I imagine it would sell for all of £5,000 on ebay. In fact you'd probably want to stick the engine rebuild on your credit card and sell it with 0 miles on a new engine with warranty, that'd be worth a good price!
I didn't really push the engine since it was a slightly damp road, I've never driven a Tuscan, the owners mate is in the passenger seat and I've read so many annoying articles saying doom and gloom, it'll explode at any time.
I'm pretty savvy and can spot if a chassis looks rotten, brakes look worn but wonder if someone like Rob Ingleby or a TVR dealer (Westover used to be but only service them now) can tell me "This engine is about to go bang....somehow I doubt it but very happy to be corrected). I wondered whether I should offer to pay for an MOT at Westover and chuck them an extra £30 cash with a knowing "show me the bad bits" nod...?
Currently run a chimaera so also used to the odd glitch!!
Not stretching myself to buy a Tuscan, my question is am I better spending 19k buying a later 3.6 car from a dealer which comes with a warranty and hopefully peace of mind for 12 months or buy a cheaper older car and save the 5k for the potential rebuild when needed?
Not stretching myself to buy a Tuscan, my question is am I better spending 19k buying a later 3.6 car from a dealer which comes with a warranty and hopefully peace of mind for 12 months or buy a cheaper older car and save the 5k for the potential rebuild when needed?
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