Engine ticking turns out to be nasty...
Discussion
Devastated. What was suspected to be tappets/shims turns out to be something inside the engine - garage is suggesting it might be a little end. They've told me that I should get the engine redone by TVR Power so I get the full warranty - cost is £4,500 though. I've been told that even if it is a little end pretty much the whole engine needs redoing due to the nature of the Speed 6 engine.
Thought I'd check with you guys in the forum if this sounds correct and verify that I need to go for the £4,500 rebuild (tough right now due to finances) or should I speak to other places and see if I can get the problem rectified for less cost?
Thought I'd check with you guys in the forum if this sounds correct and verify that I need to go for the £4,500 rebuild (tough right now due to finances) or should I speak to other places and see if I can get the problem rectified for less cost?
I'm sure some more knowledgeable people will be along shortly but if I were you, I would be considering taking the car to Dom at Power to get his opinion. I would then be thinking about this http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1791617.htm
I second the point on TVR Power.
Take it to Dom and get his opinion on it before spending your hard earned.
I was told recently that mine needed a top end rebuild - I took it to Dom and once he removed the pen from the engine bay and tightened spark plug 3! (only just serviced and this spark plug was in only by gravity) he did a crank pressure test and gave it a clean bill of health.
Best of luck.
Take it to Dom and get his opinion on it before spending your hard earned.
I was told recently that mine needed a top end rebuild - I took it to Dom and once he removed the pen from the engine bay and tightened spark plug 3! (only just serviced and this spark plug was in only by gravity) he did a crank pressure test and gave it a clean bill of health.
Best of luck.
Appreciate all your comments but I spoke to Dom and he quoted me £4,500 for a drive in drive out. He didn't even suggest that he might be able to diagnose/fix for cheaper.
Based on your comments are you saying that Dom will attempt smaller repairs? And being that I've been told by the garage it's with at the moment the issue is inside the engine, possibly little end, is there any chance Dom will find something that can be repaired cheaper? I got the impression, perhaps incorrectly, that the full engine jobs were the only ones he did, hence the £4,500 price.
When I add VAT on to that price, then the service and MOT cost (god help me if another issue gets found through these efforts) I'm looking at a repair cost that is at least half the value of the car which will be hard to justify. If this turns out to be the only solution I've seriously got to consider scrapping the car which seems criminal considering it runs and everything else is ok barring the ticking noise.
My main wondering is whether any issue that is thought to be inside the engine can be fixed as a single issue rather than a full rebuild. So far I've basically been told it's a full rebuild if the engine comes out, which just seems harsh but perhaps that's what I've got to accept with a performance engine. Do I really need to consider dumping a £14K car whose only fault is a ticking noise from the engine because I can't afford a £6K+ repair?
Hence my hoping for clarification from you guys!
Based on your comments are you saying that Dom will attempt smaller repairs? And being that I've been told by the garage it's with at the moment the issue is inside the engine, possibly little end, is there any chance Dom will find something that can be repaired cheaper? I got the impression, perhaps incorrectly, that the full engine jobs were the only ones he did, hence the £4,500 price.
When I add VAT on to that price, then the service and MOT cost (god help me if another issue gets found through these efforts) I'm looking at a repair cost that is at least half the value of the car which will be hard to justify. If this turns out to be the only solution I've seriously got to consider scrapping the car which seems criminal considering it runs and everything else is ok barring the ticking noise.
My main wondering is whether any issue that is thought to be inside the engine can be fixed as a single issue rather than a full rebuild. So far I've basically been told it's a full rebuild if the engine comes out, which just seems harsh but perhaps that's what I've got to accept with a performance engine. Do I really need to consider dumping a £14K car whose only fault is a ticking noise from the engine because I can't afford a £6K+ repair?
Hence my hoping for clarification from you guys!
Kronik,
I was in the same boat as you. I paid £14k, engine needed rebuilding a short while afterwards. When the engine was out was told that the clutch was on its last legs as well. Total bill £8k. I did contemplate selling it for £8-9k and let someone else get the rebuild done and write off the £5-6k as a costly mistake. If you go to Power and nothing else needs doing apart from the rebuild, service and MOT you are in for c£6k. Add that to the £14k you paid you are sitting at £20k BUT you have a brand new engine and 3 year warranty. If you then choose to sell you are going to get at least £16-17k for it (maybe more) and it will be a lot easier to sell. Your loss would be c£3-4k (perhaps less). Either way it is a bitter pill to swallow but it makes financial sense to have the work done in my opinion. Good Luck!
I was in the same boat as you. I paid £14k, engine needed rebuilding a short while afterwards. When the engine was out was told that the clutch was on its last legs as well. Total bill £8k. I did contemplate selling it for £8-9k and let someone else get the rebuild done and write off the £5-6k as a costly mistake. If you go to Power and nothing else needs doing apart from the rebuild, service and MOT you are in for c£6k. Add that to the £14k you paid you are sitting at £20k BUT you have a brand new engine and 3 year warranty. If you then choose to sell you are going to get at least £16-17k for it (maybe more) and it will be a lot easier to sell. Your loss would be c£3-4k (perhaps less). Either way it is a bitter pill to swallow but it makes financial sense to have the work done in my opinion. Good Luck!
Nice one everyone, Dave, I'll give you a call later.
Tcant - great comment, exactly the way I was thinking, just not sure if I can come up with another £6k! Hate the fact that it's looking like I'll have to borrow the cash from somewhere then sell so I can pay it off - but even if that ends up being the case, at least I got to enjoy a Tuscan for a decent while! Love this car, would be sad to see it go but as always, when one door closes, another one opens. Hmm, what else might prove as much fun, be as quick and look as beautiful but for £10k ish? Not sure such a vehicle exists!
Tcant - great comment, exactly the way I was thinking, just not sure if I can come up with another £6k! Hate the fact that it's looking like I'll have to borrow the cash from somewhere then sell so I can pay it off - but even if that ends up being the case, at least I got to enjoy a Tuscan for a decent while! Love this car, would be sad to see it go but as always, when one door closes, another one opens. Hmm, what else might prove as much fun, be as quick and look as beautiful but for £10k ish? Not sure such a vehicle exists!
kronik said:
Hmm, what else might prove as much fun, be as quick and look as beautiful but for £10k ish? Not sure such a vehicle exists!
A Cerbera? ah, ok...
Chimaera then??
On a serious side, sorry to hear things sound bad, but you really should get an expert opinion before you fear the worst...
Hi Kronik,
I feel your pain, because yesterday I found out my suspected head gasket failure turns out to be a whole lot worse leading to a full rebuild. The head is scrap, so I need to add the price of a replacement head to the standard rebuild. I'm expecting a bill circa £8k providing nothing else major needs attention.
I was planning on selling the car this summer, due to a move to Australia in September (really bad timing). I'm going ahead with the rebuild and hoping a fresh engine and warranty will add some value to the car when I come to sell. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but if you can find a way of paying for the rebuild I would go with it and enjoy the car knowing the engine is sound. The Tuscan is a fantastic car and it would be a tragedy for your last memories of it being scrapped/sold with a knackered engine.
Jez
I feel your pain, because yesterday I found out my suspected head gasket failure turns out to be a whole lot worse leading to a full rebuild. The head is scrap, so I need to add the price of a replacement head to the standard rebuild. I'm expecting a bill circa £8k providing nothing else major needs attention.
I was planning on selling the car this summer, due to a move to Australia in September (really bad timing). I'm going ahead with the rebuild and hoping a fresh engine and warranty will add some value to the car when I come to sell. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but if you can find a way of paying for the rebuild I would go with it and enjoy the car knowing the engine is sound. The Tuscan is a fantastic car and it would be a tragedy for your last memories of it being scrapped/sold with a knackered engine.
Jez
I agree with the guys saying to get it rebuilt, I have had mine done with a tvr power 4.3 with 5 years guarantee, I can't begin to tell you how much of a peace of mind it is to have a newly rebuilt engine and the guarantee. I now enjoy the car a lot more as I don't worry that much every time I turn the key and it will improve it's resale value should you decide to sell it. I had to get a loan to repair it but I have no regrets doing it, as I have an improved engine and loving every minute driving it.
Trainspotter said:
...I was planning on selling the car this summer, due to a move to Australia in September (really bad timing). ...
Jez, have you seen the price of Tuscans here in Aus ? I would ship it out and then put it on the market over here for say $70k ($20k discount on the normal advertised price). If you decide to keep it then it would be good to have another one out here (15 at last count).Forums | Tuscan | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff