Has Your Tuscan let you down?
Has Your Tuscan let you down?

Poll: Has Your Tuscan let you down?

Total Members Polled: 69

No: 68%
Broke down once and needed recovery: 16%
Broke down twice and needed recovery: 7%
Has broken down but I always get it going: 4%
Its so unreliable I won't have another: 1%
It breaks down often but I still love it: 3%
Author
Discussion

blueg33

Original Poster:

46,311 posts

253 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
I thought I would do a quick poll to get a summary of real world Tuscan reliability. The key point is did it need breakdown recovery or a garage to get it going again.

glow worm

7,406 posts

256 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
Why not ask about Ginettas rather than TVRs , since you own a Ginetta and not a TVR ? and you appear never to have owned a TVR.

Just read your other post..that you are considering buying a Tuscan, so I see you reason for the question.



Edited by glow worm on Friday 10th September 09:01

WhyTwo

1,159 posts

221 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
I think it's a bit unfair to ask this really. I had a shocker with mine and it needed recovering twice due to overheating but it was eventually traced to the rad filler cap and a dodgy thread on it - cost to fix £12. other than that a flat battery after being left in the garage for a couple of months over the winter because of the snow.

So on the whole it's been fantastic but for a period of a few months when I couldn't work out the cooling problem.

Obviously there are niggles to sort but you expect this from a hand built sportscar that's only used on high days and holidays.

I have to say I get p1ssed off with peoples reaction when I tell them I have a TVR - "oh they breakdown a lot don't they." Blah blah blah. Have you ever even been in a TVR? No. Well shut the censored up then!

If you want solid reliability go and buy a Porker, but tell me what you'll get for the same money and I bet it won't compare to a Tuscan

nawarne

3,176 posts

289 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
WhyTwo said:
I think it's a bit unfair to ask this really. I had a shocker with mine and it needed recovering twice due to overheating but it was eventually traced to the rad filler cap and a dodgy thread on it - cost to fix £12. other than that a flat battery after being left in the garage for a couple of months over the winter because of the snow.

So on the whole it's been fantastic but for a period of a few months when I couldn't work out the cooling problem.

Obviously there are niggles to sort but you expect this from a hand built sportscar that's only used on high days and holidays.

I have to say I get p1ssed off with peoples reaction when I tell them I have a TVR - "oh they breakdown a lot don't they." Blah blah blah. Have you ever even been in a TVR? No. Well shut the censored up then!

If you want solid reliability go and buy a Porker, but tell me what you'll get for the same money and I bet it won't compare to a Tuscan
^^ What he said!
Mine has never needed recovery. Been twice to Le Mans this year - did the Parade laps in 35 degC heat, hit 140 mph down the Mulsanne. Had one issue - the only German produced part on the car - the pressure cap failed and I blew coolant. However, easily fixed on the Monday by visiting the VAG dealership in Le Mans and replacong same for the princely sum of EU 14.70.

Did have a stupid self-inflicted issue with the central locking - but resolved that by engaging brain ;-).

Nick

blueg33

Original Poster:

46,311 posts

253 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
glow worm said:
Why not ask about Ginettas rather than TVRs , since you own a Ginetta and not a TVR ? and you appear never to have owned a TVR.

Just read your other post..that you are considering buying a Tuscan, so I see you reason for the question.



Edited by glow worm on Friday 10th September 09:01
Yes the Ginetta goes on thursday. It wasnt meant as negative question, I want to be sure. The Ginetta let me down once in 5 years and that was a broken wire to the fuel pump relay.

Tuscan is the logical choice for me as its a little quicker than the G33 and more civilised, but is still unusual ish. Plus its a convertible and it look great.

justyr

337 posts

241 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
Mine has never let me down, but then again I look after it very carefully. Statistically, in my experience anyway, they seem to fail gracefully.
This is backed up by a local to me specialist who said to me (& I only reiterate) 'a TVR will generally get you home'. He then went on to say 'unlike a certain German manufacturer' (quote).
J

Daggsy

899 posts

281 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
Our Tuscan let us down for the first time on Sat 04.09.10 at BNG. It needed recovery as the clutch slave cylinder seals 'went' Track V Road service the car and they were 1st Class in making sure it was recovered to their premises. Had my Griff 'let us down' once in Italy once, s**t in fuel pump (German part). We have owned TVR's on and off since 1982, house moves, children etc. forcing sales. Would our current cars ever be sold.... who knows. Would we ever buy another on.....YOU BET. After 5yrs of Tuscan ownership it still surprises me that it causes such a stir and generates so much interest when we are out in it, especially in France where people want to stop us to photograph it and the same in Italy even though they have made the odd sports car or two of their own. I live in hope that TVR will return to production in UK. A move from Bristol Avenue to Bristol perhaps in the Farbio/Ginetta factory owned by car and TVR enthuiast Lawrence Tomlinson.

blueg33

Original Poster:

46,311 posts

253 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
Daggsy said:
Our Tuscan let us down for the first time on Sat 04.09.10 at BNG. It needed recovery as the clutch slave cylinder seals 'went' Track V Road service the car and they were 1st Class in making sure it was recovered to their premises. Had my Griff 'let us down' once in Italy once, s**t in fuel pump (German part). We have owned TVR's on and off since 1982, house moves, children etc. forcing sales. Would our current cars ever be sold.... who knows. Would we ever buy another on.....YOU BET. After 5yrs of Tuscan ownership it still surprises me that it causes such a stir and generates so much interest when we are out in it, especially in France where people want to stop us to photograph it and the same in Italy even though they have made the odd sports car or two of their own. I live in hope that TVR will return to production in UK. A move from Bristol Avenue to Bristol perhaps in the Farbio/Ginetta factory owned by car and TVR enthuiast Lawrence Tomlinson.
Thats an interesting thought.

Daggsy

899 posts

281 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
Well blueg33 just call me a dreamer or an old romantic........ but a hopeful one.

RM75

448 posts

216 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
I voted No, as the closest I've come to a breakdown (car wise!) in nearly two years was when the keyfob broke and I couldn't arm/disarm the alarm.

I have had a few niggly issues (window position sensor getting confused, door sensor also, and when I got it the seat would occasionally slide back on its runners), but nothing that has stopped me using the car. Parts do seem to age at an accelerated rate though, which is why they can be costly to keep maintained.

Russian Rocket

874 posts

265 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
lost count of the number times it has been on the back of a loloader

every time I swear I am getting a new car

as soon as I get it back I get this huge grin and keep driving it

blueg33

Original Poster:

46,311 posts

253 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
Russian Rocket said:
lost count of the number times it has been on the back of a loloader

every time I swear I am getting a new car

as soon as I get it back I get this huge grin and keep driving it
Maybe I need to add another line to the poll "it breaks down heaps but I love it"

TheGroves

197 posts

218 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
Hmmmm.. would it be as relevant to ask Mondeo, Astra, X-Type, or Discovery drivers how many times their non-exotic 'work horses' have broken down and left them on the side of the road?

On the one occasion in fifty thousand miles mine found its way onto the back of a low loader, I still felt proud that it was probably the best looking thing that the driver had ever put on the back :-)

blueg33

Original Poster:

46,311 posts

253 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
TheGroves said:
Hmmmm.. would it be as relevant to ask Mondeo, Astra, X-Type, or Discovery drivers how many times their non-exotic 'work horses' have broken down and left them on the side of the road?

On the one occasion in fifty thousand miles mine found its way onto the back of a low loader, I still felt proud that it was probably the best looking thing that the driver had ever put on the back :-)
This is relevant to me because I am thinking of buying one and want to compare with my G33. I know the answer for G33's but am building my knowledge of the Tuscan.

I care not a jot whether the mondeo et al the the worlds most reliable machines ever because thats not relevant to me. I know for a fact (according to results so far) that my Audi is worse than 70 odd percent of Tuscan's.

glow worm

7,406 posts

256 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
I went to the Ginetta factory in Leeds last week, nice to see LTs T440 Le Man cars. But Ginetta only assemble cars, the engines are bought in from Ford , the body work is contracted out as much of the manufacture (incl laser chassis cutting).Design is in-house. The Farbio (Bath) factory still manufacture the car F400 completely.

blueg33

Original Poster:

46,311 posts

253 months

Friday 10th September 2010
quotequote all
glow worm said:
I went to the Ginetta factory in Leeds last week, nice to see LTs T440 Le Man cars. But Ginetta only assemble cars, the engines are bought in from Ford , the body work is contracted out as much of the manufacture (incl laser chassis cutting).Design is in-house. The Farbio (Bath) factory still manufacture the car F400 completely.
I dont think there is anything wrong with contracting out. Ferrari do it, Spyker do it, and I suspect probably all manufacturers do to one degree or another.

TheGroves

197 posts

218 months

Saturday 11th September 2010
quotequote all
bow

Soz, probably should have read the thread better.

Noisy

4,489 posts

306 months

Saturday 11th September 2010
quotequote all
Would probably be better if there were time scales on the questions, if one person has owned a car 8 years and had 3 breakdowns it looks worse on the poll than someone who has had the car a week and 2 breakdowns.

froggie

896 posts

271 months

Saturday 11th September 2010
quotequote all
Blueg33 you only have to look at the last few pages of posts and count the +ve and -ve posts to get a view ..usualy same old same old.

You cant have performance & reliability on the cheap.
here all are relevent a Tuscan (tvrs in general) do perform well but are a cheap "TOY" so you sacrifice reliability. so can become high maintinane .Best to have a couple of k change in your pocket for rainy days and a bit of mechanical knowlage, a first car is handy too especialy if you need to be reliable.

engelborghs

241 posts

297 months

Saturday 11th September 2010
quotequote all
Does it ever rains in England?

of course!!!

this year : electric shortcut brake light when reversing : driving in Bath and surroundings, lambda sonde : coming back from Spa, wipers : ,.... and a trailer

Do I care?

of course ....NOT
Oké a little while waiting for the trailer to long