AJP Engine Parts Nightmare
Discussion
I am getting very frustrated with my loyalty to TVR as the Cerb has been off the road for over 8 weeks now due to a shortage of camshafts and followers caused by TVR Engine manufacturing department not paying their suppliers on time. I have been informed that no date can be provided for the delivery of the parts and to make matters worse the Garage who is carrying out the work is thinking about charging me storage on top of the cost of the overall repair bill. Anyone had similar experiance to this latley?
I'm waiting for cams for a car .. 5 weeks and counting .. fortunately the lobes weren't destroyed so the car is still being driven around, albeit sedately and only for limited mileage, but at least teh owner can still polish it.
It's fair for the garage to charge you storage I feel .. it's not their fault and your car is tieing up space they could use for alot of servicing, ie your car is costing them money and someone has to pay for it, you could always try and claim the costs back throgh the factory, but I don't hold out much hope.
Why not take your car back and use it until they come through? .. or is your cam completely b*ll*cks*d?
It's fair for the garage to charge you storage I feel .. it's not their fault and your car is tieing up space they could use for alot of servicing, ie your car is costing them money and someone has to pay for it, you could always try and claim the costs back throgh the factory, but I don't hold out much hope.
Why not take your car back and use it until they come through? .. or is your cam completely b*ll*cks*d?
Rich... joospeed said:
I'm waiting for cams for a car .. 5 weeks and counting .. fortunately the lobes weren't destroyed so the car is still being driven around, albeit sedately and only for limited mileage, but at least teh owner can still polish it.
It's fair for the garage to charge you storage I feel .. it's not their fault and your car is tieing up space they could use for alot of servicing, ie your car is costing them money and someone has to pay for it, you could always try and claim the costs back throgh the factory, but I don't hold out much hope.
Why not take your car back and use it until they come through? .. or is your cam completely b*ll*cks*d?
[quote=joospeed]I'm waiting for cams for a car .. 5 weeks and counting .. fortunately the lobes weren't destroyed so the car is still being driven around, albeit sedately and only for limited mileage, but at least teh owner can still polish it.
It's fair for the garage to charge you storage I feel .. it's not their fault and your car is tieing up space they could use for alot of servicing, ie your car is costing them money and someone has to pay for it, you could always try and claim the costs back throgh the factory, but I don't hold out much hope.
Why not take your car back and use it until they come through? .. or is your cam completely b*ll*cks*d?[/Apparently the cam lobes were showing signs of wear with small amounts of metal evident so I reckon play on the safe side and dont drive.]
It's fair for the garage to charge you storage I feel .. it's not their fault and your car is tieing up space they could use for alot of servicing, ie your car is costing them money and someone has to pay for it, you could always try and claim the costs back throgh the factory, but I don't hold out much hope.
Why not take your car back and use it until they come through? .. or is your cam completely b*ll*cks*d?[/Apparently the cam lobes were showing signs of wear with small amounts of metal evident so I reckon play on the safe side and dont drive.]
Graham B said:
Will this prove to be more of a case? What with TVR obviously concentrating on the Speed 6 where will that leave owners of the AJP8 cars in terms of future parts availability and potential cost?
Graham
this is a very valid point IMO, i think the current market value of the cerbera is making this point too!
i mean a similar milage and year chimaera costs more than the cerbera!
i think TVR need to pay careful consideration to this scenario, what happends when you can't get the bits for these cars? and the cars values plumet to next to nothing.. how is that going to affect the TVR image?(and lets face it, its not great ATM regardless of whether its justified or not!)
just my 2 pence
Hate to say it, but I expect TVR will take the attitude "someone else's problem". They aren't going to make any real money out of keeping parts available for the AJP engines so they'll feel no short-term motivation to go through the hassle. They might even kid themselves that it'll actively encourage people to buy a newer TVR instead. Hope I'm wrong.
ATG said:
Hate to say it, but I expect TVR will take the attitude "someone else's problem". They aren't going to make any real money out of keeping parts available for the AJP engines so they'll feel no short-term motivation to go through the hassle. They might even kid themselves that it'll actively encourage people to buy a newer TVR instead. Hope I'm wrong.
As hoping to be a future TVR person I'd say me too!
There must be laws on manufacturers ensuring available spares for products they sell?
In my experience, Cerberas are still fetching a fair bit over the price you'd expect to pay for an equivalent Chim or Griff (just bought a 1998 Cerb and it was around £5k more than the similar aged Chims and Griffs the dealer had in and it's someting I'd noticed in general shopping around as well).
However I have noticed that the speed six engined cars seem to be in freefall, both Cerbs and Tuscans. I took a big hit on the Tusc I traded in and the garage where a brought my Cerb from have a newer speed six one in for a couple of grand less. See also the thread on outrageous trade in.
I took my first Tusc to Blackpool in May this year and they told me then that they were on hold with the cam supplier for the speed six engines, so it's probably a case of we'll pay this supplier this time and that one next time.
Hopefully it's not symptomatic of a small car company going to the expense of doing something seriously expensive such as racing at Le Mans.
In any case I would think that TVR will either support AJP engines (after all they're still making them) or alternatively they'll sell the casts to a company who will support them. Can't see them just abandoning punters.
Cheers
DC
However I have noticed that the speed six engined cars seem to be in freefall, both Cerbs and Tuscans. I took a big hit on the Tusc I traded in and the garage where a brought my Cerb from have a newer speed six one in for a couple of grand less. See also the thread on outrageous trade in.
I took my first Tusc to Blackpool in May this year and they told me then that they were on hold with the cam supplier for the speed six engines, so it's probably a case of we'll pay this supplier this time and that one next time.
Hopefully it's not symptomatic of a small car company going to the expense of doing something seriously expensive such as racing at Le Mans.
In any case I would think that TVR will either support AJP engines (after all they're still making them) or alternatively they'll sell the casts to a company who will support them. Can't see them just abandoning punters.
Cheers
DC
dai capp said:
In any case I would think that TVR will either support AJP engines (after all they're still making them) or alternatively they'll sell the casts to a company who will support them. Can't see them just abandoning punters.
I wouldn't be so sure, i mean they haven't took this stance with the old style clutches! AP still have the ability to make the old clutchs but TVR won't let them! forcing you into fitting the expensive newer style clutch
whats to stop them doing the same with the AJP, err... sorry chaps we don't make em, you can't have one off anyone else you'll have to buy our new SP6
Nano2nd said:
In any case I would think that TVR will either support AJP engines (after all they're still making them) or alternatively they'll sell the casts to a company who will support them. Can't see them just abandoning punters.
I wouldn't be so sure, i mean they haven't took this stance with the old style clutches! AP still have the ability to make the old clutchs but TVR won't let them! forcing you into fitting the expensive newer style clutch
whats to stop them doing the same with the AJP, err... sorry chaps we don't make em, you can't have one off anyone else you'll have to buy our new SP6
Ah yes but you can at least fit the later clutch. I'm no expert but I wouldn't have thought a speed six cam would work in a AJP V8.
Also around £1200 for a new clutch is far cheaper than a speed six engine (I've heard of rebuild costs of 13k)
Mind you you'd probably find it hard to get a punter to pay £1200 for a speed six engine given the current issues
I have to say though that the sentiment of the thread in general is that customers are feeling a bit left out in the cold and I have had a recent experience which leaves me feeing the same. My situation was only saved by an excellent (independant) dealer with whom I have a long standing relationship.
Customer relations certainly don't seem to be what they used to be and that's worrying...
DC
You can easily get a pair of cams from newman .. they did the development for both the v8 and sp6 cams, and have 5 profiles on their computer .. but they wanted 1200 pounds plus vat for a pair last time I spoke to them, that's just too much, makes it a 2k job all in so not many takers as you'll appreciate.
[quote=joospeed]You can easily get a pair of cams from newman .. they did the development for both the v8 and sp6 cams, and have 5 profiles on their computer .. but they wanted 1200 pounds plus vat for a pair last time I spoke to them, that's just too much, makes it a 2k job all in so not many takers as you'll appreciate.[/I am willing to pay the`premium for this but unfortunatley TVR are now getting to think they are in the same division as ferrari and starting to ask the same crazy prices. I might opt to buy aston at least I will get better aftersale service......
Message Board | Cerbera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff