high mileage T350?
Discussion
I'm considering buying a used T350C at the lower end of the price scale that might typically have 12-18k miles. I will be looking to keep it long term and will use it as my only car so it will see approx 10k miles pa. I know they have a good reliability record and it is unusual for them to have major engine problems but was wondering how it will cope with that kind of mileage and what big expenses I might expect to have apart from the expected consumables?
That's a difficult one to answer. I sold mine with 18k miles on the clock and it felt better at that point than when I bought it at 3k miles.
There has been some concerns over the suitability/longevity of the standard clutch though - 20k is often the quoted figure for 'normal life'.
The Speed 6 has also been changed since the t350c was first introduced. I'd personally prefer as late an engine as possible. Mine was a June '04 car and the top end sounded far quieter than the earlier cars I'd heard. I understand further improvement were made in 05 too.
D
There has been some concerns over the suitability/longevity of the standard clutch though - 20k is often the quoted figure for 'normal life'.
The Speed 6 has also been changed since the t350c was first introduced. I'd personally prefer as late an engine as possible. Mine was a June '04 car and the top end sounded far quieter than the earlier cars I'd heard. I understand further improvement were made in 05 too.
D
_deejay_ said:
That's a difficult one to answer. I sold mine with 18k miles on the clock and it felt better at that point than when I bought it at 3k miles.
Good point, as my 03 model Tamora gets nearer to 20K miles the car is definitely 'loosening up' a lot. I am a believer that careful warm up and regular/daily use are high up on the pre-emptive maintenance list. I would have thought 10k miles a year would be fine, my mileage is so low due to my office being so close to home and frequent travel abroad.
Steven
The car itself should wear the miles just fine. There are plenty of high mileage Chimearas, Griffiths and Cerberas out there (50-100k). If you're using it in all weathers get the chassis regularly cleaned and protected for extra longetivity. Things like suspension bushes will probably need replacing every few years.
I would expect you'll be needing an engine rebuild at some point between 20k and 40k though. That doesn't mean it will definitely be needed, but I'd budget for it. Cheapr as chips considering the performance of these beasties.
I would expect you'll be needing an engine rebuild at some point between 20k and 40k though. That doesn't mean it will definitely be needed, but I'd budget for it. Cheapr as chips considering the performance of these beasties.
_deejay_ said:
There has been some concerns over the suitability/longevity of the standard clutch though - 20k is often the quoted figure for 'normal life'.
The Speed 6 has also been changed since the t350c was first introduced. I'd personally prefer as late an engine as possible. Mine was a June '04 car and the top end sounded far quieter than the earlier cars I'd heard. I understand further improvement were made in 05 too.
D
thanks for the comments; yes i think my main concern is the durability of the speed six especially as I will be buying an early car. I suppose there aren't many cars that have done more than 25k-30k miles to base an opinion on? Also any more views on the clutch life would be usefull.
Cheers
There are and always will be exceptions.
Mine's the first customer car (25/01/02) and had no engine problems until its 30,000 mile service where it was recommended that it be blueprinted and rebuilt with a number of replacement parts.
It's now at 37,000 miles and feels like a new car again. That could be because it's now a 4.0l
Cheers.... Andrew
Mine's the first customer car (25/01/02) and had no engine problems until its 30,000 mile service where it was recommended that it be blueprinted and rebuilt with a number of replacement parts.
It's now at 37,000 miles and feels like a new car again. That could be because it's now a 4.0l
Cheers.... Andrew
targarama said:
I would expect you'll be needing an engine rebuild at some point between 20k and 40k though. That doesn't mean it will definitely be needed, but I'd budget for it. Cheapr as chips considering the performance of these beasties.
Agree with Targarama - best to budget for it. I know we all love TVR's and the Speed Six is regularly defended on this site but the truth is you will probably need a rebuild at some stage with a car of this mileage. Don't go into it thinking it won't happen to me - best to assume it will and count yourself lucky if you don't ever need one.
As for clutches 20k to 25k miles is about normal, less if you like tearing away from traffic lights....
Most of all, enjoy!
I thought you were taking the mike here..
I had a T350 for a year - bought with 10K on and sold at 20K..
It was superb - OK had a few niggles but it was a superb experience. I would say go for it.
Billynomates has a Tuscan (03) and has done nearly 20K in a year - think it's on about 28K ~ 30K..
Just go for it
I had a T350 for a year - bought with 10K on and sold at 20K..
It was superb - OK had a few niggles but it was a superb experience. I would say go for it.
Billynomates has a Tuscan (03) and has done nearly 20K in a year - think it's on about 28K ~ 30K..
Just go for it
More than that matey coming up for 42K Hi all
I have just bought a T350c 04 and it had a new clutch at 6k miles. Probably cause Steve the prevous owner lived in DEAD centre of London so in and out of gears all the time. Might be worth remembering. New clutch fitted is about £1100. Not bad since my brothers Ferrari 360 Modena is 4k for a clutch fitted.
All i can say is for god sake get a T350, i had a Scooby 03 Sti Prodrive b4 this and this car is 20 times more fun by far.
They are simply awsome machines and once bitten you will be hooked mate. They are stunning!!!! In fact love it so much that im joining the owners club, and never has really appealed untill i bought a car that i am enthusiastic about.
Get one and you will never look back, BUT do remember these machines WILL get niggles. Had mine 2 weeks and ive already had electronic doors fail (quick mod done by myself then it was fine), and they do love alot of TLC, checking levels everyday etc etc. I love it though.
Justyn
I have just bought a T350c 04 and it had a new clutch at 6k miles. Probably cause Steve the prevous owner lived in DEAD centre of London so in and out of gears all the time. Might be worth remembering. New clutch fitted is about £1100. Not bad since my brothers Ferrari 360 Modena is 4k for a clutch fitted.
All i can say is for god sake get a T350, i had a Scooby 03 Sti Prodrive b4 this and this car is 20 times more fun by far.
They are simply awsome machines and once bitten you will be hooked mate. They are stunning!!!! In fact love it so much that im joining the owners club, and never has really appealed untill i bought a car that i am enthusiastic about.
Get one and you will never look back, BUT do remember these machines WILL get niggles. Had mine 2 weeks and ive already had electronic doors fail (quick mod done by myself then it was fine), and they do love alot of TLC, checking levels everyday etc etc. I love it though.
Justyn
Get the car, and get the wear and tear warranty. 
20k - The slave cylinder on the clutch will probably be about to go.
20-30k - There's a fair chance the engine'll need rebuilding at this point.
30-40k - Depending on how hard it gets driven (and how you get the car into reverse), it's easy for 2nd/5th to give up by this point. Or the rest of the clutch (or even just the slave cylinder again)!
40k+ - Other parts lower down the engine will have started to wear seriously
Throw in a couple of dash-pod gremlins, a radiator, and a few other electrical niggles - alternators, etc. and you'll most likely be quids in on the warranty without ever stressing about unexpected bills.
If you do get one (with warranty), I think the only question to ask is can you live with it breaking down on you once a year or so? If that's a "yes", then get your cheque book out first thing tomorrow!
20k - The slave cylinder on the clutch will probably be about to go.
20-30k - There's a fair chance the engine'll need rebuilding at this point.
30-40k - Depending on how hard it gets driven (and how you get the car into reverse), it's easy for 2nd/5th to give up by this point. Or the rest of the clutch (or even just the slave cylinder again)!
40k+ - Other parts lower down the engine will have started to wear seriously
Throw in a couple of dash-pod gremlins, a radiator, and a few other electrical niggles - alternators, etc. and you'll most likely be quids in on the warranty without ever stressing about unexpected bills.
If you do get one (with warranty), I think the only question to ask is can you live with it breaking down on you once a year or so? If that's a "yes", then get your cheque book out first thing tomorrow!
thanks for all the positive replies...I am closer to making it happen. The other point of interest is how different the earlier T350s are to the later post 05. Was there an improvement on ride/handling and engine build quality? I uprated my suspension on my Griff to Nitrons whci made a huge difference in handling...and I see some people are doing the same with the T350? Did the original set up change much?
J_S_G said:
Get the car, and get the wear and tear warranty.
20k - The slave cylinder on the clutch will probably be about to go.
20-30k - There's a fair chance the engine'll need rebuilding at this point.
30-40k - Depending on how hard it gets driven (and how you get the car into reverse), it's easy for 2nd/5th to give up by this point. Or the rest of the clutch (or even just the slave cylinder again)!
40k+ - Other parts lower down the engine will have started to wear seriously
Throw in a couple of dash-pod gremlins, a radiator, and a few other electrical niggles - alternators, etc. and you'll most likely be quids in on the warranty without ever stressing about unexpected bills.
If you do get one (with warranty), I think the only question to ask is can you live with it breaking down on you once a year or so? If that's a "yes", then get your cheque book out first thing tomorrow!
20k - The slave cylinder on the clutch will probably be about to go.
20-30k - There's a fair chance the engine'll need rebuilding at this point.
30-40k - Depending on how hard it gets driven (and how you get the car into reverse), it's easy for 2nd/5th to give up by this point. Or the rest of the clutch (or even just the slave cylinder again)!
40k+ - Other parts lower down the engine will have started to wear seriously
Throw in a couple of dash-pod gremlins, a radiator, and a few other electrical niggles - alternators, etc. and you'll most likely be quids in on the warranty without ever stressing about unexpected bills.
If you do get one (with warranty), I think the only question to ask is can you live with it breaking down on you once a year or so? If that's a "yes", then get your cheque book out first thing tomorrow!
James has quite foolishly forgotten to say: its abso-fcuking-lutely worth it...
Right, im off out... just seen a Sag drive past my place in Cov and it made my night... sorry if this reply seems random, i've had more than my fair share of 
so far, more to come. TVR can move wherever they want in the world, there is no escaping the fact that they've made some of the greatest sports cars on the planet!! laz11 said:
thanks for all the positive replies...I am closer to making it happen. The other point of interest is how different the earlier T350s are to the later post 05. Was there an improvement on ride/handling and engine build quality? I uprated my suspension on my Griff to Nitrons whci made a huge difference in handling...and I see some people are doing the same with the T350? Did the original set up change much?
A well set up T350 on standard shocks/springs handles VERY well. Upgrading to Nitrons/Ohlins will improve it, naturally. BUT, well set up standard ones will drive better than poorly set up ones on aftermarket dampers.
I'd suggest get one, drive it, and see if you're happy with the handling or not - it's a personal thing.
- On my Cerb, I felt it needed it, so I put Nitrons on and was VERY happy with the result.
- On the Tuscan, I felt it needed it, so I put Nitrons on again, and wasn't too happy with the result (putting a front spoiler on made FAR more of a difference).
- On the T350, so far, I'm happy with it without; the steering rack is such an improvement. Think I'm more tempted to sort out the aero effects above 130MPH before the damping.
But, as I said, it's all personal.
I've known people fork out on Nitrons for TVRs when all that was really wrong was the tracking... Build quality will improve throughout the lifecycle of any TVR model. The engines are getting better, but with a W&T warranty, you can just wait for anything to go wrong and have it upgraded to latest spec anyway.
Just drive one and see if it feels right. If it does, buy it. If it doesn't, go try another!
BCA said:
James has quite foolishly forgotten to say: its abso-fcuking-lutely worth it... Right, im off out... just seen a Sag drive past my place in Cov and it made my night... sorry if this reply seems random, i've had more than my fair share of so far, more to come. TVR can move wherever they want in the world, there is no escaping the fact that they've made some of the greatest sports cars on the planet!!
Right, im off out... just seen a Sag drive past my place in Cov and it made my night... sorry if this reply seems random, i've had more than my fair share of so far, more to come. TVR can move wherever they want in the world, there is no escaping the fact that they've made some of the greatest sports cars on the planet!! ^ What he said ^ (but they do test your patience at times, naturally!
) Right, I'm off out for a quick drive now traffic's died down, too... I've been holding off on opening a bottle of red all night so I could go for a quick trundle.
laz11 said:
Forgive me but not sure how the W&T Warranty works?; can you pay for that as an extra on a car that doesnt have it if you buy privately? And how much?
Cheers
Lawrence
Cheers
Lawrence
Edited by laz11 on Wednesday 1st November 19:52
Basically you buy private save yourself 2.5k take the car to a dealer and pay approx £1600 including inspection then you get a year W & T warranty, but beware if the inspection shows up any nasties these will need to be resolved before they issue the warranty. The saving of 1k could be a loss in the long run so chose carefully..... the other thing to bear in mind is the ongoing validity of a warranty. Don't want to be negative but its worth considering....
Edited by scotty1 on Wednesday 1st November 20:30
[quote=scotty1
Basically you buy private save yourself 2.5k take the car to a dealer and pay approx £1600 including inspection then you get a year W & T warranty, but beware if the inspection shows up any nasties these will need to be resolved before they issue the warranty. The saving of 1k could be a loss in the long run so chose carefully..... the other thing to bear in mind is the ongoing validity of a warranty. Don't want to be negative but its worth considering....
Thanks for that. So if it only last a year do I then need to fork out another £1600 for another years warranty??
Basically you buy private save yourself 2.5k take the car to a dealer and pay approx £1600 including inspection then you get a year W & T warranty, but beware if the inspection shows up any nasties these will need to be resolved before they issue the warranty. The saving of 1k could be a loss in the long run so chose carefully..... the other thing to bear in mind is the ongoing validity of a warranty. Don't want to be negative but its worth considering....
Edited by scotty1 on Wednesday 1st November 20:30
[/quote] Thanks for that. So if it only last a year do I then need to fork out another £1600 for another years warranty??
laz11 said:
[quote=scotty1
Basically you buy private save yourself 2.5k take the car to a dealer and pay approx £1600 including inspection then you get a year W & T warranty, but beware if the inspection shows up any nasties these will need to be resolved before they issue the warranty. The saving of 1k could be a loss in the long run so chose carefully..... the other thing to bear in mind is the ongoing validity of a warranty. Don't want to be negative but its worth considering....
Basically you buy private save yourself 2.5k take the car to a dealer and pay approx £1600 including inspection then you get a year W & T warranty, but beware if the inspection shows up any nasties these will need to be resolved before they issue the warranty. The saving of 1k could be a loss in the long run so chose carefully..... the other thing to bear in mind is the ongoing validity of a warranty. Don't want to be negative but its worth considering....
Edited by scotty1 on Wednesday 1st November 20:30
Thanks for that. So if it only last a year do I then need to fork out another £1600 for another years warranty??[/quote]
Yes.
Before you moan about the cost (hey, we'd all like to pay less) go and see what a warranty costs for a recent model BMW M series or an Audi S series car.
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