findasportscar.co.uk - Recommended?
Discussion
Due to moving house I have shelved my plans to build a cobra replica kit car for a couple of years and decided to buy a chimaera. The problem is that I live in Aberdeen and have only seen two cars for sale up here recently (both in poor condition and overpriced IMO). After two wasted trips to Glasgow and one to manchester to view cars i'm starting to realise that finding a good car could take some time (and Money).
I recently came across Rob Ingleby's web site www.findasportscar.co.uk. I wondered if anyone could recommend this service as it could be a great solution for me. removing some of the risk in buying a TVR and also saving significant time travelling to view cars.
I recently came across Rob Ingleby's web site www.findasportscar.co.uk. I wondered if anyone could recommend this service as it could be a great solution for me. removing some of the risk in buying a TVR and also saving significant time travelling to view cars.
I've no regrets he's a top bloke who knows his stuff
No! 
I bought my Chim(2000/X) 4 years ago and the quality of what I was being offered was already worrying, that could only have got worse with age.
Out of interest, what age of car are you looking for and what sort of price do you expect to pay for a good one?
IMO if you are not familiar with these cars a dealer inspection(if you can find one) is the best way to go, not the sort of cars you can check out properly in someone's driveway.
Failing that pay extra and go the dealer route.
Out of interest, what age of car are you looking for and what sort of price do you expect to pay for a good one?
IMO if you are not familiar with these cars a dealer inspection(if you can find one) is the best way to go, not the sort of cars you can check out properly in someone's driveway.
Failing that pay extra and go the dealer route.
Rob found mine for me that was a Cat D with full repair. He even persuaded the owner to get a full Autolign inspection done and let me have the report which was fine. The car on the surface and mechanically was good, as was the price.
However, over time, it transpired that the new nosecone had not been affixed as well as it might have been as a slight hairline crack appeared where it joined the wing (the GRP hadn't been weaved in together well enough).
I don't think it would be fair to expect Rob to have spotted it. So my opinion, I would be to use Rob to source the car and negotiate, but also get a second opinion on the inspection by someone who really knows what to dig about and look for.
Likewise, if the engine or something let go after 1000 miles, there is no way Rob would be able to tell this if it drove fine beforehand.
ah, just seen some of the other feedback!
However, over time, it transpired that the new nosecone had not been affixed as well as it might have been as a slight hairline crack appeared where it joined the wing (the GRP hadn't been weaved in together well enough).
I don't think it would be fair to expect Rob to have spotted it. So my opinion, I would be to use Rob to source the car and negotiate, but also get a second opinion on the inspection by someone who really knows what to dig about and look for.
Likewise, if the engine or something let go after 1000 miles, there is no way Rob would be able to tell this if it drove fine beforehand.
ah, just seen some of the other feedback!
Edited by burriana on Tuesday 28th November 13:47
Well for what its worth - For any dealer, inspector etc. you will always find some people who love them and others who hate them. Thats life. Just make sure sure you get someone to inspect anything you buy.
Same goes for servicing and repairs - One very well respected indie on here that I wouldnt touch with a barge pole after a bad experience yet most others love them. But the indie I now use is the mutts nuts yet others say the same - wouldnt use him !
You pays your money you takes your choice, personally I try to get a balanced view by looking at the good and bad then go ahead anyway ;-)
And dont forget that as with everything in life those with a grievance always shout louder than those who are happy.
Same goes for servicing and repairs - One very well respected indie on here that I wouldnt touch with a barge pole after a bad experience yet most others love them. But the indie I now use is the mutts nuts yet others say the same - wouldnt use him !
You pays your money you takes your choice, personally I try to get a balanced view by looking at the good and bad then go ahead anyway ;-)
And dont forget that as with everything in life those with a grievance always shout louder than those who are happy.
bigdods said:
Well for what its worth - For any dealer, inspector etc. you will always find some people who love them and others who hate them.
Quite right, it is all worth remembering that some of the people knocking the service are not qualified to comment, if they were they would not have needed his services in the first place. If this chap inspected a car and said it was fine, then weeks/months later it goes in for a service and the garage hand the owner a list of doom and gloom it could just as easily be the garage turning the clueless owner over as the service not having picked up the faults(?).
Obviously if he hasn't noticed something black and white that could not have been damaged/deteriorated since then he is to blame - fair cop.
Just putting forward another POV on behalf of someone who may not be aware of the existence of this thread which is damaging his livelyhood(don't know him BTW).
Ribol said:
bigdods said:
Well for what its worth - For any dealer, inspector etc. you will always find some people who love them and others who hate them.
Quite right, it is all worth remembering that some of the people knocking the service are not qualified to comment, if they were they would not have needed his services in the first place. But thats exactly the reason for using such a service in the first place - he should be fully qualified to comment!!! If you knew the reasons why people are not happy maybe you'd change your tune. In ALL cases I know of the mistakes would have been simple to spot for even a part qualified engineer and were apparant at time of purchase and NOT several months later!
zippee said:
Ribol said:
bigdods said:
Well for what its worth - For any dealer, inspector etc. you will always find some people who love them and others who hate them.
Quite right, it is all worth remembering that some of the people knocking the service are not qualified to comment, if they were they would not have needed his services in the first place. But thats exactly the reason for using such a service in the first place - he should be fully qualified to comment!!! If you knew the reasons why people are not happy maybe you'd change your tune. In ALL cases I know of the mistakes would have been simple to spot for even a part qualified engineer and were apparant at time of purchase and NOT several months later!
Ribol said:
Obviously if he hasn't noticed something black and white that could not have been damaged/deteriorated since then he is to blame - fair cop.
You obviously did not get it first time round.Ribol said:
bigdods said:
Well for what its worth - For any dealer, inspector etc. you will always find some people who love them and others who hate them.
Quite right, it is all worth remembering that some of the people knocking the service are not qualified to comment, if they were they would not have needed his services in the first place. If this chap inspected a car and said it was fine, then weeks/months later it goes in for a service and the garage hand the owner a list of doom and gloom it could just as easily be the garage turning the clueless owner over as the service not having picked up the faults(?).
Obviously if he hasn't noticed something black and white that could not have been damaged/deteriorated since then he is to blame - fair cop.
Just putting forward another POV on behalf of someone who may not be aware of the existence of this thread which is damaging his livelihood(don't know him BTW).
I think Ivan has summed up this thread, if you want to discuss someone’s livelihood then please go ahead via email, a public forum is not the place.
Please remember there are ALWAYS two sides to every story.
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff