Dealership servicing costs! They're avin' a laugh!
Discussion
I've just called Castle TVR for a quote on a 36k service. £700 just for starters!! Even at £60 an hour thats alot of hours for a service - do I get a respray with that! This is a crazy price with no justification other than exploiting a captive market. Can anyone recommend a good independent in Essex (Chelmsford) area who might just leave the shirt on my back!?
Offord near Huntingdon may be a bit far for you but I used them (from West Midlands!) and they give a free courtesy car 
even if it was an old Saab!
Check out their website at www.offord.com - price for a 12k service is quoted as £390. My 500 Chimaera had a 48k service, MoT (which included needing a new front wheel bearing) and tracking adjusted - total was under £550 inc. VAT
RECOMMENDED. (Busy though so you need to give a bit of notice)
even if it was an old Saab! Check out their website at www.offord.com - price for a 12k service is quoted as £390. My 500 Chimaera had a 48k service, MoT (which included needing a new front wheel bearing) and tracking adjusted - total was under £550 inc. VAT
RECOMMENDED. (Busy though so you need to give a bit of notice)
Forget the dealers unless you've got money to burn. When it comes to selling your car onwards, most clued up buyers recognise that there are specialists equally as good if not better. The same goes with other marques. TVRs are not complicated cars to maintain provided you've got your service book stamped at the right intervals with the required work being done that's all that counts.
Dealers are only cool when buying a new car don't you agree?
Dealers are only cool when buying a new car don't you agree?
With warranty work from TVR Engineering being paid at £15 an hour and book times to adhere to on fixing them, they are always a loss leader for the dealer who carries them out. This is why most dealers prefer you to use the supplying dealer to carry rectifictaion work/new car warranty work out.
So money has to be created from somewhere in the service department.
The phrase how do get a hundred thousand pounds in the bank after running a TVR Dealership for a year...?
START WITH TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND!
I am awaiting the forum to develope quickly....
So money has to be created from somewhere in the service department.
The phrase how do get a hundred thousand pounds in the bank after running a TVR Dealership for a year...?
START WITH TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND!
I am awaiting the forum to develope quickly....
the dealers do seem tobe the worst bit about owning a TVR, massive charges and aledgedly shoddy work..
mines never going near one i take it to a race prep place instead. much cheaper and they do everything i want...
my local dealer wants to charge me 60 quid an hour!!! hang on a few months ago they were servicing blinking Hondas!!!!!
mines never going near one i take it to a race prep place instead. much cheaper and they do everything i want...
my local dealer wants to charge me 60 quid an hour!!! hang on a few months ago they were servicing blinking Hondas!!!!!
Jeezer - I live in North Wilts and have been considering TVR Bodyshop (Webbs) in Nailsea for my Chimaera's service - they offer free collection (so no need for time off work) - anyone had experience of their servicing? Othewise everyone seems to recomend Peninsular of Cullompton, Devon, who also offer free collection.
>> Edited by wolosp on Tuesday 16th April 16:52
>> Edited by wolosp on Tuesday 16th April 16:52
Slickshift,
You could try giving PR Wood a call in Southend (advertises in the back of Sprint), last time I spoke to him he was trying to set up some sort of servicing operation for TVR's/Lotus', seemed really good when I used him for some bodywork on the Griff. Always worth a shout.
I live in Rayleigh by the way so not so far, BRG 92J pre cat Griff.
You could try giving PR Wood a call in Southend (advertises in the back of Sprint), last time I spoke to him he was trying to set up some sort of servicing operation for TVR's/Lotus', seemed really good when I used him for some bodywork on the Griff. Always worth a shout.
I live in Rayleigh by the way so not so far, BRG 92J pre cat Griff.
quote:
With warranty work from TVR Engineering being paid at £15 an hour and book times to adhere to on fixing them, they are always a loss leader for the dealer who carries them out. This is why most dealers prefer you to use the supplying dealer to carry rectifictaion work/new car warranty work out.
So money has to be created from somewhere in the service department.
The phrase how do get a hundred thousand pounds in the bank after running a TVR Dealership for a year...?
START WITH TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND!
I am awaiting the forum to develope quickly....
quote:
Jamer (James) you are right but, whilst I have a lot of respect for the quality of work that TMS deliver it is a simple case of TVR owners looking for the best price for service work and you, like all TVR dealers, must be missing out on shed loads of service business because of the prices that all dealers are charging. Maybe you should take note of the decision that Canadian Pacific Railways made to significantly reduce their rail fares....result was that they actually made an increased net profit overall!!!!
>> Edited by Ford Prefect on Wednesday 17th April 02:06
>> Edited by Ford Prefect on Wednesday 17th April 02:09
quote:
With warranty work from TVR Engineering being paid at £15 an hour and book times to adhere to on fixing them, they are always a loss leader for the dealer who carries them out.
This interests me a lot because when I got some waranty work done at a well respected dealership I had to pay the extra over-book hours on that work. And I wasn't even warned beforehand.
Have I been well and truly stitched up???
Jon
Driller,
Not in Kent I know but David Batty at The Garage in Guildford is about the best around in my opinion. I take my Chimaera from Blackheath (SE London) to Guildford for servicing. He knows the cars inside out, is honest and doesn't charge the earth. Can't recommend him highly enough. Might be useful for you, Simon Gray!
Cheers!
>> Edited by CUTMONSTER on Wednesday 17th April 16:37
Not in Kent I know but David Batty at The Garage in Guildford is about the best around in my opinion. I take my Chimaera from Blackheath (SE London) to Guildford for servicing. He knows the cars inside out, is honest and doesn't charge the earth. Can't recommend him highly enough. Might be useful for you, Simon Gray!
Cheers!
>> Edited by CUTMONSTER on Wednesday 17th April 16:37
quote:
quote:
With warranty work from TVR Engineering being paid at £15 an hour and book times to adhere to on fixing them, they are always a loss leader for the dealer who carries them out.
This interests me a lot because when I got some waranty work done at a well respected dealership I had to pay the extra over-book hours on that work. And I wasn't even warned beforehand.
Have I been well and truly stitched up???
Jon
Jon, I think you have been stitched up......I have had no end of problems with my car which has spent a lot of time with dealers being fixed and thus far they have not charged me anything for investigation and repair work under the warranty. However, a thought has just struck me are you talking about a new car TVR warranty or a third party extended warranty. Cos I do know that many third party extended warranties only cover the book price for the repair and do not cover investigation and analysis of a problem so the dealer would have to look to you to pay him for that time. Whereas, a new car warranty covers the lot....not sure if the dealer gets anything from TVR for the investigation and analysis work as I was told by a dealer that they don't but he may have been trying to justify the time it was taking to fix my car.
Slickshift,
I've got a dark blue 94 chimp and have it serviced at an independant called Clarke and Carter in Cressing (Just out side Braintree) They normally take work from Lancasters in Colchester (Porsche) looking after the pre 97 models, Porsche actually put me in contact with them. Go and have a look round to make your own mind up, don't be put off because it's a converted farm! They specialise in Rolls Royce, Masarati and Porsche restoration. Very freindly, helpfull and above all very (I think) resonable. 6k service totalled £225 and they gave the rest of the Mobil 1 oil not used back to me. (Also they solved my over heating problem in an hour, not bad considering TVR didn't have a clue)
I asked the same guestion of Castle after I bought the 6k service kit from there service department, Oil filter, 8 plugs and a sump plug washer at a cost of £45!(Castles service cost £540) What exactly was I getting for the other £495???
Just a thought,
Duncan
I've got a dark blue 94 chimp and have it serviced at an independant called Clarke and Carter in Cressing (Just out side Braintree) They normally take work from Lancasters in Colchester (Porsche) looking after the pre 97 models, Porsche actually put me in contact with them. Go and have a look round to make your own mind up, don't be put off because it's a converted farm! They specialise in Rolls Royce, Masarati and Porsche restoration. Very freindly, helpfull and above all very (I think) resonable. 6k service totalled £225 and they gave the rest of the Mobil 1 oil not used back to me. (Also they solved my over heating problem in an hour, not bad considering TVR didn't have a clue)
I asked the same guestion of Castle after I bought the 6k service kit from there service department, Oil filter, 8 plugs and a sump plug washer at a cost of £45!(Castles service cost £540) What exactly was I getting for the other £495???
Just a thought,
Duncan
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