Is an unused and stored 500 a good buy?
Discussion
Hi
I am hoping to obtain some advice on the forum regarding a late (2001) 500 which I am viewing later this week.
I had the pleasure of owning a Chimeara 450 10 years ago so am realistic regarding the joys (and quirks!) of TVR ownership, however I would really appreciate some guidance from the expert owners from the forum on possible problems with a car which has had little recent use.
The car has covered 21,000 miles, however only 300 since 2009, and it was last serviced by a TVR dealer in 2007. MOT is 2009. It has been dry stored all of this time. The car has not yet been advertised on the web, however will be sold by a previous TVR dealer on a commission basis for its owner, who I understand is the second. The dealer stands by the Griff being a good one, and will perform a 12,000 service (+MOT) for the eventual buyer. The warranty being offered is a standard 3 month trade cover, withbthe option to extend.
Should I steer clear of this car given the lack of use, or is this potentially OK at the right price?
The price is around 10% lower than equivalent cars at the major dealers, and I would look to negotiate further.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Regards, Toby
I am hoping to obtain some advice on the forum regarding a late (2001) 500 which I am viewing later this week.
I had the pleasure of owning a Chimeara 450 10 years ago so am realistic regarding the joys (and quirks!) of TVR ownership, however I would really appreciate some guidance from the expert owners from the forum on possible problems with a car which has had little recent use.
The car has covered 21,000 miles, however only 300 since 2009, and it was last serviced by a TVR dealer in 2007. MOT is 2009. It has been dry stored all of this time. The car has not yet been advertised on the web, however will be sold by a previous TVR dealer on a commission basis for its owner, who I understand is the second. The dealer stands by the Griff being a good one, and will perform a 12,000 service (+MOT) for the eventual buyer. The warranty being offered is a standard 3 month trade cover, withbthe option to extend.
Should I steer clear of this car given the lack of use, or is this potentially OK at the right price?
The price is around 10% lower than equivalent cars at the major dealers, and I would look to negotiate further.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Regards, Toby
I'd ignore what the dealer says. They are always 'a good one' 
If its been dry stored then that won't have done any harm. There will be things that need sorting because it hasn't been used but generally the myth that TVRs need to be used stems from ones which are kept outside and need the heat from the engine to regularly keep things dry.
I think a 3 month warranty sounds a bit crap to be honest.
If its been dry stored then that won't have done any harm. There will be things that need sorting because it hasn't been used but generally the myth that TVRs need to be used stems from ones which are kept outside and need the heat from the engine to regularly keep things dry.
I think a 3 month warranty sounds a bit crap to be honest.
It depends to an extent how it was stored up and how dry the environment was- after all a sweaty single lockup garage is still "dry stored", yet humidity can do lots of damage to metal parts and seize brakes and the like. If it was stored with old engine oil in it the acids in the oil slowly eat away at the the engines internal components- brake fluid slowly absorbs water and can cause internal corrosion- tyres develops flats- the antifreeze stop preventing corrosion after a few years- batteries die if not kept on a conditioner.
So first off- take it at face value- how corroded is the engine block and peripherals? Hows the chassis and disks for rust? Also the very least you need if a full fluid change- everything- not just the oils,(this is more than a 12000 mile service) plus a new battery. You can tell a lot about the state cooling system by the condition of the antifreeze if it still has the old stuff in there- if its cloudy and has sediment in it its past its best and corrosion has taken place. If this is the case the cooling system will need a proper flush with cleaner to prevent over heating- but the dealer may not be that keen to do this- its messy and time consuming.
Generally expect a few niggles due to storage- but the Griff's a fairly simple animal, so you may just need some fettling and use to get it back into shape after a decent service.
So first off- take it at face value- how corroded is the engine block and peripherals? Hows the chassis and disks for rust? Also the very least you need if a full fluid change- everything- not just the oils,(this is more than a 12000 mile service) plus a new battery. You can tell a lot about the state cooling system by the condition of the antifreeze if it still has the old stuff in there- if its cloudy and has sediment in it its past its best and corrosion has taken place. If this is the case the cooling system will need a proper flush with cleaner to prevent over heating- but the dealer may not be that keen to do this- its messy and time consuming.
Generally expect a few niggles due to storage- but the Griff's a fairly simple animal, so you may just need some fettling and use to get it back into shape after a decent service.
Edited by blitzracing on Sunday 2nd September 10:07
I won't bore you with the reasons why, but my Griff was in storage for ~8 years. I put it back on the road last year after a full service and sensibly replacing perishable components. Has been running fine as a daily runner now for more than a year. Each car chould be taken on it's merits, of course, but long term storage shouldn';t necessarily mean a disaster car.
Edited by GJR on Sunday 2nd September 15:05
When I bought the G33 is was 12 years old and had only done 5700 miles having spent most of its life in a collection.
It needed pretty much everything rubber replacing, clutch and brake slave cylinder seals, master cylinder seals, all bushes, door seals, rocker cover seals, tyres, etc.
The need to replace seals generally wasn't apparent until the car had been driven.
It needed pretty much everything rubber replacing, clutch and brake slave cylinder seals, master cylinder seals, all bushes, door seals, rocker cover seals, tyres, etc.
The need to replace seals generally wasn't apparent until the car had been driven.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
No, but one of the rear brake pads had. Worryingly this wasn't picked up on in the MOT prior to the service. I guess it must have been capable of passing the MOT brake test, but one of the pads was crumbling at the edges. The guy who changed the tyres said he could hear them crack as he tried to get them off the wheels because they had perished and gone hard and brittle.blueg33 said:
The need to replace seals generally wasn't apparent until the car had been driven.
This is very true, and I think it's one of the reasons why you shouldn't push the car too hard straight away. If the car Tw123's looking at has been stood for just 3 years, it 'should' be okay as long as the storage conditions were generally good. If you need to, take someone with knowledge to help inspect the car for all the usual TVR checks and pay particular attention to rubber components that may have perished. Maybe accept that some of the 10% savings you make on the car should be used to replace certain crucial components, just to be safe and for peace of mind.
GJR said:
The guy who changed the tyres said he could hear them crack as he tried to get them off the wheels because they had perished and gone hard and brittle.
Definitely replace the tyres, even if they look new, as they can be cracked inside. Most other items should be taken care of by the full service, or show up during the MOT, so could be a good find.Gassing Station | Griffith | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff