CLK good as sold,right looks like im getting one then
Discussion
hi, thought i would update everyone on my situation, a guy came to look at my car today and said he wants it, i had put it on sale or return from a dealer but they priced it way too high, so i assume i can just go in and say i changed my mind?,they havent valeted it or anything yet accoriding to the man who viewed it,anyway enough of that, he said he wants to pick my car up tuesday or wednesday so now all i have to do is shift the bike, which ive got a few viewings arranged for and i will be able to buy a Tvr,ive decided now to definatly go for the Griffith instead of the Cerbera as on the whole i gather thier easier to look after and i want to get into ownership gently and without a huge shock, so hopefully before too much longer i will be joining the ranks, also are the many surrey/sw london owners around?,would be really good to go over my car with a long term owner when i get it so i could learn the general quirks, and how to put the roof up and down and store away without too much agravation.
Good choice on the Griff, you know it makes sense 
I'm not really a long term owner (had Griff since August) but I'd be willing to share with you what I've learned up about them since I've had mine
I'm in Sutton, so maybe not too far away.
There's a monthly meet of the TVRCC on the last Thursday of the month, at The Fairmile pub, Cobham.
Good luck with the search, I looked at lots before I found mine, unfortunately there are a lot of less desirable ones out there
I'm not really a long term owner (had Griff since August) but I'd be willing to share with you what I've learned up about them since I've had mine
I'm in Sutton, so maybe not too far away.
There's a monthly meet of the TVRCC on the last Thursday of the month, at The Fairmile pub, Cobham.
Good luck with the search, I looked at lots before I found mine, unfortunately there are a lot of less desirable ones out there
there are a few in the classifieds im interested in, the first is the Griff 500 in red for £11750,the second is the pre cat with bv conversion in blue for £12250,the third is the other pre cat for £10995 and the last is the green griff 500 hc for £13k, any opinions on those and if anyone knows any of them, would be great.
geoffvalenti said:
Good choice on the Griff, you know it makes sense
I'm not really a long term owner (had Griff since August) but I'd be willing to share with you what I've learned up about them since I've had mine
I'm in Sutton, so maybe not too far away.
There's a monthly meet of the TVRCC on the last Thursday of the month, at The Fairmile pub, Cobham.
Good luck with the search, I looked at lots before I found mine, unfortunately there are a lot of less desirable ones out there
thanks, it would be good to go over a few things on them when ive got one, i will try very hard to get to the fairmile this month, well its only about 5 mins up the road from me so not too much effort involved
, as much as the Cerbera is a lovely car i think a griff would be a better start to ownership, most of thier parts are interchangable with rover/ford/vauxhall bits i believe and theyre generally less troublesome and easier to repair?, i gather i will be needing a copy of'the bible' to keep on hand at all times.[quote=YamR1,V64motion]
there are a few in the classifieds im interested in, the first is the Griff 500 in red for £11750,the second is the pre cat with bv conversion in blue for £12250,the third is the other pre cat for £10995 and the last is the green griff 500 hc for £13k, any opinions on those and if anyone knows any of them, would be great.[/quote]
Personally I'd look at all the cars that you're interested in, and all the local ones that you think you aren't
The more you view, the better feel you'll get for a good one, when it comes along.
I'd also advise looking a bit higher and lower than your budget (which I guess is about £13000 or so) to see just how much better or worse the car you get for more/less money
Below is a post I made on the subject of buying Griffs a while ago, Hopefully it covers most things
Do your research before you start looking so you know what problems to look for on prospective purchases, rather than when you've got it home and realise that the chassis is rotten, or the cam's knackered, or suspension bushes, shock absorbers, gearbox, clutch, radiator etc need replacing.
Look at lots of cars (obviously within reason) then you'll know a good one when you see it.
Assess the owner, does he speak fondly of the car? Is he a true enthusiast? Is he selling the car because he has bought something "better"? (subjective in the case of a Griff ) or
a) is there something major about to go wrong ( or already gone wrong)
b) did he not realise the running costs and can't afford to keep it (may have skimped on maintenance)
Has the owner kept records of all the work done. I never mind if the owner seems a competant mechanic and has done some of the work himself, as long as he has kept all the bills for the parts.
A service once a year from a main dealer, or independant specialist, goes a long way to showing that the owner has at least tried to keep the car maintained.
I always test drive a car last when looking to buy. A careful inspection can tell you so much more about a car, than an adrenalin fueled blast up the road.
Only when I'm satisfied that the car "could" be worth buying will I suggest to the seller a test drive. Usually I find that if a car passes the initial inspection there's a good chance that it will drive OK.
If its a dog, with parts obviously needing replacement and an uncaring owner who can't be bothered to prepare the vehicle properly for sale, its probably not going to be worth driving it anyway.
Try to view the car when its cold (no not in the winter ) so you can hear what it sound like when it first starts, and how it performs before it has warmed up.
I looked at a few before I bought mine, but the one I eventually got was head and shoulders above most of the others. Some were private, others in dealers, after a while you get a feel for whether the car is going to be any good or not.
It sometimes a good idea to look at a few "unprepared" ones in dealers, then you can see
a) the common problem areas
b) just how bad some of these cars are before they get prepared (read tarted up ) for sale.
As far as I was concerned, if the previous owner had let the car get into such a poor condition, it hadn't been cherished enough to warrant becoming mine.
Finally, it's a good time of year to buy a Griff, prices are lower, buyers are fewer, and sellers can be pushed to take less for the car if they realy want to get rid of it (wife/husband nagging etc. )
there are a few in the classifieds im interested in, the first is the Griff 500 in red for £11750,the second is the pre cat with bv conversion in blue for £12250,the third is the other pre cat for £10995 and the last is the green griff 500 hc for £13k, any opinions on those and if anyone knows any of them, would be great.[/quote]
Personally I'd look at all the cars that you're interested in, and all the local ones that you think you aren't
The more you view, the better feel you'll get for a good one, when it comes along.
I'd also advise looking a bit higher and lower than your budget (which I guess is about £13000 or so) to see just how much better or worse the car you get for more/less money
Below is a post I made on the subject of buying Griffs a while ago, Hopefully it covers most things
Do your research before you start looking so you know what problems to look for on prospective purchases, rather than when you've got it home and realise that the chassis is rotten, or the cam's knackered, or suspension bushes, shock absorbers, gearbox, clutch, radiator etc need replacing.
Look at lots of cars (obviously within reason) then you'll know a good one when you see it.
Assess the owner, does he speak fondly of the car? Is he a true enthusiast? Is he selling the car because he has bought something "better"? (subjective in the case of a Griff ) or
a) is there something major about to go wrong ( or already gone wrong)
b) did he not realise the running costs and can't afford to keep it (may have skimped on maintenance)
Has the owner kept records of all the work done. I never mind if the owner seems a competant mechanic and has done some of the work himself, as long as he has kept all the bills for the parts.
A service once a year from a main dealer, or independant specialist, goes a long way to showing that the owner has at least tried to keep the car maintained.
I always test drive a car last when looking to buy. A careful inspection can tell you so much more about a car, than an adrenalin fueled blast up the road.
Only when I'm satisfied that the car "could" be worth buying will I suggest to the seller a test drive. Usually I find that if a car passes the initial inspection there's a good chance that it will drive OK.
If its a dog, with parts obviously needing replacement and an uncaring owner who can't be bothered to prepare the vehicle properly for sale, its probably not going to be worth driving it anyway.
Try to view the car when its cold (no not in the winter ) so you can hear what it sound like when it first starts, and how it performs before it has warmed up.
I looked at a few before I bought mine, but the one I eventually got was head and shoulders above most of the others. Some were private, others in dealers, after a while you get a feel for whether the car is going to be any good or not.
It sometimes a good idea to look at a few "unprepared" ones in dealers, then you can see
a) the common problem areas
b) just how bad some of these cars are before they get prepared (read tarted up ) for sale.
As far as I was concerned, if the previous owner had let the car get into such a poor condition, it hadn't been cherished enough to warrant becoming mine.
Finally, it's a good time of year to buy a Griff, prices are lower, buyers are fewer, and sellers can be pushed to take less for the car if they realy want to get rid of it (wife/husband nagging etc. )
ive got someone coming to pick up the car early in the week and someone has just called to let me know they want the bike on friday too, so its all systems go, i need to find a decent Tvr, could anyone let me know on here or mail me what to really look for on one?,i know a waxoiled chassis and FSH are very important so if you could, let me know what else is good to look/listen out for.
>> Edited by YamR1,V64motion on Sunday 8th January 16:45
YamR1 said:
ive got someone coming to pick up the car early in the week and someone has just called to let me know they want the bike on friday too, so its all systems go, i need to find a decent Tvr,
Just don't rush into it.
This time of year buyers are thin on the ground, so I wouldn't panic about buying whatever car you see on the spot. You can afford to look at a few, go home and think about them all, and then maybe decide to either look at one or two of them again, before making up your mind, or forget the lot and view some more.
It may involve a bit of travelling, but Griff's are not the easiest cars to sell, so if you buy a dud, you may be stuck with it for a long time.
As for what to look for, I think most things have been covered but just to force the point home
CHASSIS......... look at it on a ramp if you can, you'll see naff all with it sitting on the wheels. This is probably the most important bit, because if its badly corroded, it can be very expensive to fix. Expect some surface rust and flaking of the powder coating unless it's been regularly maintained (Hammerited and Waxoyled) (A very good sign of how the owner has maintained the rest of the car) Dig any rust with a point of a knife, you should be easily able to scrape it off and see clean metal underneath, if you feel you could make a hole, walk away
ENGINE.......... no nasty noises, regular or irregular. Ensure you hear the engine from cold (first time started that day) If the seller refuses, start getting suspicious.
Something that sounds like a knocking noise from cold, can be an exhaust gasket, but it could easily be camshaft/lifter related. (Or forged pistons, (if you're lucky) but you'd probably know all about that from the service history
) GEARBOX/CLUTCH.......... Can you select all the gears when moving without grating noises (up and down) There's a technique for silently engaging reverse on the T5. Does the clutch engage smoothly when starting off? Does it slip when under load in higher gears?
BODYWORK..........expect some stone chipping on the front, be wary if there's none, and the seller doesn't admit to having the front end recently painted to eliminate this. Look for cracks and signs of (good or bad) repairs
INTERIOR...........Leather in good condition? Does it tally with the service book that it's full or half hide. Do the carpets look worn to the correct mileage? same with the pedal rubbers.
UNDER BONNET.........Is everything fairly clean and tidy? Not smothered in oil?
OWNER..............Does he seem to know what he's talking about? Does he look like he can afford to run a TVR? (sorry to appear snobbish, but buying one, isn't necessarily the same as being willing to sling money at it to keep it in top condition
) Is he sad to see it go? What has he bought to replace it? Do you get a good feeling that he's a genuine sort of guy (sometimes can be unreliable, as all the best con men appear as genuine ) Can he easily list all the things that he has had done on the car, or done himself? SERVICE HISTORY............Is it continuous with no great gaps when the car has been laid up? Is the book stamped by TVR dealers or specialists? Are there bills for everything (a good sign)
DRIVING.......... Let the owner drive it first, listen for any strange noises. Does he appear to be struggling to drive it, or unfamiliar with the controls? When you drive it don't get blown away with the power, its going to feel quick
Does it drive in a straight line? Does it corner well (at sensible speeds) Does it feel uptogether, or just about to fall apart? (If you've never driven a TVR before, its going to feel a bit raw compared with a modern car) Do you like the way it drives? And, most importantly, now you've driven it, do you want to drive something like this every day? You'll get a feel for a good car, but you need to see a few until you find the one that's right for you.
Good luck with the search, once you get a good one, the grinning won't stop
>> Edited by geoffvalenti on Sunday 8th January 18:37
thank you all very much for the advice and opinions im very grateful, also to add there is one from a dealer, 1996, with 55000 miles, pas,a/c, blue with cream leather, FSH, its up for £14995 but do you think it would hurt to maybe make them an offer if i like it? as you all have said its a buyers market at the moment.
It can't hurt, what's the worse they're going to say?
If you go along as a serious buyer, with no PX etc. most dealers can be persuaded to negotiate, it's usually built into the price in the first place
It may be best to try the dealer cars first, where you can spend time looking over them without feeling you are wasting a private persons time, so no obligation to buy etc.
If you go along as a serious buyer, with no PX etc. most dealers can be persuaded to negotiate, it's usually built into the price in the first place
It may be best to try the dealer cars first, where you can spend time looking over them without feeling you are wasting a private persons time, so no obligation to buy etc.
well i can try i guess, my plan was to spend £13k i know thats not an amazing figure but i want to keep some aside and from looking im sure there are reasonable Griffs available for this amount, the car is listed at £14995 from a dealer but its got 55000 miles, do you think making them a £13k offer for it would be too low?, im going to look at a few next week and see how it goes, then think about them and get the one i like best.
I's difficult to know what to offer for a car until you've seen it. Once you've seen all the ones you're interested in you may think that its worth paying £14995 for the dealer car, because its head and shoulders above the rest, conversely there may be one of the others that shines through as a far better car.
If it's a '96 car it will be a serp engine with a T5 'box, which is thought to be the most desireable combination by general consensus. PAS and A/C are also desirable, but depending on who you talk to, not necessarily essential options. (personally PAS was a must have)
I think that if the dealer accepts £13000 for the car, you will be doing exceptionally well, but it all really depends on stock levels, how long they've had the car, and what it owes them. You've certainly got more chance of forcing their hand this time of year than, say, in a couple of months time when the weather improves (please)
BTW which dealer is this, as I've had a quick search and can't spot the car
If it's a '96 car it will be a serp engine with a T5 'box, which is thought to be the most desireable combination by general consensus. PAS and A/C are also desirable, but depending on who you talk to, not necessarily essential options. (personally PAS was a must have)
I think that if the dealer accepts £13000 for the car, you will be doing exceptionally well, but it all really depends on stock levels, how long they've had the car, and what it owes them. You've certainly got more chance of forcing their hand this time of year than, say, in a couple of months time when the weather improves (please
) BTW which dealer is this, as I've had a quick search and can't spot the car
[quote=YamR1,V64motion]
well i can try i guess, my plan was to spend £13k i know thats not an amazing figure but i want to keep some aside and from looking im sure there are reasonable Griffs available for this amount, the car is listed at £14995 from a dealer but its got 55000 miles, do you think making them a £13k offer for it would be too low?, im going to look at a few next week and see how it goes, then think about them and get the one i like best.[/quote]
It could easily cost £2k to bring a £13k car up to standard. Then again, I'd still want a £2k rainy day fund on a 'mint' (because they rarely are) £15k dealer car.
Two approaches really:
1) Turn up, look enthusiastic, get the dealer's hopes up, then offer £13k.
2) Phone up, come clean and if they agree to let you view, you know the terms on which you're viewing.
I prefer (2) - I expect the dealer would too.
However it's all academic because you know you want a precat
well i can try i guess, my plan was to spend £13k i know thats not an amazing figure but i want to keep some aside and from looking im sure there are reasonable Griffs available for this amount, the car is listed at £14995 from a dealer but its got 55000 miles, do you think making them a £13k offer for it would be too low?, im going to look at a few next week and see how it goes, then think about them and get the one i like best.[/quote]
It could easily cost £2k to bring a £13k car up to standard. Then again, I'd still want a £2k rainy day fund on a 'mint' (because they rarely are) £15k dealer car.
Two approaches really:
1) Turn up, look enthusiastic, get the dealer's hopes up, then offer £13k.
2) Phone up, come clean and if they agree to let you view, you know the terms on which you're viewing.
I prefer (2) - I expect the dealer would too.
However it's all academic because you know you want a precat
jonnyb said:
Well unless you look like this: 
You have made the wrong choice! Should have got a Chim!
running back to chim forum for cover!
>> Edited by jonnyb on Monday 9th January 09:08
i dont look like that but my golf swings abismal and ive never really been very good at just tootling around.
in answer to which dealer it is, let me check, not at work this week so can have a look, only problem is my computer doesnt like loading the autotrader site for some reason so i have to plug the cable into my old one and reset the box to search, will post shortly.
>> Edited by YamR1,V64motion on Monday 9th January 13:20
YamR1 said:
in answer to which dealer it is, let me check, not at work this week so can have a look, only problem is my computer doesnt like loading the autotrader site for some reason so i have to plug the cable into my old one and reset the box to search, will post shortly.
Found it!
Personally, and I'll state straight away that I know nothing about the dealer in question, good or bad, I would only buy a TVR from a main dealer or TVR specialist, if I was going to go the dealer route.
The company in question look reputable enough, but seem to be a jack of all marques.
I would question their in depth knowledge of TVR's, and therefore ability to differentiate between a good one and a bad one, and more importantly to put things right with one they have sold, if problems occurred in the future.
Without that in depth knowledge, you'd be much better off to buy it privately, with an inspection by one of the specialists (James Aggar, Rob Ingleby etc.) if you so desire, and keep the money saved over the dealer prices for future maintenance.
It may be an idea to look at it anyway, to give you a yardstick when you view some others
All IMHO, of course
geoffvalenti said:
in answer to which dealer it is, let me check, not at work this week so can have a look, only problem is my computer doesnt like loading the autotrader site for some reason so i have to plug the cable into my old one and reset the box to search, will post shortly.
Found it!
Personally, and I'll state straight away that I know nothing about the dealer in question, good or bad, I would only buy a TVR from a main dealer or TVR specialist, if I was going to go the dealer route.
The company in question look reputable enough, but seem to be a jack of all marques.
I would question their in depth knowledge of TVR's, and therefore ability to differentiate between a good one and a bad one, and more importantly to put things right with one they have sold, if problems occurred in the future.
Without that in depth knowledge, you'd be much better off to buy it privately, with an inspection by one of the specialists (James Aggar, Rob Ingleby etc.) if you so desire, and keep the money saved over the dealer prices for future maintenance.
It may be an idea to look at it anyway, to give you a yardstick when you view some others
All IMHO, of course
sorry i didnt post it up, i had every intention of doing so but had to transfer computers again and forgot the name!!!!!, i spoke to someone from the dealership and he said it was his own personal car but he had gotten a Tuscan, or he got a Tuscan and then swapped for a Cerbera, it was one of the two, he was saying that i wont find a better one etc....., and that having a/c is a very desirable extra-yes i guess it is but its a convertable i can just take the roof off, if i find one privatly are there any people who will come and do an inspection on the car?, and how much do they charge?, ive found one thats in wales, does anyone know any Tvr specialists in south wales that i can arrange to look at it with me?
YamR1 said:
if i find one privatly are there any people who will come and do an inspection on the car?, and how much do they charge?, ive found one thats in wales, does anyone know any Tvr specialists in south wales that i can arrange to look at it with me?
Try
www.findasportscar.co.uk/
www.jamesagger.com/
for starters.
Air con is a very desirable option, as is full hide, but the lack of either of them wouldn't have prevented me buying a decent Griff, lack of PAS would.
Luckily the car I managed to get had A/C and full hide, but I bought it due to its overall condition rather than its added extras.
I'm sure once you've viewed a few your one will jump out at you, and if you've bought it for all the right reasons you'll have many happy miles together.
[quote=YamR1,V64motion] does anyone know any Tvr specialists in south wales that i can arrange to look at it with me?[/quote]
Where in South Wales?
There's Roath Garage in Cardiff of whom I have no experience, Ron (I think) at FForest Garage near Swansea (again, no experience but he seems to be recommended and I think he might be South Wales TVRCC RO) and Webb's Autos in Bristol. My recommendation would be to get the seller to drive you (or you drive) to Webb's, if you're serious. I'll tell you a good test route I don't know if they do inspections but I'm sure by arrangement in advance they'd help out.
Alternatively if it's within 5 miles of Chepstow, I'll have a look at it for free!
Where in South Wales?
There's Roath Garage in Cardiff of whom I have no experience, Ron (I think) at FForest Garage near Swansea (again, no experience but he seems to be recommended and I think he might be South Wales TVRCC RO) and Webb's Autos in Bristol. My recommendation would be to get the seller to drive you (or you drive) to Webb's, if you're serious. I'll tell you a good test route
I don't know if they do inspections but I'm sure by arrangement in advance they'd help out. Alternatively if it's within 5 miles of Chepstow, I'll have a look at it for free!
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