Griff Purchase - Source & Inspection -

[magarnett]

In process of buying first 500 any suggestions of who best to source and inspect the car. Contact details would be appreciated.

[AllTorque]

Personally I didn't bother with an inspection. If the car has got some good mileage on it, lots of receipts, a knowledgeable enthusiast owner (e.g. someone upgrading to a newer TVR), and drives well, with no obvious leaks, rust underneath, strange noises etc etc then go for it! Or call Rob Ingleby at www.findasportscar.co.uk

[angusfaldo]

If by inspection, you mean having someone who knows what they are looking at check over the car before you buy, I'd say it is a must, especially if this is your first foray into TVR ownership. If, on the other hand, you're talking about an AA inspection etc forget it.

TVRs are among the highest single car accidents of all marques and there's a good chance that a second hand one will have had some bodywork in the past. Minor stuff is absolutely no problem (in fact a respray will possibly be better than the factory paint job). A bad job, or even worse - a bad mechnanical repair - could really ruin your enjoyment of ownership.

You could buy from an independent like Adrian Blyth, who has all his cars inspected prior to sale. You could also ask an independent service agent like Dave Batty to have a look at it.

Or you could go along to a club meeting and talk to an owner or two about his/her experiences. We get prospective buyers coming down to our meets all the time looking for hints and tips and the chance to look closely at the cars without a salesman lurking behind.

AF

[Skip]

I got David Hendry (local TVR agents) to check mine (Wiltshire). Jolly good value for about £60 - very thorough, even down to finding a nail in a tyre. I knew how much I was going to have to spend on it - you DO need to know this. No point in spending your budget on the car then finding you need to shell out an extra 2 grand you haven't got to keep it on the road, IMHO