Griff or Tuscan ???????
Griff or Tuscan ???????
Author
Discussion

D14 AYS

Original Poster:

3,696 posts

239 months

Thursday 19th October 2006
quotequote all
Hi folks,
I have been reading your posts for many months now and would like some advice ,having owned a 390se for 5 years and sadly sold her a couple of years ago I am in a position now to dip my toe in the waters of TVR ownership once again. I am in a bit of a quandry as I have always loved the Griff but the Tuscan is becoming very affordable, what advice could I be given in choosing between the two. I do not have a bottomless pit as having 4 teenagers and a wife with a passion for diamonds, my funds are somewhat limited for maintaining a car to an excessive amount. Please excuse the waffle as this is my first post but I would be most grateful for your help in choosing.

lazyitus

19,931 posts

295 months

Friday 20th October 2006
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If funds are part of the equation, I think the Griffith is probably the cheaper to run of the two and probably easier to maintain at home.

I love Tuscans, they look awesome. I'd love one and I could change the Griff for one. But I won't. I can't get rid of the Griffith.

Either way, they are both very special cars. Whichever you get, you'll love it.

cln1

657 posts

254 months

Friday 20th October 2006
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I could have bought either and I chose the Griff with no regrets.

Both look stunning, have electrifying performance etc but I guess at the end of the day it was the V8 and the soft top which swung it for me. Suggest you go with your gut.

Colin.

l33

3,469 posts

253 months

Friday 20th October 2006
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If maintenance costs are a major consideration, go for the Griff.
If you went for the Tuscan, you could be look at full engine stripdown & rebuilds (or worse) as little as every 10k miles or so....
yikes

barreti

6,689 posts

266 months

Friday 20th October 2006
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Turn on the sound on your PC and watch these two videos, this is the view you will have most of the time.
The sound of the V8 makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end - even if it is a Chimaera! If it doesn't do it for you, make your decision based on looks (but you have no soul)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hLl5pzlvb4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGtgPnkV4Ac

clive f

7,259 posts

262 months

Friday 20th October 2006
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Ditto to all of the above, I was in the same position last year, could afford a griff, but only just the tuscan, but after some research on here and the tuscan forum decided that there was no way I could afford to maintain the tuscan assuming that something were to go amiss with the engine.
never regreted going for the griff, it may not have the visual impact of the tuscan, which is absolutely awesome, but is has a proper british sports car dash, lots of clocks and wood, I feel that the tuscan for me is a big dissapointment when you look inside.
definately go for the griff if your doing your sums, but with most things tvr, it depends where your heart tries to lead your wallet!

toma500

1,249 posts

282 months

Friday 20th October 2006
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Just watched the video,s not sure the chimeara was actually a cerbera , didnt sound much like a rover v8 , very good tho.!!

UpTheIron

4,058 posts

297 months

Saturday 21st October 2006
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D14 AYS said:
Hi folks,
I have been reading your posts for many months now and would like some advice ,having owned a 390se for 5 years and sadly sold her a couple of years ago I am in a position now to dip my toe in the waters of TVR ownership once again. I am in a bit of a quandry as I have always loved the Griff but the Tuscan is becoming very affordable, what advice could I be given in choosing between the two. I do not have a bottomless pit as having 4 teenagers and a wife with a passion for diamonds, my funds are somewhat limited for maintaining a car to an excessive amount. Please excuse the waffle as this is my first post but I would be most grateful for your help in choosing.


My 2p:

All things being equal, the Griff will cost you (a bit) less to run than a Tuscan. Servicing (parts) is typically cheaper on the RV8 cars, especially when you add in consumables like brakes, clutches etc.

As for the engine debate? Again, all things being equal a RV8 will cost less to keep in top condition - unless you are very unlucky you will be talking about a cam at 50k and a rebuild at 100k...versus the potential for major work every 25k (or less) on the S6.

However, for me, the S6 howl and it's superior performance make the sensible stuff irrelevant. Having had two Chim's, IMHO the Tuscan is in a different league.

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

277 months

Saturday 21st October 2006
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FFG had a loan Tuscan while his Griff was in at TVR Power.

They are now a two Griffith household.

Oh, and which one won a design award again?

Get the Griff

rapid rental

477 posts

251 months

Wednesday 25th October 2006
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D14 AYS

Well ive had a 450 Chimera and that was fab, however i sold it after a couple of years for a Tuscan and that was great to. However 18 months later i found myself longing for the V8 again and have just bought a Griff. In a nutshell get a Griff, the Tuscan is a mighty expensive car to run (in my experience of an early car). The build quality was shocking and the ride was frightening, but at the end of the day i would probably have kept the Tuscan if it had a V8.
That speed 6 just sounds so limp in comparison imho.

LastLawyer

135 posts

264 months

Thursday 26th October 2006
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as nearly anyone here said: buy a griff !

it has a V8, the tuscan only a rummmbellllling V6.

Spare Parts for the tuscan: expensiiiiiivvveeee

Spares for the Griff: affooooordable (in comparison)

ok, the tuscan has 350 bhp+, the griff never ever more than 280 (even as a 5 litre).

the funpotential of the griff is still larger.

but if you like password-swordfish, then buy a tuscan ;-)

Cheers LL


macdeb

8,758 posts

284 months

Thursday 26th October 2006
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I may be wrong but didn't 'Mongoose' go from griff-Tuscan-Griff'. Might be worth having a word with him.

mongoose

4,360 posts

284 months

Thursday 26th October 2006
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macdeb said:
I may be wrong but didn't 'Mongoose' go from griff-Tuscan-Griff'. Might be worth having a word with him.
Yep i did!I never stopped loving the Griff,but i fell for the stunning looks of the Tuscan.The trouble was i couln't sleep at night with the Tuscan,it was a flawed gem in several respects/issues,and tell tail signs that the end was nigh for the engine made me go back to the greatest TVR of allcloud9.
Tuscans are cheap to buy for a very good reason,and the Griff has held it's value well,also for a very good reason.

Ricardo Bertone

562 posts

239 months

Thursday 26th October 2006
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For beautiful holidays go to Tuscan-y BUT for great TVR driving go for the RV8 Griffith every time - better still take your Griffith to Tuscany.

Ricardo

D14 AYS

Original Poster:

3,696 posts

239 months

Thursday 26th October 2006
quotequote all
Hi guys, thanks for all your input into my dilema,i cant get those beautiful lines of the tuscan out of my head but I am a RV8 lover and the thought of potentially rebuilding engines on a regular basis sends me cold. As said before a tuscan with a RV8 would be the perfect combination. For this reason only I am going to plump for a griff. My next post will hopefully accompany a picture of my new pride and joy. Once again thanks guys.

RAW-SEWedge

970 posts

288 months

Friday 27th October 2006
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GRIFF !

macdeb

8,758 posts

284 months

Friday 27th October 2006
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mongoose said:
macdeb said:
I may be wrong but didn't 'Mongoose' go from griff-Tuscan-Griff'. Might be worth having a word with him.
Yep i did!I never stopped loving the Griff,but i fell for the stunning looks of the Tuscan.The trouble was i couln't sleep at night with the Tuscan,it was a flawed gem in several respects/issues,and tell tail signs that the end was nigh for the engine made me go back to the greatest TVR of allcloud9.
Tuscans are cheap to buy for a very good reason,and the Griff has held it's value well,also for a very good reason.

Bloke, Had the same S6 itch, scratched it, glad I moved back.

Edt

5,239 posts

313 months

Friday 27th October 2006
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500

barreti

6,689 posts

266 months

Friday 27th October 2006
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4.3

bluebottle

3,498 posts

269 months

Friday 27th October 2006
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cloud9cloud9cloud9cloud9cloud9
cloud9 Griff 500 cloud9
cloud9cloud9cloud9cloud9cloud9