hope to be owner. griff 500!

[switch234]

hi, just away to look at griff 5oo in starmist green, wondering what to look for as dont have much knowledge of the cars themselve.the car its self has an ACT exhaust,ACT hoses and a new ACT alloy radiator fitted other than that the cars standard. done just over 19K on the closed and bn wax oiled every 6mnth with it getting serviced ever 1200 miles. any help would be great thanks neil.

[GJR]

Hi Neil & welcome,

Most people will tell you that it's the condition of the chassis and mechanicals that are paramount. Mileage alone is not a good indicator that a car will be sound. Even a young car and will have had plenty of time to discintegrate if it hasn't been looked after.

There are buyer's guides on the links below..

http://www.tvrbooks.co.uk/ go to FAQ's..

There is also a lot more information on: http://www.thegriffithpages.com/

G

[Uncle Fester]

Having read the stuff advised above, get along to your local TVR club meeting to pick some brains.

Someone may even know the history of the car that caught your eye.

[switch234]

thanks for the help,neil

[Englishman]

I found a quick look underneath, especially condition of the outriggers was a great indicator of how well the car had been looked after when I was looking. Beware of ones smothered in underseal too.

Mechanically they are pretty robust if serviced properly so look for a full service history with at least one stamp a year at minimum. Again, you will tell a lot about the condition by just looking at the belts, wiring, water and oil etc. and listening for anything other than smooth running under the bonnet.

[chris52]

I always ask the owner not to start the car prior to viewing. Its always good to hear a car start from cold plus it makes life a lot easier to check everything under the bonnet whan its nice and cold.
Chris

[RichB]

switch234 said:

hi, just away to look at Griff 5oo in starmist green, wondering what to look for as don't have much knowledge of the cars themselves.the car its self has an ACT exhaust,ACT hoses and a new ACT alloy radiator fitted other than that the cars standard. done just over 19K on the closed and bn wax oiled every 6mnth with it getting serviced ever 1200 miles. any help would be great thanks Neil.

Not quite sure why it would have been Waxoyled every 6 months that sounds like passion taken to extremes Anyway, the chaps have all said about the chassis outriggers and wishbones but also check the cooling fans both cut in at the right temperature, some people seem to have overheating problems with TVRs but it usually fans not working properly. They can tend to leak if the hood hasn't been proofed regularly so check the carpets in the wells behind the seats, if they are musty or damp then it leaks, usually from the area behind the doors and the water runs down behind the seats. Check the heater controls work properly, oh and another common fault is the so called "hot start issue" where the starter won't engage once the engine is thoroughly hot, you will need to drive the car for 30 mins to test this though.

[switch234]

thanks for the advice,neil

[LordGrover]

You are likely to be blown away by it's appearance, sound and performance. This is normal.
It's probably not a special car - they're mostly all like that.
Shop around, try a few before you hand over the readies.

[switch234]

thanks, neil

[JLF]

I have seen this one on the classifieds. Having spoken with the guy selling it my concern is the lack of service history. I was bought in 03 with 11k on the clock. Since then the servicing has been done by the owner. That being said he could be equally as competent as the local specialist…..however you never really know.

What is the general view on a car not having a full TVR/specialist history?

[yellowgriff]

FULL main dealer or specialist service history is really equivalent to each other. Most main dealer have apprentices working on cars learning their trades.
Specialist are mostly a bit cheaper Not in all cases.. Owner services No paper work or Stamps with receipts not worth anything,, Bit like a Q plate car..SORRY GOLDIE

[HRG]

Owner servicing on these is not a problem IMO, most of us are better at spanner wielding than the average workshop 'technician' these days.

You only have to look at the number of body off/raise articles. Would you still want a full main dealer SH from such an owner?

[RichB]

Regarding home servicing, there are of course several owners who know exactly what they are doing but there are also those that will do the basic plugs and oil filter but be unaware of the numerous other jobs that need attending to on a TVR, for example I believe the exhaust system has to be dropped down to access the grease nipples on the prop-shaft, I may be slightly wrong here but you get my drift.

[LordGrover]

There may be one or two garages with a similar disregard though...

[switch234]

Many thanks for all of the useful comments.

The car is fitted with adjustable timers for the radiator fans (2 off) and cooling does not seem a problem.

I have now viewed the car and it appears in excellent cosmetic condition and is stored in a carcoon, but not being an expert in any way I would like to have an independant inspection carried out if I wish to proceed any further.
The roof looks in perfect condition and no evidence of any water ingress into the cabin.

Can anyone advise of a specialist or recommended garage who can carry out a PPI and servicing thereafter in the Dundee or Perth area ?

I guess with the owner servcing the car himself and a lack of service stamps etc, there should be a file of receipts to show the spares and consumables fitted during the services and maintainance periods, which I will ask to see on my next visit.

thanks, neil

[renmure]

Hi Neil,
Glad to see you are still on the lookout for a decent (cough) car.
The one you are looking at looks good in the pics. You could get a Pre Purchase Inspection at Dreadnought in Callander (http://www.dreadnoughtgarage.co.uk/tvr.htm) which should keep you from buying a potential hand grenade. Also I can put you in touch with a good friend of mine in Dundee who owned a Griff 500 for about 5 years and did a lot of homework before buying. I guess he would be good to chat to about who does what in the area for when it breaks down. Errr .. I mean incase it breaks down

Cheers,

Jim