Buying an S for £7k

[rosstkent]

Similar to Clint888 but with less budget I am looking into the possibility of becoming a proud S owner. But what should I expect or go for on that money. Bear in mind that I am all thumbs with spanners and haven't got very deep pockets if things go tits up.

Should I forget it?

[dougal]

Looks like Podie has just done the same recently, might be worth asking?

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=23262&f=11&h=0

>> Edited by dougal on Friday 6th December 18:54

[rosstkent]

Thanks for all your help Dougal it is much appreciated

[S2 Giles]

Go for it, if you get the right car then the running costs are quite low. Most parts are Ford based and therefore easy to source.

Main things are look for the quality of the chasis & the rear trailing arms to ensure they arent too rusted.
Make sure you drive a few to get a feel for them & remember that a well looked after high miler is better than a 'kept in the shed' rotting low miler.

Be driven by condition as much as anything else but dont just look at bodywork shine, look underneath & you'll see all the chasis tubes.

£7K should get you a nice car, maybe an S3 with 60,000 miles in good condition.

However if you have shallow pockets & are worried about costs then maybe look for a £6K car and keep a little cash for 'just in case' moments. £6K will still get you a good S2 or S3

Hunt around & check out the TVRCC magazine and the Classified section of this site

Have fun
Giles

[Podie]

Rosstkent - well worth it, and great fun... but do your homework! PH has a wealth of information and trawling the S series forum is a good way to start.

A lot of people don't seem to realise that these cars are quite old and get all upset when they are not perfect... so make sure you're expectations are real.

Turn up to a local TVRCC meet if you can, or see if there are any S owners near you... most are happy to go for a blast!

Get yourself a copy of Steve Heath's book (AKA "the bible") and have a good read...

Don't be afraid to ask questions on here... people are pretty helpful, but look in the forums as half of it's probably there anyway! The search function is worth it's weight in gold.

Take your time, drive as many cars as you can... and don't buy the first one you see... VERY difficult to do once you start them up...

Take your time, find a good 'un, and you wont regret it. I haven't!

[shnozz]

ross - not sure whereabouts you are based - your profile just says south east. Quite a few of us are around that area. might be worth posting your home town and seeing if anyone can take you for a blast. I am certain there are several people here that would oblige.