That 400SE for £3,500...

[davidf]

Well as with all things you suspect are too good to be true, the 400SE wasn't a 400SE. The friend who told me about the car only new that it was a 4 litre wedge. I made the assumption that it must be a 400SE or at least a 390i. Unfortunately it turned out to be a 350i bored out to a four litre, which is nice but not really the same thing.
As I mentioned before (see "400se, anything I should know" posting) the only thing I new was that the car was a four litre wedge, in need of some cosmetic repair, and perhaps some mechanical attention. When I saw it, my heart sank a little as I realised that the whale tail spoiler and lack of any markings meant it was either a very unloved SEAC (unlikely), or something other than I had imagined.
The guy that owns it had left it sitting in his drive since October 2000, and the paintwork looks pretty shabby. Worse still, the radio had been stolen, along with the console, leaving a mass of wires some with switches on the end, most without.
It was my impression that the owner loved to tinker with engine things, and every time it was in the garage it got uprated somewhere. Unfortunately this didn't carry through to the more cosmetic aspects of the car.
Despite the dissapointment I haven't ruled out the car. It could really do with a respray, needs new tyres, the console is a disaster, the electrics are a mystery, the headlights are sticky, and uneven tyre wear on one of the rear tyres seems to indicate something else amiss. If it had been a 400SE I would have carried on regardless, but I'm not so sure now.
So I plan to get an insurance quote, check prices for the work that needs doing and make a decision next week. If anybody has any advice I would welcome it.
Thanks to everyone who gave advice last week, I felt well armed with info when I looked at it. I'll let you know the outcome when I figure out what to do.
David

[gf350]

David,
Shame about the car, if it was me I might be a bit woried about that level of modification to the original engine see Jeff Morgans article about his 400.
www.bress.freeserve.co.uk/wedge/owners_j_morgan.html
If you don't mind a modified car you should go and see the one thats for sale on the wedgepages
www.bress.freeserve.co.uk/wedge/classifieds.html
The red one Phil Gilbert has for sale has a new cross bolted V8 developments 4.6 litre (He said this was £4k's worth!).
I saw it when I bought the old wheels off him and it is immaculate. Its the older body shape and has trailing arm suspension but even so I felt quite sick that I had spent nearly 6k on my one!
I didn't crawl underneath it and I'm no mechanic but it looked good to me as it must have had a lot spent on it all over.

[davidf]

Thanks, but I think it is the modifications that are putting me off. I don't know how I feel about messing with a classic design. Do modifications like that add to the value, or detract? I'm still confused.
D

quote:
If you don't mind a modified car you should go and see the one thats for sale on the wedgepages
www.bress.freeserve.co.uk/wedge/classifieds.html

[350matt]

unfortunatly it sounds like you might be better off buying a good clean 350 for 5K and starting off with that. As a Respray is about 1K, tyres 100 quid a corner, rebush (as sounds like duff suspension alignment) 250 quid + 50 quid for 4 wheel set-up, 2nd hand console 100 quid and several weekends labour to rewire / sort it all out. The advantage is if you do the work all yourself then you'll know it backwards when it is on the road, also the engine mods if done correctly and if you can verify the work has definitely been done (as opposed to word of mouth). then it may still be a good buy.

Best of luck

Matt

[Cathelijne]

I think I "know" the car. It's also in a magazine (practical Classics)I bought today. The only difference it's 3250 pounds instaed of 3500.

Text:
"TVR 350i. In storage last 3 years. Needs some work but little to return to former glory, 1989 (E), 3250 pounds, tel.nr (Guildford)"

The picture shows a red 350i


Is it this one?

[davidf]

quote:

I think I "know" the car. It's also in a magazine (practical Classics)I bought today. The only difference it's 3250 pounds instaed of 3500.

Text:
"TVR 350i. In storage last 3 years. Needs some work but little to return to former glory, 1989 (E), 3250 pounds, tel.nr (Guildford)"

The picture shows a red 350i


Is it this one?

No it's not this one, I wish it had been in storage for the last three years. It was left out in the rain for the last two years at least!
Oh and it is dark blue (is there a name for the TVR dark blue?)
David

[nick heppinstall]

Probably 'Mica Blue'

[Brm Brm]

Having had wedges 350>400>SEAC for 9 years I must admit I'd steer clear of it even at that price. Previous advice to buy something with documented history is good and this one sounds like a real bag of worms eg. if its got no markings its almost certainly had paint which could imply all sorts of damage. Also, what state is the chassis in - especially the outriggers. There was also a recent thread about oil in the general TVR section that highlighted the risk of rusty cams on cars that have been left to stand. My experience of wedges is that they dont like being laid up unless you do it properly (not the case in this instance). I reckon its worth a couple of grand at the most and even then only if the chassis is solid and its a "runner".

As far as engine mods go they can be a nightmare and will probably reduce value if not fully documented and done by someone reputable. Good ones, as I'm sure many of our fellow readers will vouch, can be fun!

PS. Couldnt help noticing a tasty 350 with a 4.6 engine in Wedgepages recently if thats what you fancy!