The road to TVR Tuscan ownership
Discussion
I have never really followed the herd when it comes to car ownership and have pretty much always owned and driven what I wanted to drive at the time rather than what was expected of me, not really got a particular brand favourite or type of car so my OH is not surprised when I can go from a Jaguar S Type R to a Saab 9-5 Aero to a Westfield V8 via a Clio 182 and W215 CL500.
Getting older is seeing the rate with which I change cars slowing down and rather than rushing into purchases I'm taking more time to research and consider before proceeding to buy the first car I view.
After selling the Westfield (great fun but areoscreen, 5.1 litres and 205 section tyres made it huge fun but often scary and hopelessly impractical I was without a weekend car again - the search started straight away and after discounting a number of cars:
1. CL63 - this was my first choice and will be purchased at some point in the future but decided wanted something more raw
2. E63 M6 - running costs frightened me off and already have an E64 650
3. V8 Vantage - budget would not stretch to a really nice example
A TVR was actually my OH's idea and I started the research, the original thought of a Chimera was quickly passed over, a Cerbera was a contender for a while but eventually settled on a Tuscan - just seemed to tick more of the boxes for me
Started contacting specialists halfway through 2019, all of them very helpful and giving good advice, joined the owners club and always made a beeline for the TVR section at shows to get to speak to as many owners as I could. The advice was always the same, steer clear of super low mileage examples, buy on history and condition and allow a contingency fund.
Although not in a position to actually purchase until the end of 2019 (preferably early 2020) I was contacted by the owner of a 2001 Tuscan in one of my favoured colours (Viper GTS blue) who said that his car would be available at the end of the year.
Quick trip to see the car showed it was pretty much what I was looking for, only 1 previous owner, had been in regular use throughout its life (although still only showing 44k miles), a complete history with massive folder of bills, the original invoice, all old tax discs and even a load of photos taken during the build.
It id however show a hint of white smoke on start up - the owner was completely straight with me and said it had a stuck valve the previous year and that if he was keeping the car he would be looking at a top end rebuild. A long chat with TrackvRoad who have looked after the cr for the last ten years backed this up.
A lot of thinking ensued as the car was not the cheapest around but its history was a strong draw for me and if I could get the car cheap enough I could get the engine work done before I actually had the car home - a plan was hatched.,
I agreed a deal with the owner of a holding deposit paid in July, balance paid in December and no more than 500 more miles to be put on the car, once the balance was paid the car would be dropped off at TrackvRoad who would do the engine work and I would collect from there.
July to December was a long wait but allowed me to make sure all the funds were in place and the deal was completed on 5th Dec with the car going to TrackvRoad on the 9th Dec, the plan was to get the car back by end Jan / early Feb
Due to illness of TrackvRoads head mechanic, a bit more head work than originally planned and parts delays the car was not finally ready until last week - at an early stage I had decided to have the bottom end checked over but all was found to be perfect but I did opt for a very complete top end rebuild including modified throttle bodies.
Due to collect last Friday but common sense saw me cancel collection, fortunately TrackvRoad had a trip down my way needed so they very kindly dropped the car off for me - of course keeping the 2 metre rule in place.
So 9 months after first viewing the car and nearly 4 months into owning it, I finally have her home and will try and keep the thread updated with progress
Getting older is seeing the rate with which I change cars slowing down and rather than rushing into purchases I'm taking more time to research and consider before proceeding to buy the first car I view.
After selling the Westfield (great fun but areoscreen, 5.1 litres and 205 section tyres made it huge fun but often scary and hopelessly impractical I was without a weekend car again - the search started straight away and after discounting a number of cars:
1. CL63 - this was my first choice and will be purchased at some point in the future but decided wanted something more raw
2. E63 M6 - running costs frightened me off and already have an E64 650
3. V8 Vantage - budget would not stretch to a really nice example
A TVR was actually my OH's idea and I started the research, the original thought of a Chimera was quickly passed over, a Cerbera was a contender for a while but eventually settled on a Tuscan - just seemed to tick more of the boxes for me
Started contacting specialists halfway through 2019, all of them very helpful and giving good advice, joined the owners club and always made a beeline for the TVR section at shows to get to speak to as many owners as I could. The advice was always the same, steer clear of super low mileage examples, buy on history and condition and allow a contingency fund.
Although not in a position to actually purchase until the end of 2019 (preferably early 2020) I was contacted by the owner of a 2001 Tuscan in one of my favoured colours (Viper GTS blue) who said that his car would be available at the end of the year.
Quick trip to see the car showed it was pretty much what I was looking for, only 1 previous owner, had been in regular use throughout its life (although still only showing 44k miles), a complete history with massive folder of bills, the original invoice, all old tax discs and even a load of photos taken during the build.
It id however show a hint of white smoke on start up - the owner was completely straight with me and said it had a stuck valve the previous year and that if he was keeping the car he would be looking at a top end rebuild. A long chat with TrackvRoad who have looked after the cr for the last ten years backed this up.
A lot of thinking ensued as the car was not the cheapest around but its history was a strong draw for me and if I could get the car cheap enough I could get the engine work done before I actually had the car home - a plan was hatched.,
I agreed a deal with the owner of a holding deposit paid in July, balance paid in December and no more than 500 more miles to be put on the car, once the balance was paid the car would be dropped off at TrackvRoad who would do the engine work and I would collect from there.
July to December was a long wait but allowed me to make sure all the funds were in place and the deal was completed on 5th Dec with the car going to TrackvRoad on the 9th Dec, the plan was to get the car back by end Jan / early Feb
Due to illness of TrackvRoads head mechanic, a bit more head work than originally planned and parts delays the car was not finally ready until last week - at an early stage I had decided to have the bottom end checked over but all was found to be perfect but I did opt for a very complete top end rebuild including modified throttle bodies.
Due to collect last Friday but common sense saw me cancel collection, fortunately TrackvRoad had a trip down my way needed so they very kindly dropped the car off for me - of course keeping the 2 metre rule in place.
So 9 months after first viewing the car and nearly 4 months into owning it, I finally have her home and will try and keep the thread updated with progress
Glad it’s finally with you. It does look like a really good example. Like you say, low miles are not always a benefit when it comes to these cars.
That interior looks great - the blue steering wheel in particular.
Take your time to get to know it (when we can get driving again) as I found mine a lot more ‘spikey’ than previous cars!
That interior looks great - the blue steering wheel in particular.
Take your time to get to know it (when we can get driving again) as I found mine a lot more ‘spikey’ than previous cars!
Welcome to the crazy world, pity you're not going to get to drive it much over the coming months. I too went for a higher mileage one with an amazing history back in 2013. It has been generally reliable but last year was a bit wallet busting and frustrating for various reasons (not engine related). Plan was to sell it on after Easter but I imagine the market will be trashed this year.
Started to do a couple of jobs on the to-do list.
The original stereo was a Pioneer unit but wanted to replace it with a slightly more up to date unit but wanting to keep it subtle, after a bit of searching around I came across the Pioneer SPH-10BT, most functions run through your phone via the SmartSync app, phone sits in a pullout cradle and offers me everything I wanted a very low price
The original stereo would not release from the cage with the extraction keys so needed to take the dashboard top off so I could push the whole thing out from behind - on one hand TVR made this easy by just securing the top with two bolts into captive nuts, one at either end of the panel, on the other hand they made it nigh on impossible to reach the bolts unless you have very slim hands, extra long fingers and are left handed, getting them out took about an hour, getting them back in took nearly 2 hours. The upside of this was that I learned a little more about the car and having the dash top out enabled me to give it a good deep clean, I thought it was not too bad, the dirt that came from it suggested I was very wrong :lol:
Last night saw me move into the engine bay. Whilst the engine was being rebuilt I got the cam cover painted in the original red and black colour scheme, the black element has SPEED SIX cast in to it so decided to attack this with my Dremel to remove the black paint and reveal it in bare metal, job finished by fixing down the new (and expensive at £55) carbon fibre TVR logo at the front of the casting- rest of the engine bay needs some more work but this is a decent start
The original stereo was a Pioneer unit but wanted to replace it with a slightly more up to date unit but wanting to keep it subtle, after a bit of searching around I came across the Pioneer SPH-10BT, most functions run through your phone via the SmartSync app, phone sits in a pullout cradle and offers me everything I wanted a very low price
The original stereo would not release from the cage with the extraction keys so needed to take the dashboard top off so I could push the whole thing out from behind - on one hand TVR made this easy by just securing the top with two bolts into captive nuts, one at either end of the panel, on the other hand they made it nigh on impossible to reach the bolts unless you have very slim hands, extra long fingers and are left handed, getting them out took about an hour, getting them back in took nearly 2 hours. The upside of this was that I learned a little more about the car and having the dash top out enabled me to give it a good deep clean, I thought it was not too bad, the dirt that came from it suggested I was very wrong :lol:
Last night saw me move into the engine bay. Whilst the engine was being rebuilt I got the cam cover painted in the original red and black colour scheme, the black element has SPEED SIX cast in to it so decided to attack this with my Dremel to remove the black paint and reveal it in bare metal, job finished by fixing down the new (and expensive at £55) carbon fibre TVR logo at the front of the casting- rest of the engine bay needs some more work but this is a decent start
Getting on top of some of the little jobs.
Drivers door solenoid was popping ok but only putting the door on to the first catch, needed a second press to release the door fully, you could hear that the solenoid was working ok so reckoned that a bit of relocation of the door release mechanism would sort it out - proven to be right so the replacement door solenoid I had bought just in case can be put away for another day.
Want to keep the car as OE as possible so rather than do anything fancy with the airbox it was just a case of rubbing it down and respraying it in gloss black, just need to allow it to harden off properly and then polished up should look pretty reasonable
Finished first phase of getting the paintwork sorted, full decontamination, clayed and machine polished, just needs sealing and waxing now, really pleased with the results so far, the amount of metallic in the Viper Blue is crazy
Drivers door solenoid was popping ok but only putting the door on to the first catch, needed a second press to release the door fully, you could hear that the solenoid was working ok so reckoned that a bit of relocation of the door release mechanism would sort it out - proven to be right so the replacement door solenoid I had bought just in case can be put away for another day.
Want to keep the car as OE as possible so rather than do anything fancy with the airbox it was just a case of rubbing it down and respraying it in gloss black, just need to allow it to harden off properly and then polished up should look pretty reasonable
Finished first phase of getting the paintwork sorted, full decontamination, clayed and machine polished, just needs sealing and waxing now, really pleased with the results so far, the amount of metallic in the Viper Blue is crazy
Tuscan looks absolutely incredible and well worth the wait. Great that you've got it all prepped and sorted before buying it. Any plans for any big road trips or trackdays? I'd imagine being so light these are surprisingly fuel efficient, but don't they have individual throttle bodies?
How did you find switching from the S Type R to 9-5 Aero? Guessing the Saab wasn't far off with a remap?
How did you find switching from the S Type R to 9-5 Aero? Guessing the Saab wasn't far off with a remap?
Ph1listine said:
Tuscan looks absolutely incredible and well worth the wait. Great that you've got it all prepped and sorted before buying it. Any plans for any big road trips or trackdays? I'd imagine being so light these are surprisingly fuel efficient, but don't they have individual throttle bodies?
How did you find switching from the S Type R to 9-5 Aero? Guessing the Saab wasn't far off with a remap?
I wanted the car thoroughly checked over before actually getting it home and has given me some real peace of mind, not sure about trackdays but was hoping to get up and do the NC500 this year, probably next year now, fortunately living very close to North Wales have access to some great driving roadsHow did you find switching from the S Type R to 9-5 Aero? Guessing the Saab wasn't far off with a remap?
I actually went from the S Type R to a CL500 then on to a 9-3 V6 Aero, the S Type is one car I really regret selling, such a fantastic all rounder and very underrated, whilst the CL500 was a much better looking car I missed the performance of the Jag
Managed to get the paintwork topped with Angel Ti22 followed today with a layer of Angelwax Enigma, its not perfect but probably the best job I have manged with paintwork.
Whilst the rear exhaust cans were pretty spotless externally the pipes themselves were pretty carboned up, managed to find a polishing cone that worked from my drill that was a nice snug fit, used the Britemax twins and with pretty minimal effort the inside of the tailpipes are now as clean as the cans.
Decided that I need to get the wheels refurbished this winter, whilst 99% there two of the inner rims are black whilst the other two are silver, my OCD just can't allow that to last for long, plus the small TVR stickers should be on the spoke opposite the valve and on 2 of the rims they are not.
Also on the jobs to do are cleaning and painting the calipers, still in the OE black with yellow TVR lettering and new footwell carpets, looking slightly tired and hoping my local trimmer will be able to match the colour for me
Whilst the rear exhaust cans were pretty spotless externally the pipes themselves were pretty carboned up, managed to find a polishing cone that worked from my drill that was a nice snug fit, used the Britemax twins and with pretty minimal effort the inside of the tailpipes are now as clean as the cans.
Decided that I need to get the wheels refurbished this winter, whilst 99% there two of the inner rims are black whilst the other two are silver, my OCD just can't allow that to last for long, plus the small TVR stickers should be on the spoke opposite the valve and on 2 of the rims they are not.
Also on the jobs to do are cleaning and painting the calipers, still in the OE black with yellow TVR lettering and new footwell carpets, looking slightly tired and hoping my local trimmer will be able to match the colour for me
Very nice! And kudos for some incredible patience there, when i get a new car I can only just about stand the time it takes to tax & insure it before I want to be behind the wheel!! I do love a TVR as spent a fair bit of time around a Griffith 500 when i was younger, but recently went for a Corvette instead as the car has to be a daily for me, which is a big ask for a TVR.
With the relaxation of the lockdown rules beginning to feel a bit more comfortable about going out for a drive - need to get the 1,000 miles done to run in the engine and yesterday was just a day of gentle pottering around.
Of course with it being a TVR and having had the boot loaded with 3x 40 litre bags of compost and a load of plants it decided to play up and not open when we got home.
The boot is released by pushing in on the Tuscan badge and activating a microswitch that it turns activates a solenoid controlled by the same ECU that operates the passenger door.
Disconnected and cleaned all the connections, took the opportunity of fitting the new "old stock" boot badge that needed a small washer gluing to the back to make a better connection with the microswitch and all is well - until the next time :-)
Of course with it being a TVR and having had the boot loaded with 3x 40 litre bags of compost and a load of plants it decided to play up and not open when we got home.
The boot is released by pushing in on the Tuscan badge and activating a microswitch that it turns activates a solenoid controlled by the same ECU that operates the passenger door.
Disconnected and cleaned all the connections, took the opportunity of fitting the new "old stock" boot badge that needed a small washer gluing to the back to make a better connection with the microswitch and all is well - until the next time :-)
Managed to put 200+ miles on the car over the last few days but not straying too far from home, the heat, the new engine, the unfamiliarity of the car plus the fact that of course, it a TVR.
Oil temp never above 95, water temp never above 96 with both fans cutting in when they should so all positive signs, plus the bag in the boot to put all the bits that are bound to fall off is still empty.
Frustrating to drive to the 3k rpm limit but now with 250 miles done I'm allowing an occasional flip to 3.5k.
Managed to get out today to get some "industrial" type photos and happy with its looking, plus a quick video (unedited at the moment) to prove it actually moves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWzA7S9PVvU
Oil temp never above 95, water temp never above 96 with both fans cutting in when they should so all positive signs, plus the bag in the boot to put all the bits that are bound to fall off is still empty.
Frustrating to drive to the 3k rpm limit but now with 250 miles done I'm allowing an occasional flip to 3.5k.
Managed to get out today to get some "industrial" type photos and happy with its looking, plus a quick video (unedited at the moment) to prove it actually moves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWzA7S9PVvU
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