TVR Tuscan : A Year in the Life.... Take 2!
Discussion
Like many, I had seen TVR's over the years since passing my test, watched them being praised, revered and criticised in various TV shows and magazine columns. I remember TopGear seeing if they could "outrun¨ a Gatso camera and choosing to use a Tuscan, and yes, I may have watched Swordfish at some stage 
I never really thought that I would get a chance to drive one for a good few years, unless the big hand of the lottery came down and pointed "It's you!"
Yet a chance conversation in 2009 with my girlfriends dad revealed that he was looking for a summer car and so a plan was formed to share a car. Half the costs, all of the benefit!
Although many of you will think this is heading in the "So I bought one!" direction, its not quite that simple. It was in 2009 that I found myself down at Fernhurst, taking a look around the various models, and despite my engineering background, I don't mind saying that I was pretty clueless at that stage about the whole range. I sat in a Tamora, and then a Tuscan, and then was swayed by the classic lines of the Chimaera, especially the interior.
And so I ended up with a gorgeous late model 450Chimaera. Over the past 2 years, we've enjoyed 2 years of hassle free driving, a few spirited tunnel runs, a great picnic at the Polo with the TVRCC and many hazy summer afternoons spent with the glorious V8 noise sending a tingle down my spine.
I knew at some stage, I would get itchy feet and so a little over 3 weeks ago, I drove 700mile round trip to see a certain Tuscan and it was this particular photo which made me so sure that the trip would be worthwhile!
Just look at it
A few days later, and our recently advertised Chimaera had been sold to another enthusiast from the TVRCC and within half an hour, I had put a deposit down on the Tuscan Mk2.
Not just any Mk2, but one that would soon be "my" Mk2 and one with a somewhat interesting background. Ordered from new and owned by a certain Lady Topaz off this very forum, this car seemed to be well known in the early years of its life, especially down to a somewhat infamous "A year in the life¨ thread where Di kindly documented her experience with living with the car every day, and as it turned out helping with some of its early development
Just over 6 years after it was built, I am 10 days away from making my second trip up to see Tony and the team at Hexham, and hopefully will be driving back down to Reading in what will be my first Tuscan! The team up there have been great, agreeing a decent amount of work within the price, and also helping my choose to spend a few extra pounds on a few upgrades. I've had the headlight lenses painted body colour, and put a full set of the new "Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2¨ tyres on.
So here's a few of the photos that I do have so far!
A sneaky shot Tony provided of the headlights after painting!
So consider this thread a sort of tribute to the car's original Year in the life thread. I'll be updating and documenting as my ownership progresses, and sharing a few highs and lows along the way!!
I'm coming to Chatsworth on what will be my 30th Birthday, and have booked to stay down at Goodwood for the TAG event so I'm throwing myself even further into the TVR web!
Roll on next weekend!
MrChips
I never really thought that I would get a chance to drive one for a good few years, unless the big hand of the lottery came down and pointed "It's you!"
Yet a chance conversation in 2009 with my girlfriends dad revealed that he was looking for a summer car and so a plan was formed to share a car. Half the costs, all of the benefit!
Although many of you will think this is heading in the "So I bought one!" direction, its not quite that simple. It was in 2009 that I found myself down at Fernhurst, taking a look around the various models, and despite my engineering background, I don't mind saying that I was pretty clueless at that stage about the whole range. I sat in a Tamora, and then a Tuscan, and then was swayed by the classic lines of the Chimaera, especially the interior.
And so I ended up with a gorgeous late model 450Chimaera. Over the past 2 years, we've enjoyed 2 years of hassle free driving, a few spirited tunnel runs, a great picnic at the Polo with the TVRCC and many hazy summer afternoons spent with the glorious V8 noise sending a tingle down my spine.
I knew at some stage, I would get itchy feet and so a little over 3 weeks ago, I drove 700mile round trip to see a certain Tuscan and it was this particular photo which made me so sure that the trip would be worthwhile!
Just look at it
A few days later, and our recently advertised Chimaera had been sold to another enthusiast from the TVRCC and within half an hour, I had put a deposit down on the Tuscan Mk2.
Not just any Mk2, but one that would soon be "my" Mk2 and one with a somewhat interesting background. Ordered from new and owned by a certain Lady Topaz off this very forum, this car seemed to be well known in the early years of its life, especially down to a somewhat infamous "A year in the life¨ thread where Di kindly documented her experience with living with the car every day, and as it turned out helping with some of its early development
Just over 6 years after it was built, I am 10 days away from making my second trip up to see Tony and the team at Hexham, and hopefully will be driving back down to Reading in what will be my first Tuscan! The team up there have been great, agreeing a decent amount of work within the price, and also helping my choose to spend a few extra pounds on a few upgrades. I've had the headlight lenses painted body colour, and put a full set of the new "Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2¨ tyres on.
So here's a few of the photos that I do have so far!
A sneaky shot Tony provided of the headlights after painting!
So consider this thread a sort of tribute to the car's original Year in the life thread. I'll be updating and documenting as my ownership progresses, and sharing a few highs and lows along the way!!
I'm coming to Chatsworth on what will be my 30th Birthday, and have booked to stay down at Goodwood for the TAG event so I'm throwing myself even further into the TVR web!
Roll on next weekend!
MrChips
Edited by MrChips on Tuesday 29th March 23:35
Mr Chips,
Well done!! I did almost the exact same trip as you, flew up to Newcastle from London to see Tony ans a Mk2 'S' in spectraflair silver. You won't be disappointed. Tuscans draw so much attention and almost all positive. The noise, thrill, enjoyment and whole experience are something you just have to live.
I hope that ownership is all that you hope it to be.
Well done!! I did almost the exact same trip as you, flew up to Newcastle from London to see Tony ans a Mk2 'S' in spectraflair silver. You won't be disappointed. Tuscans draw so much attention and almost all positive. The noise, thrill, enjoyment and whole experience are something you just have to live.
I hope that ownership is all that you hope it to be.
Very nice Dave welcome to the club. At first sight I thought you had the bonnet conversion done, but then realised the main bonnet is off and the service bonnet open.
I'm looking into getting mine done by a local body specialist and waiting to hear about his upgraded version of his own conversion.
Hope to see you at Chatswoth, I'll also be at TAG11.
I'm looking into getting mine done by a local body specialist and waiting to hear about his upgraded version of his own conversion.
Hope to see you at Chatswoth, I'll also be at TAG11.
Here's a couple of shots of your car being born. Enjoy!
Oh and I will send you a full set.
Di
This next one was taken at Goodwood and was on the front and 'April' 2008 Petrolheads calendar.
This last one was on the front cover of Sprint courtesy of PH poster 'Lake' on here
Hope you love the car as much as I did.
Di
Oh and I will send you a full set.
Di
This next one was taken at Goodwood and was on the front and 'April' 2008 Petrolheads calendar.
This last one was on the front cover of Sprint courtesy of PH poster 'Lake' on here
Hope you love the car as much as I did.
Di
Edited by lady topaz on Thursday 31st March 18:33
Edited by lady topaz on Thursday 31st March 18:39
With the first 24hrs of ownership over, and 350mls driven I thought I should update this with some of my initial thoughts, and a few questions!
Friday was a horrendous journey up the M1 to get to Hexham, resulting in me not even turning up until 8pm. Luckily, Tony is a very understanding chap and had stayed behind to wait for me to arrive! And so it was in the dark that I first saw the car now that it had the headlights painted, and it positively gleamed, even under the unnatural glare of the dealership showroom lights.
A few minutes checking the car over, and a few signatures later and the keys were mine
I had booked a hotel near Darlington to help me make a headstart on the journey back south, but more so because I knew I would want to take it for a proper drive immediately!
And so I set out on my first full drive in the Tuscan. Brand new tyres, new clutch, and a very dark and challenging route down the A68 proved to be more joy than terror once I had found another car to follow.
Is it possible to decide after an hour that you will never want to sell a car? That's how I felt as I pulled into the hotel at the end of my initial run. I was too late in the day and I was too tired to think about how the car felt to drive.... but it certainly didn't fail to put a smile on my face and give the impression that driving this car will be a major event each and every time
A well deserved rest, a decent breakfast and this is what greeted me on Saturday morning
I am now convinced that the car has been resprayed in Crystal Topaz at some point, as you can see no sign of the original Spectraflair effect. It's no biggie for me, as the car looks amazing as it is, but maybe more useful to know if I need to touch up any stone chips etc. Chatsworth will be the final test as I hope to meet up with Cliff and his Spectraflair car, just to put them side by side.
Roof off, windows down, and 270mls to get home on what looked to be one of the hottest days of the year, I couldn't wait! I decided to mix up the driving, with some motorway, some A roads and a few backroads once I was closer to home.
The first thing that struck me was the steering. Full of feedback, yet very very direct especially just off dead-centre. The geometry had been reset by HHC as part of the prep, and it definitely showed. I had driven a couple of Tuscans and a Tamora in my search for a car, and without doubt, this felt the best of the bunch. The steering had a lightness to it that I hadn't experienced in the other Tuscans, but was as quick to respond as the Tamora. This may well be down to the 225/40 front tyres that I had fitted.
These are the new "Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2" which i'll happily report on once they're run in a little more.
Over country roads, the steering behaved really well, with very little of the sometimes reported bump-steer. I had already ordered some SP Spacers just to try out, but so far i'm not sure i'd want the car to handle any differently.
I was pleasantly suprised that the suspension felt more road orientated than I had expected, with a softness to the intial response which allowed minor bumps and poor road surfaces to be absorbed just as well as my old Chim. If I ever took the car on track then i'd probably want to stiffen it up a little, but certainly on first thoughts, the factory springs and dampers are very well chosen.
A few motorway miles under my belt presented the first traffic jam... in very hot conditions, and i'm pleased to say the car passed with flying colours. Water temps stayed between 90-100 and the oil temp hovering around 90. Once moving again these dropped back down to normal levels but at least it's a worry that I no longer have.
Sitting in traffic I decided to try the aircon.... nothing
Odd as I had tested before picking up the car and it worked fine so i'll have to get it looked at.
Having been totally addicted to the V8 noise of the Chim, I was suprised at just how different the S6 can sound depending on the driving style/conditions. My car is fitted with aftermarket cans (I think they're CCC's) but still has the cats in place. However it's the loudest Tuscan i've heard beyond some of those with full de-cats.
Under motorway or A-road cruising, it's fairly placid, with a somewhat V8 sounding thump to it. Accelerate hard and it takes on a distinctively angry bark at around 3000rpm, before continuing on to the classic S6 howl at higher speeds.
Whatever these exhaust cans are.. they pop and bang all the time. Slow speed, motorway cruising, swift driving it doesn't matter. Lift off the throttle and you're greeted by a chorus of deep rumble and sharp crackling. Maybe it's overfuelling a little or would you expect this to happen all the time?
Taking some of the familiar back roads as I came a little closer to home, I wasn't about to start hooning it, but it quickly became apparent that there are huge levels of grip available, and the car felt absolutely planted, with no sign of nervousness. Something to explore in a more controlled environment I think!
Arriving back home yesterday, I was shattered and somewhat sunburnt! But it will put this day down as one of the best days of my life so far
Parking the car up in the evening sunshine, the paint still glistened as if it had just been polished, with no sign of the mileage it had just done.
I'm hoping to take it to the local TVRCC meet in a couple of days, but there are a few initial questions that I have which i'd be grateful if someone can give their thoughts on!
- Should the v/b/c dials do anything to the pod display? I was told that the contrast etc is now only controlled by the main settings in the pod? Surely this can't be right? and i'm sure these dials were working on another car I tested.
- Headlights are the originals so I believe to be Xenons.. but from the beam brightness and pattern, the dipped beams are very yellow and dont' look like Xenons, yet the main beam/flash operated from the steering wheel are very much brighter and more white.
Should the dipped beams be as bright as modern Xenons, and look similar to the main beams?
- What oil pressure is safe/normal? In the traffic jam, it dipped down towards 20psi, but generally was sitting at 30psi idle, and 48-50psi whilst driving?
Cheers!
MrChips
Friday was a horrendous journey up the M1 to get to Hexham, resulting in me not even turning up until 8pm. Luckily, Tony is a very understanding chap and had stayed behind to wait for me to arrive! And so it was in the dark that I first saw the car now that it had the headlights painted, and it positively gleamed, even under the unnatural glare of the dealership showroom lights.
A few minutes checking the car over, and a few signatures later and the keys were mine
I had booked a hotel near Darlington to help me make a headstart on the journey back south, but more so because I knew I would want to take it for a proper drive immediately!
And so I set out on my first full drive in the Tuscan. Brand new tyres, new clutch, and a very dark and challenging route down the A68 proved to be more joy than terror once I had found another car to follow.
Is it possible to decide after an hour that you will never want to sell a car? That's how I felt as I pulled into the hotel at the end of my initial run. I was too late in the day and I was too tired to think about how the car felt to drive.... but it certainly didn't fail to put a smile on my face and give the impression that driving this car will be a major event each and every time
A well deserved rest, a decent breakfast and this is what greeted me on Saturday morning
I am now convinced that the car has been resprayed in Crystal Topaz at some point, as you can see no sign of the original Spectraflair effect. It's no biggie for me, as the car looks amazing as it is, but maybe more useful to know if I need to touch up any stone chips etc. Chatsworth will be the final test as I hope to meet up with Cliff and his Spectraflair car, just to put them side by side.
Roof off, windows down, and 270mls to get home on what looked to be one of the hottest days of the year, I couldn't wait! I decided to mix up the driving, with some motorway, some A roads and a few backroads once I was closer to home.
The first thing that struck me was the steering. Full of feedback, yet very very direct especially just off dead-centre. The geometry had been reset by HHC as part of the prep, and it definitely showed. I had driven a couple of Tuscans and a Tamora in my search for a car, and without doubt, this felt the best of the bunch. The steering had a lightness to it that I hadn't experienced in the other Tuscans, but was as quick to respond as the Tamora. This may well be down to the 225/40 front tyres that I had fitted.
These are the new "Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2" which i'll happily report on once they're run in a little more.
Over country roads, the steering behaved really well, with very little of the sometimes reported bump-steer. I had already ordered some SP Spacers just to try out, but so far i'm not sure i'd want the car to handle any differently.
I was pleasantly suprised that the suspension felt more road orientated than I had expected, with a softness to the intial response which allowed minor bumps and poor road surfaces to be absorbed just as well as my old Chim. If I ever took the car on track then i'd probably want to stiffen it up a little, but certainly on first thoughts, the factory springs and dampers are very well chosen.
A few motorway miles under my belt presented the first traffic jam... in very hot conditions, and i'm pleased to say the car passed with flying colours. Water temps stayed between 90-100 and the oil temp hovering around 90. Once moving again these dropped back down to normal levels but at least it's a worry that I no longer have.
Sitting in traffic I decided to try the aircon.... nothing
Odd as I had tested before picking up the car and it worked fine so i'll have to get it looked at.
Having been totally addicted to the V8 noise of the Chim, I was suprised at just how different the S6 can sound depending on the driving style/conditions. My car is fitted with aftermarket cans (I think they're CCC's) but still has the cats in place. However it's the loudest Tuscan i've heard beyond some of those with full de-cats.
Under motorway or A-road cruising, it's fairly placid, with a somewhat V8 sounding thump to it. Accelerate hard and it takes on a distinctively angry bark at around 3000rpm, before continuing on to the classic S6 howl at higher speeds.
Whatever these exhaust cans are.. they pop and bang all the time. Slow speed, motorway cruising, swift driving it doesn't matter. Lift off the throttle and you're greeted by a chorus of deep rumble and sharp crackling. Maybe it's overfuelling a little or would you expect this to happen all the time?
Taking some of the familiar back roads as I came a little closer to home, I wasn't about to start hooning it, but it quickly became apparent that there are huge levels of grip available, and the car felt absolutely planted, with no sign of nervousness. Something to explore in a more controlled environment I think!
Arriving back home yesterday, I was shattered and somewhat sunburnt! But it will put this day down as one of the best days of my life so far
Parking the car up in the evening sunshine, the paint still glistened as if it had just been polished, with no sign of the mileage it had just done. I'm hoping to take it to the local TVRCC meet in a couple of days, but there are a few initial questions that I have which i'd be grateful if someone can give their thoughts on!
- Should the v/b/c dials do anything to the pod display? I was told that the contrast etc is now only controlled by the main settings in the pod? Surely this can't be right? and i'm sure these dials were working on another car I tested.
- Headlights are the originals so I believe to be Xenons.. but from the beam brightness and pattern, the dipped beams are very yellow and dont' look like Xenons, yet the main beam/flash operated from the steering wheel are very much brighter and more white.
Should the dipped beams be as bright as modern Xenons, and look similar to the main beams?
- What oil pressure is safe/normal? In the traffic jam, it dipped down towards 20psi, but generally was sitting at 30psi idle, and 48-50psi whilst driving?
Cheers!
MrChips
Edited by MrChips on Sunday 10th April 12:35
Spectraflair Topaz on a day like today should look like this:
With a definite rainbow effect in it! Is it possible your car could have been resprayed in Crystal Topaz? Still a fantastic colour all the same. Bet you're still out and about enjoying it, having fun!
With a definite rainbow effect in it! Is it possible your car could have been resprayed in Crystal Topaz? Still a fantastic colour all the same. Bet you're still out and about enjoying it, having fun!
Edited by Cliffedge on Sunday 10th April 17:30
Looks like it's time for a little update!
It's been a very busy few weeks since picking up the car... and it has been absolutely brilliant!
To clear up one of the queries... the car is definitely Crystal Topaz, and not the original Spectraflair. Putting it next to another Tuscan newbie (Cliffedge) it was clear that this car is a much brighter pearl paint, but without the spectraflair effect. It does seem to be brighter than some of the other Crystal Topaz cars I have seen and on a good note.... I absolutely love it! Having seen it now on a few dull and dreary days, the paintwork really has a huge amount of reflection even when it's not been cleaned.
Speaking of cleaning...
My OH thinks i'm "taking it too seriously"
Much much more to do seeing as I went a little crazy in ordering loads of cleaning kit but I find it quite relaxing.. except taking the bonnet off (lucky my neighbour is also a petrolhead and keen to help). I am planning to do a flip bonnet modification but i'll go into more detail closer to the time.
The car's been used regularly over the past few weeks, sometimes for shorter trips, sometimes just for those sunny blasts where you end up doing a 50mile loop to end up where you started.
Having come from a 450Chim, I was used to reasonably powerful RWD car, but the majority of my driving is in FWD hatchbacks, so I was keen to ensure I continue to treat the Tuscan with respect and not get overconfident. In the Chim, it was the immediate surge of torque which could overwhelm the tyres, or make the car quite a handful. The power delivery of the Tuscan is so different, pootling around on low throttle is very smooth, and it's only once the revs pick up beyond 4-5k that you feel the real drive from the S6, accompanied by the most ridiculous howling exhaust note. Addictive doesn't even cover it
In an attempt to play "sensibly" I went on a little jaunt down to the local RAF base where the nice guys from Odiham car club had organised a straightline 1/4 and 1/2 mile event. The thinking was sound... try the car in a controlled environment, get used to the power, maybe even try the brakes, all in a straight line.
There was only one problem..... 7500rpm
How on earth am I meant to stop myself, be sensible, take it easy etc when something like this exists!!!
The day went really well, with a few other TVRs and PHers there as well. I managed a 12.2 qtr mile which was pretty good I understand! The new tyres were very grippy and the car felt stable all the way up to 140. I did do one run with the roof on. And it promptly made an escape for freedom at 120 The driver’s side rear latch isn't locking in quite enough so will need to take a look at it, especially as there are plans to join the Santa Pod shootout!
A little Youtube vid of me taking a run against a very well-tuned Sapphire Cossie. Don't ask who won
http://youtu.be/nsOyhtTrvdQ?hd=1
I also took the opportunity to take a few more pics of the car on what turned out to be a very hot sunny day. These were only on my phone so i'm hoping to go back there with my new camera once i've figured out how it works.
On the upgrade/repair front, there are a few niggles which either i've sorted or str8six should hopefully sort out in a couple of weeks.
- Air con isn't activating
- Front top windscreen seal is coming away so needs resealing
- Fuel gauge reading zero all the time
- Dash is developing a very loud creak, so will need to take a look, probably in my next mammoth cleaning session!
- The top end is sounding a little louder than before so i'll get Jason just to take a look and hopefully confirm it's normal. It certainly sounds similar to other S6's, but as the noise has changed in the last 500 miles, then i'll feel a little safer getting it checked out.
I also fitted the SP spacers but to be honest I found they made the handling and tramlining worse. I say "worse" but actually the car handles brilliantly! (I seem to have non-stop upgrade syndrome!) I've taken the spacers off now so if anyone wants a pair?
I then popped out to see another local MartinP took some fantastic shots of the car. One for the garage wall I think:
TVR Tuscan S by muddy_defender, on Flickr
TVR Tuscan S by muddy_defender, on Flickr
Martin can you email me the links to your FlickR account and i'll replace the links above. These definitely weren't taken by me
Can thoroughly recommend contacting him if you fancy some good shots of your car. His T350 looks a fantastic example which he’s owned from new!
Oh, I couldn't do this update without mentioning Chatsworth. I won't upload a million photos but just to say that this was my first year and i'll definitely make this event in the future. I joined the run on the Saturday and it was a really nice drive through the local roads, with everyone in the town stopping to take pics etc as the sight of so many TVRs burbling through was really something to behold.
The Sunday was just as I expected... nice and relaxed, a chance to chat with other owners, check out some amazing cars and enjoy the setting. A few highlights for me were obviously the Typhons, but also seeing Clive's gorgeous Cascade sag, and also accidentally bumping into GrahamVarley after complimenting him on his car! It really does look that good in the flesh.
A special thank you to Tony up at Hexham HHC who left some replacement door seals by my car. I'd asked if he could supply some to help being the wind noise down, and he (and the rest of the HHC team) have been great to deal with both pre and post purchase.
Oh, and if anyone remembers the original "Year in the life" thread. I'm "pleased" to report that the driver’s side ash tray still fills up with water every time it rains. No sign of any water ingress. It really is spooky, but i'm finding it quite amusing
It's been a very busy few weeks since picking up the car... and it has been absolutely brilliant!
To clear up one of the queries... the car is definitely Crystal Topaz, and not the original Spectraflair. Putting it next to another Tuscan newbie (Cliffedge) it was clear that this car is a much brighter pearl paint, but without the spectraflair effect. It does seem to be brighter than some of the other Crystal Topaz cars I have seen and on a good note.... I absolutely love it! Having seen it now on a few dull and dreary days, the paintwork really has a huge amount of reflection even when it's not been cleaned.
Speaking of cleaning...
My OH thinks i'm "taking it too seriously"
Much much more to do seeing as I went a little crazy in ordering loads of cleaning kit but I find it quite relaxing.. except taking the bonnet off (lucky my neighbour is also a petrolhead and keen to help). I am planning to do a flip bonnet modification but i'll go into more detail closer to the time.
The car's been used regularly over the past few weeks, sometimes for shorter trips, sometimes just for those sunny blasts where you end up doing a 50mile loop to end up where you started.
Having come from a 450Chim, I was used to reasonably powerful RWD car, but the majority of my driving is in FWD hatchbacks, so I was keen to ensure I continue to treat the Tuscan with respect and not get overconfident. In the Chim, it was the immediate surge of torque which could overwhelm the tyres, or make the car quite a handful. The power delivery of the Tuscan is so different, pootling around on low throttle is very smooth, and it's only once the revs pick up beyond 4-5k that you feel the real drive from the S6, accompanied by the most ridiculous howling exhaust note. Addictive doesn't even cover it
In an attempt to play "sensibly" I went on a little jaunt down to the local RAF base where the nice guys from Odiham car club had organised a straightline 1/4 and 1/2 mile event. The thinking was sound... try the car in a controlled environment, get used to the power, maybe even try the brakes, all in a straight line.
There was only one problem..... 7500rpm
How on earth am I meant to stop myself, be sensible, take it easy etc when something like this exists!!!The day went really well, with a few other TVRs and PHers there as well. I managed a 12.2 qtr mile which was pretty good I understand! The new tyres were very grippy and the car felt stable all the way up to 140. I did do one run with the roof on. And it promptly made an escape for freedom at 120
The driver’s side rear latch isn't locking in quite enough so will need to take a look at it, especially as there are plans to join the Santa Pod shootout!A little Youtube vid of me taking a run against a very well-tuned Sapphire Cossie. Don't ask who won
http://youtu.be/nsOyhtTrvdQ?hd=1
I also took the opportunity to take a few more pics of the car on what turned out to be a very hot sunny day. These were only on my phone so i'm hoping to go back there with my new camera once i've figured out how it works.
On the upgrade/repair front, there are a few niggles which either i've sorted or str8six should hopefully sort out in a couple of weeks.
- Air con isn't activating
- Front top windscreen seal is coming away so needs resealing
- Fuel gauge reading zero all the time
- Dash is developing a very loud creak, so will need to take a look, probably in my next mammoth cleaning session!
- The top end is sounding a little louder than before so i'll get Jason just to take a look and hopefully confirm it's normal. It certainly sounds similar to other S6's, but as the noise has changed in the last 500 miles, then i'll feel a little safer getting it checked out.
I also fitted the SP spacers but to be honest I found they made the handling and tramlining worse. I say "worse" but actually the car handles brilliantly! (I seem to have non-stop upgrade syndrome!) I've taken the spacers off now so if anyone wants a pair?
I then popped out to see another local MartinP took some fantastic shots of the car. One for the garage wall I think:
TVR Tuscan S by muddy_defender, on Flickr
TVR Tuscan S by muddy_defender, on Flickr
Martin can you email me the links to your FlickR account and i'll replace the links above. These definitely weren't taken by me Can thoroughly recommend contacting him if you fancy some good shots of your car. His T350 looks a fantastic example which he’s owned from new!
Oh, I couldn't do this update without mentioning Chatsworth. I won't upload a million photos but just to say that this was my first year and i'll definitely make this event in the future. I joined the run on the Saturday and it was a really nice drive through the local roads, with everyone in the town stopping to take pics etc as the sight of so many TVRs burbling through was really something to behold.
The Sunday was just as I expected... nice and relaxed, a chance to chat with other owners, check out some amazing cars and enjoy the setting. A few highlights for me were obviously the Typhons, but also seeing Clive's gorgeous Cascade sag, and also accidentally bumping into GrahamVarley after complimenting him on his car! It really does look that good in the flesh.
A special thank you to Tony up at Hexham HHC who left some replacement door seals by my car. I'd asked if he could supply some to help being the wind noise down, and he (and the rest of the HHC team) have been great to deal with both pre and post purchase.
Oh, and if anyone remembers the original "Year in the life" thread. I'm "pleased" to report that the driver’s side ash tray still fills up with water every time it rains. No sign of any water ingress. It really is spooky, but i'm finding it quite amusing
Edited by MrChips on Thursday 18th August 21:28
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