Survey of ownership cost v buying a sorted example .

[phazed]

Nicely summed up Anthony.

Just a bit of rough then!

[motul1974]

It's clear to see the different camps our cars and us as owners are in. Spending money to; fix it, keep it going, uprate or the really big money going into FULL REBUILDS.

I think it's worth pointing out to prospective new owners that buying our cars isn't the necessary money pit these post might suggest it to be. If you buy 'goodun' and what to just enjoy it for what it is from the factory, then u don't think there's are better bang for buck than one of our cars...what else compares?

But then again, if you're the kinda person who wants perfection, a full rebuild and "diamond' polishing of upgrades......then one again, I don't think there's a better bang for buck out there!


It's a WIN WIN what ever camp your in!

...at least that what I'm telling myself.

[markcoopers]

Straying from the OP's point a little, the most recent replies sum up to a degree why i am a TVR owner.

It is a hobby (cars) starting in Westfields before moving into more exotics. The cost of the hobby moved from a perpetual low level spend in the kits to a spiky big bill scenario with the exotics. I think it was said already, but the running cost of the car often bare no relationship to the purchase price and so it proved, in that if you did not have an "expert" receipt/stamp for the work done you risked losing any value in the car. Forced or influenced to pay dealer prices i was eventually hit for £3k to replace a morgan alternator. Now in their defense the dealer did look after me and the work done to fit it was enormous so did = the cost (no complaints), but right there and then i knew it should have been a £100 job i could do myself......car was sold on.

A TVR Chimaera/Griffith is about right I recon in being both exotic/interesting enough but still allowing a modest mechanic to work on them without costing the earth. The fact it is a good looking, British and arguably culturally significant car just the icing on the cake.

[Loubaruch]

How on earth did a replacement alternator cost £3k?

[Loubaruch]

How on earth did a replacement alternator cost £3k?

[Squirrelofwoe]

Purchased my 400hc back in July 2016 for £12,000 from a dealer- wanted one that I wouldn't have to do too much to initially, and this one came with a recent £4k bill from Central TVR which included:

New outriggers
New clutch
New hood, window and panel
Interior re-trim including leather door cards and all new carpets
Gaz Gold shocks
Afterburner rear light conversion

Figured with that lot done I could sneak a few years TVRing in without too much wallet-aggro...

Since then I've had:

-New battery, tray modification (can remover battery easily), fuseboard relocated behind passenger seat, levan jump kit fitted
-Full suspension setup & geo etc.
-New radiator
-Brake discs & pads all round
-Fuel pump
-Water pump
-855 camshaft fitted

According to my spreadsheet (I'm an accountant), that little lot plus servicing has run to £4,152.

So I am in for just over £16,000 so far and have a pretty decent car.

MOT next month and also looking to get engine mounts changed and new tyres at the same time, ready for the summer...

I suspect before too long the wishbones will all need replacing, the outriggers were done in 2014 but within the next couple of years it could do with a body lift and proper chassis sort out. It also needs a full re-spray (badly chipped in places), I want to get a mk3 or tuscan headlight conversion done at that point too, the wheels could really use a refurb and ideally I'd like a set of shiny Calibre Vintage wheels for summer.

I also badly want the Canems system installed at some point. Oh and I've still got a lot of valve-train noise.

Once that little lot is attended to I'll have a pretty sorted car.

Would it have been cheaper to buy one with all of that done in the first place? Do bears defecate in heavily forested areas?

Fortunately my fiance absolutely loves the car too, and having picked her up in it on our second date, she also insists it's very much here to stay! At least until such time as I retire and can realise my dream of either a Pantera (unlikely), or GT40 rep (hopeful)...

I've attempted to be proactive by spending a chunk of my TVR contingency fund re-modelling our garden to provide a small workshop and TVR repair/maintenance facilities- which should hopefully save a few quid down the line future...

But it goes better than I ever thought a 4.0 had any right too, uses no oil, never shunts, doesn't leak, and keeps some pretty good family company;

|https://thumbsnap.com/zPg9MePl[/url]

[url]

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Squirrelofwoe said:

, uses no oil,

Of all that post that's the only thing that surprises me!

[phazed]

That looks really nice Squirrel. Great colour!

[Squirrelofwoe]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Of all that post that's the only thing that surprises me!

I was probably being slightly economical on the truth on that part, of course it does have the patented "TVR chassis protection system" fully working

But it never uses any quantity to necessitate top-ups between services, and the oil pressure generally shows 50-60 when cold, and rarely drops below 30 in anything other than the most 'Oxford' of traffic jams.

[Squirrelofwoe]

phazed said:

That looks really nice Squirrel. Great colour!

Thanks Peter, the paint doesn't look too bad from that distance!

Edited by Squirrelofwoe on Monday 11th February 17:07

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Squirrelofwoe said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Of all that post that's the only thing that surprises me!

I was probably being slightly economical on the truth on that part, of course it does have the patented "TVR chassis protection system" fully working

But it never uses any quantity to necessitate top-ups between services, and the oil pressure generally shows 50-60 when cold, and rarely drops below 30 in anything other than the most 'Oxford' of traffic jams.

All of mine (whether new or old) have used 1 litre per 1,000 miles as regular as clockwork.

[Squirrelofwoe]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

All of mine (whether new or old) have used 1 litre per 1,000 miles as regular as clockwork.

Perhaps I'm not driving mine hard enough!

I brought 5ltr of VR1 to keep in the boot shortly after getting the car, and in 9k miles / 2.5years the only time I've had the lid off was to top up the lawnmower

[QBee]

Squirrelofwoe said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

All of mine (whether new or old) have used 1 litre per 1,000 miles as regular as clockwork.

Perhaps I'm not driving mine hard enough!

I brought 5ltr of VR1 to keep in the boot shortly after getting the car, and in 9k miles / 2.5years the only time I've had the lid off was to top up the lawnmower

I would try staying on the tarmac on track days - the grass can be surprisingly slippery, particularly when wet.

[Squirrelofwoe]

QBee said:

Squirrelofwoe said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

All of mine (whether new or old) have used 1 litre per 1,000 miles as regular as clockwork.

Perhaps I'm not driving mine hard enough!

I brought 5ltr of VR1 to keep in the boot shortly after getting the car, and in 9k miles / 2.5years the only time I've had the lid off was to top up the lawnmower

I would try staying on the tarmac on track days - the grass can be surprisingly slippery, particularly when wet.

[Classic Chim]

Squirrelofwoe said:

QBee said:

Squirrelofwoe said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

All of mine (whether new or old) have used 1 litre per 1,000 miles as regular as clockwork.

Perhaps I'm not driving mine hard enough!

I brought 5ltr of VR1 to keep in the boot shortly after getting the car, and in 9k miles / 2.5years the only time I've had the lid off was to top up the lawnmower

I would try staying on the tarmac on track days - the grass can be surprisingly slippery, particularly when wet.

And from an accountants point of view likely to be a bit less expensive.

Some brill answers on this thread so thanks chaps.

[CanoeSniffer]

Squirrelofwoe said:

I want to get a ... tuscan headlight conversion

But yours is so pretty!

Don't do it!

[Squirrelofwoe]

CanoeSniffer said:

Squirrelofwoe said:

I want to get a ... tuscan headlight conversion

But yours is so pretty!

Don't do it!

I used to think exactly the same about it... But it's really grown on me the last couple of years- it must be that strange air living out in the sticks

I just think it looks more 'TVR' like. The mk3 conversion is more likely, but who knows! When it gets resprayed I am also going for a louder colour too

[phazed]

Don’t pick Paradise Purple!

[QBee]

Shall we hijack Alun's thread and post suggestion photos?
Or would the prospective resprayer like to start his own respray thread?
it probably deserves one

[Squirrelofwoe]

QBee said:

Shall we hijack Alun's thread and post suggestion photos?
Or would the prospective resprayer like to start his own respray thread?
it probably deserves one

I will do when the time comes, but at the moment it's very much at the bottom of the list of priorities for the car!

And the TVR itself is currently competing for funds with a house re-mortgage, impending wedding later this year, and the need to replace my daily runabout with something even bigger, comfier, and auto-y-er than my Accord estate.