Possible servicing gem?
Discussion
Just thought I'd mention on here for those owners in the south coast area, that I think I may well just have found a gem of a garage to service my Cerbera.
I had an extensive chat with a guy called Andy from Dorset Sports Cars in Three Legged Cross, nr Verwood, Dorset.
He has been working on TVRs since 1992, and went with the TVR team to Le Mans in 1993. He had a close working relationship with John Ravenscroft and consequently received a good amount of knowledge transfer on the AJP engines.
Pricing is also very reasonable:
6k = £420 inc, 12k = £640 inc, Labour = £59.50 per hour. Not quite as cheap as a non specialist garage, but certainly much less than many prestige sports garages and TVR specialists.
Consequently I've booked my Cerbera in a for a 6k service & general check with them.
Does anyone else have any experience of this garage?
Mike
I had an extensive chat with a guy called Andy from Dorset Sports Cars in Three Legged Cross, nr Verwood, Dorset.
He has been working on TVRs since 1992, and went with the TVR team to Le Mans in 1993. He had a close working relationship with John Ravenscroft and consequently received a good amount of knowledge transfer on the AJP engines.
Pricing is also very reasonable:
6k = £420 inc, 12k = £640 inc, Labour = £59.50 per hour. Not quite as cheap as a non specialist garage, but certainly much less than many prestige sports garages and TVR specialists.
Consequently I've booked my Cerbera in a for a 6k service & general check with them.
Does anyone else have any experience of this garage?
Mike
ridds said:
Does the 12k include tappets?
And, if so, is that a 'check' or a 'check and adjustment if required'? A few ads I've followed up on in the past suggest 'includes' tappets and when I dig, it seems that they get checked, but if they need adjusting it is extra. Maybe that's what everyone 'expects' but I was glad I'd asked, because that wasn't obvious to me 
mickydoo said:
Just thought I'd mention on here for those owners in the south coast area, that I think I may well just have found a gem of a garage to service my Cerbera.
I had an extensive chat with a guy called Andy from Dorset Sports Cars in Three Legged Cross, nr Verwood, Dorset.
He has been working on TVRs since 1992, and went with the TVR team to Le Mans in 1993. He had a close working relationship with John Ravenscroft and consequently received a good amount of knowledge transfer on the AJP engines.
Pricing is also very reasonable:
6k = £420 inc, 12k = £640 inc, Labour = £59.50 per hour. Not quite as cheap as a non specialist garage, but certainly much less than many prestige sports garages and TVR specialists.
Consequently I've booked my Cerbera in a for a 6k service & general check with them.
Does anyone else have any experience of this garage?
Mike
I can vouch for Andy Bennett, he worked on my TVR when at Nigel Mansell/Westover Sportscars when I was Dorset based. The car was always spot on. I know for sure he worked on the dealer's Tuscan Challenge car throughout the 90s as chief mechanic and he went to Le Mans with the De Walt cars. For his level of expertise I guess the garage feel they can charge a bit more than others.I had an extensive chat with a guy called Andy from Dorset Sports Cars in Three Legged Cross, nr Verwood, Dorset.
He has been working on TVRs since 1992, and went with the TVR team to Le Mans in 1993. He had a close working relationship with John Ravenscroft and consequently received a good amount of knowledge transfer on the AJP engines.
Pricing is also very reasonable:
6k = £420 inc, 12k = £640 inc, Labour = £59.50 per hour. Not quite as cheap as a non specialist garage, but certainly much less than many prestige sports garages and TVR specialists.
Consequently I've booked my Cerbera in a for a 6k service & general check with them.
Does anyone else have any experience of this garage?
Mike
I may have got the date wrong, but he certainly sounded very knowledgeable going into plenty of information about the AJP8 at length and quite happily.
The 6k is marginally higher than some, but the 12k is lower, as the £640 included the tappet check AND adjustment.
Compared to hourly rates at other independents, they are slightly more expensive, but of the closer specialist TVR garages & other sports car specialists I was quoted rates upwards of £70 per hour, and whilst the 6k service can be got as low as £350, the 12k service is normally £750 or upwards inc tappets.
For non TVR essential stuff, then yes, I can go to a good local indie, one in Southampton has a guy from the local TVRCC, but he didn't sound anything like as knowledgeable as Andy. They charge £50/hr.
Mike
The 6k is marginally higher than some, but the 12k is lower, as the £640 included the tappet check AND adjustment.
Compared to hourly rates at other independents, they are slightly more expensive, but of the closer specialist TVR garages & other sports car specialists I was quoted rates upwards of £70 per hour, and whilst the 6k service can be got as low as £350, the 12k service is normally £750 or upwards inc tappets.
For non TVR essential stuff, then yes, I can go to a good local indie, one in Southampton has a guy from the local TVRCC, but he didn't sound anything like as knowledgeable as Andy. They charge £50/hr.
Mike
I've had some experience of Dorset Jaguars.
Andy is the "mutts nuts", his knowledge seems pretty damned good from my experience and a thoroughly nice guy.
However, I will never visit that business again!
My car had a replacement alternator fitted. Subsequently, the cars lights flickered when running - and that's every light in the car. Following further discussion it was decided the problem was going to be an earth at the back end of the car and nothing related to the alternator replacement.
The car was run by myself to put a few miles under its belt before Dorset Jags were going to service and rectify any identified problems (it was a recent purchase).
In the meantime the cars windows decided to fail and the indicators packed up!
Booked into Dorset Jags for repair. On collection I was told by Andy that the problems were as follows :-
- broken wire within the door loom - locate and repair
- flasher relay popped out
The alternator was also looked at during this visit and found to be faulty - this was replaced with no charge for parts and labour.
Final bill - over £1,000 - for the repairs listed above plus a couple of other bulbs that "apparently" had failed!
I felt ripped off and will never darken that doorstep again.
If Andy were elsewhere I'd use him, however, I now use an alternative independent in Blandford Forum who was also a Westover Sportscars technician - albeit more on the Ferrari side.
I hope that helps.
Andy is the "mutts nuts", his knowledge seems pretty damned good from my experience and a thoroughly nice guy.
However, I will never visit that business again!
My car had a replacement alternator fitted. Subsequently, the cars lights flickered when running - and that's every light in the car. Following further discussion it was decided the problem was going to be an earth at the back end of the car and nothing related to the alternator replacement.
The car was run by myself to put a few miles under its belt before Dorset Jags were going to service and rectify any identified problems (it was a recent purchase).
In the meantime the cars windows decided to fail and the indicators packed up!
Booked into Dorset Jags for repair. On collection I was told by Andy that the problems were as follows :-
- broken wire within the door loom - locate and repair
- flasher relay popped out
The alternator was also looked at during this visit and found to be faulty - this was replaced with no charge for parts and labour.
Final bill - over £1,000 - for the repairs listed above plus a couple of other bulbs that "apparently" had failed!
I felt ripped off and will never darken that doorstep again.
If Andy were elsewhere I'd use him, however, I now use an alternative independent in Blandford Forum who was also a Westover Sportscars technician - albeit more on the Ferrari side.
I hope that helps.
Are we referring to the same business, as there is a Jaguar indie at the bottom of the Verwood road? Dorset Sports cars is at Three Cross.
It's my intent to ensure that no work is done on the car without my prior clearance. I'm aware with any prestige garage that if there is the slightest
minor niggle that they will fix it and whack you with a stupid bill.
I primarily just want this lot to keep the major mechanics in good order & I can sort the rest.
Mike
It's my intent to ensure that no work is done on the car without my prior clearance. I'm aware with any prestige garage that if there is the slightest
minor niggle that they will fix it and whack you with a stupid bill.
I primarily just want this lot to keep the major mechanics in good order & I can sort the rest.
Mike
Tacchino said:
I've had some experience of Dorset Jaguars.
Andy is the "mutts nuts", his knowledge seems pretty damned good from my experience and a thoroughly nice guy.
However, I will never visit that business again!
My car had a replacement alternator fitted. Subsequently, the cars lights flickered when running - and that's every light in the car. Following further discussion it was decided the problem was going to be an earth at the back end of the car and nothing related to the alternator replacement.
The car was run by myself to put a few miles under its belt before Dorset Jags were going to service and rectify any identified problems (it was a recent purchase).
In the meantime the cars windows decided to fail and the indicators packed up!
Booked into Dorset Jags for repair. On collection I was told by Andy that the problems were as follows :-
- broken wire within the door loom - locate and repair
- flasher relay popped out
The alternator was also looked at during this visit and found to be faulty - this was replaced with no charge for parts and labour.
Final bill - over £1,000 - for the repairs listed above plus a couple of other bulbs that "apparently" had failed!
I felt ripped off and will never darken that doorstep again.
If Andy were elsewhere I'd use him, however, I now use an alternative independent in Blandford Forum who was also a Westover Sportscars technician - albeit more on the Ferrari side.
I hope that helps.
That is not dissimilar to my experience!Andy is the "mutts nuts", his knowledge seems pretty damned good from my experience and a thoroughly nice guy.
However, I will never visit that business again!
My car had a replacement alternator fitted. Subsequently, the cars lights flickered when running - and that's every light in the car. Following further discussion it was decided the problem was going to be an earth at the back end of the car and nothing related to the alternator replacement.
The car was run by myself to put a few miles under its belt before Dorset Jags were going to service and rectify any identified problems (it was a recent purchase).
In the meantime the cars windows decided to fail and the indicators packed up!
Booked into Dorset Jags for repair. On collection I was told by Andy that the problems were as follows :-
- broken wire within the door loom - locate and repair
- flasher relay popped out
The alternator was also looked at during this visit and found to be faulty - this was replaced with no charge for parts and labour.
Final bill - over £1,000 - for the repairs listed above plus a couple of other bulbs that "apparently" had failed!
I felt ripped off and will never darken that doorstep again.
If Andy were elsewhere I'd use him, however, I now use an alternative independent in Blandford Forum who was also a Westover Sportscars technician - albeit more on the Ferrari side.
I hope that helps.
Ok this is starting to sound like a warning bell.
Can you recommend anyone else locally, as I'd really rather not have to drive all that far, as I then have the hassle of getting home?
Happy to go as far as Southampton in an easterly direction or Dorchester in a Westerly direction, and both are on mainline train stations, so easy to get to/from.
Mike
Can you recommend anyone else locally, as I'd really rather not have to drive all that far, as I then have the hassle of getting home?
Happy to go as far as Southampton in an easterly direction or Dorchester in a Westerly direction, and both are on mainline train stations, so easy to get to/from.
Mike
I'm now using Red Mist in Blandford.
Nigel's only a one man band but again he's ex-Nigel Mansell / Westover Sports Cars.
His workshop, when I visited, had a lovely Ferrari Dino and Aston Martin lurking around so some others must trust him.
So far he's only done tappets and replacement starter motor but nothing negative regarding that.
I only went there following a post on Pistonheads recommending him.
Regarding Dorset Jags, as long as you agree the price with a no-extras clause there's no reason not to use them.
The work Andy did was excellent - for me it was the rest of the outfit!
Nigel's only a one man band but again he's ex-Nigel Mansell / Westover Sports Cars.
His workshop, when I visited, had a lovely Ferrari Dino and Aston Martin lurking around so some others must trust him.
So far he's only done tappets and replacement starter motor but nothing negative regarding that.
I only went there following a post on Pistonheads recommending him.
Regarding Dorset Jags, as long as you agree the price with a no-extras clause there's no reason not to use them.
The work Andy did was excellent - for me it was the rest of the outfit!
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