Thoughts on Tuscan ownership
Discussion
Hi all,
I thought the time has come to introduce myself to the forum. I have to admit that, for the last 14 months or so, I have used this site as a parasite. All I know about the Tuscan- even before actually owning one-, I learned from you guys here
; however, I never got to share my experience with anyone.
My thoughts behind doing so was that I first wanted to see what Tuscan ownership means in "real life", before stating posting comments or hassle members with questions like "how do I open the bloody door?".
Today, exactly 1 year ago, I became the proud (and terrified!) owner of a late 2000 Mk1 4.0L and feel that now, after some 7000 miles, I'd might as well contribute a bit and tell you my experience with this fantastic British car.
It is a story of war, hope, despair, naked terror and true love.
It goes like this:
On the 4 March 2011, the previous owner- a work colleague- handed the car keys over to me, after I had spent a very long, sleepless night. I would finally own a British sports car and I was exited and terrified at the same time. Having read all the horror stories of unpredictable handling, raw power combined with the absolute absence of ANY safety features (except safety belts), engines requiring a re-build directly after they have just been built and other quality issues, I was not sure if my decision was not "idiotic", to say it diplomatically.
On the other hand, the price I had paid for the car was very low indeed; in fact, I probably would have never seriously considered a Tuscan, if it wouldn't be for the ridiculously low price. Don't get me wrong- I loved the looks and the brute noise the car produced when my colleague turned up at work. But being German and having mostly driven cars proceeding from there, as well, buying a British car seemed somehow "unpatriotic". And - no, my grandfather has NOT been shot down in flames over the channel
Anyway, just £10.000,- for a Tuscan with an engine rebuild and 26k miles on the clock seemed absurdly low for a performance car. The paint was a bit chipped and the interior had signs of wear, but then again the same was the case with my ex- wife, so I thought "It's now or never".
No time wasted, the Tusc tried to kill me straight away.
On the way home, once warmed up and after a short prayer, I've put all my bravery together and selected "full ahead". The "selector", though, simply decided to stay in that position. When lifting my right foot and trying to pushing the clutch pedal with the other, the b*****d just kept revving into the red zone till the limiter cut in. I repeatedly stumped on the accelerator- PANIC!!!! MAMA!!!!-, trying to release the bloody thing. To no avail. The Speed Six revving at its absolute limits, car still accelerating and producing some incredible noise levels, with the red shift light flashing S.O.S., at the same time was... utterly terrifying. I could not see anything out of the rear mirror, the cloud of smoke was of volcanic proportions. After a few seconds, which to me seemed like bloody ages, I actually calmed down a bit and realised that it soon would be over anyway- the engine wouldn't take that sort of battering for an extended period; it was the very first time in my life I was calmed by the thought of knowing that my engine would explode within a few seconds. I was doing well over 100mph by then.
Oh, it then occurred to me that turning the ignition key one click back could not only save my life, but possibly my wallet, as well.
Now THAT did the trick. Coming to a standstill at the hard shoulder, it took me quite a while till my hands' shaking calmed down enough to be able to lit a cigarette. The cigarette tasted fantastic and, to be honest, I could have done with a triple cognac, as well.
Some 15 minutes later or so, and having pulled the stuck accelerator out using a screw driver, the engine started without any indications of suddenly having doubled the amount of connecting rods, piston holes in the bonnet and I was able to get home (using max. 2% throttle way, though).
It was then when I realised that Germany actually never stood the slightest chance against Britain during WWII. If these Brits were crazy enough to build and legally drive that sort of absolutely sick cars on their roads, how on earth could we Germans be naive enough to believe we were the ones with the biggest balls of all?
OK, after the cognac contributed to me seeing things clearer, I decided to sort out the most important bits, first, before going out again and repeat the taste of near- death- experience.
Not being sure the engine was entirely happy with me "giving it some" the day before, I went for a full 12k service, first. To my disbelief, it was still sound and fine.
So here goes the first myth about how "unreliable" the Speed Six engine is: having been gotten the nuts revved off completely for a minute or so, the only thing that (almost) failed, was my bladder.
The reason for the stuck accelerator turned out to be the lack of use by the previous owner; the car has merely covered 2000 miles during the last 2 years. A bit of WD40 solved the problem and I am happy to report I am still alive.
I read about the 3mm front wheel spacers to try and improve handling (we'll come to that later); they went in during the service. Far from being a historical improvement, they still made the Tusc a bit less nervous, although tendency to tram- line still remained unchanged. From my experience, I would rather classify it as a good placebo effect worth 30 quid. I read all the treads (yes, all!) about the correct geometry, offset, etc, but in my own humble opinion, the improvement is not great. It is there, you can't deny it, but it is far from representing a dramatic change.
Aaah, the handling.
Long story short- it is indeed very different from all other cars I have driven in the past. Not that I have driven a lot or have any experience with hard- core sports cars. I know nothing of that.
But I know my Tusc. She still has the original suspension, which, being almost 12 years old, certainly has seen better days... and so have I.
I would never, ever dare to drive with only one hand at the steering wheel. I would rather consider participating in some high- risk activities such as naked- ice- hockey playing, but driving MY Tusc with one hand would be suicidal. And that at low speeds. At higher speeds, the front gets ridiculously light (I have no rear spoiler or front splitter fitted). At 100, concentration is required. Fear settles in at about 130 and remains there, till it is wiped out by absolute horror at 150 and above. By no means whatsoever do I ever get the impression that the car is somehow planted; doing 150+ at the Autobahn, I simply feel I am not controlling that car any longer; it is the opposite of confidence- inspiring.
The Tusc is very quick from 0- 60; other cars have tried to compete in this discipline and failed miserably. But it is a pity: wait and the same car will pass you in a relaxed manner at speeds above 150, when I am so stressed that the only reasonable thing left to do is to let go of the throttle, unless you have a strong death wish.
Again, a lot of treads here on that matter. Having spent a few months of my life reading through the forum, it seems that the general consensus focusses on getting the bump steer right, exchanging shocks for a set of Nitrons and get a decent geometry set up.
Last weekend, the Tusc decided he'd have another go to get me 10 feet under.
Having fitted a new set of 19" Jade R, along with some slightly wider F235/35/19 and R265/30/19 Vredestein Sessantas, I thought the ride comfort and handling would improve. The aesthetics certainly did IMHO; the comfort did, as well, although I am not sure if latter is not just down to the tyre change.
On that matter, I am positively surprised: only now am I able to see what a rubbish tyres the GY F1s (V- thread) actually were. The Vredenstin's grip is just phenomenal after a few 100 miles and completely outperform the old GYs. In all fairness, it must be said that possibly, the F1s were not that bad when they were fitted, but after many years on the car (thread was still 5- 6mm when I got the car!), their capability of adhering to the tarmac became close to non-existing.
Thinking cool- looking wheels and new tyres did the trick, I accelerated in a straight line on the motorway. At about 110mph (a tit in a X type Jag decided he needed to pull up behind me while I was overtaking, constantly closing the 3 mm gap between our cars), the Tusc decided to add lateral, dynamic acceleration to that. And I mean "dynamic".
"Tramlining" does not make justice to the term itself, neither the experience. The Tusc abruptly hammered some 2 m to the left, without ANY advance warning whatsoever. A tram would simply flip over, so the term should actually be "tramflipping".
I do not want to imagine what might have happened if there would have been a car next to me. I found it difficult to stabilise the Tusc, in particular when the car's front is pointing some 40 degrees to the left and then to the right in the same angle within a fraction of a second, before repeating it again (although at a slightly less sharp angle).
My missus, sitting next to me, is well- educated. I was very surprised to learn that the expressions she used REALLY existed in her vocabulary.
OK, so within 2- 3 weeks from now, it's Nitrons and geo set up. Once comfortable with that (hope it ever happens), it's time for the bump steer mod.
I'll share my thoughts on this one, once done.
BTW, I like Jags. I actually think that, money- no- matter provided, I'd run to Eagle Jag and order the Speedster. I just do not necessary like all their drivers- that t**t in particular.
To close the handling chapter, and apart from a few unpleasant moments, I just love the steering of the Tusc; it is so incredibly direct and responsive. I have never experienced anything similar- and I mean that in a positive way. It is absolutely precise and, once a line has been chosen, there is no need for any correction whatsoever, the Tusc will just follow that line (provided surface is dry, flat and the other 25.000 ideal road conditions factors).
So far, my opinion resumed, the Tuscan is a very quick and sometimes a bit twitchy (some here call it nervous) car, which requires attention and concentration. But then again, if I want to avoid all that, I can take a cab.
But the cab ride will never, ever, not by a gigazillion light years, come to be anywhere near the experience of driving a Tuscan.
As a matter of fact, I can really think of very few things that are as rewarding as a drive behind the wheel of a Tuscan (I am not going to risk being banned from the forum for explicit descriptions of these few things).
So far, my Tusc has proven to be extremely reliable, forgiving (to some extent- as you can see, I am still alive!)and a very comfortable car on long journeys.
I do not feel the necessity to comment in extent on the car's looks; I assume we all here agree that only very, very few cars can compete with the Tuscan in the discipline of beauty- and then again these competitors will mostly come from from the same factory.
Never ever have I owned a car, which gets so much- mostly positive- attention; the Tusc is certainly not a car for the shy or introverted. And should I feel the desire to drive about unnoticed, I have the ultimate weapon for that: my Vectra diesel.
Last summer, we drove past the casino in Monaco on our France- Italy- Spain trip; the typical super-cars all neatly lined up in its front row. To be honest, I revved the Tusc a bit more than really necessary when passing by, but until now I still struggle to believe the amount of tourist camera lenses being turned away from cars of the calibre of Bugattis, top- notch Lambos and Alfa 8C Competizione... to get a snap of my 10k car from Blackpool. It felt like being 007 or Clooney or that sort of thing.
A further frequent topic here have been CCC and/ or sleeved cans.
I have sleeved my standard cans; first 50%, then 100%. Not entirely happy with the results, and not being sure the CCCs (or Powertech, to be more precise) would provide the improvement, I hesitated.
The hesitation disappeared when I considered the fact that, for just 200 quid, I either would get the full fun, or just sell them on, making about 50% loss. I ordered them.
Bloody hell, now THAT was a difference! A tail machine gunner on a Flying Fortress would still give me thumbs- up on the overrun. The weight factor is also quite significant, the new cans are just a fraction of the weight compared to the original cans.
IMHO, a must for every Tuscan.
On the way to the return ferry in Spain, and having burned the clutch on the last of the 7 mountain passes in France, as well as having melted the cats (not the furry, feline animals- the cat converters!), the Tusc packed up in Nice. I drove the last 60 km from the mountains down to the cost in 4th gear; no gear change was possible whatsoever. At a busy roundabout in Nice, it was over; RAC recovery vehicle and all that.
The options were hire car (Ford Ka or similar) and the Tusc back to my UK garage. Or hotel in Nice. The local TVR guy in Nice had neither clutch nor aligning tool available. Things didn't look good at all; the long- awaited Tusc holiday seemed over.
In my despair, I called Dom at TVR Power- and hallelujah!-, he knew a garage just 400km from where I was; a place not far from Milan. Now, that guy had the parts and tools available.
On that note: Thanks for saving my holidays, Dom!
So a recovery vehicle at my own expense and Tusc on its way to Milan; we followed next day in the hire car.
Another 2 days later the clutch was in, the molten cats drilled through and we were on or way again. Except for the recovery vehicle expense, I have actually paid about the same for the AP Racing clutch I would have paid at my garage in the UK; so no rip- off whatsoever (I would rather have expected the opposite, but proven very wrong!). Also here, a big thumbs- up to Alessandro from UK Racing in Italy: quick, professional repair and very fair pricing. The gears now went in like if Vaseline were involved; the new clutch literally transformed the Tusc's gear changes.
And it also saved me the embarrassment of being spotted in a yellow Ford Ka Cabrio. Nothing wrong with the Ka; it's just not for me.
Back in the UK, the new cat bypass pipes went in after MOT. Armageddon! Don't get me wrong, I love it!!! But having to leave home early now makes me feel like an anti- social element, as far as my neighbours concerned.
There is no doubt a Tuscan does not need a decent stereo equipment- but it is also not the crime of the century if you wanted one. I have seen a few good treads here and particularly liked the job done by Robertjp.
However, I decided to go down a slightly different route, installing a Focal active sub in the passenger foot well behind the carpet, hard-wiring it to the battery, located conveniently just behind it. The mids were replaced by a set of Focals (in their original location with Dynamat deafening) and tweeters were added to the triangles left/ right of the centre console. An Alpine/ Parrot head unit replaced the original, powering the tweeters and mids. The whole job was done at a audio dealer here in Peterborough, costing just 600 quid all included and installed.
Roof off, windows down, rear screen out (standard Tusc setup, actually!), Powertech cans and full de- cat would usually effectively prevent to listen to music, using the factory stereo.
Needless to say, I am now driving about knowing that, should I wish to listen to anything else than the Speed Six soundtrack, I will be able to do that, no matter what speed. It is sooo much better now.
I agree it is kind of blasphemy, but I have dared to install (removable) harnesses in the Tusc; Nurnburg Ring is calling.
The next job is to get that paintwork sorted; on the list once the new suspension is in. Technically, the Tusc is well sorted now but then again we all know a good job is never finished.
Money- wise, I have so far spent about another 6k on top of the car price in 1 year of ownership; insurance (about 600 quid fully comp), 6 and 12k services and fuel not included.
When the paintwork is done in 1-2 months time, I will be looking at having doubled the initial cost.
And I say it now and here with my hand on my heart: I don't care about that money. Earned, spent. Entirely neglectable, insignificant.
Because I have a Tuscan.
I love that car and I cannot understand how I could sleep sound at night all the years without owning one.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers
Paul
I thought the time has come to introduce myself to the forum. I have to admit that, for the last 14 months or so, I have used this site as a parasite. All I know about the Tuscan- even before actually owning one-, I learned from you guys here
; however, I never got to share my experience with anyone.My thoughts behind doing so was that I first wanted to see what Tuscan ownership means in "real life", before stating posting comments or hassle members with questions like "how do I open the bloody door?".
Today, exactly 1 year ago, I became the proud (and terrified!) owner of a late 2000 Mk1 4.0L and feel that now, after some 7000 miles, I'd might as well contribute a bit and tell you my experience with this fantastic British car.
It is a story of war, hope, despair, naked terror and true love.
It goes like this:
On the 4 March 2011, the previous owner- a work colleague- handed the car keys over to me, after I had spent a very long, sleepless night. I would finally own a British sports car and I was exited and terrified at the same time. Having read all the horror stories of unpredictable handling, raw power combined with the absolute absence of ANY safety features (except safety belts), engines requiring a re-build directly after they have just been built and other quality issues, I was not sure if my decision was not "idiotic", to say it diplomatically.
On the other hand, the price I had paid for the car was very low indeed; in fact, I probably would have never seriously considered a Tuscan, if it wouldn't be for the ridiculously low price. Don't get me wrong- I loved the looks and the brute noise the car produced when my colleague turned up at work. But being German and having mostly driven cars proceeding from there, as well, buying a British car seemed somehow "unpatriotic". And - no, my grandfather has NOT been shot down in flames over the channel
Anyway, just £10.000,- for a Tuscan with an engine rebuild and 26k miles on the clock seemed absurdly low for a performance car. The paint was a bit chipped and the interior had signs of wear, but then again the same was the case with my ex- wife, so I thought "It's now or never".
No time wasted, the Tusc tried to kill me straight away.
On the way home, once warmed up and after a short prayer, I've put all my bravery together and selected "full ahead". The "selector", though, simply decided to stay in that position. When lifting my right foot and trying to pushing the clutch pedal with the other, the b*****d just kept revving into the red zone till the limiter cut in. I repeatedly stumped on the accelerator- PANIC!!!! MAMA!!!!-, trying to release the bloody thing. To no avail. The Speed Six revving at its absolute limits, car still accelerating and producing some incredible noise levels, with the red shift light flashing S.O.S., at the same time was... utterly terrifying. I could not see anything out of the rear mirror, the cloud of smoke was of volcanic proportions. After a few seconds, which to me seemed like bloody ages, I actually calmed down a bit and realised that it soon would be over anyway- the engine wouldn't take that sort of battering for an extended period; it was the very first time in my life I was calmed by the thought of knowing that my engine would explode within a few seconds. I was doing well over 100mph by then.
Oh, it then occurred to me that turning the ignition key one click back could not only save my life, but possibly my wallet, as well.
Now THAT did the trick. Coming to a standstill at the hard shoulder, it took me quite a while till my hands' shaking calmed down enough to be able to lit a cigarette. The cigarette tasted fantastic and, to be honest, I could have done with a triple cognac, as well.
Some 15 minutes later or so, and having pulled the stuck accelerator out using a screw driver, the engine started without any indications of suddenly having doubled the amount of connecting rods, piston holes in the bonnet and I was able to get home (using max. 2% throttle way, though).
It was then when I realised that Germany actually never stood the slightest chance against Britain during WWII. If these Brits were crazy enough to build and legally drive that sort of absolutely sick cars on their roads, how on earth could we Germans be naive enough to believe we were the ones with the biggest balls of all?
OK, after the cognac contributed to me seeing things clearer, I decided to sort out the most important bits, first, before going out again and repeat the taste of near- death- experience.
Not being sure the engine was entirely happy with me "giving it some" the day before, I went for a full 12k service, first. To my disbelief, it was still sound and fine.
So here goes the first myth about how "unreliable" the Speed Six engine is: having been gotten the nuts revved off completely for a minute or so, the only thing that (almost) failed, was my bladder.
The reason for the stuck accelerator turned out to be the lack of use by the previous owner; the car has merely covered 2000 miles during the last 2 years. A bit of WD40 solved the problem and I am happy to report I am still alive.
I read about the 3mm front wheel spacers to try and improve handling (we'll come to that later); they went in during the service. Far from being a historical improvement, they still made the Tusc a bit less nervous, although tendency to tram- line still remained unchanged. From my experience, I would rather classify it as a good placebo effect worth 30 quid. I read all the treads (yes, all!) about the correct geometry, offset, etc, but in my own humble opinion, the improvement is not great. It is there, you can't deny it, but it is far from representing a dramatic change.
Aaah, the handling.
Long story short- it is indeed very different from all other cars I have driven in the past. Not that I have driven a lot or have any experience with hard- core sports cars. I know nothing of that.
But I know my Tusc. She still has the original suspension, which, being almost 12 years old, certainly has seen better days... and so have I.
I would never, ever dare to drive with only one hand at the steering wheel. I would rather consider participating in some high- risk activities such as naked- ice- hockey playing, but driving MY Tusc with one hand would be suicidal. And that at low speeds. At higher speeds, the front gets ridiculously light (I have no rear spoiler or front splitter fitted). At 100, concentration is required. Fear settles in at about 130 and remains there, till it is wiped out by absolute horror at 150 and above. By no means whatsoever do I ever get the impression that the car is somehow planted; doing 150+ at the Autobahn, I simply feel I am not controlling that car any longer; it is the opposite of confidence- inspiring.
The Tusc is very quick from 0- 60; other cars have tried to compete in this discipline and failed miserably. But it is a pity: wait and the same car will pass you in a relaxed manner at speeds above 150, when I am so stressed that the only reasonable thing left to do is to let go of the throttle, unless you have a strong death wish.
Again, a lot of treads here on that matter. Having spent a few months of my life reading through the forum, it seems that the general consensus focusses on getting the bump steer right, exchanging shocks for a set of Nitrons and get a decent geometry set up.
Last weekend, the Tusc decided he'd have another go to get me 10 feet under.
Having fitted a new set of 19" Jade R, along with some slightly wider F235/35/19 and R265/30/19 Vredestein Sessantas, I thought the ride comfort and handling would improve. The aesthetics certainly did IMHO; the comfort did, as well, although I am not sure if latter is not just down to the tyre change.
On that matter, I am positively surprised: only now am I able to see what a rubbish tyres the GY F1s (V- thread) actually were. The Vredenstin's grip is just phenomenal after a few 100 miles and completely outperform the old GYs. In all fairness, it must be said that possibly, the F1s were not that bad when they were fitted, but after many years on the car (thread was still 5- 6mm when I got the car!), their capability of adhering to the tarmac became close to non-existing.
Thinking cool- looking wheels and new tyres did the trick, I accelerated in a straight line on the motorway. At about 110mph (a tit in a X type Jag decided he needed to pull up behind me while I was overtaking, constantly closing the 3 mm gap between our cars), the Tusc decided to add lateral, dynamic acceleration to that. And I mean "dynamic".
"Tramlining" does not make justice to the term itself, neither the experience. The Tusc abruptly hammered some 2 m to the left, without ANY advance warning whatsoever. A tram would simply flip over, so the term should actually be "tramflipping".
I do not want to imagine what might have happened if there would have been a car next to me. I found it difficult to stabilise the Tusc, in particular when the car's front is pointing some 40 degrees to the left and then to the right in the same angle within a fraction of a second, before repeating it again (although at a slightly less sharp angle).
My missus, sitting next to me, is well- educated. I was very surprised to learn that the expressions she used REALLY existed in her vocabulary.
OK, so within 2- 3 weeks from now, it's Nitrons and geo set up. Once comfortable with that (hope it ever happens), it's time for the bump steer mod.
I'll share my thoughts on this one, once done.
BTW, I like Jags. I actually think that, money- no- matter provided, I'd run to Eagle Jag and order the Speedster. I just do not necessary like all their drivers- that t**t in particular.
To close the handling chapter, and apart from a few unpleasant moments, I just love the steering of the Tusc; it is so incredibly direct and responsive. I have never experienced anything similar- and I mean that in a positive way. It is absolutely precise and, once a line has been chosen, there is no need for any correction whatsoever, the Tusc will just follow that line (provided surface is dry, flat and the other 25.000 ideal road conditions factors).
So far, my opinion resumed, the Tuscan is a very quick and sometimes a bit twitchy (some here call it nervous) car, which requires attention and concentration. But then again, if I want to avoid all that, I can take a cab.
But the cab ride will never, ever, not by a gigazillion light years, come to be anywhere near the experience of driving a Tuscan.
As a matter of fact, I can really think of very few things that are as rewarding as a drive behind the wheel of a Tuscan (I am not going to risk being banned from the forum for explicit descriptions of these few things).
So far, my Tusc has proven to be extremely reliable, forgiving (to some extent- as you can see, I am still alive!)and a very comfortable car on long journeys.
I do not feel the necessity to comment in extent on the car's looks; I assume we all here agree that only very, very few cars can compete with the Tuscan in the discipline of beauty- and then again these competitors will mostly come from from the same factory.
Never ever have I owned a car, which gets so much- mostly positive- attention; the Tusc is certainly not a car for the shy or introverted. And should I feel the desire to drive about unnoticed, I have the ultimate weapon for that: my Vectra diesel.
Last summer, we drove past the casino in Monaco on our France- Italy- Spain trip; the typical super-cars all neatly lined up in its front row. To be honest, I revved the Tusc a bit more than really necessary when passing by, but until now I still struggle to believe the amount of tourist camera lenses being turned away from cars of the calibre of Bugattis, top- notch Lambos and Alfa 8C Competizione... to get a snap of my 10k car from Blackpool. It felt like being 007 or Clooney or that sort of thing.
A further frequent topic here have been CCC and/ or sleeved cans.
I have sleeved my standard cans; first 50%, then 100%. Not entirely happy with the results, and not being sure the CCCs (or Powertech, to be more precise) would provide the improvement, I hesitated.
The hesitation disappeared when I considered the fact that, for just 200 quid, I either would get the full fun, or just sell them on, making about 50% loss. I ordered them.
Bloody hell, now THAT was a difference! A tail machine gunner on a Flying Fortress would still give me thumbs- up on the overrun. The weight factor is also quite significant, the new cans are just a fraction of the weight compared to the original cans.
IMHO, a must for every Tuscan.
On the way to the return ferry in Spain, and having burned the clutch on the last of the 7 mountain passes in France, as well as having melted the cats (not the furry, feline animals- the cat converters!), the Tusc packed up in Nice. I drove the last 60 km from the mountains down to the cost in 4th gear; no gear change was possible whatsoever. At a busy roundabout in Nice, it was over; RAC recovery vehicle and all that.
The options were hire car (Ford Ka or similar) and the Tusc back to my UK garage. Or hotel in Nice. The local TVR guy in Nice had neither clutch nor aligning tool available. Things didn't look good at all; the long- awaited Tusc holiday seemed over.
In my despair, I called Dom at TVR Power- and hallelujah!-, he knew a garage just 400km from where I was; a place not far from Milan. Now, that guy had the parts and tools available.
On that note: Thanks for saving my holidays, Dom!
So a recovery vehicle at my own expense and Tusc on its way to Milan; we followed next day in the hire car.
Another 2 days later the clutch was in, the molten cats drilled through and we were on or way again. Except for the recovery vehicle expense, I have actually paid about the same for the AP Racing clutch I would have paid at my garage in the UK; so no rip- off whatsoever (I would rather have expected the opposite, but proven very wrong!). Also here, a big thumbs- up to Alessandro from UK Racing in Italy: quick, professional repair and very fair pricing. The gears now went in like if Vaseline were involved; the new clutch literally transformed the Tusc's gear changes.
And it also saved me the embarrassment of being spotted in a yellow Ford Ka Cabrio. Nothing wrong with the Ka; it's just not for me.
Back in the UK, the new cat bypass pipes went in after MOT. Armageddon! Don't get me wrong, I love it!!! But having to leave home early now makes me feel like an anti- social element, as far as my neighbours concerned.
There is no doubt a Tuscan does not need a decent stereo equipment- but it is also not the crime of the century if you wanted one. I have seen a few good treads here and particularly liked the job done by Robertjp.
However, I decided to go down a slightly different route, installing a Focal active sub in the passenger foot well behind the carpet, hard-wiring it to the battery, located conveniently just behind it. The mids were replaced by a set of Focals (in their original location with Dynamat deafening) and tweeters were added to the triangles left/ right of the centre console. An Alpine/ Parrot head unit replaced the original, powering the tweeters and mids. The whole job was done at a audio dealer here in Peterborough, costing just 600 quid all included and installed.
Roof off, windows down, rear screen out (standard Tusc setup, actually!), Powertech cans and full de- cat would usually effectively prevent to listen to music, using the factory stereo.
Needless to say, I am now driving about knowing that, should I wish to listen to anything else than the Speed Six soundtrack, I will be able to do that, no matter what speed. It is sooo much better now.
I agree it is kind of blasphemy, but I have dared to install (removable) harnesses in the Tusc; Nurnburg Ring is calling.
The next job is to get that paintwork sorted; on the list once the new suspension is in. Technically, the Tusc is well sorted now but then again we all know a good job is never finished.
Money- wise, I have so far spent about another 6k on top of the car price in 1 year of ownership; insurance (about 600 quid fully comp), 6 and 12k services and fuel not included.
When the paintwork is done in 1-2 months time, I will be looking at having doubled the initial cost.
And I say it now and here with my hand on my heart: I don't care about that money. Earned, spent. Entirely neglectable, insignificant.
Because I have a Tuscan.
I love that car and I cannot understand how I could sleep sound at night all the years without owning one.
Thanks for reading.
Cheers
Paul
Thanks for that
Here's the Italian link, should the unthinkable happen: http://www.radicalitaly.co.uk/contact/contact-deta...
Here's the Italian link, should the unthinkable happen: http://www.radicalitaly.co.uk/contact/contact-deta...
Sir, your wish is my command:
a) Happy times
:
b) Followed by less happy times
:
c) Followed by happy times again- just in case traffic jam falls into the "happiness" criteria
:
(Thanks for the tread, James):
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
a) Happy times
:b) Followed by less happy times
:c) Followed by happy times again- just in case traffic jam falls into the "happiness" criteria
:(Thanks for the tread, James):
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Hi Paul,
Great read.
Car looks great. even on the recovery truck.
I'm also thinking of Italy this year so thanks for the link.
My new shocks and geo set up along with new alloys on my Mk1 resulted in a realy big improvement.
No tram lining etc and much more confident high speed ride on the Autobahn.
My Mk2 is still not as good but had front splitter fitted along with geo set up and its geting better.
PS throttle is sticking on my Mk2 at the moment
Great read.
Car looks great. even on the recovery truck.
I'm also thinking of Italy this year so thanks for the link.
My new shocks and geo set up along with new alloys on my Mk1 resulted in a realy big improvement.
No tram lining etc and much more confident high speed ride on the Autobahn.
My Mk2 is still not as good but had front splitter fitted along with geo set up and its geting better.
PS throttle is sticking on my Mk2 at the moment
Paul/Tony: Yes a great read and your both have Germamy ties...Do you think the boys in Blackpool who built your Tuscans might have been holding a grudge for 60 some years.Tony in your case, I would think LIFTING your foot up alittle more often would help what you think MIGHT BE a sticking throttle. And if your Mk2 isn't getting enough use,..............
I could find room in my driveway to store it. ( I could also find the time to drive a forth TVR if you twist my arm and you know I would take good care of it when you are not here in Calgary.
So tell your company to sharpen their pencil and start selling LRT cars to Calgary again. The kids miss you.......
I could find room in my driveway to store it. ( I could also find the time to drive a forth TVR if you twist my arm and you know I would take good care of it when you are not here in Calgary.
So tell your company to sharpen their pencil and start selling LRT cars to Calgary again. The kids miss you.......
so called said:
Hi Paul,Great read.
Car looks great. even on the recovery truck.
I'm also thinking of Italy this year so thanks for the link.
My new shocks and geo set up along with new alloys on my Mk1 resulted in a realy big improvement.
No tram lining etc and much more confident high speed ride on the Autobahn.
My Mk2 is still not as good but had front splitter fitted along with geo set up and its geting better.
PS throttle is sticking on my Mk2 at the moment
Car looks great. even on the recovery truck.
I'm also thinking of Italy this year so thanks for the link.
My new shocks and geo set up along with new alloys on my Mk1 resulted in a realy big improvement.
No tram lining etc and much more confident high speed ride on the Autobahn.
My Mk2 is still not as good but had front splitter fitted along with geo set up and its geting better.
PS throttle is sticking on my Mk2 at the moment
Edited by V8TVR1978 on Monday 5th March 00:14
V8TVR1978 said:
Paul/Tony: Yes a great read and your both have Germamy ties...Do you think the boys in Blackpool who built your Tuscans might have been holding a grudge for 60 some years.Tony in your case, I would think LIFTING your foot up alittle more often would help what you think MIGHT BE a sticking throttle. And if your Mk2 isn't getting enough use,..............
I could find room in my driveway to store it. ( I could also find the time to drive a forth TVR if you twist my arm and you know I would take good care of it when you are not here in Calgary.
So tell your company to sharpen their pencil and start selling LRT cars to Calgary again. The kids miss you.......
Dont want to steal thread so quickly to say,I could find room in my driveway to store it. ( I could also find the time to drive a forth TVR if you twist my arm and you know I would take good care of it when you are not here in Calgary.
So tell your company to sharpen their pencil and start selling LRT cars to Calgary again. The kids miss you.......
so called said:
Hi Paul,Great read.
Car looks great. even on the recovery truck.
I'm also thinking of Italy this year so thanks for the link.
My new shocks and geo set up along with new alloys on my Mk1 resulted in a realy big improvement.
No tram lining etc and much more confident high speed ride on the Autobahn.
My Mk2 is still not as good but had front splitter fitted along with geo set up and its geting better.
PS throttle is sticking on my Mk2 at the moment
Car looks great. even on the recovery truck.
I'm also thinking of Italy this year so thanks for the link.
My new shocks and geo set up along with new alloys on my Mk1 resulted in a realy big improvement.
No tram lining etc and much more confident high speed ride on the Autobahn.
My Mk2 is still not as good but had front splitter fitted along with geo set up and its geting better.
PS throttle is sticking on my Mk2 at the moment
Edited by V8TVR1978 on Monday 5th March 00:14
Hi Wayne, chasing Calgary project right now so hope to up this year.
Tis the throttle and not my heavy foot but thanks for the tip.
Just bought a Chimaera as well but you cat have that either, sorry.
All the best to you, Sherry and the girls.
Great write up, you certainly lurked in the background for a while!!
Can looks great, i think your handling issues are something quite a few have been trying to get to grips with. Mine is much better after new shocks, spacers, geo set-up and the right size tyres. It was scary above 100mph previously, now its that comfortable i have taken her to 130 one handed before on a nice open stretch ... of private runway.
Thanks for the comments on the stereo system. I have spent quite a bit of time on it and pretty happy now. I did actually consider buying mk2 door cards and then bringing the mid speakers to the front of the car and then installing a dedicated sub....but for the monumental effort for very little benefit...im happy the way it is!
Hope you keep enjoying
By the way, at my service recently Str8 six discovered my throttle had the potential to stick open at full throttle
Turned out the m10 nuts that hold the spindles into the throttle bodies had come a little loose. When Mark checked the full throttle they did in fact stick open....it was just luck they hadnt done so whilst driving!!! I never checked them when i bought then from racing green (they are roller bearing modified bodies)....pretty big lesson! The potential for danger is huge!!
Can looks great, i think your handling issues are something quite a few have been trying to get to grips with. Mine is much better after new shocks, spacers, geo set-up and the right size tyres. It was scary above 100mph previously, now its that comfortable i have taken her to 130 one handed before on a nice open stretch ... of private runway.
Thanks for the comments on the stereo system. I have spent quite a bit of time on it and pretty happy now. I did actually consider buying mk2 door cards and then bringing the mid speakers to the front of the car and then installing a dedicated sub....but for the monumental effort for very little benefit...im happy the way it is!
Hope you keep enjoying
By the way, at my service recently Str8 six discovered my throttle had the potential to stick open at full throttle
Turned out the m10 nuts that hold the spindles into the throttle bodies had come a little loose. When Mark checked the full throttle they did in fact stick open....it was just luck they hadnt done so whilst driving!!! I never checked them when i bought then from racing green (they are roller bearing modified bodies)....pretty big lesson! The potential for danger is huge!!Edited by Robertjp on Monday 5th March 12:16
.[quote=900T-R]Great story, really enjoyed it.
One thing though - with what you found about the handling, especially its tendency to tramline and general twitchiness, you went out and got bigger wheels with even lower profile tyres?
Good point there, Eric.
The approach that would seem to promise the possibly best results would actually consist in putting the 16" wheels (back) on and just replace the old dampers/ spring combo, as well as correcting/ adjusting the geo. But that would be "playing too safe"? Besides- and with all the due respect for the truly old- school- looks such a change would result in-, IMHO, there should actually be a way in achieving a reasonably decent handling, without the need to compromise the aesthetics. I unconditionally agree that putting wider tyres on rather contributes to making tramlining worse; adding 20mm extra width to the front track will hardly improve things.
Could that be reduced to 14mm, if the front spacers are removed- AND the bump steer corrected (Sag style/ Str8Six mod) tread (or, in my case, actually "over- corrected"?
I am still on the original suspension; the Nitrons should further allow to correct the ride height down correspondingly?
Any experience- anyone tried that on 19"? Any comments welcome- pls!
One thing though - with what you found about the handling, especially its tendency to tramline and general twitchiness, you went out and got bigger wheels with even lower profile tyres?
Good point there, Eric.
The approach that would seem to promise the possibly best results would actually consist in putting the 16" wheels (back) on and just replace the old dampers/ spring combo, as well as correcting/ adjusting the geo. But that would be "playing too safe"? Besides- and with all the due respect for the truly old- school- looks such a change would result in-, IMHO, there should actually be a way in achieving a reasonably decent handling, without the need to compromise the aesthetics. I unconditionally agree that putting wider tyres on rather contributes to making tramlining worse; adding 20mm extra width to the front track will hardly improve things.
Could that be reduced to 14mm, if the front spacers are removed- AND the bump steer corrected (Sag style/ Str8Six mod) tread (or, in my case, actually "over- corrected"?
I am still on the original suspension; the Nitrons should further allow to correct the ride height down correspondingly?
Any experience- anyone tried that on 19"? Any comments welcome- pls!
so called said:
Hi Paul,
Great read.
Car looks great. even on the recovery truck.
I'm also thinking of Italy this year so thanks for the link.
My new shocks and geo set up along with new alloys on my Mk1 resulted in a realy big improvement.
No tram lining etc and much more confident high speed ride on the Autobahn.
My Mk2 is still not as good but had front splitter fitted along with geo set up and its geting better.
PS throttle is sticking on my Mk2 at the moment
Hi Tony,Great read.
Car looks great. even on the recovery truck.
I'm also thinking of Italy this year so thanks for the link.
My new shocks and geo set up along with new alloys on my Mk1 resulted in a realy big improvement.
No tram lining etc and much more confident high speed ride on the Autobahn.
My Mk2 is still not as good but had front splitter fitted along with geo set up and its geting better.
PS throttle is sticking on my Mk2 at the moment
Thanks! But the recovery truck looks sooooooooo much better without my Tusc on top of it
I cannot remember having seen you commenting on bump steer mod (rather: having done it), so assume you have not done it? Understand front splitter/ rear (small) "S" spoiler a must for Autobahn- correct?
If yes, I'd rather prefer to wait; adding too many ingredients at a time would complicate it. Once Nitrons are in, I guess I wait and see how comfortable I am with the results at moderate speeds. Autobahn would be the next step... but fitting splitters/ spoilers is a thing I would go for if there is really, really no other way around it.
Is there, aesthetics- wise???? Something like improving the wife's/ girlfriends/ behaviour, without fitting her with a pair of fake breasts?
Again, nothing wrong with Silicon Valley, but it's not for me... on my Tusc
Gassing Station | Tuscan | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff