Ready to graduate ?

[plum man]

My hunger for a TVR is growing and have been reading this site for a 'feel' for the reliability thing. Over the days one thing seems to stand out and that is that the probs are certainly more than other cars, but they ususally have a simple cure. The same old story for clutch, suspension bushes etc has to put down to the huge torque that needs to be put down and I think is something you have expect. The other stuff seems to be similar to any other car and no more complex to sort, ie. sensors failing, basic elecs. Seeing some of the servicing costs I am shocked at how much dealers are charging to repair items, eg changing pads/discs is no more complex than any other car and from its build up I reckon its easier to get to things as its not put togther by robots.

Bottom line to me seems to be if you can do the DIY bit and get help from sites like this ( which is excellent ) then its a everyday go-er.

Is this fair, I don't see to many people doing their own services

PS The graduate thing is because I have an MGF which has the same bad reliab press, but from my servicing its been fine and its sooooo easy again thanks to a good MG BBS. Had the rear wheel drive/open top experience for 6 yrs except now I am ready for the bulldog, if its a liveable car ??

Is this a good summary and is it time ?

[big_treacle]

That sounds like a pretty fair summary. I would say get one If you like it, great. If not you can always sell it (but I doubt you will!).
I've had a couple of problems with mine - alternator wore out & currently I need a new starter motor - but thats over 18 months (and 30K miles!!! - I like driving it!) along with the usual servicing & tyre costs. It can cost a fair bit to get things fixed, but so long as you go into it with your eyes open & a sympathetic bank account its all good.

[shpub]

plum man said:

Is this fair, I don't see to many people doing their own services

No as I think you have simplified things too much. Yes sensors do go wrong but you can spends many hundreds if not thousands chasing down a problem that a pro with the right diagnostic kit can sort in an a few minutes/hour. A simple problem could have 50 possible causes. Are you going to trial and error through all of them? There are times when it is easier and cheaper to call in the cavalry.

The servicing takes a day. Don't underestimate how much work is involved. If you think it can be done in less time it is not being done correctly. It involves a lot more than change the oil and plugs and look for drips. Again most people don't do it as they either don't have the experience/time and rely on a dealer or good specilaist.

Another reason is that many cars that are DIY serviced are basically in a very bad state. Usually happens because the owner can't afford to look after the car and takes shortcuts. The car will quickly degrade very quickly and without a good full service history, the car will be difficult to sell/loose value. Doesn't mean that there are not guys out there who are quite capable and do an excellent job as there are, but in my experience, they are the exception. Most owners thus get the cars serviced and do some fettling themselves as a compromise.

The cars are not straightforward to be honest. Assume nothing and check everything is defintely the motto. Parts and build will and do vary from car to car. Many of the parts are TVR specific and/or modified so don't assume you can get everything from other manufacturers as again that is not true. Yes for some bits but equally don't rely on it. Using LandRover cooling parts can lead to overheating and reliability problems quicker than most things.

You will probably need to get a copy of the bible so that you know what you are letting yourself in for as there are no other technical manuals or Haynes books or anything like that available. It has the service schedules and gives a good insight on how these cars are put together. www.tvrbooks.co.uk

Yes you can DIY but it all depends on level of skill and time you want to invest. It can be done but be aware it is not simple change the oil/plugs every few months. Do that and the car will quickly become unreliable and the TVR experience a millstone round your neck.


Steve

>> Edited by shpub on Friday 20th August 20:07

[kenny320]

Hi plum man, i too am about to take the plunge and acquire my friend's chim. It had been bought at the cheaper end of the scale and is a fairly early model, but has been relatively trouble free (except for the oil gauge).

Whatever your worries trust me, it will be worth the occasional fiddling with the car. I took it out for a run tonight and after it feeling very strange in town it became a euphoric experience on the open road. I'm now sitting on my sofa in a state of total serenity. I just cant wait to get my hands on it for good.

[Ribol]

plum man said:

Is this a good summary?

I have worked on all sorts of cars over the years and would say that a Chimaera would be fairly high up on the list of cars that is a pain in the @rse to work on. A simple job like changing a bulb on most cars can turn into a saga, even taking a door panel off can easily make you into a blood donor! The electrics are probably no worse than many other cars, other than the fact that you cannot get to anything easily.
If you are used to working on any car it gets easier for obvious reasons, this is where the independents score. I think the high servicing costs at main dealers is down to three things, firstly they have large overheads and low car sales, secondly servicing is very labour intensive compared to other cars and lastly because they can get away with it.
The mistake a lot of people make is thinking a TVR will be a cheap car to run. They may be cheap to buy but are certainly not cheap to run properly. These same people cut corners and you can only feel for the poor sod who owns that car next. For my two bobs worth I would suggest you buy the latest model you can afford as they tend to be put together better. Equally if not more important, buy one that is up to scratch, it is cheaper to pay more for a good one than put right a dog. If you do not have sufficient knowledge yourself, pay a main dealer to check your purchase, it is not as expensive as you may think. Walk away from any car that is not right no matter how long you have been looking for one and how sunny a day it is.

A good TVR is like no other car and that is why you should buy one. Sadly a bad TVR is also like no other car.

plum man said:

Is it time ?

You tell me?

Ivan