Tempted to buy this

[gog440]

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

Ok it is only a 280i (and in an ideal world I would have a v8) but I keep looking at this in the classifieds and it looks in good nick, has a plastic coated chassis etc.
Is the price about right?
Does anyone know the car/history etc?
It is about 140miles from me so I dont want to take a trip up there if it would be a waste of time.


Thanks

[Wedg1e]

A bit of movement on the price and it looks like a nice buy. However the wedge chassis weren't 'all plastic coated from new' so I'd still want a good rummage in the dark recesses underneath.

I see you're a radiographer; is that industrial or medical? We could be in the same field

[superwedge]

v8 is the way too go,

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Mate..From the outset it looks a farily decent car and at a reasonable price..As said still check the chassis as they were costly to plastic coat and it wasnt continued for very long..If it has then the plastic coated chassis is an advantage even if some of it has chipped off as it is generally covered in oil..The cologne can be an oily engine as i have discovered..Slight weeping from the rocker covers is not un-common or from the rear of the inlet manifold which will be visible on the top of the bell housing..I call it self waxoyl..I can see a choke cable under the dash which is a bit confusing as the car has a cold start system..Saying that though it could be playing up and thats why it was fitted?..There are some minor interior faults like the patch repair on the N/S centre console and what looks like a crack in the glovebox veneer or lacquer..But then you want some things to do on it.. ..I think the price reflects that as a really nicely sorted FHC will cost a couple of gee's more..Then you are into V8 money..Its a hard call to make but it might be worth a look..Good luck...Ziga

[RustyNailer]

There is a nice looking 350 on gumtr33 for good money.

Rob

[mrzigazaga]

RustyNailer said:

There is a nice looking 350 on gumtr33 for good money.

Rob

That is a cheap wedge..Dont look too bad neither..Could be worth paying the ferryman....Ziga

[maston]

I'm biased as I have a v8 (390) but I would go for a v8 if it was me

Ian

[Flares&Chestwig]

Thats a strangely worded advert from HHC..... The paint looks really heavy...what does ex Blackpool mean, thought they were all ex Blackpool ?

[Trickie Dickie]

The only thing I would add is that Hexham have a good reputation

Trickie

[RustyNailer]

HHC do have an excellent rep as Trickie says, so may well be worth a look. Cosmetically it does not look the best but I should imagine Tony has had his excellent technicians give it a good going over mechanically.

Rob

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Mate..just had a thought..You are based in yorkshire so you could give these guys a ring as when i was at this years BNG i was chatting with steve of SD Autotec..He was a really pleasant fellow and at the BNG were two 280i for sale one was a DHC and the other a FHC, They were both in very good condition and had been restored..I have a pic of the FHC..Cheers..Ziga
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=s...

FHC


Its even had katey's foot on the wheel..

Edited by mrzigazaga on Monday 29th October 18:59

[gog440]

Wedg1e said:

A bit of movement on the price and it looks like a nice buy. However the wedge chassis weren't 'all plastic coated from new' so I'd still want a good rummage in the dark recesses underneath.

I see you're a radiographer; is that industrial or medical? We could be in the same field

Medical

I dont use those nasty rays these days though, I prefer to use big magnets

HHC have a decent rep dont they?

I am very tempted to have a trip up there at the weekend for a look, hopefully they will put it on the ramp for me to have a look underneath.

[gog440]

I thought the blackpool car bit meant that it was supplied direct from the factory rather than via a dealer, have I got that right?

I do really want a v8 but that car is the right price, it is at a dealer so I can hopefully trade a car that I dont need/want in against it rather than have to bugger about to sell it privately. Also the difference in power isnt that big and they still make a good noise.
I was also hoping that if it had the plastic coated chassis it would mean that I would be safe with regard to chassis outriggers etc. The engine and other bits are relatively easy to sort (I have a good mate who is a mechanic), its the body/chassis that would be a pain.
I had noticed the cracked veneer but I know people in here have bought new veneers.
I do have to keep my sensible head on, I cant afford to be spending fortunes on restoring/repairing a car, I want something that i can use regularly ( as opposed to sit on my garage for 5 yrs like my escort has)

[gog440]

Wow, just called in to HHC today on my way back from Edinburgh and see my thread on this car is from last october!

Had a bit of a nosy around it and a sit in it, there is a small crack in the front bumper, and it looks as though the drivers door needs adjusting (didnt seem to shut very well or is that a case of they all do that sir?)
The car is on a Y plate, and has the coated chassis which (according to the salesman) is in very good nick,certainly the bits I could see looked in good nick and were still coated in pristine looking grey stuff.
There is a crack in the veneer on the glovebox, but otherwise the interior doesnt look bad for a 30 yr old car.

[mrzigazaga]

gog440 said:

Wow, just called in to HHC today on my way back from Edinburgh and see my thread on this car is from last october!

Had a bit of a nosy around it and a sit in it, there is a small crack in the front bumper, and it looks as though the drivers door needs adjusting (didnt seem to shut very well or is that a case of they all do that sir?)
The car is on a Y plate, and has the coated chassis which (according to the salesman) is in very good nick,certainly the bits I could see looked in good nick and were still coated in pristine looking grey stuff.
There is a crack in the veneer on the glovebox, but otherwise the interior doesnt look bad for a 30 yr old car.

Hi Mate..Perhaps they might drop the price a little as its been sat about for a while?...As far as the faults..Well i dont think there is such a thing as a well sorted wedge..Let alone a TVR..They are enthusiast's cars and will always need something doing to them..Mine has been a rolling restoration since i bought it 2.5 years ago, Its my everyday car and has got me about for the last 2 years with a few issues..There are cracks on all of them..Normally around the edges of the light pod housings..Bonnet where the struts fix to..Body where the strut fixings are..Spoiler and bumpers have them as well..As regards to the door it may just need adjustment or the nylon bush may have worn..Mine is the same..If you can get it under 3K with a trade in then its a bargain...Ziga

[gog440]

mrzigazaga said:

Hi Mate..Perhaps they might drop the price a little as its been sat about for a while?...As far as the faults..Well i dont think there is such a thing as a well sorted wedge..Let alone a TVR..They are enthusiast's cars and will always need something doing to them..Mine has been a rolling restoration since i bought it 2.5 years ago, Its my everyday car and has got me about for the last 2 years with a few issues..There are cracks on all of them..Normally around the edges of the light pod housings..Bonnet where the struts fix to..Body where the strut fixings are..Spoiler and bumpers have them as well..As regards to the door it may just need adjustment or the nylon bush may have worn..Mine is the same..If you can get it under 3K with a trade in then its a bargain...Ziga

There dont appear to be any cracks round the light pods, I didnt look in the boot but apart from the crack in the bumper I didnt notice any other crazing/cracks, but a better look might find them, I was a bit conscious of wasting his time when I need to clear the drive/garage before I buy another car.

I am half tempted to make a cheeky bid and see what he says....

[TA14]

gog440 said:

I thought the blackpool car bit meant that it was supplied direct from the factory rather than via a dealer, have I got that right?

I do really want a v8 but that car is the right price, it is at a dealer so I can hopefully trade a car that I dont need/want in against it rather than have to bugger about to sell it privately. Also the difference in power isnt that big and they still make a good noise.
I was also hoping that if it had the plastic coated chassis it would mean that I would be safe with regard to chassis outriggers etc. The engine and other bits are relatively easy to sort (I have a good mate who is a mechanic), its the body/chassis that would be a pain.
I had noticed the cracked veneer but I know people in here have bought new veneers.
I do have to keep my sensible head on, I cant afford to be spending fortunes on restoring/repairing a car, I want something that i can use regularly ( as opposed to sit on my garage for 5 yrs like my escort has)

The factory were also a dealer. (Hourly charges were a lot less than the other dealers as well :-) )
Yes, the diff in power isn't too much but you do have to rev the V6 a lot more.
I think only 3 o/o 2500 did not have the plastic coated chassis.

[TA14]

gog440 said:

I am half tempted to make a cheeky bid and see what he says....

Just ring him up and do a deal.

[Wedg1e]

TA14 said:

I think only 3 o/o 2500 did not have the plastic coated chassis.

Sorry, which TVR are we talking about? Most wedge chassis I've ever seen were just painted. A very few were epoxy-coated (usually the grey ones). Any (and I doubt it was many) that may have made it to the powder (plastic) coaters can still be rust-buckets because once the coating chips, moisture tracks along the steel surface and lifts the coating. So it's not the wonder treatment some tout it as.

Apart from the grey epoxy ones (and don't for one minute think they're immune, see http://www.wedgeneering.co.uk/280i_fhc_chassis_rep... ) any wedge chassis that are still in seriously good condition are likely to be under low-mileage summer-only cars or have been lucky enough to be looked after.

[TA14]

I've never known one to have left the factory with a painted chassis. They sent so many to be plastic coated that they bought the company that did it.