thinking of buying an S
Discussion
i am thinking of buying an s series 1990 model s2 , with a duff oil press sensor and fuel tank sender unit and knackered soft top, are there any other known faults to also look for on these models , have had a few TVR's now so i suppose they are all the usual bits to whatch out for . and how do these cars compare with the wedges and chimaera as the s2 only has the v6 fitted so how so they perform.
The S2 wont be as fast as the chim, but according to the S owners here, people often mistake the V6 for a V8 - the V6's sound great. People also seem to agree that the S will give you a more seat of your pants ride with a slightly bigger grin/fun factor. Cant comment re: the fuel components, check out the condition of the chassis and steer clear if its in bad shape.
Condition, condition, condition, Check the chassis first, then the body if any crazing this might be Chassis trouble so look deeper. Its all a matter of price, as if you imorove wisely you will more than likely not lose the money invested. I had a S2 before the V8S and it was a great car, now owned by Adyw on here. Easy and cheap to fix, parts normally available and lots of smiles per gallon.
Go on you wont regret it.
Mike
Go on you wont regret it.
Mike
pies said:
There are zero FAQ's on this forum,surely "buying an "S" should be there.Anybody know a good one. Then perhaps a mod can make it an FAQ
Yup, belonging to someone here I think...
check out www.tvrsseries.com Ian
>> Edited by ukbob on Monday 27th September 22:48
I was told by an experianced car buyer to buy the most expensive car on the market that I could afford, on the basis that thousands would have been spent on it and he was right cos if I had spent another 1K on a better car, I would have ended up not spending the 3K I want to spend on the car I bought. If you see what I mean.
If you see an S2 for 7k, you can bet your life it won't need respray, new hood, new interior etc,etc.
If you see an S2 for 7k, you can bet your life it won't need respray, new hood, new interior etc,etc.
GreenV8S said:
I would be concerned about buying a car with niggling faults like this, it doesn't give the impression that the previous owner has cherished the car and these cars *really* don't like being neglected.
spoken yoda has
I would never feel comfortable buying anything that had problems, I always felt that in life, these kinds of things were often indicative of an iceberg with just the tip showing.
>> Edited by ukbob on Sunday 3rd October 22:03
ssc1 said:
i am thinking of buying an s series 1990 model s2 , with a duff oil press sensor and fuel tank sender unit and knackered soft top, are there any other known faults to also look for on these models , have had a few TVR's now so i suppose they are all the usual bits to whatch out for . and how do these cars compare with the wedges and chimaera as the s2 only has the v6 fitted so how so they perform.
wont comment upon the car since it appears to be a PHers.
I had a V6S and now a Chimaera. The g/f has a V6S still which I occasionally drive. The S is more seat of the pants. You can tell its a £14k car as against the chim being a £30k+ car. However, in terms of fun factor the S is like a little go kart that has superb feedback, you know exactly what each wheel is doing and i found it a lot easier to find the limits on the S than the Chim (eh Psychobert
). The Chim is faster, its a V8 so it should be. But the S is a lot cheaper and will give you 90% of the same thrills.
shnozz said:
i am thinking of buying an s series 1990 model s2 , with a duff oil press sensor and fuel tank sender unit and knackered soft top, are there any other known faults to also look for on these models , have had a few TVR's now so i suppose they are all the usual bits to whatch out for . and how do these cars compare with the wedges and chimaera as the s2 only has the v6 fitted so how so they perform.
wont comment upon the car since it appears to be a PHers.
I had a V6S and now a Chimaera. The g/f has a V6S still which I occasionally drive. The S is more seat of the pants. You can tell its a £14k car as against the chim being a £30k+ car. However, in terms of fun factor the S is like a little go kart that has superb feedback, you know exactly what each wheel is doing and i found it a lot easier to find the limits on the S than the Chim (eh Psychobert
The Chim is faster, its a V8 so it should be. But the S is a lot cheaper and will give you 90% of the same thrills.
Very diplomatic
Have a Chim too and would agree with you. Alas, one has to go... since I'm doing loads of miles these days, the Chim stays. Still trying to convince the missus to get rid of the Polo and keep the 'S'. With some TLC and about £800 I reckon she'll be decent... the car not the missus 
ssc1 said:
i am thinking of buying an s series 1990 model s2 , with a duff oil press sensor and fuel tank sender unit and knackered soft top, are there any other known faults to also look for on these models , have had a few TVR's now so i suppose they are all the usual bits to whatch out for . and how do these cars compare with the wedges and chimaera as the s2 only has the v6 fitted so how so they perform.
I agree absolutely with V8S--condition is ALL IMPORTANT--don't be put off by high mileage--it's worth paying Phillip at Rhinomotorsport £150 to have the car thoroughly checked over--there are just so many dogs out there but if you must do it yourself invest in a small jack trolley and inspect the chassis. Lift the front turn the wheels so that you can see clearly (and a torch helps) and look at the chassis cross member just under the radiator--if it is at all rusty walk away. Engine is fairly bullet proof but NOT the hood and interior. Check the roof seals very carefully and look for damage to the seats. Interior refurbishment can be VERY EXPENSIVE. If your budget is limited go for a high miler that has been really looked after. It's probably better than one with half the mileage that has not been properly cared for.
Good luck---best TVR on the market IMHO.
thanks for the replies and nasz i hopfully will be down on sat to have a look, had to ask about the s series as i have not owned one before but assume that they are very similar to the rest of the TVR range as in what to look for , and i'm not put off by sensor probs as i know how to fix those and leaky soft tops ...ian.
ssc1 said:
thanks for the replies and nasz i hopfully will be down on sat to have a look, had to ask about the s series as i have not owned one before but assume that they are very similar to the rest of the TVR range as in what to look for , and i'm not put off by sensor probs as i know how to fix those and leaky soft tops ...ian.
No problem.. we're all friends on here (crikey I sound like some American group hug social worker). Let me know what time you think you'll be down on Sat (working some of the day
Nickmagnus said:
go for a high miler that has been really looked after. It's probably better than one with half the mileage that has not been properly cared for.
Good luck---best TVR on the market IMHO.
This is very good advice. Despite a few niggles on my car the car is still tight and performing well. Looks the part too. Unfortunately the majority of people will see high mileage and go:
"Oh no! High miles the one with 40K on the clock is much better!"
Automatically. When I was looking for my S, there was a number of cars that were looked at with a lot less miles on them, but they were in very bad condition. The only thing I wish I had inspected more closely was the stitching on the rear screen.
well thanks for that and thanks naz i got home ok and was very impressed with the car ,nice and clean on the outside and just needs a good scrub on the inside which it will get on sunday , seems to drive much better than a wedge ,more like a chim, nice exhaust note as well , not as powerfull as the 350i but goes very well , why did i not pick an 's' before , only one thing is the dash is there any way i can improve on the painted finish .....ian.
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