Should I buy a used Tuscan - advice PLEASE !!
Discussion
Ladies and Gentlemen - currently have a Chim 500, but bitten by Tuscan bug, looking to buy a used Tuscan soon. Reading some of the horror stories on this site re the engine is giving me some serious doubt. Would appreciate some wisdom from those in the know whether (A) I should even consider buying one, and (B) what would be the safest bet re engine wise, are dealership warrantys worth the paper there written on, is it best to buy a car thats had an engine rebuild, the likelyhood of a rebuilt engine going pop again - your advice pls
I went to buy one and didn't, I made the right choice for me, this was based on the many horror threads posted by some (not all) owners on here.
At the moment you have reliabiliy, I had the same with my Griff 500, and Chim 450, the only other TVR I would have considered would have been a late Cerbera 4.5.
The Tuscan is a great looking car, if you get one buy as new as possible.
>> Edited by 10 CYL on Saturday 15th January 08:19
At the moment you have reliabiliy, I had the same with my Griff 500, and Chim 450, the only other TVR I would have considered would have been a late Cerbera 4.5.
The Tuscan is a great looking car, if you get one buy as new as possible.
>> Edited by 10 CYL on Saturday 15th January 08:19
well Adman ive only had my tuscan 3 months its been at the dealers for about half that but when you get in and start her up you forget about the rest .
yeah there are some problems but the performance and the looks way out do the hassel.
touch wood apart from service and some idiot drilling a hole in the tank ive only had a few problems.
i know its sad but i work away and cant wait to get back to drive it, roofs off even when its cold just to listen to the engine, im going to look at a new one come the summer
on the rebuild side mine has got one 7k ago and runs sweet but other people will tell you about that as ive not had it long enough to comment but the others at PH have always been good to me with advice.
so get one bought its the best thing youll ever do ...
yeah there are some problems but the performance and the looks way out do the hassel.
touch wood apart from service and some idiot drilling a hole in the tank ive only had a few problems.
i know its sad but i work away and cant wait to get back to drive it, roofs off even when its cold just to listen to the engine, im going to look at a new one come the summer
on the rebuild side mine has got one 7k ago and runs sweet but other people will tell you about that as ive not had it long enough to comment but the others at PH have always been good to me with advice.
so get one bought its the best thing youll ever do ...
The consensus seems to be that 2003 models and later are far less likely to have engine issues than earlier cars. I've certainly had none with my car but somebody will undoubtedly flame me in a minute for having the audacity to speak glowingly about the reliability of a TVR Tuscan.
I have run mine properly, in particular paying meticulous regard to the warming up of the engine. I am sure that in many cases (not all by any means) damage has been caused by owners ignoring the recommendations and thrashing cold engines.
What sort of car are you planning to buy? (Age, price). Are you planning to buy from a main dealer?
If you are the type of person that is on a tight budget and who will worry about things going wrong (even if they don't!) then I wouldn't get one because your enjoyment of the car will be tempered by your anxiety. If like me you love the car and desperately want one then get one because you only live once and you'll regret it if you don't. I've spent 2 years on here listening to people dither about buying a Tuscan and worrying about what might possibly go wrong. In the meantime I've been having a ball driving and enjoying trouble free and exhilarating motoring in my Tuscan.
Chin chin.
I have run mine properly, in particular paying meticulous regard to the warming up of the engine. I am sure that in many cases (not all by any means) damage has been caused by owners ignoring the recommendations and thrashing cold engines.
What sort of car are you planning to buy? (Age, price). Are you planning to buy from a main dealer?
If you are the type of person that is on a tight budget and who will worry about things going wrong (even if they don't!) then I wouldn't get one because your enjoyment of the car will be tempered by your anxiety. If like me you love the car and desperately want one then get one because you only live once and you'll regret it if you don't. I've spent 2 years on here listening to people dither about buying a Tuscan and worrying about what might possibly go wrong. In the meantime I've been having a ball driving and enjoying trouble free and exhilarating motoring in my Tuscan.
Chin chin.
As has been said already, if you want one bad enough do it. You only live once. I decided as soon as I saw the car in Swordfish that I wanted one and spent the next couple of years getting the cash together to do it.
I've had the car for about two years and use it daily in all weathers (only car.) It's let me down once in about 15k miles when the clutch slave went a couple of months ago. Just try and buy one from somewhere/someone you trust. I bought privately from another PH member so knew a fair bit about the car's history.
I've had the car for about two years and use it daily in all weathers (only car.) It's let me down once in about 15k miles when the clutch slave went a couple of months ago. Just try and buy one from somewhere/someone you trust. I bought privately from another PH member so knew a fair bit about the car's history.
unrepentant said:
If like me you love the car and desperately want one then get one because you only live once.
I would describe my experience as a love affair. It was great while it lasted, there were some amazing highs but there were few lows (and lowloaders!). The costs were pretty high (in terms of the depreciation) but for the most part, it was worth it for the experience. Would I have another, no, I don't think I would, it is time for me to try something else.
If you can comfortably afford the depreciation and the servicing bills then go for it. Don't buy one on a hope and a prayer that it'll be okay, you are highly likely to have some bills along the way; it is not a cheap car to maintain.
As others have said, the care of the owner is vital to the *cough* 'longevity' of the engine. Try to get one with a 'known' history; mine came from someone here on Pistonheads, and likewise it has gone to another member.
If you do get one, there is one thing for certain, it will make you smile like a you ate a coathanger. Enjoy
Adman said:
replying to Unrepentant, was looking at buying from a TVR main dealer (franchised one), saw one the other day that has just had an engine rebuild and needs running in, a 2001 model - any advice?
My experience only extends to new Tuscans Adman so I can't advise you on warranty's etc.. on used cars. If you're buying from a franchised dealer he will gaive you a warranty and you will need to get him to spell out what that entails. Also, if it's immediately post rebuild I would suggest that you get him to confirm in writing that it's been rebuilt to current specification.
Whatever you decide to do, good luck and enjoy.
i to came from a chim 500, i did not know what to do after hearing so many horror stories, but i really wanted a tuscan. I did my homework looked at a few cars then decided to buy a rebuild 2001 tuscan from tvr mads, i have had the car since july i use it more than i used the chim so far (touch wood) not a single problem. If you really wont one ,can afford one, THEN
GET ONE. Oh buy the way, the people who say dont bother are usally the people who have never owned one or never will own one.
GET ONE. Oh buy the way, the people who say dont bother are usally the people who have never owned one or never will own one.
Adman said:
would appreciate peoples view on warranties from dealers as well as pitfalls on the engine
My car came from H L Gorner in Wigan, I can't say enough great things about them, they made the times without the car as easy and painless as humanly possible. Bear this in mind when you choose where to buy your car, you may need to have an ongoing relationship with the dealer, make sure you have confidence in their ability to look after you. There are very few TVR dealers that people on here don't rate, however they do exist. Have a search through the forums for the name of the dealership you're thinking of, you should get an overall impression.
I had the TVR endorsed warranty, underwritten by Warranty Holdings. It cost me ~£800 for 1 years cover on a car that was 3 years old when I bought it. All in all, the warranty paid for itself; WH contributed half the cost of my replacement clutch/flywheel/bellhousing and paid out in full on a couple of smaller items. However, I have very little faith in add-on warranties, I would think twice about having one again, despite my positive experiences. The most likely expense you'll have is the engine, there isn't any warranty that will cover that. If I had my £800 again I'd be tempted to stick it in a savings account and throw a few more pounds in there each month as my own 'insurance'.
If all goes well and you don't need to use your own 'insurance fund, you could always spend it on some upgrades; nitrons would be my personal choice!
Adman - like you, I am in the position of considering a Tuscan purchase, and for the last 3 months have read about every post going and pestered several PH members with queries (responses have been helpful and appreciated). Negative posts generally seem counterbalanced by the positives, but I still retain my interest - something deep in the subconcious which cannot be ignored I suppose. Unrepentant hits it on the head as regards the reasoning behind any purchase - I continue to pursue this research because the marque, the sound, the challenge in learning to drive "properly", the ability to turn a drive into an experience each time - all appeal enormously. Also helps that the general community is helpful and enthusiastic.
At the current time, options to me/you appear to be a 2002/3 + model OR an earlier model with rebuild - and a pretty recent rebuild at that as some postings would seem to indicate that earlier rebuilds still potentially had quality issues - and led to more rebuild requirement. The differential between dealer purchase and private appears to be anywhere between 2-4 grand for more recent models, and I remain torn between the security/relationship of the former, the price-attractiveness of the latter. Should I chose the private path, general advice seems to be to go down the route of using a specialist (i.e. Rob Ingleby, James Agger) to do a thorough check over as both these gents come highly recommended.
Not sure about your circumstances, but I would use any car on a daily basis, which most on PH generally seem to feel would be a benefit - aside from then having to drive in rain/snow/ice! My main concern therefore remains that if something significant still happened, would I be able to cope with the cost of alternative transport for a significant period of time. That is a question only I can answer, and despite trying to mitigate significant engine concerns, I am aware that there are other items which may occur (i.e. recent head gasket postings). Trouble is - the more you read, the more you think, which is not necessarily always beneficial!
As a Chim owner, this may not apply to you, but I am interested to hear how knowledgable one needs to be about amateur mechanics, as many Tuscan owners are leaps and bounds ahead of my very fundamental knowledge. Would be interested to see others thoughts on this, as I would rely heavily on dealer knowledge (or PH!) with any early issues of ownership.
At the current time, options to me/you appear to be a 2002/3 + model OR an earlier model with rebuild - and a pretty recent rebuild at that as some postings would seem to indicate that earlier rebuilds still potentially had quality issues - and led to more rebuild requirement. The differential between dealer purchase and private appears to be anywhere between 2-4 grand for more recent models, and I remain torn between the security/relationship of the former, the price-attractiveness of the latter. Should I chose the private path, general advice seems to be to go down the route of using a specialist (i.e. Rob Ingleby, James Agger) to do a thorough check over as both these gents come highly recommended.
Not sure about your circumstances, but I would use any car on a daily basis, which most on PH generally seem to feel would be a benefit - aside from then having to drive in rain/snow/ice! My main concern therefore remains that if something significant still happened, would I be able to cope with the cost of alternative transport for a significant period of time. That is a question only I can answer, and despite trying to mitigate significant engine concerns, I am aware that there are other items which may occur (i.e. recent head gasket postings). Trouble is - the more you read, the more you think, which is not necessarily always beneficial!
As a Chim owner, this may not apply to you, but I am interested to hear how knowledgable one needs to be about amateur mechanics, as many Tuscan owners are leaps and bounds ahead of my very fundamental knowledge. Would be interested to see others thoughts on this, as I would rely heavily on dealer knowledge (or PH!) with any early issues of ownership.
I consider myself to have been quite unlucky
with my Tuscan as I too asked myself these questions
a year ago when I bought mine.Got one that had a
recent engine rebuild but even so it needed another
7 months later and then another 6 weeks after that.
So do I regret my purchase? NO I CERTAINLY DO NOT !!
That may shock a few people(Mungo)but there is nout
like these cars for putting a smile on your face.
Sure a Porsche would be a more sensible everyday car
but thats because it is the type of car you see EVERYDAY !They realy are just great fun and look fantastic so if you can afford one just do it.
Hope my little rant is of some help to you.
Col
>> Edited by R666 TUS on Saturday 15th January 21:46
with my Tuscan as I too asked myself these questions
a year ago when I bought mine.Got one that had a
recent engine rebuild but even so it needed another
7 months later and then another 6 weeks after that.
So do I regret my purchase? NO I CERTAINLY DO NOT !!
That may shock a few people(Mungo)but there is nout
like these cars for putting a smile on your face.
Sure a Porsche would be a more sensible everyday car
but thats because it is the type of car you see EVERYDAY !They realy are just great fun and look fantastic so if you can afford one just do it.
Hope my little rant is of some help to you.
Col
>> Edited by R666 TUS on Saturday 15th January 21:46
Adman, early last year I spent a little time reading horror stories on this site and worrying that buying a Tuscan would be a huge gamble without the benefit of limitless resources, and that things would be made even worse by the fact that I’ll be living 1,500 miles from the nearest dealer. However as Los Angeles says “I think it’s the most beautiful sports car I’ve ever laid eyes on”, so I bought a 2002 model in the summer, ferried it to Bilboa, drove it 600 miles in one flat out dash (baring an interruption by some curious policemen) to the Costa del Sol and have been enjoying it ever since.
If you’re worried about the embarrassment of it breaking down (like mine did outside a busy café last week) then just smile and give a resigned shrug and you’ll find that most other people start to smile too. My experience is that far from resenting you, most people will applaud you for having the guts and imagination to choose something other than the usual (German) suspects.
What others say about regular use is also true IMO. I use mine every dry day, which is about 320 days a year here, and it’s been fine – but when I left it to go back to England for 3 weeks at Christmas it had a tantrum… Battery was flat and wouldn’t hold a charge (hence breakdown mentioned above), constant attempts to jump start it ending up shearing the metal casing on the starter motor. My first major bill, (£380), for a new battery and starter motor, which I doubt will be covered under my warranty, but it’s just the sort of expense that you might get on any second-hand car.
I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where I’ve got a Caterham CSR and an Aston DB9 on the way in the next few months but I’ve no intention of selling the Tuscan when they arrive, I love it THAT much! It’s a personal thing and I’m sure luck is a factor, but so far I don’t regret a moment of Tuscan life.
Buy one, it’s only money, nobody lives forever, and you only regret the things you didn’t do, not the things you did.
(I really must love it to have wasted this long on a Saturday night typing with one finger!)
If you’re worried about the embarrassment of it breaking down (like mine did outside a busy café last week) then just smile and give a resigned shrug and you’ll find that most other people start to smile too. My experience is that far from resenting you, most people will applaud you for having the guts and imagination to choose something other than the usual (German) suspects.
What others say about regular use is also true IMO. I use mine every dry day, which is about 320 days a year here, and it’s been fine – but when I left it to go back to England for 3 weeks at Christmas it had a tantrum… Battery was flat and wouldn’t hold a charge (hence breakdown mentioned above), constant attempts to jump start it ending up shearing the metal casing on the starter motor. My first major bill, (£380), for a new battery and starter motor, which I doubt will be covered under my warranty, but it’s just the sort of expense that you might get on any second-hand car.
I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where I’ve got a Caterham CSR and an Aston DB9 on the way in the next few months but I’ve no intention of selling the Tuscan when they arrive, I love it THAT much! It’s a personal thing and I’m sure luck is a factor, but so far I don’t regret a moment of Tuscan life.
Buy one, it’s only money, nobody lives forever, and you only regret the things you didn’t do, not the things you did.
(I really must love it to have wasted this long on a Saturday night typing with one finger!)Goodness me.
I'll steer clear of essays but, yes you should
Be wary buy clever and you will not regret it.
Pay less, buy more.
Some points.
A/C Good ....if it works.
18" alloys....bad it handles a pig on them 16" break away very progressively.. which comes to
Nitrons.....VVVVVVVV Good especially whem combined with the above.
Rebuild? Normally good BUT!
Some early production cars (really pre-production), like the first ten or so were hand built from top spec bits for the speed six.
One of these cars has done 56k miles without a rebuild, but has been serviced religously.
Apr 2000 or earlier and it might be a winner.
If not wait 'til late '02 or best mid '03.
I have an early car which has been free from major trouble, touch wood.
It isn't for sale but there may be others out there.
I'll steer clear of essays but, yes you should
Be wary buy clever and you will not regret it.
Pay less, buy more.
Some points.
A/C Good ....if it works.
18" alloys....bad it handles a pig on them 16" break away very progressively.. which comes to
Nitrons.....VVVVVVVV Good especially whem combined with the above.
Rebuild? Normally good BUT!
Some early production cars (really pre-production), like the first ten or so were hand built from top spec bits for the speed six.
One of these cars has done 56k miles without a rebuild, but has been serviced religously.
Apr 2000 or earlier and it might be a winner.
If not wait 'til late '02 or best mid '03.
I have an early car which has been free from major trouble, touch wood.
It isn't for sale but there may be others out there.
Did you have a warrantee to fall back on, or did you have to pay for both rebuilds yourself?- if you don't mind me asking.[/quote]
I had to pay for the first one and it was then
done again by the factory under warranty.I know
people dont like to see the speed 6 problem threads
all the time but I have to say it was because of
reading such threads before purchase that I made
sure I left myself some cash spare for problems
rather than spending my whole budget on the car.
So as I say the collective knowledge on the forum
both good and bad is essential reading for making
your mind up about what and how to buy.
Col
I had to pay for the first one and it was then
done again by the factory under warranty.I know
people dont like to see the speed 6 problem threads
all the time but I have to say it was because of
reading such threads before purchase that I made
sure I left myself some cash spare for problems
rather than spending my whole budget on the car.
So as I say the collective knowledge on the forum
both good and bad is essential reading for making
your mind up about what and how to buy.
Col
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