TVR Prices & Maintenance

[UncleDave]

Say I was to buy a TVR for around 15-18k (Probably Cerb 96 or Griff)..

How much would I be expecting to pay in maintenance and all running costs like servicing and any repairs that may have to be done (but excluding fuel costs) each year?

Also, any ideas how many MPG you'll get in a older TVR - Are the older ones better or worse?

Any info will be very much appreciated
Thanks in advance!
Dave.

[Ballistic Banana]

cant say about the Cerb but guess it is more than my Griff.
Currently spend up to a 1k a year servicing and maintaince and keep a few hundred in reserve just in case.

Mpg ?? Whats that doesnt really bother me but trackdays as low as 5 and good crusing on a motor way around 30mpg. round town have seen people quoting between 16 and 22 mpg.. but you'll enjoy it so much you wont give a monkeys

BB

[rmaurer]

Rough figure for a Cerb is normally around the 3k per year for servicing/maintenance. Some years it may be less, some it'll almost certainly be more! As you can see from my profile, 5 months and nearly 5k later, they have the potential to be real money pits but the performance and sound always wins me back after a serious wallet bashing session!

[Nuggs]

Conventional wisdom is that a Cerb will cost substantially more to maintain and run than a Griff (but it will (generally) go faster and make more noise/flames too).

Without trying to sound patronising (which is hard after a few pints of beer), if you have to ask about mpg figures, you're going to need to take some serious time over the affordability calculations

Lots of chaps will have their Cerb/Griff running costs on their 'My Cars' bit of their profile, so it's worth doing a trawl through those...

[gazzab]

My cerb = £13K in 2 yrs (excl petrol and ins). But only a couple of K in depreciation.
My Chim = 11K in depreciation in 2 yrs but cost only a couple of K in running costs.
Depreciation not an issue with older cars but running costs higher.

[chimburt]

running cost figures are meaningless without mileage

[parrot of doom]

Whatever way you look at it, they're both cheaper than a woman.

[UncleDave]

Thanks for all the info, especially the last bit haha. Very much appreciated.

Just wondered about the MPG differences, and how many MPG you get on your Tiv's...

Am now looking around at Griffs.

Thanks!

[parrot of doom]

UncleDave said:

Thanks for all the info, especially the last bit haha. Very much appreciated. Just wondered about the MPG differences, and how many MPG you get on your Tiv's... Am now looking around at Griffs. Thanks!

Remember, even though its a big engine, its a light car. Although thats more than offset by the weight of your right foot hehehheh

On the motorway I can get past 25mph, around town I dread to think.....

[Nuggs]

On average, I would estimate I get about 13mpg. Most of my driving's done on country roads, and I usually use the binary throttle technique (i.e. either fully open or fully closed!).

Certainly that figure improves once on a motorway, although I'm pretty sure mine's never seen the giddy heights of 25mpg...

[andy4200]

parrot of doom said:

On the motorway I can get past 25mph,

I would hope you could get past 25mph, i always thought these tivs were reasonably quick

On topic, my running costs are in my profile.

[V8 Archie]

chimburt said:

running cost figures are meaningless without mileage

Valid point.

I estimate my costs at about:

Tax: £165 per annum
Insurance: £1,500 per annum (garaged in a bad London post code - with protected NCB)
Servicing: £1,500 - £2,000 per 12,000 miles/2 years at a main dealer. You should be able to halve that at an independant.
Rear Tyres: £250 per 12,000 miles (depends on driving style).
Front Tyres: £250 per 18,000 miles (depends on driving style).
Oil: £10 per 2,000 miles
Fuel: 17/23 mpg town/motorway. About £180 - £250 per 1,000 miles (@ 90p/litre).

Plus £1,000 - £2,000 in the cookie jar for anything that crops up.

[parrot of doom]

andy4200 said:

parrot of doom said: On the motorway I can get past 25mph, I would hope you could get past 25mph, i always thought these tivs were reasonably quick On topic, my running costs are in my profile.

Upsetting a Parrot of Doom is not wise my friend.

[KingRichard]

parrot of doom said:

Whatever way you look at it, they're both cheaper than a woman.

[HarryW]

V8 Archie said:

... Rear Tyres: £250 per 12,000 miles (depends on driving style). Front Tyres: £250 per 18,000 miles (depends on driving style) ...

Serious question............ is it me or is 3K miles about right for a set of rears and perhaps 5K for fronts .
Mainly used for fun with commuting limited to summer warm dry days .

Harry

[V8 Archie]

I think 3k would be considered "heavy usage". What you can achieve will depend on your brand (I'm on SO3s). When I bought I was told that I could expect about 12k depending on driving style. I wouldn't consider myself to be easy on the rears especially, but I've taken 16k out of this set and it's now time for a change.

PS: that's with no track time.

[groucho]

HarryW said:

V8 Archie said: ... Rear Tyres: £250 per 12,000 miles (depends on driving style). Front Tyres: £250 per 18,000 miles (depends on driving style) ... Serious question............ is it me or is 3K miles about right for a set of rears and perhaps 5K for fronts . Mainly used for fun with commuting limited to summer warm dry days . Harry

When I bought my Griff it had 10,000 on the clock and I have done another 10,000 since then. I have changed the rears since then because of a blowout but the fronts are still the same, and don't seem any different from the day I bought it. I would go out on a limb and say that they are still original from new.

They just don't seem to wear.