Swapping from a 944 to a TVR?
Discussion
Since there is such a wealth or people and knowledge on this forum. I was just wondering if anyone on the TVR forum has had a 944 turbo and moved to a TVR? If you have I'd love to hear from you and hear what you think?
I'v recently been very tempted when I saw the green Griffith with the BBS Super RS alloy wheels (damn I love those)to me it's tempting factors are the basic and classic handling (I'v always loved the direct feel of old mini's), the unbeatable noise and the gorgous classic sports style interior.
But the things that worry me are;
1. Losing the ability to carry passengers (the 944's back seats may be useless but sometimes its usefull to have the ability to cram extra people in),
2. Increased service costs (not sure how much they are to service but I imagine being a newer car they'll be higher)
3. Reduced reliability with both rott and mechanical issues!
I love the 944 because its viciously fast both in a straight line and round corners (especially when tuned), practical (I use it every day) and looks nice when you see it on the driveway or walk out of the pub and see it in the carpark. However it does miss some thangs I hold very dear! It's pretty dull and sensible for a sports car both interior and exterior and it's exhaust note has no character and doesn't stimulate the driving senses!
Any of your thought and views would be appreciated?
I'v recently been very tempted when I saw the green Griffith with the BBS Super RS alloy wheels (damn I love those)to me it's tempting factors are the basic and classic handling (I'v always loved the direct feel of old mini's), the unbeatable noise and the gorgous classic sports style interior.
But the things that worry me are;
1. Losing the ability to carry passengers (the 944's back seats may be useless but sometimes its usefull to have the ability to cram extra people in),
2. Increased service costs (not sure how much they are to service but I imagine being a newer car they'll be higher)
3. Reduced reliability with both rott and mechanical issues!
I love the 944 because its viciously fast both in a straight line and round corners (especially when tuned), practical (I use it every day) and looks nice when you see it on the driveway or walk out of the pub and see it in the carpark. However it does miss some thangs I hold very dear! It's pretty dull and sensible for a sports car both interior and exterior and it's exhaust note has no character and doesn't stimulate the driving senses!
Any of your thought and views would be appreciated?
I swapped for a 944 to an S3 about 18months ago and have never looked back. To answer your worries one by one:
1) Once your perspective passengers are over 2"2 they're not gonna fit in the back !!! If this is an issue there's always the Cerbera (budget dependant)
2) Service cost on a Griff are much in line with those on the 944.
3) The reliability issues a really a bit of a myth. All cars breakdown it depends how you treat it. Remember you are being spoilt in the 944 as in my opinion it is the best put together and stay together car I have ever owned.
A TVR is certainly more lively than a 944, not as well balanced (god that balance was great) and will make you work harder. It's an all together rawer machine, very few electrical gizmos etc.
Two words really.... Do it. If I could stretch to a Griff I would in an instant. As much As I enjoyed the 944 the Tvr puts a much bigger smile on my face!!!! And the wife won't nip to the shops in it!!! Hope that helps.
1) Once your perspective passengers are over 2"2 they're not gonna fit in the back !!! If this is an issue there's always the Cerbera (budget dependant)
2) Service cost on a Griff are much in line with those on the 944.
3) The reliability issues a really a bit of a myth. All cars breakdown it depends how you treat it. Remember you are being spoilt in the 944 as in my opinion it is the best put together and stay together car I have ever owned.
A TVR is certainly more lively than a 944, not as well balanced (god that balance was great) and will make you work harder. It's an all together rawer machine, very few electrical gizmos etc.
Two words really.... Do it. If I could stretch to a Griff I would in an instant. As much As I enjoyed the 944 the Tvr puts a much bigger smile on my face!!!! And the wife won't nip to the shops in it!!! Hope that helps.
Actually i have kind of the same question. I drive a Porsche 911 convertible from 1992 since 5 years. Only in the summer in the winter i have another car. And i do not drive much about 4000 km in one year with the Porsche. But now i look for a bit more power and think about a Tuscan S. But will the costs and repairs that comes with that car be unpayable.
I am German and there are no much Tuscans around here,(actually i havent seen one in my whole life, only on photos). So if the car breaks down i might have a problem to bring it to the garage anyway. Defenetely if i have to bring it to the u.k. all times.
But on the other side i wanted that car since the first time i saw it.
Well, maybe someone wants to buy my porsche 911, 964 c convertible, 250 horsepower, silver, 66 000 km, very good condition, with all options that were available and make my decision more easy.
Thanks Thomas
I am German and there are no much Tuscans around here,(actually i havent seen one in my whole life, only on photos). So if the car breaks down i might have a problem to bring it to the garage anyway. Defenetely if i have to bring it to the u.k. all times.
But on the other side i wanted that car since the first time i saw it.
Well, maybe someone wants to buy my porsche 911, 964 c convertible, 250 horsepower, silver, 66 000 km, very good condition, with all options that were available and make my decision more easy.
Thanks Thomas
Niffty951 said:
Since there is such a wealth or people and knowledge on this forum. I was just wondering if anyone on the TVR forum has had a 944 turbo and moved to a TVR? If you have I'd love to hear from you and hear what you think?
Moved to a Cerbera from a 944 Turbo (but with 5 years of a 911 inbetween
) Niffty951 said:
1. Losing the ability to carry passengers (the 944's back seats may be useless but sometimes its usefull to have the ability to cram extra people in),
you won't lose back seats in a Cerbera, and they're a little bigger than the 944 - not luxo-brage bigger, but a useful but bigger.
Niffty951 said:
2. Increased service costs (not sure how much they are to service but I imagine being a newer car they'll be higher)
ain't that fact that they're newer that puts the price up, it the fact there's lots more to do than on a 944. Some of it down to pi$$ poor design, like having to drop the exhause system on a cerb to grease the prop shaft. Mind you, Porsche have come up with worse howlers, like having to drop the exhaust to change the 2nd set of plugs on a 964! Anyway, count on a TVR costing you more than a porsche to service as there is more labour time. Oh, and the service intervales are shorter, so expect a service every 6K. i.e. double your existing service budget.
Niffty951 said:
3. Reduced reliability with both rott and mechanical issues!
there's good'uns and bad'uns...and TVR bodies don't rot (just the chassis at the outriggers and under the headers - but both repairable). On a mile-by-mile or month-by-month basis I had fewer breakdowns or breakages on the Cerb that I had on 2 944s and a 911. On the Porsches I averaged 1 'recovery' (taken home/garage on a low loader) per year over a 12 year period. Only happened once in 4 years with the cerb. The cerb only failed to get me to me destination once (see low loader previously), but the porches all let me down a couple of times each year. My first 944 died catestrophically (head gasket went big time, water in bores, bent rods, warped head etc). The 911 ended up with a knacked gearbox and terminal rot. In fact none of my ex-porches are still on the road to the best of my knowledge, but my ex-cerb is still going strong I understand.
Niffty951 said:
I love the 944 because its viciously fast both in a straight line and round corners (especially when tuned)
not compared to a cerb it aint....its a shopping trolley....trust me - I've had both.
Niffty951 said:
practical (I use it every day) and looks nice when you see it on the driveway or walk out of the pub and see it in the carpark.
ditto cerb, only more so....
OK, I'm biased to a cerb rather than a griff, but I think you'd find it a better 'step up' from a 944 turbo. It's got pretty much all you have in the turbo, but only more! All the rover cars are...well...different. You'll be used to revving the nuts off the car I guess and not relying on torque at lower revs, which it what you get in a cerb, but is the opposite of [most] rover cars.
Trust me - take a run in a cerbera and I promise the difference you'll feel against your turbo will be the difference someone who's only ever been in a shopping trolly feels the first time they're in your turbo!
WB
Thanks for all the replies! Atleast two were fantastically usefull! Just what I needed so thankyou very much! I actully was going to ask if TVR made a 4 seater because I wasn't sure, but I convinced myself the Cerbra was 2seats only!
In reply to whether I could leave Porsche for a drivers car that breaks down all the time, I have owned some BAD cars before (like the RSP mini which no joke or exageration broke, refused to start or started shedding minor parts like the exhaust! Every single time I took it out!) but I was easily able to forgive them because I called it character (I always look on the bright side). Oh and my first 944 made a mockery of the usuall service costs! Blown radiator, gearbox failure(s), engine mounts colapsed etc etc etc...and in only 1year!
As for my thoughts... I will make it my aim to go out for a drive in both cars over the next year or so (just to be sure) but I think I'm likely to make to effort and save the extra for a Cerbera over a Griffith its got the extra power, back seats and its a hard top (which I prefer). I will obviously do alot more research but how much would people suggest I spend on a Cerbera? Given my current budget is only £12,000 where do the better looked after examples start?
p.s. Don't worry about the usuall, if you have to save to buy the car you won't be able to run it! I'v spent well over £20,000 in repairs and extras over the past 2years on my cars! Believe me if you love cars enough there's always a way!!
In reply to whether I could leave Porsche for a drivers car that breaks down all the time, I have owned some BAD cars before (like the RSP mini which no joke or exageration broke, refused to start or started shedding minor parts like the exhaust! Every single time I took it out!) but I was easily able to forgive them because I called it character (I always look on the bright side). Oh and my first 944 made a mockery of the usuall service costs! Blown radiator, gearbox failure(s), engine mounts colapsed etc etc etc...and in only 1year!
As for my thoughts... I will make it my aim to go out for a drive in both cars over the next year or so (just to be sure) but I think I'm likely to make to effort and save the extra for a Cerbera over a Griffith its got the extra power, back seats and its a hard top (which I prefer). I will obviously do alot more research but how much would people suggest I spend on a Cerbera? Given my current budget is only £12,000 where do the better looked after examples start?
p.s. Don't worry about the usuall, if you have to save to buy the car you won't be able to run it! I'v spent well over £20,000 in repairs and extras over the past 2years on my cars! Believe me if you love cars enough there's always a way!!
You need to spend more than 12K, but as you were willing to spend on the maintenance it does make much more sense to get a better car to start with....
YOU won't find any decent Griff's or Cerbs for (ie not money pits, or hideous colour combo's) for 12 k.
As for prices just look at Autotrader web site (and classifieds on pistonheads) nationally to get a feel for prices/condition.
B
>> Edited by bjwoods on Saturday 9th April 21:21
YOU won't find any decent Griff's or Cerbs for (ie not money pits, or hideous colour combo's) for 12 k.
As for prices just look at Autotrader web site (and classifieds on pistonheads) nationally to get a feel for prices/condition.
B
>> Edited by bjwoods on Saturday 9th April 21:21
From a current owner with two TVRs have you ever considered a 968CS? I love my TVRs but the 944 is truly a superb piece of kit, I had one for four years..and I loved it!
What do you want from your car? The TVR is great but I would hate it as my only car, the porker is a great all rounder, more secure, practical and robust.
A far better all-rounder.
What do you want from your car? The TVR is great but I would hate it as my only car, the porker is a great all rounder, more secure, practical and robust.
A far better all-rounder.
patrick964 said:
Actually i have kind of the same question. I drive a Porsche 911 convertible from 1992 since 5 years. Only in the summer in the winter i have another car. And i do not drive much about 4000 km in one year with the Porsche. But now i look for a bit more power and think about a Tuscan S. But will the costs and repairs that comes with that car be unpayable.
I am German and there are no much Tuscans around here,(actually i havent seen one in my whole life, only on photos). So if the car breaks down i might have a problem to bring it to the garage anyway. Defenetely if i have to bring it to the u.k. all times.
But on the other side i wanted that car since the first time i saw it.
Well, maybe someone wants to buy my porsche 911, 964 c convertible, 250 horsepower, silver, 66 000 km, very good condition, with all options that were available and make my decision more easy.
Thanks Thomas
Thomas, there's a TVR garage in Hagen:
TVR Sports Cars Deutschland
SALES :
Weidenauer Strasse 246-248
57076 Siegen
SERVICE :
Buschmühlenstrasse 58
58093 Hagen
Tel : 0700 54 5000 54
Fax : 0271 48 151
www.tvrdeutschland.de
Viele Grüße
H.
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