I have seen the light

[siwes]

After three and a half years ownership with rose tinted spectacles and blinkers on I have finally sold the bloody thing!! what a relief
a little list of things done on a car that covered 20000 miles in 3 1/2 years

new dash
new heater panel
two new instruments
new set of shocks
new discs all round
new clutch and race
new radiator
new swirl tank
new idler pulley and belt tensioner pulley
new bottom pulley
new cam
new solid lifters
both heads overhauled
resprayed
new headlamp fairings new cibis
wiper motor
new ss sports exhaust
wheels powder coated
two sets of Toyos
new oil pressure sender
new top and bottom front ball joints
new front torsion drop down links
new rear torsion bar drop down links
new coil
new set of fuel injectors
new set of silicon hoses
new air flow meter
new HT leads
fitted new leven everything
roof panel recovered (twice)
torn back screen repaired
new rocker arms
new valve springs and valve seals
new timing chain


Jobs thay sill needed doing

new windscreen (it was delaminating!)
new bushes all around
it really needed the nose repainting again
petrol tank sender

I have proberly missed out a few items but you get the idea what a truely bloody awful car they are, and what ever possessed me to keep one so long , seduced by the performance? no
by the looks yes
by the cost? well to buy yes to keep it on the road thats a different matter.

Service charges from an independent absolutly stupid they are charging 60 -75 pounds an hour -- robbery
one pimpely yob changing a filter in a franchised garage and its a liscence for them to fleece you,just so you can get a stamp in your service book

well Im taking my 50k in my hand and I'm off to buy a good German car or maybe one of those red Italian jobbies
as it went hammering down the road with its new dewey eyed blinkered owner at the wheel , did I shed a tear not a fu****g one
good ridence to bad rubbish
wake up and smell the coffee people there are better cars for your money out there.
simon

[gemini]

At least it stirred some passion

[mick_coupe]

You didn't think much of it then ?

Mick

[rick.e]

siwes said:

I'm off to buy a good German car

...but is there such a thing? I have run a succession of TVRs over the past ten years, covered average annual mileage, suffered a fraction of the problems you have experienced, and my TVRs have never left me stranded.

My "good German" family cars on the other hand which have covered similar annual mileage:

1999 Golf 1.8T within 2 years and 30k miles went off on the back of a transporter with with a totally disintegrated wheel bearing (not through being kerbed!) Also required a claim on the corrosion warranty for the rear door frames.

2002 BMW 320D went off on the transporter at 30k'ish miles with Turbo failure (and the transporter driver knew what the failure was unprompted because he had seen so many)

And I seem to pass a remarkable number of TT's on the hard shoulder.

Yes, German cars may be better than most, and at least they have a cast iron warranty. But in terms of breakdowns per mile, my TVRs (S2, S3, G500) have beaten the Germans hands down.

[zapcat]

Are you sure it was'nt a Cerbera?

[PatHeald]

siwes said:

new dash new heater panel two new instruments new set of shocks new discs all round new clutch and race new radiator new swirl tank new idler pulley and belt tensioner pulley new bottom pulley new cam new solid lifters both heads overhauled resprayed new headlamp fairings new cibis wiper motor new ss sports exhaust wheels powder coated two sets of Toyos new oil pressure sender new top and bottom front ball joints new front torsion drop down links new rear torsion bar drop down links new coil new set of fuel injectors new set of silicon hoses new air flow meter new HT leads fitted new leven everything roof panel recovered (twice) torn back screen repaired new rocker arms new valve springs and valve seals new timing chain

Yeah, but they are all just little nuisance jobs and simply add to the character of the car.....

Nothing that you can't fix with a phillips screwdriver, a can of WD40 and a hammer on a Sunday afternoon.

Cheers

Pat

[mongoose]

your considering ferrari or porsche,and you dont like problems or high labour rates/running costs?.i think your eyes arent very wide open at all

[Martin_S]

I'd agree with Mongoose.

If you're considering something with a dancing donkey on the nose, prepare for some very, VERY big bills.

I was considering a 328 when I bought my Griffith, but research on the running costs was deeply scary!

Porsches might be fine, then again they might not. I've know some cars that are as reliable as a Toyota, but whilst they are probably a lot less prone to niggling faults than the TVR, when they do throw a tantrum it can be time for a second mortgage.

[groucho]

siwes said:

two sets of Toyos

Why? 20,000 miles. I've covered 10,000 miles in my griff with the same front tyres on. They seem to have the same depth of tread on today as when I bought it. The only reason I changed the rears is because I had a blowout.
Your list seems endless. I haven't had to do any repairs on my car in 2 years of ownership. (Touching a very big piece of wood). I suppose some work is well overdue as with any car after 2 years of running, but you never know.

[Guillotine]

...but think of all the friends you've made here on Pistonheads!



30,ooo miles atleast half of which was on track,
parts needed due to failure not upgrade?

...um...brake pads (lots)
...um...cam (went for upgrade anyway!)

not bad over 5 years.. (servicing aside, twice p.a.)

and atleast half of the stuff on your list is additional upgrade stuff too!

get a boxster s (oil cirulation probs = new engines)

or a 911 and have a middle age crisis with everyone saying

"another rich fat bloke who watches top gear"

"its brill this, Tiff and Jeremy LOVE them!"

anyway, atleast it'll be fast on a trackday


or Italian,

£50k...don't think so! not a good one!
and you really will need deep pockets over the next few years, AND you can't park it anywhere!

have fun, see you in two years (i'd use a different PH name tho../ )


edited to say, i'd agree about the Main dealer bit, charging the same as Porsche and the standard of equipment/training...hmmm.

still the guy who bought it got a good 'un.

np doubt over the next 3-5 he'll think they're brilliant reliable super cars.

maybe the muppet who sold mine to me did the same?

have fun!

>> Edited by Guillotine on Sunday 17th April 12:19

[luv griffs]

such a shame to see you go,

[johno]

siwes said:

good ridence to bad rubbish

Couldn't have said it better .....

[Northern_Paul]

There's so much I could say

But I think my wife summed it up nicely......................... there's a SKODA out there with your name on it!!!!!


(appologies to real SKODA enthusiasts).

[GreenV8S]

You seem to have replaced a load of stuff that should normally last the life of the car (instruments, dashboard etc, lights, cooling system stuff, pulleys etc) and spent a whole shedload more money upgrading the engine. If you're doing it because you want to then fair enough, but if so I don't think it's reasonable to turn round and complain how much money and effort it took to run the car.

Anyway, hope the new owner of the car appreciates it more than you did, and your new car suits you better.

[JoolzB]

Would you buy another one?

I'd guess that you've spent considerably more than most on here, me for sure, shame you feel the need to come on here and slate the car after you've wasted all that cash and then blaming it on the car

As for getting a rari or Porsche, good luck if you think it's gonna be cheaper.

See ya, take care

[siwes]

Its true a lot of the work I have done was up-grade but, the heads needed to come off as the valve seals were shot, the rocker arms pads were disintergrating so of course i went for an upgrade
Likewise the cam was showing excessive wear on the lobes so new one fitted , while you are in there of course fit new lifters and timing chain,
air flow meter , simple the engine mods I did to the heads and the cam required more air so new meter.
dash board crack down the middle a well known fault as were all the other problems I previously described.

Doors that don't fit properly common fault
starter motor failure common fault
diff bushes common fault
water leaks common fault
glove box common fault
leather seats that look so jaded after 38000 miles common fault
bloody headlights that are no use nor ornament in the dark common fault
alarm systems common fault

I could go on and on but its a bloody poor record for what after all is a 30k car new
I have forgot a lot of the work that has been done to the car but all the problems are common to the marque.

If I sounded a bit bitter that was not intended the thread was really to highlight how we are all blinded by the myth of TVR I really do hope the new cars are better but I doubt it ( we all watched 5th gear the other night)
thats why I will not be spending my fathers hard earned cash on another TVR but who knows , watch this space.
last point I have made some really good friends from this board painfull to say they think I'm mad for selling my once P&J
So next time the thing won't start, the wipers won't park, the rattles and bumps coming from under the chassis are truely worrying, the oil pressure gauge is causing you sleepless nights, you are overheating in traffic on a winters day when the outside temperature is 8 degrees, when you have booked a 700 pound session on a rolling road and are told that your 500 is producing 245.72 bhp and you need to spend 7 k to bump it up another 35 hp then think of me , maybe even drop a line to this board ---- promise I won't laugh and tell you " I told you so"
I read it all the time previously it was for help not it will just be to gloat!
Simon

[petros]

I notice that you didn't mention the ashtray. Was that ok ?

[torquemada]

4 yrs, 20,000 miles, service x3, tyres x2, windscreen x1. I'm still grinning, and it's still worth what I paid for it! Seems good value to me. :-)

[groucho]

petros said:

I notice that you didn't mention the ashtray. Was that ok ?

Haven't got one.

[2 Smokin Barrels]

All cars have the odd niggle.