Cheap Servicing, whats the catch?
Discussion
[quote=]Speed 6 Servicing
For the whole of 2005 - starting on January 3rd - we'll be offering a special deal for owners of Speed 6 engined TVRs.
For £499.95 including VAT, we'll perform a full 12,000 mile/12 month service including tappet adjustment - a significant saving.
Please contact us today to book your car in.
http://www.offord.com/[/quote]
So then boys and girls, why so cheap? I have done a search and can find nothing bad about this garage? So why should i pay the £1000 Gatwick are quoting me for a future 12k serice on any potential T350T purchase from them compared to this?
Anybody had any experience with them? Or is it a "You get what you pay for" job?
:)
For the whole of 2005 - starting on January 3rd - we'll be offering a special deal for owners of Speed 6 engined TVRs.
For £499.95 including VAT, we'll perform a full 12,000 mile/12 month service including tappet adjustment - a significant saving.
Please contact us today to book your car in.
http://www.offord.com/[/quote]
So then boys and girls, why so cheap? I have done a search and can find nothing bad about this garage? So why should i pay the £1000 Gatwick are quoting me for a future 12k serice on any potential T350T purchase from them compared to this?
Anybody had any experience with them? Or is it a "You get what you pay for" job?
:)
As I am just about to put a deposite on a T350C (Yay!) I am wondering about servicing from Offord Motor Company as well.
I am getting the T350C from Dream Machines. I would like to keep the servicing and all work to do with the car with Dream Machines, but I live in Cambridge. Offord motor company is 15 miles or so down the road and Dream Machines is at least 100 miles away! So the temptation is there to go to Offord instead and that is before you take price into consideration.
I also noticed Offord's much discounted servicing costs in comparison to franchised dealers. Do they still do the same thing at the end of the day? Would it still be a "full TVR service history" if you did get the car serviced there?
I am getting the T350C from Dream Machines. I would like to keep the servicing and all work to do with the car with Dream Machines, but I live in Cambridge. Offord motor company is 15 miles or so down the road and Dream Machines is at least 100 miles away! So the temptation is there to go to Offord instead and that is before you take price into consideration.
I also noticed Offord's much discounted servicing costs in comparison to franchised dealers. Do they still do the same thing at the end of the day? Would it still be a "full TVR service history" if you did get the car serviced there?
A decent independent is easily as good as a main dealer when it comes to servicing/general maintenance. If your engine is out of factory warranty I would use Offords or another local place. Legally, you should be able to use any professional place even in the engine warranty period, but for some reason I think TVR might try to wriggle out of it.
Alternative places closer than 'your' dealer:
Castle TVR, TVR Centre or even TVR Power (who I think I would trust the most as they rebuild these engines).
Alternative places closer than 'your' dealer:
Castle TVR, TVR Centre or even TVR Power (who I think I would trust the most as they rebuild these engines).
That does indeed sound like a keen price......
However I've just paid for my (well the cars') 30K service which, on paper, was supposed to be £450ish (plusVAT).
By the time they find a few things that need doing (and I mean NEED - you can't run a car like this on a shoestring!), you're talking the wrong side of a bag of sand!!
Sounds a lot, but £50 here, £100 there, soon adds up
Not that it's not worth it mind
, just make sure whoever does the service lets you know before they carry out any <ahem> 'extras'
However I've just paid for my (well the cars') 30K service which, on paper, was supposed to be £450ish (plusVAT).
By the time they find a few things that need doing (and I mean NEED - you can't run a car like this on a shoestring!), you're talking the wrong side of a bag of sand!!
Sounds a lot, but £50 here, £100 there, soon adds up
Not that it's not worth it mind
, just make sure whoever does the service lets you know before they carry out any <ahem> 'extras'Yep, Penninsula, Racing Green, Silverstone or TVR Power, there is no-one I would ever use again within an 80 mile radius of where I live in Gloucestershire, as I have found that no matter what you spend on a service by my local dealers (and I'm talking thousands!), they still treat you and your car with seemingly utter contempt!
Nelly1 you've paid £450 plus VAT for a 6000 mile spec service? Offords are quoting for a 12000 mile service.
There's about £200 RRP plus VAT worth of parts for a Speed Six 12000 mile and tappet service and upto about 12 hours of work. So Offords are doing upto 12 hours of work for circa £240 and then making 20-30% on the parts. Plus getting the car into their garage, means that they'll get the dosh for any extra work that's required too (as per nelly1's comment). They'll also build up their customer base, so if any customers have accidents or want to sell their cars in the future, they'll hopefully turn to Offords for help, which makes good business sense.
A dodgy garage (and I'm not saying this about Offords - I don't know them) might not use TVR or TVR recommended parts and oils (or even replace everything they're suppose to) and so could easily make a bigger profit on the parts element of the bill. And a dodgy garage might not do all the upto 12 hours work they're suppose to do as part of the service, merely wipe the dirt and excess oil off.
There's about £200 RRP plus VAT worth of parts for a Speed Six 12000 mile and tappet service and upto about 12 hours of work. So Offords are doing upto 12 hours of work for circa £240 and then making 20-30% on the parts. Plus getting the car into their garage, means that they'll get the dosh for any extra work that's required too (as per nelly1's comment). They'll also build up their customer base, so if any customers have accidents or want to sell their cars in the future, they'll hopefully turn to Offords for help, which makes good business sense.
A dodgy garage (and I'm not saying this about Offords - I don't know them) might not use TVR or TVR recommended parts and oils (or even replace everything they're suppose to) and so could easily make a bigger profit on the parts element of the bill. And a dodgy garage might not do all the upto 12 hours work they're suppose to do as part of the service, merely wipe the dirt and excess oil off.
Golden Boy said:
As someone who is in the trade, all I will say on te matter is a. you can't beat a full offical dealer service history and b. a specialist bit of kit like a TVR needs to be looked after properly and by someone with access to the right kit and information, ie. a main dealer.
Thats my opinion too and have always stuck to that rule in the past. But at more than £500 extra on top from a main dealer for a 12k service, it's always best to check whats on offer.
Main Dealer it is then untill the car i buy falls outside warrany.
Best places to go would be TVR Power or the factory (who I understand do some servicing). Have a short break in Blackpool while its being serviced. I plan to use one of these 2 for my 12k (or possibly Silverstone since they have a good rep and I'm sure I remember some kind of linkup between TVR Power and Silverstone TVR.
Why choose these? Well they build Speed Sixes and they will hopefully have any parts the car may need.
Why choose these? Well they build Speed Sixes and they will hopefully have any parts the car may need.
kmpowell said:
Golden Boy said:
As someone who is in the trade, all I will say on te matter is a. you can't beat a full offical dealer service history and b. a specialist bit of kit like a TVR needs to be looked after properly and by someone with access to the right kit and information, ie. a main dealer.
Thats my opinion too and have always stuck to that rule in the past. But at more than £500 extra on top from a main dealer for a 12k service, it's always best to check whats on offer.
Main Dealer it is then untill the car i buy falls outside warrany.
Are you trying to tell me that the only way to a decent service is to take it to a main dealer?
Excuuuuuse me - but PAH!
From my bitter experience (and many others, if these forums are to be believed), most Main Dealers couldn't give a XXXX about giving you a decent 'service' (in all manifestations of the word!).
I'm sure there are many who use the premise of an officially stamped service book just to get you there.
Once in, they can sell you as much snake oil as they like!
Just because they give you a piece of TVR Headed paper at the end saying what's been done, this does not make it so.
How many people who rely on Main Dealers actually ask for proof of, or physically check on what's been done?
How many Tuscan owners unbolt the bonnet and check whether the oil filter has really been changed?
How many 350 owners do before and after checks on their brake fluid?
If you can show me a completely honest Main Dealer (from any Marque), then I'll show you a lying b*stard!!
>> Edited by nelly1 on Sunday 22 May 22:11
>> Edited by nelly1 on Sunday 22 May 22:14
nelly1 said:
If you can show me a completely honest Main Dealer (from any Marque), then I'll show you a lying b*stard!!
Think you need to be careful making accusations like that.
Silverstone TVR are one of the only dealerships I have ever been to where I never feel like I am being bent over, and I work in the Motor Industry so I have seen a few.
Having 'dropped in' on numerous occasions and wandered around their workshops, I have seen how these boys take care of other peoples cars and it is beyond reproach. No car is ever left outside over night, they are serviced meticulously by a highly skilled professional team who refuse to cut corners, their entire ethos is one of quality in work and service and I have yet to find anything which contradicts this.
I have yet to speak to or hear of anyone who has a bad word to say about them, which is quite an achievement in the motor industry.
People in this business, especially with a group of enthusiasts, live or die by their brand and how they deal with their customers is key.
On the question of value, you look at any volume brand Main dealer and they are charging upwards of £75+VAT an hour labour rate which would make a 12k Speed 6 service £900+VAT before you put any parts into the bill. All of a sudden the £750/800 looks like reasonable value for what you get from these lads.
>> Edited by ed on Monday 23 May 09:29
ed said:
If you can show me a completely honest Main Dealer (from any Marque), then I'll show you a lying b*stard!!
Think you need to be careful making accusations like that.
Silverstone TVR are one of the only dealerships I have ever been to where I never feel like I am being bent over, and I work in the Motor Industry so I have seen a few.
Having 'dropped in' on numerous occasions and wandered around their workshops, I have seen how these boys take care of other peoples cars and it is beyond reproach. No car is ever left outside over night, they are serviced meticulously by a highly skilled professional team who refuse to cut corners, their entire ethos is one of quality in work and service and I have yet to find anything which contradicts this.
I have yet to speak to or hear of anyone who has a bad word to say about them, which is quite an achievement in the motor industry.
People in this business, especially with a group of enthusiasts, live or die by their brand and how they deal with their customers is key.
On the question of value, you look at any volume brand Main dealer and they are charging upwards of £75+VAT an hour labour rate which would make a 12k Speed 6 service £900+VAT before you put any parts into the bill. All of a sudden the £750/800 looks like reasonable value for what you get from these lads.
Ok, maybe there are a couple!
Bit too much wine and rant mode was well and truly on, but.......you know what I was getting at
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