Newbie wants to avoid schoolboy errors! Please help

[Kingskingdom]

Hi

I have one year left before my life ends!. Well actually we are going to be starting a family in a year. So this is the year of self indulgence before I have to settle down with a Mondeo!

I have read this forum with great interest (many thanks, great source of info for people like me). Despite all the scary posts re cost of ownership, reliabilty etc. I have not been put off and want to join in the fun. However, I do not want to make a fundemental error when purchasing the car.

After weeks of searching I have finally found one that "reads OK in the Advert" and is in the right price range (upto £15,000). Interestingly enough it is advertised with the 2 1/2 years remaining on a third party warrenty! I am going to look at the car tonight, but would like to get some expert advise before parting with my hard earned cash. Would you reccomend getting an inspection done?. If so by who and what should I pay? The car is located near Heathrow. I have seen many posts refering to the marvelous Joolz. Does he provide this service.

Finally, the car is currently advertised on autotrader. 1997, 4.2, Colour red + many upgrades. £14995. This appears to be a good price. Does anybody recognise this car? if so any history or advice would be much appreciated.

Any other advice welcome

Many thanks in advance

chris

[touchingcloth]

Hi Chris,

Definitely get and inspection done, it could prove to be the best money you ever spend. Joolz is up North so too far I would imagine, my recommendation would be Steve Howard of Euphoria Racing based in High Wycombe, he is a font of all knowledge on all things TVR and particularly AJP engined ones. He can be reached on 01494 761555. Tell him to get my car finished first mind

Looks like a nice car in the add, Avo shocks as well which (whilst not quite Nitrons) should be an improvement on the standard stuff especially as it has Spiders. Check out the warranty i.e. who it is with ans ask on here again for peoples experience of the company. It is a nice bonus to have but it if it is with someone rubish then could equally be worthless. Need to look at max claim limit per claim and also how many claims etc. Also may be worth asking the owner who he has been using to service it etc. they could be another useful source of info about the car. Oh and goes without saying but make sure you get it HPI'd as well.

Good luck

Sinclair

>> Edited by touchingcloth on Monday 6th February 14:41

[cerealsurfer]

What was the red color you can't get any more?

Other than that it looks a very nice car. Do the Original Cat's come included?

[purpleheadedcerb]

I would give our very own classifieds a good look first, in particular E3D's car.

The good news is the Cerbie can stay when you get your family underway. Lots of people who use them to ferry their kids around especially in the under 10 category.

You have rightly not been put off. They are a fantastic if not quirky car which is part of their appeal. I never get bored of the jeolous looks, approving comments and people asking if they can take a picture of your car. Takes a bit of adjusting to.

Scott

[Kingskingdom]

Purplehead, dont tell the wife that it can be used for families, or I may not have a year left!

Thanks for the info will let you know how I get on this evening

[Julian64]

cerealsurfer said:

What was the red color you can't get any more? Other than that it looks a very nice car. Do the Original Cat's come included?

Rosso pearl ->not good for matching
Knightfire red ->easy to match and much better colour (doesn't fade in sunlight so badly)

[dean_ratpac]

Kingskingdom said:

Hi After weeks of searching I have finally found one that "reads OK in the Advert" and is in the right price range (upto £15,000). Interestingly enough it is advertised with the 2 1/2 years remaining on a third party warrenty!

Chris
this is not the 97 P red kinda burgandy with 18's on? if so could be a relativley good pruchase, it might have been my good friends. he had the engine rebuilt before he sold.
check the warranty terms who it with - call them. what time are you viewing?

[dean_ratpac]

Julian64 said:

cerealsurfer said: What was the red color you can't get any more? Other than that it looks a very nice car. Do the Original Cat's come included? Rosso pearl ->not good for matching Knightfire red ->easy to match and much better colour (doesn't fade in sunlight so badly)

if it is the car i'm thinking about it's not the rosso pearl that faded, seems a darker shade red burgandy.

[pic]www.theratpac.com/members/james/ratpac_lemans035.jpg this could be the smae car[/pic]

>> Edited by dean_ratpac on Monday 6th February 15:16

[Kingskingdom]

Hi

Viewing this evening at 7.30. I have asked Steve Howard to check it over for me if I think it looks ok . Well get reg tonight. If it was the ratpack car is this good or bad!

[dean_ratpac]

Kingskingdom said:

Hi Viewing this evening at 7.30. I have asked Steve Howard to check it over for me if I think it looks ok . Well get reg tonight. If it was the ratpack car is this good or bad!

he did spend a lot on this car, including two gearboxes, one with bell conversion when TVR decided to change that. a rebuild due to a bolt shearing inside - engine ran fine and was picked up by a service, typical TVR only way to replace was a rebuild. all the recipts etc should be there.

i drove this 4.2 and it was a cracker! if it still has the sports exhaust i can send you a sound/video clip. sounds fantasic!
i always look at it this way, when i see lots of reciepts etc, the person has spent toime and money on the car, not like some who have with out spending letting small items grow into big problems. see it's been serviced etc, check miles against service and mot history. if it is the car i think its a good one.



>> Edited by dean_ratpac on Monday 6th February 15:32

[Kingskingdom]

Hi

It is the ratpack car. Have just got the reg from the cutrrent owner (P22JDC) who brought it last April. What do you think is a fair price for this car. The add mentions that it has a sports exhaust, sound clip would be great.

[NJW 77]

Kingskingdom said:

Interestingly enough it is advertised with the 2 1/2 years remaining on a third party warrenty!

Chris, as others have said, check the warranty details. I say that as when I bought my cerb last year (privately) it came with best part of a year's warranty, fully transferable, supplied by a TVR main dealer.

Filled in the transfer form, sent off my £25 cheque. Cheque cashed, then get a letter saying that, as is there right ( small, very small print) they had decided not to transfer the policy to me, despite the former owner never making a claim. No refund of either transfer cheque or balance of the warranty. Had to get the dealer to get me a new policy (which they agreed to do at cost)

I underwrite my own warranty now

Hopefully your warranty company will be a bit more accomodating.

[caduceus]

Kingskingdom said:

sound clip would be great.

Even better if it was hosted on here so we could all see, I mean hear it.

[dean_ratpac]

caduceus said:

Kingskingdom said: sound clip would be great. Even better if it was hosted on here so we could all see, I mean hear it.

www.theratpac.com/events/2003/virginia_waters/pebble%20dash.mpeg

that's the best i can do from work, i do have loads at home. but having 10GB of files on a server is a bit much to go through.

[dean_ratpac]

some old videos - these i think are from early 2002
from outside:
www.theratpac.com/videos/events/cimg0001.avi
www.theratpac.com/videos/events/cimg0008.avi
from incar:
www.theratpac.com/videos/events/duxford/duxford_05.mpg
www.theratpac.com/videos/events/duxford/duxford_06.mpg
www.theratpac.com/videos/events/duxford/duxford_07.mpg
www.theratpac.com/videos/events/duxford/duxford_10.mpg
www.theratpac.com/videos/events/duxford/duxford_11.mpg
www.theratpac.com/videos/events/duxford/duxford_21.mpg
www.theratpac.com/videos/events/duxford/duxford_23.mpg

sorry it took a while, back then i wasn't so good at naming files and folders, and going through them was a trip back on memory lane when all the group had cerbies.

[kingskingdom]

Thanks everyone for the input. I hope to pick the car up later this week, subject to successful feedback re HPI, warrenty and mechanic. Looking forward to my 1st drive in a real car!

chris

[kingskingdom]

Thanks all for the advice.

Collected car today from the London. The private seller was fantastic and was a credit to all TVR owners.

The drive home to Milton Keynes was great. Can't wait to get back in the car tomorrow.

One small problem. Tried to clean the windscreen using the window washer button. |The windscreen wipers slowly dragged their way to the middle of the screen than stopped. Now the windscreen wipers are stuck and do not work at all. Any suggestions? Can anyone reccommend a good indy in the milton keynes area who can keep me up and running?

thanks chris

[Rich25]

I had this problem on my car. I assume the indicators stopped working as well? The fuse in the boot kept blowing and this lead to a series of very inrritating electrical probs - headlights staying on, windows staying down. Had to replace wiper control unit in passenger footwell.

Would get seen to asap though in case there is a fault in the loom. Because of the naturee of Cerbs build, wires can weld themselves together (especially if the car has been left outside??). This can cause multiple problems.

Hope its nothing serious, I dont wan to sound like a doom-monger! You have made a great decision and for every frown, the car will give you back triple the smile when you drive it!

[dean_ratpac]

kingskingdom said:

The windscreen wipers slowly dragged their way to the middle of the screen than stopped. Now the windscreen wipers are stuck and do not work at all. Any suggestions?

Chris,
Congrats on getting the car: check fuses, when you pressed wipers did you hold down? sometimes it takes a while for the water to get up to the wipers, that's if you had any in the first place. when you've replaced the fuse, lift the wipers off the screen., thus lettting them move free.

Dean

[touchingcloth]

dean_ratpac said:

kingskingdom said: The windscreen wipers slowly dragged their way to the middle of the screen than stopped. Now the windscreen wipers are stuck and do not work at all. Any suggestions? Chris, Congrats on getting the car: check fuses, when you pressed wipers did you hold down? sometimes it takes a while for the water to get up to the wipers, that's if you had any in the first place. when you've replaced the fuse, lift the wipers off the screen., thus lettting them move free. Dean

Yep agree with the water thing. On my old chimaeara, the motor simply could not overcome the friction caused by a dry screen so if no water or it was slow in coming then they would stop half way along or not move at all.

Congrats on the purchase.