Reliability issues
Discussion
Well, my first TVR, and I've just hit 9000 miles, since last August, and have suffered another breakdown....rear N/S indicator bulb......all this after a dirty connector on the fuel pump at 2000 miles.....oh the expense! 
Ian
Sods law dictates that the chassis will now collapse this weekend.
Ian
Sods law dictates that the chassis will now collapse this weekend.
I must admit it does make me laugh when people find out I have a TVR and they normally say something like "oh never mind, have you ever completed a journey then?" both my TVR's have behaved better than I ever imagined a 14 year old car ever could. I really hope I never sell mine, I just cant think of anything I would rather have on a nice sunny day, motoring bliss with grins to spare 
Mike
Mike
rooster said:
yup EVERY person I speak to about mine says "they arent very reliable are they"...... it drives me bonkers! 4 years and 3 months ownership and it hasnt broken down once.
14 months of ownership, a few niggles, but nothing to worry about really, the car is 16 years old and has behaved itself beyond belief considering it`s age, but it has been pampered. I am more than happy with it and lets face it, the majoriy of the S series are ford/rover parts and are pretty reliable, it makes me
a lot, so for those that don`t know any better 
rooster said:
yup EVERY person I speak to about mine says "they arent very reliable are they"...... it drives me bonkers! 4 years and 3 months ownership and it hasnt broken down once.
Snap. Drives me mad. 3 years. 1 breakdown (radiator) caused by the person who drove into me the week before!
18 months ownership spent a small fortune but having said that the things I have spent on are all the things you can expect from a 15 year old car - I have always managed a roadside fix or re route into safe get home mode when I have had a problem and have never called upon RAC etc - to put into context my 2 year old £30K BMW has been carted off twice in 2 years and my partners 2 year old Alfa has been carried away 3 times in the last 4 weeks and is now sitting in an Alfa dealership who want me to pay £300 worth of labour to find out if whatever is wrong with it is covered by the warranty !!!!!!
rooster said:
yup EVERY person I speak to about mine says "they arent very reliable are they".......
Have quite the opposite, after 17 years of daily use all people in the company consider that I have the most reliable car in the carpark
A little history:
89-90 approx GBP840
Update shocks and springs
Replace lower steering bush
New brake servo
90-91approx GBP1100
New radiator
Replace lower steering bush
New head gasket (one side)
New ballast resistor
New fuel pump relay
New rear light socket sets
New tachometer
Update lower steering bush to a real bearing
91-92 approx GBP 720
New exhaust system - stainless
New LHS top swivel joint
(Start doing my own repair work at this point!)
New battery
New "kalt" relay [water damage]
New fuel tank sender [open circuit below half tank]
New radiator fan motor [going very noisy]
92-93 approx GBP 250
New RHS semi trailing arm [rotted from interior]
New LHS wheel bearings
Repaint chassis
Repair exhaust system
94-95 approx GBP 230
Radiator repaired [end cap split]
New steering rack [become notchy around centre]
New Battery
Repair exhaust system - reweld mounting plate
New front suspension bushes (shocks)
New headlight/wiper switch assy
96-97 approx GBP400
Radiator repaired
New front springs
New water pump [no, the first one from Ford didnt fit]
Repair exhaust system - reweld mounting plate + crack
97-98 approx GBP 890
Radiator replaced [discovered why it kept splitting! mounting wasnt straight]
New LHS CV joints [gone noisy]
New clutch master cylinder
Replace lower steering bush (now it is inside the roller bearing it lasts 10 times longer)
New steering UJs
Re-glue bonnet insulation
New Hood
98 - 99
Re-shim steering rack
RHS CV joints need replacing soon
99 - 00
New ignition amplifier (Breakdown#1)
HT leads
New battery
00 - 01
Re-build steering rack
New RHS top swivel joint
New reverse light switch
Rear brake shoes + slave cylinders
01 - 02
New rear LHS light unit
Some engine hoses replaced
02 - 03
Repair fuel pump relay (re-solder again)
Corroded connectors to ballast resistor
Retighten mounting bolts etc for drivers window mechanism
Re-glue bonnet insulation
03-04
New cooling fan
04-05
Replace hoses
New steering bearing
05-06
New GAZ shocks, springs etc
Rebuild door-window mechanism
Repair radiator (Breakdown #2, at home in the garage!)
Replace steering rack gaitors
Is it me or is it getting more reliable as she gets older??with the best will in the world these are still old cars and as such we have to spend cash maintaining them
but spending this money does keep them in good nick and hence reliable
i spent 6k on parts over last winter and will probably spend the same every year or so
too much money ?
not compared to the guy I saw at my mates workshop last year who brought in a 348 ferrari with a conrod sticking out of the block
but spending this money does keep them in good nick and hence reliable
i spent 6k on parts over last winter and will probably spend the same every year or so
too much money ?
not compared to the guy I saw at my mates workshop last year who brought in a 348 ferrari with a conrod sticking out of the block
I don't count servicing costs, I gave mine a 12000 service and a good check over as soon as I bought it, came in it just over £500, apart from the Mark Adams chip and rolling road, and an intermediate oil change and check over, thats all it's needed.
Use them and service them is the key.
Use them and service them is the key.
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