Thinking of buying a T350c ??
Discussion
I'd make sure your wife likes to drive it - many women find the 'character' too much. If she's a confirmed petrolhead then maybe she'll love it of course...
Otherwise, but on condition - not age, and see how the owner treats it when cold. Early cars with an engine rebuild are a good thing IMHO (can of worms, open).
Otherwise, but on condition - not age, and see how the owner treats it when cold. Early cars with an engine rebuild are a good thing IMHO (can of worms, open).
splattgo said:
Its a Slk 32 (354Bhp) not a 320 (218Bhp).
She does like her motors, the main thing that concerns me is the traction and the car swapping ends.
I understand that the build of the merc will be superior but have had it 2 years and fancy a change.
Thanks
Matt
She does like her motors, the main thing that concerns me is the traction and the car swapping ends.
I understand that the build of the merc will be superior but have had it 2 years and fancy a change.
Thanks
Matt
trust me the car swapping ends is the least of your problem, more of a concern will be the weekly repairs and lack of spares due to factory closing
bennno
funky said:
I don't believe there will be a lack of spares myself as there's so many great specialists out there. Do you really think there will be weekly repairs? I've never heard of anyone quite that unfortunate myself!
Quite right, I am sure that any of the specalists could knock up a chassis, nose cone, suspension winshbone, exhaust manifolds, engine block or say a new dashboard pod now the factory where all these items are made is being closed.
Thats whats great about pistonheads, somebody can come on here and get advice about tvr ownership from somebody thats never owned a tvr
bennno
For me its mostly been trivial stuff like sensors.I had my radiator replaced because of a pinhole leak but no disasters.Just had its 18k service
I use it everyday in London and on busines trips.Since I bought mine in April 05 the dealer has had it for 8 working days including services.Just had sports exhausts fitted as well-well worth it!
A TVR doesn't have the detailed build qaulity of a Merc ( I owned an AMG E320 for three years) and if you are prepared for that you will be fine.They are well put together as you'd except of a car that can get north of 160 in no time at all. Its more a race car in a smart suit than a conventional car with a lot of power so it will feel very raw at first but frankly after a short while you may find it completely addictive.
Just my experience
In my experience the dealers are fine,they have really looked after me
and I have had no complaints (TVR Barnet).
For the detail have a look at the top of this forum where there is a sticky reporting common problems and fixes.
I use it everyday in London and on busines trips.Since I bought mine in April 05 the dealer has had it for 8 working days including services.Just had sports exhausts fitted as well-well worth it!
A TVR doesn't have the detailed build qaulity of a Merc ( I owned an AMG E320 for three years) and if you are prepared for that you will be fine.They are well put together as you'd except of a car that can get north of 160 in no time at all. Its more a race car in a smart suit than a conventional car with a lot of power so it will feel very raw at first but frankly after a short while you may find it completely addictive.
Just my experience
In my experience the dealers are fine,they have really looked after me
and I have had no complaints (TVR Barnet).
For the detail have a look at the top of this forum where there is a sticky reporting common problems and fixes.
Edited by sidewayz on Saturday 25th November 18:14
No anger, its just my belief now that unless you consider a Griff or Chimera then service and spares support is going to be very difficult moving forwards. Its a weekends and holidays car but IMHO will drive you nuts on an everyday basis.
Forget the probs you have had with your merc, tvr's blow up engines, break differentials, collapse their suspension, have welds on the chassis that come apart, power steering that fails, explode their cats or clutches, rub their wheels on the bodywork, have windows or doors that work one minute and not the next, have doors and bonnets that drop and rub and if left in the rain will at some point fill up with a considerable amount of water and stink.
If the above sounds like generalisation then please check my profile as I've owned five and all of the above happened to my car or one of two close friends.
Perhaps a bit of bitterness that the Griff isnt still available or a modern sucessor as this was probably the best sorted of the lot, even if the t350 was a slightly sharper handling car.
Bennno
...forgot blow petrol in your face ever time you fill up and spit chunks of ice at you from the dash vents..
Forget the probs you have had with your merc, tvr's blow up engines, break differentials, collapse their suspension, have welds on the chassis that come apart, power steering that fails, explode their cats or clutches, rub their wheels on the bodywork, have windows or doors that work one minute and not the next, have doors and bonnets that drop and rub and if left in the rain will at some point fill up with a considerable amount of water and stink.
If the above sounds like generalisation then please check my profile as I've owned five and all of the above happened to my car or one of two close friends.
Perhaps a bit of bitterness that the Griff isnt still available or a modern sucessor as this was probably the best sorted of the lot, even if the t350 was a slightly sharper handling car.
Bennno
...forgot blow petrol in your face ever time you fill up and spit chunks of ice at you from the dash vents..
Edited by bennno on Saturday 25th November 19:25
splattgo said:
You seem a little bitter, like I have touched a nerve ??
Sense anger ??
Whats up ??
To be fair my merc has not been all that great !!
Bad electrical faults, bad aftercare etc !!
Can anyone give me the main problems with the T350C ??
Thanks
Matt
Sense anger ??
Whats up ??
To be fair my merc has not been all that great !!
Bad electrical faults, bad aftercare etc !!
Can anyone give me the main problems with the T350C ??
Thanks
Matt
Bennno had one of the early T350s IIRC which was a bad one, hence what you refer to as bitterness.
Im on my 2nd one now and both have been great cars, however the current one (55 reg) does seem slightly better put together than my 1st (03) which was a pretty good car i might add.
Can be used daily very easy to drive, my girlfriend has driven mine no problem but doesnt anymore as im a bad passenger and make her too nervous.
Only problem with current car was one of the oil pressure senders needed replacing and has been fine since.
Dont use mine daily, if you use daily for a short commute to work and back the only thing which may get a little annoying is letting the oil warm up before you can increase the revs (which you MUST do). The oil can take 10-15 mins to get upto to a good 60-70 deg C. If your journeys short then then youll be restricted to 3k revs everywhere and i'll guarantee you that during this time you'll get every scrote in his supped up corsa etc up your arse.
If you do decide to buy then try and get the latest model possible
Edited by maxx-waxx on Saturday 25th November 19:39
splattgo said:
Anybody with a T350c thinks that there is case for modern tvrs ??
Thanks for your opinion.
Matt
Thanks for your opinion.
Matt
Never owned an old one just a Tuscan mk 1 and my current T350.
Never had a serious problem with either and certainly nothing like the problems Benno describes. Benno certainly seems to have had a very bad experience but I don't beleive this is typical.
There have been problems with earlier 4litre sixes but post 04 they seem to be OK. (No doubt someone will now post that they bought a new six just last week and it went bang after 4 miles. Doubt thats common.)
The warranty you can get with a new one can be extended after three years/36k miles after an inspection by a dealer and correcting any faults.This can include wear and tear for a premium that sounds expensive at around £1500 but if anything serious does go wrong you are covered.
As for making a case for the modern cars all you have to do is drive one- you will either love it in which case there is little else like it or you will know for sure its not for you.
If you love it then you will have to put up with owning a rare car that turns heads and has greasemarks on the driver window from people peering in to admire one of the best interiors on the planet.
Edited by sidewayz on Saturday 25th November 19:51
My own experience was first having a Chimaera that was a pile of poo, and almost put me off TVR for life. The T350 I have now, once properly fettled, has been pretty good.
On reflection my assessment of bad TVR moments is when the car you buy has not been maintained properly or you have been ripped off by scurrilous dealers. It pays to try to fix things yourself (if you are mech minded) and ask the PH forum about any problems you encounter.
I would not recommend a TVR for people who want to drive it and forget it. They are wonderful for people who love cars/motorsport/engineering, and have the setup that allows for the car being off the road from time to time.
Today as I was in the petrol station standing in the queue to pay, I looked out at the forecourt otherwise full of blandmobiles, apart from the t350 which was like a shining light in amongst the Blair induced pc mediocrity.
On reflection my assessment of bad TVR moments is when the car you buy has not been maintained properly or you have been ripped off by scurrilous dealers. It pays to try to fix things yourself (if you are mech minded) and ask the PH forum about any problems you encounter.
I would not recommend a TVR for people who want to drive it and forget it. They are wonderful for people who love cars/motorsport/engineering, and have the setup that allows for the car being off the road from time to time.
Today as I was in the petrol station standing in the queue to pay, I looked out at the forecourt otherwise full of blandmobiles, apart from the t350 which was like a shining light in amongst the Blair induced pc mediocrity.
My experience:
1) Griff 500. Pretty good car, never let me down. Rear shock collapsed after 30k miles.
2) Cerbera. Money pit - clutch, constant engine tuning, electrical issues.
3) t350c. Absolutely great. Used it every day as my only car for 14k miles in 12 months. Only sold it when I bought a house close to work and couldn't justify it being sat on the drive all the time.
4) Chimaera. Bought it needing work, still in pieces. Damned thing!
So, in my opinion, if you believe TVR/TVR Power will be around to sell you parts, i'd chose a t350 over every other type of TVR for an everyday car.
1) Griff 500. Pretty good car, never let me down. Rear shock collapsed after 30k miles.
2) Cerbera. Money pit - clutch, constant engine tuning, electrical issues.
3) t350c. Absolutely great. Used it every day as my only car for 14k miles in 12 months. Only sold it when I bought a house close to work and couldn't justify it being sat on the drive all the time.
4) Chimaera. Bought it needing work, still in pieces. Damned thing!
So, in my opinion, if you believe TVR/TVR Power will be around to sell you parts, i'd chose a t350 over every other type of TVR for an everyday car.
targarama said:
Early cars with an engine rebuild are a good thing IMHO (can of worms, open).
Really sorry to hijack this thread for a moment...I am a 450 Chim owner, but after London Thunder I fell for the T350 and am thinking of adding one to the 'stable'...hence my interest in this thread...I am no mechanic and really don't know anything about the T350, so apologies if this question is a bit naive - why is an early car (2003?) with an engine rebuild a good thing?? Thanks, Oweni have an 03 T350 and its great, at last service 2k ago they told me its fine,engine on 20,000 miles now and no signs of any wear or tear. rock on. recommended to be used as often as poss, leaving them sitting is more likely to cause problems (electric and engine wise)
just go buy one! i just got home from an hour hooning around in the dark country roads of Aberdeenshire, AWESOME fun!!
DO IT!
just go buy one! i just got home from an hour hooning around in the dark country roads of Aberdeenshire, AWESOME fun!!
DO IT!
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