A Few T350 Question
Discussion
I know, yet another set of questions.
Been looking at these for a while, do many owners use these as every day cars? Mine would be a short trip to work & back, 10-15 mins each way.
And fun for weekends
My biggest concern is how do these compare to Tuscan reliability? Does the T350 need an engine rebuild like the Tuscans seem to need.
What are they like for parts should a problem arise. Are they fairly easy to source or would my pride & joy spend weeks in a garage waiting for parts to arrive?
I've only just bought myself a new(ish) car as was thinking of getting a T350 in the spring, but i don't thing i can hold on much longer.
I've had a Cerb before, and since I sold it i've always wanted another TVR.
Any help or pointers would be great
PS. Anyone fancy a 2005(55) BMW M3 coupe fully loaded with toys.
Been looking at these for a while, do many owners use these as every day cars? Mine would be a short trip to work & back, 10-15 mins each way.
And fun for weekends
My biggest concern is how do these compare to Tuscan reliability? Does the T350 need an engine rebuild like the Tuscans seem to need.
What are they like for parts should a problem arise. Are they fairly easy to source or would my pride & joy spend weeks in a garage waiting for parts to arrive?
I've only just bought myself a new(ish) car as was thinking of getting a T350 in the spring, but i don't thing i can hold on much longer.
I've had a Cerb before, and since I sold it i've always wanted another TVR.
Any help or pointers would be great
PS. Anyone fancy a 2005(55) BMW M3 coupe fully loaded with toys.
I have a T350T and i find its one of the easyier cars to use everyday as long as you have a back up just in case things go pear shaped. It is important that you warm it up so driving 10-15 mins will more than likely be a drive to and from work that you would have to do sensibly so you don't break it. As far as i know most parts are quite easy to get a hold of. though it could spend a while in the garage if something goes badly wrong so once again you may need a run around for a little bit a company car etc... Though if you do buy one expect a smile 2 miles wide my friend. Hope this helps and no i could not swap my T350 for a M3 sorry.... to much fun 
Yeah, I've used mine pretty much every day for a similar journey to work (10-20mins). It's perfectly managable and gets me to the office with a big smile on my face.
To echo what Dan said about warming the engine, if much of your journey is on the motorway or dual carriageways you might find that the car barely gets up to a temperature where you can take it much above 3,000rpm.
The perceived wisdon is that you don't take the revs above 2.5k until the oil temperature gets over 40 degrees - at this engine speed 5th gear gets you to just over 60mph. Not much fun on a motorway or dual carriageway and if your doing a reasonably constant 62mph it takes an age for the (indicated) oil temperature to get above 40.
For my route, I have the choice of coming through the back roads / villages (15-20 mins) or taking the A14 (10-15 mins). Going through the villages means the oil is normally above 60 for the last mile or so so I can begin to stretch the car's legs a little. If I take the A14 it's barely above 40 which means < 3000rpm
That said, you don't have to travel everywhere flat out to enjoy driving it - it's a very pleasant place to be!
Good luck with your search.
Mark
To echo what Dan said about warming the engine, if much of your journey is on the motorway or dual carriageways you might find that the car barely gets up to a temperature where you can take it much above 3,000rpm.
The perceived wisdon is that you don't take the revs above 2.5k until the oil temperature gets over 40 degrees - at this engine speed 5th gear gets you to just over 60mph. Not much fun on a motorway or dual carriageway and if your doing a reasonably constant 62mph it takes an age for the (indicated) oil temperature to get above 40.
For my route, I have the choice of coming through the back roads / villages (15-20 mins) or taking the A14 (10-15 mins). Going through the villages means the oil is normally above 60 for the last mile or so so I can begin to stretch the car's legs a little. If I take the A14 it's barely above 40 which means < 3000rpm
That said, you don't have to travel everywhere flat out to enjoy driving it - it's a very pleasant place to be!
Good luck with your search.
Mark
I bought mine with that very use in mind, I have had Porsches for 20yrs and wanted something different.
I have resisted the urge to get a TVR for so long but caved in about 3mths ago.
It is a totally different drive experience, you will find yourself checking all the temps and pressures constantly on the various digital gauges.
You will be very careful driving for the first few miles until warm you will be listening out for anything that dosnt sound right and get paranoid when in traffic as to weather that burning smell or fuel smell is coming from your Tiv.
That said i wouldnt swap it for the world, I love walking up to my car and admiring its curves, i love the way you have to open the door with a secret button, the way the leather smells upon entry, the start up procedure is pure flash gordon, then the noise and rumble as you move off.
You dont have to drive this car fast to enjoy the experience, but when you do, get ready to have the biggest boner ever.
Enough said, i think i am going to have to have a drive now.
Stephen
I have resisted the urge to get a TVR for so long but caved in about 3mths ago.
It is a totally different drive experience, you will find yourself checking all the temps and pressures constantly on the various digital gauges.
You will be very careful driving for the first few miles until warm you will be listening out for anything that dosnt sound right and get paranoid when in traffic as to weather that burning smell or fuel smell is coming from your Tiv.
That said i wouldnt swap it for the world, I love walking up to my car and admiring its curves, i love the way you have to open the door with a secret button, the way the leather smells upon entry, the start up procedure is pure flash gordon, then the noise and rumble as you move off.
You dont have to drive this car fast to enjoy the experience, but when you do, get ready to have the biggest boner ever.
Enough said, i think i am going to have to have a drive now.
Stephen
SteveO... said:
hab1966 said:
snmvaio said:
It is a totally different drive experience, you will find yourself checking all the temps and pressures constantly on the various digital gauges.
So it's not just me doing this!!J
i cant really comment on any off ur questions as i only picked my t350 up 9 days ago and have already registered about 800 miles in it,
when i brought it, it was with the intention of using it as a weekend car only, but since i have had it i have been very suprised at how easy it is to drive in all conditions.
and i will agree with some of these posts, u find urself always looking at the gauges especially the oil temp and pressure.
they do take a long time to warm up, and if im going anywhere i try to make sure that it is thourghly warmed up when i get there as i do not want to keep stop/starting the engine, just be very careful, i dont take mine above 2k revs untill it gets to 60 oC and 4k revs before it reaches 80 oC.
it really is a beautiful car to drive, just be carful in wet conditions, try to use as many gears as poss so u dont rev to high and let the back slip.
oh and try to buy from a dealership, i throughily recommend racing green, they are a tvr specialst, and have their own parts dept, so u can always get what u need, and they are very friendly, and patient, as im always on the phone to CHRIS who sold me the car, quality people
oh and no matter what car u look at nothing will compare to the performance, looks and desirabilty of a tvr, and u will be one of a few opposed to one of many owning them
when i brought it, it was with the intention of using it as a weekend car only, but since i have had it i have been very suprised at how easy it is to drive in all conditions.
and i will agree with some of these posts, u find urself always looking at the gauges especially the oil temp and pressure.
they do take a long time to warm up, and if im going anywhere i try to make sure that it is thourghly warmed up when i get there as i do not want to keep stop/starting the engine, just be very careful, i dont take mine above 2k revs untill it gets to 60 oC and 4k revs before it reaches 80 oC.
it really is a beautiful car to drive, just be carful in wet conditions, try to use as many gears as poss so u dont rev to high and let the back slip.
oh and try to buy from a dealership, i throughily recommend racing green, they are a tvr specialst, and have their own parts dept, so u can always get what u need, and they are very friendly, and patient, as im always on the phone to CHRIS who sold me the car, quality people
oh and no matter what car u look at nothing will compare to the performance, looks and desirabilty of a tvr, and u will be one of a few opposed to one of many owning them
Everyday car in as much as you can definitely use it everyday but not everyday as in run of the mill.
My T350 is my only car, I've never had a 'back up car just in case' because I can't imagine why I'd ever choose to own a car I was expecting/hoping to never use.
Sure I know the guys at my chosen garage pretty well but I think that might be because I do a riduculously high mileage and if I had a German (for instance) car I know them just as well - obviously they would be different guys at a different garage.
I need a car for my work and if I thought I couldn't rely on my car working (more often than not) then I would probably have to get something less fun, less fast, less eye-catching but I'm happy that I can use it, almost abuse it and wear various bit out, break bits off it and still expect it to work with the help of the guys at the garage who always seem to get whatever I need to keep it going. That is not to say I purposely trash it but with almost 100,000 miles on the clock bits do inevitably wear out. Buy it, use it, drive it. Every day.
My T350 is my only car, I've never had a 'back up car just in case' because I can't imagine why I'd ever choose to own a car I was expecting/hoping to never use.
Sure I know the guys at my chosen garage pretty well but I think that might be because I do a riduculously high mileage and if I had a German (for instance) car I know them just as well - obviously they would be different guys at a different garage.
I need a car for my work and if I thought I couldn't rely on my car working (more often than not) then I would probably have to get something less fun, less fast, less eye-catching but I'm happy that I can use it, almost abuse it and wear various bit out, break bits off it and still expect it to work with the help of the guys at the garage who always seem to get whatever I need to keep it going. That is not to say I purposely trash it but with almost 100,000 miles on the clock bits do inevitably wear out. Buy it, use it, drive it. Every day.
Well done that man.Don't pop the champagne corks yet. 100,000 miles should be in or soon after the new year and I don't want to tempt fate. (I 've got a couple more trackdays to squeeze in before then).
On the rebuild issue - My car was built Feb/Mar 2004 and I had an engine rebuild in 2007 at 60,000 miles. It hadn't blown up or anything major but it was sounding very tappetty and apparently there wasn't any adjustment left (whatever that means). I believe a couple of the valves were in a bad way so I spent the money on a rebuild before anything catastrophic happened and committed myself to running it for at least another couple of years, hence the intergalactic mileage. Now I can't imagine what I'd replace it with as the T350 is undoubtedly the best car I've ever had.
On the rebuild issue - My car was built Feb/Mar 2004 and I had an engine rebuild in 2007 at 60,000 miles. It hadn't blown up or anything major but it was sounding very tappetty and apparently there wasn't any adjustment left (whatever that means). I believe a couple of the valves were in a bad way so I spent the money on a rebuild before anything catastrophic happened and committed myself to running it for at least another couple of years, hence the intergalactic mileage. Now I can't imagine what I'd replace it with as the T350 is undoubtedly the best car I've ever had.
Edited by shorts! on Sunday 5th October 23:27
shorts! said:
Don't pop the champagne corks yet. 100,000 miles should be in or soon after the new year and I don't want to tempt fate. (I 've got a couple more trackdays to squeeze in before then).
On the rebuild issue - Mine car was built Feb/Mar 2004 and I had an engine rebuild in 2007 at 60,000 miles. It hadn't blown up or anything major but it was sounding very tappetty and apparently there wasn't any adjustment left (whatever that means). I believe a couple of the valves were in a bad way so I spent the money on a rebuild before anything catastrophic happened and committed myself to running it for at least another couple of years, hence the intergalactic mileage. Now I can't imagine what I'd replace it with as the T350 is undoubtedly the best car I've ever had.
You made right move, the valves gradually wear into the head leaving no adjustment left (ie. shims keep being removed until only thinnest left)On the rebuild issue - Mine car was built Feb/Mar 2004 and I had an engine rebuild in 2007 at 60,000 miles. It hadn't blown up or anything major but it was sounding very tappetty and apparently there wasn't any adjustment left (whatever that means). I believe a couple of the valves were in a bad way so I spent the money on a rebuild before anything catastrophic happened and committed myself to running it for at least another couple of years, hence the intergalactic mileage. Now I can't imagine what I'd replace it with as the T350 is undoubtedly the best car I've ever had.
but 60k is good mileage for such a powerful high-revving engine. Plenty of work needed on Ferrari/Lambo engines at similar mileages apparently.
I'll also be keeping mine for many years, for road and track. So many people come up & say how gorgeous it is, yet it also now spanks GT3RS's in the dry AND wet. Just won the TVR class today at Debden Sprint in a monsoon
I am in the same boat as Simon. I drive a 335i at the moment which is a great tool but I have never really made my heart jump in the same way as a T350.
Looking at the possibility of swapping as my wife has traded up to a larger car. These engine rebuilds that are discussed. What sort of budget should I be setting aside ?
John
Looking at the possibility of swapping as my wife has traded up to a larger car. These engine rebuilds that are discussed. What sort of budget should I be setting aside ?
John
John the Blind said:
I am in the same boat as Simon. I drive a 335i at the moment which is a great tool but I have never really made my heart jump in the same way as a T350.
Looking at the possibility of swapping as my wife has traded up to a larger car. These engine rebuilds that are discussed. What sort of budget should I be setting aside ?
John
TVR Power's website has some examples of rebuild costs.Looking at the possibility of swapping as my wife has traded up to a larger car. These engine rebuilds that are discussed. What sort of budget should I be setting aside ?
John
tail slide said:
shorts! said:
Don't pop the champagne corks yet. 100,000 miles should be in or soon after the new year and I don't want to tempt fate. (I 've got a couple more trackdays to squeeze in before then).
On the rebuild issue - Mine car was built Feb/Mar 2004 and I had an engine rebuild in 2007 at 60,000 miles. It hadn't blown up or anything major but it was sounding very tappetty and apparently there wasn't any adjustment left (whatever that means). I believe a couple of the valves were in a bad way so I spent the money on a rebuild before anything catastrophic happened and committed myself to running it for at least another couple of years, hence the intergalactic mileage. Now I can't imagine what I'd replace it with as the T350 is undoubtedly the best car I've ever had.
You made right move, the valves gradually wear into the head leaving no adjustment left (ie. shims keep being removed until only thinnest left)On the rebuild issue - Mine car was built Feb/Mar 2004 and I had an engine rebuild in 2007 at 60,000 miles. It hadn't blown up or anything major but it was sounding very tappetty and apparently there wasn't any adjustment left (whatever that means). I believe a couple of the valves were in a bad way so I spent the money on a rebuild before anything catastrophic happened and committed myself to running it for at least another couple of years, hence the intergalactic mileage. Now I can't imagine what I'd replace it with as the T350 is undoubtedly the best car I've ever had.
but 60k is good mileage for such a powerful high-revving engine. Plenty of work needed on Ferrari/Lambo engines at similar mileages apparently.
I'll also be keeping mine for many years, for road and track. So many people come up & say how gorgeous it is, yet it also now spanks GT3RS's in the dry AND wet. Just won the TVR class today at Debden Sprint in a monsoon
Ok, made my mind up.
once i've sold the M3 I will be in the market for a T350.
Anyone for a nice sensible coupe.......
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/736373.htm
once i've sold the M3 I will be in the market for a T350.
Anyone for a nice sensible coupe.......
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/736373.htm
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