Which Tuscan to buy?
Discussion
Hi,
As a newbie to TVR's I'm about to buy my first, and it's going to have to be a Tuscan due to its beautiful curves and growling engine. However, I have less than £20k to spend and therefore are looking for a second hand version. I have been studying PH's adverts for some time and notice there are a whole host of different Tuscan's ranging from 3.6L to 4.3L with the most common being the 4.0L model. There are also Speed Six and S versions, all of which are a bit of a mystery to me. There are many that were born in or around the turn of the century and now a few others in 2002-2004 that are creaping into my price range.
Please can someone tell me which one to buy or which one to avoid before I part with my hard earned cash?
Any help would be much appreciated!
Daz
As a newbie to TVR's I'm about to buy my first, and it's going to have to be a Tuscan due to its beautiful curves and growling engine. However, I have less than £20k to spend and therefore are looking for a second hand version. I have been studying PH's adverts for some time and notice there are a whole host of different Tuscan's ranging from 3.6L to 4.3L with the most common being the 4.0L model. There are also Speed Six and S versions, all of which are a bit of a mystery to me. There are many that were born in or around the turn of the century and now a few others in 2002-2004 that are creaping into my price range.
Please can someone tell me which one to buy or which one to avoid before I part with my hard earned cash?
Any help would be much appreciated!
Daz
Before you buy, I would spend a lot of time going back through all the postings on this forum!
The Tuscan is a fantastic car but you need to go into ownership with your eyes wide open.
In a nutshell, the Tuscan has an engine known as the 'speed 6' it came in 3.6 litre and 4.0 from the factory. The 4.3 is an upgrade offered by TVR Power.
There are 2 versions of the 4.0 the 'S' and the non 'S'. The 'S' puts out a bit more BHP and has other mods to the car itself (upgraded brakes etc)
The early speed 6 engines were prone to engine failure (and some of the later ones as well!). You should look for one which has had a recent rebuild to latest spec.
If your budget is £20k, I would look for a £16k-17k model with rebuild and new clutch and tuck the balance away for a rainy day.
Good luck!
The Tuscan is a fantastic car but you need to go into ownership with your eyes wide open.
In a nutshell, the Tuscan has an engine known as the 'speed 6' it came in 3.6 litre and 4.0 from the factory. The 4.3 is an upgrade offered by TVR Power.
There are 2 versions of the 4.0 the 'S' and the non 'S'. The 'S' puts out a bit more BHP and has other mods to the car itself (upgraded brakes etc)
The early speed 6 engines were prone to engine failure (and some of the later ones as well!). You should look for one which has had a recent rebuild to latest spec.
If your budget is £20k, I would look for a £16k-17k model with rebuild and new clutch and tuck the balance away for a rainy day.
Good luck!
Or look at a Tamora. Simerler performance under a different body. 3.6 engine is just a quick in real terms as the 4.0l and if your on a tight budget, you'll get a lower milage, or newer Tamora than Tuscan. Some people don't like the look of them (but who cares...) and you do get a full convertible as oposed to the targa on the Tuscan.
Paul
Paul
Yeah, do lots of research and speak to different people. TVR is a specialist car, and if you don't know what to look for, I would strongly suggest get the help from the expert. I am not exactly a Mclaren mechanics, so if I saw a Tuscan with a clunking engine, don't laugh if someone told me that it was supposed to be like that, I would believe in it at the beginning. A simple example with all respect, I wonder how many Tuscan owners thought they have air conditioning in their cars. I tell you why i said that. I asked Rob Ingleby (a well regard TVR hunter) to look for a Tuscan for me. He saved me lots of time and leg work. He negoitated hard for me and the money he had saved for me was a lot more than the fee i paid him. Anyway, while he was sourcing a few cars with advertised air conditioning, Rob opened the bonnet and ask "so where is the condensor then?"... it turned out those cars have no air con at all but the owners were told the cars have air conditioning when they were sold. so....
I agree with the above poster but i think you would be doing yourself a disservice if you only focussed your interest on cars that have had a rebuild. There are plenty of speed 6 engines (not just Tuscans) that are running strong with lots of miles on the clock. As with any purchase, be sure to have the car properly inspected. You are about to 'invest' in a handbuilt, high performance, sports car. Each one is as individual as you are. As you have no doubt picked up from the various threads on the speed 6 forum, buying one with an engine rebuild is no guarantee of future longevity - there is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that the longevity of the engine comes down to how it has been treated. If buying privately, see how the seller of the car drives the car during the test drive. Any car, particularly speed 6's, need to be properly warmed up before pressing the loud pedal.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Tuscan Wil said:
I wonder how many Tuscan owners thought they have air conditioning in their cars.....
AH Yes, well.... we wont comment on that one will we....
.... I even tried to get it repaired.I can still hear the haunting words, "Cant find any AC Sir"...(snigger snigger).
Good luck and best not to ask my advice.
so called said:
Tuscan Wil said:
I wonder how many Tuscan owners thought they have air conditioning in their cars.....
AH Yes, well.... we wont comment on that one will we........ I even tried to get it repaired.I can still hear the haunting words, "Cant find any AC Sir"...(snigger snigger).
Good luck and best not to ask my advice.
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