Sagaris Purchase options
Discussion
OK narrowing my decision down to a Sagaris or a T350 I am looking at the 3 cheapest Sagari in the classifieds.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/763181.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/693657.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/806637.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/724996.htm
Any thoughts on them, The press car is intreaguing because of history but scary in terms of how it will have been treated.
The others are private sales.
Sorry for all the questions but I have to get this decision right!
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/763181.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/693657.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/806637.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/724996.htm
Any thoughts on them, The press car is intreaguing because of history but scary in terms of how it will have been treated.
The others are private sales.
Sorry for all the questions but I have to get this decision right!
they all look like nice cars, and some of them offer something a bit "different" rather than just being a regular car, so its up to you really.
The thing with these cars is that low mileage dosent guarantee no problems, neither does a garage queen type of car rather than one thats driven daily and tracked (if its looked after accordingly of course)
e.g. we had an 01 Tuscan a few years back, thought we were doing the right thing, it was 3 years old, but only 1 lady owner with 7K miles ...a month later the engine died and needed a rebuild ...it had spent those 7K miles driving around town going to the shops and the engine had never been fully warm in that time.
so its not really about the car IMO - its more about the owner - hows it been looked after and used ?
Personally Id be wary of someone describing their car as "faultless" as a selling point - there isnt such a thing im sure, theres bound to have been some niggles. Id be happier if someone detailed all the things that had gone wrong, and how they were put right ...at least you know then that the chances of it happening again are slim and that the usual list of niggles with that model of car are put right
If it were me, Id try to make a shortlist of cars to see, and go and see them, chat to the owners, try to test drive them as they can drive quite differently e.g. rarely did they leave the factory with the geometry set right for instance, so if the owner has never had that done, they may never have driven that car how it was supposed to handle...if theyve just been commuting in it, they probably never noticed anyway.
So driving them, looking at them in detail condition wise, have they got any extras youd like yourself, had any modifications that youd like yourself ...these can help sway a decision
The thing with these cars is that low mileage dosent guarantee no problems, neither does a garage queen type of car rather than one thats driven daily and tracked (if its looked after accordingly of course)
e.g. we had an 01 Tuscan a few years back, thought we were doing the right thing, it was 3 years old, but only 1 lady owner with 7K miles ...a month later the engine died and needed a rebuild ...it had spent those 7K miles driving around town going to the shops and the engine had never been fully warm in that time.
so its not really about the car IMO - its more about the owner - hows it been looked after and used ?
Personally Id be wary of someone describing their car as "faultless" as a selling point - there isnt such a thing im sure, theres bound to have been some niggles. Id be happier if someone detailed all the things that had gone wrong, and how they were put right ...at least you know then that the chances of it happening again are slim and that the usual list of niggles with that model of car are put right
If it were me, Id try to make a shortlist of cars to see, and go and see them, chat to the owners, try to test drive them as they can drive quite differently e.g. rarely did they leave the factory with the geometry set right for instance, so if the owner has never had that done, they may never have driven that car how it was supposed to handle...if theyve just been commuting in it, they probably never noticed anyway.
So driving them, looking at them in detail condition wise, have they got any extras youd like yourself, had any modifications that youd like yourself ...these can help sway a decision
could'nt of put it better myself. The question as to whether a press car is a good buy is an interesting one. One the plus side it will have been given extra attention at the factory in an attempt to give the best possible impression to the all important motoring press and will probably have been fitted with the 'quicker' diff (3.76). On the negative side it could well have been thrashed to death by unsympathetic journalists!!
TGJR said:
The question as to whether a press car is a good buy is an interesting one. One the plus side it will have been given extra attention at the factory in an attempt to give the best possible impression to the all important motoring press and will probably have been fitted with the 'quicker' diff (3.76). On the negative side it could well have been thrashed to death by unsympathetic journalists!!
I have also read about "Press Emgines" i.e the engines were fettled to make sure they gave the requisite HP and did not blow up whilst on test. Any truth to this?I would certainly wager that "press cars" were particularly well performing with all the quickest bits, and well looked after.
the diff can make a big difference to how lively a Sag feels - we werent 100% happy with ours, about 6 monhts in we managed to get it changed under warranty, which was nice ...I think the dealer new TVR were going titis up and tried to do favours for all their best customers LOL
the diff can make a big difference to how lively a Sag feels - we werent 100% happy with ours, about 6 monhts in we managed to get it changed under warranty, which was nice ...I think the dealer new TVR were going titis up and tried to do favours for all their best customers LOL
bogie said:
I would certainly wager that "press cars" were particularly well performing with all the quickest bits, and well looked after.
the diff can make a big difference to how lively a Sag feels - we werent 100% happy with ours, about 6 monhts in we managed to get it changed under warranty, which was nice ...I think the dealer new TVR were going titis up and tried to do favours for all their best customers LOL
You got the whole car changed! Wow!the diff can make a big difference to how lively a Sag feels - we werent 100% happy with ours, about 6 monhts in we managed to get it changed under warranty, which was nice ...I think the dealer new TVR were going titis up and tried to do favours for all their best customers LOL
TGJR said:
On the negative side it could well have been thrashed to death by unsympathetic journalists!!
Personally I think a car that has been comprehensively put through its paces by the press will suffer less than ones that have been used for pottering to the shops and back or wheeled out on Sunday mornings in a cloud of tyre smoke (because the owner has worked all week to be able to spare half an hour driving the thing, and wants to get his time's worth 
). After having been warmed up (and let's face it, if you have a 'nice' road test car the oil won't have much time to cool down again 
) these cars do benefit from 'proper' use. 900T-R said:
TGJR said:
On the negative side it could well have been thrashed to death by unsympathetic journalists!!
Personally I think a car that has been comprehensively put through its paces by the press will suffer less than ones that have been used for pottering to the shops and back or wheeled out on Sunday mornings in a cloud of tyre smoke (because the owner has worked all week to be able to spare half an hour driving the thing, and wants to get his time's worth ). After having been warmed up (and let's face it, if you have a 'nice' road test car the oil won't have much time to cool down again ) these cars do benefit from 'proper' use. Ryder35 said:
True, but how many busy journos will be warming it up properly?
Trust me - unless you get to drive cars like this all the time (and I bet even the Evo bods don't) you'll be taking it easy from the start and slowly tuning in to the responses of the car before giving it johnny large potatoes. You don't just get in an unknown to you 400ish bhp, one tonne missile and kick the cr*p out of it - not if you want to survive through a career as a motoring journo (in both senses of the word). Just seen the ad for the press car... the colour is actually Laser Blue, a Lotus colour.
I'm intrigued that the car was in TVR's hands until just three months ago. Certainly, it was a great car back in 2005 when it was an active press car. In my custody it was returned to the factory for a check-up between EVERY press call so it was always as new. it's true that the press *sometimes* abuse the cars - both the orange and blue Sagaris press cars got some serious, toe-curling punishment - but they always had worn/damaged items replaced to restore them to "as new" afterwards so there is no need for undue concern on that front. As for rumours of "special engines", not true. The press cars DID have the right diffs in them though and the orange car did have the CR 'box.
Given the lack of TVR press activity in the last three years, I guess the blue car has been used by TVR personnel since and one would assume/hope serviced per schedule if not more often. It appears to have done less mileage in each of the 3+ years since I left TVR than it did in the first four months of its life - it had turned 10K IIRC.
Trivia.... I got pulled for speeding returning "Mr Blue" to the factory on the M6 not long after the launch and got to watch the video in the back of an unmarked BMW. After a lecture and study of the car I was sent on my way. Looked good on film at speed!
I'm intrigued that the car was in TVR's hands until just three months ago. Certainly, it was a great car back in 2005 when it was an active press car. In my custody it was returned to the factory for a check-up between EVERY press call so it was always as new. it's true that the press *sometimes* abuse the cars - both the orange and blue Sagaris press cars got some serious, toe-curling punishment - but they always had worn/damaged items replaced to restore them to "as new" afterwards so there is no need for undue concern on that front. As for rumours of "special engines", not true. The press cars DID have the right diffs in them though and the orange car did have the CR 'box.
Given the lack of TVR press activity in the last three years, I guess the blue car has been used by TVR personnel since and one would assume/hope serviced per schedule if not more often. It appears to have done less mileage in each of the 3+ years since I left TVR than it did in the first four months of its life - it had turned 10K IIRC.
Trivia.... I got pulled for speeding returning "Mr Blue" to the factory on the M6 not long after the launch and got to watch the video in the back of an unmarked BMW. After a lecture and study of the car I was sent on my way. Looked good on film at speed!
bosscerbera said:
Just seen the ad for the press car... the colour is actually Laser Blue, a Lotus colour.
I'm intrigued that the car was in TVR's hands until just three months ago. Certainly, it was a great car back in 2005 when it was an active press car. In my custody it was returned to the factory for a check-up between EVERY press call so it was always as new. it's true that the press *sometimes* abuse the cars - both the orange and blue Sagaris press cars got some serious, toe-curling punishment - but they always had worn/damaged items replaced to restore them to "as new" afterwards so there is no need for undue concern on that front. As for rumours of "special engines", not true. The press cars DID have the right diffs in them though and the orange car did have the CR 'box.
Given the lack of TVR press activity in the last three years, I guess the blue car has been used by TVR personnel since and one would assume/hope serviced per schedule if not more often. It appears to have done less mileage in each of the 3+ years since I left TVR than it did in the first four months of its life - it had turned 10K IIRC.
Trivia.... I got pulled for speeding returning "Mr Blue" to the factory on the M6 not long after the launch and got to watch the video in the back of an unmarked BMW. After a lecture and study of the car I was sent on my way. Looked good on film at speed!
So was this the only car in Laser Blue?I'm intrigued that the car was in TVR's hands until just three months ago. Certainly, it was a great car back in 2005 when it was an active press car. In my custody it was returned to the factory for a check-up between EVERY press call so it was always as new. it's true that the press *sometimes* abuse the cars - both the orange and blue Sagaris press cars got some serious, toe-curling punishment - but they always had worn/damaged items replaced to restore them to "as new" afterwards so there is no need for undue concern on that front. As for rumours of "special engines", not true. The press cars DID have the right diffs in them though and the orange car did have the CR 'box.
Given the lack of TVR press activity in the last three years, I guess the blue car has been used by TVR personnel since and one would assume/hope serviced per schedule if not more often. It appears to have done less mileage in each of the 3+ years since I left TVR than it did in the first four months of its life - it had turned 10K IIRC.
Trivia.... I got pulled for speeding returning "Mr Blue" to the factory on the M6 not long after the launch and got to watch the video in the back of an unmarked BMW. After a lecture and study of the car I was sent on my way. Looked good on film at speed!
Regards
John
bosscerbera said:
Just seen the ad for the press car... the colour is actually Laser Blue, a Lotus colour.
I'm intrigued that the car was in TVR's hands until just three months ago. Certainly, it was a great car back in 2005 when it was an active press car. In my custody it was returned to the factory for a check-up between EVERY press call so it was always as new. it's true that the press *sometimes* abuse the cars - both the orange and blue Sagaris press cars got some serious, toe-curling punishment - but they always had worn/damaged items replaced to restore them to "as new" afterwards so there is no need for undue concern on that front. As for rumours of "special engines", not true. The press cars DID have the right diffs in them though and the orange car did have the CR 'box.
Given the lack of TVR press activity in the last three years, I guess the blue car has been used by TVR personnel since and one would assume/hope serviced per schedule if not more often. It appears to have done less mileage in each of the 3+ years since I left TVR than it did in the first four months of its life - it had turned 10K IIRC.
Trivia.... I got pulled for speeding returning "Mr Blue" to the factory on the M6 not long after the launch and got to watch the video in the back of an unmarked BMW. After a lecture and study of the car I was sent on my way. Looked good on film at speed!
Wot Boss said. My family had pretty much all the press cars over the years as daily drives and they were very very well looked after, hence why I had no issues in buying Candy (and she dissapeared for a few years).I'm intrigued that the car was in TVR's hands until just three months ago. Certainly, it was a great car back in 2005 when it was an active press car. In my custody it was returned to the factory for a check-up between EVERY press call so it was always as new. it's true that the press *sometimes* abuse the cars - both the orange and blue Sagaris press cars got some serious, toe-curling punishment - but they always had worn/damaged items replaced to restore them to "as new" afterwards so there is no need for undue concern on that front. As for rumours of "special engines", not true. The press cars DID have the right diffs in them though and the orange car did have the CR 'box.
Given the lack of TVR press activity in the last three years, I guess the blue car has been used by TVR personnel since and one would assume/hope serviced per schedule if not more often. It appears to have done less mileage in each of the 3+ years since I left TVR than it did in the first four months of its life - it had turned 10K IIRC.
Trivia.... I got pulled for speeding returning "Mr Blue" to the factory on the M6 not long after the launch and got to watch the video in the back of an unmarked BMW. After a lecture and study of the car I was sent on my way. Looked good on film at speed!
The one with the open vents you have listed is the aftermarket ones, not the same as mine, not seen them in the flesh but nah..they dont look right (or maybe thats cos I have the proper ones).
The top one is a PH'er and was on the Tunnel Run this weekend, a very nice example.
Claire
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