Newbie wanting purchase advice
Discussion
Hi All,
I'm new on here and am seriously thinking of buying my dream Tuscan.
I appreciate that this topic has been covered thousands of times in this forum but the more you read the more confusing it gets. I understand that buying a TVR is poles apart from buying a production car but am keen to know more about the issues associated with them regarding reliability and faults etc etc.
I've owned many cars and kit cars and am very handy when it comes to paintwork, interior trim and general tinkering etc etc (its what my business does) also i'm in the trade so know some very good mechanics. Most people on this forum seem to opt for TVR specialists to carry out repairs and talk of large bills, could this car be looked after by a good time served non specialist?
Basically what i'm getting at is that when you read through the Tuscan threads they are generally quite negative as people talk through faults, breakdowns, fires and all manor of weird and wonderful things, this is not meant to come across as a negative point, its great, thats what forums are for, but i mean as someone who wants one of these beasts it can be a little off putting. Are they really as bad as this forum would lead you to believe?
The price varies massivly depending on year and mileage, rebuild etc etc, on top of that is the annual running costs, on average what would the sensible man budget for? Is the engine rebuild essential for a 2000 year car, or is it pot luck? I've downloaded the buyers guide from here, thanks to whoever takes the time to produce that, it great.
I'd be using the car as a Sunday runner and some evenings in the summer (if we get one again!) i'd be happy to part with £13K for one which would leave me a reserve of about £3k. The car would live outside but i may have a carport built in the future.
I know what i'm writing is a bit dis-jointed but i'm just trying to find out if i'm qualified to own one of these wonderful cars.
Cheers,
Will
I'm new on here and am seriously thinking of buying my dream Tuscan.
I appreciate that this topic has been covered thousands of times in this forum but the more you read the more confusing it gets. I understand that buying a TVR is poles apart from buying a production car but am keen to know more about the issues associated with them regarding reliability and faults etc etc.
I've owned many cars and kit cars and am very handy when it comes to paintwork, interior trim and general tinkering etc etc (its what my business does) also i'm in the trade so know some very good mechanics. Most people on this forum seem to opt for TVR specialists to carry out repairs and talk of large bills, could this car be looked after by a good time served non specialist?
Basically what i'm getting at is that when you read through the Tuscan threads they are generally quite negative as people talk through faults, breakdowns, fires and all manor of weird and wonderful things, this is not meant to come across as a negative point, its great, thats what forums are for, but i mean as someone who wants one of these beasts it can be a little off putting. Are they really as bad as this forum would lead you to believe?
The price varies massivly depending on year and mileage, rebuild etc etc, on top of that is the annual running costs, on average what would the sensible man budget for? Is the engine rebuild essential for a 2000 year car, or is it pot luck? I've downloaded the buyers guide from here, thanks to whoever takes the time to produce that, it great.
I'd be using the car as a Sunday runner and some evenings in the summer (if we get one again!) i'd be happy to part with £13K for one which would leave me a reserve of about £3k. The car would live outside but i may have a carport built in the future.
I know what i'm writing is a bit dis-jointed but i'm just trying to find out if i'm qualified to own one of these wonderful cars.
Cheers,
Will
Buy on condition, not age, although the newer the car, it will have more factory build tweeks and improvements/enhancements. Check chassis condition, how the car has been keep and maintained is important, as the chassis will deteriorate quicker if kept outside and driven in winter.
The biggy is to buy one with eithe lower mileage (with a non rebuilt engine) and/or a rebuild with less than 15K on it(the rebuilt engine), then you have a much better chance of no engine faults. My view is on a good rebuild after 2005 you should get a reliable 35K from the engine. After that you are on borrowed time. (All IMHO)
This is all my opinion, many have done higher mileage with no engine problems etc, I'm just a bit cynical, having had many engine faults over the last 8.5 years.
If you are doing about 6000 miles a year, budget on about 2K service costs, and keep 6-8K in reserve for an engine rebuild.
Get it checked by a decent TVR specialist before you buy it.
Oh and buy one with plenty of TVR service history.
The biggy is to buy one with eithe lower mileage (with a non rebuilt engine) and/or a rebuild with less than 15K on it(the rebuilt engine), then you have a much better chance of no engine faults. My view is on a good rebuild after 2005 you should get a reliable 35K from the engine. After that you are on borrowed time. (All IMHO)
This is all my opinion, many have done higher mileage with no engine problems etc, I'm just a bit cynical, having had many engine faults over the last 8.5 years.
If you are doing about 6000 miles a year, budget on about 2K service costs, and keep 6-8K in reserve for an engine rebuild.
Get it checked by a decent TVR specialist before you buy it.
Oh and buy one with plenty of TVR service history.
Good advice
They're expensive to run, although as with most things, you get what you pay for. The really top cars are the ones that have been looked after, always maintained, either by TVR, Specialist, or skilled owner.
Best advice to try a few, and really talk to the owners who are selling. It becomes obvious in a short time if the car they are selling has been a great or a nightmare experience!
Best thing is, if you're mechanically minded, and you know some good mechanics you stand in good stead!
Rich
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