Keeping one outside...
Discussion
Whilst walking to work this morning I walked past a Tuscan, Cerbera & Chim - and all are parked around the area I live, always on the street.
Now in a few years I should be in a position to own some TVR lovelyness (debt free & saving burning a hole in my pocket) & I most likely won't have a garage.... this is gonna be a problem right?
Jumping the gun, I've already started looking in to renting a garage. Just to get an idea for prices.
Now in a few years I should be in a position to own some TVR lovelyness (debt free & saving burning a hole in my pocket) & I most likely won't have a garage.... this is gonna be a problem right?
Jumping the gun, I've already started looking in to renting a garage. Just to get an idea for prices.
Wouldn't dream of leaving my p&j outside...or even out of sight for more than 2 minutes.
All goes back to when my lovely Lotus Seven was shunted by someone who did a disappearing act, a few years back.
Parking scrapes/vandalism are not cheap and easy fixes on these cars, and then there is the constant worry and furtive looks out the window, even if it's on the drive. Maybe I'm just paranoid now
...but better tucked up in a cosy secure garage, and cheaper to insure because of it.Mine lived outside for 18 months in the carpark (uncovered) of my flat I used to live in.
Off the road but in a carpark nonetheless. Never touched (apart from fingerprints where people had looked in the window) and it didn't leak even in the worse weather.
Never failed to start and I watched people (who didn't know I was watching) being very careful not to catch it with their doors on several occassions.
Off the road but in a carpark nonetheless. Never touched (apart from fingerprints where people had looked in the window) and it didn't leak even in the worse weather.
Never failed to start and I watched people (who didn't know I was watching) being very careful not to catch it with their doors on several occassions.
My Tam lives outside albeit covered most of the time in the winter. No problems yet (he says touching wood) worst problems are the alarm goes mental when the cover flaps about in the wind and if I don't put the cover on there is a small leak behind the seat on the NS if the wind blows the rain the wrong way.
The car is my P&J but life is too short to worry about IF somebody might damage it or nick it. Besides all my worrying is taken up by the strange noises I hear (or think I hear!) the S6 engine making or wondering what might be the first thing to break on it that means I need to sell a kidney or a small child to pay for the repair.
The car is my P&J but life is too short to worry about IF somebody might damage it or nick it. Besides all my worrying is taken up by the strange noises I hear (or think I hear!) the S6 engine making or wondering what might be the first thing to break on it that means I need to sell a kidney or a small child to pay for the repair.
Edited by shep1001 on Friday 27th March 22:32
My Wedge lived outside on a private drive. Used to fill up with water in the lower boot space. Always raised eyebrows at Germany petrol stations. While filling up I used to clean the drain pipes out and watch the water drain out.
Looked like the petrol was going straight through.
My Chimaera lived also on the drive. Drivers side carpet used to get a bit wet.
My Tuscan lives outside on the same drive. Wet drivers carpet on occasion.
Non of them smlt damp. Must be driving with the roof off a lot.
Looked like the petrol was going straight through.
My Chimaera lived also on the drive. Drivers side carpet used to get a bit wet.
My Tuscan lives outside on the same drive. Wet drivers carpet on occasion.
Non of them smlt damp. Must be driving with the roof off a lot.
I previously had a Chim which lived on the driveway for 4 years and was my only car for most of that. Suffered from leaking, big puddles behind the seats and the carpets were orginally dark blue but ended up light blue from sunlight fading. Worth considering this when looking at possible cars, a lighter carpet colour would probably not deteriorate as much.
Did invest in one of the half cover things, just covers windscreen to rear screen. Bit of a pain taking it on/off each day, but clearly helped with the rain. Did damage the paintwork though, with bits of grit etc getting under where the cover touches the bodywork and rubs in the wind.
Had a couple of keying incidents too.
The Tam is fortunately tucked up in a cosy garage, connected to the mains (another thing to consider if you wont be using it everyday!).
Did invest in one of the half cover things, just covers windscreen to rear screen. Bit of a pain taking it on/off each day, but clearly helped with the rain. Did damage the paintwork though, with bits of grit etc getting under where the cover touches the bodywork and rubs in the wind.
Had a couple of keying incidents too.
The Tam is fortunately tucked up in a cosy garage, connected to the mains (another thing to consider if you wont be using it everyday!).
I left my V8S, Griff and first Tuscan outside for a total of about 11 years, in central London (near Baker St). In a quietish area with quite a lot of fairly nice cars, generally lowish risk in terms of of vandalism.
I had one break-in, the same night about 5 cars got done in the same street.
Only thing I did was always look to park at the end of a parking bay, facing out, so the risk of someone reversing into the nose was minimised.
Since then I've had a (very small & tight) mews garage. Ironically I managed to scrape a wheel-arch squeezing it in, on one occasion.
I had one break-in, the same night about 5 cars got done in the same street.
Only thing I did was always look to park at the end of a parking bay, facing out, so the risk of someone reversing into the nose was minimised.
Since then I've had a (very small & tight) mews garage. Ironically I managed to scrape a wheel-arch squeezing it in, on one occasion.
My cerb has lived outside for the last year or so, it did leak once but a quick search on here and a tube of silicone later and all was well, the chassis has been well looked after by myself and by the looks of it, by the previous owners, the body is after all fibreglass so wont rust.
I have just been out and polished/ carnuba waxed it for the first time this year and it looks superb.
Oh, and i use it every day too!
They are fine outside in the elements but its quiet round these parts so i dont have to worry about anybody running over the top of it!
I have just been out and polished/ carnuba waxed it for the first time this year and it looks superb.
Oh, and i use it every day too!
They are fine outside in the elements but its quiet round these parts so i dont have to worry about anybody running over the top of it!
my Chim also lives outside (as did the S3 when I had it).
I do live in a rural very quiet village and I do have a large private drive so no chances (other than me) reversing in to it).
I have invested in a storm force heavy duty car cover, which fits right down to the ground to keep it dry and protected from the sun and rain.
I do live in a rural very quiet village and I do have a large private drive so no chances (other than me) reversing in to it).
I have invested in a storm force heavy duty car cover, which fits right down to the ground to keep it dry and protected from the sun and rain.
Brian Fantana said:
Now in a few years ....
It's all very easy for people with garages to tell you it must be garaged. You are keen enough to be thinking of buying a TVR in a few years. The choice is probably that it lives outside or it doesn't live with you at all. That's no question in my reckoning 
Guy accross the road had a tuscan parked on a high street in London for well over a year. Never touched as far as I could see. As shep1001 said, life is too short to worry about it!
I treat my car as well as I can but I never worry unduly about parking it anywhere. Maybe I'll change my mind when someone keys it!
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