Thinking about getting a T350
Thinking about getting a T350
Author
Discussion

rodb

Original Poster:

2 posts

198 months

Tuesday 30th March 2010
quotequote all
Hi,

I'm thinking about getting my first serious sports car. Up until now I've only had an FTO and recently an S2000 which I loved because of the RWD, but neither really had enough power. The 2 cars I've been thinking about are the Lotus Esprit V8 and the T350 which just looks stunning! Not to mention the TVR sound which I just love...

I just wanted to know what it's like actually owning a TVR? Reading around you hear about the reliability issues, but how much of this is really true? What are the things to look out for?

Cheers,
Rod

grantT350T

188 posts

201 months

Tuesday 30th March 2010
quotequote all
Hello Rod,

Go to your nearest TVR specialist who has a T350 or find someone nearby (local TVRCC monthly meet)who will show you around their T350 / take you for a drive. It's a very friendly bunch!

Edit - just noticed you are in Bristol, you are more than welcome to have a look round mine and I can take you on a good run out as a passenger. Are you working this Friday Bank Holiday? - Neil Garner Performance (TVR) is having an open day near Malmesbury (1000-1600hrs), could meet you up there, will be plenty of decent performance cars and other PistonHeader's attending as well (plus BBQ!). There is a thread in the PH South West Regional forum. Failing that, happy to sort another time out.

Anyway (back on track!).........if you find a good one and treat it well, it dispels most of the uninformed 'pub' myths that surround TVR (Speed Six) ownership.

My two-pence worth - don't rush it, get to know about the cars, test drive plenty, choose carefully, and buy on condition (inc full service history from known TVR specialists), get a good take on how current and previous owners have cared for the car, their knowledge about the model etc and always speak to the garages that have serviced the car throughout its life to check its mechanical history / any foibles.

I would go post-2003 if no engine rebuild (or get a good '2003'price and vector in 6-7K contingency for this possibility). 2004 models onwards seemed to have most of the very early internal engine problems sorted. Don't discount a 2003 model that has had an engine rebuild from someone reputable (TVR Power / Str8 six etc) and has been generally well cared for as a car. As previously, buy on condition and overall package , not age. Some of the general 2004 upgrades are also quite worthwhile (sun-visors, luggage cover, recess for boot lid opening etc). I read everything I could possibly lay my hands on - knowledge is power!

Barring the known and well documented problems with the 2003 and earlier Speed Six engines, it is a fantastic engine. Most replacement / rebuilt engines (3.6, 4.0, even 4.5 now!) come with a 3 or 5 year unlimited miles guarantee, so it shows the strength of them. Being a race engine in a road car it needs to be warmed up carefully before extending the rev range (plenty of info on PH and TVRCC on how to do this) and for the owner to keep a good check on oil and fluid levels each week.

Servicing is at 6,000 (mid) and 12,000 (full), so once a year for most owners - most good Independant garages will have a fixed price service, my local specialist is £415 for the 6K and £535 for the 12K - obviously any work on top of that will be additional. A well sorted car shouldn't need that much else done. If you budget £650 and £1K that should cover most surprises. It's actually pretty respectable when compared against other high performance marques (Porsche etc).

In my opinion, most problems occur due to people thrashing it from the off, which is just asking for trouble - give it the 15-20 mins of sensible driving it needs each time before opening it up - the 'grin' factor is worth it! Sensible money for supercar performance and a beautiful car that stands out from the crowd.

If you get a well sorted T350 - nothing on the planet will touch it for the money(performance,looks, how it makes you feel) .

Best of luck and enjoy! thumbup

darkmark07

702 posts

227 months

Tuesday 30th March 2010
quotequote all
Don't bother they're rubbish






























(Only kidding - I love mine! - 2 years of reasonably trouble-free motoring and grins every time I get in it biggrin)

PipeNslippers

257 posts

202 months

Tuesday 30th March 2010
quotequote all
grantT350T said:
Hello Rod,

Go to your nearest TVR specialist who has a T350 or find someone nearby (local TVRCC monthly meet)who will show you around their T350 / take you for a drive. It's a very friendly bunch!

Edit - just noticed you are in Bristol, you are more than welcome to have a look round mine and I can take you on a good run out as a passenger. Are you working this Friday Bank Holiday? - Neil Garner Performance (TVR) is having an open day near Malmesbury (1000-1600hrs), could meet you up there, will be plenty of decent performance cars and other PistonHeader's attending as well (plus BBQ!). There is a thread in the PH South West Regional forum. Failing that, happy to sort another time out.

Anyway (back on track!).........if you find a good one and treat it well, it dispels most of the uninformed 'pub' myths that surround TVR (Speed Six) ownership.

My two-pence worth - don't rush it, get to know about the cars, test drive plenty, choose carefully, and buy on condition (inc full service history from known TVR specialists), get a good take on how current and previous owners have cared for the car, their knowledge about the model etc and always speak to the garages that have serviced the car throughout its life to check its mechanical history / any foibles.

I would go post-2003 if no engine rebuild (or get a good '2003'price and vector in 6-7K contingency for this possibility). 2004 models onwards seemed to have most of the very early internal engine problems sorted. Don't discount a 2003 model that has had an engine rebuild from someone reputable (TVR Power / Str8 six etc) and has been generally well cared for as a car. As previously, buy on condition and overall package , not age. Some of the general 2004 upgrades are also quite worthwhile (sun-visors, luggage cover, recess for boot lid opening etc). I read everything I could possibly lay my hands on - knowledge is power!

Barring the known and well documented problems with the 2003 and earlier Speed Six engines, it is a fantastic engine. Most replacement / rebuilt engines (3.6, 4.0, even 4.5 now!) come with a 3 or 5 year unlimited miles guarantee, so it shows the strength of them. Being a race engine in a road car it needs to be warmed up carefully before extending the rev range (plenty of info on PH and TVRCC on how to do this) and for the owner to keep a good check on oil and fluid levels each week.

Servicing is at 6,000 (mid) and 12,000 (full), so once a year for most owners - most good Independant garages will have a fixed price service, my local specialist is £415 for the 6K and £535 for the 12K - obviously any work on top of that will be additional. A well sorted car shouldn't need that much else done. If you budget £650 and £1K that should cover most surprises. It's actually pretty respectable when compared against other high performance marques (Porsche etc).

In my opinion, most problems occur due to people thrashing it from the off, which is just asking for trouble - give it the 15-20 mins of sensible driving it needs each time before opening it up - the 'grin' factor is worth it! Sensible money for supercar performance and a beautiful car that stands out from the crowd.

If you get a well sorted T350 - nothing on the planet will touch it for the money(performance,looks, how it makes you feel) .

Best of luck and enjoy! thumbup
I've had my T350C since November last year and grantT350T has summed up my observations pretty well. I bought it with a years warranty on the engine directly from str8six after it had a top end rebuild.

Most people refer to full engine rebuilds, but the main issue with the Speed Six is in the top end (Head) where finger follower/ valves / valve stem wear occurs. To fix this costs around £3,000 at most. Most people however chose to spend the extra and go fo a full rebuild / upgrade to 4.0 litre or 4.3 litre while the engine is out...

Better materials such as cold cast cams were used mid way through 2004 which inproved the wear situation...but if they are abused from cold they will still suffer..

But as stated above, these cars are in a different league when it comes to performance..Mine's a factory Red Rose 4.0s and I'm not sure I will ever get bored with the acceleration noise / event of driving a TVR...it's as hard core as it gets and it will hurt you if you do not know what you are doing...but if that's your thing..then you will not regret the move....

DarkMatter

1,503 posts

260 months

Tuesday 30th March 2010
quotequote all
This thread interests me as I'm also considering the possibility of becoming a T350 owner.

PipeNslippers said:
...but the main issue with the Speed Six is in the top end (Head) where finger follower/ valves / valve stem wear occurs.
Could it be assumed that by the time it is realised that top end wear has occurred the bottom end is already being damaged by swarf?

PipeNslippers said:
I'm not sure I will ever get bored with the acceleration noise / event of driving a TVR
How quiet is the T350 with a standard exhaust system, and has anyone made theirs quieter? I realise that the noise is one of the big appeals of a TVR, but being a tinnitus sufferer I find that high noise levels in the cabin really spoil the pleasure of TVR driving.

mccrae

315 posts

274 months

Tuesday 30th March 2010
quotequote all
hi ,i have two T350t for sale one being an 04 car with only 4k on the clock and a very rare lotus esprit 350 sport for sale if any interst thanks john

darkmark07

702 posts

227 months

Tuesday 30th March 2010
quotequote all
DarkMatter said:
How quiet is the T350 with a standard exhaust system
With the standard exhaust system it's quite bearable - it's not the quietest place in the world (you know that you're in a sports car!) but it's perfectly possible to have a conversation with a passenger at above road-legal speeds (...on a private road of couse...) without having to raise your voice appreciably.

It does get louder under hard acceleration - as you'd expect - but when cruising it's not unbearable by any means.

At higher speeds the main cabin noise is often down to the wind lifting the leading edges of the windows away from the seals but this is reasonably easy to rectify.

Diablos-666

2,786 posts

207 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
Grant - Good post, just makes me want to get the T350c even more.

I'd get it now if i could afford the insurance. I'm 25 but only been driving a year so premiums are still very very high. I'll stick with my Focus RS for the time being, at least for another year and then check to see what the insurance is like then.

A bit off topic but was in the pub last night with some pals watching the footy when one of says, "I already know what my next car is going to be ... an Audi TT"

I just shivered inside, not that the TT is a bad car but just a bit boring really. For that sort of money a TVR is well in reach.

I'm looking forward to the looks on my mates faces when i finally get my hands on my "realist" dream car. Then when they ask how much it was and i say, oh less than that that TT. That will be brilliant.

At the moment i can only dream, but it's on my screen saver at work and gives me a inspiration every morning knowing that i'm working towards that!

Gilbo, if your reading this, remember i've got my sights on your beaut! biggrin


PipeNslippers

257 posts

202 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
DarkMatter said:
This thread interests me as I'm also considering the possibility of becoming a T350 owner.

PipeNslippers said:
...but the main issue with the Speed Six is in the top end (Head) where finger follower/ valves / valve stem wear occurs.
Could it be assumed that by the time it is realised that top end wear has occurred the bottom end is already being damaged by swarf?

PipeNslippers said:
I'm not sure I will ever get bored with the acceleration noise / event of driving a TVR
How quiet is the T350 with a standard exhaust system, and has anyone made theirs quieter? I realise that the noise is one of the big appeals of a TVR, but being a tinnitus sufferer I find that high noise levels in the cabin really spoil the pleasure of TVR driving.
I was actually very surprised at how quiet the T350 was at cruising speed. Cruising between 70 and 80 the engine is sitting at a sweet spot in the rev range around 3,000 rpm and the exhaust becomes a background noise. But when extending the engine, there is a lot more noise, but overall it makes a very good long distance companion...

As for the swarf question, there is an oil filter to catch this type of material, so I am not aware of a link between top end wear and bottom end wear.

DarkMatter

1,503 posts

260 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
Thanks darkmark07 and PipeNslippers, I'm reassured about the cabin noise levels - I was worried I might get ex-communicated for saying I'd like a quiet TVR smile

gilbo

460 posts

229 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
Diablo how the devil are you!? I've just had the front end of mine painted, decatted it, put Nitrons on and had it corner weighted. It's transformed the handling immeasurably and the pops, bangs and flames from decatting add to the fun!
If you're find yourself in a position to get into T350 ownership in a year or so drop me an email, I maybe tempted to sell if I can find a Sag or something suitably lairy to replace it with!

Diablos-666

2,786 posts

207 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
Gilbo - Knew you would be reading this thread! haha

Don't you worry as soon as my insurance comes down to a respectable level i'll be tapping you up!

Sounds like you have set the car up perfectly!

I'm going on a Euro trip later this year, wish i had the T350c weeping

Still when i do finally get my hands on the trev, it will just give me another excuse to go on another trip smile

Any chance of going out for a spin with ya, when your free and when the weather is better? (cheeky request)


gilbo

460 posts

229 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
Yeah by all means, I'm away most of April but the rest of the summer I'm relatively free so when suits us both you can come see my p&j and I'll take you for a blast.

Diablos-666

2,786 posts

207 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
woohoodrivingbowtiebowrotateclap

tobeee

1,436 posts

297 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
darkmark07 said:
DarkMatter said:
How quiet is the T350 with a standard exhaust system
With the standard exhaust system it's quite bearable - it's not the quietest place in the world (you know that you're in a sports car!) but it's perfectly possible to have a conversation with a passenger at above road-legal speeds (...on a private road of couse...) without having to raise your voice appreciably.

It does get louder under hard acceleration - as you'd expect - but when cruising it's not unbearable by any means.

At higher speeds the main cabin noise is often down to the wind lifting the leading edges of the windows away from the seals but this is reasonably easy to rectify.
I found the standard exhaust soooo quiet, I put on a JP. It really is a more than bearable exhaust, and can be driven 'quietly', but by golly does it scream when you're in a hurry! hehe

grantT350T

188 posts

201 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
Diablos-666 said:
Grant - Good post, just makes me want to get the T350c even more.

I'd get it now if i could afford the insurance. I'm 25 but only been driving a year so premiums are still very very high. I'll stick with my Focus RS for the time being, at least for another year and then check to see what the insurance is like then.
Hi Diablos - no probs! Why not have a think about getting an 'interim' RWD performance car for a year or two (if you can claw yourself away from the RS!) before the T350. Obviously something that costs approx the same as your current ride so that it isn't a financial hassle. This could considerably reduce your first TVR Insurance premiums as they will consider you having had prior experience of RWD (performance car) and therefore less of a risk.

I went from a slightly modded Focus ST-3 (275bhp) to T350 - If I had gone from RWD to T350, my premium would have been approx £200 less (a third of my policy and I'm relatively old at 35 with clean license / no insurance claims for 18 years!). Have a chat to the specialist insurance companies (Flux / A-Plan etx) to see if it's worthwhile - if you could lower your own premium (which no doubt will be very high) by 15-30%, it could represent a major financial saving and make TVR ownership even more palitable.

Also, even going from pretty good RS (200+bhp) levels of motoring; 350bhp RWD is a whole different league of performance and demands a different 'style' of driving. Getting used to RWD with some safety comforts (ABS, traction control) will make your first TVR ownership less of a nervous affair!

RWD options - 350Z, S-2000, VX-220, MR-2? - sure someone will be able to give a better steer.

Anyway - there are other very recent threads on Insurance for 'younger drivers' to read through (heaven help you - they are pretty awful in places, but disregard some of the cr*p!) and I do not wish to detract from the OP's requests about general ownership. 'Nuff said!

Keep the dream alive - they are awesome machines (please do not get an Audi TT.....lol)

Diablos-666

2,786 posts

207 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
Grant - I did look at getting an "interim" RWD car, the 350z and the s2000, the insurance was even worse! I was getting quotes back of £3k+

The RS is going to cost me £1,400 in insurance next month and that's cheap, my mate is a broker and helped me out.

I tried A-Plan on the RS... That'll be £4k then Mr Diablos! God knows that they would have charged the s2k

I'm sure next year they will be more competetive.

In all fairness i have had quotes of £1100 or so which is very good but the excess was £3k! I did consider it for a while, but my heart was ruling my head!

So im just going to sit tight and get another year under my belt with the RS, which btw is a fantastic car, and then see what happens.


Bolt666

70 posts

204 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
If you want a RWD I would recommend the Elise as a great car to get experience in! Very forgiving (unless in the wet!!)

Also have you tried using admiral for insurance?

I use Admiral multicar quote and at 21 it cost £1.6k for my T350, started at £2.2 (or so) then added my mrs car to the policy (in her name), and a third car, which lowered it to about £1.9k and then added her to my car as an 'occational driver' and came down to the £1.6!!! My excess is £250,

Might help to try this if you have more than 1 car in your house!

Diablos-666

2,786 posts

207 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
Bolt - I'm with Admiral now and cant wait to change. I really don't like them, for reasons ive explained in other posts i've written.

TBH as i've only had my licence a year i dont think any insurance comp will offer what i see as a "reasonable" price. (<£1,500)





rodb

Original Poster:

2 posts

198 months

Wednesday 31st March 2010
quotequote all
Hi Guys,

Thanks for all the information! It's not going to be till the end of the year I'm in a position to seriously think about it, but I knew buying into the performance car market was going to take some research. From what i've read here, plus other onine articals, I'm thinking more of going with the T350 over the Lotus. They both have there issues, but the Esprit although lovely, does have some serious issues with the gearbox for just one... and even with a rebuild the V8 does put to much power through it. After all it was only designed for a Renalut 25! smile

grantT350T: Thanks for the offer this weekend! I'm not around, but would love to catch up at somepoint and have a look / go for a drive.

As for RWD cars... As I said, I had an S2000 until about 18 months ago. Fantastic car, insane engine red lining at 9500 rpm (which is the same as my VTR1000 motorbike!). Very rewarding to drive, but a real handfull in the wet which is why the insurance on them is so high! I.e. most people crash them. I guess it would be a good option as like the TVR just an LSD to keep the power down... oh and careful application of the right foot. Of course that does mean you can have tail-end fun on roundabouts smile. The only down side I would say is that there is bugger all power low down which can be anoying if you just want to blast past someone.

Just to add you mentioned that your trying to save up for the T350. Food for thought: You can get a good S2000 for just over £6k and if you stay within 2000 as the year of manufacturer you'll keep it in the low tax bracket as well. As long as it comes with FSH you should be okay as the engines are bomb proof. The versions with the plastic folding rear window are the twitchy models, when they released the version 2 with the glass rear window they tamed down the rear suspension frown

Sorry, just realised that was an S2000 rant!

Rod