Decisions, decisions.....
Discussion
Hi all,
I have been lurking around here gaining knowledge on these cars for some time now. Tonight I have been to view my first Griffith. Certainly it's at the higher end of my budget, and no doubt is a superb example, or is it? Having not viewed any others I have nothing to mark it against, but if I walk away, look at others and realise this really is a good example I may miss it. The issues as far as I see with this car is a slight drip of oil, possibly from the sump and a curious pattern under the paint on the boot lid. Are these big issues overall? At 11 years old, it has had pretty much a new owner every two years, should I be surprised at this? Also, for a low mileage car, there appears to be a file full of receipts, some for the same items several times over, such as rear wheel bearings. Is this a true reflection of Griffith ownership? The cynic in me would question whether some issue was uncovered when a car is put up for sale 100 miles after the last service? Perhaps I am being overly cautious, but I don't want to make an expensive mistake.
Reckon i'm in for a sleepless night!
I have been lurking around here gaining knowledge on these cars for some time now. Tonight I have been to view my first Griffith. Certainly it's at the higher end of my budget, and no doubt is a superb example, or is it? Having not viewed any others I have nothing to mark it against, but if I walk away, look at others and realise this really is a good example I may miss it. The issues as far as I see with this car is a slight drip of oil, possibly from the sump and a curious pattern under the paint on the boot lid. Are these big issues overall? At 11 years old, it has had pretty much a new owner every two years, should I be surprised at this? Also, for a low mileage car, there appears to be a file full of receipts, some for the same items several times over, such as rear wheel bearings. Is this a true reflection of Griffith ownership? The cynic in me would question whether some issue was uncovered when a car is put up for sale 100 miles after the last service? Perhaps I am being overly cautious, but I don't want to make an expensive mistake.
Reckon i'm in for a sleepless night!
Hi…. With an 11 year old car you’ll get some issues.. the oil drip I would not bother about.. the sumps can leak (so long as it’s not flooding out) and the paint… well may be waters got under the lacquer?... A good service history is top… and even changing owners every 2 years would not bother me… my car has had the same and having owned my Griff for 2 years now, can see how this can happen if you’re not 110% into them…. But wheel bearings??.. how many miles has the car done… My car is 46K and has never had a wheel bearing… I would say these things start going around the 60-80K mark depending on how they are driven (unless tracked a lot??) so I think that aspect would give me some concern… what other parts have been replaced?
When I was looking, I bought the 3rd car I looked at… and for sure made the right choice… paintwork it was not the best but everything else was spot on.. standard and not messed with… And when you look around, the condition of a lot of the Griff's out there are not what I'd call good as they tend to chip up and suffer the odd scrape... So if it is good (and not just shiny).. go for it…. Obviously you’ll need to spend to get it how you like it. If driven over winter, outriggers etc need checking… If you’re not sure, can you get someone else to have a look… Internal condition is always a good indication of use / miles!... Good luck!!
When I was looking, I bought the 3rd car I looked at… and for sure made the right choice… paintwork it was not the best but everything else was spot on.. standard and not messed with… And when you look around, the condition of a lot of the Griff's out there are not what I'd call good as they tend to chip up and suffer the odd scrape... So if it is good (and not just shiny).. go for it…. Obviously you’ll need to spend to get it how you like it. If driven over winter, outriggers etc need checking… If you’re not sure, can you get someone else to have a look… Internal condition is always a good indication of use / miles!... Good luck!!
Edited by TVR Beaver on Friday 14th May 07:45
Hi captain darling,
Number of owners should not be an issue, but has the car been fully serviced (every Year). A large history file is always welcome, since it shows that it has been maintained properly. The odd drip of oil is not out of the norm.
On a genuine low mileage car (say 16000miles) the drivers seat should not be saggy. If the car has a Magnolia/light coulured dash top, then on a rare sunny day the glare on the windscreen can be iritating.
Also, if your still unsure get Rob Ingleby (findasportscar.co.uk) to do a full inspection.
If you were to buy this or any other Griff, there is one thing that you can be sure of, it will make you SMILE when you drive it.
Have fun
Number of owners should not be an issue, but has the car been fully serviced (every Year). A large history file is always welcome, since it shows that it has been maintained properly. The odd drip of oil is not out of the norm.
On a genuine low mileage car (say 16000miles) the drivers seat should not be saggy. If the car has a Magnolia/light coulured dash top, then on a rare sunny day the glare on the windscreen can be iritating.
Also, if your still unsure get Rob Ingleby (findasportscar.co.uk) to do a full inspection.
If you were to buy this or any other Griff, there is one thing that you can be sure of, it will make you SMILE when you drive it.
Have fun
There are some real dogs out there like most used cars so be wary. There are also some real gems , but they are not cheap. Interiors dont wear very well, my latest car a 98 has a Blue dash top with magnolia ( which i dont like) and blue interior, my first a 96 had a Doeskin Dash Top, which was far nicer to be behind, and Full Doeskin leather which was stunning, it also had Chim ? seats , which were far better.
Chassis side outriggers are important but dont let a light coating of rust on them put you off. Its not too bad a job to Zip wheel them off, rustkill and repaint them and waxoil them.
Shocks wear and are expensive to replace. Power Racks can be grief and if it needs a repaint , it isnt cheap , particularly the Pearl finishes ( i can highly recomend a painter here in essex). But dont let stone chips and marks put you off. Within a couple of weeks of a Full repaint my first car had many stone chips on the nose. If it needs a repaint , use this as a lever on the price. And if its not a good/popular colour this can also be used as a price lever. Then paint it in your colour choice.
Drivers windows always seem to need a helping pull to get them up.
Front Wishbone Rot is the norm but they arnt difficult to replace.
Also check the Ball joints for wear, Discs also. My car has a Wildwood Front Brake upgrade which is a Big impovement, although the pedal feels a bit wooden and lacking feel.
Chassis side outriggers are important but dont let a light coating of rust on them put you off. Its not too bad a job to Zip wheel them off, rustkill and repaint them and waxoil them.
Shocks wear and are expensive to replace. Power Racks can be grief and if it needs a repaint , it isnt cheap , particularly the Pearl finishes ( i can highly recomend a painter here in essex). But dont let stone chips and marks put you off. Within a couple of weeks of a Full repaint my first car had many stone chips on the nose. If it needs a repaint , use this as a lever on the price. And if its not a good/popular colour this can also be used as a price lever. Then paint it in your colour choice.
Drivers windows always seem to need a helping pull to get them up.
Front Wishbone Rot is the norm but they arnt difficult to replace.
Also check the Ball joints for wear, Discs also. My car has a Wildwood Front Brake upgrade which is a Big impovement, although the pedal feels a bit wooden and lacking feel.
The much repeated 'don't buy the first one you see' really means that you should familiarise yourself with the model before you buy. Get to know all the issues, what to look for, that sort of thing. Sit in a few, see what you like and dislike about various cars, ask owners what they would change.
Do this before going out to look at cars for sale. Then, if the first one you see is just what you want, there would appear to be no reason not to buy it.
I would strongly suggest going to a TVRCC Regional meeting and say that you need help. Someone may refuse to show you over their car but probably not. You will sit in more cars than Shoreditch Lil on a Saturday night when the fleet's in.
There is no one thing to beware of: a high number of owners does not necessarily mean it is a bad car, nor that it has been serviced at home. High mileage is another thing that is not, again necessarily, something to be avoided.
The mantra most repeated on here is: go on condition. There are few who would disagree with that.
Some say judge the man before the car. I'm just as gullible as anyone and only allow the person to put me off buying.
Most buyers end up happy with the car they bought, especially those who keep a little back in case something goes wrong.
If you check the chassis and the engine/gearbox/diff are fine then costs are generally low.
One word of warning though. I spoke with one chap who had bought a car which had been in an accident. The front end had been ripped off and had been badly repaired. It looked pristine on the outside and the dreadful state of the car was only apparent once the car was lifted. The repairs almost doubled the cost. He loved the car, and post repair it was a beauty, but it was an expesive lesson.
He said he will always get an engineer to check over any other car he bought. That's £15,000 worth of experience.
I bought the first Chimaera I looked at with the intention of buying. That said, I'd driven over a dozen, together with Griffs, T-cars, Wedges, M&S. I knew what I wanted.
Do this before going out to look at cars for sale. Then, if the first one you see is just what you want, there would appear to be no reason not to buy it.
I would strongly suggest going to a TVRCC Regional meeting and say that you need help. Someone may refuse to show you over their car but probably not. You will sit in more cars than Shoreditch Lil on a Saturday night when the fleet's in.
There is no one thing to beware of: a high number of owners does not necessarily mean it is a bad car, nor that it has been serviced at home. High mileage is another thing that is not, again necessarily, something to be avoided.
The mantra most repeated on here is: go on condition. There are few who would disagree with that.
Some say judge the man before the car. I'm just as gullible as anyone and only allow the person to put me off buying.
Most buyers end up happy with the car they bought, especially those who keep a little back in case something goes wrong.
If you check the chassis and the engine/gearbox/diff are fine then costs are generally low.
One word of warning though. I spoke with one chap who had bought a car which had been in an accident. The front end had been ripped off and had been badly repaired. It looked pristine on the outside and the dreadful state of the car was only apparent once the car was lifted. The repairs almost doubled the cost. He loved the car, and post repair it was a beauty, but it was an expesive lesson.
He said he will always get an engineer to check over any other car he bought. That's £15,000 worth of experience.
I bought the first Chimaera I looked at with the intention of buying. That said, I'd driven over a dozen, together with Griffs, T-cars, Wedges, M&S. I knew what I wanted.
captaindarling13 said:
..some for the same items several times over, such as rear wheel bearings....
The paradox of FSH.. paid to paper over the cracks rather than fix the root of the problem.. No big deal the carriers commonly get worn so the bearings need a lot of glue to seat rather than being pressed in. Ford carriers + bearings should fix it permanently, until the next butcher replaces the bearings 
You will always see something better, just depends on how patient you are
Thanks for all your comprehensive replies! As predicted, I had a sleepless night. Was on here from 1am till 4, now sitting at my desk totally knackered. Anyhow, from what you have all said I feel the car is at the higher end of what would be classed as a good example. The car has a full TVR history, is totally standard, but for some factory options such as an aluminium rad. The car was supplied to the current owner 2 years / 1000 miles ago by James Agger, and it has also been through Tony Gilberts hands at some point. The paint thing is restricted to the boot lid only, the surface is totally smooth, but like I said, there is a curious pattern underneath. Having slept, or not, on it, my main concern is my perception from reading posts on here, that low mile, low use cars suffer early cam failure. This car is sub 20K miles, and at the last service, the garage reported 'a slight tappety noise' which was not evident during my inspection / test drive. Is this a sign of a potential cam issue? Other than this the car is probably as good as I could expect to find at my budget.
I agree with everything that's been said, although I don't think an alloy rad was ever a factory fit option and the seats in the Griffith and Chimaera are, as far as I'm aware, the same. Trim is very personal and you should go with what you're happy with, I've never noticed the dashboard reflected in the windscreen but then I look through it rather than at it .
IF it's a car at the 'top end' of the price range then it should be near perfect, so I wouldn't accept dodgy paint and if the number of bearings it's had concern you then walk away, simple as that. Go and see a few more and then that'll give you an idea of what's out there, if after looking at others you think this one's worth the money and if the car's meant to be yours it'll still be there if you want to go back.
A load of receipts shouldn't be seen as a negative but rather a car that's wanted for nothing imo.
Going to a TVRCC meet is a good idea as you'll get some honest answers from enthusiasts without an axe to grind and I'm sure you'll find someone who's more than willing to show you their P&J and maybe even give you a ride.
Good luck
.IF it's a car at the 'top end' of the price range then it should be near perfect, so I wouldn't accept dodgy paint and if the number of bearings it's had concern you then walk away, simple as that. Go and see a few more and then that'll give you an idea of what's out there, if after looking at others you think this one's worth the money and if the car's meant to be yours it'll still be there if you want to go back.
A load of receipts shouldn't be seen as a negative but rather a car that's wanted for nothing imo.
Going to a TVRCC meet is a good idea as you'll get some honest answers from enthusiasts without an axe to grind and I'm sure you'll find someone who's more than willing to show you their P&J and maybe even give you a ride.
Good luck
neutral 3 said:
What year is it and how much is it up for ? Personal opinion only , but i wouldnt touch anything older than a late 95 .
I think that's being overly harsh, but personal opinion and all. Year isn't everything, but with the early cars there are revisions and scuh like that happened. If you aren't confident in the car then don't buy it. I bought my S3 without ever seeing it or driving it, and my Griff was the first and only one I saw. Having said that, my father and Tim from ACT inspected the S3 and I bought the Griff from ACT, so knew the car well.
Home servicing isn't a worry as long as you feel confident the owner knows what he is doing. Ultimately it comes down to how confident you are in the car. As saib above ,if you're not mechanically minded then get someone to inspect it.
Wildfire said:
neutral 3 said:
What year is it and how much is it up for ? Personal opinion only , but i wouldnt touch anything older than a late 95 .
I think that's being overly harsh, but personal opinion and all. Year isn't everything, but with the early cars there are revisions and scuh like that happened. If you aren't confident in the car then don't buy it. I bought my S3 without ever seeing it or driving it, and my Griff was the first and only one I saw. Having said that, my father and Tim from ACT inspected the S3 and I bought the Griff from ACT, so knew the car well.
Home servicing isn't a worry as long as you feel confident the owner knows what he is doing. Ultimately it comes down to how confident you are in the car. As saib above ,if you're not mechanically minded then get someone to inspect it.
Firstly, many thanks for all the help and comments.
Secondly, in a 'life's too short', 'you only live once' kind of viewpoint I have taken the plunge. Now excited and nervous in equal measure, hoping to pick the car up towards the end of next week. No doubt I have a lot to learn, but with the endless amount of help available on here, I hope this is the beginning of a great experience
Secondly, in a 'life's too short', 'you only live once' kind of viewpoint I have taken the plunge. Now excited and nervous in equal measure, hoping to pick the car up towards the end of next week. No doubt I have a lot to learn, but with the endless amount of help available on here, I hope this is the beginning of a great experience
captaindarling13 said:
Firstly, many thanks for all the help and comments.
Secondly, in a 'life's too short', 'you only live once' kind of viewpoint I have taken the plunge. Now excited and nervous in equal measure, hoping to pick the car up towards the end of next week. No doubt I have a lot to learn, but with the endless amount of help available on here, I hope this is the beginning of a great experience
The second car i looked at ticked all the boxes for me, it was even the colour i wanted inside and out and after having it checked out i brought it and so far hasn't let me down in 13months of ownership. I still smile when i open the garage door even if it is just to get the mower out or another crate of beer.Secondly, in a 'life's too short', 'you only live once' kind of viewpoint I have taken the plunge. Now excited and nervous in equal measure, hoping to pick the car up towards the end of next week. No doubt I have a lot to learn, but with the endless amount of help available on here, I hope this is the beginning of a great experience
Im sure you will not regret it,happy driving and plenty of smiles to come
Hi Captaindarling13
I was in a similar position to you through most of last summer.
Saw one I liked but kept looking around, checking etc... but my heart kept going back to the first 'seen'.
I also took advice (great advice from V8 GRF at Top Gear Live in November, I am sure I owe him a beer!)
Anyway, bought the car in November and have since spent the last few months doing bits and bobs to it.
It isn't my daily runner so as an emotional purchase I can honestly say that pound per smile, it's the best purchase I have EVER made.
I live in your area and (if my Sherlock Holmes skills are working) you have the same colour car as me too, so if you fancy joining up with a few of us for a run out at some point(Ace Cafe this Wednesday and TVRCC Cambs meeting Thursday) drop me a PM and I will give you all the details.
If you have 10% the fun I have had so far then beleive me, you'll have a blast!
Good luck and enjoy. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about
I was in a similar position to you through most of last summer.
Saw one I liked but kept looking around, checking etc... but my heart kept going back to the first 'seen'.
I also took advice (great advice from V8 GRF at Top Gear Live in November, I am sure I owe him a beer!)
Anyway, bought the car in November and have since spent the last few months doing bits and bobs to it.
It isn't my daily runner so as an emotional purchase I can honestly say that pound per smile, it's the best purchase I have EVER made.
I live in your area and (if my Sherlock Holmes skills are working) you have the same colour car as me too, so if you fancy joining up with a few of us for a run out at some point(Ace Cafe this Wednesday and TVRCC Cambs meeting Thursday) drop me a PM and I will give you all the details.
If you have 10% the fun I have had so far then beleive me, you'll have a blast!
Good luck and enjoy. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about
Edited by pod1069 on Saturday 15th May 11:07
Quinny said:
neutral 3 said:
What year is it and how much is it up for ? Personal opinion only , but i wouldnt touch anything older than a late 95 .
Agreed...I wouldn't touch a mint 94 car..... Especially if there was a ropey 95 up for sale...
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