I want one, TVR S2 that is

[Mikey voodoo]

I'm new to piston heads, so hello.
am interested in buying a TVR S2. am worried by all the rumours regarding reliability. can anyone give me any advice, in particular where the S2 is concerned?

[steve j]

There is a very nice cognac bronze for sale in the classifieds, low mileage too, E.mail him for details, very knowledgeable bloke.

[Hoover.]

These old Tivs are probably more reliable then any other car of a similar age because they are looked after by enthusiasts and in general well maintained by people who perfection. So any little niggle may seema problem on any aother car you would probabaly leave it alone..... you will always find the odd dog though.

Go out n get one .... you will not regret it

[S2 Giles]

Mikey - the TVR S series are more reliable than a ford sierra. By this age, they are all looked after & have ford running gear. All the reliability issues you have heard about are from the latest Speed6 TVR engines. They are also developed by muppets who dont know how to treat them.

The S2 (i have one) is as reliable & useable as any car. Go for it, just make sure you buy a nice one with a looked after chasis & engine. Dont be affraid of high mileage, history is more important.

Also you will join the most sociable car club on the planet & suddenly find lots of people waving at you. Plus of course you buy a consistant grin

[jt]

hi,

I run my s2 to and from work (about 75 miles each way) 2 to 3 times per week (I'm a doctor so it needs to be reliable). Since I've owned the TVR it has never failed to start (one or two minor niggles which are easy to sort so long as you are the fettling type). In the same period my other car has had the AA out three times so I'd go with th S2. No regrets at all. NB if you arent sure what to look for get someone to check it out first, better than buying an old nail

jake

[PVN]

I've owned my S3 since October 2000. It has been absolutely faultless. It now has 83,000 miles on the clock and is nicely run in. The engine does not use any oil and pulls well throughout the rev range. Last year I completed a 2,300 mile trip to Austria including loads of mountain passes tackled with gusto. The car was totally reliable and a real joy. I think if you can find one that has been properly serviced and with a good chassis these cars are pretty much bombproof. They also sound every bit as good as a V8 but in a different sort of way! Buy one - you only live once!

[jonnylayze]

ditto to everything which has been said above - I've owned my S2 since February, my Dad's on his 3rd TVR and my brother's on his second. All have been very reliable (by virtue of the fact that they use well maintained versions of stock components. There have been the odd niggles like a loose connection in one of the headlamps and a bonnet cable that popped off its release handle but overall its a fantastic car - cheap to buy, fast, sporty, magnificent noise, easy to insure.

Buy one before the summer proper arrives

[Mikey voodoo]

Thanks for all the help here people i think you have made up my mind.
Steve J i think i have spotted that same Bronze S2 you mentioned and i'm going to view it next week fingers crossed it's what i'm after.
are there any meets where i might find one or 2 S2's for sale

[petclub]

Hi Mikey. you join the TVRCC and go along to one of their events. If you're lucky there'll be one there, but even if not, there'll be people to talk to about them. I know it's a long way from you, but SCH4 is very soon and you'll be able to see dozens there (perhaps even one or two may be for sale?). Mine's my fourth TVR and I love it. Dave

[Mikey voodoo]

You gat an s series dave? any idea what i can expect to pay on average per year to keep it road worthy and reliable?

[Mikey voodoo]

Also are there any South Coast meets which might be closer to home?

[petclub]

Hi, mine was abou 4.3k (85k miles, quite good condition) last summer. If you go onto the classified section here, you'll find quite a few. As with most things, the more you can afford, the more chance of getting a gud 'un. Watch out for the condition of the chasis (plenty of threads on here about that). Fantastic fun to drive!

[V8Smith]

Get yourself to SCH4, I think that bronze S2 is going to be there im assuming its Clives.....? I think he said he is going to take it to SCH4?

Ive had an S2 now a V8S never been let down apart from end of life items you would expect on a 15 year old car? HT leads, Alternator, coil etc.....

Buy one you will not be disapointed.

Mike

[petclub]

Sorry, missed the point of your question! Repair wise, I've had the clutch and master cyliders go and an alternator. These could happen to any car and were not a problem as the parts are not too expensive. Unfortunately, I'm not mechanically minded at all but that doesn't seem to be a problem yet!

[profstoff]

Reliability was one of my concerns when I swapped from an MX-5 (with its legendary reliability) a year ago and I'm pleased to say that so far the S has been just as reliable. I use it every day for work and with the TVR events at weekends so it's probably getting more miles than the Mazda. A lot of people comment to me about reliability and I reply by asking them if they consider a Ford Granada to be unreliable.

S Club Heaven is the national meet for S owners and as far as I know it's the only meet specifically for the S. If you get in touch with the TVR car club (www.tvr-car-club.co.uk) they'll put you in touch with your local region and you'll be able to go along to one of their local meets and chat to owners.

If you buy one, I'll bet you won't be disappointed.

[Mikey voodoo]

I don't know this site very well yet.
I'm being a bit blind and can't find the classified section

[Mikey voodoo]

scrap that, just found it on the home page.

[clive f]

mickey, YHM