Daily

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Rodddimus

Original Poster:

26 posts

98 months

Thursday 9th June 2022
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Just out of curiosity does anyone use their tvr as a daily driver?

I recently purchased a 350i wedge and I think it’s actually a pretty comfy civil car to drive

Reliability obviously a factor but I’ve often found cars are more reliable the more you use them and vice versa - obviously it’s also summer (or at least the British version) and I understand winter may be too harsh

Just interested to see if anyone does?

Classic Chim

12,424 posts

156 months

Thursday 9th June 2022
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Rodddimus said:
Just out of curiosity does anyone use their tvr as a daily driver?

I recently purchased a 350i wedge and I think it’s actually a pretty comfy civil car to drive

Reliability obviously a factor but I’ve often found cars are more reliable the more you use them and vice versa - obviously it’s also summer (or at least the British version) and I understand winter may be too harsh

Just interested to see if anyone does?
If you avoid the worst of the weather then using the car all year round is a good idea.
I have had more issues with my car since standing it than I ever had putting nearly 40,000 miles on the car in less than 10 years of constant use.
Servicing and sorting niggles becomes the norm if using it regularly so it usually leads to a more reliable car.
Issues can arise when parts that are harder to source and obviously wear and tare becomes more an issue.
Parking at Sainsburys has probably caused more body damage than stone chips do biggrin

I think selective use and a spare car would allow you to regularly use the car and still keep it in good order.
We live in a damp country, by using the car as often as you can when the roads are dry enough you actually dry it out and keep electrical gremlins at bay through heat soak and the cars heater which just helps keep electrical connections inside the car dry rather than damp and corroding away.
The more you use them the more reliable they are.
That’s something I’ve heard many times from experienced owners over the years.
Clearly they are a summer car and don’t like being used in all weathers but I found mine to still be very reliable through a number of winters.
If you have a good chassis avoid the wetter days basically. It’s not much fun and the cost is high.

I’m talking about using a Chimaera but in many ways the older cars are better built in my book so if you enjoy fettling and keeping on top of it then yes use it as often as you can. smile




Rodddimus

Original Poster:

26 posts

98 months

Thursday 9th June 2022
quotequote all
Totally agree - i think even modern cars dont like being sat around - seals and rubbers in particular dislike inactivity its one of the reasons i dont shy away from high milers in cars

Im going to try and use it as much as possible

The jiffle king

7,059 posts

265 months

Thursday 9th June 2022
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I still have my Chimaera after 20 years but it's best years were when I used it at least every week and it's very best times were when I had to drive it every day as the other car was broken

Englishman

2,237 posts

217 months

Thursday 9th June 2022
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I only own TVR's so every time I drive its in a TVR. The more they are used the better they are IMHO, but you will find wedges steam up a bit in the wet, just need to open a window a little bit to clear.

KKson

3,437 posts

132 months

Thursday 9th June 2022
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From May 2020 through to October last year I used my 450 SEAC as my daily to the office, Morrisons weekly shop etc. No issues and made life fun. A Wedge is a very comfortable and practical car. I was away all weekend last weekend at the Big Bad Wedge Fest and we had some torrential down pours yet the Wedge didn't leak. Also took it to the office today in heavy rain. It never fails to put a smile on my face.

Classic Chim

12,424 posts

156 months

Thursday 9th June 2022
quotequote all
KKson said:
From May 2020 through to October last year I used my 450 SEAC as my daily to the office, Morrisons weekly shop etc. No issues and made life fun. A Wedge is a very comfortable and practical car. I was away all weekend last weekend at the Big Bad Wedge Fest and we had some torrential down pours yet the Wedge didn't leak. Also took it to the office today in heavy rain. It never fails to put a smile on my face.
That’s quite an incredible car and using it as a daily even more so.
I can only applaud the use of such a fantastic machine as this one.

I’ve looked at one exactly like yours at the Griff growl some years ago, same colour etc, can’t be many the same colour and I went away thinking in its own way possibly one of the best looking cars Tvr ever made, and with that engine a real beast.

A beautiful car indeed.

KKson

3,437 posts

132 months

Thursday 9th June 2022
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Wedge having a spirited drive on Saturday down the M40 to Bletchley Park. It is an awesome machine but very easy to live with.

Basil Brush

5,227 posts

270 months

Thursday 9th June 2022
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My Tuscan was my daily year round driver for the first 5 years or so. Commuting in stop start traffic didn't do much for clutch life but other than that it handled everything comfortably.

GreenV8S

30,479 posts

291 months

Friday 10th June 2022
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I forget how many miles I've got on the V8S number plates but it must be over 150k, including many years of commuting.

Headlamps aren't brilliant compared to anything modern, heating and cooling are tolerable rather than comfortable, fuel consumption is appalling, and none of that matters in the slightest.

JonathanT

877 posts

291 months

Monday 13th June 2022
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My 450 Chim was a daily drive for the first 15 years or so and seemed just fine. The only weather I tried to avoid was settled snow as that was quite scary!

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,589 posts

242 months

Monday 13th June 2022
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JonathanT said:
The only weather I tried to avoid was settled snow as that was quite scary!
Wimp hehe

just spoofin', it can indeed be scary!






I'd think driving any old car might have its challenges. scratchchin

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,589 posts

242 months

Monday 13th June 2022
quotequote all
I did more than 300,000 miles in TVRs as a daily, but to be fair they were newish then.

I once filled up three times in a day hehe

swisstoni

18,177 posts

286 months

Monday 13th June 2022
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I’ve ‘daily’d’ TVRs in the past and there’s no reason not to.

The RV8s were seen in, well, Rovers that were designed to be mainstream daily cars. Similarly the running gear and the other main stuff is from mainstream manufacturers.

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,589 posts

242 months

Monday 13th June 2022
quotequote all
swisstoni said:
The RV8s were seen in, well, Rovers that were designed to be mainstream daily cars.
Most of them Rovers where completely knackered after 60,000 miles or five years hehe

swisstoni

18,177 posts

286 months

Monday 13th June 2022
quotequote all
2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
swisstoni said:
The RV8s were seen in, well, Rovers that were designed to be mainstream daily cars.
Most of them Rovers where completely knackered after 60,000 miles or five years hehe
You must have been brave with 7 RV8 cars in your vehicle history then.

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,589 posts

242 months

Tuesday 14th June 2022
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It has been said hehe

PrinceRupert

11,585 posts

92 months

Tuesday 14th June 2022
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I don't use my Tuscan as a daily but I have been using it to commute quite a bit recently to keep it away from builders at my house and it is fine. An hour in crawling traffic into the Blackwall Tunnel this morning, bright sunny day, and no issues whatsoever. I wouldn't want to use it for lots of short journeys where it never gets hot, especially given how it needs babied until up to temperature; and it isn't the best in horrible weather (got to drive very carefully, windows aren't necessarily great at clearing, heating isn't great, no ac) or when it is wet but hot (can't take roof off, mine has no ac and gets very warm in the cabin) but otherwise its okay. Would be an expensive daily if you did any miles though, servicing isn't cheap every 6k, fuel economy is poor, tyres are very expensive etc.

Byker28i

68,046 posts

224 months

Tuesday 14th June 2022
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2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:
I did more than 300,000 miles in TVRs as a daily, but to be fair they were newish then.

I once filled up three times in a day hehe
I've just filled up twice in the same day, couldn't use the debit card again so had to use the credit card...

keynsham

310 posts

278 months

Tuesday 14th June 2022
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I used a 4ltr Chimaera as an every day car for about six months and it was awful. Suspension is way too hard for city roads with the potholes and sleeping policemen. I also kept it otside so it was constantly filling up with water. Heavy clutch in traffic made the driving miserable and the fuel consumption ..... well...! I could have bought a cheap runaround for the cost of petrol!