Buying a Tuscan/Tamora

[65smoggy]

Hi

I have been looking to buy a TVR for a while. I have a budget of £25k ish However there seems to be a lack of supply anywhere close to me at the moment.

There is 1 x Tuscan and 1 x Tamora for sub £25k. I am considering buying one of these over the phone ( i just don't have the time to go see them) . Both are in dealers as opposed to private. My concern is both seem cheap and have been up for sale for a while.

Is there anything i should be particularly wary of or get checked out by a local specialist before buying. I accept it may be nuts to buy a used car over the phone with the usual HPI checks, specialist checks and video calls I am hopeful I can make it work

Cheers

[S6PNJ]

65smoggy said:

Is there anything I should be particularly wary of or get checked out by a local specialist before buying. I accept it may be nuts to buy a used car over the phone with the usual HPI checks, specialist checks and video calls I am hopeful I can make it work

Cheers

Hi smoggy are you aware of this site and the Tuscan buying guide? https://tvrtuscan.info/downloads Last updated in 2005 but still relevant if you've never owned a Tuscan before. Look toward the bottom and you'll see a link - https://tvrtuscan.info/public/resources/Tuscan_Buy...

If you let 'us' know what and where, there might be a PH member that can take a look for you but at the end of the day, that's almost the same as the dealer giving you the info albeit the dealer is biased towards selling the car and may not truly represent what is actually there.

[Konrod]

Hi there. I guess the question is whether you know what questions to ask over the phone - you'll get a lot of it from the website posted above. All cars have their foibles, TVR is no different but no worse in reality, however they are effectively a small volume handmade car and that shows in some areas by needing more love and attention. You would only get a real feel by going and looking, ideally with someone who knows the cars.

I would start by confirming the specification is: 4L or 3.6L, S, Red Rose or Standard (probably standard at that price), does it have Air Con (optional on the standard models), 16 or 18" wheels.

Then check about major work, primarily engine and chassis. Has the engine been rebuilt (when, by who) , has the chassis had any work (mostly outrigger replacement). These are the only significant problems to focus on - everything else is noise. Talking of noise, is it de-catted or not.

I would want to look at the chassis myself, the engine you are relying upon paperwork as there isn't much to see from the outside. Engines that have done more than 50K miles are probably lower risk than low mileage ones - the known problems largely seem appear before that.

Good hunting - ask if you have any questions.

[TrotCanterGallopCharge]

Can you get to a TVR Car Club meet?, should be one somewhere near your area. You may see both car types there, & will help you decide which one you like/suits you best.

Members may also know of cars that haven't been put up for sale yet, but will be soon. If they are cars at the meet, could be a win-win.

[ollyh1988]

65smoggy said:

Hi

I have been looking to buy a TVR for a while. I have a budget of £25k ish However there seems to be a lack of supply anywhere close to me at the moment.

There is 1 x Tuscan and 1 x Tamora for sub £25k. I am considering buying one of these over the phone ( i just don't have the time to go see them) . Both are in dealers as opposed to private. My concern is both seem cheap and have been up for sale for a while.

Is there anything i should be particularly wary of or get checked out by a local specialist before buying. I accept it may be nuts to buy a used car over the phone with the usual HPI checks, specialist checks and video calls I am hopeful I can make it work

Cheers

Hi, if you are after one of these cars then please don’t be put off by travelling to see one. Top tip is to try to see as many as you can, as they can vary quite a bit.
I would also recommend looking at private sales (TVR groups on Facebook are a good place to find good cars coming up for sale). I bought my first Tuscan from a TVR specialist and it was a terrible car - and terrible dealership experience. My second Tuscan was bought privately and was a brilliant car.
If I were buying again, I’d look for ones that have had an engine rebuild. They don’t all fail, but it would take some of the worry away from buying for me.
Enjoy the search.

[swisstoni]

I might buy a newish modern car over the phone. Might.
I’d never buy a car like a TVR like that.

As mentioned, the condition can vary amazingly from car to car depending on who has looked after them.

[porterpainter]

There’s 3 Tuscans listed on PH for £25k or less. 2 are high milers…but that’s not necessary a bad thing depending on condition/care

[citizen smith]

65smoggy said:

Hi

I have been looking to buy a TVR for a while. I have a budget of £25k ish However there seems to be a lack of supply anywhere close to me at the moment.

There is 1 x Tuscan and 1 x Tamora for sub £25k. I am considering buying one of these over the phone ( i just don't have the time to go see them) . Both are in dealers as opposed to private. My concern is both seem cheap and have been up for sale for a while.

Is there anything i should be particularly wary of or get checked out by a local specialist before buying. I accept it may be nuts to buy a used car over the phone with the usual HPI checks, specialist checks and video calls I am hopeful I can make it work

Cheers

Not the sort of cars that I would want to buy blind, even with all of the checks being carried out. If the dealer is advertising them for £25k, what would the dealer have paid for them?

Best to bide your time and wait until the right one turns up, else it will cost you a fortune in reapirs.

[Zippee]

I'd want to see them.
I've seen rough ones from even supposedly reputable dealers so always check it yourself.
If its been for sale a while, despite being cheap then all why.
These cars also don't like sitting seeing around so seals may have become dry.
I'd echo what others have said about shooting in them as well, even if it's a car out of your budget. The Tuscan and Tamora are very different cars in the way they drive and handle.
Check the chassis for any signs of rot.
Have they been serviced regularly, on time and ideally consistently by the same specialist? Can you call that garage and ask about the car?

If you can, get one with an engine rebuild. Given budget I'm assuming it's an earlier year of each which IMHO makes this essential unless you have 6k or so spare to cover should the worst happen.

[65smoggy]

Thanks for the advice guys. I have followed your advice , and in part thanks to your messages I have found a couple a bit closer to home. Hopefully I will get to see a couple over the weekend. Also managed to find an owners club close to home so will hopefully get to their next meet

Cheers

[Andy665]

I would not recommend limiting yourself to cars within a certain distance from home - any cost saving could be soon wiped out by buying the wrong car as the right car was just that but further away

I would never buy without viewing and driving, I drove a few Tuscans and although I bought privately it was a nicer car that drove better than those I viewed / drove at dealers

I think a TVR is probably a safer private buy than many other cars, most are in the hands of enthusiasts