Swallowing the brave pill
Discussion
Well I finally made it here. If I'm not mistaken this is the true inner sanctum and origin of PH. So go easy on me guys, my first post in the TVR section.
I've spent my entire motoring life living on the wild side, some notable examples below, however I've never quite had the cojones to pull the trigger on a Trevor. Well now appears to be that time and I'm hoping the wonderful and learned members of these chambers can come to my rescue or at least point me to where I should head in the first instance.
I'm not settled on a model yet but have seen a lovely T350 for sale that looks quite interesting. A good friend has told me to give Blackpool a wide berth (we both have persisted with the boring route of Stuttgart for some time).
Main concerns arise having read this.
Was the original Melling design of the AJP-6 so molested by TVR that it makes the FD Rotary look like it's hewn from granite by comparison, or is it all internet scare mongering and should all just be ignored? If it is all true, what is the cost for the belts and braces engine overhaul (crank bracing, oil pump mods, oil lines, head work...). Also I'll be doing all the maintenance on the car, are parts easy to come by? Given the likelihood of it being a T350, are there other concerns that I should be looking out for? Did these cars come with a CofC? It is essential for me as I'll be registering it over in Spain so it is a no-go if either this is missing or if they never had EU type approval.
Many thanks in advance guys.
I've spent my entire motoring life living on the wild side, some notable examples below, however I've never quite had the cojones to pull the trigger on a Trevor. Well now appears to be that time and I'm hoping the wonderful and learned members of these chambers can come to my rescue or at least point me to where I should head in the first instance.
I'm not settled on a model yet but have seen a lovely T350 for sale that looks quite interesting. A good friend has told me to give Blackpool a wide berth (we both have persisted with the boring route of Stuttgart for some time).
Main concerns arise having read this.
Was the original Melling design of the AJP-6 so molested by TVR that it makes the FD Rotary look like it's hewn from granite by comparison, or is it all internet scare mongering and should all just be ignored? If it is all true, what is the cost for the belts and braces engine overhaul (crank bracing, oil pump mods, oil lines, head work...). Also I'll be doing all the maintenance on the car, are parts easy to come by? Given the likelihood of it being a T350, are there other concerns that I should be looking out for? Did these cars come with a CofC? It is essential for me as I'll be registering it over in Spain so it is a no-go if either this is missing or if they never had EU type approval.
Many thanks in advance guys.
Some lovely metalwork there.
Tvr were well known to cut corners to save money but most engines by now should have been sorted out with upgraded components or rebuilt.
Just like everything go in armed with all the info you can and decide from there.
Probably better to find a car that has had that all important rebuild done, enjoy it and just see what happens is my motto.
If your handy with the spanners I don't see any issues personally.
Tvr were well known to cut corners to save money but most engines by now should have been sorted out with upgraded components or rebuilt.
Just like everything go in armed with all the info you can and decide from there.
Probably better to find a car that has had that all important rebuild done, enjoy it and just see what happens is my motto.
If your handy with the spanners I don't see any issues personally.
Later S6 engines, from mid 2002 onwards, shouldn't be any worse than some of Porsche's more recent efforts engine wise. 
Throw in a Powers or Str8six rebuilt and it should be a lot better.
Pretty much all parts are available, apart from some of the smaller bespoke.
I ran my '00 Tuscan as a daily driver for about 5 years and it let me down twice in that time, both clutch failures which is a bit of a weak point.
There are official LHD versions of some models and there are cars that have been exported, so it's possible.
Throw in a Powers or Str8six rebuilt and it should be a lot better.Pretty much all parts are available, apart from some of the smaller bespoke.
I ran my '00 Tuscan as a daily driver for about 5 years and it let me down twice in that time, both clutch failures which is a bit of a weak point.
There are official LHD versions of some models and there are cars that have been exported, so it's possible.
Regarding the Speed6, the 2005 and 2006 engines had improved materials and so not so fragile.
My 2006 Tuscan Convertible is not at 87k miles having done many trips to Germany and Spain.
Broke down once in France and had to ship back - Engine Management Computer fried.
My 2000 Tuscan had had a rebuild at 35k miles done back in the factory, where they replaced the worn out bits with the same poor materials so when I bought it at 70k miles it needed an immediate rebuild. With the rebuild and a number of other repairs, the fist bill after 4 months of ownership was £11k.
The pain was soon forgotten once behind the wheel.
Broke down once in Germany and shipped back. Turned out to be a minor issue with the newly rebuilt engine.
So my point is that the rebuild needs to have been done outside factory at somewhere like Sra8six etc. This is my opinion.
I'm on my sixth TVR having started back in the 90's with a 2.8 Tasmin Coupe which was my daily while working in Germany and Switzerland. Never let me down, just normal wear and tare.
Two Chimaera's 400's, neither let me down. Daily cars in Germany year round.
4.2 Cerbera was amazing and much loved but spent most of its time in the workshop.
Oh and one other thing, Tuscan, Chimaera, which ever, they don't like sitting in airport car parks for more than three weeks or you will have a flat battery.
I cured this problem with a Battery Brain.
They like to be driven or they start to play up but that applies to most cars.
My favorite 'reliability' photo. We were on the way to Spain and got blocked in by several French recovery trucks.
My 2006 Tuscan Convertible is not at 87k miles having done many trips to Germany and Spain.
Broke down once in France and had to ship back - Engine Management Computer fried.
My 2000 Tuscan had had a rebuild at 35k miles done back in the factory, where they replaced the worn out bits with the same poor materials so when I bought it at 70k miles it needed an immediate rebuild. With the rebuild and a number of other repairs, the fist bill after 4 months of ownership was £11k.
The pain was soon forgotten once behind the wheel.
Broke down once in Germany and shipped back. Turned out to be a minor issue with the newly rebuilt engine.
So my point is that the rebuild needs to have been done outside factory at somewhere like Sra8six etc. This is my opinion.
I'm on my sixth TVR having started back in the 90's with a 2.8 Tasmin Coupe which was my daily while working in Germany and Switzerland. Never let me down, just normal wear and tare.
Two Chimaera's 400's, neither let me down. Daily cars in Germany year round.
4.2 Cerbera was amazing and much loved but spent most of its time in the workshop.
Oh and one other thing, Tuscan, Chimaera, which ever, they don't like sitting in airport car parks for more than three weeks or you will have a flat battery.
I cured this problem with a Battery Brain.
They like to be driven or they start to play up but that applies to most cars.
My favorite 'reliability' photo. We were on the way to Spain and got blocked in by several French recovery trucks.
Swallow it and enjoy the ride,the beauty of them is that they are as good to look at inside as they are on the outside.As many will and have said look for an excellent sevice history and a car that has been used not sat around for long periods.I have had a 4.2 Cerbera and 2 Tuscans,neither have had engine rebuilds,67,000 before a car crashed into it and 44,000 and still going strong,They are an event every time and life is too short not to have "events" )
)The T350, Sagaris and the Tamora are said to be the best TVRs to drive. From looking at your history I'd say one of those would fit in nicely. I dont think you need massive cahones to buy a TVR, you simply need to respect it for what it is... a racing engine fitted to a small, lightweight car.
My 04 Tamora (3.6l) is on 32k miles without a rebuild. I know of many cars that have double that without any issues. They need a lot more care and servicing than something german but cost similarly to do so. Quite often it works out cheeper... certainly per smile! Ive never worked on a car in my life and like the reassurance given by getting it regularly checked over by a specialist.
Generally the best plan would be to buy as new as you can, they made improvements to materials later in life. 3.6 are slightly less stressed than the 4.0 but I wouldent let that concern you too much. If you can buy a rebuild car, do that (I didnt though) and most importantly buy from someone who knows what they are selling, James Agger, Str8six etc.
Then use it, as others have said, they dont like sitting around.
You only really hear horror stories because they are the only ones that get written, no one cares to read about the 99% of the time when everything is working smoothly. Speak to owners, get to club events... not everyone is friendly, but most have a passion for their car.
Ive got no experiance of regustering a car elsewhere but I do have all the original type approval docunents in the history file. Im sure someone on here will have done the full process before, there are a number of cars on the continent, mostly in Germany.
Ill leave this here...
My 04 Tamora (3.6l) is on 32k miles without a rebuild. I know of many cars that have double that without any issues. They need a lot more care and servicing than something german but cost similarly to do so. Quite often it works out cheeper... certainly per smile! Ive never worked on a car in my life and like the reassurance given by getting it regularly checked over by a specialist.
Generally the best plan would be to buy as new as you can, they made improvements to materials later in life. 3.6 are slightly less stressed than the 4.0 but I wouldent let that concern you too much. If you can buy a rebuild car, do that (I didnt though) and most importantly buy from someone who knows what they are selling, James Agger, Str8six etc.
Then use it, as others have said, they dont like sitting around.
You only really hear horror stories because they are the only ones that get written, no one cares to read about the 99% of the time when everything is working smoothly. Speak to owners, get to club events... not everyone is friendly, but most have a passion for their car.
Ive got no experiance of regustering a car elsewhere but I do have all the original type approval docunents in the history file. Im sure someone on here will have done the full process before, there are a number of cars on the continent, mostly in Germany.
Ill leave this here...
BEARDYB0Y said:
You only really hear horror stories because they are the only ones that get written, no one cares to read about the 99% of the time when everything is working smoothly. Speak to owners, get to club events... not everyone is friendly, but most have a passion for their car.
The horror stories from the early S6 days are very true, but the engine moved on from those days. Sadly, a lot of people's perceptions haven't.Basil Brush said:
BEARDYB0Y said:
You only really hear horror stories because they are the only ones that get written, no one cares to read about the 99% of the time when everything is working smoothly. Speak to owners, get to club events... not everyone is friendly, but most have a passion for their car.
The horror stories from the early S6 days are very true, but the engine moved on from those days. Sadly, a lot of people's perceptions haven't.CIELLA said:
Basil Brush said:
BEARDYB0Y said:
You only really hear horror stories because they are the only ones that get written, no one cares to read about the 99% of the time when everything is working smoothly. Speak to owners, get to club events... not everyone is friendly, but most have a passion for their car.
The horror stories from the early S6 days are very true, but the engine moved on from those days. Sadly, a lot of people's perceptions haven't.BEARDYB0Y said:
I've got no experience of registering a car elsewhere but I do have all the original type approval documents in the history file. I'm sure someone on here will have done the full process before, there are a number of cars on the continent, mostly in Germany.
Ill leave this here...
Many thanks for all the info guys, much appreciated Ill leave this here...
Beardyboy I've done a bit of digging and I'm not sure if TVR produced a CofC due to the method they employed for vehicle approval. I'll keep looking but hopefully someone has been down this road before and knows a little more. With a bit of luck a TVR owner from Spain in on here and has gone through this process...
Basil Brush said:
CIELLA said:
Basil Brush said:
BEARDYB0Y said:
You only really hear horror stories because they are the only ones that get written, no one cares to read about the 99% of the time when everything is working smoothly. Speak to owners, get to club events... not everyone is friendly, but most have a passion for their car.
The horror stories from the early S6 days are very true, but the engine moved on from those days. Sadly, a lot of people's perceptions haven't.
With regard to a COC TVR’s were never supplied with these ,however a few years ago the current owners of the company did offer them for about £300. I did have one for my Tuscan S as I was trying to register it in Belgium although it took two tries to get all the details correct. As far as I know the only model produced that had any sort of European type approval was the Chimaera.
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