Comments (TVR moves abroad.)
Discussion
uncle bulgaria said:
Its just a shame the bosses never listened and taken on there customers and dealers comments years ago.
Well put. On the deleted thread I mentioned of a low key experiment to say stick LS1 in a Tamora (with slightly modified chassis) for a cheaper car (both to buy and to run). How much time and effort would that have taken to quietly get 10-20 cars out to dealers to test demand - don't know exactly, but very small in the scheme of things. Porsche tweak a fat VW off roader in the quest for profit, a less sophisticated TVR wouldn't have caused any "brand devaluation" ..
RichardD said:
uncle bulgaria said:
Its just a shame the bosses never listened and taken on there customers and dealers comments years ago.
Well put. On the deleted thread I mentioned of a low key experiment to say stick LS1 in a Tamora (with slightly modified chassis) for a cheaper car (both to buy and to run). How much time and effort would that have taken to quietly get 10-20 cars out to dealers to test demand - don't know exactly, but very small in the scheme of things. Porsche tweak a fat VW off roader in the quest for profit, a less sophisticated TVR wouldn't have caused any "brand devaluation" ..
That used to be their business model
IE show something atr a motorshow, if got a good response, ie deposits - lots of, it would start production..
Ie at 1990 motorshow, a couple of models griifith and speed 8, the speed 8 was dropped, as they had hundreds of deposits for the griff...
I don't know why they use the same engine, for the cheapest - to the most expensive tvr..
ie a crated v8, entry level car, would give them an opportunity, to sell a trade up to a higher spec car...
ie generating more sales, making lots of repeat business, help the used market as well...
ie in lots of owners started with a chim 4.0, then traded to chim 500/griff 500, to cerberas, etc..
a 280bhp tam convertible, or t350 like model, with a v6 turbo, lazy v8, don't really care as long as produces the bhp, for about £30-35k would be ideal, assuming a lower unit cost per engine this would i thought be achievable?
I guess we need to see what they come out with, but if they want to achieve 5000 pa sales. i think this would really help achieve it
B
Edited by bjwoods on Tuesday 31st October 10:30
Gazboy said:
...
Matey with the Tuscan found out that the 383 iron block was better suited to a T-chassis than the LS series- it cost him, what 40kg's but had better weight distribuion and the gearstick was in a better location (relative to the driver). The only real thing you'd lose with the 383 was the street cred of a bang upto date alloy engine- I could live with that, plus it's a cheaper unit.
What Richard did with that car was great, but for a manufacturer to do it - well that would be seen as a rather lazy since they have the resources to modify the original designs to suit. I am not sure re: any emissions test for new cars and that ZZ383 engine though. Matey with the Tuscan found out that the 383 iron block was better suited to a T-chassis than the LS series- it cost him, what 40kg's but had better weight distribuion and the gearstick was in a better location (relative to the driver). The only real thing you'd lose with the 383 was the street cred of a bang upto date alloy engine- I could live with that, plus it's a cheaper unit.
Still a valid point though, pushing the idea even further in terms of crudeness and reduced cost!
Isn't there a German company that sells a big boxy car with an iron engine for a lot of £££. I see them about, they've "M3" badged on the back.
To the observers - whilst this topic may have wandered off at a tangent (already
) it clearly shows the enthusiasts who like things simple 
Edited by RichardD on Tuesday 31st October 12:47
Gazboy said:
RichardD said:
uncle bulgaria said:
Its just a shame the bosses never listened and taken on there customers and dealers comments years ago.
Well put. On the deleted thread I mentioned of a low key experiment to say stick LS1 in a Tamora (with slightly modified chassis) for a cheaper car (both to buy and to run). How much time and effort would that have taken to quietly get 10-20 cars out to dealers to test demand - don't know exactly, but very small in the scheme of things. Porsche tweak a fat VW off roader in the quest for profit, a less sophisticated TVR wouldn't have caused any "brand devaluation" ..
When you say "matey", who is that and might he be prepared to convert another?
Matey with the Tuscan found out that the 383 iron block was better suited to a T-chassis than the LS series- it cost him, what 40kg's but had better weight distribuion and the gearstick was in a better location (relative to the driver). The only real thing you'd lose with the 383 was the street cred of a bang upto date alloy engine- I could live with that, plus it's a cheaper unit.
Cheeky,
All details on this thread: www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=252912&r=4080003&hm=53540#4080003
Richard (speed eight) is a top fella and the install is first class.
Steve.
All details on this thread: www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=252912&r=4080003&hm=53540#4080003
Richard (speed eight) is a top fella and the install is first class.
Steve.
Gazboy said:
...I was thinking purely in making as much moolah as possible, and if that meant a £20 grand iron block poverty spec mobile then so be it, gotta have money on the table before you can get all fancy with meterials & technology.
The M3 used an iron block for strength- there is a Japanese company that sold a big boxy car with an iron engine for a lot of £££. I see them about, they've "GTR" badged on the back. Lol- that was £54k in 1999!
Iirc there is a company that sell a 383 of some variation with updated efi to meet Californian smog laws, it's still 60% of the price of a LS2.
The M3 used an iron block for strength- there is a Japanese company that sold a big boxy car with an iron engine for a lot of £££. I see them about, they've "GTR" badged on the back. Lol- that was £54k in 1999!
Iirc there is a company that sell a 383 of some variation with updated efi to meet Californian smog laws, it's still 60% of the price of a LS2.
A BMW does not have as long a bonnet as a TVR and what I read fitted with the iron straight six being more compact too. The strength thing may just be marketing justification I don't know.
As for the "boxy Japanese car", given that that's an undertuned turbo beast itching for its boost to be turned up - I think maximum strength is justified
. On that topic will the new engine (3.8 TT) be a descendant of the one in the 300ZX TT and be related to the n/a 350Z engine? I do think that there is (or would have been considering this is a bit of a "what if" tangent) a minimum level, 28/29k maybe it otherwise there could be some devaluation.
People don't mind a few extra k if it doesn't disappear through depreciation. Super touch chassis protection like zinc (maybe recent powder coats are up to the job I don't know), with traction control (drastic I know!) and what we've been discussing would give all year round ability and huge durability. Such qualities work for Porsche to justify high purchase prices.
[quote=Marki...No ,,,, a racing heritage and quality justify it for Porsche[/quote]I was describing versatility and durability, concepts that are linked to quality anyway. (Wether profit maximising mass production "lets drag it out as long as we can rather than doing the best job we can in the first place" thinking - defines the essence of quality in a pure sense of the word I doubt - partly maybe, if your brain is driven by logic in an appliance like plastic dashboard sort of way )
) 
Marki said:
RichardD said:
Bla
TVR have had major engine problems and have it seems treated their customers like shite , Porsche on the other hand it seems have done the opposite .
did that trigger the "engine problem" phase ? When you mass produce four wheeled appliances and get away with selling them for huge money then it follows that there is plenty in the kitty to bury any bad PR
Gazboy said:
ncs said:
Marki said:
RichardD said:
Bla
Porsche on the other hand it seems have done the opposite .
Not quite the case - there was a guy on these pages not too long ago telling us how his 911 had gone bang & he got no back up from the dealer or factory - cost a packet to fix.
Nick
Porsche are perceived as better built and fairer to the owners when it goes wrong- it may be factually incorrect, it may be bang on- it matters little because people assume they will get a better deal with Porsche, which is why a Gazillion of Boxters and Carreras have sold.
Edited by Gazboy on Tuesday 31st October 19:22
No denying that - they have their marketing off to a tee.
Nick
It's an oft repeated misnomer that a TVR could be produced £20K cheaper with a crate engine such as the LS2 chevy engine. The difference in cost between an LS2 crate engine and the speed 6 is less than 1k. So where does the extra 19k come from?
The reason the griff was so much cheaper to produce is that there were so many fewer body & trim panels to paint & upholster.
For what it's worth - I agree with all those who state that the management at TVR couldn't have organised a piss-up in a brewery, let alone manufacture of a car in a car factory. I had the priviledge of working there in the dying throws and met a wonderfully talented bunch of enthusiasts who, if given the opportunity, could have developed all the new models that Nicolai pruports to desire. All that was lacking was the direction from himself and the feckless idiots he employed as directors/yes men. So thanks to all those that made my stay there so enjoyable - I just wish I'd been able to work amongst you when TVR was at it's prime.
The reason the griff was so much cheaper to produce is that there were so many fewer body & trim panels to paint & upholster.
For what it's worth - I agree with all those who state that the management at TVR couldn't have organised a piss-up in a brewery, let alone manufacture of a car in a car factory. I had the priviledge of working there in the dying throws and met a wonderfully talented bunch of enthusiasts who, if given the opportunity, could have developed all the new models that Nicolai pruports to desire. All that was lacking was the direction from himself and the feckless idiots he employed as directors/yes men. So thanks to all those that made my stay there so enjoyable - I just wish I'd been able to work amongst you when TVR was at it's prime.
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