Anyone had any out of hand discussions about TVR's
Anyone had any out of hand discussions about TVR's
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zippy500

Original Poster:

1,883 posts

299 months

Friday 23rd May 2008
quotequote all
Had a bit of a heated chat with a woman in work about TVR's today, she was coming out with all the same old crap that folks who have never owned one say. You know, break lots, on verge of extinction etc.

Got me wondering, has anyone ever had any really firey times with people defending the good name.

Really annoys me when they start banging on, 99.9% of them have never even owned one let alone been for a spin in one. But they seem to think they are world experts in matters concerning them.


dougc

8,241 posts

295 months

Friday 23rd May 2008
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Clarkson et al have a lot to answer for when it comes to Tivs. Everyone is an expert because they watch Topgear.

Never had a full blown argument but have had to put a few people straight in the past. Usually the most vociferous detractors are those who have never even sat in one.

HRG

72,863 posts

269 months

Friday 23rd May 2008
quotequote all
Yup, rang up a place to try and get mine in for an MOT at about 3:30 today (I forgot it was due tomorrow) she asked what car it was and as soon as I said it was a TVR she said "I'll have a word with the service reception and try to prime them for you as I'd love to see it". Sure enough, they squeezed it in just because of what it was biggrin

And when I got there she was a hottie, no bloody wonder they did as she asked hehe

grahamw48

9,944 posts

268 months

Friday 23rd May 2008
quotequote all
Took mine into the local Kwikfit to see if they could torque up the rear hubnuts.

The manager was delighted to oblige free gratis, as long as he could have his picture taken with it. smile

Other than that...yes, far too many 'armchair experts' in this country.
Their knowledge is based on what the bloke down at the pub says, what they read in the sun comic, or what they see on tv....and not just confined to motoring urban legends of course.

PS. I don't waste my breath on ignorant fools unless they're going to help pay my wages.wink




Edited by grahamw48 on Friday 23 May 23:38

davido140

9,617 posts

256 months

Friday 23rd May 2008
quotequote all
I dont bother, I just grin and nod, or say "well it looks cool" or "it pulls 18 year old girls a treat" or something equally moronic, which normally gets a stupid laugh.

Heard a new one the other week, from an aussie guy..

"Oh they are illegal in Aus because if you crash you always loose your legs!"

Which is horse poo on several levels,

1) Tivs are pretty strong in a front on collision (as several here have proved!wink )
2) Tivs are perfectly legal in Aus, there are several "I've imported a "insert tiv model here" look at my pictures of it parked in front of the sydney opera house / harbour bridge / other Aus landmark." threads.

Numty.


zippy500

Original Poster:

1,883 posts

299 months

Friday 23rd May 2008
quotequote all
You only loose your legs as Aussies are decended from criminals. The theiving pikey gits!!

crackedfinger

1,569 posts

259 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
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davido140 said:
"Oh they are illegal in Aus because if you crash you always loose your legs!"
It's your head I would be more worried about in a Griff!

Byker28i

92,031 posts

247 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
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I get it all the time, then I point out that my car cost less than the depreciation they lost over the last year on their new boring slow car...

RUSSELLM

6,002 posts

277 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
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My Dad !

Even though he's driven a Cerb & loved it.

He keeps harping on about me always getting it fixed, and when be drops me off at TVR Power, he starts again.
"look at all those cars being fixed"
"Dad, they repair TVR's here, what do you expect, surely a Mercedes dealer will have a load of Mercedes lying around in various states of repair"

I can't get him to understand that some of the cars there are in for tuning/shock upgrades etc.

I normally end up giving him the " you find me something else that does 60 in 4.2, over 180mph, sounds as good as this and doesn't look like every other car on the road for £10,000.... And I'll buy it"

Wouldn't be so bad, but his E type needs a load of welding and I've never mentioned it's a rot box........well, not much smile

TT Tim

4,168 posts

277 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
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I think you guys take this all way too seriously. yes

Whenever I tell people I have a TVR I normally follow it with 'More of a hobby than a form of transport.' Normally gets a grin and that's about it.

They are fragile cars, they do need more TLC than a Mondeo, but the pros far outweigh the cons, so does it really matter what anyone else thinks?

Tim

jmorgan

36,010 posts

314 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
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Oh there are always experts. Had one the other day. Just nod and agree with a wistful smile knowing full well an evil grin lurks behind at the turn of a key.

Sam Gamgee

966 posts

283 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
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TT Tim said:
I think you guys take this all way too seriously. yes

Whenever I tell people I have a TVR I normally follow it with 'More of a hobby than a form of transport.' Normally gets a grin and that's about it.

They are fragile cars, they do need more TLC than a Mondeo, but the pros far outweigh the cons, so does it really matter what anyone else thinks?

Tim
Nail, head: bang on the money!!!

Dave.

yellow peril

5,131 posts

302 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
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The question we always seem to get asked at car shows is.."Are they as unreliable as we hear about" My reaction is to to say "not in our personal experience" and then to suggest they ask around everyone else on the stand...who will probably all give the same reply.
And generally...people are happy to accept the rumour as being over exagerated.

I have one aquaintance.....an AA guy.....member of another club we have joined, who constantly winds me up...or tries too.
He is always telling me that TVRs are a pile of poop........
That's okay...I just smile and let it wash over my head........there's nothing more frustrating for someone trying to get a response than to have none forthcoming!
One day I shall turn up to a meeting driving the Sag..........I'm just waiting to see the initial look on his face...I can guess what it will be!!


Was out in the Sag the other day and Ray rang asking me to pop by the local autofactors for a part for our van. There were no parking spaces so I promptly drove straight up on the pavement and parked right outside on their forecourt. When I went in, I went straight to the counter (by the window) and asked if it was okay to leave the car there.
With a huge grin he said "okay...you've gotta be kidding....leave it there all day please...and drop it back off tomorrow if you don't need to use it...it can stay there as long as you like"

smile Nice guy!

YP

lazyitus

19,931 posts

296 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
quotequote all
My father in law was harping on about how my car is always in the garage and he has a mate whose 1979 911 never gets a problem.

I pointed out that mines only regularly in a garage because I get it maintained and services regularly - i.e look after it. Also suggested his mate never saw a track in his life and probably did about 2,000 miles a year.

Oh how I pissed myself laughing when he needed a new clutch in his (alot newer) Honda Civic and I declared that his car was officially more unreliable than my Griff.

Shut him up good and proper. biggrin

Johno

8,593 posts

312 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
quotequote all
Heard a great story this week . . . He is a member here although it was an employee of his who told me the story . .

4.2 Cerberra with flip flop paint, arrives at the local supermarket and parks in the parent and baby section to park.

Get's out of the car to be greeted with

"That's typical that is, flashy sports car parking where he shouldn't !"

He casually got out and walked round to the passenger side and took out the baby seat with child in it . . . She went all quiet for some reason.

Most people in this country hate people with sports cars, and if they can have a dig they will. We are supposed to be a nation who likes the car, but the politicians and eco mentalists have driven a culture where it is no longer even a conversation topic any longer.

Therefore if it's Porsche then "they're common and add all the others you can think of.

Sometimes I have to react though, by asking them what they drive and then asking them with they've driven it with the roof along the Cote D'Azur ? They tend to say no.

They tend to hate you afterwards as well but I can't resist on occasion.

Most of them haven't the free spirited sense of adventure and get up and go to just buy one and find out for themselves what it's like . .

DonnyMac

3,634 posts

233 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
quotequote all
Not so much a reliability discussion or in fact an argument but…

Was waiting at the station last week to pick up my wife, saw her coming out so started the Cerb.

Within 15 secs a woman in her early/mid sixties glided over and said in a particularly well-to-do voice ‘your v-hic-elle is faaaaar tue louwd and it smells aw…..ful’

To which I grinned, said ‘thank you young lady, you have made my day’ revved to 3,500 and gently came off the gas until I hit the magic spot and the Cerb let out a series of machine gunned pop-pop-bangs with an almighty CRACK at the end; she jumped out of her skin a scuttled off shaking nervously.

Although the rest of the cars waiting to pick up couldn’t have heard the conversation, they must have got the gist as a few of them were laughing uncontrollably.

As was I.

ncs

3,974 posts

312 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
quotequote all
yellow peril said:
I have one aquaintance.....an AA guy.....another club we have joined
Pauline

I thought if you went to Alcoholics Anonymous meets you werent supposed to discuss it with anyone elsebiggrin

You live & learn I suppose.

Nicknerd

Dave_M

5,486 posts

254 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
quotequote all
Dougc said:
Usually the most vociferous detractors are those who have never even sat in one.
How very true smile

YP said:
"okay...you've gotta be kidding....leave it there all day please...and drop it back off tomorrow if you don't need to use it...it can stay there as long as you like"
That's more like it biggrin

NCS said:
Pauline

I thought if you went to Alcoholics Anonymous meets you werent supposed to discuss it with anyone else

You live & learn I suppose.

Nick
From threads elswhere, YP's breakfasts and lunches take up a lot of her time so I guess she has a problem fitting it all in (I guess that's another entry in the book). rofl



Rocket Pepper

1,281 posts

246 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
quotequote all
Reliability isn't measured the same for all vehicles.

How many 10 year old Mondeo's are on the road today? Subtract the ones still in use from the numbers sold 10 years ago. I think the percentage would suggest an unreliable car if such were judged on longevity. By the same rules, TVR's must be amongst the most reliable cars ever made.

Take a well built car from 20 years ago, such as Saab or Volvo. I'd wager many many more would still be running today if the industries attitudes were not focused soley on financial gain. Imagine a world where car manufacturers were only allowed to build new units every 3 or 5 years. Ultimately it's the politics and finances within the oil and automotive industries that decide the reliability of a motor car. At the end of the day the average tin box is built to be culled. TVR's are by their very nature not built under the same terms. Nor are any other prestige niche market cars. That's what makes them great in the long run, and ultimately reliable as they stand the test of time as much more than a tin box.

It's also a point of fact that when all but a mere handful of what was once or is today's mass produced tin box are left remaining, we decide to call them 'classics'. 30 years ago would we have judged an Austin Allegro or Princes a future 'classic' in any other way. Not a chance. Begs the question, what is a real 'classic', doesn't it. TVR's of any age have no problem here. Reliable or otherwise!

yellow peril

5,131 posts

302 months

Saturday 24th May 2008
quotequote all
ncs said:
yellow peril said:
I have one aquaintance.....an AA guy.....another club we have joined
Pauline

I thought if you went to Alcoholics Anonymous meets you werent supposed to discuss it with anyone elsebiggrin

You live & learn I suppose.

Nicknerd
yikes



redcard You pain Smith.......redcardtongue out

I obviously ought to clear up this erroneous comment made by my GOOD FRIEND Nick the pain in the blah.

The friend I am talking about is one we meet at another club....He is an Automobile Association patrolman.

Nothing whatsoever nono to do with Alcopops Annonie

You are sooooo bad Nick...evil.......but revenge will be all the sweeter if left a month or so..........thumbup I always wait till you are not expecting it.........smile






Dave_M said:

From threads elswhere, YP's breakfasts and lunches take up a lot of her time so I guess she has a problem fitting it all in (I guess that's another entry in the book). rofl
Mmmmmm...scratchchin.I can see I ought perhaps not to mention my lunches any more........

scratchchin Obviously people remember these things........


Actually just come back from lunch out today at...........boxedin....I will refrain...even though it was really good...........tongue out

YP
And yes Dave.....that will be entry no 2 in my little black book.......evil



Edited by yellow peril on Saturday 24th May 18:12