How Long Is A Piece Of (TVR) String?

[Flintstone]

Here we go, stupid question time.

Which TVR should I have as my first? ("Groan, gawd, not another one etc, etc").

I drive a small kit-car which I chose because I didn't want just another tin box. The trouble is it's based on a 1993 chassis and there's always something going wrong.

So I thought I'd go for a production car. Something different with a bit of poke that makes a nice noise. Mondeos etc just don't do it for me, it has to be 'different'.

I've lurked in this forum for a while and was surprised to see that TVRs can be a bit, well, temperamental. Bit like a kit-car really. So should I go look at the likes of Lotus, Porsche or are TVRs not all that bad?

Part Two. Is there a dealership within reasonable range of East Herts (Ware/Hertford) that I can visit and have a look at different models. (Mind you, I pretty much like the Griff.)

I'm sure this has all been asked before but I can't find any old threads so thought I'd risk asking.

:tinhaton:

[beano500]

Flintstone said:

Mind you, I pretty much like the Griff.

Haven't you answered your own question?!?!?

What do you want from the car, what's your budget, what do you like?

You're welcome to come down to south Hertfordshire to visit a real TVR! Or there's the TVR Centre at Arkley - otherwise it's Essex or Henley bound, I think!

[Trefor]

Er, how much money you got? Which do you like the look of?

[nevpugh308]

(threadjack : evening Tref )

[wedg1e]

If you think that TVRs seem temperamental, DON'T look at Lotus

If a TVR breaks, it will often (mysteriously) fix itself. If a Lotus breaks, it WILL be terminal and it WILL be expensive. Based only on my mate's 1970's Lotus wedge: dunno about the Elise....

[Apache]

Fred, try to be realistic here, to repeat an oft posted phrase, 'no one posts to say they went for a spin and nothing went wrong' people post with a problem and seek advice........unless it's 2:00 am, you're bladdered and called mungo.
The Chim and Griff are simple beasts and everything can be replaced or repaired, you can opt for PAS, aircon and heated seats if you want but basically the later they get the better they are. For the dosh you can't get a bigger grin

[Flintstone]

Purely on the basis of pictures and the odd one seen on the road I prefer the Griff but if someone tells me they have some horrendous inbuilt problem I could be persuaded to look at another model.

Which is why I'd quite like to wander around a forecourt somewhere. Someone who doesn't mind tolerating a tyre kicker. Definately not a wedge shape though.

Oh and what type of use? Well I work overseas for six days at a time so it'll be 60 miles to Heathrow, sit still for 5 days, 60 miles home then general runnig around for five days. Not needed as a family car, already got one of those.

Budget? Hmmm, absolute tops £15,000. Sell the kit then I'll have to borrow money (which I hate) but it's unavoidable. I could borrow more, just don't want to.

>> Edited by Flintstone on Sunday 30th November 20:28

[19560]

Griffs are great and will put a smile on your face that a Porsche will never do. £15,000 should get you a good early one; look at PH Classifieds.

[Flintstone]

Already been in the classifieds, that's why my keyboard doesn't work properly (drool, drool).

Heck, going back for another look now.

[beano500]

Flintstone said:

Purely on the basis of pictures and the odd one seen on the road I prefer the Griff but if someone tells me they have some horrendous inbuilt problem I could be persuaded to look at another model.

Cheekache can be the most annoying problem - still getting it after three years - otherwise they are wonderfully simple bits of technology to work on as Apache says!

[jigs]

If all else fails you can cut out the GF in the floor and drive it like your current machine.

[Flintstone]

Apache said:

Fred, try to be realistic here, to repeat an oft posted phrase, 'no one posts to say they went for a spin and nothing went wrong' people post with a problem and seek advice

:CaptainManwairingvoice: Excellent point! I was wondering when one of you would notice that

Tref wouldn't be a dealer by any chance?

As nobody buys/sells cars in the run up to christmas I shall spend the next few weeks watching and learning. I know where Arkley is, can anyone provide addresses of other dealers in the SE?

[simpo two]

Fred, you don't need to go to a dealer. You'll get a much better choice of cars and realistic comments from your nearest TVRCC meeting. The owners are mor likely to be enthusiasts who know a bit more about their cars than average, and are not trying to sell you anything, other than the marque of course!

£15K is good hunting ground for Griffs and Chimps (but not Cerbs IMHO) and they are essentially the same under the skin.

Let us know when you get your Griffith! Compared to kit cars it will seem like an Aston Martin!

[Flintstone]

Thanks for that simpo. I merely thought that at a dealers there'd be a wider range to look at.

Wouldn't pay dealer prices unless I had to (with apologies to all dealers. I know you have to make a living but then, so do I).

Is there a central register for TVRCC's?

[Propero]

Flintstone said:

So I thought I'd go for a production car.

What is your definition of "production". You're not expecting a TVR to be the same build and ease of ownership as a standard high volume mass produced car are you ?

[V8 Archie]

Flintstone said:

I merely thought that at a dealers there'd be a wider range to look at.

Barnet has just about all you could want to look at right now (apart from Ss). If that's no good there's Castle TVR in Stanstead (see the TVR website for details).

Flintstone said:

Is there a central register for TVRCC's?

Yes. On the TVRCC website.

£15k sounds like an old Chim/Griff.

PS: Have you seen the lack of design on the Griff boot?

[V8 Archie]

V8 Archie said:

Flintstone said: I merely thought that at a dealers there'd be a wider range to look at. Barnet has just about all you could want to look at right now (apart from Ss). If that's no good there's Castle TVR in Stanstead (see the TVR website for details). Flintstone said: Is there a central register for TVRCC's? Yes. On the TVRCC website. £15k sounds like an old Chim/Griff. PS: Have you seen the lack of design on the Griff boot?

ETA: Mid-Essex will meet on Sun 14th Dec. If you want to come along contact me or post on the next "Mid-Essex Convoy" thread.

[Flintstone]

Whew!

I suppose when I said "production car" I meant something professionally built.

Thanks for all this. I'll have a look at the site and find a meeting or two to attend. Afraid I won't be able to make Mid-Essex on the 14th as I'll be working.

In fact I'll be going away today, back Saturday, so if I go quiet on here please don't think I'm ignoring you.

[simpo two]

They beat me to it... I was about to say that MidEssex is probably the best meeting in terms of number/types of TVR. In the summer they got 50-60 cars; it'll be less in winter but still worth the petrol when you can get to it.

(NB Convoy protocol: all Euroboxes at the back please!)

[j_s_g]

wedg1e said:

If you think that TVRs seem temperamental, DON'T look at Lotus If a TVR breaks, it will often (mysteriously) fix itself. If a Lotus breaks, it WILL be terminal and it WILL be expensive. Based only on my mate's 1970's Lotus wedge: dunno about the Elise....

Elise's cost peanuts to maintain... In 18 months of ownership, it cost me £600 in MOTs, servicing, etc. and I only lost £750 in depreciation (I would've broken even if I hadn't wanted a quick sale). The only things that cost me extra on top of all that were petrol, 4 new tyres, and having to replace the alarm system that the dealership broke (tip: never use a certain Leeds based Lotus dealer). Only unreliable thing on it is the K-series head gasket which invariably gives up the ghost at about 30k miles - this can be uprated to cure the problem, too.

Having said all that, and even though I loved my Elise dearly... there are lots of them about, above 60mph there's very little acceleration to be had, and it wasn't much fun whenever it rained/snowed/etc. TVR's are in a totally different league - looked out of the window this morning to see it throwing it down with rain, and still opted to drive in in the Cerb, just so I had a smile on my face in the office. Would never have done that in the Elise. Think the only way I'd get one again would either be with a Turbo Technics upgrade, or if I can find someone that's willing to shoe-horn an S6 engine into the back of one. Can't see you going wrong with a Griff.