What are the T350's like?
Discussion
Hi all
I currently have a Chimaera 400 which is great- sounds the business, looks lovely although i now regret not buying the 450! (I should have waited but got seduced...)
Anyhow, the car's great, but thinking of changing in a few months after the summer.
I'm liking the (challenge of) TVR ownership and am interested in some other models, but my knowledge of the later models is limited.
I like the straight 6 TVR produce, but are these cars super-unreliable? (I only use the cars at weekends) What about with the Racing Green Cars striaght 6 fitted? What other pitfalls are there for ownership?
On a seperate note, how does the T350 compare to a Tuscan or a Tamora?
thanks for the suggestions?
I currently have a Chimaera 400 which is great- sounds the business, looks lovely although i now regret not buying the 450! (I should have waited but got seduced...)
Anyhow, the car's great, but thinking of changing in a few months after the summer.
I'm liking the (challenge of) TVR ownership and am interested in some other models, but my knowledge of the later models is limited.
I like the straight 6 TVR produce, but are these cars super-unreliable? (I only use the cars at weekends) What about with the Racing Green Cars striaght 6 fitted? What other pitfalls are there for ownership?
On a seperate note, how does the T350 compare to a Tuscan or a Tamora?
thanks for the suggestions?
Big topic! You may struggle to attract people willing to type enough to answer all of that.
I've done Chimp400 to T350 and have no regrets. The T350 has 50% more power, similar weight, but better handling. The long travel pedals make it easy to keep her on the tarmac, and the clutch is much lighter (nice if you live in London).
The Speed 6 has a chequered history, but they got better at building them over time. Mine has only 'let me down' with a flat battery due to low use (we have a 'new addition').
The early Tuscans got a reputation for quite twitchy handling, but the Tamora and T350 are basically the same. She is a very comfortable GT car; we had a European driving holiday in her last year (while we could!) and she was comfortable and faultless over some 3,000 miles in ten days.
hth
I've done Chimp400 to T350 and have no regrets. The T350 has 50% more power, similar weight, but better handling. The long travel pedals make it easy to keep her on the tarmac, and the clutch is much lighter (nice if you live in London).
The Speed 6 has a chequered history, but they got better at building them over time. Mine has only 'let me down' with a flat battery due to low use (we have a 'new addition').
The early Tuscans got a reputation for quite twitchy handling, but the Tamora and T350 are basically the same. She is a very comfortable GT car; we had a European driving holiday in her last year (while we could!) and she was comfortable and faultless over some 3,000 miles in ten days.
hth
grumbledoak said:
Big topic! You may struggle to attract people willing to type enough to answer all of that.
I've done Chimp400 to T350 and have no regrets. The T350 has 50% more power, similar weight, but better handling. The long travel pedals make it easy to keep her on the tarmac, and the clutch is much lighter (nice if you live in London).
The Speed 6 has a chequered history, but they got better at building them over time. Mine has only 'let me down' with a flat battery due to low use (we have a 'new addition').
The early Tuscans got a reputation for quite twitchy handling, but the Tamora and T350 are basically the same. She is a very comfortable GT car; we had a European driving holiday in her last year (while we could!) and she was comfortable and faultless over some 3,000 miles in ten days.
hth
Not driven the T350, however the Tuscan dosnt have "twitchy" handling the steering is just on a short rack so its very precise ie small movement on steering wheel = large movement on wheels. Fantastic for blating down B roads but can knock your confidence at higher speeds.I've done Chimp400 to T350 and have no regrets. The T350 has 50% more power, similar weight, but better handling. The long travel pedals make it easy to keep her on the tarmac, and the clutch is much lighter (nice if you live in London).
The Speed 6 has a chequered history, but they got better at building them over time. Mine has only 'let me down' with a flat battery due to low use (we have a 'new addition').
The early Tuscans got a reputation for quite twitchy handling, but the Tamora and T350 are basically the same. She is a very comfortable GT car; we had a European driving holiday in her last year (while we could!) and she was comfortable and faultless over some 3,000 miles in ten days.
hth
I went from my Chimaera 400 to my Twitchy Mk 1 Tuscan.
Twitchyness corrected to perfection with new shocks, alloys and geo set up.
Had to have a rebuild but then it became my daily drive as the Chimaera before.
I also drive thousands of miles around Europe and never let me down.
Now got a Mk2 Tuscan.
Luverly car.
Twitchyness corrected to perfection with new shocks, alloys and geo set up.
Had to have a rebuild but then it became my daily drive as the Chimaera before.
I also drive thousands of miles around Europe and never let me down.
Now got a Mk2 Tuscan.
Luverly car.
I went from a Chimaera to a T350 via a mk1 Tuscan, though can't tell you anything about a Tamora. The Chimaera felt quick and was quick. The Tuscan however was appreciably quicker. And more dramatic. However it was as twitchy as people say which at legal speeds feels really direct and not necessarily a bad thing. At high speeds this could feel pretty scary.
After 50,000 miles the Tuscan got traded in for my favourite TVR. My T350 has now covered huge mileage and apart from the odd few miles in boiling hot traffic jams every one of them has been fun. It has been the easiest to drive fast, the easiest to drive in traffic, even easier to park than the previous ones. Not easy because it has nannying driver aids like most modern cars but easier to feel more involved in the driving. Still unnecesarily powerful and always provocable, but less of a battle than the Tuscan. On a track, an A road or a B road I would choose the T350 every time. Though on a drag strip I think the Tuscan would edge it.
As for the engine, mine still feels and sounds pretty good (after 114,000 miles) and though I never thought I'd like a 6 as much as a V8 I'm now happy to say I do.
A T350 is a more modern car but it is no less of a TVR.
After 50,000 miles the Tuscan got traded in for my favourite TVR. My T350 has now covered huge mileage and apart from the odd few miles in boiling hot traffic jams every one of them has been fun. It has been the easiest to drive fast, the easiest to drive in traffic, even easier to park than the previous ones. Not easy because it has nannying driver aids like most modern cars but easier to feel more involved in the driving. Still unnecesarily powerful and always provocable, but less of a battle than the Tuscan. On a track, an A road or a B road I would choose the T350 every time. Though on a drag strip I think the Tuscan would edge it.
As for the engine, mine still feels and sounds pretty good (after 114,000 miles) and though I never thought I'd like a 6 as much as a V8 I'm now happy to say I do.
A T350 is a more modern car but it is no less of a TVR.
thanks for your thoughts, feel a bit 'closer' to edging towards a t350 now. I also never thought a 6 would be better than a V8, but i like the sound of this.
When i brought my chimaera (I was considering one of the sixes then), many dealers had suggested that the V8 engine is a reliable unit and the speed 6 wasn't. What's the reliabilty of these cars like and what particular issues should I look out for?
I saw that racing green ad which is what made me think of this idea.
When i brought my chimaera (I was considering one of the sixes then), many dealers had suggested that the V8 engine is a reliable unit and the speed 6 wasn't. What's the reliabilty of these cars like and what particular issues should I look out for?
I saw that racing green ad which is what made me think of this idea.
shorts! said:
I went from a Chimaera to a T350 via a mk1 Tuscan, though can't tell you anything about a Tamora. The Chimaera felt quick and was quick. The Tuscan however was appreciably quicker. And more dramatic. However it was as twitchy as people say which at legal speeds feels really direct and not necessarily a bad thing. At high speeds this could feel pretty scary.
After 50,000 miles the Tuscan got traded in for my favourite TVR. My T350 has now covered huge mileage and apart from the odd few miles in boiling hot traffic jams every one of them has been fun. It has been the easiest to drive fast, the easiest to drive in traffic, even easier to park than the previous ones. Not easy because it has nannying driver aids like most modern cars but easier to feel more involved in the driving. Still unnecesarily powerful and always provocable, but less of a battle than the Tuscan. On a track, an A road or a B road I would choose the T350 every time. Though on a drag strip I think the Tuscan would edge it.
As for the engine, mine still feels and sounds pretty good (after 114,000 miles) and though I never thought I'd like a 6 as much as a V8 I'm now happy to say I do.
A T350 is a more modern car but it is no less of a TVR.
After 50,000 miles the Tuscan got traded in for my favourite TVR. My T350 has now covered huge mileage and apart from the odd few miles in boiling hot traffic jams every one of them has been fun. It has been the easiest to drive fast, the easiest to drive in traffic, even easier to park than the previous ones. Not easy because it has nannying driver aids like most modern cars but easier to feel more involved in the driving. Still unnecesarily powerful and always provocable, but less of a battle than the Tuscan. On a track, an A road or a B road I would choose the T350 every time. Though on a drag strip I think the Tuscan would edge it.
As for the engine, mine still feels and sounds pretty good (after 114,000 miles) and though I never thought I'd like a 6 as much as a V8 I'm now happy to say I do.
A T350 is a more modern car but it is no less of a TVR.
top postI went from a 400 Chim last year (owned for 4 years) to a 54 plate T350t. The 2 main reasons for the move were performance (the Chim had started to feel slow) and safety (my wife didn't like the lack of side impact or roll over protection in the Chim).
Firstly the Chim - it was reasonably cheap and easy to maintain, simple to work on, reliable, sounded VERY good, comfortable to drive in a GT kind of way and could easily rack up big mileages.
The T350 I purchased in October last year with 8500 miles on the clock, within 2 weeks it was back to the garage and I was then without her for 4 months whilst she had a bottom end rebuild (fortunately under warranty) - not the best start into S6 ownership, even if you do go in having done your homework.
The 350 is a lot more temperamental (sensors, alternator, throttle bodies etc) but OMG does it go! My Chim was very well set up with Gaz golds, poly bushes, full geo etc and handled very well. My T350 on standard shocks is in a different league. It takes a little getting used to because the rack is very quick, hence a lot of people mention twitchiness, but once there its awesome!
I don't find it as comfy as the Chim on long journeys but the smile on my face more than makes up for it.
The warm up procedure can be a pain, especially in cold weather (It is however, ESSENTIAL) so it does rule out using the car for short journeys, but again once warmed through it more than makes up for it!
Don't let anyone tell you you don't need air-con either! The cabin heat soak in these cars is immense, even with the targa panels off and windows down!
The 350 is also a lot easier to drive in the wet, mainly due to the longer throttle travel and higher revving engine (7.5-8k rpm) whereas the Chims huge torque often meant wet roundabouts could be tricky.
The floor mounted pedal box takes a little getting used to, particularly the clutch & brake, but once there its so much nicer than normal pedal arrangements.
Sound wise my exhaust was standard when I bought her and I now have a JP box on the rear, different sound to the Chimaeras V8 but IMHO it sounds more supercar whereas the RV8 sounded meaty!
I believe clutches last around 20k so budget around a grand for a new one, engine rebuild issues are well documented but the latest offerings from Power etc seem to address a lot of these issues. Budget around 2-3k a year in running costs and you should be fine. Also be aware that you will get far more attention in a T car than the Chim would ever get!
Firstly the Chim - it was reasonably cheap and easy to maintain, simple to work on, reliable, sounded VERY good, comfortable to drive in a GT kind of way and could easily rack up big mileages.
The T350 I purchased in October last year with 8500 miles on the clock, within 2 weeks it was back to the garage and I was then without her for 4 months whilst she had a bottom end rebuild (fortunately under warranty) - not the best start into S6 ownership, even if you do go in having done your homework.
The 350 is a lot more temperamental (sensors, alternator, throttle bodies etc) but OMG does it go! My Chim was very well set up with Gaz golds, poly bushes, full geo etc and handled very well. My T350 on standard shocks is in a different league. It takes a little getting used to because the rack is very quick, hence a lot of people mention twitchiness, but once there its awesome!
I don't find it as comfy as the Chim on long journeys but the smile on my face more than makes up for it.
The warm up procedure can be a pain, especially in cold weather (It is however, ESSENTIAL) so it does rule out using the car for short journeys, but again once warmed through it more than makes up for it!
Don't let anyone tell you you don't need air-con either! The cabin heat soak in these cars is immense, even with the targa panels off and windows down!
The 350 is also a lot easier to drive in the wet, mainly due to the longer throttle travel and higher revving engine (7.5-8k rpm) whereas the Chims huge torque often meant wet roundabouts could be tricky.
The floor mounted pedal box takes a little getting used to, particularly the clutch & brake, but once there its so much nicer than normal pedal arrangements.
Sound wise my exhaust was standard when I bought her and I now have a JP box on the rear, different sound to the Chimaeras V8 but IMHO it sounds more supercar whereas the RV8 sounded meaty!
I believe clutches last around 20k so budget around a grand for a new one, engine rebuild issues are well documented but the latest offerings from Power etc seem to address a lot of these issues. Budget around 2-3k a year in running costs and you should be fine. Also be aware that you will get far more attention in a T car than the Chim would ever get!
I had a T350 and it was a fantastic car. Handling wise is one of the best TVR's ever. Looks - well people stop and stare all the time.
A must - is the racing green sports exhaust ..
Cost - cheap to buy but much more expensive to run than a Griff/chim.
As has been said - lots of sensors, electronic dash etc that do go wrong with much to much frequency.
A must - is the racing green sports exhaust ..
Cost - cheap to buy but much more expensive to run than a Griff/chim.
As has been said - lots of sensors, electronic dash etc that do go wrong with much to much frequency.
Phil Keen, the Racing green sponsored driver in the Tuscan series and more recently the very successful sports car driver, reckons that the T350 is the best TVR for road use.
It is, in essence, a re-run of the M-series.
Roadholding, steering, transmission, brakes and engine are beyond reproach. There are one or two minor irritations: the seats foul the roll bar, the air con can dump all but freezing water in the passenger's lap, it won't take a full flow of fuel and the glove locker will only take your passport if you remove some of the pages.
And that is all. It's performance is tremendous.
I love the car. I only wish I could afford to own one.
It is, in essence, a re-run of the M-series.
Roadholding, steering, transmission, brakes and engine are beyond reproach. There are one or two minor irritations: the seats foul the roll bar, the air con can dump all but freezing water in the passenger's lap, it won't take a full flow of fuel and the glove locker will only take your passport if you remove some of the pages.
And that is all. It's performance is tremendous.
I love the car. I only wish I could afford to own one.
Columbo said:
1 question: do the slats in the bonnet on the nearside serve any purpose or are they purely aesthetic?
ETA: back on topic. I love my T350 - my first tiv so I can't compare it to any others but I wouldn't part with it for the world...
Edited by darkmark07 on Friday 10th July 15:43
I moved from a Chim 500 to a RR T350c and the only thing I miss a bit with the T350 is not being able to take the roof off. Beauty as they say is in the eye of the beholder but there's no doubt that the T350 draws more attention and IMO is the best looking car TVR ever made. The T350 is far more planted on the road and this is comparing a tired suspension on my T350 (springs and dampers now 6+ yrs and 25k miles old) to a new one on my old chim (Protech springs & dampers). The performance in terms of outright acceleration and top speed is in a different league compared to the RV8 cars and only a very well sorted AJP V8 4.2 / 4.5 can match it (having a red rose variant makes quite a difference in my experience).
On the downside, the digital display is prone to degradation and I have suffered from some electrical woes with regard to the air con and fans and I have to disagree with the earlier post that air con is essential - I have it and never use it and the car doesn't suffer any where near as much with heat soak compared to my old chim.
Filling up is a pain as you can't have the pump on full flow otherwise petrol is prone to pi** out all over the body work. The factory exhaust is crap, (too much back pressure) too quiet and the tail pipes poorly designed - they look silly sticking out so far and i've burnt my legs on them on a few ocassions.
They are probably a bit more expensive to run than an RV8 car though I spent quite a bit more on the Chim in 3 yrs of ownership than I have on the T350 - so far !
On the downside, the digital display is prone to degradation and I have suffered from some electrical woes with regard to the air con and fans and I have to disagree with the earlier post that air con is essential - I have it and never use it and the car doesn't suffer any where near as much with heat soak compared to my old chim.
Filling up is a pain as you can't have the pump on full flow otherwise petrol is prone to pi** out all over the body work. The factory exhaust is crap, (too much back pressure) too quiet and the tail pipes poorly designed - they look silly sticking out so far and i've burnt my legs on them on a few ocassions.
They are probably a bit more expensive to run than an RV8 car though I spent quite a bit more on the Chim in 3 yrs of ownership than I have on the T350 - so far !
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