Service History?

[crankedup]

Can you please advise me of the importance or otherwise of a service history on a Griff 92'vintage.
Do I really need to worry about the lack of history and just use my judgement on condition alone. Opinions much appreciated.

[mustard]

Comes down to 3 factors.....

1. How cheap is it?
2. How much do you trust your judgement
3. How easy do you want it to be to sell on

If the answers are

1. Seriously cheap
2. You do
3. Your not that bothered

Then go for it!

[crankedup]

Thanks Mustard, I trust my judgement I am not at this stage bothered about selling on but this is bound to change after a few years so are TVR (griff) looked upon like the other big sportscar names - no history means no sale? Boring I know but essential to me. Thanks

[pies]

Everything sells at the right price including griffs

To me recent history is more important than gaps and the chassis condition is far more important IMHO

[VYT]

pies said:

To me recent history is more important than gaps and the chassis condition is far more important

Echo that, check the chassis is sound. You can make a call on the oily bit's and fix most of it if you know a bit about cars. The chassis would be a more difficult task. Check the outer chassis rails behind the front wheels and in front of the back wheels. If it is sound there then the chassis is probably not too bad.

[simpo two]

Absolutely no history at all? A few points:
Is there the black filofax-style owner's manual?
Got any friends with Griffs who could help you check it out?
If you're serious about getting one, suggest you get the Griff/Chimp bible (www.tvrbooks.co.uk) - invaluable section on what to look for when buying. Plus it will help you understand the car.
EVO Dec 01 (I think) did a buyer's guide on a 92 Griff - it was my old one!
If the car checks out in every other respect, the reduced price will help pay for anything that might need attention.
Might be a good idea to look at 2-3 others first, to get an idea of 'breed standard'.
Good luck!

[glena]

Check out my recent thread "Well worth a fiver" maybe of interest/help

[shpub]

crankedup said:

Thanks Mustard, I trust my judgement I am not at this stage bothered about selling on but this is bound to change after a few years so are TVR (griff) looked upon like the other big sportscar names - no history means no sale? Boring I know but essential to me. Thanks

No history means be very very suspicious because the chances are that the car has not been looked after and will be a big money pit. If you keep the car for a few years, sort it out and maintain the history then the lack of history is less of a problem.

This is really all about risk assessment. If the car is cheap then there is usually a good reason for it!

Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk

PS Lots of buying info on my website.

[icamm]

Quinny said:

Full dealer history = Top money and easy to sell. Part dealer part indy = Bit cheaper but still easy to sell. All independent = Bit cheaper still and still saleable All non dealer non indy = Cheaper again, tricky to sell. Part dealer part indy & personal (like mine) = About same price as above but a bit trickier to sell. No history at all = Very cheap & very hard to sell

Personally I'd disagree about the indepenents here. A dealer history may possibly be easier to sell to someone who has no idea but to me the good independents like Joolz, Tower View, Precision Racing, APM etc are actually worth more than most main dealers.

I would say the quality and comprehensiveness of the history is more important than anything else. A "full dealer history" which only contains the dealer service stamps in the owners manual is nowhere near as good as a complete set of bills for everything ever done to the car.

Without a history be wary and get it checked by a TVR specialist but it doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad car. However, watch what you pay for something without a history. Not only does it show you that things have been done it shows care and attention by the various owners.

One thing to do with a car without a history is see if you can get the details of previous owners off the log book and contact them to find out about the car.

[jam1et]

Get an Independant or TVR dealer to check the car over for you. They know all the weak spots.