S series purchase

[macwalsh]

Hi I know that the old "I'm buying an S2/3, what do I need to look for" has been done before, and I have read loads of good advice through this site, and I have got a copy of Steve Heath's book and read it cover to cover. However, for a 1st time TVR owner I am still scared of buying a whole heap of trouble. i know that these cars are fragile and fully expect to have to do work on it/ tear out hair in frustration / see my hard earned cash get swallowed but am prepared for it, because I know that the plus points to finally owning a TVR after years of dreaming will easily outweigh the minus points. What I would like to know is is it worth getting a full AA/RAC inspection on a prospective purchase or , if possible, is it preferable to get a TVR garage / mechanic to check it out. I figure that the TVR specialist would have more of an idea of pitfalls to look for than the AA man who may well know his Astra/Mondeo inside out but would possible stumble on something a bit more exotic - or am I doing the AA a great disservice. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated and I hope to be joining the ranks of TVR ownership very soon. Thanks very much Andy Edited by macwalsh on Monday 26th March 22:09

[woody]

Welcome to the club! (well almost) Before I bought my S3 I read all the usual books, had alook at a couple of cars and realised its not like looking at your average car. I thought about the AA/RAC but the cost was quite high - as soon as you mention TVR or 2.9 V6 the cost goes up. I found the best thing was to talk to owners of the cars (handy if you know some though - check out you local club meeting, and I also made regular trips to the dealers, I got mine from David Geralds, and made a nusiance (crap spelling I know)of my self down there a few times and asked loads of questions, Doug and John are friendly and helpfull (unklike some main dealers!!). My advice would be to buy from a specialist / dealer for the first one - it costs a bit more but is probably more beneficial in the long run. Hope this is of some help. Happy Hunting!!

[PetrolTed]

I had the AA inspect my S4 when I bought it. It gave me peace of mind that nothing obvious was wrong but with the benefit of hindsight I'd have taken the car to the local TVR dealer for a once over. An hour of their time works out a lot cheaper than the AA. As for the cars being fragile, I'm not sure that's an accurate description of the S series. My car has stood up to abuse (i.e. constant hard driving, track days etc.) and has served me better than any Eurobox I've owned. They're tough little cars the S's.

[mhibbins]

I've had my s3 for about 6 weeks now and I'm just about over the paranoid part where I assume everything is going to go wrong or fall off. I'm using the car every day to commute into Reading from Newbury so it is handling blasting along A/B roads and the motorways and occassionaly crawling along the M4 at 5mph. The only problem I have had is one of the breather pipes collapsing causing it to misfire and eventually cut out. Other than that the electrical connectors are a bit crusty which has seen my indicators and electric windows stop working for about half an hour each. The gearbox is pretty clunky too. I bought mine from Adrian Blythe which means I still have half of the engine/gearbox warranty to go which gives me a lot more confidence. Also I have bought a copy of the Steve Heath book which is full of info. One this that has made me much happier is that if the engine/gearbox go south then replacements are pretty easy to obtain and fit if you are handy with the spanners. All in all I'm very pleased with it and I'm going to start sprinting mine (hopefully this year as some preperation needs to be done first - bushes, roll bar, shocks etc) as well as use it day to day. Good luck. -- Mark

[Paul V]

I got my S2 privately about a month ago, I was in a similar situation as yourself, I looked at a few car but went for a reasonably low mileage one, I would suggest ringing the TVRCC they told me all the points to look out for, also make sure you get the car HPI checked, the car I got was a insurance write off when it was 2 years old, I still bought it checking the repairs were carried out correctly, it did mean I got the car about £2500 cheaper than it was first advertised for. I pleased with my car, it took me to Sheffield at the weekend with no problems. I would test a few before you buy. These cars are great fun but do leave you wanting more, I am already thinking how I could afford something like a griff, but will prob wait a few years and see what the prices are like. I didn’t have my car checked by the AA but I have worked with cars before so went armed with a trolley jack, at least you know for yourself its ok. You can email me if you want to hear anything else I found.

[mhibbins]

One thing to forgot to mention is that I bought my car because although it has done 80,000 miles the previous owner had done 11,000 miles in the previous year and in my opinion that's a pretty good sign. -- Mark

[Jason F]

I bought my S1 with no problems in the year I owned it ( 86000 on the clock too ). I had an inspection done on my Chimaera, then spent a whole year ( And a penny or two ) getting the electrical problems fixed.Oh yeah, and an extra 600 quid on the service cause the Manifolds were crap.... My partner used them also and we are currently instigating legal proceeding as the car had faults that the RAC man didn`t pick up.. So they are not as good as they may seem, and for 300 quid a throw too, so I would definately get a TVR Garage to give you a cost estimate to look the car over for you

[TVR Mark]

One thing about the S series that you can't say about the newer TVR's is that engine gearbox etc. is bog standard ford and therefore cheap to replace. If you save £2k buying privite and the worse does happen you can pickup good engine gear box for under 2k. One thing you should check as with all TVR's is the chassis. The AA/RAC may not be able to give the chassis a good going over at the side of the road without a ramp.

[mark350]

Andy, I've just gone thru the pains of buying my first TVR (a 350i Wedge)I did all my research on the web, mainly on Piston heads. My advise would be to read all the other converations that have gone on to pick up the type of technical questions pleople are asking each other. This can then highlight possible weak areas in the car. I was also advised to buy a Steve Heath book, if he does one on the 'S' it would come highly recommended. I would also recommend joining your local TVR club (if you haven't already) There is bound to be someone there with an 'S' whose brains you can pick! Happy hunting. Mark

[macwalsh]

Evening all, What a response! I thought you guys would have had enough of this sort of query by now. Thank you very much for your advice - it really is appreciated. All I need to do now is find the right car. Anyone know of any Dark Blue Metallic / Magnolia Leather S's kicking about???? Thanks again guys Andy Edited by macwalsh on Tuesday 27th March 22:18

[paulie]

Andy Depending on where you are in the country I'd suggest talking to Adrian Blyth (see his website www.adrianblyth.co.uk for phone details). He's a dealer with major TVR interest. Bought my S and Griff for him - you get piece of mind, can get the local TVR dealership (Fernhurst) to look over it and a three month warranty. paul

[macwalsh]

Cheers for the advice - i live just outside Edinburgh and S3's for sale are somewhat thin on the ground up here. I'm off to look at one tomorrow at Brandons but it seems a bit steep at £10K - still, dont know till I have a look at it, it might be mint. Incidentaly, how much does a new set of carpets go out for? only I have just this minute got back from a day trip to Manchester to look at another S3 - nice car but the throttle cable broke on the test drive and the car does need some work on the interior - mainly new carpets throughout - anyone have any experience on how easy this is / cost involved . Finally, the car has had the catalytic converters removed. Is this legal on a 1992 J reg vehicle. Sorry to ask so many questions but I get a better response from this site than I do from many main dealers. Thanks again Andy Edited by macwalsh on Sunday 15th April 22:36 Edited by macwalsh on Sunday 15th April 22:37

[TVR Mark]

I think the date for cat's was Oct 92 so you should be OK. The throttle cable to go is common. Motor Upholstery advertises in Sprint 01933 223602 not used them

[macwalsh]

Hello again, Further to my previous posting, the S3 at Brandon's was v.good, so good that I managed to get it for 9K including 12 Month's Brandon's Warranty and a full Year MOT. They even agreed to give it a full service, Very Helpful so far let hope it continues, It has left me enough to buy Mrs MacWalsh a bunch of flowers as she does not know what I have done yet !!!, so if anyone sees Red S3 in the Edinburgh Area, Please give me a wave. Anyone advise on the nearest TVR Club Meet. Thanks again for all of your help. Can't believe I have at last joined the realms of TVR ownership.

[harfiest]

TVR Car Club meet on the first Saturday (lunchtime) of each month at the Whinsmuir Country Inn, Powmill near Knockhill on A977. Hope to see you there on the 5th May. Steve