£20k-ish Purchase Budget . . . What TVR would you recommend

[AshRS250]

Hi, i have been looking to get a TVR for between 18 months to 2 years now, but for one reason or another, i haven't taken the plunge. And each time i regret not doing so, especailly when i hear one go past or pass my local TVR garage on the way to work.

Was ever so close last Summer (even purchased the 2nd car / daily hack - Pajero 2.8 SWB) but then the OH fell pregnant so decided it probably wasn't the best idea so i ended up purchasing a new Megane RS250. Nice car, fairly swift, practical for what we need it for but it's not a TVR

So my question is when the time is evetually right to purchase i will have around a £20k budget for a TVR which one to go for? Suggestions please . . . .

I have test driven several but cant decide which route to explore, RV8's or the newer Speed Six's:
2no Griffith 500's - both increadible, the noise on full throttle , i like the retro styling but the OH isn't overly keen
2no Chimaera 450's (one with a sports exhuast - sounded lovely especailly on the overun) - again both very nice cars but weren't the right colour combo for what i was looking for at the time and something about them weren't quite right, couldn't quite figure out what, as evertime i see one, i think they sound and look incredible.
1no T350C - Felt a little enclosed, compared to the Griffith and Chimaera, but still a nice place to be. Floor box took a few minutes to get used to but felt quite nice after a few miles. Braking was a little weird (didn't seem to have any urgency to it) to start with but it think that was down to me being unfamiliar with a floor box or possibly even the car, improved as the test drive went on though. Accleration and handling was superb. And again the noise

Want to try and get some further test drives in the other models (Tuscan, Tamora, Cerbera and also do some back to back testing with the ones i already have driven) so i can compare all. But would like some opinions from exisiting and past owners first and what each car is like to live with on a day to day basis.

[madbadger]

Tamora.

I predict You will now get a suggestion for virtually every model TVR have ever made. Every thread like this is the same.

Try lots - they are all great. You will know which is the one for you.

[italianart]

cerbera 4.2 is the way to go, brutal but budget 3k a year running costs and you wont be disappointed

[blueg33]

Tuscan with a rebuild and the geo/suspension sorted (I admit to a slight bias)

[so called]

With a 20k budget you can look at most.
If you go for a speed6 car then you should be close to getting a 2005 or 2006 which are very nicely finished and have improved S6 engines.
If you like the convertible feel then the Tamora is a good choice. They feel very good to drive.
I got a 2006 convertible Tuscan for only 24k which I absolutely adore.

[Diablos-666]

Like everyone else has suggested above, it's got to be a T350

Haha

I've always believed that you should buy the latest and best condition car you can afford.

[SonicHedgeHog]

Buy the one you like the most. No point getting a T350 if it isn't quite right for you. A good Chimaera would leave you with plenty of change while a good Griff will probably prove cost neutral in terms of increasing value minus running costs. I know where you can find a resprayed, trimmed Griff with two-piece roof, sat nav and a load of other shiny bits for well inside your £20k budget. Drop me a pm if you need more info.

[Mr MoJo]

Predictably I will agree with Sonic and point you in the direction of the Griff !!
The one he has mentioned is by all accounts a lovely example and you're not going to lose money on a Griff these days.
However, it is your £20k so get out there and drive as many as you can. For what it's worth, if I were adding to the stable I'd have to go for a Cerb to keep the Griff company, then once more pennies had been saved a Sag would complete my 3 car collection !! (although in this discussion as in my current position the Sag is obviously over budget !! ).
Whichever you choose I'm sure you'll love it. Have fun

[MPoxon]

If it were my money I would get a sorted 4.3 Pre Cat Griff for around 15k and spend the rest on fuel. Happy Days.

[Smooth Smith]

Predictably it comes down to personal preference.

I love all Tivs from the Chimaera onwards. I always thought I'd end up with a Cerb but loved the looks of the Tuscan also. That combined with the performance, noise & roof off thrills sealed it for me. I also didn't want anything where I would feel closed so the Tuscan is ideal.

A mk1 with a rebuild or 4.3 is within budget. A mk2 maybe a possibility for 20k.

[nrick]

blueg33 said:

Tuscan with a rebuild and the geo/suspension sorted (I admit to a slight bias)

+1

[anonymous-user]

Now while I have a huge bias toward the Griff, for that money I'd be seriously tempted by this - http://pistonheads.com/sales/2395526.htm

[Pum]

Personally, for that money I'd be looking for the best T350 I could find. But ultimately, it's a matter of your taste. Maybe you prefer a Grif, in which case you should be able to get an excellent one for that price. Alternative, spend 16k on a really good one, and the rest on making it even better exactly in the areas you want.

[blueg33]

Tuscan gives you a good mix of coupe feel with the roof on and convertible feel with the roof and rear window removed. The power is intoxicating, i prefer the looks to the T350.

With £20k you can pretty much take your pick of TVR's, but no two cars of the same model will be alike because they all get tweaked and changed particularly in terms of suspension. You need to drive several of each type before you buy a Tuscan

[Gazzab]

Damaged Tuscan for £6K and spend £14K getting it totally sorted.

[sweeper]

The 2+2 approach convinced my wifey going for a Cerbera. Not really a family car, but my little one fits in the back, and the car is a real beast. Plus, you have the choice between S6 or AJP8.

However you can't go wrong with any TVR.

[AshRS250]

Thanks for all the replies . . . i thought the thread might go this way and get at least one or two suggestions for each model.

I am torn between the looks of the newer cars (Tuscan and T350 in particular - Tamora is also nice (haven't driven one so when i do this may sway my opinion again) and the Sagaris is way out of budget)and the race car feel and then on the other hand you've got the classic looking Griff and Chimaera with that V8 sound.

As many as metioned it will eventually come down to that one test drive where you just know that, that particular car is for you. But i would like to get an idea from owners the pitfuls or niggles that i will face with owning a particular model and what i particular should look out for in certain models (i.e. as mentioned Engine rebuild, geo setup, etc) as i dont want to fall in love with say a T350 based on one test drive then find out living with it is a completely different beast and full of dissapointment and adjustments that are neccessary but unfullfilling(Although i dont think this will be the case, its a TVR the sound and thrill of driving will outweigh all of that)

Edited by AshRS250 on Tuesday 25th January 19:58

[blueg33]

AshRS250 said:

Thanks for all the replies . . . i thought the thread might go this way and get at least one or two suggestions for each model.

I am torn between the looks of the newer cars (Tuscan and T350 in particular - Tamora is also nice (haven't driven one so when i do this may sway my opinion again) and the Sagaris is way out of budget)and the race car feel and then on the other hand you've got the classic looking Griff and Chimaera with that V8 sound.

As many as metioned it will eventually come down to that one test drive where you just know that, that particular car is for you. But i would like to get an idea from owners the pitfuls or niggles that i will face with owning a particular model and what i particular should look out for in certain models (i.e. as mentioned Engine rebuild, geo setup, etc) as i dont want to fall in love with say a T350 based on one test drive then find out living with it is a completely different beast and full of dissapointment and adjustments that are eccessary but unfullfilling(Although i dont think this will be the case, its a TVR the sound and thrill of driving will outweigh all of that)

You want a list of niggles! This will be a long thread!

The niggles with my new to me tuscan are/were

rear lights not working - done
rear window clips in need of replacement - done
service bonnet stay broken - done
door trim scratched - pending
wayward handling - done
rubbish windscreen washers - done
gear stick heatsink - pending
sticky throttle cable - done
cracked and slightly blowing exhaust box - done
new brake discs (not bad but I am fussy) - pending
intermittant heater fan - pending when I can find the ecu!
only 1 key - done
loose passenger footwell carpet (as a result of looking for the heater ecu - pending
slow passenger window - pending
chassis rub down and POR15 - pending
hinged bonnet conversion (because the bolts are irritating) - pending
Manifold heat shielding to protect bonnet paint - done

nothing major there but plenty of niggles. I did however get mine for a decent price to take into account some of the above.

I have a few more things I will add to the list, but thats because I want to sort some things because I am fussy.

Do I regret my purchase? - Not one bit

Ok everyone add your niggles so op can go in eyes open

[pete]

For the S6 cars there are certainly some common things to watch for, other than the aforementioned engine rebuild that crops up on all these threads:

• Original clutches last 20k miles (sometimes more, sometimes less). Most often the fingers break before the plates wear out. Budget about £1k for a replacement including release bearing, slave cylinder, etc.
• 5th gear synchro is weak on the BW T5 gearbox. Only manifests at high revs on the 4th - 5th change, so probably not so often in the UK. Symptoms are a graunching noise on 5th gear engagement over 100mph.
• The Anderson charging connector on the passenger side can corrode and fall apart, shorting out the battery positive connection on the chassis. This is a Very Bad Thing.
• Fuel hoses - the original hoses perish after 5 years or so. Easy to replace, but very important. Happened on my old Griff and current Tuscan at the same age, TVR never learned from this one.
• Engine mounts - seem to be consumable on the exhaust manifold side.
• Fan connectors - specially designed to get wet, corrode and fall apart (I've heard that before) at least on Tuscans. Make sure both fans come on in staggered fashion at around 93-96C; one fan should always run with the AC engaged.
• Handling is very sensitive to geometry - I've had mine reset every couple of years, always relatively minor adjustments, but every time the car comes back feeling transformed. You never notice it go gradually out, but the improvement is huge.
• Suspension - Tuscan mk1 suspension in particular was rubbish, often shot after 20k miles, and horribly under-sprung at the back. Replace with any decent dampers and harder springs, and the car actually becomes *more* comfortable. Seems to be rare to see an early car on factory suspension now, which is a relief. T350s and Tamoras seem much better from the factory, by all accounts.

Good luck with the search!
Pete

[dumbfunk]

I can help you with some very representative numbers for a Griffith 500.

Today I got around to re-filing all my receipts and invoices from the last 9 years of owning my 1998 car. It's been maintained absolutely without compromise and whenever something failed I replaced it with an upgraded version.

http://pistonheads.com/members/showServiceHistory....

You can read about it here but basically it comes out at £2k a year for all parts and labour or £1.5k if you choose not to follow the upgrade methodology.

The big costs are in suspension, cam, diff, radiators, bushes and engine gaskets, etc. so if you can buy a car with all this kind of stuff recently done then the number would be significantly lower.

Either way it's still a bargain compared to other cars of equivalent performance and character.



dumbfunk