Advice Please!?!
Discussion
Hi chaps,
Im looking for a bit of advice from all you tuscan owners out there!
I have been lucky enough to come into some money recently and I am looking at buying a car for £20K-£28K.
I will be using this car as an every day runner to work and back (roughly 20 mile round trip) to the centre of manchester.
I have looked at a few options (Esprit V8, Ferrari 348TB, Cerbera, Tuscan etc.)
I have to admit that I would rearly like a tuscan but I have been put off by all the stories of reliability problems, ie. new engines after just 6,000 miles and cars spending weeks in Blackpool!?! Are they rearly as bad as Ive been told???
If I were to buy a tuscan it would probably be an early example with about 25,000 miles on the clock due to my budget.
I would be very greatfull for your thoughts and advice on what car to go for!?!
Cheers,
Ste.
>>> Edited by stejames on Thursday 23 January 13:15
Im looking for a bit of advice from all you tuscan owners out there!
I have been lucky enough to come into some money recently and I am looking at buying a car for £20K-£28K.
I will be using this car as an every day runner to work and back (roughly 20 mile round trip) to the centre of manchester.
I have looked at a few options (Esprit V8, Ferrari 348TB, Cerbera, Tuscan etc.)
I have to admit that I would rearly like a tuscan but I have been put off by all the stories of reliability problems, ie. new engines after just 6,000 miles and cars spending weeks in Blackpool!?! Are they rearly as bad as Ive been told???
If I were to buy a tuscan it would probably be an early example with about 25,000 miles on the clock due to my budget.
I would be very greatfull for your thoughts and advice on what car to go for!?!
Cheers,
Ste.
>>> Edited by stejames on Thursday 23 January 13:15
Nice choice of cars, although I personally wouldn't by the 348.
In terms of Tuscans, I think it depends on what stories you have heard on whether you should be put off. Engines have gone pop, and required a rebuild. Some at less than 1000 miles. Most stories I've heard come from the top end failing due to a claimed faulty batch of components. The time a rebuild takes will depend on how busy the factory are and what needs doing. Some have some back in a week, some a couple of months.
My advice if you are buying a Tuscan is to spend as much money as you can. I wouldn't be put off by age, they should be sorted by their owners by now.
In terms of Tuscans, I think it depends on what stories you have heard on whether you should be put off. Engines have gone pop, and required a rebuild. Some at less than 1000 miles. Most stories I've heard come from the top end failing due to a claimed faulty batch of components. The time a rebuild takes will depend on how busy the factory are and what needs doing. Some have some back in a week, some a couple of months.
My advice if you are buying a Tuscan is to spend as much money as you can. I wouldn't be put off by age, they should be sorted by their owners by now.
I recon you will be doing 7000 miles a year by the time you take in weekend mileage etc etc so you need to budget around £1k for servicing.
For £27k you should be able to get a Tuscan on a private sale with about 12k on the clock and a 2000 model, they seem to have fallen a lot in price at the mo.
However, most people will say get the latest model you can for your money then all the bits & pieces should have bee sorted out, finger follower etc etc.
As for reliability, how long is a lump of string, some people have done 12K using the speed six engine and had no troubles at all. Some 1000 miles and the engine play up. I think its luck of the draw.
I’ve just bought a Tuscan Red Rose, and I currently own a Chimaera. I must say, I’m really looking forward to pick up the Tuscan on Saturday, it’s a beast! I will miss the V8 roar, but the Tuscan is beautiful
Failing that Join the AA, they are the only company to have there own fleet of low loaders, and that’s the only way your going to get a TVR back home if it breaks down!
For £27k you should be able to get a Tuscan on a private sale with about 12k on the clock and a 2000 model, they seem to have fallen a lot in price at the mo.
However, most people will say get the latest model you can for your money then all the bits & pieces should have bee sorted out, finger follower etc etc.
As for reliability, how long is a lump of string, some people have done 12K using the speed six engine and had no troubles at all. Some 1000 miles and the engine play up. I think its luck of the draw.
I’ve just bought a Tuscan Red Rose, and I currently own a Chimaera. I must say, I’m really looking forward to pick up the Tuscan on Saturday, it’s a beast! I will miss the V8 roar, but the Tuscan is beautiful
Failing that Join the AA, they are the only company to have there own fleet of low loaders, and that’s the only way your going to get a TVR back home if it breaks down!
I think some people here run them as only transport, but I wouldn't want to have to rely on it.
Its not so much the reliability but the practicality. Do you realy want it bashed in supermarket car parks with trolleys and car doors. Have to drive it in snow/ice. Having to warm it up for ages before you go on a short journey. Have you budgeted for the running costs of high mileage on a tuscan etc etc.
Also running something crappy doesn't have to cost a lot, I run a mundeo and hence have the choice which to use, although the tvr will be a lot less probleatic is gets some fairly regular use.
Its not so much the reliability but the practicality. Do you realy want it bashed in supermarket car parks with trolleys and car doors. Have to drive it in snow/ice. Having to warm it up for ages before you go on a short journey. Have you budgeted for the running costs of high mileage on a tuscan etc etc.
Also running something crappy doesn't have to cost a lot, I run a mundeo and hence have the choice which to use, although the tvr will be a lot less probleatic is gets some fairly regular use.
It depends on how much you want one. I run mine as a second car and wouldn't swap it for the world.
But there are days when its easier to walk past the Tuscan, nicely tucked away in the garage, and jump into my everyday car which I can park anywhere and not worry about it. Its much easier to roll over the speed bumps in that car and it doesn't hurt watching it getting soaked in a monsoon.
But that said, I wanted a true sports car to put a smile on my face and after much deliberation the Tuscan was the one for me! I don't regret it for a nano-second and the fellow owners I have met so far are all top people.
Despite that (and I'll slip on my flame proof jacket) if you want to guarantee cheap trouble free sports car driving I, personally, would hunt down a high milage 911. A lot of my mates have 911s, 964s, 993s and 996s, and although they are nowhere near as much fun or as good looking, and as common as Kat Slater, I somehow think owning one as an only car would be less of a worry. Maybe its a bit like having a gorgeous girlfriend who constantly goes out clubbing with her mates, you'd perversely feel less concerned if you actually had a bit of a minger.
But there are days when its easier to walk past the Tuscan, nicely tucked away in the garage, and jump into my everyday car which I can park anywhere and not worry about it. Its much easier to roll over the speed bumps in that car and it doesn't hurt watching it getting soaked in a monsoon.
But that said, I wanted a true sports car to put a smile on my face and after much deliberation the Tuscan was the one for me! I don't regret it for a nano-second and the fellow owners I have met so far are all top people.
Despite that (and I'll slip on my flame proof jacket) if you want to guarantee cheap trouble free sports car driving I, personally, would hunt down a high milage 911. A lot of my mates have 911s, 964s, 993s and 996s, and although they are nowhere near as much fun or as good looking, and as common as Kat Slater, I somehow think owning one as an only car would be less of a worry. Maybe its a bit like having a gorgeous girlfriend who constantly goes out clubbing with her mates, you'd perversely feel less concerned if you actually had a bit of a minger.
Cheers lads,
I will be keeping the BM as a second car for if I need the extra seating or if im going somewere were I wouldnt like to leave it.
Out of intrest how long is the standard TVR warranty if something douse go wrong??
Do any of you know of any tidy tuscan's for sale in the North West that are in my price range??
Ste.
I will be keeping the BM as a second car for if I need the extra seating or if im going somewere were I wouldnt like to leave it.
Out of intrest how long is the standard TVR warranty if something douse go wrong??
Do any of you know of any tidy tuscan's for sale in the North West that are in my price range??
Ste.
stejames said: Cheers lads,
I will be keeping the BM as a second car for if I need the extra seating or if im going somewere were I wouldnt like to leave it.
Out of intrest how long is the standard TVR warranty if something douse go wrong??
Do any of you know of any tidy tuscan's for sale in the North West that are in my price range??
Ste.
If memory serves, TVR's warranty is a year.
As far as reliability goes, definitely keep a second car (one that will tolerate sitting idle for extended periods).
I'm also looking at buying a used Tuscan and I've decided that I'd rather have one with a fair bit on the clock (i.e. 10k+) on the theory that if the engine was going to go 'pop' it would have done so already and been sorted.
The (non-scientific) impression I get is that if you don't get a bad one and take proper car of it, the Tuscan's engine is pretty robust. I wouldn't be surprised, in a few years time, to be seeing used Tuscans for sale with 50k on the same engine.
What colors do you like?
p.s. If you want to go shopping, try the ads here and autotrader.co.uk can also turn up some tasty deals.
One thing that people seem to forget is that the speed six engine was used in the Cerbera for a while before the Tuscan with little or no repeated major failures.
As far as I was able to gleen before I bough mine, the problem came about through a supply of a sub standard part by a sub contractor (finger followers which were not hardened I believe)and this affected engines destined for the tuscans only.
Assuming a car has had the work done or had no problems then I think you stand the same chance of a failure as any other Tuscan or Cerbera owner (speed six).
My car had 15000 miles on the clock when I bought it and has not had any major work so fingers crossed!!!
As far as I was able to gleen before I bough mine, the problem came about through a supply of a sub standard part by a sub contractor (finger followers which were not hardened I believe)and this affected engines destined for the tuscans only.
Assuming a car has had the work done or had no problems then I think you stand the same chance of a failure as any other Tuscan or Cerbera owner (speed six).
My car had 15000 miles on the clock when I bought it and has not had any major work so fingers crossed!!!
"...the speed six engine was used in the Cerbera for a while before the Tuscan with little or no repeated major failures...""
Not so sure about this.
Doing a search in the Cerb forum it suggest the S6 had a turbulent life right from the beginning with melting finger followers being one prob, stretched exhaust valves another, + an assortment of pops where the failure cause was not disclosed by the factory. Glancing through the archive the frequency appears to have tailed down (great news), despite the number of engines in existence rising, and a growing number of PH'ers (to tell us about failures). I was sufficiently reassured to go buy one!
Should anyone but a TVR - depends which part of your anatomy makes the decisions ?!
Not so sure about this.
Doing a search in the Cerb forum it suggest the S6 had a turbulent life right from the beginning with melting finger followers being one prob, stretched exhaust valves another, + an assortment of pops where the failure cause was not disclosed by the factory. Glancing through the archive the frequency appears to have tailed down (great news), despite the number of engines in existence rising, and a growing number of PH'ers (to tell us about failures). I was sufficiently reassured to go buy one!
Should anyone but a TVR - depends which part of your anatomy makes the decisions ?!
Thie big difference for me on the age of car is the suspension.
The RR ones from reports have always been fairly sorted.
From experience the 2000/W had soft suspension that worked well with 16" wheels if you like that kind of thing but bottomed easy (especially with luggage).
X reg had same front but stiffer back and I didn't like the mix at all.
Y reg has revised geometry of some sort that seems to work well. Especially on the S.
The reports on toyo tyres sound very promising I have yet to move over to them.
Build quality was worst on the X reg and have only had trouble with engine problems on the current car.
For value for money I reckon a very early RR, but for best overall at a price then less than 18monmths old. I suspect though being very hand made there is huge quality variation at any age, but the suspension is well worth investigating.
Have heard nothing but good about nitron suspension upgrades this would be a cheap way to bring an older car up to or ahead of current cars.
From the engine failures I've had they seem to appear in the first 6k miles so anything with over 10k on the same engine would appear a safer bet.
The RR ones from reports have always been fairly sorted.
From experience the 2000/W had soft suspension that worked well with 16" wheels if you like that kind of thing but bottomed easy (especially with luggage).
X reg had same front but stiffer back and I didn't like the mix at all.
Y reg has revised geometry of some sort that seems to work well. Especially on the S.
The reports on toyo tyres sound very promising I have yet to move over to them.
Build quality was worst on the X reg and have only had trouble with engine problems on the current car.
For value for money I reckon a very early RR, but for best overall at a price then less than 18monmths old. I suspect though being very hand made there is huge quality variation at any age, but the suspension is well worth investigating.
Have heard nothing but good about nitron suspension upgrades this would be a cheap way to bring an older car up to or ahead of current cars.
From the engine failures I've had they seem to appear in the first 6k miles so anything with over 10k on the same engine would appear a safer bet.
Well sod that. Much like SteJames, I too have been looking at buying a Tuscan. I can not think of any other car that comes even close to matching its sheer beauty. However, i had heard about reliability stories afflicting the TVRs and after reading the entries am no way prepared to spend 30k on something that is going to cause me so much heartache. Really saddened but glad i investigated before buying.
Alan, don't be in too much of a rush to reject the Tuscan, they are so good when they are running you will love it!
I run my 2000 Red Rose as my only car, I have had engine problems, but things do seem to be sorted now, TVR did get in a bit of a mess with the Finger Followers because they had so many cars coming back at the same time, but now things seem to be sorted. Sure you will still get the odd few cars which are going back, but I think these are the ones that do very little mileage and so haven't had time to go bang yet!
My car has now done 30,500 miles and currently feels the best it evr has, just make sure you get a good car, have it inspected by someone who knows TVRs (i.e. a local dealer or independant, not the AA/RAC) and you can get a great car for very cheap money - remember the £35k cars you are looking at will have cost more like £40k+ when new!!!!!
And as for only driving it in the dry.....well let's just say my car lives on the street!
Graham
I run my 2000 Red Rose as my only car, I have had engine problems, but things do seem to be sorted now, TVR did get in a bit of a mess with the Finger Followers because they had so many cars coming back at the same time, but now things seem to be sorted. Sure you will still get the odd few cars which are going back, but I think these are the ones that do very little mileage and so haven't had time to go bang yet!
My car has now done 30,500 miles and currently feels the best it evr has, just make sure you get a good car, have it inspected by someone who knows TVRs (i.e. a local dealer or independant, not the AA/RAC) and you can get a great car for very cheap money - remember the £35k cars you are looking at will have cost more like £40k+ when new!!!!!
And as for only driving it in the dry.....well let's just say my car lives on the street!
Graham
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