Poor little Tuscan...OR Bl**dy TVR cars ????
Discussion
You hear all the dreaded stories of the Speed Six Engine going wrong and you think ‘Ahhh all par for the course’, until, it happens to you and you think F**king H**l what a pile of s**t…
So now my car has to goto TVR Power and have an engine rebuild; no compression from the back piston and a fluid drop test proved it looks like it’s going to be piston trouble…Car's only done 8.5K. I mean 8.5k no milage what-so-ever
So I now have to wait and see how long it’s going to take, and more importantly whether WH are going to pay under warranty???
It have a limit to the price of the car which is set at £30k so you would think it will be covered, but you just know they are going to try and wriggle out of this one don’t you.
Part of me thinks good it will get seen to and I will have a great engine on the way back, them the other part thinks should I just sell the dam thing when it gets back and cut my losses before it goes even more wrong???
Just ended my working week on a very bad and sour note!
So now my car has to goto TVR Power and have an engine rebuild; no compression from the back piston and a fluid drop test proved it looks like it’s going to be piston trouble…Car's only done 8.5K. I mean 8.5k no milage what-so-ever
So I now have to wait and see how long it’s going to take, and more importantly whether WH are going to pay under warranty???
It have a limit to the price of the car which is set at £30k so you would think it will be covered, but you just know they are going to try and wriggle out of this one don’t you.
Part of me thinks good it will get seen to and I will have a great engine on the way back, them the other part thinks should I just sell the dam thing when it gets back and cut my losses before it goes even more wrong???
Just ended my working week on a very bad and sour note!
you have my sympathy. Mine is in at the moment too - horrible sound from the engine, sounds terminal.
Thing is, I went into the ownership with my eyes wide open and when things fell off, the battery went flat, radio stopped working etc etc etc I thought well I thought that this is what it would be like, however 2 serious engine problems in 5000miles when the engine had ALREADY had a full rebuild only 6000miles ago is unacceptable by any standards let alone for a £50k-ish sports car.
Don't get me wrong, I love the car and I won't change it but just wanted to let you know that I knew how you felt!!!
Thing is, I went into the ownership with my eyes wide open and when things fell off, the battery went flat, radio stopped working etc etc etc I thought well I thought that this is what it would be like, however 2 serious engine problems in 5000miles when the engine had ALREADY had a full rebuild only 6000miles ago is unacceptable by any standards let alone for a £50k-ish sports car.
Don't get me wrong, I love the car and I won't change it but just wanted to let you know that I knew how you felt!!!
damo m said: you have my sympathy. Mine is in at the moment too - horrible sound from the engine, sounds terminal.
Thing is, I went into the ownership with my eyes wide open and when things fell off, the battery went flat, radio stopped working etc etc etc I thought well I thought that this is what it would be like, however 2 serious engine problems in 5000miles when the engine had ALREADY had a full rebuild only 6000miles ago is unacceptable by any standards let alone for a £50k-ish sports car.
Don't get me wrong, I love the car and I won't change it but just wanted to let you know that I knew how you felt!!!
Totally agree! there is a point were you say to your self enough! two or three engine rebuilds would do it for me certainly if you had to pay
Must admit we must all be masochists. My Tusc has been back for many really unacceptable niggly probs. Still waiting something major after only 5000 mls. Absolutely ridiculous in a £45000 car. It is amazing, no way would I put up with this from any other make. Just seems to be part of Tuscan/TVR ownership. But shouldnt Blackpool wake up and address the QC problems. Dont suppose anything will be done until people start deserting. I think the driving experience just seems to make up for all the faults. I wouldnt change it for the world
Maybeee.......but I must admit, the niggles are beginning to hack me off. A drivers window that cannot hit its top seal unless I make a major mod to the mechanism!, speedo that gets tired after an hour's driving and slopes off, poor quality finish to the trim on my car. Really annoys me when I go into the showroom and look at another Tuscan and the windows work perfectly, trim is good etc....
Quality control is what it is all about and any self respecting engineer will acknowledge that, TVR are no exception and they are relying on people "forgiving" those issues for the driving experience....better watch out...that's what happened to the British bike industry....have you looked at the build quality on a Noble? brilliant....TVR need to improve...
Quality control is what it is all about and any self respecting engineer will acknowledge that, TVR are no exception and they are relying on people "forgiving" those issues for the driving experience....better watch out...that's what happened to the British bike industry....have you looked at the build quality on a Noble? brilliant....TVR need to improve...
P*ss off...
No seriously, some people I think are a lot more touchy on the subject. I've had one rebuild on mine, and I'm still fairly laid back about it all, since otherwise the car has been pretty much spot on. I expect it'll go bang again, but until the warranty runs out I'll just deal with it.... and grin as your Griff eats my dust. 
-andy-
No seriously, some people I think are a lot more touchy on the subject. I've had one rebuild on mine, and I'm still fairly laid back about it all, since otherwise the car has been pretty much spot on. I expect it'll go bang again, but until the warranty runs out I'll just deal with it.... and grin as your Griff eats my dust.
-andy-
Mr Freefall, first off I am very sorry to hear of the failure: like you before the event, I am sort of not trying to think about and will cross that bridge if (or when) it happens...
...I would be extremely interested to hear though what WH say about all this. Would you be able to keep us all posted or e-mail me off-line if you think it too sensitive to post publicly?
All the best and I hope you get the car back soon.
David.
>> Edited by dropacog on Tuesday 6th May 16:11
...I would be extremely interested to hear though what WH say about all this. Would you be able to keep us all posted or e-mail me off-line if you think it too sensitive to post publicly?
All the best and I hope you get the car back soon.
David.
>> Edited by dropacog on Tuesday 6th May 16:11
What never ceases to amaze me when I read these unhappy threads is that the owners are experiencing the very same issues and problems that I had 3 years ago with mine (the car that ended 9 years of ownership in 4 cars).It's not so much the big things like the engines which I can understand TVR hasn't got the resources to develop without using owners as part of it, but for 
sake how difficult can it be to find a glue that sticks trim properly (or to put enough of it on) or for a reversing light to work, or for someone to check the paintwork with the attitude of "if it was my car would I be happy with it" etc, etc, etc. Christ its frustrating being an ex-owner let alone an existing one!
sake how difficult can it be to find a glue that sticks trim properly (or to put enough of it on) or for a reversing light to work, or for someone to check the paintwork with the attitude of "if it was my car would I be happy with it" etc, etc, etc. Christ its frustrating being an ex-owner let alone an existing one!
sjc said: What never ceases to amaze me when I read these unhappy threads is that the owners are experiencing the very same issues and problems that I had 3 years ago with mine (the car that ended 9 years of ownership in 4 cars).It's not so much the big things like the engines which I can understand TVR hasn't got the resources to develop without using owners as part of it, but for
Thank God...somebody that thinks the same as me and more of us, I'm sure. Of course the "driving experience" is brilliant....that's why we buy the car but TVR take advantage of this and do very little to cure some small but frustrating problems. Currently taking the windows apart to try and get them to close properly and elongating the holes in the bonnet to get it to fit with some sembelance of alignment. These are common faults across the board.
It would not take much from TVR to make a huge leap in quality on some of those smaller but frustrating issues. Can't think why they don't other than the fact that they have full order books and therefore only do what they have to.
I have also looked at leaving the marquee (skyline maybe), and to have 2 rebuilds in 14,500 miles it just not cricket!
Look at the Nissan Skyline, now these engines can be pushed into some dizzy heights of power and they still become reliable. Yes I know maybe not as good looking as the TVR but if a standard car can be pushed this far where are TVR going so wrong.
People say that these are isolated cases, but just how many Speed six engines seem to be going wrong in the Tuscan. If this cost me a fortune I will be writing to TVR direct and asking for a technical expiation why this has happened. I would also like to know just how many speed six engines that have been produced have gone wrong!
An engine is an engine, I have worked on them in my youth, ok Ford’s with re-bores and cam changes etc etc. but looking at the Speed six it pushes some 95bhp per litre if you take the 4.0 and 380bph in a six pot. Now the Ford pinto with some tuning and normally aspirated could produce 215bph on a 2.1 litre that’s 102bph per litre.
BMW do it at 343 for a 3.2ltr in an M3 107bph per litre. So in comparison the speed six engines should not be highly stressed and brake down every 5,000 miles!
Now that’s my 2p’s worth, and yes I’m still p**sed off…
Look at the Nissan Skyline, now these engines can be pushed into some dizzy heights of power and they still become reliable. Yes I know maybe not as good looking as the TVR but if a standard car can be pushed this far where are TVR going so wrong.
People say that these are isolated cases, but just how many Speed six engines seem to be going wrong in the Tuscan. If this cost me a fortune I will be writing to TVR direct and asking for a technical expiation why this has happened. I would also like to know just how many speed six engines that have been produced have gone wrong!
An engine is an engine, I have worked on them in my youth, ok Ford’s with re-bores and cam changes etc etc. but looking at the Speed six it pushes some 95bhp per litre if you take the 4.0 and 380bph in a six pot. Now the Ford pinto with some tuning and normally aspirated could produce 215bph on a 2.1 litre that’s 102bph per litre.
BMW do it at 343 for a 3.2ltr in an M3 107bph per litre. So in comparison the speed six engines should not be highly stressed and brake down every 5,000 miles!
Now that’s my 2p’s worth, and yes I’m still p**sed off…
I went to buy a Tuscan last week (second hand), backed out because of reliability. Having owned 7 TVR's, I have been nothing been enthusiastic about the marque.
However TVR building their own engines a BIG mistake!!! in my opinion.
why they didn't dump the Rover V8 ( which is a decent
unit), and adopt the Mustang quad cam defies logic. (I know most of you wont agree with me).When I went to buy a Tuscan last week and asked to see the engine, and they said NO! you need special tools to remove the bonnet(what a laugh) I walked away having made a decision possibly to never buy a TVR again. All this means as far as I can tell, is that TVR want it all ways, if an engine goes bang, back to the dealer it goes, who then take the engine out and send it off to the factory. Who then charge the customer at their discretion, at this rate with the reliability issues, and the cost of keeping a Tuscan on the road, how much does an unreliable Tuscan actually cost? (and from reading posts here many are unreliable), say you pay 45000 for a Tuscan, 2 engine rebuilds later if that car if out of warranty, will stand the owner 57000 approx (scary isn't it).
NO!!! car these days whether it is hand built or mass produced, should be unreliable mechanically for at least 60000 miles or 3 years. Many will say "Oh but they have engines more like a race engine than a normal car engine", (Bollocks) how many of you drive them hard enough to make the engines go bang. Many of you will have Tuscans which have been reliable (Good), but many of you wont and there's the problem, you just never Know....... TVR should have stayed with a proven V8 from another manufacturer, and should have invested in better build quality. After 15 years of TVR ownership I would only buy one again if the reliability and quality issues are sorted. This of course is only my opinion.
However TVR building their own engines a BIG mistake!!! in my opinion.
why they didn't dump the Rover V8 ( which is a decent
unit), and adopt the Mustang quad cam defies logic. (I know most of you wont agree with me).When I went to buy a Tuscan last week and asked to see the engine, and they said NO! you need special tools to remove the bonnet(what a laugh) I walked away having made a decision possibly to never buy a TVR again. All this means as far as I can tell, is that TVR want it all ways, if an engine goes bang, back to the dealer it goes, who then take the engine out and send it off to the factory. Who then charge the customer at their discretion, at this rate with the reliability issues, and the cost of keeping a Tuscan on the road, how much does an unreliable Tuscan actually cost? (and from reading posts here many are unreliable), say you pay 45000 for a Tuscan, 2 engine rebuilds later if that car if out of warranty, will stand the owner 57000 approx (scary isn't it).
NO!!! car these days whether it is hand built or mass produced, should be unreliable mechanically for at least 60000 miles or 3 years. Many will say "Oh but they have engines more like a race engine than a normal car engine", (Bollocks) how many of you drive them hard enough to make the engines go bang. Many of you will have Tuscans which have been reliable (Good), but many of you wont and there's the problem, you just never Know....... TVR should have stayed with a proven V8 from another manufacturer, and should have invested in better build quality. After 15 years of TVR ownership I would only buy one again if the reliability and quality issues are sorted. This of course is only my opinion.
TVR57S arn't you cross posting here?
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=38324&f=5&h=0
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=38324&f=5&h=0
Good comments....these kind of reliability problems are totally unacceptable....my Yamaha R1 puts out about 150BHP from 1 litre, revs to 13000RPM....I have never heard of a standard R1 engine going pop, or any other mass produced Jap motorcycle engine. All this crap about it being a "race engine" is BS....its pure quality control issues which, at the end of the day, are management and cost issues. I think most owners and potential owners would prefer to pay a few grand more for a more quality orientated product.
I can't be bothered lobbying TVR about it though as they must know and it would probably do no good, with full order books.
Must admit though, I sat in a T350C the other day and it felt pretty solid and well put together......maybe there is hope yet.
I can't be bothered lobbying TVR about it though as they must know and it would probably do no good, with full order books.
Must admit though, I sat in a T350C the other day and it felt pretty solid and well put together......maybe there is hope yet.
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