Buying a Tamora Advice

[KD88]

I've been contemplating buying a TVR for over a year to replace my Elise S1 which is getting difficult to get in and out of due to my advancing years and lack of flexibility. Covid has derailed plans somewhat but I've still been weighing up the options.

Thought about a V8S and Chim but now find myself being drawn to the Speed Six models. The Tuscan I just can't get away with the front end and they are probably a bit too expensive. I do however really like the Tamora and have been looking a all the adverts I can find.

My concern is about the engine, it appears that many have had to have major work including new blocks and or heads.

If I can get one that has had work done already does that mean it'll probably not need major work again and if I go for one that hasn't had any problems I should expect a rebuild at some stage?

Any other advice would be gratefully accepted.

[Mutley00]

Dont do it Nigel - stay with the Elise! My wife asked me to name the favourite of my cars, expecting me to say the Tuscan S and was surprised when I chose my Elise. Age should not be a factor - if you are younger than me (61) you should be ashamed of yourself and get some stretching exercises done ;-) !

This is currently on EvilBay but looks very very suspicious. So suspicious I'm tempted to report it as suspected Fraud - have you seen the ad? Located in Truro funnily enough to tempt people to send cash without viewing. Send a message saying you live in St Austell and ask when you can view it and see if you get a reply!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-TVR-Tamora/1145127...

[KD88]

Mutley00 said:

Dont do it Nigel - stay with the Elise! My wife asked me to name the favourite of my cars, expecting me to say the Tuscan S and was surprised when I chose my Elise. Age should not be a factor - if you are younger than me (61) you should be ashamed of yourself and get some stretching exercises done

I'm older than you (65) and a lot of my problems stem from a medical condition. During the 1st lockdown I cycled more than 1100 miles without much improvement.

I love the Elise and may find an S2 easier to get in and out of but I'm also exploring more options.

[baconsarney]

OP, have you tried getting in and out of a Tamora? I struggled with my Chimaera a few years ago (bad back), but an excellent (and very attractive female) sports physio helped hugely... Still have to be a bit careful winding in and out of it but taking the roof off changes everything

[Gladers01]

Mutley00 said:

Dont do it Nigel - stay with the Elise! My wife asked me to name the favourite of my cars, expecting me to say the Tuscan S and was surprised when I chose my Elise. Age should not be a factor - if you are younger than me (61) you should be ashamed of yourself and get some stretching exercises done ;-) !

This is currently on EvilBay but looks very very suspicious. So suspicious I'm tempted to report it as suspected Fraud - have you seen the ad? Located in Truro funnily enough to tempt people to send cash without viewing. Send a message saying you live in St Austell and ask when you can view it and see if you get a reply!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-TVR-Tamora/1145127...

That Tamora was my first Tvr, it's been up for sale for a while at a garage in Swindon for £22k and still is, search for Oakland autos, if you have any questions then fire away

[mark-tda4s]

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10764399

Please see my Tamora listing. Believe me, I had the same worries about the engine when I bought it. I took it to RTRacing for a Gold service which includes tappets. When I picked it up, i was told to go enjoy the car and stop worrying about it as the engine was in perfect condition and as new. They went on to say that 99%of speed 6 engines that were going to fail would have failed by now and that was due to inferior components that TVR had to buy due to cash flow issues from time to time, however, there were some very good engines made, some of which achieve 60k or more miles without work.
Another point mentioned was the 3.6 never suffered as much as the 4.0 for some unexplained reason.
I guess a good service record, regular good oil changes and careful warm up are crucial when looking at these cars.
I owned a Chimaera for 5 years and always wanted a Tuscan but after test driving 3 I was disappointed! I stumbled across a Tamora at a show and fell in love. I soon purchased one and never looked back. They are awesomely fast if required, handle like a go kart and drive sedately around town like a modern car returning relatively good mpg.
Don't be put off by the engine, just choose a well cared for car!
By the way, I'm only selling mine due to purchasing a rather expensive money pit of a boat and can't afford both.
Good luck with your search and feel free to ask questions.
Mark

[sixor8]

Mutley00 said:

Dont do it Nigel - stay with the Elise! My wife asked me to name the favourite of my cars, expecting me to say the Tuscan S and was surprised when I chose my Elise. Age should not be a factor - if you are younger than me (61) you should be ashamed of yourself and get some stretching exercises done ;-) !

This is currently on EvilBay but looks very very suspicious. So suspicious I'm tempted to report it as suspected Fraud - have you seen the ad? Located in Truro funnily enough to tempt people to send cash without viewing. Send a message saying you live in St Austell and ask when you can view it and see if you get a reply!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-TVR-Tamora/1145127...

It is dodgy. Less obvious than most though, no photo of a throwaway gmail account on that one! It was copied from the original listing here. £23k I think back in August, now at £21,500:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-TAMORA-3-6-Sport-Co...

It was bought at this auction 5 months ago. When I viewed it at ACA in June, the interior was in poor condition and the paint on the bonnet was blistered:

https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic/results/re...

[rockits]

KD88 said:

I've been contemplating buying a TVR for over a year to replace my Elise S1 which is getting difficult to get in and out of due to my advancing years and lack of flexibility. Covid has derailed plans somewhat but I've still been weighing up the options.

Thought about a V8S and Chim but now find myself being drawn to the Speed Six models. The Tuscan I just can't get away with the front end and they are probably a bit too expensive. I do however really like the Tamora and have been looking a all the adverts I can find.

My concern is about the engine, it appears that many have had to have major work including new blocks and or heads.

If I can get one that has had work done already does that mean it'll probably not need major work again and if I go for one that hasn't had any problems I should expect a rebuild at some stage?

Any other advice would be gratefully accepted.

Interesting quandary. If you fancy swapping out of the Elise into a nice Chimaera 500 I might be interested in a swap deal ??

Edited by rockits on Friday 13th November 12:11

[rockits]

mark-tda4s said:

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10764399

Please see my Tamora listing.
Good luck with your search and feel free to ask questions.
Mark

Lovely example that Mark and I did come across it on one of my searches. Love the colour. If you fancy a swap deal against my Chimaera 500 and get back into a Chimaera drop us a line 😉

[Mutley00]

KD88 said:

I love the Elise and may find an S2 easier to get in and out of but I'm also exploring more options.

Sorry to disappoint matey, but the S2 seems no better to get in and out of than the S1 - we've got both. Sorry to hear its a medical condition that's forcing he sale. I cant think of a worse car to own than an Elise if you've got a bad back - the ride doesn't exactly help either!

[monty quick]

I do not have a Tamora but I do have a T350 and I have driven Elise Series 1 & 2.
Just like the Lotus (Lots Of Trouble Usually Serious) myths, you tend to hear the Speed6 engine horror stories when in fact the few that had problems have probably all been rectified by now.
I would point you towards the 'sticky' showing miles covered by Sag engines (basically the same Speed6) with many in the very high thousands and a couple over 100,000.

I am absolutely sure that the Tamora is very much easier to live with than the Elise. Not better, not worse, but easier. The T-cars are comfortable for most sizes. I am 6ft and in my 60's and still find it easy getting in and out of the T350 and very comfortable to drive. The T350 has a roll cage so the Tamora is much easier.
Good luck with your decision

[PuffsBack]

Speed6's are more delicate rather than unreliable. Yes there have been issues, especially with the top end in the early years but a lot of the problems were caused by owners ragging the engine from cold. I have had a both a Cerbera Speed6 and a Sagaris without any engine issues.

I wouldn't be too concerned. Some people seem to suggest only buying cars with a rebuild but that seems to limit your market quite badly since its not like there are 1000's to choose from and if the car has been looked after and treated right there is no need.

I have both a Sagaris and Elise S2. They are interesting to compare as driving them back to back shows just how well the Sagaris was setup from factory.

[Gladers01]

sixor8 said:

Mutley00 said:

Dont do it Nigel - stay with the Elise! My wife asked me to name the favourite of my cars, expecting me to say the Tuscan S and was surprised when I chose my Elise. Age should not be a factor - if you are younger than me (61) you should be ashamed of yourself and get some stretching exercises done ;-) !

This is currently on EvilBay but looks very very suspicious. So suspicious I'm tempted to report it as suspected Fraud - have you seen the ad? Located in Truro funnily enough to tempt people to send cash without viewing. Send a message saying you live in St Austell and ask when you can view it and see if you get a reply!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-TVR-Tamora/1145127...

It is dodgy. Less obvious than most though, no photo of a throwaway gmail account on that one! It was copied from the original listing here. £23k I think back in August, now at £21,500:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TVR-TAMORA-3-6-Sport-Co...

It was bought at this auction 5 months ago. When I viewed it at ACA in June, the interior was in poor condition and the paint on the bonnet was blistered:

https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic/results/re...

Interesting stuff, fetched a strong price at auction, i paid 28k for that one in March '05 (2k miles) and sold it in March '07, was rebuilt at 24k miles just before i traded it in for a Tuscan 2, overall a slow depreciation of approx 10k over a 15 year period from dealer to auction.

The advert would benefit from some more pics of the interior, chassis and engine, to the Op would say test drive one, they are a far more practical, comfortable and everyday car compared to the Elise and a good example can be bought for £25k privately or £30k from a dealer with a bullet proof in house warranty

[KD88]

mark-tda4s said:

https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10764399

Please see my Tamora listing. Believe me, I had the same worries about the engine when I bought it. I took it to RTRacing for a Gold service which includes tappets. When I picked it up, i was told to go enjoy the car and stop worrying about it as the engine was in perfect condition and as new. They went on to say that 99%of speed 6 engines that were going to fail would have failed by now and that was due to inferior components that TVR had to buy due to cash flow issues from time to time, however, there were some very good engines made, some of which achieve 60k or more miles without work.
Another point mentioned was the 3.6 never suffered as much as the 4.0 for some unexplained reason.
I guess a good service record, regular good oil changes and careful warm up are crucial when looking at these cars.
I owned a Chimaera for 5 years and always wanted a Tuscan but after test driving 3 I was disappointed! I stumbled across a Tamora at a show and fell in love. I soon purchased one and never looked back. They are awesomely fast if required, handle like a go kart and drive sedately around town like a modern car returning relatively good mpg.
Don't be put off by the engine, just choose a well cared for car!
By the way, I'm only selling mine due to purchasing a rather expensive money pit of a boat and can't afford both.
Good luck with your search and feel free to ask questions.Mark

I've looked at your car numerous times and it does look ideal but I will have to sell the Elise first and start earning money again (due to the lockdowns) so it'll probably be gone by then.
Thanks for your advice however, very useful.

[Sevenman]

I considered and looked at the Elise before buying my Tamora.

The Elise was just a bit too small and less practical... I don't consider the TVR a practical car but that extra space, big boot etc. are useful.

Another factor was that you get more for your money with the Tamora than an Elise (IMHO), and vs. other Speed 6 models (maybe other than some early Tuscans)

Test a few and see what you think.

[a1butch]

Gladers01 said:

Interesting stuff, fetched a strong price at auction, i paid 28k for that one in March '05 (2k miles) and sold it in March '07, was rebuilt at 24k miles just before i traded it in for a Tuscan 2, overall a slow depreciation of approx 10k over a 15 year period from dealer to auction.

The advert would benefit from some more pics of the interior, chassis and engine, to the Op would say test drive one, they are a far more practical, comfortable and everyday car compared to the Elise and a good example can be bought for £25k privately or £30k from a dealer with a bullet proof in house warranty

Interesting to hear from another owner of my old Tamora. I owned from 41k to 42ish around 2015 and sold to the dealer who eventually sold on to the previous owner. The interior was starting to look shabby back then so it must be dreadful now. That said, it was bullet proof in my ownership but sounds like it needs some attention now. New interior and front end is probably adding 5k+ onto the price.

[Gladers01]

a1butch said:

Gladers01 said:

Interesting stuff, fetched a strong price at auction, i paid 28k for that one in March '05 (2k miles) and sold it in March '07, was rebuilt at 24k miles just before i traded it in for a Tuscan 2, overall a slow depreciation of approx 10k over a 15 year period from dealer to auction.

The advert would benefit from some more pics of the interior, chassis and engine, to the Op would say test drive one, they are a far more practical, comfortable and everyday car compared to the Elise and a good example can be bought for £25k privately or £30k from a dealer with a bullet proof in house warranty

Interesting to hear from another owner of my old Tamora. I owned from 41k to 42ish around 2015 and sold to the dealer who eventually sold on to the previous owner. The interior was starting to look shabby back then so it must be dreadful now. That said, it was bullet proof in my ownership but sounds like it needs some attention now. New interior and front end is probably adding 5k+ onto the price.

Happy to see it still in one piece, was originally half leather (mostly bison) on 16" spiders and rebuilt by Tvr Power so plenty of tunes in the old fiddle to come

The interior is simply shocking and could do with a make over, £5k should bring it back on track, whipper snappers of today about time they brought back national service

[Pursyluv]

You’ll do well to get a Tamora re-trimmed for £5k

[alex_gray255]

7-10k for retrim is more realistic

[8Speed]

alex_gray255 said:

7-10k for retrim is more realistic

Wow!