T350C rear splitter

[valhalla]

I thought that i should tell all you other T350C owners of something that happened to us on the way home from Bruntingthorp.
I could here a strange noise coming from the back of the car, i got out to see what was wrong, only to find that the fixings holding the splitter (just behind each rear Wheel)Had pulled out of the fibreglass, and the molding was holding on by the skin of its teeth.And no i did'nt go down the runway at Mania which made it happen!!
I just banged the studs back in with a large heavy object, and it re located itself.
but on reaching home it had come out again.
But it won't come off again!!!Coz i have fixed it on properly(unlike TR).I'm Utterly Pied off having to mend bits of this Airfix kit before i go out every time!!And when i get home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel another Deepdive situation coming on,Because the other day my steering wheel came of in my hands (not whilst i was driving i might add, it seemed to have some side ways movement, so i pulled the wheel backwards and it came off the splines, and span freely.
It was soon fixed after i went and bought a long Allen key,so i think that you should check that out aswell.
But as usual to quote so many people "You should expect that with a TVR" Well my answer to that is 'no i bly well dontIf anyone want a full list of the things that have gone wrong....Mail me via my profile.

Dave (valhalla) very miffed,(again!!)

>>> Edited by valhalla on Saturday 9th August 22:03

[tuffer]

Just to put a smile back on your face.........




Your car looks stunning mate

[valhalla]

Thanks for the comment on the car Chris, i know she is a stunning car, but these continuing probs are beginning to wear me down a tad.

I think it's because (as my wife say's )i'm a bit of a perfectionist,
I have loved the sound of TVR's for a long time (40 years) and never in my wildest dreams did i think that i would ever own a brand new one!!
I have always been aware of the build quality so i knew what i was letting myself in for, but had hoped that things might have changed a bit, but it seems they might have even got worse!
I was in fibreglass boat building for over twenty five years, (i've been to the TVR factory and things ain't changed a bit apart from the standard of workmanship which IMHO has gone Down)
So i like to think that i know what i'm talking about as far as construction of GRP things go!!
Every part of the construction of the boat's had it's own'inspector' who's wages depended on the quality of the workmanship, and if there were the same old probs that keep on cropping up ,it would be sorted out at a monthly meeting.
Thanks for the response chris ,and i hope i ain't bored you to tears.

Dave

[tuffer]

Sounds like your the ideal man to have on the shop floor in Blackpool.

Get up there and kick some arse!

[Alf Essex]

Dave,

Travelling behind you for some of the way home I did notice that the underneath splitter looked a little odd...but thought nothing of it as first time I had really taken a good look.

mmm not good then.

Alan.

[valhalla]

tuffer said:

Sounds like your the ideal man to have on the shop floor in Blackpool. Get up there and kick some arse!

Thanks tuffer, yes i would kick some ass!!!! if they paid me enough i would be up there tomorrow believe me!!
Thanks Dave.

[valhalla]

Thanks for that Alan, it took me a while to fix, but at least i know it won't fall off again!!
I have another prob now...the hinges on the rear hatch have started to come loose an all the little black caps covering the fixings on the hatch have fallen off.
However i think that i may be able to fix that one aswell...Which part of TVR do you think that i should send my bill to ??, because i am saving them a fortune in warranty work.
I know what you are all going to say "take it back to
Cale:TVR and let the fix it" well its easier said than done i'm afraid, with both of us taking time
off work every damn time, it costs us a fortune in lost earnings and i ain't no bldy rich man!!

Dave.


Oh just one more thing before i go, there seems to be large sheets of black paint pealing off from under the rear wheel arches.
I know exactly what causes this problem...its because they have sprayed the paint on without wiping the fibreglass dust off with Acetone first!!(i have seen this many times whilst i was in fibreglass boats(but i'm not going to fix that one for them...to messy!!!!)



>> Edited by valhalla on Sunday 10th August 23:15

[pies]

It did look seriously good today though.

[valhalla]

pies said:

It did look seriously good today though.

Thanks Pies mate . i s'pose thats one consolation!
Dave

[jigs]

Could your missus be saying you're a perfectionist just because you married her?

[bennno]

my rear splitter came off, i refitted it and it too worked loose.

Needed to be refitted using a nut and bolt, for which i was charged £80 by my dealer.

Bennno

[COOPS]

bennno said:

my rear splitter came off, i refitted it and it too worked loose. Needed to be refitted using a nut and bolt, for which i was charged £80 by my dealer. Bennno

Why wasn't it covered under warranty?

[apex]

... my rear venturi worked loose on the way down to Le- Mans. The captive nuts in the bodywork just worked loose. Have been "arseless" since although dealer has car as that plus headlights that steam up, and rear quarter windows that are in danger of coming away and decapitating a pensioner on the way to the post office

... Bennno they didn't charge me (yet....) for parts for the venturi.

[bennno]

they claimed i must have grounded it, but i think it was probably damaged after the bolts worked loose and it was hanging down for a 90 mile drive home.

but there you go.... bizarre its not just me

bennno

[frostie]

bennno said:

they claimed i must have grounded it, but i think it was probably damaged after the bolts worked loose and it was hanging down for a 90 mile drive home. but there you go.... bizarre its not just me bennno

I would go back to them if I were you and kindly point out that if they look on pistonheads that its a common problem and you want your money back.

Sadly I think its going to be TVR RIP before much longer if these quality issues are not addressed.

Frostie

[bennno]

I would but it was a few months back, seemed at the time that it should never have come loose if it had been attached properly.

Bennno

[valhalla]

bennno said:

they claimed i must have grounded it, but i think it was probably damaged after the bolts worked loose and it was hanging down for a 90 mile drive home. but there you go.... bizarre its not just me bennno

Hi Bennno , They are talking complete Boks.
When my splitter fell off , the bolts had pulled the captive nut out of the glass.
Now i have been useing those type of captive fittings for years in the making of glassfibre truck steps.
If they are used properly they never come out,they are meant to be bonded in using a type of polyester paste called 'pre gel' if this is'nt used they dont stick to the GRP lay up.
I fixed my splitter back on myself because i new it would be done properly!!and because i needed to use the car the following day (sunday)and also i know it will never fall off again!!
one thing i did notice was that the glass fibre lay up was very thin in this area where you would expect it to be thicker because of the forces on the splitter.
Dave

[deepdive]

I DONT WANT TO SAY THIS,BUT I DID TELL YOU THE CAR IS A PILE OFF SHITE DAVE.

[valhalla]

I have now fixed the prob with the rear splitter "flapping" at speed, because i have just spent the morning under the car manufactoring a bracket to support the splitter at the front and in the middle Which has cured the probem. Should i pass this retro mod on to TVR do you think???
Dave

[Tivster]

deepdive said:

I DONT WANT TO SAY THIS,BUT I DID TELL YOU THE CAR IS A PILE OFF SHITE DAVE.

Very constructive - thanks