common problems with the 4.3
Discussion
I'm going to look at a 4.3 this weekend with <30K on it. Are there any 4.3 owners here who can advise me on specific things that I should look for? I've heard about the cracking exhaust manifold, does that always happen or only if the car is mistreated? How much does it cost to get that part replaced?
As this will be my first TVR, could anyone give me a rough idea of annual running costs excluding insurance and petrol. I'd only be using the car as a dry weather weekend fun machine!
All help and advice welcome!
As this will be my first TVR, could anyone give me a rough idea of annual running costs excluding insurance and petrol. I'd only be using the car as a dry weather weekend fun machine!
All help and advice welcome!
Check the history and get an underside inspection where possible, although there is a resurgence in the early Griffs the first TVR's (whether Grif or Chim) can be troublesome if unloved in the past.
Bent chassis, corroded chassis members, cracked exhausts, dodgy electrical repairs and water ingress.
Anything not original on the early ones can be viewed as suspect unless there is a reason.
Early Griffs can be prone to overloading fuses on the main fan, a modification of another relay will usually cure this. ring you local dealer for advice if unsure.
Buy now if you can as the market will rise from now on
Bent chassis, corroded chassis members, cracked exhausts, dodgy electrical repairs and water ingress.
Anything not original on the early ones can be viewed as suspect unless there is a reason.
Early Griffs can be prone to overloading fuses on the main fan, a modification of another relay will usually cure this. ring you local dealer for advice if unsure.
Buy now if you can as the market will rise from now on
I have got a '92 4.0 and I presume some of the problems are common.
1) The Diff is pretty crap and tends to leak oil. This is often associated with a collapsing of the shims. This is quite expensive to fix
2) The gearbox (old Rover SD1) is prone to wearing out the syncro in 2nd. They also leak oil. This is quite expensive to fix (Gearbox out) (1 and 2 cost £800-900).
3) Check for any oil leaks.
4) Listen for any valve clatter when warm. In particular when travelling at a constant speed in 2nd/3rd at 3K revs. Rover V8's are prone to wearing out the camshaft, particularly on low mileage examples (like you want). This will almost certainly require a load of other bits as well - £1200+
5) Check the electric windows work properly (don't let them clunk at the bottom because it will eventually drop out the guides and refuse to go up again).
6) Check the lights all work. Particularly check the driving lights at the bottom for cracks.
7) Check the cooling fans work.
8) Check the ventilation fan works (it's at the front of the car behind the left headlight). They are pretty exposed and can fail.
Buying and 9-10 year old TVR is going to be interesting. Even well cared for examples wil have some things wrong with them. If you can get someone who knows TVR's to check it out for you that would be sensible. I could have been a bit more selective.
1) The Diff is pretty crap and tends to leak oil. This is often associated with a collapsing of the shims. This is quite expensive to fix
2) The gearbox (old Rover SD1) is prone to wearing out the syncro in 2nd. They also leak oil. This is quite expensive to fix (Gearbox out) (1 and 2 cost £800-900).
3) Check for any oil leaks.
4) Listen for any valve clatter when warm. In particular when travelling at a constant speed in 2nd/3rd at 3K revs. Rover V8's are prone to wearing out the camshaft, particularly on low mileage examples (like you want). This will almost certainly require a load of other bits as well - £1200+
5) Check the electric windows work properly (don't let them clunk at the bottom because it will eventually drop out the guides and refuse to go up again).
6) Check the lights all work. Particularly check the driving lights at the bottom for cracks.
7) Check the cooling fans work.
8) Check the ventilation fan works (it's at the front of the car behind the left headlight). They are pretty exposed and can fail.
Buying and 9-10 year old TVR is going to be interesting. Even well cared for examples wil have some things wrong with them. If you can get someone who knows TVR's to check it out for you that would be sensible. I could have been a bit more selective.
Thanks for all the advice, I'll save that for when I find one. Unfortunately the garage has sold the one I was going to see which is a shame because it looked a peach: Check out the cars for sale at: www.rushmoormotor.co.uk
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