What's the worst of the bunch .......

[Kie s2]

Hi Guys, just reading another post in the classics , where a former S2 owner had a disappointing time with his car..eg [build quality and chassis wielding] so he sold it on quick...

My question, is there fundamental difference between the build quality between the S1,S2 and S3 models..[apart from obvious changes doors and dash,2.8 to2.9 engine]

I can assume that the S1 might of saved TVR in the late 80's and increased production for the S2 to meet demand where quality control might of went downhill..
By the time the S3 was made was it a better built car..
I assume the bosses of tvr found it harder to get away with shoddy build quality ...truth or myth

A few of you guys have gone thru S Series models 1,2,3 to the v8s ...whats your experience ...

Ive have had, couple of S2 cars now...and few of the other models wedges , chims etc , but have traded on before becoming attached ...

Decision time for me at the moment, shall I buy v8s ,as I have driven a few and like the feel of the power difference vs the v6...but there is something I cant quite get out of my mind ,maybe there is something lost...when driving a v8 [to much torque, less rattles] A good or bad thing, who knows...

To keep 2 cars that look the same is crazy [wife view],but she would seek vengeance .[no cooked meals,no fruit on demand, and household objects that break, car mags recycled mood swings and silence] This last for 3 weeks..then im home and dry..

A mint looking v8s would be perfect like , Bridget Bardot in her heyday, but a year in my custody, would it look like she is now..[weathered and neglected] parked up outside..

So guys clear this conundrum up....shall I stick with the old S2... so tell me what is the worse of the bunch.... I hope the crap quality only reared its ugly head after factory workers had a heavy pi55 up session..

Magpies edit your reply as i've sobered up now..

kie

Edited by Kie s2 on Saturday 4th January 02:30

[magpies]

I believe Glenrobbo was being ironic.......................;)

[v8s4me]

Kie s2 said:

.........where a former S2 owner had a disappointing time with his car.............chassis wielding..

Was he Geoff Capes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfgIKF2NMmM

Seriously, if you don't want to buy a completely rebuilt example stick with the devil you know and either do a ground up re-build yourself to correct all the issues or gradually work through and fix the problems as they crop up and funds allow.

[glenrobbo]

magpies said:

I believe Glenrobbo was being ironic.......................;)

I was indeed, but I suspect that Kie was as well just on that unreliability issue.....

Austin is running well, but needs quite a few jobs doing.

As for miles, Barry is probably the King

There is no best or worst model per se.
You just have to judge each individual S on it's own merits, they are all getting on a bit, some have been cosseted, some have had a hard life, but they all deserve that TLC to ensure they give the pleasure they were designed to give for years to come.

Just enjoy your S

[Kie s2]

v8s4me Joe.. I understand better the devil you know, as we all know there are always ongoing jobs to do..on these cars.. Body off and chassis done on mine plus loads of other bits done.. Yes it frustrates me because of lack of time..at the moment, but also I have to remember its down on the pecking order, as my other cars seem to get more attention from me..

anyway groggy, off to bed..

[Kie s2]

glenrobbo, bang on, I was being ironic, but nothing makes sense now, I ve edited ... Glen it proves Im not cut out for your late shift... im sacking myself..

[GBinUSA]

Hi, it was me posting in the classics about my previous experience with TVR. To be completely fair I think I was very unlucky with the car I purchased. I took the sellers word on many things and purchased the car having only seen it in high res photographs. I did get a 'eyes on' report from the then TVRCCNA President which I had hope would build some kind of fail safe into the deal, but proofed to be completely useless. I was about 1500 miles from where the car was being sold so had no choice but to trust others descriptions and findings. Here in the U.S. when hunting for a particular type of car it requires searching over vast distances. Also the car was a 1986 Tasmin 280i S2 not an S. At the end of the day the car's faults were somewhat of a result from a neglectful previous owner as well as factory quality control issues. The car had rear body sag, quite common in wedges I believe, mulitpal weld fractures, other body issues and electrical problems. It was just a bad car and I stupidly placed my trust in others. During my brief ownership and talking with other educated persons of the marque here in the States many did say that, wedge wise, the S1 and S1.5 cars seem to be bolted together much better than the S2 ones. The bodies also seemed better constructed also. How ever hard I tried to get motivated towards the car I just couldn't muster the enthusiasm. So after four months I sold it at a loss.

This was over 5 years ago now and I am now feeling the pull back to TVR. So this time around I will be far more diligent before committing to a purchase. TVR was always my schoolboy dream car and I am willing to give it another go.

Edited by GBinUSA on Saturday 4th January 04:11

[Kie s2]

GBinUSA Gavin cheers for Making it clear , weren't sure you were still in uk, at the time of purchase ..
Left hookers , is there a massive premium over there....for good cars..
Anyway its good that your dream has not died for the marque , what ever model you finally choose..
Also loach 1 , seems to be enjoying the realms of importing the S and driving RHD ..

Kie

[GBinUSA]

The real problem here in the US is that know-body really knows what a TVR is. From my understanding TVR only had four dealerships, three on the east-coast and one in Seattle. So the supply of LHD cars is rather slim. TVR pulled out of the US market in 1987, sighting insurance issues and warranty repair work as the reasons. The marque is better known in Canada and I think the factory exported there until the late 1990s. Safety and emissions pretty much killed the markets. So left hookers were thin on the ground to start with. You will pay between $5K - $10K US for a wedge and recently a Canadian 1986 S S1 sold for $14800 US on ebay. Generally TVRs take along time to sell here, maybe a year, because the market is very niche. A lot of expats like myself go on the hunt for them but are initially disappointed that selection is limited to just V6 engined cars and cars built prior to 1987. The US has a 25 year rule, where-as any vehicle that is 25 years old from the date of manufacture is except from all emission and safety requirements. So for this year, any TVR built upto 1989 can be legally imported into the US. Solves the supply issue but not the LHD one.

Edited by GBinUSA on Saturday 4th January 15:40