A little euro tour..
Discussion
Hi all.
I have recently got back from my little euro adventure so I thought I'd share it in pics.
I had a highly modified Focus RS Which was awesome fun but just didn't tick all the boxes I wanted for this trip. (Our first driving hol)
So a TVR?!?!
After many hours reading up I thought maybe they're not that bad. However the in laws and everyone else I spoke to said I was stupid to consider a TVR.
I popped over to HHC in March as it was local and have always admired TVR's, but never thought I'd own one due to all the
scaremongery. But hey no harm in looking
Anyhow I was considering a T350 at first as I love the look of them but then the tamora would be better suited due to the drop top.
However there was a Tuscan in and I have never been a huge fan of the long shape of the Tuscan, but having a good look at the one tony had in, it looked the perfect GT TVR for us. Huge Boot, and targe!
Now the one he had in didn't quite excite me enough mainly due to the colour. He then told me that he is due to get a 2S in, now at this point I didn't realise there was a 2 nevermind an S (shameful I know). But he explained the differences and I thought that sounds even better but I knew it would be at quite a premium. Also he told me the colour and it kind of put me off as I think the Tuscan like most TVR's need to be in bright colours.
However I walked away and started a couple of threads on here....
Later that week I got an email off tony saying he had the 2S in, so I arranged a viewing.
I walked in, and then 30mins later I put a large deposit on it. Without driving it looking at engine, or chassis or even attempting to sell my focus. Madness but I put all my trust in HHC and tony has been incredible.
The car looked like it meant business and very mean looking!
Part of the deal tony was going to full prep the car as he does with all of the ones he sells but also spray front end boot and roof to get rid of 90% of chips and marks.
He also did-
12k service, repair AC which including replacing many parts, removed gearbox and replaced input seal and checked clutch and hydraulics, refurb alloys, replace propshaft, replace handbrake cable, re seal steering rack and pump unions, replace thermostat, temp sender and thermistor due to temp overeading, and remove screen shutter panel and tidy with new seal.
Many of those things am sure other garages would have turned a blind eye too.
So all of that took a bit of time and front the point of putting a deposit on it to collecting it was around 11weeks. Gave me plenty of time to sell my focus and get some money together.
So i collected it and put on some miles before the big trip. Little hiccup was the alarm started to play up on the day of collection so I had to make do with manually switching off immobiliser until new alarm was delivered.
After putting on 5-600 miles leading up to the trip it was time for a clean!
I have recently got back from my little euro adventure so I thought I'd share it in pics.
I had a highly modified Focus RS Which was awesome fun but just didn't tick all the boxes I wanted for this trip. (Our first driving hol)
So a TVR?!?!
After many hours reading up I thought maybe they're not that bad. However the in laws and everyone else I spoke to said I was stupid to consider a TVR.
I popped over to HHC in March as it was local and have always admired TVR's, but never thought I'd own one due to all the
scaremongery. But hey no harm in looking
Anyhow I was considering a T350 at first as I love the look of them but then the tamora would be better suited due to the drop top.
However there was a Tuscan in and I have never been a huge fan of the long shape of the Tuscan, but having a good look at the one tony had in, it looked the perfect GT TVR for us. Huge Boot, and targe!
Now the one he had in didn't quite excite me enough mainly due to the colour. He then told me that he is due to get a 2S in, now at this point I didn't realise there was a 2 nevermind an S (shameful I know). But he explained the differences and I thought that sounds even better but I knew it would be at quite a premium. Also he told me the colour and it kind of put me off as I think the Tuscan like most TVR's need to be in bright colours.
However I walked away and started a couple of threads on here....
Later that week I got an email off tony saying he had the 2S in, so I arranged a viewing.
I walked in, and then 30mins later I put a large deposit on it. Without driving it looking at engine, or chassis or even attempting to sell my focus. Madness but I put all my trust in HHC and tony has been incredible.
The car looked like it meant business and very mean looking!
Part of the deal tony was going to full prep the car as he does with all of the ones he sells but also spray front end boot and roof to get rid of 90% of chips and marks.
He also did-
12k service, repair AC which including replacing many parts, removed gearbox and replaced input seal and checked clutch and hydraulics, refurb alloys, replace propshaft, replace handbrake cable, re seal steering rack and pump unions, replace thermostat, temp sender and thermistor due to temp overeading, and remove screen shutter panel and tidy with new seal.
Many of those things am sure other garages would have turned a blind eye too.
So all of that took a bit of time and front the point of putting a deposit on it to collecting it was around 11weeks. Gave me plenty of time to sell my focus and get some money together.
So i collected it and put on some miles before the big trip. Little hiccup was the alarm started to play up on the day of collection so I had to make do with manually switching off immobiliser until new alarm was delivered.
After putting on 5-600 miles leading up to the trip it was time for a clean!
I won't bore you with too much about the trip, but it consisted off Le Mans, milau, South of France, Monaco, Route napoleon, Metz, Luxembourg, Nurburgring, Spa, and the Amsterdam!
Highlights was definitely Le Mans, I aim to do this most years possible, and route Napoleon! The roads were simply awesome as was the scenery.
The attention the car got was comical literally jaws dropping.
A few little problems, couldn't get into the car at Portsmouth, both fobs wouldn't work, couldn't find secret entry. It wa so getting dusk and we had to be at ferry for 6am no where selling batteries at that time of night... Due to my wife's persistency it eventually opened and we left it open all night with all our camping gear in it out of view from our hotel ...
Luckily once we got away from the hotel and into France i tested it again with windows open and everything thing worked again!?!? Tony thinks it could be down to the signal jamming from something which kinda makes sense as both were new fobs.
I did post something up in here in my moment of despair and a very helpful PH and fellow Tuscan member who was on the same ferry brought down a spare fob, which we're hugely grateful for but have lost his details so if you read this let yourself be known
Another issue was the door opening nob decided to fall off and then get itself in a bit of a mess so was always pressing the passenger door open. So when ever I opened the car the passenger door opened for the wife... Quite a nice unintentional touch.. Specially when parked in Monaco. Quite the gentleman option...
Anyway am not great at telling stories or typing them on an ipad so I'll let some pictures do the talking
Highlights was definitely Le Mans, I aim to do this most years possible, and route Napoleon! The roads were simply awesome as was the scenery.
The attention the car got was comical literally jaws dropping.
A few little problems, couldn't get into the car at Portsmouth, both fobs wouldn't work, couldn't find secret entry. It wa so getting dusk and we had to be at ferry for 6am no where selling batteries at that time of night... Due to my wife's persistency it eventually opened and we left it open all night with all our camping gear in it out of view from our hotel ...
Luckily once we got away from the hotel and into France i tested it again with windows open and everything thing worked again!?!? Tony thinks it could be down to the signal jamming from something which kinda makes sense as both were new fobs.
I did post something up in here in my moment of despair and a very helpful PH and fellow Tuscan member who was on the same ferry brought down a spare fob, which we're hugely grateful for but have lost his details so if you read this let yourself be known
Another issue was the door opening nob decided to fall off and then get itself in a bit of a mess so was always pressing the passenger door open. So when ever I opened the car the passenger door opened for the wife... Quite a nice unintentional touch.. Specially when parked in Monaco. Quite the gentleman option...
Anyway am not great at telling stories or typing them on an ipad so I'll let some pictures do the talking
Sounds like an epic Grande Tour.
Congratulations on the courage to follow your heart and choose what everybody seems to have been telling you was the wrong car, glad it worked out so well for you.
As an aside I remember a thread a few years ago where it was agreed that the radar on the ships/ferries in or near a port interfered with the remotes. I can only think this was the case with you as they worked when away from the sea.
Congratulations on the courage to follow your heart and choose what everybody seems to have been telling you was the wrong car, glad it worked out so well for you.
As an aside I remember a thread a few years ago where it was agreed that the radar on the ships/ferries in or near a port interfered with the remotes. I can only think this was the case with you as they worked when away from the sea.
Jamie, we saw your little car on the PH campsite in the next 2 rows of tents. ...it looked great although I was too polite to come & say hello! Hope to see you in 2015 @ LM - we decided we wanted to return before we'd even packed to head home though we just need to organise how many will be in our group!
Just looked at your profile, yes the gtv. I'm a huge Alfa fan (had 2 gta's) so you should have popped over.
I was with the wife so we were a little timid but made Friends with a family further down campsite who were great company.
Look forward to a convoy next year so just need some forward planning..
I was with the wife so we were a little timid but made Friends with a family further down campsite who were great company.
Look forward to a convoy next year so just need some forward planning..
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