Thinking about taking the TVR plunge!
Discussion
I have been, quite seriously, thinking recently about adding a TVR to my collection. My TVR knowlege is very slight, I was thinking about a Saggy or I do quite like the T350 but there are the older bigger coupes that I know nothing about.
What I really want is what would be a car that is suitable for lot's of days usage but can stand for a while without killing it's internals.
Thanks alot in advance and when you mention a model please post a picture!
What I really want is what would be a car that is suitable for lot's of days usage but can stand for a while without killing it's internals.
Thanks alot in advance and when you mention a model please post a picture!
Be expected to pay more in maintenance than anyone will tell you.
I've seriously considered a Tivver on many occassions now, with a Cerbie being the most recent heart-string tugger. However, Putting aside £5k a year for potential pitfalls is just not my idea of fun when I could modify my M3 for that and still retain a degree of reliability.
I've seriously considered a Tivver on many occassions now, with a Cerbie being the most recent heart-string tugger. However, Putting aside £5k a year for potential pitfalls is just not my idea of fun when I could modify my M3 for that and still retain a degree of reliability.
Asbo said:
I've seriously considered a Tivver on many occassions now, with a Cerbie being the most recent heart-string tugger. However, Putting aside £5k a year for potential pitfalls is just not my idea of fun when I could modify my M3 for that and still retain a degree of reliability.
We are back to the point that if that is how you think then you see the car through the eyes of someone who sees it as just another brand. You either love them or you don't.
softtop said:
Asbo said:
I've seriously considered a Tivver on many occassions now, with a Cerbie being the most recent heart-string tugger. However, Putting aside £5k a year for potential pitfalls is just not my idea of fun when I could modify my M3 for that and still retain a degree of reliability.
We are back to the point that if that is how you think then you see the car through the eyes of someone who sees it as just another brand. You either love them or you don't.WhoreLex said:
are the newer ones more reliable?
i would look at it like this: Its a small fast sports car, thats near bespoke - so it will cost a % of the purchase price each year to maintain it
No the speed six are in need of engine rebuilds more than they should. I had a 5.0ltr Chimaera, Rover V8 good for many miles and mine never let me down, its the luck of the draw with TVR, but you can minimise the risk by buying from reputable dealers or through other TVR owners, as most know other members cars.i would look at it like this: Its a small fast sports car, thats near bespoke - so it will cost a % of the purchase price each year to maintain it
WhoreLex said:
are the newer ones more reliable?
i would look at it like this: Its a small fast sports car, thats near bespoke - so it will cost a % of the purchase price each year to maintain it
Agreed. A TVR is a purchase with the heart, not the head, I plan to have one as soon as I can afford one. Will get an S2K next and then its Tamora time, if everything goes to plan.i would look at it like this: Its a small fast sports car, thats near bespoke - so it will cost a % of the purchase price each year to maintain it
WhoreLex said:
are the newer ones more reliable?
The V8's and the S6's are not comparable in this way without taking other things into consideration. Let's just say that the V8's have reasonably robust power plants whereas the S6's are race bread highly stressed and complex power plants. Now that production has ceased the existing cars are developing higher average mileage. Time will tell for the S6, the V8's are already proven to be reliable at higher mileage.I have a V8 and I anticipate having to spend £1k on unexpected breakdowns once every few years. If I had an S6 I would expect to spend £5k on unexpected breakdowns once every few years and add to that that some S6 engine parts are no longer produced.
Sorry S6 owners, I'm sure you'll be along to tell a different story soon
blindswelledrat said:
softtop said:
Asbo said:
I've seriously considered a Tivver on many occassions now, with a Cerbie being the most recent heart-string tugger. However, Putting aside £5k a year for potential pitfalls is just not my idea of fun when I could modify my M3 for that and still retain a degree of reliability.
We are back to the point that if that is how you think then you see the car through the eyes of someone who sees it as just another brand. You either love them or you don't.
WhoreLex said:
are the newer ones more reliable?
i would look at it like this: Its a small fast sports car, thats near bespoke - so it will cost a % of the purchase price each year to maintain it
My 420 SEAC never let me down over 10 years ownership, although servicing always turned up a few parts that needed replacing, they were usually relatively cheap Rover / BL / Ford bits. My Tuscan Speed six was manufactured 14 years later, was considerably more expensive to maintain and went wrong in much more serious ways. Racing Green seem to have developed a number of after-market engine modifications to improve reliability and reduce damage if bits of metal start circulating inside the S6 engine, but these are more likely to be engine-out remedial jobs than preventative actions. Their oil filter magnet is a good idea to reduce wear, but I would still expect S6 running costs to be higher than Porsche Turbo ownership. Stick with a TVR Power tuned Buick / Rover V8 if you can.i would look at it like this: Its a small fast sports car, thats near bespoke - so it will cost a % of the purchase price each year to maintain it
My S6 has been fine for 3 years, no dramas as yet and 16000 miles under the belt......... 
T350 is a great looking car, individual, properly quick and properly noisy!
Servicing costs about £600-£800 a year for about 6,000 miles, plus about £1k every other year for bits that corrode/break/drop off/etc etc.
Not too bad cost wise for a performance car if you ask me.
T350 is a great looking car, individual, properly quick and properly noisy!
Servicing costs about £600-£800 a year for about 6,000 miles, plus about £1k every other year for bits that corrode/break/drop off/etc etc.
Not too bad cost wise for a performance car if you ask me.
softtop said:
Asbo said:
I've seriously considered a Tivver on many occassions now, with a Cerbie being the most recent heart-string tugger. However, Putting aside £5k a year for potential pitfalls is just not my idea of fun when I could modify my M3 for that and still retain a degree of reliability.
We are back to the point that if that is how you think then you see the car through the eyes of someone who sees it as just another brand. You either love them or you don't.
I love the way TVR owners automatically jump to the defensive.
Personally, i would never buy one, no matter how good they are to drive, or how good they look (very good on both cases, btw), because even as a weekend car, i don't want there to be a 20% chance that my hoon will result in me being stuck at the side of the road waiting for the AA.
The simple fact is, they can't be compared to 'normal' sports cars like Boxsters, S2000's, Z4's, M3's etc, because as previously stated they are pretty much bespoke sports cars. Very low volume, and they should be treated this way.
I applaud TVR for making them, the world is a better place because of them, but i simply wouldn't buy one.
Just to add, I did take the ecurie25 Sagaris out for a day, and after 3 things went wrong within the first 2hrs, i took it back and got the Cayman S instead.... Oh yeah, and 400bhp - my arse!
Personally, i would never buy one, no matter how good they are to drive, or how good they look (very good on both cases, btw), because even as a weekend car, i don't want there to be a 20% chance that my hoon will result in me being stuck at the side of the road waiting for the AA.
The simple fact is, they can't be compared to 'normal' sports cars like Boxsters, S2000's, Z4's, M3's etc, because as previously stated they are pretty much bespoke sports cars. Very low volume, and they should be treated this way.
I applaud TVR for making them, the world is a better place because of them, but i simply wouldn't buy one.
Just to add, I did take the ecurie25 Sagaris out for a day, and after 3 things went wrong within the first 2hrs, i took it back and got the Cayman S instead.... Oh yeah, and 400bhp - my arse!
Edited by Beefmeister on Friday 23 November 10:19
RobCrezz said:
softtop said:
Asbo said:
I've seriously considered a Tivver on many occassions now, with a Cerbie being the most recent heart-string tugger. However, Putting aside £5k a year for potential pitfalls is just not my idea of fun when I could modify my M3 for that and still retain a degree of reliability.
We are back to the point that if that is how you think then you see the car through the eyes of someone who sees it as just another brand. You either love them or you don't.
softtop said:
We are back to the point that if that is how you think then you see the car through the eyes of someone who sees it as just another brand. You either love them or you don't.
I think what s/he means is this:If you think "I could spend 5k on my BMW and still have a reliable car rather than a TVR" THEN you just don't get TVR.
You do not buy a TVR because it will have a BMW-esque life, you buy it because it is fast, fun, beautiful, sounds like Thor crashing down on you, and is pretty much a machine that will make you smile every second you are driving it (with the exception of the odd brown trouser moment).
Thus, if a TVR is in any way felt to be equivalent to a modded BMW, then you do not understand the passion and soul of the marque.
I wonder if I clarified or confused...
As to the OP, go to a couple of club meets, and don't worry as much about reliability and service costs as some are alluding to on here, I only really spend about 1k per year on servicing etc.. and my Chimaera is more reliable than my old modded 3 series used to be......
Beefmeister said:
I love the way TVR owners automatically jump to the defensive.
Personally, i would never buy one, no matter how good they are to drive, or how good they look (very good on both cases, btw), because even as a weekend car, i don't want there to be a 20% chance that my hoon will result in me being stuck at the side of the road waiting for the AA.
The simple fact is, they can't be compared to 'normal' sports cars like Boxsters, S2000's, Z4's, M3's etc, because as previously stated they are pretty much bespoke sports cars. Very low volume, and they should be treated this way.
I applaud TVR for making them, the world is a better place because of them, but i simply wouldn't buy one.
Just to add, I did take the ecurie25 Sagaris out for a day, and after 3 things went wrong within the first 2hrs, i took it back and got the Cayman S instead.... Oh yeah, and 400bhp - my arse!
Fair enough. In my experience with TVR's and their owners, it comes down to whether you get TVR or you don't. In other words, for some they just want a TVR no matter what, will put up with the things that go wrong and enjoy the car for it's unique characteristics. For all others they expect it to be like other mass produced sports cars in many ways and will not accept its shortcomings. Most existing TVR owners will understand what I'm trying to say! Personally, i would never buy one, no matter how good they are to drive, or how good they look (very good on both cases, btw), because even as a weekend car, i don't want there to be a 20% chance that my hoon will result in me being stuck at the side of the road waiting for the AA.
The simple fact is, they can't be compared to 'normal' sports cars like Boxsters, S2000's, Z4's, M3's etc, because as previously stated they are pretty much bespoke sports cars. Very low volume, and they should be treated this way.
I applaud TVR for making them, the world is a better place because of them, but i simply wouldn't buy one.
Just to add, I did take the ecurie25 Sagaris out for a day, and after 3 things went wrong within the first 2hrs, i took it back and got the Cayman S instead.... Oh yeah, and 400bhp - my arse!
Edited by Beefmeister on Friday 23 November 10:19
ETA: oops - just read the post above from JasandJules that says pretty much the same thing in a better way!
Edited by abz on Friday 23 November 10:31
Beefmeister said:
I love the way TVR owners automatically jump to the defensive.
Of course we do. We love our cars, dearly.It's akin to somebody saying your wife is a bit mental even though she is as fit as hell.
Sex is brilliant but you could do without the tantrums as you fight for the Marlboro post sesh.
A great deal of TVR reliability is pure urban myth too. People are just not willing to do their research properly and jump on bandwagons. There are plenty of horror stories, there are plenty MORE stories of total joy and reliability. TVR as a brand has been kicked to within an inch of its life and its a real shame. Other brands with terrible issues seem to scape the same fate. BMW with nikasil and VANOS. Jaguar with nikasil and chain tensioners. Mercedes with shocking body rust and warranty denials. The list goes on.
TVRs are cheap to buy, expensiv to run. This doesn't make them bad, it makes them a bargain in my view. Running costs are allied to performance NOT purchase price. A TVR is far cheaper to maintain than nearly all Ferrari's and similar exotica and offers a similar ownership experience to many. It bugs me that people compare chalk and cheese. Yes a Cerbera will cost about £3k a year on average to maintain and service but it does 0-100 in 9 seconds!! What do people seriously expect?!?!
As with any high performance car, you need to choose with your heart then research and purchase with your head. The 2 do not have to be mutually exclusive.
So, in conclusion dont rule them out without doing the maths
TVRs are cheap to buy, expensiv to run. This doesn't make them bad, it makes them a bargain in my view. Running costs are allied to performance NOT purchase price. A TVR is far cheaper to maintain than nearly all Ferrari's and similar exotica and offers a similar ownership experience to many. It bugs me that people compare chalk and cheese. Yes a Cerbera will cost about £3k a year on average to maintain and service but it does 0-100 in 9 seconds!! What do people seriously expect?!?!
As with any high performance car, you need to choose with your heart then research and purchase with your head. The 2 do not have to be mutually exclusive.
So, in conclusion dont rule them out without doing the maths
I've had my Griff 500 (RV8) for 2 yrs now. Granted it is mainly a summer car, but the mechanicals are fairly straight forward and reasonably plentyful.
I live in North Scotland. It took me to Zolder in Belguim (along with other blasts to Holland and Germany) this year when I spent a whole day giving it the beans ot the former GP circuit.
So far good as gold. If you handy with a set of spanners, all the better, but in all honesty, don't be put off with the horror stories. And a finer bunch of people you ever meet than TVR owners.
Go on.... you know you really want to!!
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