TVR Speed 6 Engines

Author
Discussion

joe c

Original Poster:

99 posts

257 months

Saturday 8th May 2004
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I keep seeing comments on the reliability of the speed 6 engines and am slightly conscerned. My Tamora has done 15k and no problems should I expect any?

agent006

12,058 posts

271 months

Saturday 8th May 2004
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From what i've seen, and being no expert, if you've lasted 15k then you're free of chocolate engine componentry.

Podie

46,645 posts

282 months

Saturday 8th May 2004
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Jigs...!


nubbin

6,809 posts

285 months

Wednesday 12th May 2004
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Podie said:
Jigs...!




He's banned.....Can't think why.

I got to 16000 on my old Tamora, and I'm on 8000 in the new one - so far so good! "alt" has one of the very first customer Tamoras, and he uses it every day, and is on about 20000 miles with no problems. there are several Tuscans with 30000+ miles with no engine rebuilds. It's all an urban myth based on a few agents provocateurs....

ATG

21,325 posts

279 months

Wednesday 12th May 2004
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(seems like it's a case of either your engine was built with crap finger followers or it wasn't. Crap finger followers => guaranteed rebuild required at low mileage.)

BogBeast

1,139 posts

270 months

Wednesday 12th May 2004
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Many people have an (usually emotive) opinion on this...

My take on it is that the early Tuscan Speed 6's had issues (chocolate follower syndrome) but the later engines (Tamoras) seem to be no more unreliable than TVR RV8's.. (make of that what u will)

When I was looking at upgrading the Griff to a Tuscan I found I could only afford the earlier cars, most of which had mechanical 'history'. It seems that a large number of the early sixes have now had their followers replaced but still had other engine rebuilds on the sheet. As rebuild seemed to come in at a couple of K I decided that I wouldn't take the risk...

trackdemon

12,317 posts

268 months

Wednesday 12th May 2004
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nubbin said:

Podie said:
Jigs...!





He's banned.....Can't think why.


Intolerance?

nubbin said:

I got to 16000 on my old Tamora, and I'm on 8000 in the new one - so far so good! "alt" has one of the very first customer Tamoras, and he uses it every day, and is on about 20000 miles with no problems. there are several Tuscans with 30000+ miles with no engine rebuilds. It's all an urban myth based on a few agents provocateurs....


How can it be an urban myth given the amount of people who have had problems with their SP6 engined cars? It is clear that there certainly was a problem with the SP6 engine and that perhaps there may still be cars out there susceptible to engine failure. Unfortunately the SP6 engine's reputation is tainted by the early problems and people are avoiding buying SP6 cars because of this, which is a shame as I'd love a Tuscan.

kevinday

12,275 posts

287 months

Wednesday 12th May 2004
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It may also be that some of the problems were caused by user error, such as not warming up the engine thoroughly before caning it.

nubbin

6,809 posts

285 months

Tuesday 18th May 2004
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trackdemon said:

nubbin said:

I got to 16000 on my old Tamora, and I'm on 8000 in the new one - so far so good! "alt" has one of the very first customer Tamoras, and he uses it every day, and is on about 20000 miles with no problems. there are several Tuscans with 30000+ miles with no engine rebuilds. It's all an urban myth based on a few agents provocateurs....



How can it be an urban myth given the amount of people who have had problems with their SP6 engined cars? It is clear that there certainly was a problem with the SP6 engine and that perhaps there may still be cars out there susceptible to engine failure. Unfortunately the SP6 engine's reputation is tainted by the early problems and people are avoiding buying SP6 cars because of this, which is a shame as I'd love a Tuscan.


The urban myth is the unreliability - yes there are a few people who have had problems, and some who have had the same problem after a rebuild - to me, that suggests driving technique may be at fault, i.e. a lack of mechanical sympathy.

There were some engine problems, but these appear to be largely sorted, and if the Typhon is pumping out 500bhp, and the Le Mans cars are using stock speed six blocks then they can't be that bad.

The engines that have blown up, have become a Chinese whisper type rumour, that perpetuates itself. No-one has bothered to look at the reasons for the failure, apart from "finger follower" problems, and the circumstances of the driving styles of those invloved may have as much to do with it.

So go and buy your Tuscan!!

thepeoplespal

1,674 posts

284 months

Sunday 30th May 2004
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nubbin said:

trackdemon said:


nubbin said:

I got to 16000 on my old Tamora, and I'm on 8000 in the new one - so far so good! "alt" has one of the very first customer Tamoras, and he uses it every day, and is on about 20000 miles with no problems. there are several Tuscans with 30000+ miles with no engine rebuilds. It's all an urban myth based on a few agents provocateurs....




How can it be an urban myth given the amount of people who have had problems with their SP6 engined cars? It is clear that there certainly was a problem with the SP6 engine and that perhaps there may still be cars out there susceptible to engine failure. Unfortunately the SP6 engine's reputation is tainted by the early problems and people are avoiding buying SP6 cars because of this, which is a shame as I'd love a Tuscan.



The urban myth is the unreliability - yes there are a few people who have had problems, and some who have had the same problem after a rebuild - to me, that suggests driving technique may be at fault, i.e. a lack of mechanical sympathy.

There were some engine problems, but these appear to be largely sorted, and if the Typhon is pumping out 500bhp, and the Le Mans cars are using stock speed six blocks then they can't be that bad.

The engines that have blown up, have become a Chinese whisper type rumour, that perpetuates itself. No-one has bothered to look at the reasons for the failure, apart from "finger follower" problems, and the circumstances of the driving styles of those invloved may have as much to do with it.

So go and buy your Tuscan!!


I personally think that it would be in TVRs interest to try and offer a warranty for speed six engines out of TVRs normal 2 year warranty. If they are happy there is no longer a problem it shouldn't cost much

I'd say there was a lot more than just a few engines pre-2001 that have let go and a number have let go more than once, as I get the emails telling me, so its not an urban myth (of no substance or truth).

But lets keep this in perspective, this year so far I know of 4 engines letting go, all stemming from the original fishy finger supplier problem, as far as I can tell.

My brother has had 2 Tuscans and is now on a T350C, it hasn't put him off. I haven't heard of any recent speedsix cars (2002 on) having any problems.

Get a warranty for piece of mind or better still, set aside extra dosh to enable worry free motoring, just don't let something like this put you off having a Tuscan.

Pies

13,116 posts

263 months

Sunday 30th May 2004
quotequote all
kevinday said:
It may also be that some of the problems were caused by user error, such as not warming up the engine thoroughly before caning it.


Bingo

The amount i see leave meets (which i know have been parked for 2 hours plus) flying down the road, im not surprised they go bang