Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Field Marshal Dr. Opti on 28 March 2016, 14:27:41
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Would a nice woofly V8 example of Blackpool's finest cure a nasty case of midlife crisis?. ::) ::) ::) :)
The alternative seems to be to give up sex and buy a caravan.......pulled by a lurid green 1.4 litre Astra.
What's it to be, chaps?.... ;)
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Griffith 500 or Chimaera 500 :y :y :y
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Ive always wanted a Cerbera.
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Yep, get a Cerby with the AJP8 engine. :-*
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Oh pleeeeeaaase....go on....buy it. The howls of mirth when you post up how much it costs to fix will be audible across every forum in the land. ;D
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Yep, get a Cerby with the AJP8 engine. :-*
Infinitely preferable to a Kia Derv and a caravan. ;)
There was also a 4 litre straight six.....I think.
£15000 for either engine secures a nice example........and no reliability issues. ::) ::) ::)
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Griffith 500 or Chimaera 500 :y :y :y
Either would be fine.
I know the Rover V8 lump is almost as old as time itself but 350 BHP to push just over 1000 KG brings it's own rewards. :y
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Oh pleeeeeaaase....go on....buy it. The howls of mirth when you post up how much it costs to fix will be audible across every forum in the land. ;D
It might be as reliable as night following day. :P :P :P :P
Besides.....I like the smell of glue. :)
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Have a read of the May issue of Classic Cars ,there is a guide to the purchasing of TVR models , the good & the bad.
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Have a read of the May issue of Classic Cars ,there is a guide to the purchasing of TVR models , the good & the bad.
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Personally I wouldn't buy one.
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Have a read of the May issue of Classic Cars ,there is a guide to the purchasing of TVR models , the good & the bad.
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Personally I wouldn't buy one.
Don't put him off, they are wonderful cars.
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I always fancied the Cerbera, lovely interior and you don`t see that many.....go for it :y
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Yep, get a Cerby with the AJP8 engine. :-*
Infinitely preferable to a Kia Derv and a caravan. ;)
There was also a 4 litre straight six.....I think.
£15000 for either engine secures a nice example........and no reliability issues. ::) ::) ::)
I'm led to believe that the straight 6 is a "brave" choice, as far as reliability goes, but the V8 is pretty solid.
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They are a proper sports car, no abs, no air-con, and if you get it wrong you die!! :Y
Check the chassis for corrosion , brakes seize if left to stand, warped discs, electric faults due to bad earths. But still a glorious car, they are a true enthusiast car. 8).
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Similarly from machine mart too.and it's bigger
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Similarly from machine mart too.and it's bigger
??? ???
Wrong thread methinks :D
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Would a nice woofly V8 example of Blackpool's finest cure a nasty case of midlife crisis?. ::) ::) ::) :)
The alternative seems to be to give up sex and buy a caravan.......pulled by a lurid green 1.4 litre Astra.
What's it to be, chaps?.... ;)
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I've got the V8 Opti & the caravan (Astra no way) & a 4x4 so have got all options covered , long time dead & certainly no point in being the richest man in the cemetery, if you want it get it I say.
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You could always go wedgetastic and seek out a 450SEAC
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Speaking about TVR,they are building themselves a new factory about 2 miles from where I live in Ebbw Vale,local labour here has no idea about production line car assembly.So if anyone is still interested in buying one,I'ld wait awilde until they get it right.
Alfie'
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You could always go wedgetastic and seek out a 450SEAC
Get a 500 seac trouble is they are £10k for a goodie, 450 just as good can soon be made into a 500, again both very rural engineering, whoops I meant simple. Weakest point is the cossie gearbox, easily rebuild able,, parts a common. I think it's the 2nd and 3rd syncro, you can put a full on grbA quaife straight cut.
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You could always go wedgetastic and seek out a 450SEAC
Check the chassis for rust. Then go back and check it again, and again..
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Go for a 500 Grif, the noise alone will give you a permanent stiffy ::)
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Go for a 500 Grif, the noise alone will give you a permanent stiffy ::)
He'll need a big nail to knock that in, Pete. ;D ;D
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I love them, once the kit car is screwed back together and sold I will be on the look and these are high on my list.
Cerbera all the way for me I think. Although I've always fancied an xjs too :).
Reliability is key for me ::)
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Reliability is key for me ::)
I think a lot of the perceived reliability problems are due to lack of use :-\
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Reliability is key for me ::)
I think a lot of the perceived reliability problems are due to lack of use :-\
This is true for a lot of toys.
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My mate has two immaculate MG midgets which barely turn a wheel & when they do they break down without fail purely through lack of use, he now intends selling one to replace it with a V8 MGB, I.have already told him he will need to use it a lot more. He intends to spend around £25,000 so he should source a good one.
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I have a 1992 TVR V8S, hence the username. They're pretty rare now, with anywhere between 50 and 150 still on the road.
Had it since 2004.
I've been around TVR since I was a kid, thanks to my elder brother owning a 3000M and then a 350i. Now, my elder brother, middle brother (400SE) and I own TVRs.
Don't listen to people who tell you they're unreliable. They're built from bits from other cars that have been tested. Ford indicators, Vauxhall light assemblies, Range Rover switch gear etc.
It's mainly the bad TVR wiring that causes issues, and rust on chassis outriggers. The Rover V8 is pretty bullet proof and, because everything is fairly simple, servicing can be done yourself with a bit of effort.
I can't speak for Tuscan and later models. They had a lot more TVR-specific bits. Cerberas especially seem to suffer electrically.
The new TVR company owners have recently been buying up lots of parts companies and stock, to have a central parts store so hopefully availability will improve. There are some parts that are almost impossible to get though, like the window toggle switch for the S series (Triumph part I think) and the front indicator lamps (off a Leyland van).
Since 2004, I've really had very few problems with my car, and it's now 24 years old so you can expect a few things wearing out.
Throttle cables tend to wear out on the S series where they go through the bulkhead, the stepper motor that controls idle on the V8 is a pain (though many people have no problem but it does eventually fail and it's £100), I've had a fuel pump and fuel pump relay go and a connector burn out by the ignition. I can't think of anything else particularly. I've done about 30,000 miles in it in all weathers including snow. It's not a garage queen and has led convoys of sports and supercars through tunnels and Welsh valleys.
Main cost is LOTS and LOTS of fuel. That said, I do drive it hard. On a motorway run in 5th at a steady pace, you're looking at around 25 mpg. The engine is uber-smooth and lightly stressed so always has performance.
It's really cost me more in non-essential maintenance than fixing things, like four point harness, GAZ Golds, good tyres, wheel refurbishment, trying to get the damn doors to fit properly...
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If you're looking at Griff or Chimaera, the Griff has always attracted a premium and prices are going up, up, up. From about £12,000 a few years ago the same car is around £18-£20k now, and decent ones are nudging £30k. There's even one for sale at £50k at a trader's.
If I was you, I'd look at a Chimaera. There's far more about, prices are less strong and thus you'll have more choice.
Key thing to check is chassis. I saw a late-ish Chimaera in my local TVR specialist with an entirely rotted chassis, even though it had been waxoyled regularly. Not just the outriggers but the whole thing. It's suspected that some chassis were left out in the rain before being powder-coated at the factory, so you need to get a proper inspection done.
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However, if you're looking at budget fun and keep some money back for any problems, why not look at a Ford V6 S series model?
I'd go for an S3 which had longer doors and there's a few about so you have some choice. They're more thrashy and revvy than the V8 (which are rare and thus you won't find one easily) and perhaps a bit more nimble. The S4 and V8S had wider tracks making them more of a tourer.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/tvr/s-series/tvr-290-s3-1991/5753741?v=c
Model progression S1 (2.8 Essex V6), S2 and S3 (Cologne V6), S3C with cat, V8S pre cat, V8S with cat, and then S4C.
Then the Chimaera and Griffith came in.
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If you're looking at Griff or Chimaera, the Griff has always attracted a premium and prices are going up, up, up. From about £12,000 a few years ago the same car is around £18-£20k now, and decent ones are nudging £30k. There's even one for sale at £50k at a trader's.
If I was you, I'd look at a Chimaera. There's far more about, prices are less strong and thus you'll have more choice.
Key thing to check is chassis. I saw a late-ish Chimaera in my local TVR specialist with an entirely rotted chassis, even though it had been waxoyled regularly. Not just the outriggers but the whole thing. It's suspected that ALL chassis were left out in the rain before being powder-coated at the factory, so you need to get a proper inspection done.
Fixed, and corrected,
Steel was stored outside on covered, stillages finished chassis and tubs, panels also left outside till required.
I'd still like a 450 seac(wedge)
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If you're looking at Griff or Chimaera, the Griff has always attracted a premium and prices are going up, up, up. From about £12,000 a few years ago the same car is around £18-£20k now, and decent ones are nudging £30k. There's even one for sale at £50k at a trader's.
If I was you, I'd look at a Chimaera. There's far more about, prices are less strong and thus you'll have more choice.
Key thing to check is chassis. I saw a late-ish Chimaera in my local TVR specialist with an entirely rotted chassis, even though it had been waxoyled regularly. Not just the outriggers but the whole thing. It's suspected that ALL chassis were left out in the rain before being powder-coated at the factory, so you need to get a proper inspection done.
Fixed, and corrected,
Steel was stored outside on covered, stillages finished chassis and tubs, panels also left outside till required.
I'd still like a 450 seac(wedge)
Oi what are you doing on here at this time of night! ::) You should be chasing Mrs BG round the pool, fueled up with loads of Sangria! :D
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Very good! ;D
Luckily my chassis has held up well. Outriggers are sound.
I spent a week POR15ing it a couple of years ago so should be good for another 24 years (touch the flaking painted veneer dash).
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You`re going about this the wrong way ;)
What you do is get "TVR" tattooed on your arse in whatever colour you fancy :y
Then, let it be known to an unsuspecting female; that if she`s very lucky she might get a ride that night :-* but will need to hold on very tight to your TVR 8)
There might even be OOF`er out there somewhere, who might get handy with the ink & needles for you :-\
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If you're looking at Griff or Chimaera, the Griff has always attracted a premium and prices are going up, up, up. From about £12,000 a few years ago the same car is around £18-£20k now, and decent ones are nudging £30k. There's even one for sale at £50k at a trader's.
If I was you, I'd look at a Chimaera. There's far more about, prices are less strong and thus you'll have more choice.
Key thing to check is chassis. I saw a late-ish Chimaera in my local TVR specialist with an entirely rotted chassis, even though it had been waxoyled regularly. Not just the outriggers but the whole thing. It's suspected that ALL chassis were left out in the rain before being powder-coated at the factory, so you need to get a proper inspection done.
Fixed, and corrected,
Steel was stored outside on covered, stillages finished chassis and tubs, panels also left outside till required.
I'd still like a 450 seac(wedge)
I often slobbered over 420 and 450 SEACs growing up. They were the TVR for which hushed tones were invented. The 'special one'. But actually, it turns out they're not actually that great and I never could see myself driving about with an ironing board on the boot.
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My brother has a 400SE, which is nice, but feels like a barge compared to my S.
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A properly sorted 450/500 seac ??? Will make quite a few super cars look stoooiopid ;D,, until the gearbox goes bang.
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Someone I know used to have a 420 SEAC but he chopped it in for a Porsche I think, then came back to the fold with a 400SE. I could be getting that completely wrong. People I know change their cars too bloody frequently.
I never did get a SEAC to any of my charity events, despite several years trying. One day!
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My brother's 400SE and my V8S' gearbox feel completely different, despite having the same LT77. Mine is stiff but precise (oo-er), his feels like you're holding onto a dead chicken's head. And his brakes are terrible in comparison. Like stepping in a cow pat.
EDIT: That is, the feel, rather than the performance. They both stop fast. He needs a bigger master cylinder I think.
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Isn't the remote on the LT77 renowed for somewhat falling apart and leaving the gearchange feeling like you're stirring porridge?
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The whole of the LT77 is known for falling apart, R380 is a bit better but the Supra gearbox conversions are the way to go