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[Lazydocker]

Similarly from machine mart too.and it's bigger

Wrong thread methinks 

[2boxerdogs]

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?....

.       






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.

[BazaJT]

You could always go wedgetastic and seek out a 450SEAC

[alfie]

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'

[biggriffin]

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.

[Kevin Wood]

You could always go wedgetastic and seek out a 450SEAC

Check the chassis for rust. Then go back and check it again, and again..

[Elite Pete]

Go for a 500 Grif, the noise alone will give you a permanent stiffy 

[STEMO]

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. 

[Viral_Jim]

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 

[Andy B]

......

Reliability is key for me 

I think a lot of the perceived reliability problems are due to lack of use 

[Nick W]

......

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.

[2boxerdogs]

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.

[V8S]

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...

[V8S]

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.

[V8S]

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.