chris singleton

A TVR Tuscan

Seen an absolute mint 2001 Tuscan, 18" alloys, only done 17,000 miles (although in tvr years that's probably the equivalent of 100,000 ). 400bhp version aparently. Are there different models? Asking price is £17,500

I know they are unreliable, fall to pieces and will probably spend half it's life on the hard shoulder but they look stunning, sound awesome and go like the clappers Would be a second car for occasional weekend use, probably no more than 3-5K a year.

Anyone actually owned one, would you have another?

All comments appreciated.

Chris

paulwrxboro

No never had one but was very temted this week but dident have the ***** at the end of the day
With the trouble tvr are in i was thinking about the hit they might take over the next year or so

but i would to own one go for it

chris singleton

What exactly are the problems at the moment?

Thought the Russian billionaire was sorting them out

paulwrxboro

im not sure mate its just a bit to much of a gamble at the moment imo...for me anyway

but i will own a tvr one day just not at the moment

HankScorpio

They've just committed to staying in the UK, are setting up a new HQ in Lancaster so will be around for a while.

May move to Russia eventually but there's a significant commitment to the UK for the moment.

mattsan

Mate had one and sold it earlier this year to start his own business.It was an awesome car,but no where near as good as the cerbera he had before it!

Pumpkin

The problems with TVR is that they've priced themselves out of their market and into Porsches territory - and someone spending £ 50k on a car doesn't want something stuck together by a bunch of Blackpool dinnerladies that smells of resin.

If they can return to their traditional core values, and concentrate on getting that right, then they can start chasing Porsche customers.

fatscoobyfella

Used to look after a yr 2000 tuscan.

It only had 21k on it but in the 16months of ownership it had...

4 rear shocks.(originals blown,then blew the replacement TVR OE ones)..
Clutch
Both engine mountings
Gearbox mounting
Starter motor
Drivers seat bolsters snapped off.
Wiper linkage
Handbrake cables and shoes,discs,pads on rear(massive job!!!)
Front discs and pads
4 tyres

The guy drove this car like a pussycat,and i think that he covered about 8k in the time that he owned it...

Personally mate..I wouldnt have one given me....Wll i might!!!.LOL

ColinL

Depends how commited you are to the car mate?
I've ran a TVR for the last year or so as a second car (like you are suggesting). I heard all the horror stories too but to be honest (touch wood) I havent suffered any major issues. If you are expecting Germanic build quality and reliability then forget it! At some point it willl let you down, usually something frustratingly minor lke a fuse or relay. I would suggest though that unlike the majority of cars on the road, the TVR will provide you with massive levels of driving pleasure, public reaction, audio feedback and a huge sense of involvement.
My advice......do it! What you save on buying one of the German bretheren will more than pay for the TVR experience!
If you want any other advice then ping me offline :-)

Spec'c'57

iTrader: (1)

i had a 10k mile 2001 tuscan. in 1 year i had new starter, exhaust rewelded on, new cam position sensor (ford part) sold it with a dead engine for decent money and got the spec'c'. I personnaly maybe go back for a newer model ( sagaris maybe) but would steer clear of the early tuscans as the engines are made of chocolate. IF its had an updated engine circa 2003ish then maybe....

chris singleton

Hhhhmmmmmmmmmm, general concensus is avoid like the plague which is pretty much what I expected

So was there a slight model/engine change in 2003?

I know I shouldn't buy one but they just look and sound soooooooooooooo good

Chris

stilover

I know someone who bought one. Had it in that trick paint job, and it looked stunning. It was the lack of ABS which was it's undueing in the end. While giving it some on duel carriageway, some idiot pulled straight out of McDonalds and onto the outside lane doing about 20mph. He hit the brakes, which locked up. It was at this point that he ran out of tallent, spun the car about 5 times before slamming into a sign post. Not much left of the car, but both passengers escaped with only minor injuries. The passenger still has a fragment of dashboard stuck in his gum below his nose !!
I've always wanted a TVR and would have a T350C tomorrow if it had ABS and probably Traction control.
My old man was on the cusp of ordering a Tuscan when he drove past this lads crash. Put him right off getting one.

dtriggs

I test drove a new Tuscan the other day and was seriously disappointed. Just felt like a Kit car. I have for so long loved the look, noise and perceived performance. But the dash board is appalling - you cannot see half the dials - and the pedals are offset and narrow. It was fast, but not as quick as I thought it would be. Handled very nicely on smooth roads but was not good on badly surfaced usual uk roads. Overall I was seriously unimpressed.

None of this even considers the issue of build quality. The dealer I was at had 2 new Tuscans come in while I was there with major electrical faults.

Overall I have decided to get a 911 now - the decision was very easy.

eldudereno

Get yourself on the Tuscan forum on Pistonheads and ask there.

Don't worry about trivial things like sensors and engine mounts, it's the speed 6 engine that you should be worried about.

I was considering one myself but have decided to go down the ultra reliable Supra twin turbo path instead.

chiark

Seems to be the speed 6 engine is not the greatest in terms of reliability - talks of rebuilds at 30-40k seem to be more common than expected, although it only takes a few for people to start gossiping, so bear that in mind.

Definitely one to buy with your head as well as your heart as it could get very expensive very quickly.