AWD

TVRs are enjoyable in the dry. But the bad build quality and reliability problems mean than you end up having a pretty poor ownership experience. Compared to the Subaru's reliability they are abysmal, in fact compare to pretty much most manufacturers TVR are abysmal when it comes to reliability.

The only plus point is that while they are repairing your car (when it goes wrong, and it will be a when not an if) you get another TVR.

david

Some of you might remember that I was thinking of changing to a Lotus Elise some time ago, well, I've driven one and IMHO it did not produce the same grin factor as a scoob (they are also far too small).

I'm still after a soft top, so I'm now considering a 2/3 year old TVR Chimaera. Any of you lot had any experience with TVR's?

Cheers

Dave

[This message has been edited by david (edited 05 October 2000).]

Craig H

As a fun car they're great. As a main car, forget it. Everything you may have heard, and worse, is true.

Friend with a year oldCerbera has only had it on the road for a year. Had hafl a new engine, new gearbox, diffs, suspension, 3 power steering pumps, a/c, brakers, 3 clutches, 4 new exhausts!! and now it's back for a back to plastic respray cos the paint was falling off!!
Then theres the usual dodgy electrics, doors/windows/alarms failing etc, car not starting idling. Apart from that it's great!!

That's on a Speed Six Cerbera.

Before that he had a Chimaera, which was better - but still atrocious by most stds.

When it was going it was great fun though. Can't beat that sound. And Chimaeras are a real laugh on track. Not the fastest thing, but a lot of fun.

Andy K

Someone I know of was driving their new one down the side of a Scottish loch enjoying a fantastic blast, wind in the hair, V8 on full song... and then the back axle fell off.
'nuff said.

david

Craig,

Thanks for the reply, I've heard that they can be dodgy, but the ones I have ssen for sale from a dealer are all under warranty with fsh.

I only plan to have it for a year or two, I normally get bored by that stage, I have had two scoobs and enjoyed two and a half years of trouble free motoring and in respoect of the warranty on the TVR, if it goes wrong, it goes back to be fixed, nough said.

I'm more interested in what they are like to drive (trusting everything is working) and how they compare to an STi V. I don't expect them to be as quick (but I could be wrong), but just how good are they?

Much fun by the sounds of your comments. Although I don't think I would take it on track.

Dave

Diablo

Err...No.

Had the misfortune to happen accross a nightmare accident recently.

Newish Griffith practically cut in half by lamp post.

Mate of mine who is in the emergency services understands that the driver lost it after hitting surface water on a gentle 70 mph dual carriageway bend. Examination of scene *suggests* driver not speeding, no mechanical problems, good tyres, - impact speed not that high.

OK, so it could happen to anyone, appears he accelerated at wrong moment - torque broke traction on water, driver lost it.

Aside from the obvious (perhaps excessive?) degree of caution required at what a scoob driver would consider to be a gentle cruise, what worried me was degree of damage and unsuvivability in passanger compartment given moderate (didn't say what) impact speed.

Great for a sunny day, or a track.

Not so great in the wet.

D

Oops - wrong icon, sorry

[This message has been edited by Diablo (edited 05 October 2000).]

R19KET

David,

My last car was a Chimaera. Always wanted one, had to have it, ect'. Wish I'd listened to all the good advice !!!!!!.

It was 8 months old, 4k, main dealer supplied, and thank god I took the extra warranty. It spent 5 months off the road.......in the first year !!!!!.

It's the worst car I've ever owned.

The Scooby is quicker, handles better, and won't let you down. It is however, the ugliest car I've ever owned......well, apart from a Morris Marina !!!

Mark

Craig H

It does have a warranty, but can you be 4rsed when it spends so much time off the road.
You will end up getting so pi55ed off with it.

They are fun - in the dry. Reckon you may end up hating it.

If you've had an STi, you'll hate it for it's inadequacies even more.

Marc W

Be careful looking for one but yes, get one...

...as a second car.

I ran one for 2 years, did 20,000 miles in it and it didn't let me down once. Yes you have to be careful, especially in the wet, but what do you expect with all that torque and a short chassis?

Now that Griff 500s are getting so reasonably priced 2nd hand I'm thinking of getting one to complement the Scoob next year.

That noise is just impossible to resist...

[This message has been edited by Marc W (edited 05 October 2000).]

JoeyDeacon

A friend of mine has got a TVR Chimera 4.0 and I have to admit that as my first experience of a TVR I was very disapointed. From a distance they look (and sound!) amazing but when you look closely you realise just how badly put together they are. Look under the bonnet and if the structural rigidity (or distinct lack of it) of the bonnet doesn't put you off the Land Rover badges on the engine or Ford brake master cylinder siliconed into the wing will.

The car felt slightly faster than my barely run in impreza but throw a couple of roundabouts into the equation and the scoob kicks its ****.

Look into servicing costs for a TVR Cerberra I seem to remember that a 12,000 mile service was over a grand!!!!

[This message has been edited by JoeyDeacon (edited 05 October 2000).]

Jerome

I know of a guy that have been racing cars for 20 years(ish) and does some race driving tuition. He has a TVR Cerbera and it scares him! He hates the car when the road is wet.

Nuff sed.

Jerome.

david

Thanks for all the replies

an email from a good friend who used to be the presedent of the TVR club....

So we get it straight i'll put F(fact) & M(my opinion) against the points!

F = I have owned 4 TVR's over 8.5 of the last 12 years.
F = They have all had problems but mostly minor.
F = 3of the 4 have eaten their cooling systems
F = my 1st Griff, a 93 4.0L was the best, only a couple of niggles & I kept
it for 2 years & I lost nothing in depreciation!
F = the final 5.0L Griff was the worst car I have ever owned. 5 Diffs.
1cooling system inc. Rad. 1 pwr steering rack. 2 sets of steering hoses.
various electrical failures. The headlight covers fell out - the list is
endless
F = when they worked they were brill & the cheapest bang per buck you could
get!
F = Dealers are bad & the factory worse if anything go's wrong! They will
not supply parts & dont care not even if you run part of the club as I
did!!!
O = The Griff is not for TVR beginners! You really need to know how to cope
with its temperament -its abeast & will kill you if it gets the better of
you!
O = You can not drive a TVR everyday - if you like the constant amazing grip
of a scooby you will be equally suprised about the lack of grip in the wet &
worse - late one night in the snow on the lower road.
F = where a scooby will help you out of a spot the TVR will make it far
worse - thats where you need to start gently. (F = I braked once on the
lower rd in the dry and lost it completely as the two outer wheels locked on
the white lines -scooby's do not do this! I boiled the brake fluid doing
an emergency slow down on the motorway from 80mph - scooby's do not do
this!)
F = they are great fun to drive but O= you do not want to be driving one
everyday!
O = I drove one for a month when I had no other car & got really fed up with
it.
F = 95% of the owners in the club had another car.
O = you will have some days where you get really cheesed off with it because
you are tired & in most cars you can coast along when you do not want to
really drive it. DO NOT DRIVE it when you feel like this

Costing!
F = TVR is in trouble - it flooded the market with Chimeras and the market
has crashed!
O = If you just have to have one then get it as a second car & go for a
93/4/5 Chimera. I can find you such a car £3 to 4 K cheaper than the prices
you are looking at!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
F = I saw a 96 4.0L with 25k miles recently go for £12K!!!!!!!!!!!!!
F = Do not forget that convertibles drop in price from now until about
Feb./March!!
F = The TVR 5star warrantee is next to useless - I had endless troubles
making claims for less then £50. DO NOT BUY A CAR FROM A DEALER DUE TO THE
WARRANTEE
F = a good Griff 93/94 is about £14K (do not buy a car pre this as the
suspension was iffy & not many cars were recalled & modified)

Suggestion!
If you just have to have one why not buy a cheap 91/92 S3. Todays asking
price £8K Buy it cash sub 7K! then get afeel for the TVR without coming
unstuck.

If you ignore everything I have written here you will get caught - trust me.
Never ever forget -

There is a market for 2nd hand Scooby's - the market for 2nd hand Chimeras
is non existent (better for Griffs but only cheap ones)

NUFF SAID !

david

forgot to mention that above friend now drives a scoob!

Gerg2

What about a Speed 12 ! ! ! ???

Giddy up........