coocoo

hi
I am think about selling my two scooby's(sti7 standerd an a wrx to 330bhp)for a tvr tuscan is it stupid to sell the babes for a super car that is reletivly cheap or keep them reply

Dubbs

STUPID

I've come from TVR ownership and DO NOT do it unless you are ready for the ownership experience.

The Tuscan is super-quick, fidgety on the limit but WILL waste pretty much ANYTHING no matter what anoyone says on here. In the wet it will be a REAL handful but the dry is a fantastic experience. I can put you in otuch with several friends who have tuscans/cerberas and will be happy to tell you about their ownership experiences. You MUST be prepared to take the car to the garage between services for the odd bits and pieces and also expect that any engine problems (and Tuscans DO have a history of this) will be an engine-out factory job that may take 6 to 8 weeks.

I'd say only do it if you can afford another car for the time the TVR is around. As much as I can't wait to get a type-r I have to say that TVR ownership is a fantastic thing and unless you've been there you just can't comment. I really miss the cerberas I had but then I don't miss the running costs!! Maybe one day if I can afford it...

Brake Neck

coocoo
Dubbs is dead right. I had the first customer delivered 4.3 Griffith back in 1992 and it was a wonder to behold. I was lucky though, as well as being an ex aircraft engineer also q'd as a car mechanic. I needed these skills on occasions with the Griff. BUT, if you are prepared for the this (and I have no reason to beleive things have changed that much at TVR - sorry Peter, please dont kill me or set the dog on me) then the experience is worth every moment. Mine being a pre cat 4.3 I used to sit and listen to it in the garage, and when you were out with the lid off, just whack the throttle open at 3k and then listen as it sang past 5+k rpm. Do I miss that! My Scoobie (MY01 UK300 PPP) is the next best sound I have had and I will make it better but the TVR is an unrequited love. Like the man says, get a second car for the rain.

Dave

PS I paid exactly the same for the new Griff4.3 in 1992 as I paid last year for the Scooby.

g0d

distraction tactic

Martyn Tonks

Had a Tuscan myself, and agree with the comments passed so far, totally amazing performance in the dry, but in the wet trying to put the power down through the rear wheels is a hair raising experience. The car always felt as if you had to drive it as it always felt that if you relaxed your concentration you could easily lose it.

The major problems were the constant trips back to the dealer for niggly repairs, and in the end I got pi55ed of and sold it, losing a huge amount of cash from new (about 12K in 12 months), even after Ben Samuelson a TVR Director put me in touch with a reputable dealer who was prepared to buy the car.

Many Tuscan owners have complained about the residual values on used Tuscans.

Wuss

I have got a friend who has a TVR.

I'm going to stick my neck out here but a 5 litre TVR Chimera, for example, will leave most, if not all Scooby's for dead (in the dry!!). If you don't believe me, get in the driving seat and floor the accelerator in first at 3,000rpm. No Scooby can match the instantaneous V8 punch. Admittedly, the car is all over the f**king road - handling Scooby-style is not a TVR strong-point. I am sure that a number of people on here are going to say I'm talking crap but I must point out that I love Scooby's with a passion. Unfortunately, for raw power, few TVRs can be beaten...

However, if I had to choose between my car and any of the TVR's I have been in, I would always choose mine. Practicality is not high on the agenda for any TVR owner. In fact, if you examined the statistics you would probably find that most TVR owners have a second car, whereas most Scooby owners (UK model in particular) can manage quite happily with a single motor!! At the moment my friend has a number of problems with his Chimera, and he has lost a fortune in residuals already without the mechanical failures as well!

Mark.

Dubbs

IF it's racetrack smooth or you are already rolling on a straight road then I agree. To get a TVR to go superquick down British A/B roads demands big conkers! Luckily most cerbera owners have those anyway but I'm not so sure about chimaera owners ;-)

Stuart J

Totally agree with other comments, had a mate with a cerbra tuned to about 450 BHP, went like stink in the dry, also great if you enjoyed a lot of sideways (only to be attempted if you knew what you were doing) however totally undriveable in the wet.
Always worried me with no ABS, no traction control & a plastic body although probably stronger than it looks
Also he had loads of garage bills & lots of visits although the car was far from standard
Very much a car for a serious enthusiast, having said that it was a hell of an experience when it all came together. Sadly the car is no more, the guy who bought it wrapped it around a lamp post, too much right foot exiting a roundabout
I would say if you want to try it & you can afford it, do it, you can always sell it, but buy a diesel for everyday use, the money you save on the diesel will help with the TVR
Incidentally I also know someone who had a TVR, sold it to buy a Ferrari, found the Ferrari too civilised & horrendously expensive & is now back in a TVR
Good luck
Stuart

Wuss

Stuart,

I rest my case.

And on the subject of Ferrari's, I was given one of those 'drive loads of different cars on a trackday' presents about a year ago. I drove a couple of different 'supercars' and, maybe I'm mad, but I would rather have been behind the wheel of my own car. The Ferrari was sh*t - hot, uncomfortable, smelly, and the performance was nothing more than average!!!

I was very disappointed, all that for £300!!!

Sorry, if I've gone off on a tangent.

Alpine

Last time TVR's were discussed on here someone came up with a stat that said 70% of TVR accidents involved no other vehicles...

Maybe a load of tosh... but it stuck in my mind..

zoog

Have you considered a used C2 993? I reckon this is the way forward after rally replica ownership palls. No probs everyday but RWD fun on tap when needed.

Friend had a tvr chimera 500, just sold it , big losses , but loved the car. Just isn't practical everyday, and he had eye-watering bills for engine rebuilds, driveshafts, you name it.

rjben

I used to have a Chimaera 500 which was real quick. It could nail my Scooby in any gear anywhere (except 0-20) and after 80mph the scooby feels like it is going backwards. A friend of mine had a tuscan and that was even quicker, not so much tourque but it felt like it had a power band, which was nice!

Very little will beat these cars in the dry for handling and nothing for outright speed. If you can put up with the ownership issues and costs then go for it (500 - 1000 a service). If you bought your scoobs because their reliable and you can use them everyday then don't touch a TVR!

Regards,

Rob

Magic Boot

Or you could just buy an S2 or S3 for peanuts and run it as a fun 2nd car!!

Not the same beast as a Chimp, Grif or Tuscan but smile enducing without breaking the bank.

rjben

You can get 4ltr chimps for 12.5K these days. Pick a good'un and you'll have lots of fun!

Nice project to. New wheels / suspension / breaks / chip and MAF etc

Rob

ScoobySnack

Have owned 3 TVR's in the past before going Scooby.............

Ended up doing 48K miles in the last one in 2.5 years. Have to say comments from Dubbs, Brakeneck and Stuart J are spot on.

Got rid of mine as it cost me too much to run in the end when doing 20K miles a year. reliability issues weren't too bad but I accepted them.

What I'd give for a bright yellow decatted 5.0 Griff with Anthracite wheels just sitting in the garage for weekends

J