What To Do? T350 Advice

[Snapper]

Not sure if anyone here is able to help but, I am thinking about buying a 2004 T350c or T350T and have about £ 22k to spend. I have recently sold my S2 Exige and was wondering if any one else here has made this move and can help advise me on the following;

 

a) It a T350 or T350T going to be much more expensive to run compared to an Exige?

 

Is the T350 or T350T reliable compared to an Exige?

 

c) What are the known problems on the T350 or T350T and what sort of costs are involved if you get them?

 

d) What are the servicing costs on T350 or T350T?

 

e) What are the running costs on T350 or T350T doing 8000 miles a year?

 

f) What sort of mileage do you get out of the tyres? What are the replacement costs?

 

g) What sort MPG do you get? not expecting it to be that great.

 

h) How different is the T350 or T350T compared to an Exige?

 

i) Does the T350 or T350T suffer from rattles?

 

j) What is the build quality like compared to the Exige and older models of TVR?

 

k) Any known problems with the roof pannels on the T350t?

 

l) Any other advice or info?

[Stevef]

Speed 6 engine is the biggest issue, great looking car and they do feel more like a GT thsn the Exige does but that engine would always be in the back of my mind.

With regard performance,they would monster any std Exige in a straight line but they don't have the balance. Iwould have a read thro http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.a...=0&f=152and make your own mind up.

saying that I do love TVR's.

 

 

Steve

[Tango190]

Jamie,

 

For sure join the Tivver club first - go meet a few peeps at the pub in Meriden - trust me.

 

You will need deep pockets bud.

 

As always in these type of cars, it's not the purchase price, its the running.

 

You can still buy a VERY VERY good 450 Chim for half the price and have some realiability too. Speak to Mike at Horizon Motorsport too - they are OFFICIAL TVR peeps.

 

My Chim is the only car I regret selling, even after all the EVO fun, it's a proper motor.

[malbon]

Just do it ! I've been pussying around deciding on a Tamora for a year now but with the unpredicatablity of the car and the unpredicatability of me i just havent done it. At least the Lotus is pretty much reliable and anything that does go wrong is cheaply fixable. Id go for a T350T and set it up on some nitrons.

 

I test drove one a few years ago and found the steering darty and the handling a little strange - especially compared to a mid engined car like the elise.

 

If I do go for the Tam ill be looking at a car with the 4.0 Red Rose conversion. I mean..how much of a bargain is something like this ?? http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/231831.htm

 

Get a warranty, go in with your eyes open and do it. TVR's kick arse !

 

But then an Audi/SC Honda engined elise would be just as much fun and as fast without the worry factor. But i do love Tivvers !

[Matt C]

I had a Tuscan (same engine), and that blew up. TVR tried to charge me £10k for a rebuild, but as I design engines, I had to go to Blackpool and tell them in detail how it was a design issue, hence their issue... they paid for it in the end.

I did really love the car. Traction in wet was scary, and fuel economy was not brilliant.

 

My mate has a T350. He has had 2 head gasket failures and numerous electrical issues...

 

If you do buy one, make sure it is only ever a weekend toy...

Running costs are alot higher!!!

They are beautiful cars though....

[GCCK]

Put it this way:

 

Stephen Guglielmi, multiple TVR Championship driver, has a recent TVR at his garage...

 

 

 

 

... which he has re-engined with a Rover V8

 

 

Is it really worth the pain?

[JohnnyM]

oh dear..... i sense a wallet wilting world of pain.....

[sootysteve]

whats with all the worrying about tyres n MPG jamie?

[Snapper]

If I do go for the Tam ill be looking at a car with the 4.0 Red Rose conversion. I mean..how much of a bargain is something like this ?? http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/231831.htm

 

 

I was told that the 4lt engine is less reliable than the 3.6lt which is ament to be fair sound according to a dealer. is this right?

 

 

 

whats with all the worrying about tyres n MPG jamie?

 

 

Keeping a fixed eye on the running costs. The thing I hated about the Exige was the tyres only lasting 4000 miles if you are lucky and the number of punchures thay got due to soft compounds.... I wore a set of rears out on the exige in 2 weeks driving in Europe in the heat and on mountain passes.

 

I has also had to replace 4x rear tyre on the exige with less than 500 miles on them due to punchures in two years. That is about £ 640 I would have rather have spent on petrol to drive that car.

[malbon]

I think the engine problems depended on the build year. Not sure when but they started to get better after a time..maybe 2004 ?. The early Tuscan 4 litres had loads of problems but I must say i've hardly heard anything with the Sagaris's. But maybe this is because less are out there ?

 

Tyres they use are the Toyo T1R's IIRC so they wont be anywhere as expensive or as soft wearing as 48's. Again - im speculating. Pistonheads forums seems to be the epicentre for Tivs.

[Stevef]

I've thought about a saggi arse but ther still abit pricey. One thing you will learn when running a TVR is that Elise's/Exige's are relitively cheap for a sports car to run. I deffo would not run a TVR of any description as a daily runner ,no matter what anybody say's they do have there issues (all of them). I had 2 Cerbs a 4.2 and a 4.5 I also had a Griff 500. While they are great cars while they are going they were alaways a great relief to get rid of and sell on.

Mind you my Lotus experience has not been without drama.

So would I buy a Sp6 engine car, well yes but only with a good warranty so I wouldn't buy privately.

 

Steve

[MattyB]

I looked at T350's also. Some around for £19-21k, but I've been told to look for one thats already been rebuilt (cost approx £5?) or to get as later build as possible, because the later ones got much, much better.

 

General servicing costs aren't too bad, £500 upto £1500 for the major services. But some parts can be hard to get hold of - I had been following the story of the guy who couldn't get a rear screen for love nor money, it was 4 months and counting when I last heard about it.

 

 

TBH I'd be constantly concerned about them going bang and leaving you with a massive, massive bill...gorgeous cars though - and it'll hit the ton in under 10 secs! Lambo/Ferrari territory...

[AshGTi16v]

been looking into these myself but also love the tuscan, ive never really had the best of look with any of my cars so i am abit concerned when it comes to buying a tvr. but when i save up enough money im having one. i always put money aside for my cars breaking/ upgrages, just in a tvr's case it aint a grand its four grand....

 

id go for it if i was you if it does eat all your money sell it at least you can say you have had one.

 

Ash