TV8

2 hours ago, Codfanglers said:

Replaced with a Stag that I still have and love 20 years later - and that sounds even better than the TVR.

The Stag does sound very good as standard and can be quite loud if you try. What colour is the Stag?  

8 minutes ago, Porschevirgin1968 said:

Maybe its just me being untrusting, was going to look at cheapish 987 tomorrow, they thought i was getting the train to take the car away having never seen the car just photos, maybe I'm still old style. Told him I'd shake on it come back Saturday if all was good, said he wants 500 tomorrow and collect Saturday. Stalemate. Now he has blocked me, what does that tell ya, lol. Narrow escape. 

Always trust your gut instinct. Particularly if you have a big gut

18 minutes ago, Porschevirgin1968 said:

Why do private sellers think when you have not met them before, you are going to give them £500 as a deposit for a car, then drive away and come back 2 days later to collect a car that may not exist 🤔. Or do I just not trust anyone? 

Why would the car not exist if you have seen it and put a deposit down?

1 hour ago, Codfanglers said:

The 350i I owned always had more than a whiff of contact adhesive inside, the driver's seatbelt smelled of petrol that transferred to your clothes for the rest of the day. A howling gale blew through the holes in the bottom of the driver's door and the inevitable RV8 valley gasket oil leak that ran around the bell housing and dripped straight onto the centrally mounted exhaust. If you hit a pothole, the steering wheel moved so far sideways with the scuttle it could have been knocked out or your hand. Fortunately mine wasn't an early car where TVR thought it a good idea to use all black wiring in their harnesses with marker ferrules on the ends that corroded and dropped off after about five years.

They didn't become really unreliable until TVR "engineers" had a go at designing their own engines and the massive warranty claims to keep them running put TVR out of business.

 

Apart from that, you loved it?

Just now, ½cwt said:

Oh, and if you go for an older 986, my 3.2S is under £300 pa.

Are they? I thought mine was £380. I suspect you are right!

9 minutes ago, Porschevirgin1968 said:

For some reason always liked the Tuscan

I never drove a Tuscan but did seriously look at a Tamora and found it a bit modern in feel. I suspect the Tuscan would be in between but, what do I know, I prefer the 986 to all that followed!

TVRs are brilliant. They are not unreliable, they are not wobbly and they handle very well if maintained properly. 10 happy years and many many thousands of miles across the UK and Europe and never let me down once. Had two at the same time for a while and sold the blue one. Mistake.

19 minutes ago, Mattman42 said:

Austin Allegro?

Triumph Acclaim?

Austin Maxi?

There are many bad british classics around if you look - i know, i sold a bunch of them in the past and made a nice return off them when the buyer came back 6months later and P/x'ed it for something else

Go Mike Brewer!

That was then but not now? Anything that lasts the time would be fine now due to good previous owners. They were cheap/bad cars, not like this one - double bed as well don't you know! https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/14609554  

23 minutes ago, nelmo said:

Has this group done anything like that in our modern, reliable and eminently more suitable cars?

Depends on the service history.....

Picture from the start in Lancashire - mine is the Pimento Red (not orange..)  Very memorable 24 hours

Just now, nelmo said:

You bought an old British Classic?! Are you mad, man? 😁

I do love those TR6s, they look beautiful but I'd never risk it...

No such thing as a bad British Classic or any make to be honest. Just bad previous owners. I had a Stag for 8 years. Fantastic car and even did a round Britain in day in it once.

3 minutes ago, nelmo said:

Yes but that is the $64,000 question - how do you determine that?

Well, that's the fun part! I would say that to date, the OP is looking at cars being sold via smaller traders who have bought cheaper and putting a margin on. Lower probability of a bargain there?

4 minutes ago, nelmo said:

Very sensible BUT by that saying, you'd never buy anything 2nd hand, surely?

Not at all, people should do what they want. Given the OPs frequent questions and decisiveness (or not) I am simply saying if you can't afford an expensive one and you put all of your money into a purchase, if goes wrong and you don't have the money to fix it you are in a bad place. 

Someone on here bought a £500 car. Someone else bought a non-runner for £3.5k. That leaves a lot of coin for repairs and improvements and makes it more of a known quantity, especially as the OP has a trusted mechanic from memory to spend it with. 

The day I bought cheap on a TR6. I had the money to buy expensive but also had another car in the single garage. Several home trips on a low loader with that car in a few weeks. Sold at a loss to an independent trader..

Get what ever you want but the guiding principle explained to me when I went out searching for TVRs and generally very valid on a Boxster is that unless you buy from a known enthusiast or a tidy private sale, the principle is that if you can't afford an expensive one, don't buy a cheap one. 

On 10/18/2023 at 8:40 AM, phazed said:

Well, I wouldn’t say five years. In reality, the only thing that rusts are the chassis!

The spare TVR exhaust set up you kindly stored for me was in a lot better condition than the same mileage and age 986 system I have now. 

On 10/18/2023 at 10:49 AM, phazed said:

How tall are you guys? I am 6’2” and I don’t have my seat all the way back in my 987. Haven’t driven the 986 yet.

or is this a case of the seatback being reclined with arms outstretched a la Corsa style?

 

The 986 is a bit tighter. Still have not worked out if the difference is totally the seats or there is a bit more space between the dash and the engine cover. Would be fun to try your 987 seats for size in the 986

2 hours ago, ATM said:

My buckets creak too if fully back

I agree it's F proper annoying 

I even drive around 1 click forward so I get no creaking 

What about pulling out that carpet behind the seat

If that's what's creaking then could you live without it - I think I could 

Is the seat headrest rubbing on the roll bar?

Am I expecting too much for a better finish on these? https://www.gravityperformance.co.uk/product/exhaust/exhaust-manifolds/exhaust-manifolds-porsche-boxster-986-2-5-2-7-boxster-s-3-2-97-04/

13 hours ago, phazed said:

Would be happy if anyone had any parts kicking around that they are not using.

Not sure if you are still anti face ache or not but there are a few cars being sold for spares on there. The odd scam as well but relatively easy to spot if you ask about collecting and payment in person. 

Hi Peter, one to consider. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=47&t=2015662
450+ horse power and you could sell the 3.2 engine to pay for it all. The power of your 5.5 and a better chassis! What a track car combination!

Engine mods and logic for change in the later parts of the thread. 

New 986 S! Is that the red one around the corner? Selling the Skoda or planning to collect track cars?

I prefer the 986 to the 987, but its fair to say my opinions are rarely in sync on here. On the day I bought it, I looked at and went out in my absolutely perfect spec 3.4 987.2 including the rare switchable exhaust but still bought the 986. I had a feeling that would be the case and reversed the viewings to see the 987 first.

If you want one, buy one! You can always sell it.

42 minutes ago, fizz said:

Mind if i ask what you managed to pick them up for? 

£425 cash on collection

24 minutes ago, ½cwt said:

That doesn't look like it has ever been anywhere near a wheel hub.

That is what I was thinking! 

Thinking about it, despite 7 years of Porsche ownership, I don’t think I have ever taken the wheels off! The rears in particular are huge!

as they are in such good condition, I decided to put a ceramic coating thing on the wheels today before putting them on the car. Looking at where the bolt to the hubs, I am not sure how much use a couple of them have ever had. The one pictured looks unused?

11 hours ago, ATM said:

More an indicator that no one wants smaller wheels so they are worth nothing.  I have a few sets already which is more than I need really.

I hadn’t thought of it like that. I had 18s on the 996 and 17s on my 987. I couldnt tell the difference to be honest, even when driving them back to back. Although, when doing that, I did prefer the short shift I put on the 996 but now I don’t have that car, I don’t miss the short shift either!