M3 doesn't really stand out as you know.
The Noble about would be outstanding and very much 'wow' factor, as would the mustang
Which car ~15k
- Thread starter Pain
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M3 doesn't really stand out as you know.
The Noble about would be outstanding and very much 'wow' factor, as would the mustang
Funny how you pay more to have something with less, isn't it.
6.0 V8 float your boat? More of a cruiser than the others on your list but just listen to the damn thing
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2172891.htm
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2172891.htm
Soldato
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I wouldn't advise the TVR route. Someone would really need to want a TVR in particular before I'd suggest they buy one. They don't have to be hugely expensive, but they need a lot of fettling to keep in tip top condition and the earlier speed 6 engines are not known for their reliability or longevity. All that can be cured now, but if it hasn't already been sorted, it's not cheap and you really have to want one to buy a car and risk immediately having the engine rebuilt/modified.
People always bang on about how "they had a mate who had one, and they got rid of it because it was nothing but trouble" and, sadly, a lot of people do indeed have this experience, but it's really only because they need a good mechanic, who knows what they are doing, to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, no matter what the cost. Sadly, a lot of pople think that, because they can pick one up for the price of a second hand mondeo, they only need to budget for mondeo running costs. You won't. For example, the tappets need adjusting every 6000 miles, and this takes a good mechanic about half a day, adding a couple of hundred quid to your servicing costs before you even look at the rest of the car. Sure, you could do this sort of stuff yourself, but it affects the resale value (would you pay top dollar for a TVR from someone who claims to have done all the servicing themselves?), and if you make a mess of it, it's very expensive to put right.
As for handling, they are not necessarily the "kill you at first glance" cars people make them out to be, but they need to be driven sensibly. I don't mean you have to drive everywhere at 20mph, but I do mean that you have to respect the conditions, know your limits, and drive the car accordingly. If you don't, you will end up as a statistic.
However, in my experience, nothing gives me the buzz that my TVR did, and every day that I do not own another there's a dull ache inside. I need another TVR, I just need to sort out the cash. For me, the drive experience was worth every moment of pain. Nothing can make me feel like a V8 Cerbera can.
Sure, a porsche or M3 will be easier to live with, possibly cheaper to run and probably, in real terms as fast, if not faster.... but.... it won't be a TVR... lol
People always bang on about how "they had a mate who had one, and they got rid of it because it was nothing but trouble" and, sadly, a lot of people do indeed have this experience, but it's really only because they need a good mechanic, who knows what they are doing, to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, no matter what the cost. Sadly, a lot of pople think that, because they can pick one up for the price of a second hand mondeo, they only need to budget for mondeo running costs. You won't. For example, the tappets need adjusting every 6000 miles, and this takes a good mechanic about half a day, adding a couple of hundred quid to your servicing costs before you even look at the rest of the car. Sure, you could do this sort of stuff yourself, but it affects the resale value (would you pay top dollar for a TVR from someone who claims to have done all the servicing themselves?), and if you make a mess of it, it's very expensive to put right.
As for handling, they are not necessarily the "kill you at first glance" cars people make them out to be, but they need to be driven sensibly. I don't mean you have to drive everywhere at 20mph, but I do mean that you have to respect the conditions, know your limits, and drive the car accordingly. If you don't, you will end up as a statistic.
However, in my experience, nothing gives me the buzz that my TVR did, and every day that I do not own another there's a dull ache inside. I need another TVR, I just need to sort out the cash. For me, the drive experience was worth every moment of pain. Nothing can make me feel like a V8 Cerbera can.
Sure, a porsche or M3 will be easier to live with, possibly cheaper to run and probably, in real terms as fast, if not faster.... but.... it won't be a TVR... lol
Soldato
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That's not a bad suggestion actually... the RV8 engined cars are a lot cheaper to run than Speed engined ones, the griff still looks seriously sweet and if well looked after it will lose very little, if anything, in value.
The downsides... they are not that comfy, and the early ones at least have very heavy clutch pedals and few have power steering, making them a bit tedious as an every day car.
One other thing... I drove a "good" Griff 500 (and seriously, not all are good!) and it was brutal. There's no other way of describing it. The Chim 500 that I also tested at the same time was incredibly mediocre, and felt like it was only putting out around 200hp, while the Griff felt faster, and more of a handful, than my 4.2 Cerbera.
Yes you're probably right, still doesn't strike me at a particularly exciting car tho.
Associate
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How about a 350Z?
£15k will buy you a very nice runout 309bhp model.
a lot of grin factor for the money.
£15k will buy you a very nice runout 309bhp model.
a lot of grin factor for the money.
For 15K you are going to buy a high mileage 996 with great history and the jobs done on it or a 60-70k car with non OPC history and the threat of RMS.
Dodgy budget for a 911!
You could be lucky or could end up spending another £5k sorting it out.
Dodgy budget for a 911!
You could be lucky or could end up spending another £5k sorting it out.
If you fancy BMW M3 reliability and build quality but a TVR driving experience then I feel duty bound to recommend a Z4M. As already stated I think you're just a smidge under what you want to spend on a 996 but a Boxster or Cayman would be very nice at this price. Muscle cars are good at this price point too. (Corvette, 'stang and Monaro/VXR8)
Exige/Elise would be an exciting drive if you can live with it.
Exige/Elise would be an exciting drive if you can live with it.
Soldato
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15k? Probably just about stretch to a C5 Z06 if you look hard enough, which is faster than all of those and infinitely more reliable and cheaper to run (in terms of parts, servicing and fuel. Probably insurance too).
All left hookers though.
You could get a C5 well in that budget but it isn't as supercar-quick as the Z06, a more refined pace for sure.
Let me know if you want any more info, just the LHD barrier to cross first...
Monaro's fun but it's a heavy slogger, more of a bruiser than a sports car. Depends what you want really
All left hookers though.
You could get a C5 well in that budget but it isn't as supercar-quick as the Z06, a more refined pace for sure.
Let me know if you want any more info, just the LHD barrier to cross first...
Monaro's fun but it's a heavy slogger, more of a bruiser than a sports car. Depends what you want really
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Soldato
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I wrote those up ages ago when I was selling one. Here's a few useful snippets:
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Soldato
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