New Shite TVR Wedge

[junior44]

Ever since I was a young lad I have had a soft spot for TVRs, there's something about the styling that just makes me excited every time I see one. Over the last year though the fondness has increased and I had to have a TVR, I started a new job last year and opened a savings account that I wasn't allowed to touch unless I was buying a TVR.

The criteria for my TVR was simple, it had to be a V8, so I was looking at getting either a wedge or a Chimaera with the budget I had.  

 

So fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and while doing my daily ebay search up pops a nice looking Moonstone blue 350i, even better its only 100 miles down the road in Ellon. It was a nice looking car so I thought it was probably going to go out of my budget that I had at the moment. A few days into the auction and the advert gets updated saying that the car had been a cat c write off in 2004 and the reserved had been lowered to reflect this. I threw a bid on it and set myself a limit of what I Thought the car was worth, coming into the last 10 minutes of the auction and up pops a notification from ebay saying I had been outbid, so I waited until the last few seconds of the auction and threw on a bid and got it. I was the proud owner of a TVR 350i that I had never seen before.

How it looked in the advert

The advert said that the car had only done 1700 miles in 6 years and that it had a slight misfire. When we picked the car up the car would misfire when using more than half throttle was applied. Thankfully though this was cured by a stop at a petrol station.

So with full throttle available the 100 miles home could begin, First impressions of this car were great. The noise alone is worth the money I paid.

The journey home was completed without much fuss, apart from when putting the lights on one of the lights slipped off its mounting bracket and got stuck halfway up.

Since getting the car home I have had good look over the car and its safe to say I am happy with my purchase, The previous owner undersold the car.

so now have some pictures instead of reading my rubbish.

 

 

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Good skills!!!! Buying one of these unseen is about 50 bollock sizes above my usual efforts.

[RoadworkUK]

MOAR!

[Skizzer]

Well done! Always quite fancied a coupe one of these, ideally in a very uncool pale metallic green or something. (It would have to be a coupe for me because convertibles come straight from Satan.)

 

Be interesting to see you how you get along with this - I assume it's not your daily driver?

[junior44]

Good skills!!!! Buying one of these unseen is about 50 bollock sizes above my usual efforts.

 

Thanks for the kind words, I was very anxious when I went to pick it up, it is the most expensive thing I have ever bought and cost more than all my five cars combined but its a risk that has paid off I think.

[junior44]

Well done! Always quite fancied a coupe one of these, ideally in a very uncool pale metallic green or something. (It would have to be a coupe for me because convertibles come straight from Satan.)

 

Be interesting to see you how you get along with this - I assume it's not your daily driver?

 

I would recommend that everyone buys one, The coupes are lovely.

The plan for this is to a weekend car to go touring around the awesome roads up here in the Highlands.

[junior44]

MOAR!

More pictures added, my clumsy fingers hit submit by accident

[junior44]

Have you ever asked yourself if a 1973 Motobecane Mobyx moped will fit in the boot of a 1989 TVR 350i? well I have and here's the answer.

just remove the seat and pedals and have nowhere to store the targa top and away you go

[Rocket88]

Wedgetatsic......................these are gr9, probably the last DIYable TVR

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I used to think these were such a looker back in the day. For a while I think they were considered a bit ‘kit car’ but I reckon money/rep wise they are gonna go into serious classic car territory very soon, if they haven’t already.

 

Wonder if there are any 2.0 pinto-powered Tasmin 200’s still clattering about anywhere? Like a Ginetta G26 but with slightly sharper corners.

[17-Coffees]

I feel sorry that you willingly went to Ellon, even if it was to collect something this epic!  

 

Always had a soft spot for the V8 Wedges! 

[dollywobbler]

Great stuff. Hope you've checked the outer extremities of the chassis - especially the bits immediately behind the front wheel and immediately in front of the rears. They do offer a ton of fun for the dosh though. Glory days.

 

Moped shot is just ace.

[junior44]

I used to think these were such a looker back in the day. For a while I think they were considered a bit ‘kit car’ but I reckon money/rep wise they are gonna go into serious classic car territory very soon, if they haven’t already.

 

Wonder if there are any 2.0 pinto-powered Tasmin 200’s still clattering about anywhere? Like a Ginetta G26 but with slightly sharper corners.

 

I think if they are fitted with cheap aftermarket wheels they can look a bit kit car. The prices of all TVRs are rising with the re-launch generating a lot of interest.

 

In the last year two Tasmins have come up for sale, I considered one but soon thought the better off it, imagine the shame every time you pop the bonnet and a pinto is sitting in the bay.

[cort1977]

That's awesome, can't beat a V8, mate.   Also, picture of wedge, Mobylette and Montego Wagon could be a calendar shot surely?

[junior44]

Great stuff. Hope you've checked the outer extremities of the chassis - especially the bits immediately behind the front wheel and immediately in front of the rears. They do offer a ton of fun for the dosh though. Glory days.

 

Moped shot is just ace.

 

Chassis is good, powder coating isn't the best so will be getting painted when I get a chance.

[xtriple]

Looks lovely does that   Never been a tremendous fan of TVRs and I could never work out why but over the past few years they have really grown on me. For a long time the wedges just looked old but now look classic and classy and of course, they make a tremendous noise!

 

I wouldn't worry about the Cat 'C' bit as a hell of a lot of TVRs got written off for minor damage due to the difficulty and expense of fibreglass repairs and finding someone to do it was never going to be on the insurers 'approved' list.

[junior44]

Looks lovely does that   Never been a tremendous fan of TVRs and I could never work out why but over the past few years they have really grown on me. For a long time the wedges just looked old but now look classic and classy and of course, they make a tremendous noise!

 

I wouldn't worry about the Cat 'C' bit as a hell of a lot of TVRs got written off for minor damage due to the difficulty and expense of fibreglass repairs and finding someone to do it was never going to be on the insurers 'approved' list.

 

Yeah the Cat C isn't a worry to me, it was a small dunt to the passenger side front corner, its been well repaired and I have photos of it during the repairs. I have a receipt with the car for the repair and its about a 1k more than the car was bought for earlier that year.

[cort16]

That looks really nice I'm a big fan of the DairyLee triangle school of car design.

 

Does it feel over powered? I'm just thinking some of the Scimitars are about the same size and came with a 1.3 CVH and are still pretty lively.

[omegod]

I used to regularly fantasise over the 450 SEAC in the car of the year books circa 1988, I think David Seaman had one. 350 is a beaut, well bought      

[vulgalour]

Until this thread I didn't think TVRs were very Autoshite.  How wrong I was.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

These are fantastic. Mega jealous, and just resigning myself to the fact I've well and truly missed the TVR boat.

 

We tend to throw around the term "that's an investment" when referring to chod but in this case it's never been more true. Even being a cat-c that'll appreciate big time.

 

Looking at the rest of your fleet proves you are winning at life

[RoadworkUK]

Absolutely stunning. This is just the ticket for me to cruise around in with Marrilion's Misplaced Childhoo bellowing as I create my own '80s shaped hole in the ozone layer.

 

Hearty congrats.

[Bren]

Winner.

 

Ditto checking the chassis and it still has the correct TVR V8 lump and not a bod standard SD1 lump with TVR rocker covers fitted.

 

I am very jealous.

[junior44]

That looks really nice I'm a big fan of the DairyLee triangle school of car design.

 

Does it feel over powered? I'm just thinking some of the Scimitars are about the same size and came with a 1.3 CVH and are still pretty lively.

I wouldn't say overly quick but its lively. I can imagine the 420/450 SEACs may feel like you're driving a rocket

[garethj]

That's excellent, and I love the scoot in the boot.

 

I thought even the poverty TVRs had the Ford V6, they never went down to a Pinto?  There was the 280, 350, 400 and 420 SEAC as I still remember from reading Fast Lane magazine when I should have been revising for my A levels.

[junior44]

That's excellent, and I love the scoot in the boot.

 

I thought even the poverty TVRs had the Ford V6, they never went down to a Pinto?  There was the 280, 350, 400 and 420 SEAC as I still remember from reading Fast Lane magazine when I should have been revising for my A levels.

The Tasmin 200 was available for the first year or 2 of production and were slow sellers so are very rare

[dome]

I am well Jell. Came close to getting one of these a few times, hopefully will one day...

[Danblez]

Can't go wrong with that, excellent purchase for the sportier shiter

[Timewaster]

350i at this age had the Rover Vitesse engine (197bhp). TVR started their own stuff shortly after this.Ben

A friend had a 1999 Chimera and that was a Rover V8. Albeit a Disco 4.0

 

That was an awesome beast of a car, sadly it only ever seemed to come out of the garage for an MOT.

 

I was never a fan of the wedges but they have definitely come of age.

 

Brave buy paid off. (Not a phrase you see on here very often!)

[warren t claim]

You should nip over to the TVR cafe at the old factory in Bristol Ave for a bacon sarnie.