I had a problem fitting the new earth lead as it attached under the alternator in a really awkward place. The Tuscan is really difficult to work on and having to unbolt the main bonnet and remove the airbox to get at everything is a real pain. In the end I left the old lead in place and fitted the new lead from the back of the A/C Pump to a threaded spigot on the front cross member of the chassis, which has solved the starting problem.
The next thing was the service bonnet clip broke on the drivers side. It looked like they were going to be hard to source but Clever Trevor had just one costing £4 including P&P, which arrived the next day. It was not exactly the same but I made one good one out of the two.
My cars always seem to go wrong at this time of year?
Anyway. driving the Tuscan in the sunshine makes it all worth while. People really seem to appreciate this car, which I think has a lot to do with the colour.
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Tuscan won't Start
I have had the Tuscan's first real problem.It was running fine but one cold morning the starter would not turn quickly. Immediately suspecting the battery and having no documentary evidence of how old it was I replaced it with a Varta Type 72, 630 cranking amps and 70 amp/hour with 5 year guarantee from MultiCell for £74; which was slightly more powerful than the old battery. Once fitted I turned the key but the starter still turned very slowly indeed - ohhhh dear!
I knew the car had had a new starter last May before I purchased it, but it had all the symptoms of a duff starter. I took off the very large air cleaner box and checked all the positive connections, which looked good and the starter was indeed new. I phoned Racing Green TVR who were really helpful and they told me that the starter motors rarely fail and mentioned the engine earthing to the chassis can be a problem.
I used a heavy duty jump lead attached to the exhaust and the negative terminal of the battery to make an earth connection and sure enough, the starter turned faster and faster until the engine fired - Bingo!
I have ordered a new earth strap £11.50 and a couple of spare 100 amp fuses and will fit them as soon as I can.
I knew the car had had a new starter last May before I purchased it, but it had all the symptoms of a duff starter. I took off the very large air cleaner box and checked all the positive connections, which looked good and the starter was indeed new. I phoned Racing Green TVR who were really helpful and they told me that the starter motors rarely fail and mentioned the engine earthing to the chassis can be a problem.
I used a heavy duty jump lead attached to the exhaust and the negative terminal of the battery to make an earth connection and sure enough, the starter turned faster and faster until the engine fired - Bingo!
I have ordered a new earth strap £11.50 and a couple of spare 100 amp fuses and will fit them as soon as I can.
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Spring is almost here
Well the Tuscan has been used most weeks through the winter. I left the lights on one time as there is no warning buzzer, which flattened the battery. The RAC came and jump started it, but a few weeks later the battery died, so a new one was purchased. You have to take the front wheel off to change the battery and the car is very low, so it had to be pushed onto about 3cm of wood, so that I could get the trolley jack under.
I have also had a puncture in a rear tyre and due to the very low profile tyres and the hydratrak differential, I didn't notice, the car simply seemd to make more noise. This meant I ruined the old tyre and had to have a new one fitted, costing £185.
I had a slight misfire when accelerating hard and so fitted new Spark Plugs and Magnecor leads, which cured the problem straight away. Due to having to remove the big bonnet and the fact they are under a cover, which has to be unsealed and resealed it takes a lot of time and so the total cost was £170.
We are booked into another track day at Marham airfield in April, with the Piston Head guys, so this will hopefully be another good experience. There are some really mental cars going, so it should be a good laugh.
I think my rear discs have got a little thin as I can detect vibration through the pedal, so that will be the next job, before Marham.
I have also had an annoying problem with the heater ECU connector not making a good contact for the Heater Blower Fan and subsequently not much heat to demist the windscreen. The Fan draws a lot of current and had eroded the connector pin on the ECU. I carefully built up the pin using solder and made up a little brass tube about 2mm long to fit over the pin so the connector sat tightly on it and now everything is fine.
The Chimeara has been off the road since November. I would like to do quite a lot of work to the chasis and suspension but this will have to wait until the summer.
I have also had a puncture in a rear tyre and due to the very low profile tyres and the hydratrak differential, I didn't notice, the car simply seemd to make more noise. This meant I ruined the old tyre and had to have a new one fitted, costing £185.
I had a slight misfire when accelerating hard and so fitted new Spark Plugs and Magnecor leads, which cured the problem straight away. Due to having to remove the big bonnet and the fact they are under a cover, which has to be unsealed and resealed it takes a lot of time and so the total cost was £170.
We are booked into another track day at Marham airfield in April, with the Piston Head guys, so this will hopefully be another good experience. There are some really mental cars going, so it should be a good laugh.
I think my rear discs have got a little thin as I can detect vibration through the pedal, so that will be the next job, before Marham.
I have also had an annoying problem with the heater ECU connector not making a good contact for the Heater Blower Fan and subsequently not much heat to demist the windscreen. The Fan draws a lot of current and had eroded the connector pin on the ECU. I carefully built up the pin using solder and made up a little brass tube about 2mm long to fit over the pin so the connector sat tightly on it and now everything is fine.
The Chimeara has been off the road since November. I would like to do quite a lot of work to the chasis and suspension but this will have to wait until the summer.
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Chimera Anniversary
Well I have had the Chimera for almost a year now and it has been more reliable than most cars. It starts and runs well and nothing much has gone wrong with it. The MOT is now due and a service, so we shall soon see how much damage my "enthusiastic" driving has entailed.
The Tuscan has also been running very well. The only thing that has happened is the washer pipe fell off after the last service. As I had the bonnet off to fix this (the Tuscan has two bonnets, the larger of which bolts on) I changed the wipers to some Leven items that look a lot better than the originals and have an improved integrated washer system. I also fitted some Kick Plates from Leven as the early Tuscans did not have them fitted.
We have been to the local TVR club meet and had a great time "hooning" around Suffolk with the other cars. Everyone is very pleasant and friendly and the runs are well organised along some great roads, with usually a good meal in a fine hostelry to look forward to at the end of the day .
The Tuscan has also been running very well. The only thing that has happened is the washer pipe fell off after the last service. As I had the bonnet off to fix this (the Tuscan has two bonnets, the larger of which bolts on) I changed the wipers to some Leven items that look a lot better than the originals and have an improved integrated washer system. I also fitted some Kick Plates from Leven as the early Tuscans did not have them fitted.
We have been to the local TVR club meet and had a great time "hooning" around Suffolk with the other cars. Everyone is very pleasant and friendly and the runs are well organised along some great roads, with usually a good meal in a fine hostelry to look forward to at the end of the day .
Sunday, 27 July 2008
Tuscan Service and MOT
Well the dreaded Tuscan service has been and gone and the good news is that no major work is required and she sailed through the MOT. The exhausts do have catalytic converters after all.
When purchasing a cheap Tuscan with the TVR Speed 6 engine their is always the fear of very expensive clutch or engine work, but the engine seems to be in good order and hopefully the clutch will last a while as well.
Matt at Sebring seemed to think it was an early but very well looked after car and that the previous owners had, had the servicing carried out by reputable TVR main dealers to good effect.
Another bonus was that Matt identified that the desirable Hydatrak LSD differential has been fitted, which is normally only fitted to the 'S' version. This really helps the handling on the track and probably helped it feel so well mannered round Snetterton circuit. With the Reflex Paint, upgraded brakes, Air Conditioning and 18" spider wheels, she certainly has all the right bits and pieces!
However after the track day a complete new set of brake pads were required, The drilled discs needed cleaning and a change of brake fluid to the DOT 5.1 spec. These Ferodo pads were very expensive so even though the standard service was a very reasonable £289, the total bill was £685. She is due a 12,000 mile service next year and that will be even more expensive, but this was a £50,000 super car when new with a sub 4 second 0-60 and 185mph top speed, so you have to expect this kind of expense.
Matt also checked the reason the heater blower fan was not working (the only real fault with the car) and found it was due to a fault in the Heater ECU, so I will have to get it repaired as they are difficult to find.
Matt also suggested the original shock absorbers were sagging and I have noticed it bottoming out at the rear on a couple of occasions, so a set of Racing Red shocks will be the next items to purchase at a cost of around £700 for a set.
When purchasing a cheap Tuscan with the TVR Speed 6 engine their is always the fear of very expensive clutch or engine work, but the engine seems to be in good order and hopefully the clutch will last a while as well.
Matt at Sebring seemed to think it was an early but very well looked after car and that the previous owners had, had the servicing carried out by reputable TVR main dealers to good effect.
Another bonus was that Matt identified that the desirable Hydatrak LSD differential has been fitted, which is normally only fitted to the 'S' version. This really helps the handling on the track and probably helped it feel so well mannered round Snetterton circuit. With the Reflex Paint, upgraded brakes, Air Conditioning and 18" spider wheels, she certainly has all the right bits and pieces!
However after the track day a complete new set of brake pads were required, The drilled discs needed cleaning and a change of brake fluid to the DOT 5.1 spec. These Ferodo pads were very expensive so even though the standard service was a very reasonable £289, the total bill was £685. She is due a 12,000 mile service next year and that will be even more expensive, but this was a £50,000 super car when new with a sub 4 second 0-60 and 185mph top speed, so you have to expect this kind of expense.
Matt also checked the reason the heater blower fan was not working (the only real fault with the car) and found it was due to a fault in the Heater ECU, so I will have to get it repaired as they are difficult to find.
Matt also suggested the original shock absorbers were sagging and I have noticed it bottoming out at the rear on a couple of occasions, so a set of Racing Red shocks will be the next items to purchase at a cost of around £700 for a set.
Monday, 21 July 2008
Snetterton Track Day
Just completed my first track day, with my middle son in the Tuscan and it was brilliant; expensive, but brilliant!
The Tuscan ran beautifully the whole day. We could just about keep up with the fast guys and never felt like we were lacking in power, even though there were a lot of race prepped and super charged TVR Griffiths, Chimaeras and T350s etc there. Quite a few cars didn't last the distance however and had to be trailered home.
The upgraded brakes were really good and never faded once, even though towards the end I was really, really leaning on them very hard. I was nervous of cooking them at first, but needn't have worried.
The handling was very neutral indeed and neither end felt that it was going to do anything nasty.
We had a lot of controlled power slides though and I could squeak the front tyres or slide the tail out at will. We Steepened the angle of attack of the top blade of the wing and that did seem to help the handling, there were a couple of other Tuscans there all 'S' versions that have 30 more Horsepower than mine, but we could corner faster than them and they did not seem to have any more power on the straights.
The Tuscan used nearly 50 litres of Super Unleaded during the day, which was a bit of a shock!
I was using the shift lights though, and revving to over 6000 through the gears. We could just about reach 130 down the Revett straight and 120 on the start line Senna straight, before we had to brake hard for the corners with the car standing on its nose.
My driving certainly improved throughout the day and fortunately the weather was glorious and the track very sticky. I was very impressed with the Bridgestone Potenza tyres fitted to the Tuscan you could really depend on them.
The Tuscan throttle however has a vey long action and it hurt my leg after a while to push it all the way over and down. You also have to be gentle when changing down the box and wait for
everything to settle down and not force the stick through. Every lap we learnt a little more and got used to the car until we were flying round, choosing the braking points with care and sliding through most of the bends.
The Tuscan is truly an awesome car and very forgiving too. Not once did I feel things were getting out of control or beyond my abilities, which says a lot for the car! It is very tiring though and tonight we are both shattered. I feel I could have done better and there is much room for improvement, but probably 2 track days a year will be enough I think.
Snetterton is a great track and the facilities are very good and very clean. This Trackday was organised by Easy Track and the paper work and briefings and marshalls etc were all extremely well organised.
The Tuscan is being serviced and MOT'd tomorrow at Sebring in Wisbeech so we shall see what needs doing. I guess a new set of brake pads will be required at least! It is not the big 12,000 mile service, so I have everything crossed I won't get a horrendous bill.
The Tuscan ran beautifully the whole day. We could just about keep up with the fast guys and never felt like we were lacking in power, even though there were a lot of race prepped and super charged TVR Griffiths, Chimaeras and T350s etc there. Quite a few cars didn't last the distance however and had to be trailered home.
The upgraded brakes were really good and never faded once, even though towards the end I was really, really leaning on them very hard. I was nervous of cooking them at first, but needn't have worried.
The handling was very neutral indeed and neither end felt that it was going to do anything nasty.
We had a lot of controlled power slides though and I could squeak the front tyres or slide the tail out at will. We Steepened the angle of attack of the top blade of the wing and that did seem to help the handling, there were a couple of other Tuscans there all 'S' versions that have 30 more Horsepower than mine, but we could corner faster than them and they did not seem to have any more power on the straights.
The Tuscan used nearly 50 litres of Super Unleaded during the day, which was a bit of a shock!
I was using the shift lights though, and revving to over 6000 through the gears. We could just about reach 130 down the Revett straight and 120 on the start line Senna straight, before we had to brake hard for the corners with the car standing on its nose.
My driving certainly improved throughout the day and fortunately the weather was glorious and the track very sticky. I was very impressed with the Bridgestone Potenza tyres fitted to the Tuscan you could really depend on them.
The Tuscan throttle however has a vey long action and it hurt my leg after a while to push it all the way over and down. You also have to be gentle when changing down the box and wait for
everything to settle down and not force the stick through. Every lap we learnt a little more and got used to the car until we were flying round, choosing the braking points with care and sliding through most of the bends.
The Tuscan is truly an awesome car and very forgiving too. Not once did I feel things were getting out of control or beyond my abilities, which says a lot for the car! It is very tiring though and tonight we are both shattered. I feel I could have done better and there is much room for improvement, but probably 2 track days a year will be enough I think.
Snetterton is a great track and the facilities are very good and very clean. This Trackday was organised by Easy Track and the paper work and briefings and marshalls etc were all extremely well organised.
The Tuscan is being serviced and MOT'd tomorrow at Sebring in Wisbeech so we shall see what needs doing. I guess a new set of brake pads will be required at least! It is not the big 12,000 mile service, so I have everything crossed I won't get a horrendous bill.
Friday, 18 July 2008
Tuscan Spoiler
When I purchased the Tuscan it came with a spare set of 16" alloys with tyres and a spare boot with spoiler. It had taken me a while to get them picked up, but now I have them home I decided to put the boot spoiler on. It is a very nice metal one and the blades have been sprayed to match, but it took three of us to fit it!
The struts were for some reason fitted the wrong way round but I have put them on the right way and it looks a lot better. It certainly gets even more attention now and I think gives it more of a "super car" look.
I am off to Snetterton on Monday for a Track Day in the Tuscan. It will be my first and there will be some very powerful cars there, so I hope everything goes OK! I have got insurance and my bike helmet is gold ACU approved so will be OK. It is not cheap to do this sort of thing, £175 through the TVR club and £40 insurance with Hagerty (with £1500 excess!) but I am very excited about it and can't wait. It is not a race and there will be expert instruction provided.
I am hoping my biker roundabout skills will come to the fore!
Talking of which I was on the southern bypass the other Saturday morning in the Tuscan in the fast lane and saw what I thought was a police car a long way back coming from a slip road and braked hard. A point they noted when they stopped me a little while later! I got a verbal warning, the tyres checked and a breath test, which read zero. The old biker skills do come in handy; check the rear views every minute and always, always look up the slip roads !
The struts were for some reason fitted the wrong way round but I have put them on the right way and it looks a lot better. It certainly gets even more attention now and I think gives it more of a "super car" look.
I am off to Snetterton on Monday for a Track Day in the Tuscan. It will be my first and there will be some very powerful cars there, so I hope everything goes OK! I have got insurance and my bike helmet is gold ACU approved so will be OK. It is not cheap to do this sort of thing, £175 through the TVR club and £40 insurance with Hagerty (with £1500 excess!) but I am very excited about it and can't wait. It is not a race and there will be expert instruction provided.
I am hoping my biker roundabout skills will come to the fore!
Talking of which I was on the southern bypass the other Saturday morning in the Tuscan in the fast lane and saw what I thought was a police car a long way back coming from a slip road and braked hard. A point they noted when they stopped me a little while later! I got a verbal warning, the tyres checked and a breath test, which read zero. The old biker skills do come in handy; check the rear views every minute and always, always look up the slip roads !
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