As with all TVR's, there can be problems with S series cars, and as a general rule, the later the car is the better it will be. Obviously there are cars available without service history, if you are considering one of these ensure the price reflects this. Allow at least a 15% reduction if no history at all, a full book of TVR stamps probably increases the price by 10%.

General

It is definitely advisable to do some research before you buy - know which model you want, how much it should cost, and what problems you should face. An excellent source of information on the S Series is Steve Heath's book, available through the TVR Car Club. Steve has his own web site, which is worth a look.

Buying from a dealer can give added benefits, but expect to pay up to 20% more (especially TVR main dealers). Insurance can be found at very good prices, there are web sites covering TVR insurance, see the links page. Top Marques and Exchange and Mart are popular publications for the sale of all TVR's, and with the cars grouped together they also give a good idea of which prices are high or low.

The TVRCC is an excellent source of information, and the monthly magazine also contains a large For Sale section. Go to see more than one car - before I bought mine I saw eleven and eventually bought the car in Doncaster (I live in South London).

Colour can make a difference to value, reds and dark greens seem popular. I have seen one yellow S with a black roof and it looked great, but they are rare. Colours certainly weren't as diverse as the modern Griffiths/Chimaeras.

For the record, performance for all the models is recorded as 0-60mph in 6.8 secs, and a top speed of 140mph. Though nowhere near the power of a modern Griff 500, the S series is thoroughly entertaining, quick enough to impress your friends, and has aged quite well.

Chassis

The chassis on the S is a tubular space frame made of steel, and therefore can rust. On the early S1/S2 cars, there was no mud guard behind the front wheels, which allowed water and mud to get onto the chassis structure behind the wheel arch. On all models the chassis is covered with a sprayed on polymer finish, which cracks and falls off with time. This can then rust quite badly, and the underneath of the car should be checked thoroughly.

Engine

The Ford 2.8 and 2.9 injection engines are generally reliable and long lasting, so high mileage shouldn't be a problem. Perform the usual checks for burning oil, etc, and listen to any camshaft wear. The 2.9 engine is better, and the 2.9 cat engine develops slightly more torque.

Brakes

The S4C had disk brakes all round, otherwise you are stuck with drums at the back. Check the fluid has been changed (should have been if car has TVR history), and that the front disks are not warped. Suspension - much improved from the S3 onwards, bushes can wear and shock absorbers take a hammering. Check all wheel bearings as a matter of course, and check for play in the upper balljoints.

Steering

The earlier cars (S1 and S2) had nylon steering column UJ's, these can wear in the space of 2000 miles. Later cars had steel ones fitted and these are much better, though they still suffer a great deal of stress due to the size of the tyres. Check for play in the rack in general, remembering the steering is not that great in the S series generally - do not expect Alfa GTV response on a test drive.

Interior

Changed during the cars production run several times, and is one example of every car being slightly different (see model range). There were several options, including full leather (half leather was standard, i.e. seats only - dashboard and doors are covered in leatherette), wooden steering wheel and gearknob, and adjustable pedal boxes (at the factory). Switches are from TR7's and other wonderful British 1970's machinery - sometimes difficult to obtain. Electric windows often suffer from being slow (especially the drivers side) and most cars leak - not necessarily from the roof, but from the bulkhead where water runs down off the windscreen and seaps through holes for the wires/cables.

Bodywork

TVR bodywork doesn't rust - hurrah! (from a former Alfa owner) but the fibreglass can suffer from starring and glazing, and early cars certainly can start to look tatty. Doors can drop so check this carefully, and the boot stay on S1/S2's breaks easily. The front of the bonnet always gets a hammering from stone chips etc, and a respray can be expensive (£1000+).

Tyres

Standard fitment were Bridgestone 205/60 VR15 RE71's, which are no longer available. See Steve Heaths web site for more info on tyres in general.

Reproduced with permission of Peter Nixon (http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/2874/)