Commander

Right... back on topic! I indulged in some retail therapy last night, seeing as I was feeling a bit sad and all. New straight-through exhaust cans arrive tomorrow, so it should soon start sounding a lot more epic than it does currently. I will post video / audio for you all next weekend. A new boot-strut arrives Wednesday so I don't have to hold the boot open every time I open it... Makes filling it with petrol tricky! A new service-bonnet release cable arrives Wednesday, so I can actually check the oil without getting tools out.

Just heard from the police - he's doing ok. Had a lot of surgery, but sounds positive on the whole.

The Cyclist did nothing wrong at all... Correct side of the road and was wearing bright clothes. Why the oncoming driver swerved I've no idea. No hazards in the road from what I could see so can only assume he lost concentration or had a medical / mechanical problem. I don't think he even tried to brake. Woke up at about 4.30 today and I found myself just going over and over it in my head :-(

Well, my first Sunday blast didn't go to plan at all :-( Did 30-ish miles between Wantage and Streatley all fine, roof off, glorious engine notes from our three cars, the sun is out, happy days! This is EXACTLY why I bought the car :-) But... On my way home, approaching a cyclist from behind on a perfectly normal flat, straight dry bit of road, I'm about 20m behind him and a Golf coming the other way swerved across the road, hit the cyclist head on and the car finished on its side in a ditch to my left. Fu*k! Driver was conscious and uninjured but the cyclist was nowhere to be seen. Started thinking the worst and thought the cyclist was in the ditch under the car, I couldn't see him or his bike anywhere. We heard a moan from the other side of the hedge - the impact had launched him about 20m from the collision point and over a 7ft hedge in to a field. His bike had snapped in half. The hedge was impenetrable and no gates to be seen anywhere so I climbed on to the crashed car and jumped the hedge to gain access. He was conscious but incoherent, fairly unresponsive and in a lot of pain. I kept him still and tried to get details from him while we waited for the medics. No obvious head injuries but broke both bones in his right forearm along with a big bloody open wound, similar to his pelvis too - both quite bloody - and various other cuts and grazes across his body. Police, fire, ambulance & helicopter all attended, and pretty quickly too. They were excellent and we helped out where we could. I reckon it took about an hour from us calling 999 to him departing in the chopper. Medics were with us for about 45minutes of that. Sounds like the cyclist will survive. As for me, think I'm in shock about it all really. Drive carefully people, and get yourself some first aid training - you never know when it will come in useful. Having just looked it up - Red Cross and St John's Ambulance both do Emergency First Aid courses for less than a tank of petrol.

Cheers everybody. Just wish it'd stop raining so I can stretch its legs! (Yes, I'm too scared to drive it in the wet) Somebody asked for an engine-bay picture...

5k deposit buys you a build slot and final price is expected to be around 65k iirc, maybe more depending on options.

Cheers all... Here she is. Scariest car I've ever driven! Got some work to do on her; Leaky window / door seal needs replacing. Headlights are crap. Boot needs carpeting. Boot seal needs replacing. Slight play in steering wheel needs looking at. Serious bump-steer issues at speed on bad roads. Bloody good fun so far though!

Great news bud. You know what I want though I'm sure, ...some engine bay pics please when you can. Hah - it's a TVR, you can't just 'open' the bonnet like on a normal car. I need to find two impossible to reach quick release catches by the wipers and undo four bolts to remove it!

Colour does look better (darker) in the flesh, fortunately. I'll defer any comments about whether or not it was a steal until I've had it a year and we'll see what it has cost me! It does have a few issues, but nothing serious - just niggles I should be able to sort myself for little / no money - for the price I can't complain at all.

IT'S MINE! £18.5k including a full tank of petrol. It is a VERY different driving experience

I'm the 6th on mine - wouldn't let it bother you. Buy on condition and service history, as ever.

Ageee about the colour - might wrap it with purple-blue flip vinyl, if that has been invented yet?! Not fussed about the resale too much - should be getting it at a good price.

Also - you can't see it on the pics - but the speed on the Tuscan goes up to 200 Not that it's a 200 mph car, but still.... 350 and M3 both only went to 180

More pics. I'm still on the fence about the colour scheme (quite marmite!) but that's all changed easily enough ('just' takes piles of money). More important that I buy one that's mechanically sound, which this one seems to be (so far as can be said for any TVR anyway!)

Assuming I buy it tomorrow, yes. I already know where to buy the cans from, how much they cost and how to fit them

I'm seeing it tomorrow. In my head, I've already bought it. Must. Remain. Objective. When. Test. Driving!

If you're looking at early HR models, make sure you look under the bonnet as there was a fair amount of overlap with late registered DEs. The HR bonnet also fits straight on to the DE so you can't rely on the bonnet bulge to know what car you're buying. There are a few traders who have sold people the 'wrong' car by not knowing this basic stuff. Lift the bonnet - if it's got two air intakes and the oil dipstick is front-and-centre on the engine, it's a HR. If there's only one air intake and an awkward dipstick, it's a DE / RevUP. Gearbox on the HR is better and it has a higher rev limit compared to the earlier models.

Maybe a bit camp, but who wants a TVR in a boring colour? (And I'm 6'4 & 16 stone, so the rest of me isn't camp) Should I?

Turned out it was just the alternator that bust it's self. Still tempted!

There's nothing in it imho - it's more to do with who makes them and how. If they're cast with the dimples / grooves in, they tend to be stronger than ones that are drilled.

You and me both! There are stories on the interweb about people buying them for 10!

If he's not prepared to take a wheel off to change a battery, then I suspect he's hiding more than a dodgy alternator. I'd have walked too. I think he's just inept... Not sure which is worse though.

Plot thickens - likely a bust alternator too - which has also been known to blow the ECU on these. Might have dodged a bullet here!

Str8Six, I've been there, average price for one of their Tuscans is about 40k. Price have gone mental since the sun came out, and generally across the market they vary alot too.