TVR 350i fuel economy/ reliability/ insurance....

ppyvabw · Post by **ppyvabw** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:41 pm

Im thinking of selling my mgb and getting a new car because i can't afford to run it. Im barely getting 20mpg.

I was thinking about an elise, they pretty quick and i like them but i would much rather have a v8, but then the fuel economy problem arises again!! Was looking at a tvr 350i. Does anyone here have one, whats the fuel economy like etc...

Eliot · Post by **Eliot** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 7:15 am

20mpg for a car based v8 seems reasonable. I get about 7mpg (but do few miles)

ChrisJC · Post by **ChrisJC** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:06 am

Is the MGB properly tuned? Is the 20mpg connected to driving style??? If it is, a TVR will not be any better!

Chris.

Alley Kat · Post by **Alley Kat** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:26 am

Depends what sort of driving you do but 20mpg isn't bad for a Rover, though some rod owners with SBC's and EFI report better. Mine did 20mpg on a mixed town crawl and 90 cruise, worse with a Holley on it.

350i engine is a Rover so it's not going to be radically better. Also on the reliability front, that's not exactly something TVR's are famous for LOL....

Post by **katanaman** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:15 am

I had one years ago, sub 20 mpg sub 10 if you use the noise peddle. The big problem on the economy front is the repair bills as they can be horrifically unreliable and I cant see that changing as they are getting older. Course you could get a re-built one but that's going to be expensive if its a good one.
If you have economy in mind I would honestly stay clear.

ppyvabw · Post by **ppyvabw** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 1:55 pm

ChrisJC wrote:Is the MGB properly tuned? Is the 20mpg connected to driving style??? If it is, a TVR will not be any better!

Chris.

LOL, the mgb is properly tuned. It's more to do with driving style, but its on carbs and was thinking the injected tvr may be marginally better. Really dont want to have to swallow my pride and buy a sissies car but i need to save money so it may have to be a smart car. mmmm. maybe a job to supplement my students income is the answer.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 3:09 pm

how about lay up the MGB somewhere dry until you have a regular income, (maybe even start that long term referbishment project) and buy an old deisel Kia or polski fiat 126 or a dihatsu diesel citroen AX deisel (or scooter) or somthing equally hidious (nothing with any credability at all) and ultra cheep to insure, Non should cost you more than £100 with an MOT. And run that while you are a student and any money you don't spend on insurance and fuel can go toward non student debt or buying fuel injection for the MGB.
All I know is if you sell it you will want to buy another one just like it in a year or two when you are in work and that will really cost you!

good luck
Mike

ppyvabw · Post by **ppyvabw** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:04 pm

meh..... I just did a full refurb. Could lay it up and tune it up some more. Im not an undergrad, im a postgrad which means im on not such a bad earner, but its the fuel costs from lincoln to durham that are the killer when i come home. £90 to £100 there and back, once or twice a month!!

Thought about having a second cheap car to drive home in and bomb around durham in the mg because its a very sexy car for durham!! Cant afford one though because i keep pouring petrol down the mg. lol

chodjinn · Post by **chodjinn** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:26 pm

no! Don't sell the 'B!

20mpg is bloody amazing . . . think I'll get about 4 when the loud pedal is used . . .

Alley Kat · Post by **Alley Kat** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 4:27 pm

That's a good idea of Mike's; do the "shitter" search on Autotrader : ) fab fun for the cheapskate-about-town such as myself - anything sub £500 within a couple of miles, it's amazing what's out there. I got a 2.8 Granada for £50 with yrs MOT, £500 Merc which cost nothing in spares over 2 yrs bar a 26p fuse, and a 2.8 XR4i SeriousErra likewise. Sell on at the same price after you're done with 'em.
Bro-in-law got a Renault for £200; we bodged the crumbling alloy cyl head with JB Weld but it ran fine for 2 yrs. As a bonus trim fell off regularly and it sounded like there was chickens under the bonnet.... LOL

mr_s · Post by **mr_s** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:27 pm

You could always convert it to run on LPG, this instantly halving your fuel costs....

Just a thought!

ihatesissycars · Post by **ihatesissycars** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 8:35 pm

I have a citroen zx 1.9td and get about 120 miles to a tenner. It cost £250, is mint, is perfectly reliable, cost peanuts to insure and tax is £90 ish for 6 months.

That way i can keep my Capri and bike for the weekends but save loads on fuel for day to day stuff with the ZX.

Why not fit injection to the mg?

ppyvabw · Post by **ppyvabw** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:30 pm

mr_s wrote:You could always convert it to run on LPG, this instantly halving your fuel costs....

Just a thought!

Yeah, Could do but i can't be bothered changing compression ratio and stuff and havn't got the money to shell out for the conversion.

And knowing my luck, as soon as i converted it, that stalinist fascist ******* brown would put a hefty great tax on lpg. there's been talk of it.

Why not fit injection to the mg?

Yeah thought about injection, but again cost for shelling out for it, and i like carbs. Also im a bit thick and ignorant regarding modern technology and computers and that kinda thing. Dont know the first thing about fuel injection.

Only solution would be a cheap run about i think. ile have to find one.

kiwicar · Post by **kiwicar** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:27 am

How about http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1988-FIAT-126-BIS ... dZViewItem
Big powerfull one! 705 cc

had one of the 650s for two years did 45k miles in it cost me £130 to buy with 8 months tax, 60 quid to MOT it and appart from that it cost a new bolt when the engine fell out on the chelsea embankment. I sold it for £120 to a mate who ran it for another 9K miles over the next three years when he sold it to his brother and I lost track of it, ownership if you take out road tax, petrol oil and MOT fees (but not parts) as a runnning cost came to 10 pounds profit to me, and if you ever get one sideways and don't change ends you get a real feeling of achievment!

. If you think it isnt fast enough you can always stick a chevy small block in the front (big block won't go, they are too wide.

With the MGB you could look into an american overdrive unit on the end of the 5 speed you have and I would go fuel injection, you could probably get it past 25mpg that way (wife's jag gets 28.5 on the run to Glasgow and 23 to 26 on general usage and that'll be bigger and heavier and is 4 litres)
Good luck
Mike

ihatesissycars · Post by **ihatesissycars** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 12:09 pm

I've seen complete hotwire units go for anything between £100 and £300 so for what you're getting (provided its complete) its a bargain. $ wires is all thats required to get it working, fitting is straightforward although bonnet clearance might be an issure with an mg i hear but there's ways around that to reduce the height of the plenum and manifold then once that in you'll need to get an efi pump in there and job done then you can start saving on fuel and have a potentially nicer running car.

What engine is yours? 3.5?