Can We Make Any Money With This TVR?
We broke even on our first unofficial flip of the year, so hopefully we will come out a little better on this one. After announcing our plans to find, fix, and flip one car per month this year, our good buddy Bruce contacted us with an offer. We featured his father’s collection about two years ago and most of the cars have found new homes, but there are a few stragglers still hanging around. This TVR Tasmin is one of them and he thought we might be able to make a few bucks if we could get it cleaned up and running again.
So, Josh and I grabbed a flashlight and jack, and headed over. We knew the car was complete and that it had been parked for about 7 years, so our biggest concern was the chassis. This TVR may look like a humble wedge, but there is an intricate tube frame hiding under that fiberglass body. That can be a good thing as long as there is no rust. Any significant corrosion would have been the deal breaker here, but luckily everything looked solid. So, a price was negotiated and plans were made.
Not only does this car have a sophisticated chassis, it has a sophisticated drivetrain. Well, at least the differential and rear brakes (they are inboard). The V6 engine, 4-speed transmission, and suspension all came from a Ford. That may seem like a bad thing, but when you are dealing with a limited production hand-made car like this, any mass-produced parts in the mix are a welcome thing. That fuel injection system makes me a little nervous, but Bruce assures us that the car ran only a few years ago. The sticker on the plate shows that it’s been parked for about 7 years though.
I’ve always wanted to get behind the wheel of a TVR. This isn’t the model I pictured, but there is not denying the fact that our first flip is going to be an interesting one. Our plan is to just focus on getting the car back on the road again. Of course a good cleaning is in order too, but beyond that there isn’t going to be much wiggle room if we want to make any money. It’s a gamble because there could be some unknown mechanical problems, but since the car is currently on its way to our garage as you read this, there’s no turning back now. Wish us luck because we are going to need it!
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Comments
Love it
We saw Mike and Ed change the frame on a TVR, so I think everything is doable on this.
The making money part may be tricky
I’d have trouble selling it If it drives good.
Love English cars
Underrated cars. I think you will do well on this one. Heck, I would like one someday…
Honestly, Jamie, if I hadn’t just bought the 320, I would have considered myself a serious buyer. I’ve always wanted to own a TVR. Great job, guys.
We are on location right now! I’ll update with photos soon.
A very neat car but a tough one to sell. I like it myself, however, it took me over a year to move mine and I made out even which was all I was hoping for by the time the right buyer came along. Nobody knew what it was and nobody wanted it. I really hope you got a really super deal on this one….
A clean ’84 Tasmin convertible sold on eBay in January for $3,851. It did have 18 bids. Not sure where the market is with TVR and don’t know enough about them to determine what’s hot and what’s not with ’em. Sounds like a risky buy to me, but then again, I don’t know what the car is being offered for.
good luck.
i too love it. it is not a mainstream car which, when selling, is good because if someone wants one there are few to pick from/bad because there are a lot less people in your buyer pool. will be fun to watch this play out. if either of you fall in love with this car all bets are off. i too have lusted after a tvr/griffith in the past. great fun.
Unloading her!
Score!
the car does look good. in a few weeks i hope to see a photo of it being loaded back on a hauler for shipment to the new owner. unless the new owner desides to drive the car home.
Tough sell….so much depends on what you find…ah, this pic was just posted. It looks great in white and doesn’t show the hard kink in the front too badly.
http://www.hemmings.com/magazine/hsx/2009/05/1980-1988-TVR-Tasmin-280i/1815630.html
Jesse,
Part of standard barn find Info on the site Is the price the seller is asking Included in your descriptions. Do you plan on telling us all the prices you pay for your projects as well?
I am very curious!
Yep, we will release the purchase price and parts cost after we get it fixed and sold. Does that sound good?
yes. that information is important to the learning process.
Great little cars, COOL folding roof, I helped a friend with one a few years ago. I loved driving it, but I am a big guy, and had to remove the arm rest from the inner door to be comfortable (had bruises on my knee from being wedged in there between the steering wheel and door handle). The parts are not bad, being a ford engine and all, but they are not common (north america) parts, and required a little searching out in regards to the transmission etc. I believe he got a good buck for his. but it was VERY nice.
As a long time owner of several TVR’s they are certainly under rated. They are also truly fun cars to drive and come with a great national and international club network.
Most parts are readily available from Dominion Spares in VA.
This looks like a good candidate for a restoration but you could easily put more in it than you can recoup. Wedges are appreciating a bit slower then the other models.
BTW.. the visual similarity to a TR7 is obvious. we had the TVR parked next to one at a British car show. It is a little larger, and much nicer. The roof is still the coolest convertible top i have ever played with…
Unless you bought it right ( I mean LOW, LOW $ ) I think you are going to loose on this one. It’s not a particularlly attractive, or desirable model.
Neat car for sure. Good luck with the project. Remember, with every flip, the profit is in the purchase price!
I think you can sell it OK if this ends up being a good car that cleans up and runs well with just normal effort. Needing a new tube frame?….well, lets hope not.
You guys know what a good Ebay listing looks like, so you might be able to convince someone who always wanted a rare, affordable British convertible with a very capable drivetrain to travel to you for the right car, or to buy it without doing a personal inspection first. For that, I think you can’t beat a good long video showing the car starting up with the hood open, and then going down the road with good performance and no unusual sounds.
Looks like you have pulled the trigger already, so all the best with this one!
Fantastic! Congrats on finding an unusual car in good condition to give it the ol’ college try on. Seeing that we’re all pretty media-saturated by this point in our lives, I almost wish there could be a YouTube Barn Finds channel so you could upload little video updates for the BF viewers to see actual work being done on this car. It wouldn’t have to be huge projects, even just cleaning up the interior, taking the seats out to really deep-clean the carpets (I’m guessing that it was used as a Mouse’tel 6 for a while), changing fluids, maybe some brake work or wheel bearings, etc. Simple, Wheeler-Dealers-type things that any of us could do on our own with our basic garage tools and basic garage spaces.
Thanks for adding such a fun new chapter to Barn Finds!
First rule in flipping: sell something people want. You seem bent on buying low-budget, late-model foreign cars and that apparently isn’t working for you. Try for a basic, entry level (1970s) Chevrolet or Ford and see how much better you’ll fare.
My parents bought a brand-new 1954 Studebaker V8 Conestoga. They loved it, but it became the lemon from hell the day they drove it home. Four years later we moved back to California and got rid of it. Needing a second car, my dad went out one afternoon and came home with a 1951 Champion convertible he picked up off a scroungy used-car lot for $125. My mom was incredulous: “You bought another STUDEBAKER???” It was the only time I ever saw her genuinely angry at him.
(In case you’re counting, we kept the ’51 for several years. We never had a lick of trouble with it.)
You do realize that everyone else around here is looking for 70’s Chevrolets and Fords, right Jason? It’s hard to find anything at a good price when that happens. Who said I was bent on buying late-model foreign cars? Guess you didn’t read about the Mustang or Torino. It isn’t working for me? We will see…
I have to side with Jason on this. While the TVR may be a cool car, again, “limited appeal”. I think Jason is right, you are putting your personal interests in this, and you have to go with what the market wants. Few people are going to want a TVR like this. Mechanic’s alone will send them off in a hurry, and just about anybody can fix a flathead 6 or SBC. I like British cars, but my appeal stops after the tried and true pushrod i4 or i6. I’ve seen many possible money makers come through this site, and this ain’t it. Vintage pickup trucks are really popular now, and again, like Jason sez, something someone grew up with, and I can almost guarantee, it was not a TVR.
Trust me Howard, this purchase was opportunity driven. I do like sports cars, but we have been looking at every type of vehicle without regard to our personal interests. Every American car and truck that we’ve looked at in the past couple weeks has been priced too high to have any profit potential. Yes, we have even looked at a bunch of trucks (still want to do one in the future). You just have to take them as they come.
That’s exactly my point. They’re easy to sell because everybody wants them and they still cheap. No, I didn’t see anything about a Mustang or a Torino.
I’ll give you a secret tip: 99% of my car finds DO NOT come from ads, newspapers or the Internet. They come from cruising the back allies, one guy driving, the other standing with the right door open and looking over fences. If there’s any benefit to living is a big, filthy city, this is it!
You might want to go back and read about the Mustang and the Torino. This isn’t the first car we have bought and sold.
I’m just guessing here, but I’d have thought that one of the secrets is to deal in cars for which there is actual demand. (As in – there are actually a relatively large number of people who might want to own it). Personally I’d stand in the (I suspect – LONG) line of people who are vying for the chance to NOT own a car of a relatively unknown brand and for which “fix-it” parts would be thought to be all made of purest unobtainium.
Yes I know of TVRs, but if I were to be a flipper, it’s not the first brand that would have come to mind.
I think you are correct……..another hobby vs busisness example.
It’s got a Ford V6. Same one they used in the Mustang II. Parts shouldn’t be hard to get.
This goes back to the HOBBY Vs a business, The pervasive concern with making a buck has spoiled the hobby.
The TVR is a great car for a hobbiest in that it isn’t another rice burner and being ford based makes it easy to work with, the tranny is probably the same as the one that started with the 61 CAPRI and went on to the Lotus Elan, Cortina morphing into the type 9 5 speed They’re lots of go fast bits for it–being a Brit sports car. Compare it to a Lotus Europa with a Frog engine HMMmmm!
You are absolutely correct……….but the question we are talking about is how to “monetize” the site by flipping.
These are great fun to drive, but a little under powered in v6 form. If I was buying it and not flipping it I would look for a rover v8 to install.
The rear is jaguar and nothing special.
Changing the right front spark plug is a pain if the car has AC. Oh and the roof will leak.
Oh as far as buying, I guess I am an outlier as I would be interested and more likely to buy this than a more common muscle car.
Work is already underway…
i think your planning on taking the car for a drive today, have fun. video of the drive/car running please. thanks
already looking ‘desirable’ . Good luck with this one, Dave in Alabama
Another bad sighn……..working on the curb in a planed community can get you arrested and the car impounded……
Arrested??? I live in a huge gated community notorious for the diligence of the POA, but no one would come around arresting me if I did outside work like this. A letter from the association, sure, but arrest and impound? Never!
(On what grounds, anyway?)
I had a busisness partner in the early 80’s in Ogden Ut. He was cited so many times for working on his cars in the driveway……he was arrested. I had to post bail for him. I lived in a condo for a while in Ventura California that banned me for parking my old IHC pickup in the stall even though I drove it every day and never worked on it.
That really depends on the location and the CC&R’s. Every place is different!
Well, if I get arrested for this, I will be moving back to Wyoming! Seriously, if this kind of thing would land you in jail where you live, perhaps you should consider moving elsewhere.
The last time (~18 years ago) I built a house, the realtor didn’t understand at first why I wanted copies of covenants before I would even look at lots. Found some where it was literally against the covenants to work on your car IN A CLOSED GARAGE!!!!
This time, we are so far out in the middle of nowhere I think the biggest problem I’ll have is actually explaining to people where we will be living. I’m looking forward to it!
will be checking back, I always wanted one (in white, too!)
If you buy en right you can always make money. It may sit for awhile but that depends on the price. A bargain is a bargain and that’s why some cars get flipped several times.
The oil is changed and the fuel is drained. We need a few more parts and then we should be able to fire it up in the next day or two! Lots of comments on here about this being a hard sell. Well, I disagree. There are tons of Mustangs and Camaros on the market, but there are very few of these. Rare doesn’t always mean desirable, but this thing is in amazing condition and I have no doubt that a TVR enthusiast will scoop it up.
You passed the first test for a good flip, you found the car and bought it, and you didn’t find it through an internet ad. Just remember when you are putting it back together, it isn’t your car so don’t make decisions like it is. For example, if the interior is presentable don’t touch it, every dollar spent is potentially money gone.
And every modification you make translates to at least one missed sale. Leave it original, so if a buyer wants to desecrate it, he can superimpose his own ideas.
Hey Jason, look at the post below about the Euro bumpers. And refer back to my post that you criticized regarding customizing.
Perfect and timely example.
I had one of these in the late ’90s and they are great little cars. There is very little to go wrong with them, compared to later TVRs, and these were built late enough that TVR had sorted its quality control process – earlier cars were awful. The 2.8i Cologne engine is a cracker and really reliable but any hint that’s its starting to overheat and it needs to be stopped immediately and rectified. Other than that, they’re unkillable.
The Euro-spec bumpers/fenders would be an elegant upgrade to the car’s looks if you could find a set for reasonable money and, imho, would add more value than they would cost you.
Aside from the obvious things you’ve already looked for before buying, watch out for a lazy headlight motor (cheap re-wind cures that) and because they all leak… all of them(!)…a quick check for delamination of the interior wood is worth doing. It’s a cheap fix if you catch it early enough and it’s not obvious with just a visual inspection; poke and prod it all.
I think you’ll make money on this as well. Good luck!
Jesse,
I could sure use a bug eye to go with that t-shirt I just ordered.
Anything interesting left in the collection for us non insiders?
Sorry Don, no Bugeyes there. The collection consisted mostly of Triumphs, but I think they are mostly gone except for a few TR7s.
@Don Elder… Here in Alabama we have the ex-Karl Flesser ’59 BugEye race car …currently in bare metal . Documented and well engineered. Contact Jesse if interested
Also, exhaust note videos are a must! ;-)
I want a tasmin,decent score,good luck ,have fun..
Like Jamie, TVR is another quirky car I’ve got to own some day. Perhaps if this sells cheap enough???? Every TVR I’ve driven has been great in terms of driving dynamics. Each with a character that reflects the boutique nature of their construction.
Good luck. The early 280i or Tasmin has not been a particularly good seller. The series 1.5, in ’85 and ’86, are more desirable with upgraded rear suspension and smaller bumpers. The early versions of the V6 also didn’t have hardened valve seats. The front suspension pieces are borrowed from the Mk 3 Cortina, which was never imported, so if replacement parts are needed, you have to get them from the UK. There are a few TVR parts suppliers in North America, but not many.
Neat car. I had one in the mid 90s also and drove it for a few years. Great little engine. Nice cruiser. A bit quirky but you always get stares from other drivers. I always got “I love your Ferrari” which I wasn’t happy about! They will swap ends like a 911 if driven at the limit with throttle on unlike a 911!
Besides price, it would be helpful if we knew your location, matching numbers, paint condition, etc.
We will post all the info when it actually goes up for sale. Thanks!
I think there were some legit concerns about selling this TVR brought up above, but here’s my take.
– “It’s a car without a large group of followers / fans here.”
True, but you only need one buyer, and if you have a good car at a reasonable price for the condition you can get a sale.
– “It’s hard to find that one buyer.”
Not true because web-based selling has changed the game. You can market literally to the world for almost nothing, in seconds. But for the best success you need a good listing ad. The Barn Finds guys know a great listing from a bad one.
– “Quirky old Brit sportscars that were made in small numbers and are hard to fix or find parts for seldom find buyers.”
Not true. Car guys come in all makes and styles, and they bring all kinds of tastes and passions with them. Some of them like quirky old Brit sportscars that were made in small numbers because of those qualities, especially if in good / excellent driving condition. And being a convertible usually adds to the appeal.
I think Ebay or some other web based site will come up with buyers for this TVR, especially if it appears on the Brit or Euro Ebay sites, where it might have special appeal—–and maybe also bring a special price.
Absolutely. This TVR might need a couple of re-listings but it will find a new home. I have to say I would be tempted to wait until April/May to start selling it and use that time to fix any minor issues or make it more desirable. Everyone knows that ‘verts sell better in and around summer, but that doesn’t fit into the ‘one a month’ plan for BF.
This won’t make it home to the UK – there are enough RHD examples here at reasonable prices already, but it could find a home in mainland Europe, certainly. Prices are all over the place and because it was manufactured in the EU, there are no import duties which makes the costs just the shipping. Considering that Euro dealers are asking $20,000 for a nice one, it could well be worth Jesse’s asking price +$2000 to bring it back.
Those of you talking about being being arrested for working on your car in the street or how terrible a decision this is perhaps need to reconsider their hobby. I know there are HOAs out there that don’t allow this (even as a Brit), but a car enthusiast doesn’t buy a place subject to those rules.
@Dolphin I couldn’t agree more… Dave
Right on the money.
Off course it will sell………I sell thousands of tons of rusty scrap metal each year to eager buyers………..the question is for how much and is there any profit in it. The market seems pretty soft. It is real easy to go over budget with costs these days.
First TVR I ever saw was driven by Phil Collins (‘Phil the Shrill’) on an episode of Miami Vice -maybe you can market it towards nostalgic 40-somethings!
I have seen some of these in various numbers at the “All British Field Meet”s in Portland, Seattle and California the PDX one is always labor day weekend. Small dedicated groups of enthusiasts.
So heres my take.
At one time I was stationed near Boise (Mt Home AFB) and I still know a lot of people up there, and visit from time to time. I also know a bit about the vehicle market there. Im into British Cars and Bikes. There are a LOT (Relatively speaking) of Brit bike and car owners in Portland, Seattle and tons of them in the Bay Area. Not so much in Idaho. You look on CL for Triumphs (Cars or bikes) and a ton of them on the PDX CL. Look on Boise CL. Not even close. No shortage of Dirt bikes and Harleys but the number of British bike owners there I can count on both hands and one foot.
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Now, dont rule out there isnt someone who wants one of these up there. Heck, Sure is a lot of Californians buying up property in a few select locations. Might just run into Demi, Or Bruce Willis,,Or Maybe Keanue Reeves might do a remake of a Gus Van Sant movie.
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I find it a bit amusing you guys characterizing the whole “What me Worry?” Because its got Ford parts. Ive been to a lot of countries with Ford cars and not the same thing. Seen a lot of oddball vehicles and configurations you will never see in the US. Specialty built cars using a variety of parts sources can be a headache. Maybe not on this one but I am betting its not exactly head on down to the NAPA over in McCall, Rupert, Heck, Back when I lived there the nicest restaurant in town in Mt Home was the Truck Stop out by I-84. But that being said….. If you bought it for the right price, Then you should do all right. Im wishing you the best.
Heck, when you guys put that Yellow Singer up for sale my buddy Dave was working over the Persian Gulf in Oman, He bid and won it. A few complications negotiating a deal over crappy internet connection but he showed up and paid you for it. So, Anything is possible. Just be sure to mention issues like the Starter issue so theres no surprises. Driving to Idaho to pick up a car isnt easy for anyone. That is going to be your limiting factor. You might consider transportation and shipping issues. Since his last name is Smith every one now calls the car “Smitty Smitty Bang Bang”. Currently he is overseas in the Far East. Maybe he might be in the market for this one too? Keep any eye out for Micro Cars, He loves those. Find any Messerchmitts, Isettas, NSU’s or the like he will bid like a drunken Sailor.
Lots of great comments here guys! Lots of negativity though too. I’m not sure what that is all about, but you will all see how we come out soon.
some of the comments may be from buyers who want to keep the price low and competitors who view you as a threat. i think as soon as you posted the car yesterday the TVR lovers were sending and receiving emails. i still think if this car is slow sale or no sale it will be because either one or both of you fall in love with it. have fun.
@ Jesse… Take all the negative comments with a grain of salt. I have heard them all, over 55 years, and I rarely fail to turn a profit, unless I make an emotional decision either purchasing or in work afterwards.
Chalk any early losses to the cost of education, refine your plan so it works within the market and your capabilities. Study what others who have been around for 10 or more years do, but trying to copy is dangerous,..unless you do EVERYTHING they do..which is unlikely.
.
Most people fail…..often because they don’t realize their ‘ideas’ are NOT new… they have been tried many times, with either success or failure.
Choose the ideas that have MOST OFTEN succeeded … and that can be tailored to your general plan.
.
http://www.undiscovered-classics.com/about/about-us-dave-perry/
Jesse, you and I have talked about this over email – there are people who love to talk you down from the high of a new project car. I just don’t get it. The parts availability is so silly, too – I’ve made enough friends in the BMW world that there are literally guys I email in Britain, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, etc. and ask if they can find the most random parts for me. 9 times out of 10, they do! Usually new in the box.
I have a political carton from when Jimmy Bakker was sentenced to federal prison after his crooked time-share swindles. He is arriving at the prison, when one of the guards quips, “Just think of it as a time-share.”
Lots of negativity? Sure, but “Just think of it as tough love”, because that’s really all it is!
I too am surprised by the amount and harshness of the negativity!! Being in business/growing your business means risks!! No risks, no growth. There is such a thing a “constructive criticism” which there has been some of but there has been more “non constructive” criticism being thrown out.
I am retired and always worked for somebody else. (unless you count my newspaper route and lawn mowing business when I was a kid) I never had the guts to try and “make it on my own”.
Anyhow, guys, I am watching with great anticipation as to the outcome!! Not every car is going to be able to be put in the “plus” column. The name of the game is to get more in the “plus” column than in the “negative” column. Or in simpler words – common sense! You guys have it in spades!! This site didn’t develope on its own! Nor does it run itself. Gotta step out on a limb once in a while to see what will happen!!
Best of luck!
Well put!
Good luck with it. I have absolutely NO desire to own it. But I wish you luck in the endeavour and I love this site. I get to see a LOT of cars I’d never see otherwise and have fallen in lust with a few. Four doors and all. And yes there is a lot of negativity, but “haters gonna hate” if it ain’t their preference.
Here’s one in Calgary Alberta that you can use for a pricing benchmark – the ask is about $7,700 US. http://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/calgary/rare-tvr-tasmin-280i/1139480015?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
They are right. Tvr is a tough car to sell.
Cool car, though. Play with it, enjoy it. Maybe make a few bucks, maybe not.
Someone pointed out a brilliant idea, though: sell it to the UK, you can’t miss there, the price is four times what it will be here.
LHD is a tough sell in the UK, especially on a sports car, and there would be little interest. If it’s as nice as Jesse says it is, mainland Europe might be the place to look for a buyer in addition to the normal channels in the USA.
TVRs have a following there and there won’t be any import duty as it was originally manufactured in the EU. All you’d have to pay is the cost of transportation to a port and shipping.
I certainly wouldn’t look to the UK as a market-place but, equally, confining any ads to the USA might limit the final price.
I could buy this or resurrect my TR6 tough call
Neil, you are correct, mainland Europe. Sorry about that.
Pricing here in the US on one of these? $4k on a good day, in my experience. It’s like a Jenson Healey…nice car with little value.
$4k… even at $6k this would be worth shipping back to Europe. Heck, even a dealer could find a profit in it at that price. TVRs are, I guess, just a bit too unknown and a bit too recent to have found a following in the USA as a classic.
They will murder you as soon as your attention even slightly wanders – every TVR built will happily swap ends with throttle-lift oversteer – but they are enormous fun and very quick.
I genuinely hope this stays in the States. We have enough here in Europe gently leaking rainwater onto their carpets or suffering from random electrical failures, so at the prices you mention – this has got to be someone’s fun second car, surely.
Will you let your readers know when this is for sale? Might be interested. Good Luck
didnt it only need a fuel pump?….and stay away from them there TRs……..lol