£1500 to spend

[taylormj4]

I have around £1500 to spend on my Chimaera as I have decided to hang on to it rather than replace it. Question is what to spend it on ?

The roof is getting pretty poor (threadbare), so probably should replace that. Have had quotes from £800 (Company I know that would do an A1 job) to £350 (recommended by another PHer).

However, would really like to get shunt-free smoothness, improved performance and better braking. Was considering the Mark Adams/Austec chipping for the shunting problem but recent threads suggest the plenum upgrade may be the way to go. Could live with the brakes but the front discs need changing anyway as getting vibration under braking.

So what to do chaps ? Anyone recommend a shopping list. Can do some work myself to keep costs down and get more for my money.

Cheers, Matt

[Golflion]

I'd save the hood costs for a rainy day

Brakes first then the plenum upgrade....no good running smoother if your disks are dodgy

[lewis_sharman]

-Discs £30
-Pads £60
-Smooth bore induction kit + new air filter £160
-Plenum spacer / trumpets etc £200
-Remove precats £10 (cost of gaskets)
-Roof £300 (do it yourself)
-Decat y-piece £300
-Full geometry check £200

Will go faster, sound / stop / handle much better for £1260

[michielp]

30 for all four discs??

[lewis_sharman]

michielp said:

30 for all four discs??

No, just fronts

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TVR-CHIMAERA-GRIFFITH-FRONT-...

Edited by lewis_sharman on Friday 6th November 13:55

[PurpleV8]

Wrong size for a 1997 car - It should have 260mm discs on the front.

[taylormj4]

lewis_sharman said:

-Discs £30
-Pads £60
-Smooth bore induction kit + new air filter £160
-Plenum spacer / trumpets etc £200
-Remove precats £10 (cost of gaskets)
-Roof £300 (do it yourself)
-Decat y-piece £300
-Full geometry check £200

Will go faster, sound / stop / handle much better for £1260

Interesting list Lewis:
Hadn't thought of a geometry check as necessary. Lot of money. What would I expect to see for this in terms of handling ? I don't get any abnormal tyre wear or anything. Doing the roof myself sounds a little scary. Mechanics I'm good at, cosmetics...not sure. I reckon the rear screen would end up not quite square or the stitching would look rubbish. Have you done yours ?
Cheers, Matt

[Meatball]

A full service, new shocks (Racing Red) and as Lewis said full geo set up

[scotty_d]

A Nos kit for £500 and up to a extra 150 bhp

[taylormj4]

scotty_d said:

A Nos kit for £500 and up to a extra 150 bhp

Thanks Scott. I just want it a bit quicker. I don't want to kill myself !

Lewis, the car is regularly serviced. This is 'extra money' so to speak.

If I do the de-cat, what sort of bhp gain will I see and does that mean the emissions will be out ?
Matt

Edited by taylormj4 on Friday 6th November 15:43

Edited by taylormj4 on Friday 6th November 15:44

[450Nick]

I'd try and save a tiny bit more and splash out on a set of Nitron shocks and Wilwood 4 pot brakes along with some SH droplinks. This is the setup I have on my car and it really does raise the handling to a whole new level. (With a decent geo setup and tyres of course). For me it was about as much difference to the handling as putting a supercharger on was to the engine. Massive difference - And one which can inspire you to really use ALL of the car. I was taking some friends around Brands on Monday in mine and they were astonished at how much grip there was and how well balanced the car was.

Great mod, for just over what you've got

[lewis_sharman]

taylormj4 said:

lewis_sharman said:

-Discs £30
-Pads £60
-Smooth bore induction kit + new air filter £160
-Plenum spacer / trumpets etc £200
-Remove precats £10 (cost of gaskets)
-Roof £300 (do it yourself)
-Decat y-piece £300
-Full geometry check £200

Will go faster, sound / stop / handle much better for £1260

Interesting list Lewis:
Hadn't thought of a geometry check as necessary. Lot of money. What would I expect to see for this in terms of handling ? I don't get any abnormal tyre wear or anything. Doing the roof myself sounds a little scary. Mechanics I'm good at, cosmetics...not sure. I reckon the rear screen would end up not quite square or the stitching would look rubbish. Have you done yours ?
Cheers, Matt

I was amazed at the difference after i had the geo done, made the car so much more predictable and a lot more reassuring to drive. The roof kits i believe come ready stitched and just need glueing down, i have'nt done one myself but from the how to on the 'Griffith Pages' it does'nt seem too daunting a task.

[taylormj4]

450Nick said:

I'd try and save a tiny bit more and splash out on a set of Nitron shocks and Wilwood 4 pot brakes along with some SH droplinks. This is the setup I have on my car and it really does raise the handling to a whole new level. (With a decent geo setup and tyres of course). For me it was about as much difference to the handling as putting a supercharger on was to the engine. Massive difference - And one which can inspire you to really use ALL of the car. I was taking some friends around Brands on Monday in mine and they were astonished at how much grip there was and how well balanced the car was.

Great mod, for just over what you've got

Lewis,
Thanks, I'll take a look at the griff pages.

Nick,
A fellow engineer I see. Do the Wilwood 4-pots use the standard size discs and do they fit the existing caliper mounting holes ? What tyres are you running also. I used to run S03s which were great in the dry but hopeless for a daily driver and would let go real quickly. Now running Toyos which are good all-rounders but nothing special in the dry when you really want to chuck it round a corner.

Edited by taylormj4 on Friday 6th November 17:52

[450Nick]

taylormj4 said:

450Nick said:

I'd try and save a tiny bit more and splash out on a set of Nitron shocks and Wilwood 4 pot brakes along with some SH droplinks. This is the setup I have on my car and it really does raise the handling to a whole new level. (With a decent geo setup and tyres of course). For me it was about as much difference to the handling as putting a supercharger on was to the engine. Massive difference - And one which can inspire you to really use ALL of the car. I was taking some friends around Brands on Monday in mine and they were astonished at how much grip there was and how well balanced the car was.

Great mod, for just over what you've got

Lewis,
Thanks, I'll take a look at the griff pages.

Nick,
A fellow engineer I see. Do the Wilwood 4-pots use the standard size discs and do they fit the existing caliper mounting holes ? What tyres are you running also. I used to run S03s which were great in the dry but hopeless for a daily driver and would let go real quickly. Now running Toyos which are good all-rounders but nothing special in the dry when you really want to chuck it round a corner.

Edited by taylormj4 on Friday 6th November 17:52

Ah yes, being an engineer goes hand in hand with TVR ownership I think! The Wilwood 4-pots use 300mm discs, so a bit larger than standard, and yes, they come as a ready made kit for TVRs so should bolt straight to your existing mounting points. I'd recommend putting in braided hoses while you're at it, and adding some mintex fast-road pads at the back to complement.

For road tyres, I've always favoured Toyo T1-Rs, but Goodyear Eagles also seem to work well. Having been running on my track wheels for a couple of weeks though, I would seriously recommend Toyo R888 road legal slicks for the road; they are far better in the wet than a lot of people seem to say, and in the dry they are in a completely different class to any all-weather tyre - a very impressive amount of grip indeed!

[blitzracing]

taylormj4 said:

I have around £1500 to spend on my Chimaera as I have decided to hang on to it rather than replace it. Question is what to spend it on ?

However, would really like to get shunt-free smoothness, improved performance and better braking. Was considering the Mark Adams/Austec chipping for the shunting problem but recent threads suggest the plenum upgrade may be the way to go.

Cheers, Matt

The whole shunting issue has no guaranteed fix due to the multiple reasons for it in the first place, so you might get lucky with inlet mods and away you go. A simple test is to change the tune resistor to the non cat map ( this is just a resistor change ) for a test run,(but no longer!) and see if the shunting dissapears. If it does then a rechip may help as you will know its fueling related, but part of the problem is the RV8 engine does not like the air fuel ratio cycling needed to keep the emmisions low and catalyst clean, as it was never designed for this in the first place and tuning it shows up this problem. A richer mixture without the catalyst cycling suits it much better. Im sure MA would be a very wealthy man if a simple rechip fixed this issue every time, but you cant overide the overall way way the catalyst fuel cycle works so there is only so much a rechip can do.

Mark

[SILICONE KID]

save the money for petrol , put your foot down hard and blast it !

[haircutmike]

450Nick said:

taylormj4 said:

450Nick said:

I'd try and save a tiny bit more and splash out on a set of Nitron shocks and Wilwood 4 pot brakes along with some SH droplinks. This is the setup I have on my car and it really does raise the handling to a whole new level. (With a decent geo setup and tyres of course). For me it was about as much difference to the handling as putting a supercharger on was to the engine. Massive difference - And one which can inspire you to really use ALL of the car. I was taking some friends around Brands on Monday in mine and they were astonished at how much grip there was and how well balanced the car was.

Great mod, for just over what you've got

Lewis,
Thanks, I'll take a look at the griff pages.

Nick,
A fellow engineer I see. Do the Wilwood 4-pots use the standard size discs and do they fit the existing caliper mounting holes ? What tyres are you running also. I used to run S03s which were great in the dry but hopeless for a daily driver and would let go real quickly. Now running Toyos which are good all-rounders but nothing special in the dry when you really want to chuck it round a corner.

Edited by taylormj4 on Friday 6th November 17:52

Ah yes, being an engineer goes hand in hand with TVR ownership I think! The Wilwood 4-pots use 300mm discs, so a bit larger than standard, and yes, they come as a ready made kit for TVRs so should bolt straight to your existing mounting points. I'd recommend putting in braided hoses while you're at it, and adding some mintex fast-road pads at the back to complement.

For road tyres, I've always favoured Toyo T1-Rs, but Goodyear Eagles also seem to work well. Having been running on my track wheels for a couple of weeks though, I would seriously recommend Toyo R888 road legal slicks for the road; they are far better in the wet than a lot of people seem to say, and in the dry they are in a completely different class to any all-weather tyre - a very impressive amount of grip indeed!

I often run my car for a while on the road after a trackday with my spare wheels with triple8's on.

The differance inbetween them and my set of T1R's in like, "chalk and cheese"

I am seriously considering another set ot triple 8's for the road, there is that much more grip!

P.

[Blown2CV]

don't mean to be a party pooper but why not stick it in the bank for when the car goes wrong?

[HRG.]

lewis_sharman said:

taylormj4 said:

lewis_sharman said:

-Discs £30
-Pads £60
-Smooth bore induction kit + new air filter £160
-Plenum spacer / trumpets etc £200
-Remove precats £10 (cost of gaskets)
-Roof £300 (do it yourself)
-Decat y-piece £300
-Full geometry check £200

Will go faster, sound / stop / handle much better for £1260

Interesting list Lewis:
Hadn't thought of a geometry check as necessary. Lot of money. What would I expect to see for this in terms of handling ? I don't get any abnormal tyre wear or anything. Doing the roof myself sounds a little scary. Mechanics I'm good at, cosmetics...not sure. I reckon the rear screen would end up not quite square or the stitching would look rubbish. Have you done yours ?
Cheers, Matt

I was amazed at the difference after i had the geo done, made the car so much more predictable and a lot more reassuring to drive. The roof kits i believe come ready stitched and just need glueing down, i have'nt done one myself but from the how to on the 'Griffith Pages' it does'nt seem too daunting a task.

Geo was the best improvement I got from the car pound for pound. Mine ended up costing near to £400 but was worth every single penny

[haircutmike]

Blown2CV said:

don't mean to be a party pooper but why not stick it in the bank for when the car goes wrong?

Methinks you speak from experience .