First years cost of my Chim

[mickh32]

I have now owned my Chim for a year and have kept a record of everything I have bought or paid out for which I know is a bit anal but i thought it might be interesting. The figures are fairly accurate.

Indicator levers/hand brake £60
Battery/tray £87
Indicator lenses £24
Seats re-padded,leather gaiters £140
Plug leads £30
Fuel pump £123
Chrome swirl tank cap £10
1 litre oil £10
Suspension set up £92
Roof seal rubber £17
Windscreen washer conversion £15
6000 miles service + MOT £230

A grand total of £838.

Add to this petrol, 132 gallons at different prices = £710. This was over 3011 miles which equates to 23 mpg.

For just over £1500 I consider this a small price to pay for the joy of owning a TVR and hope next year will be a bit less as some or most of the above mods will not need doing again.

Edited by mickh32 on Tuesday 6th October 20:22

[J400GED]

mickh32 said:

I have now owned my Chim for a year and have kept a record of everything I have bought or paid out for which I know is a bit anal but i thought it might be interesting. The figures are fairly accurate.

Indicator levers/hand brake £60
Battery/tray £87
Indicator lenses £24
Seats re-padded,leather gaiters £140
Plug leads £30
Fuel pump £123
Chrome swirl tank cap £10
1 litre oil £10
Suspension set up £92
Roof seal rubber £17
Windscreen washer conversion £15
6000 miles service + MOT £230

A grand total of £364

Add to this petrol, 132 gallons at different prices = £710. This was over 3011 miles which equates to 23 mpg.

For just over a grand I consider this a small price to pay for the joy of owning a TVR and hope next year will be a bit less as some or most of the above mods will not need doing again.

I think you need to do your sums again mate. The items listed from indicator levers... to 6000 mile service sum up to £838. The first five alone come to £341!

That said, it's still bloody good value!

[Richard 858]

J400GED said:

mickh32 said:

I have now owned my Chim for a year and have kept a record of everything I have bought or paid out for which I know is a bit anal but i thought it might be interesting. The figures are fairly accurate.

Indicator levers/hand brake £60
Battery/tray £87
Indicator lenses £24
Seats re-padded,leather gaiters £140
Plug leads £30
Fuel pump £123
Chrome swirl tank cap £10
1 litre oil £10
Suspension set up £92
Roof seal rubber £17
Windscreen washer conversion £15
6000 miles service + MOT £230

A grand total of £364

Add to this petrol, 132 gallons at different prices = £710. This was over 3011 miles which equates to 23 mpg.

For just over a grand I consider this a small price to pay for the joy of owning a TVR and hope next year will be a bit less as some or most of the above mods will not need doing again.

I think you need to do your sums again mate. The items listed from indicator levers... to 6000 mile service sum up to £838. The first five alone come to £341!

That said, it's still bloody good value!

Excellent example of Man Maths I'd say

[mickh32]

Thanks to my headmaster Jed I have hopefully corrected the figures. I must blame the mistake on my ageing calculator, couldn't have been my fault.

Note to self, must try harder.

Cheers Jed you ********

[mickh32]

st. just thought,hope the wife doesn't read this and see how much it really cost. Can't afford to buy a new set of testicles as well.

[Bassfiend229hp]

mickh32 said:

st. just thought,hope the wife doesn't read this and see how much it really cost. Can't afford to buy a new set of testicles as well.

Aren't yours in a jar on the mantelpiece anyway?

[igiveup]

I've had mine since June, already up to £500 and another £80 to go for Water pump.

Then 12k service and sort out blowing 4-1 on exhaust, that can wait until next year though!!!!!!

[Cokes]

Hmmm, top to bottom full restoration in the first year.
Forget about her in doors, id kill myself if I knew exactly what my first year has cost me.

[J400GED]

mickh32 said:

Thanks to my headmaster Jed I have hopefully corrected the figures. I must blame the mistake on my ageing calculator, couldn't have been my fault.

Note to self, must try harder.

Cheers Jed you ********

Hi Nick, please note the correct spelling of my name - Ged

[TVRJAS]

mickh32 said:

Thanks to my headmaster Jed I have hopefully corrected the figures. I must blame the mistake on my ageing calculator, couldn't have been my fault.

Note to self, must try harder.

Cheers Jed you ********

I know many are not interested at knowing what the costs are or maybe their a little frightened to know what the costs are,but using the blog on here saves using that rusty old calculator.

I've kept a full blog for my 27 months of ownership for everything that it has cost me and now look at it like a game to try and reduce the total month tally.

It took me a few attempts to work out how to use the blog feature (The fuel bit mainly) but when you have mastered this it really is very easy and a very neat way of keeping you up to date.

I'd like to see more people using it as I think it really helps someone have an insight before jumping into the unknown. Of course Google is our friend and a bit of research can give some answers,but I do like it when pressing on someone's garage section and seeing a full blog as to running costs.

[britpower100]

Here is the man maths.

For 12 months

Cost of purchase £ 6500.00 (98 450 with shot suspension)
Suspension refurb including bushes and shocks = £3500.00
60 K service complete with all fluids (gearbox and diff) = £450.00
New brake pads £100
MOT with handbrake adjust £50
Diff bush replacment £ 350.00
Bottom section respray £800.00


Cost of ownership = £11,750

Value of car at present = £ 12,000 (remember man maths values)

Therefore cost of ownership = -£250.00

As opposed to

BMW M3
Purchase price = £53,275.00
Value of car after 12 months =£ 36,626.00

Therefore cost of ownership = £16,649.00

Real value of owning a TVR pricless.

[ChimpOnGas]

britpower100 said:

Here is the man maths.

For 12 months

Cost of purchase £ 6500.00 (98 450 with shot suspension)
Suspension refurb including bushes and shocks = £3500.00
60 K service complete with all fluids (gearbox and diff) = £450.00
New brake pads £100
MOT with handbrake adjust £50
Diff bush replacment £ 350.00
Bottom section respray £800.00


Cost of ownership = £11,750

Value of car at present = £ 12,000 (remember man maths values)

Therefore cost of ownership = -£250.00

As opposed to

BMW M3
Purchase price = £53,275.00
Value of car after 12 months =£ 36,626.00

Therefore cost of ownership = £16,649.00

Real value of owning a TVR pricless.

TBH this all seems totally logical to me, depreciation on any new car is insane!!!

I don't mind throwing a few quid at mine because what else could I own for the money that would come close?

An E-Type or Austin Healey perhaps

Well yes they tick the charisma box nicely, but to make one go, stop & handle like a TVR is going to cost you big bucks.

Then there's the up front cost in the first place.

TVR Chimaera: £12,000
Austin Healey 3000: £45,000
E-Type Jaguar: £60 - £150,000

Cost of improving and modernising the Healey or E-Type to TVR standards: £15 - £20,000

Ok so I get a Chimaera is never going to have the cachet of an E-Type but think about it, as an already updated alternative to one of the usual 1960's classics it's an absolute steal.

You get the style, character and back to basics old school driving experience in a fast and nicely updated package for less than a third of the cost.

I've said it before but I'll say it again, to my mind a TVR Chimaera is the best value and most undervalued British classic sports car there is.... and by a good margin.

[JimTC]

ChimpOnGas said:

I've said it before but I'll say it again, to my mind a TVR Chimaera is the best value and most undervalued British classic sports car there is.... and by a good margin.

I totally agree - they're a bargain for sure!!!

[macdeb]

JimTC said:

ChimpOnGas said:

I've said it before but I'll say it again, to my mind a TVR Chimaera is the best value and most undervalued British classic sports car there is.... and by a good margin.

I totally agree - they're a bargain for sure!!!

^^^^
It's just the ones that expect to buy one for peanuts, buy a dog as a result and give bad press.
I had a quick peak at what I've spent over the last 9 years on mine and it's so much so I'll have to have a proper look and get back. Difficult believing it myself

[Seandenyer]

Had mine for 18 months now and apart from mot, tax and fuel I've only bought a new battery, £90, very good value in my eyes

[BeastMaster]

For me running costs should be about tax, insurance servicing and fuel, perhaps the price of tyres, brakes and clutches should be considered as they will require replacing at some point and if very expensive (on exotic cars) will dent running costs.

Repairs, upgrades and other expenses are part of owning a 20 year old car, and will depend on how well looked after during its early life and how driven.

My mans maths Tax £225 Insurance £400 Service and MOT £400 Fuel £1500 = £2500 per year for 5000 miles or 2 weeks in Cyprus for me and the misses

As a guide on repairs I have owned the car for 10 years and 30K miles and the big bits have been clutch,exhaust gaskets, rad, drive shafts, damaged valve stem so heads off and rebuild, front suspension top bushes, have done most of the work myself with the exception of the clutch (because of access) and took the heads to a specialist. This little lot cost around £1500.

Do quite a bit of tinkering and spending pocket money on bits and pieces which If I was unable to do myself would probably be a small fortune at a specialist.

Interesting enough its only in the last 18 months that the big things have needed doing so have accepted these as have had a long time to just enjoy the car, if it had all happened in the first 18 months I would have had a different view of TVR ownership.

So - buy wisely and TVR ownership is very good value for money given the joy of owning something very special.

Edited by BeastMaster on Saturday 10th October 09:25

[Derek Smith]

In 7 years I bought just a boot support, a rear calliper and nothing else. Much to the irritation of the owner of an S200 Honda next door but one who'd bought hers for reliability.

I messed around with it to an extent, with dashboard changes, that sort of stuff, but very little broke.