RE: TVR Chimaera 400: PH Carpool

[jesusbuiltmycar]

Fantastic article - thanks for sharing, My 6 year old son loves the car and it is a big fan of TVRs, I'll read this article to him tonight.

I have owned a Chimaera 4.3 for nearly 17 years! It spends most of its time in the garage due to family commitments / other hobbies as such I now average about 300 miles per year in it. Whenever I get the car out of the garage and take it for a spin it always brings a smile to my face. It is now very reliable, but that wasn't always the case. Most of problems I have had with it have been electrical, mainly flat batteries.

A few years ago I had the factory alarm replaced and since then the car has been good as gold. When the old alarm was removed the guy replacing it (recommended through PH) told me that most of my issues were down to a badly fitted immobiliser - which Norwich Union insurance insisted on when I purchased the car.

[jamieduff1981]

Danattheopticians said:

Ozzie Osmond said:

I reckon if TVR had built Chims and nothing else they'd still be in business today. It may not have been their biggest and fanciest car but it was just "right" in so many ways. IMO it could have gone on evolving indefinitely.

It was by far the best selling TVR too, I think it all changed for TVR when they stopped using RV8 engine and started with the speed 6 engine, offered great performance but less character, the AJP8 in the Cerbera was great because it was from that same era.

I disagree. The Rover V8 is nice to drive, but it gives up where the Speed Six gets going. The big six has a very obvious character, just not the same one as the Rover V8. The Rover V8 would be a complete let-down in a Sagaris or a Tuscan, whereas the Speed Six doesn't really suit the classic sportscar character of the Chimaera overall.

[Danattheopticians]

jamieduff1981 said:

Danattheopticians said:

Ozzie Osmond said:

I reckon if TVR had built Chims and nothing else they'd still be in business today. It may not have been their biggest and fanciest car but it was just "right" in so many ways. IMO it could have gone on evolving indefinitely.

It was by far the best selling TVR too, I think it all changed for TVR when they stopped using RV8 engine and started with the speed 6 engine, offered great performance but less character, the AJP8 in the Cerbera was great because it was from that same era.

I disagree. The Rover V8 is nice to drive, but it gives up where the Speed Six gets going. The big six has a very obvious character, just not the same one as the Rover V8. The Rover V8 would be a complete let-down in a Sagaris or a Tuscan, whereas the Speed Six doesn't really suit the classic sportscar character of the Chimaera overall.

Ok fair comment, maybe that is why Furnhurst can't sell the Chimaera Speed 6 - based on a tamora, which they have had for sale for well over a year now? But a V8 growl is more characterful to listen to at least that the speed 6 rasp! Or it could be because a decent Chim is just nicer than a Tamora in Chim clothing, come to think of it, nicer than any Tamora because of the RV8 - My opinion I know and having only driven a chim, poss a little biased
I agree that the Tuscan + Sagaris would not suit the RV8 engines though.

[Bobhon]

3 TVR's, V6S, V8S and now a Tamora over 8 years. Only ever left on the side of the road once when an injector in the V8 stuck wide open. The previous owner had left it in a garage for 6 years doing 10 miles a year to and from the MOT station.

So TVR reliability is absolutely great as far as I am concerned. Also supports that driving them regularly makes them more reliable.

I have loved every one of my TVR's and the camaraderie amongst the owners is absolutely great. I can't think of another c£20K car that I would want to swap my Tamora for.

Bob

[pwd95]

9 TVR's over 12 yrs. Used 3 of them as daily drivers for a total of 5+ yrs. Only time I was recovered was when I put BP Ultimate Deisel in instead of BP Ultimate Petrol.

The Chim/Griff cars are as reliable as any other car, probably more so with their tried & tested mechanicals... (Ford, Rover, Vauxhall etc) Ford Sierra wheel bearings & Brakes, Rover/Range Rover V8 engines etc. One of the worlds best kept secrets IMHO.

Enjoy while the prices are sill reasonable.

[Dave4490]

Dammit Bob, it was pretty much that speech that made me buy my Tamora! Only failure I've had in mine so far was a Vauxhall part...

So glad to hear plenty of others enjoying their TVRs, I can't get enough of mine; the sound, steering response, slick gearshift, the sound, silky smooth ride, gorgeous pedals, amazing sound etc etc. Even my neighbours like it! Find it surprisingly easy to drive too, maybe I need another hundred bhp or so

O/P, need the tale of the road trip when you've done it!

[Bobhon]

Dave4490 said:

Dammit Bob, it was pretty much that speech that made me buy my Tamora! Only failure I've had in mine so far was a Vauxhall part...

So glad to hear plenty of others enjoying their TVRs, I can't get enough of mine; the sound, steering response, slick gearshift, the sound, silky smooth ride, gorgeous pedals, amazing sound etc etc. Even my neighbours like it! Find it surprisingly easy to drive too, maybe I need another hundred bhp or so

O/P, need the tale of the road trip when you've done it!

You said 'sound' twice, but that was probably on purpose.
V6 sounded great, V8 had a lovely burble, Speed 6 sounds really angry above 3,500 rpm. All different, all lovely to hear.

When is this c**p weather going to end so that we can just get them out for a run?

Glad to hear that your Tammy is still giving so much pleasure.

Bob

[EddyP]

They certainly are good fun!

And at the moment I personally think a great investment, so I got this 500 last year:



It's only let me down once, and that was the hot start issue, a lot of people install a relay and things to get around this, however the root cause of the fault was TVR wiring the starter solenoid through the wrong circuit on the immobiliser. The immobiliser has two channels, and each channel has a different current rating, so the correct fix is to change the immobiliser unit and swap the wires over at the same time.

Looking forward to the weather improving so I can wake the neighbors up.

[CABC]

EddyP said:

They certainly are good fun!

And at the moment I personally think a great investment, so I got this 500 last year:



It's only let me down once, and that was the hot start issue, a lot of people install a relay and things to get around this, however the root cause of the fault was TVR wiring the starter solenoid through the wrong circuit on the immobiliser. The immobiliser has two channels, and each channel has a different current rating, so the correct fix is to change the immobiliser unit and swap the wires over at the same time.

Looking forward to the weather improving so I can wake the neighbors up.

oooh!
is that a matt , or 'silk', paint finish?

[rpla102]

EddyP,

I agree, picked up mine in Oct 15.

EddyP said:

They certainly are good fun!

And at the moment I personally think a great investment, so I got this 500 last year:



It's only let me down once, and that was the hot start issue, a lot of people install a relay and things to get around this, however the root cause of the fault was TVR wiring the starter solenoid through the wrong circuit on the immobiliser. The immobiliser has two channels, and each channel has a different current rating, so the correct fix is to change the immobiliser unit and swap the wires over at the same time.

Looking forward to the weather improving so I can wake the neighbors up.

[Dalto123]

My Dad recently picked up his 400 Chimaera (October last year) having sold his Boxster S. It's so much more of an event to drive and feels like a more 'special' weekend car.

Reliability wise the only two minor thing to have gone wrong were fuse related (a good reminder to have a few spare) - But it has never failed to start.

My car is having some work done on it tomorrow by a garage. I'm secretly hoping that I won't have it over the weekend so that I can steal the keys to the TVR

[DonkeyApple]

Danattheopticians said:

Ok fair comment, maybe that is why Furnhurst can't sell the Chimaera Speed 6 - based on a tamora, which they have had for sale for well over a year now? But a V8 growl is more characterful to listen to at least that the speed 6 rasp! Or it could be because a decent Chim is just nicer than a Tamora in Chim clothing, come to think of it, nicer than any Tamora because of the RV8 - My opinion I know and having only driven a chim, poss a little biased
I agree that the Tuscan + Sagaris would not suit the RV8 engines though.

Although, I suspect it hasn't actually sold purely because the price it wrong. In reality it is worth: Cost of a comparable Tamora, less the cost of reverting it back to a Tamora, plus the dealers cut. So, in reality, a logical price would be a negative number.

[RoverP6B]

The Rover V8 engine, lovely as it is, isn't a patch, as a sports car engine, on the spectacular straight six. Best sports-car engine of the last 20 years at least.

[DonkeyApple]

RoverP6B said:

The Rover V8 engine, lovely as it is, isn't a patch, as a sports car engine, on the spectacular straight six. Best sports-car engine of the last 20 years at least.

Trouble is that you are comparing your experience of the 3500 unit that was set up for hauling big, heavy cars like your P6 and a couple of my Rangies. They are fantastic at that job and plod in top quite happily and are pretty much out of steam at 4000 and won't Rev much above 6.

However, the same block as a 4.3 big valve that was built specifically for a lightweight sports car is a totally different kettle of fish. The power didn't start coming in until 4000 and it would Rev out to 7500. It had the power deliver characteristics of an I6 more than a pushrod v8. It had a more I6 power delivery than any 4.2 Jag engine had and was comparable to early BMW I6 units.

As someone who has owned RV8 powered trucks and sports cars and several other V8 cars and several I6 cars and as someone who far prefers the way an I6 delivers its power and that it suits a sports car much better I can catagorically say that you are wrong and are speaking from an extremely limited experience.

[RoverP6B]

I know that the TVR engines are a different kettle of fish (and my P6 wasn't that heavy, only 1270kg), but no V8 rumble ever comes close to the spine-tingling howl of a straight six coming on cam at 6000-plus...

[DonkeyApple]

RoverP6B said:

I know that the TVR engines are a different kettle of fish (and my P6 wasn't that heavy, only 1270kg), but no V8 rumble ever comes close to the spine-tingling howl of a straight six coming on cam at 6000-plus...

They don't rumble once you've shifted the torque curve out and built it to rev higher and quicker. You can tell a 4.3BV from a 5.0 by the much higher pitch and sharper sound under power. And that is just a simple example of how the old, waffly, pushrod rover V8 can easily be built to give a power delivery much more I6 in style than US V8.

What are the road I6s that come in cam at 6000+?

And if you've not ever heard a 4.3BV how do you know what it actually sounds like?

[Dominic TVRetto]

EddyP said:

It may just be the angle, but the bottom of the "grill opening" on your Chim appear to protrude further out than the leading edge of the bonnet - Cerbera-style (whereas the Chim has the bonnet stick out further than the chin.)

It also seems like the whole bottom "bodywork-bulge" of the nose and the lower portion of the dog-bite protrude further forward than the standard Chim style - again, more Cerb-like...

Always wondered what a Chim would look like with the lower portion protruding further like a Cerb (which looks better IMO) - and it looks great in this photo..!

Do you know if your Chim has had any work done to the front to make it look like this, or is it just caused by the angle the photo was taken at..?

ETA: I think it *IS* a Cerb nose grafted-on, check out the dogbite "sleeves", which only the Cerb has...?


Thanks


Dom

[swisstoni]

It's an underbite.

[RoverP6B]

I have heard the 4.3 TVR engine. Yes, it's a sharper-edged sound than the woofly old Rover, or even the 5.0 TVR, but a straight six it is not, even if it delivers its power more like one. I just love that six-pot yowl. Whether it's a BMW S38, S54 or TVR Speed Six, or more obscure stuff like the W202 C36 AMG or Opel Omega Evo 500... the sound they make as they pass 6000rpm makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck in a way no V8 ever has.

[BogBeast]

My Griff 500 is one of the few cars I miss. Ownership was an experience.

I daily drove it for about 3 years and whilst it had its foibles, it never left me stranded. I would go there again, maybe thinking about a different v8 - maybe a Ford Coyote for that flat plane sound.

Never been that keen on a Chim, a Sag is a itch I would like to scratch.