Me again... 19 Year old going for a Chim...
Discussion
I posted a while back that I was determined to get a Chim as my next car once I have my 1 years NCB, that is now only 3 months away and I still have not stopped browsing the classifieds everyday.
In my last post I said I was getting quoted around £2600, I then realised I had my dad selected as the main driver all this time...
BUT, after playing around a bit more I have managed to be quoted £2100 only thing being it is Third Party Fire And Theft.. If I was to do comprehensive I would have to fork out £6000. Personally I would be fine paying the £2100 and have it on Third Party insurance, but that's probably just because I'm too obsessed with TVR's to really care/think about the consequences.
My question to you is, is this really a sensible option? I am an extremely careful driver, I have to be as I have a black box fitted to my car but even if I was not to have the box fitted I know my limits and would only really put my foot down if conditions were right (if that makes sense.).
Getting a Chim would mean it would be my daily driver and be used on my 2 mile commute to work!
Would I be better getting a low mileage (say around 20,000) or a higher mileage Chim? I have heard that in some cases its better to get one that has been used a bit more as you know it has been maintained and has not sat for long periods of time.
Am I insane..?
In my last post I said I was getting quoted around £2600, I then realised I had my dad selected as the main driver all this time...
BUT, after playing around a bit more I have managed to be quoted £2100 only thing being it is Third Party Fire And Theft.. If I was to do comprehensive I would have to fork out £6000. Personally I would be fine paying the £2100 and have it on Third Party insurance, but that's probably just because I'm too obsessed with TVR's to really care/think about the consequences.
My question to you is, is this really a sensible option? I am an extremely careful driver, I have to be as I have a black box fitted to my car but even if I was not to have the box fitted I know my limits and would only really put my foot down if conditions were right (if that makes sense.).
Getting a Chim would mean it would be my daily driver and be used on my 2 mile commute to work!
Would I be better getting a low mileage (say around 20,000) or a higher mileage Chim? I have heard that in some cases its better to get one that has been used a bit more as you know it has been maintained and has not sat for long periods of time.
Am I insane..?
It's not going to get warm on your commute, not the best scenario for any car.
It's great to hear you're so enthusiastic about TVR's, but to be realistic for a 19 year old, inexperienced driver the insurance is a killer.
Here's a thought.
Is there anyway you can afford to buy a cheap TVR and a trailer, and have a daily driver shed capable of towing it?
You could avoid the insane road insurance costs and use it for trackdays ....
£2100 buys a lot of trackday action per year!
It's great to hear you're so enthusiastic about TVR's, but to be realistic for a 19 year old, inexperienced driver the insurance is a killer.
Here's a thought.
Is there anyway you can afford to buy a cheap TVR and a trailer, and have a daily driver shed capable of towing it?
You could avoid the insane road insurance costs and use it for trackdays ....
£2100 buys a lot of trackday action per year!
You don't say if your fully comp quote was on limited mileage per year. I agree with others that a two mile commute is not ideal for a Chim. Have you thought of an old banger for the commute and keep the Chim for weekends, then get a quote for a limited mileage per annum quote for the Chim.
scruggs said:
You don't say if your fully comp quote was on limited mileage per year. I agree with others that a two mile commute is not ideal for a Chim. Have you thought of an old banger for the commute and keep the Chim for weekends, then get a quote for a limited mileage per annum quote for the Chim.
I have considered both options of using a chim as a weekend toy or using my current 2.2 TID Saab to tow it to track days but I simply cannot convince my parents to let me have 2 cars on the drive, they want be to have one car and one car only.I know a 2 miles commute is not ideal for any car but there is an alternate route I sometimes take which is a very nice drive and add's about 8 miles onto my usual journey, still not a lot but then come any days I have off I would be out most of the day whizzing about.
I did think of a benefit of only having a 2 miles commute, that being it's a route I know like the back of my hand and should help with slowly getting used to the car and hopefully see me through another year of driving rather trouble free.
Best of luck but please don't do a 2 mile commute in a Chim. Please buy a bicycle for the commute. It might even lower your insurance if you just do SD&P rather than SD&P plus commuting.
A V8 (or any car) will not be warmed up in this time and you will be doing more bad than good.
A V8 (or any car) will not be warmed up in this time and you will be doing more bad than good.
Edited by A900ss on Wednesday 16th April 21:02
Got to admire your ambition, but have you thought about buying an 's' instead and just cycling to work for the time being? The s is more raw, smaller, very pretty, cheaper to buy - run - insure. A year or two later chop it in for a Chim. You will have had that fast car experience the insurers are so keen on by then, and you will feel you've earned the upgrade.
No offence S owners, I'd love one.
No offence S owners, I'd love one.
Some good ideas coming up here. The TVR 'S' is a worthwhile consideration. My wife has a bike with an electric motor for commuting which takes the hard work out of bicycle commuting.
If you end up going for third party on a Chim perhaps it should not be a top notch example to limit the financial hit should you be responsible for an accident.
If you end up going for third party on a Chim perhaps it should not be a top notch example to limit the financial hit should you be responsible for an accident.
A900ss said:
Best of luck but please don't do a 2 mile commute in a Chim. Please buy a bicycle for the commute. It might even lower your insurance if you just do SD&P rather than SD&P plus commuting.
A V8 (or any car) will not be warmed up in this time and you will be doing more bad than good.
I just tried a quote on just 2000 miles a year on just SD&P and for some reason it was £800 more than SD&P + Commuting?!A V8 (or any car) will not be warmed up in this time and you will be doing more bad than good.
Edited by A900ss on Wednesday 16th April 21:02
MC00K said:
A900ss said:
Best of luck but please don't do a 2 mile commute in a Chim. Please buy a bicycle for the commute. It might even lower your insurance if you just do SD&P rather than SD&P plus commuting.
A V8 (or any car) will not be warmed up in this time and you will be doing more bad than good.
I just tried a quote on just 2000 miles a year on just SD&P and for some reason it was £800 more than SD&P + Commuting?!A V8 (or any car) will not be warmed up in this time and you will be doing more bad than good.
Edited by A900ss on Wednesday 16th April 21:02
Have you tried the specialist brokers excluding commuting?
Might be worth a few phone calls.
Good luck.
I'm 26 and am hoping to take the plunge into Chimaera ownership (should the right one rear its head) at the end of the year.
I too wanted a Chimaera when I was 19, more than anything else and in reality I could have maybe have just about afforded it. However, I would have been over stretching myself and not leaving myself much cash to do other things. This has subsequently lead me to owning a Mk1 Mx5 and 2x E36's and I am glad of the RWD experience and the fun I had abusing them!
Would I have bought a Chimaera at 19 if I had huge pockets....Yes.....am I a tiny bit glad I didn't/couldnt though.......Yes. The Mx5 and E36's taught me alot, I had alot of fun and importantly I will really appreciate owning a Chimaera.
Like somebody said further up, if you can do it then buy all means go for it as life is short, but if you have to wait a little longer (hopefully before your 26!) then don't feel bad just enjoy the wait through other (suitably RWD!!) means!
Just my opinion!
RH
I too wanted a Chimaera when I was 19, more than anything else and in reality I could have maybe have just about afforded it. However, I would have been over stretching myself and not leaving myself much cash to do other things. This has subsequently lead me to owning a Mk1 Mx5 and 2x E36's and I am glad of the RWD experience and the fun I had abusing them!
Would I have bought a Chimaera at 19 if I had huge pockets....Yes.....am I a tiny bit glad I didn't/couldnt though.......Yes. The Mx5 and E36's taught me alot, I had alot of fun and importantly I will really appreciate owning a Chimaera.
Like somebody said further up, if you can do it then buy all means go for it as life is short, but if you have to wait a little longer (hopefully before your 26!) then don't feel bad just enjoy the wait through other (suitably RWD!!) means!
Just my opinion!
RH
Edited by seismic22 on Wednesday 16th April 23:13
I was 20 when I got my first TVR. It was a 1996 LHD Chimaera 500 with 160000 km on the dial and within 18 months I had added another 35000kms. Insurance was a lot cheaper over here in Belgium, but road tax is extremely expensive! At that time one had to pay 5000€ for registration + 2600€ p.a. (Thats 7600€ the first year, and nowadays the registration fee can be twice that amount for a new similar car)
All I want to say is, that it certainly is possible, but there will be lots of manmaths involved.
It wasn't the taxes or insurance that made me sell, but the fact the car was a money pit. During my 18 months of ownership I spent over 11000€ on parts and labour. Sold it to a danish guy and last time I heard, the dial had passed 250000km, without any pproblems at all... In other words, I had payed someone elses restoration...
My current RHD 99 Chimaera 450 has been more or less bulletproof. It needed a lot of love when I acquired it 3 years ago, but since then, it's been flawless. I use both my Chimaera and classic Tuscan for commuting, except when it's snowing. Stretching their legs now and then keeps 'em young! No matter what you do, if you do buy one, use it and enjoy it!
Cheers!
All I want to say is, that it certainly is possible, but there will be lots of manmaths involved.
It wasn't the taxes or insurance that made me sell, but the fact the car was a money pit. During my 18 months of ownership I spent over 11000€ on parts and labour. Sold it to a danish guy and last time I heard, the dial had passed 250000km, without any pproblems at all... In other words, I had payed someone elses restoration...
My current RHD 99 Chimaera 450 has been more or less bulletproof. It needed a lot of love when I acquired it 3 years ago, but since then, it's been flawless. I use both my Chimaera and classic Tuscan for commuting, except when it's snowing. Stretching their legs now and then keeps 'em young! No matter what you do, if you do buy one, use it and enjoy it!
Cheers!
I wouldn't drive any TVR on the road with only 3rd party insurance, they are way too easy to destroy. It's not like a metal car where it will bounce the back end off of the lampost at 20mph or you can hide the damage with a new bumper and headlights if you headbutt someone, the thing will explode and half of the car will be sitting on the floor.
With the price difference in the quotes you are getting I would want a sub £5k car to be making that gamble with
With the price difference in the quotes you are getting I would want a sub £5k car to be making that gamble with
s p a c e m a n said:
I wouldn't drive any TVR on the road with only 3rd party insurance, they are way too easy to destroy. It's not like a metal car where it will bounce the back end off of the lampost at 20mph or you can hide the damage with a new bumper and headlights if you headbutt someone, the thing will explode and half of the car will be sitting on the floor.
With the price difference in the quotes you are getting I would want a sub £5k car to be making that gamble with
Very true, with most 'normal' cars 3rd party is often more expensive than fully comp these days. This is because the insurers have learnt that generally 3rd party policy holders run things on more of a shoestring and are statistically more likely to claim. A TVR however can be expensive to patch up.With the price difference in the quotes you are getting I would want a sub £5k car to be making that gamble with
I got my Chim at 19 years old (am 25 now) and at the time I think I paid £1300 for TPFT, and the next year it went down to £900. Obviously times have changed now and insurance is now a lot more expensive, but i don't see TPFT insurance as being a bad idea. You just have to be prepared to pay for the consequences of your own actions if you have a fault claim.
The one thing I talked myself into at the time though and is worth noting that they do cost a lot to run compared to a 'normal' car. I had a similar commute distance (3 miles) at the time and after reading on here convinced myself a Chimaera would do 25mpg. Easy I thought!
The reality is at that distance to are looking at around 15mpg, and the best thing would really be to cycle to save uneccesary wear and tear. I ended up getting a second car (a $400 Corsa) as it worked out cheaper than running the Chimaera on its own!
Also be prepared to spend the rest of your wages playing about with it and buying upgrades
The one thing I talked myself into at the time though and is worth noting that they do cost a lot to run compared to a 'normal' car. I had a similar commute distance (3 miles) at the time and after reading on here convinced myself a Chimaera would do 25mpg. Easy I thought!
The reality is at that distance to are looking at around 15mpg, and the best thing would really be to cycle to save uneccesary wear and tear. I ended up getting a second car (a $400 Corsa) as it worked out cheaper than running the Chimaera on its own!
Also be prepared to spend the rest of your wages playing about with it and buying upgrades
Edited by AceOfHearts on Thursday 17th April 07:46
Why are you driving to work? 2 miles is an easy cycle, or when weather is bad a good walk with a brolly. As said above the car will soon be dead if you're only driving I that short distance, even your 8 mile trek isn't good. Get a bike, and wait a couple of years then think again.
At 19 years old, don't waste every penny you have on a car, been there and done that and i do regret it somewhat. Admit it as a good few years ago but just my opinion
Whatever you choose to do, enjoy it, I have recently discovered how short life can be.....
At 19 years old, don't waste every penny you have on a car, been there and done that and i do regret it somewhat. Admit it as a good few years ago but just my opinion
Whatever you choose to do, enjoy it, I have recently discovered how short life can be.....
I used to drive to work when I lived just over a mile away, I could walk it in 5 mins. The problem is that 5 extra minutes in bed are valuable and it is impossible to walk and drink coffee at the same time
Honestly though it was the end of the day that did it for me, I could plod home in the dark after 12 hours of work or be home instantly with the kettle and oven on making the dinner that I had been thinking about for the past couple hours
Honestly though it was the end of the day that did it for me, I could plod home in the dark after 12 hours of work or be home instantly with the kettle and oven on making the dinner that I had been thinking about for the past couple hours
As per below. If you can't afford to insure the car fully comprehensive I feel you'd be stretching yourself financially when taking on a Chim.
Yes, I know it's well possible to buy a car for say £8K and run it on a shoestring for a year or two but long-term you'd be putting off the inevitable. All cars will need a chassis outrigger replacement at some point as a minimum (£1,500-2K), a cam replacement (about the same), they'll throw up a tantrum that will take several hours of someone else's time to trace and sort, you may want to sort cosmetic issues at some point to make you feel better about the money you spent thus far, et cetera.
To buy, TVRs are still eminently affordable, to run and enjoy them for any length of time...
Yes, I know it's well possible to buy a car for say £8K and run it on a shoestring for a year or two but long-term you'd be putting off the inevitable. All cars will need a chassis outrigger replacement at some point as a minimum (£1,500-2K), a cam replacement (about the same), they'll throw up a tantrum that will take several hours of someone else's time to trace and sort, you may want to sort cosmetic issues at some point to make you feel better about the money you spent thus far, et cetera.
To buy, TVRs are still eminently affordable, to run and enjoy them for any length of time...
71tuscan said:
I was 20 when I got my first TVR. It was a 1996 LHD Chimaera 500 with 160000 km on the dial and within 18 months I had added another 35000kms. Insurance was a lot cheaper over here in Belgium, but road tax is extremely expensive! At that time one had to pay 5000€ for registration + 2600€ p.a. (Thats 7600€ the first year, and nowadays the registration fee can be twice that amount for a new similar car)
All I want to say is, that it certainly is possible, but there will be lots of manmaths involved.
It wasn't the taxes or insurance that made me sell, but the fact the car was a money pit. During my 18 months of ownership I spent over 11000€ on parts and labour. Sold it to a danish guy and last time I heard, the dial had passed 250000km, without any pproblems at all... In other words, I had payed someone elses restoration...
My current RHD 99 Chimaera 450 has been more or less bulletproof. It needed a lot of love when I acquired it 3 years ago, but since then, it's been flawless. I use both my Chimaera and classic Tuscan for commuting, except when it's snowing. Stretching their legs now and then keeps 'em young! No matter what you do, if you do buy one, use it and enjoy it!
Cheers!
All I want to say is, that it certainly is possible, but there will be lots of manmaths involved.
It wasn't the taxes or insurance that made me sell, but the fact the car was a money pit. During my 18 months of ownership I spent over 11000€ on parts and labour. Sold it to a danish guy and last time I heard, the dial had passed 250000km, without any pproblems at all... In other words, I had payed someone elses restoration...
My current RHD 99 Chimaera 450 has been more or less bulletproof. It needed a lot of love when I acquired it 3 years ago, but since then, it's been flawless. I use both my Chimaera and classic Tuscan for commuting, except when it's snowing. Stretching their legs now and then keeps 'em young! No matter what you do, if you do buy one, use it and enjoy it!
Cheers!
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