Malaysian Factory?

[NZ fan]

Hi all, can anyone tell me when the Malaysian factory started production of the chimaera? My car (japan import 1995) doesn't seem to have any of the hot climate mods that the Malaysian cars appear to have. i.e. No oil cooler or slots to let air into it if it was there. It does have a heater (did the Malaysian cars actually not have a heater?). Bonnet vents, I understand all the later cars all had larger bonnet vents but my car is the only Chimaera I have ever seen in the flesh so have nothing to gauge this on. Not life or death stuff but would just be nice to know a bit more about the history of my car. Cheers

[K4TRV]

Hi, Here's an extract from the TVR Club's front page:

......In an attempt to search out new export markets, in 1998 TVR opened a new factory in Port Kelang, just outside Kuala Lumpar Malaysia. This factory produced only Chimaeras and whilst there was a burgeoning home market for them in Malaysia, most of their production went overseas to Australia, Japan and |south Africa. Interestingly, some were even alleged to have been shipped back to UK to meet the growing demand in the European market.

Here's the linky to that page for further reading/History etc?:http://www.tvr-car-club.co.uk/about_tvr.asp

Looks like you have a UK car?

Hope that helps?

T

[NZ fan]

Thanks for that Trevor, good to know. Looks like the company has had a chequered past (more so than I realised) maybe there is still hope in the hands of Les Edgar?

[mr shifty]

Is anything known about the numbers produced at the Malaysian factory?

[BarnFind]

Could be wrong but i thought Malaysian cars only had the Imola wheel option,i see you have Estorils

[swisstoni]

IIRC the Malaysian cars were started after the facelift. I would guess that you have a UK export car.

[V8 GRF]

BarnFind said:

Could be wrong but i thought Malaysian cars only had the Imola wheel option,i see you have Estorils

Since when have you ever seen a 'standard' TVR?

[NZ fan]

Thanks for the responses guys. Re. The Estorils my car is a 500 and I understood they were standard for the car. Looks like my car is in fact a UK car as it was built before the Malaysian factory opend. I too wonder how many cars were built in Malasia and also did the simply assemble cars there or did they actually weld up the chassis and lay the fibreglass body,s etc. on site?

[glow worm]

You may find this old thread of interest http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[BarnFind]

NZ fan said:

Thanks for the responses guys. Re. The Estorils my car is a 500 and I understood they were standard for the car. Looks like my car is in fact a UK car as it was built before the Malaysian factory opend. I too wonder how many cars were built in Malasia and also did the simply assemble cars there or did they actually weld up the chassis and lay the fibreglass body,s etc. on site?

I also remember that the 5 litre was not built in Malaysia

[dazee]

BarnFind said:

I also remember that the 5 litre was not built in Malaysia

So my 500 with the TVR Japan badge was built in the UK and shipped all the way over here.

Tis a tangled web of TVR history....

[NZ fan]

Tell me more Darren, does your tvr have a Malaysian vin plate or has it got a tvr japan dealer badge like mine?

[dazee]

Has the badge the same as yours, not sure how you identify the Malaysian VIN plate, but do have this under the hood.

[V8 GRF]

BarnFind said:

NZ fan said:

Thanks for the responses guys. Re. The Estorils my car is a 500 and I understood they were standard for the car. Looks like my car is in fact a UK car as it was built before the Malaysian factory opend. I too wonder how many cars were built in Malasia and also did the simply assemble cars there or did they actually weld up the chassis and lay the fibreglass body,s etc. on site?

I also remember that the 5 litre was not built in Malaysia

They built the whole car there. Apparently the first ones were rubbish but once they got their act together they built pretty decent cars. I believe the first bodies weighed way too much as they used much heavier lay-up.

[NZ fan]

dazee said:

Has the badge the same as yours, not sure how you identify the Malaysian VIN plate, but do have this under the hood.

This pic. Of a Malaysian vin plate is on the TVR Car Club site I,m guessing they all got one like this but who knows?

[dazee]

Maybe mine did come from England then. Mine says "TVR Engineering Limited Blackpool England"

Maybe someone can enlighten us if there is a way to know for sure.