Buying my first tvr

Buying my first tvr

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michael-87zzv

Original Poster:

92 posts

106 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
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Hi all, new to tvr ownership and the forums here.

I'm looking at a Chimaera here on pistonheads, the cars had plenty of mechanical work over the last few years with most of the usual problems fixed by tvr specialists. the body is a little scruffy but I am a perfectionist. should I be worried if the car looks a little scruffy and will most likely need a new roof in the future. the car is £11000 1999. according to receipts its had at least 7/8k spent on mechanicals including the outriggers.

the body isn't too bad and has been painted at some point but has chips on the door edges and things like that.

Any advise greatfully received.
Mike

medieval

1,499 posts

210 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
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To be be honest Mike they will all pick up a few marks and it is somewhat expected to see some roadrash to the frontal area plus marks here and there but if the chassis is good, the service history strong and it runs well the still worth considering.

Just factor any improvement costs into your buying and enjoy

Good luck

Edited by medieval on Wednesday 27th May 20:32

medieval

1,499 posts

210 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
To be be honest Mike they will all pick up a few marks and it is somewhat expected to see some roadrash to the frontal area plus marks here and there but if the chassis is good, the service history strong and it runs well the still worth considering.

Just factor any improvement costs into your buying and enjoy

Good luck

Edited by medieval on Wednesday 27th May 20:41

sapper

1,133 posts

204 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
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Everyone will tell you to buy on condition. The one your looking at has a good history and new outriggers that's a massive plus, shows someone has looks after it. Plus a new clutch plus a few other bits id say its defiantly worth a look.

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
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You don't mention the mileage. Don't think in terms of diesel dailies where mileage is concerned with TVRs. Low mileage is under 2000 miles a year, medium is 2000 to 4000, high is over 4000 miles a year. High mileage cars will be quite a bit cheaper.

if you link us to the advert we can give you an opinion on the car and its price. We may even know the car. We won't nick your prospective purchase - if we were going to, we would have done it already!

But most of all, try to buy a car that is how you want it. You say you are a perfectionist, so get a car that is perfect in the things that matter to you. Putting a car right to your own requirements will always cost more than buying it right in the first place. 85-90% of today's TVR owners are polishers, not drivers, hence why the TVR car club gets 650 cars along to a car show, but only 40 to the one TVR track day of the year. Which means that when an arch polisher decides to sell, the car will be spot on.

And prices are 15-20% lower after 1st October, when the summer's fun is over and the polisher puts his car away for the winter.

michael-87zzv

Original Poster:

92 posts

106 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
Thanks Medieval. My thinking was that as long as mechanicals are sound, the chassis seems strong and it will be MOTed as a condition of me buying it.

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
sapper said:
Everyone will tell you to buy on condition. The one your looking at has a good history and new outriggers that's a massive plus, shows someone has looks after it. Plus a new clutch plus a few other bits id say its defiantly worth a look.
Sorry Sapper - I think everything you say is correct, new outriggers are a £2000 plus, but corroded outriggers are an MOT fail on structural integrity, so are not an indication of the owner's care, more of necessity.
The exact age of the car is the key here - the later cars suffered from poor painting when the factory took the job in house so are more prone to requiring new outriggers. My 1999 car had to have them done in 2013, plus a new clutch at 73,000 miles - the old one was only any use as a frizbee. laugh

michael-87zzv

Original Poster:

92 posts

106 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
sapper said:
Everyone will tell you to buy on condition. The one your looking at has a good history and new outriggers that's a massive plus, shows someone has looks after it. Plus a new clutch plus a few other bits id say its defiantly worth a look.

Did you mean has it had a new clutch? as ive not said it had one!

michael-87zzv

Original Poster:

92 posts

106 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
heres a link.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...

Obviously I don't want to offend the owner if he is reading this but the car is a 30th birthday present so want to be sure.

Thanks

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
I think he, like me, has looked on Classifieds and we have both seen a car that we think is the one you mean, and it has had a new clutch etc.
From this far away that looks to me to be a nice car. If you turn out to be an "it's got to be original" type, then the light conversion will be a definite no-no. Personally, I would pay good money for that conversion.....

TVRJAS

2,391 posts

128 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
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The only way of getting an unmarked car is one that's just been painted and covered no miles. These cars do somehow like to pick up road rash scars.

When I bought mine almost 2 years ago the specialists had given it a front end blow in to get rid of all the previous stone chips.(It looked immaculate)

Within a few 100 miles "DINK" "DINK" and to my horror when polishing it noticed two fresh stone chip marks. Couple of 1'000 miles later and probably 20 stone chips,12k later and to many to count cry

You can drive yourself insane trying to keep it immaculate so now my outlook as much as it hurts is to ignore it and as and when it really gets unbearable for my eyes is to have the front repainted again.

The car you are interested in has the benefit of having outriggers done and this is a far better attribute than a few marks showing as those outriggers should now last many many years,but a freshly painted immaculate car won't stay like that for many many years if you intend on actually driving the car which is what it was made for.

Many specialists knocking around that can fit a new roof as and when you think it needs doing,although the advert does say it's already had a new rear screen and from the pictures the roof looks ok to my eyes.(But pictures don't always tell the full story)

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
Right - it is that one. Don't worry about Sapper and me - he has a fantastic Crystal Verde car which he has supercharged and is in immaculate, showroom condition. I'd buy his like a shot if he ever decided to sell it. I am a serial track-dayer and have a £10,000 (3 years ago) 1999 4 litre car that i have modified to be a 5 litre track day car at great expense, including engine, clutch, outriggers, roll cage, bigger brakes etc etc etc. No danger of us buying your target car.

if you can live with the cosmetics, or get them seen to, that car looks from the advert to have had plenty of mechanical good done to it by an owner was cares. Good reason for the sale too. As a 99 car it would have been due for clutch and outriggers by now. You will be surprised how quick even the 4 litre is.

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
Jason is right - they mark easily. Car paint on fibreglass is not as hard as on sheet metal because it cannot be baked at as high a temperature, so it stays softer. Plus TVR in their wisdom painted their dark blue cars with a white base coat.......in the words of Homer Simpson ....."DOH" furious

michael-87zzv

Original Poster:

92 posts

106 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
I was expecting some wear on the body and yes it will be driven don't worry. my partner is buying the car so have to get what pleases her also. the roof isnt too bad just coming away behind the behind the passenger window which as it happens has a small gap towards the rear. is there any adjustment available?

Thanks

michael-87zzv

Original Poster:

92 posts

106 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
Thanks all for you help I'll show the wife now what you've said.

Thanks again.

TVRJAS

2,391 posts

128 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
DOH!! indeed Anthony yes

TJC46

2,147 posts

205 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
michael-87zzv said:
heres a link.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...

Obviously I don't want to offend the owner if he is reading this but the car is a 30th birthday present so want to be sure.

Thanks
Reading the ad, the car looks ok. Would have thought the seller would have had a few more pics, especially of the chassis with the outriggers done etc.

Not a fan of the front end, and did the seller have this done by choice?

A lot of these cars have mods like this done, after the car has had some kind of accident damage.

Front end suits the more modern T-Cars, but not the Chimaera....I.M.H.O

I would keep looking, 11k should buy you a very nice car.

J400GED

1,202 posts

236 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
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TJC46 said:
Reading the ad, the car looks ok. Would have thought the seller would have had a few more pics, especially of the chassis with the outriggers done etc.

Not a fan of the front end, and did the seller have this done by choice?

A lot of these cars have mods like this done, after the car has had some kind of accident damage.

Front end suits the more modern T-Cars, but not the Chimaera....I.M.H.O

I would keep looking, 11k should buy you a very nice car.
^^^^^ what he said. Also try to find out who did the outrigger work and if the outriggers were replaced or repaired. Also whether they were replaced with the body removed or just raised 4 inches or so.

portzi

2,296 posts

174 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
J400GED said:
TJC46 said:
Reading the ad, the car looks ok. Would have thought the seller would have had a few more pics, especially of the chassis with the outriggers done etc.

Not a fan of the front end, and did the seller have this done by choice?

A lot of these cars have mods like this done, after the car has had some kind of accident damage.

Front end suits the more modern T-Cars, but not the Chimaera....I.M.H.O

I would keep looking, 11k should buy you a very nice car.
^^^^^ what he said. Also try to find out who did the outrigger work and if the outriggers were replaced or repaired. Also whether they were replaced with the body removed or just raised 4 inches or so.
Again all of the above. Its hard to fully weld with the body on as it is Impossible to get the mig torch in. You really need to get the car up on a ramp locally and give it a really thorough inspection, if he has got photos of the work then that is OK.

QBee

20,904 posts

143 months

Sunday 24th May 2015
quotequote all
If you mean the hood is coming away at the bottom of the rear of the side window, that is quite common. To lower the rear targa section fully you need to release both the inner and outer velcro strips from the body, and whether you do this or not, it tends to put strain on the bit that has come loose.
There is a little adjustment available, but like many things on a Chimaera, it requires patience, bad language and long thin hands to reach the awkwardly placed nuts/bolts.
You wait until you decide to replace your own exhaust manifold gaskets for the first time - the air will be bluer than over-fuelling exhaust fumes or Lewis Hamilton's language back in the MacLaren garage this evening! Yes, that blue! yikes