Chimaera - everyday car?
Discussion
craig,
you're absolutely right. this has been asked before
have a look through or do a search, i'm a bit bored with answering this one, and somebody asked about a week or two ago.
not a very good welcome, but welcome all the same
look for cost of ownership and every day car. or just look at my profile and look at my replies.
cheers!
you're absolutely right. this has been asked before
have a look through or do a search, i'm a bit bored with answering this one, and somebody asked about a week or two ago.
not a very good welcome, but welcome all the same
look for cost of ownership and every day car. or just look at my profile and look at my replies.
cheers!
I've used mine on and off as an only car, and an everyday car but I've got nowhere near that kind of mileage 
As long as he's aware of the costs the car 'should' cope with it, but remember it's 6000 mile service intervals and each one is going to cost on average £400 then most people have limited mileage insurance policies and he's going to get a loading doing 20k a year, buyers, in my opinon wrongly, like low mileage cars so he's going to take a hit on resale with TVR 'normal' mileage cars being about 5k a year.
I'm not trying to put anyone off but he's got to go into this with his eyes open and know it's not going to be cheap
As long as he's aware of the costs the car 'should' cope with it, but remember it's 6000 mile service intervals and each one is going to cost on average £400 then most people have limited mileage insurance policies and he's going to get a loading doing 20k a year, buyers, in my opinon wrongly, like low mileage cars so he's going to take a hit on resale with TVR 'normal' mileage cars being about 5k a year.
I'm not trying to put anyone off but he's got to go into this with his eyes open and know it's not going to be cheap
Keeping up the servicing will be ££ but i did exactly this for two years doing 18k a year, and the chim was not only reliable but an obvious joy to look forward to each morning on the way to work and back home at the end of the day.....and lots of attention. The usual issues such as avoiding traffic jams etc etc but on the whole a much better experience than driving a box and probably the best way to get max enjoyment out of the Tiv.
The only con would be that you will not be able to return to hum-drum cars after prolonged exposure to everyday TVR driving.
The only con would be that you will not be able to return to hum-drum cars after prolonged exposure to everyday TVR driving.
I've been using my Chimaera for just over 5 months and have done around 12K miles! This is a combination of daily 5 mile commute to work, two 230 mile journeys each week + summer caning about. So far so good & it gets more fun every day. I reckon that so long as you can afford the insurance loading, depreciation, fuel/oil/tyres etc & frequency of servicing then there's nothing more to stop you.
Hav`nt played with the snow and ice yet but as an everyday car, it`s perfect for me.Mine will be around 8 thousand a year mileage tho.
Going to work and driving home has never been so much fun.Just check all the necessary bits regularly and keep eyes and ears open.That`s gonna be my philosiphy.
I,like a fellow ph`er have done the school run too.I do in fact have two kids so in effect it`s two school runs but who`s counting!
Have fun.
Al
Going to work and driving home has never been so much fun.Just check all the necessary bits regularly and keep eyes and ears open.That`s gonna be my philosiphy.
I,like a fellow ph`er have done the school run too.I do in fact have two kids so in effect it`s two school runs but who`s counting!
Have fun.
Al
We got our Chim in about february with the intent of using it as an everyday car.
My other half drives to her office in a Megan.
I use a van.
After a week of my girlfriend driving the Chim, she had had enough. Find its noisy & hot in traffic. Everyone tries to race her. And on bad traffic days finds everything to heavy (steering, clutch, handbrake).
I could use the car for visiting customers when i dont need tools etc, but it gives wrong idea to new buisness.
That leaves weekends and days out when the rest of the family dont need to go.
So it sits there.
My other half drives to her office in a Megan.
I use a van.
After a week of my girlfriend driving the Chim, she had had enough. Find its noisy & hot in traffic. Everyone tries to race her. And on bad traffic days finds everything to heavy (steering, clutch, handbrake).
I could use the car for visiting customers when i dont need tools etc, but it gives wrong idea to new buisness.
That leaves weekends and days out when the rest of the family dont need to go.
So it sits there.
Having mine since 8k miles(mostly summer-sunny condition) I must admit that I just bought a second car simply for cost reasons. Calculating all costs inmo it is cheaper to buy a less costy winter car. It isn't fun driving a TVR in heavy rain (even it's from the island ) or snow anyway and calculating the cost of winter tyres etc will bring you to buy a cheap one for wintertime.
regards from Switzerland
) or snow anyway and calculating the cost of winter tyres etc will bring you to buy a cheap one for wintertime. regards from Switzerland
Got a 5ltr in December. It's my only car, and I've used it in a variety of places and conditions.
In London, it was mainly at weekends, for sort shopping trips and (too infrequent) trips out. It coped well, with no heat or other problems even in stand-still traffic. Unless you turn it off to "keep the heat down", that is, when the starter won't work until it's really cooled off.
In Devon, in January's snow and ice, it varied between scary and a nightmare. There's so much torque that you'll need to be a significantly better driver than most (including me) to get it to go up even a gentle incline on *real* ice. But then every other car was in a bit of trouble, too, so that isn't shocking.
I'm now driving about 40 miles a day to and from Edinburgh, and that's working well, too.
You do need to think about cost, though. Even being quite light-footed, it'll cost you 18p/mile for petrol, 8p/mile for basic servicing (dealership, ish), probably as much again for bits that need replacing (wear & tear), and insurance according to the phase of the moon. Then there's depreciation: keep it forever and it won't matter, but otherwise it could be a killer.
Even at 40p/mile company mileage allowance I'm still losing out financially. On the other hand, I drove a VW Boring (Turbo Diesel) for a week when it was in for service, and the Chim is worth every penny.
In London, it was mainly at weekends, for sort shopping trips and (too infrequent) trips out. It coped well, with no heat or other problems even in stand-still traffic. Unless you turn it off to "keep the heat down", that is, when the starter won't work until it's really cooled off.
In Devon, in January's snow and ice, it varied between scary and a nightmare. There's so much torque that you'll need to be a significantly better driver than most (including me) to get it to go up even a gentle incline on *real* ice. But then every other car was in a bit of trouble, too, so that isn't shocking.
I'm now driving about 40 miles a day to and from Edinburgh, and that's working well, too.
You do need to think about cost, though. Even being quite light-footed, it'll cost you 18p/mile for petrol, 8p/mile for basic servicing (dealership, ish), probably as much again for bits that need replacing (wear & tear), and insurance according to the phase of the moon. Then there's depreciation: keep it forever and it won't matter, but otherwise it could be a killer.
Even at 40p/mile company mileage allowance I'm still losing out financially. On the other hand, I drove a VW Boring (Turbo Diesel) for a week when it was in for service, and the Chim is worth every penny.
This is interesting...
I'm currently looking at buying either a Chimaera or Cerbera (decisions, decisions).
The running costs listed above are not that frightening.
I currently run a 300zx and the figures look very similar. I have tried the search facility but it returns an error, probabally because I'm using a mac. but does anyone have any links or more detailed break down or running costs?
I rather fancy the idea of a lovely V8 without turbo lag and a chain timing belt!
Can't wait to try the Zed and TVR one after the other as they are such different beasts but from friend's experience they are quite equally matched in many ways.
Tim
I'm currently looking at buying either a Chimaera or Cerbera (decisions, decisions).
The running costs listed above are not that frightening.
I currently run a 300zx and the figures look very similar. I have tried the search facility but it returns an error, probabally because I'm using a mac. but does anyone have any links or more detailed break down or running costs?
I rather fancy the idea of a lovely V8 without turbo lag and a chain timing belt!
Can't wait to try the Zed and TVR one after the other as they are such different beasts but from friend's experience they are quite equally matched in many ways.
Tim
PhilipC said:
Got a 5ltr in December. Then there's depreciation: keep it forever and it won't matter, but otherwise it could be a killer.
Ummmm, there must be something wrong here. Tivs don't depreciate - well not much anyway. I can honestly say that mine has probably depreciated less than anything I can think of.
I'd say they depreciate quite a bit!
Take a look at tuscan prices - £25000 for a year 2000 model. Also 6 year old Griffith/Chimaera for about £17000.
However, if you buy a chimaera at about £15k or less, you can be pretty sure that it's resale vale will be just marginally less in a year or two.
All based on prices on Autotrader and the for sale ads on PH
Take a look at tuscan prices - £25000 for a year 2000 model. Also 6 year old Griffith/Chimaera for about £17000.
However, if you buy a chimaera at about £15k or less, you can be pretty sure that it's resale vale will be just marginally less in a year or two.
All based on prices on Autotrader and the for sale ads on PH
Been using my 98 4ltr for the commute for 5 months and no problems at all. The 6000 services come round fairly fast but for the first time ever its actually pleasurable going to work.
My wife takes the Chim one day a week when I need to transport a drum kit and she looks forward to it.
No problems with other road users; in fact I always get let out in traffic.
Things to ensure is that you have no cooling problems and that you are OK with the clutch which some find heavy. I found the 400 more tractable in traffic than the 500 I briefly tried but 500 owners are better placed to comment on that.
Id say if you are aware of the costs its no problem and TVRs get better when frequently used, V8 burble...top down.
Then again you could always drive a box.......
My wife takes the Chim one day a week when I need to transport a drum kit and she looks forward to it.
No problems with other road users; in fact I always get let out in traffic.
Things to ensure is that you have no cooling problems and that you are OK with the clutch which some find heavy. I found the 400 more tractable in traffic than the 500 I briefly tried but 500 owners are better placed to comment on that.
Id say if you are aware of the costs its no problem and TVRs get better when frequently used, V8 burble...top down.
Then again you could always drive a box.......
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