Which engine size should I go for?
Discussion
I have been looking for a chim. I test drove a 4.5 and was blown away. My question is. I want to spend around 17k and would love a 5 ltr. A friend of a friend has a 93L 4.0 ltr from new he wants to sell, its done 13K and I know has been pampered. He tells me it has a floppy dif but will find out how much to fix. With such a low millage is it worth a look. Does anyone have a rough idea what I should pay. I must say my heart wants a newer facelift 5 ltr but my wallet is disagreeing. Do the early ones have more potential problem.
Help.
Vince
Help.
Vince
I paid £16.5k for a 98R 450 six months ago so there are cars in your price range. You do need to look hard though and be careful and cool headed. The general concensus is that something thats been well used will be less troublesome than a low miler but its not automatic. Look on this website and autotrader.co.uk to get an idea or prices. I cannot comment on a 5l but the 450 has more than enough power to scare the life out of me and unless you are use to something very powerful a 4l will put an equally big grin (look of sheer terror) on your face. Happy hunting.
Not meaning to be funny but having owned a few Tiv's currently a Chim 400 (non pas) as used every day,having had a 5.0L it was a fantastic car and probably my fav even more than the Tuscan,it was great for the weekend but not as an everyday car as it over heated and was crap in traffic (very lumpy idle)the 4.0l has been the best allround for me, it bmainly depends on when you are going to use it and how much you want to spend. One point however I have never bought a low milage Tiv for two reasons 1. As the previous post says they generally take a couple of years and a few thousand miles to sort themselves out and 2nd If you look at many of the other posts on this site you will find that many of the spedo's get stuck esp at 9999 miles or just stop when they feel like it (its happened to three of my cars) so very low milage cars can be very very dubious 93L 15K doesen't sound too genuine but I may be completely wrong if you have known this car since 93 then I am sure you will have a good idea about the milage just beware !!
And finally I wouldn't buy one without a Tiv warranty what ever (they are are availabile after purchase even a private purchase one on some cars if you want details just let me know) costs can be scary i.e just had new reversing light switch part £1.90 labour £145 (as you have to take the exhaust off to get to it) all under warranty thank the lord. Sorry to sound a bit negative but you may as well be realistic from the start !!! Having said all that I couldnt live with out one now !!!
And finally I wouldn't buy one without a Tiv warranty what ever (they are are availabile after purchase even a private purchase one on some cars if you want details just let me know) costs can be scary i.e just had new reversing light switch part £1.90 labour £145 (as you have to take the exhaust off to get to it) all under warranty thank the lord. Sorry to sound a bit negative but you may as well be realistic from the start !!! Having said all that I couldnt live with out one now !!!
Have had a '98 450 Chimaera for about two months now, having tested 400's/450's and 500's (including Griff's). The 450 felt the best sorted car of the bunch and the best 'all-rounder' as far as pace and day-to-day practicality is concerned (i.e town driving). I didn't notice the 500 being significantly quicker than the 450 over a set distance. When you talk of fractions of a second 0-60 times between the 500 and 450, I think the the way the car has been cared for, serviced and most importantly driven, can make that gap almost dissapear.
I agree with one of the previous posts -get a warranty - and preferably a 24 month one. Also don't expect 'German' build quality either. My daily driver is a BMW 325i Coupe which is a whole planet apart as far as build quality and detail are concerned - but it hasn't the same grunt, noise or driver involvement as the TVR. I love the car, and it puts a big grin on my face every time I take it out! Don't let the numbers stamped on the engine be the only factor. Look at lots of cars and test drive them all. A whole host of things will sway your final decision...colour, condition, service history, price, warranty etc, etc. When all those boxes are ticked you may well be sat in a 400. All the TVR's are quick and totally addictive - good luck with your search!
I agree with one of the previous posts -get a warranty - and preferably a 24 month one. Also don't expect 'German' build quality either. My daily driver is a BMW 325i Coupe which is a whole planet apart as far as build quality and detail are concerned - but it hasn't the same grunt, noise or driver involvement as the TVR. I love the car, and it puts a big grin on my face every time I take it out! Don't let the numbers stamped on the engine be the only factor. Look at lots of cars and test drive them all. A whole host of things will sway your final decision...colour, condition, service history, price, warranty etc, etc. When all those boxes are ticked you may well be sat in a 400. All the TVR's are quick and totally addictive - good luck with your search!
Just a note about overheating and slow traffic driving.
They all vary it seems. Mine is very well behaved in traffic, idling smoothy at around 1000rpm, and without much in the way of snatch, even pootling in gear at those revs. Overheating has never been an issue, and I've trickled it around london, in summer, in the rush hour.
I guess the key is to look around until you find one that behaves.
They all vary it seems. Mine is very well behaved in traffic, idling smoothy at around 1000rpm, and without much in the way of snatch, even pootling in gear at those revs. Overheating has never been an issue, and I've trickled it around london, in summer, in the rush hour.
I guess the key is to look around until you find one that behaves.
I tend to agree with Onlyme in that I have a 4.0 and I want a 5.0. But it also depends on how much skill you have in controlling a car with that much power...... They can be 
Mine doesn`t overheat in Traffic but it does get a bit uppity at 1500 or less revs ( idles happily at 1000 tho )
Mine doesn`t overheat in Traffic but it does get a bit uppity at 1500 or less revs ( idles happily at 1000 tho )
My advice is buy the best deal that you can find, whatever engine size. For me that was a later 4. If you really feel that you are lacking power with a 4 then you must have some very fast roads near you, or be keen on track days! And as for the common comment of "you'll always regret not buying a 5", if you really feel this, what's wrong with trading it in later - it's not a one-off lifetime decision you know!
I bought a 99 T 4.0 from Adrian Blyth recently, has around 11,5K on the clock and is etremely tidy. It certainly has plenty of power for me currently, if I ever feel I need more I could trade to a older 5, but I don't see that day coming soon...
Cheers
Ian
I bought a 99 T 4.0 from Adrian Blyth recently, has around 11,5K on the clock and is etremely tidy. It certainly has plenty of power for me currently, if I ever feel I need more I could trade to a older 5, but I don't see that day coming soon...
Cheers
Ian
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