RE: PH Fleet: TVR, Lexus and Merc

RE: PH Fleet: TVR, Lexus and Merc

Wednesday 20th July 2011

PH Fleet Update: TVR, Lexus and Merc

New noses, new springs and a starring film role mean a busy time for Garlick's fleet


PHer 'Penfolds' spotted me in London
PHer 'Penfolds' spotted me in London
TVR Chimaera 400: It's been an up and down few months for my beloved TVR. First the 'up': I had booked us onto the PistonHeads/Petrolhead Nirvana Welsh Weekender where we spent 700 trouble free miles driving the best roads Wales has to offer. To say the car performed well would be an understatement; we were never far from the front of the group despite being down on power to many of the other cars, and it never missed a beat throughout.

Now the 'down': on the way home I decided that it wanted a closer look at a car on the M4 and gave a small Toyota hatchback a friendly tap on the bum. It was avoidable, but I didn't avoid it. I locked up and, despite my best efforts to get into the hard shoulder, I did catch it with the front offside. Damage was minimal and I was able to drive home after securing the bonnet, but the resulting repair meant I would be without the car for the six weeks of solid sunshine that appears to have been our summer.

On the way to Le Mans. Remember sunshine?
On the way to Le Mans. Remember sunshine?
To their credit the team at Liphook Coachworks did an amazing job, lavishing great care to the job and delivering me back a car that looks gorgeous. Such is the level of workmanship they will soon be getting the car back to repaint the rest of it too - I might as well have it back to showroom standard before the winter season.  

As a welcome-home treat I drove straight from Liphook to Fernhurst so the chaps could fit a de-cat pipe for me. As I'm now de-catted and sleeved it is rather loud to say the least, but as a car I use for fun it's perfectly acceptable. The Rover V8 has taken on a noise that is more Detroit than Blackpool, prompting a fellow Chimaera owner to speak to me on the ferry to Le Mans to enquire if I had fitted an American big-block into it. Not a bad compliment, really, and it certainly now sounds unlike any other Chimaera I've heard.  

Speaking of Le Mans, the 24 saw me pile another 800 trouble-free miles onto the car as we made the annual pilgrimage to La Sarthe. The roof stayed off all the way down, and we cruised along the back roads avoiding the motorways. The attention TVRs get in Le Mans is extraordinary, there seems to be so much love for the marque in Europe and the smiles, unintelligible comments and waves made the experience all the more enjoyable.

Cosy....excuse the rubbish iPhone pic
Cosy....excuse the rubbish iPhone pic
As I feel the car deserves a treat after my relentless use I have located and rented a garage near to my South West London home. Nowadays the car lives in the garage, under a dust cover awaiting the next jaunt. In fact, I have become rather precious since collecting the keys to the lock up and I'm now loathe to take it out in the wet. The smug feeling of knowing it's safely tucked up as the rain lashes against my window is one I enjoy immensely. Over pampered? Perhaps, but as it's a car I genuinely feel privileged to own I think it's worth it. Next up is the annual service and MOT along with a few pondering thoughts regarding some subtle upgrades. Watch this space.

Mercedes-Benz E220 Estate: The old Merc continues to earn its keep and is used exactly as the manufacturer intended. Having an estate car is hugely practical and over the past few months 'HUC' has taken numerous trips to the local tip, carried bicycles around, helped me move house and has collected large pieces of furniture. It remains my most economical car, too, so it takes me to the odd business meeting and some out of town weekend trips sipping unleaded at around 30mpg.

And who would have thought an ageing workhorse could become a film star? Well that's what happened a few weeks ago when a PHer asked me if I would loan my car to be the star in a short film, and he wasn't kidding either! Here is the finished article:

Garlick's Mercedes in its first film role...

On my driveway (ahem)
On my driveway (ahem)
Lexus LS400: The Japanese Merc continues to impress and I'm settling in nicely. It may not have the instant appeal of an old Benz but over time the LS has found a place in my heart and its the car I use the most. It still provides silent wafting with the merest hint of V8 to remind you that you are in something special.

The efficiency of the car is also shining through as everything still works as it should and the interior manages to cosset in the same way a brand new luxo-barge does. Best of all is the fact that the newly fitted suspension is now well and truly bedded in and this, along with a recent reduction in tyre pressures (after realising they were over-inflated) has seen a gracious ride return. I'll keep this one, largely because it owes me far more than what it's worth! (We've heard that before - Riggers.)

 

Author
Discussion

tonym911

Original Poster:

16,409 posts

204 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Top stuff PG, the true essence of PH - and that short film was great too!

Garlick

40,601 posts

239 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Why thank you Tony smile

wackojacko

8,581 posts

189 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Love it !

Your collection is fantastic, the Chim makes good power for 400 if I remember correctly ?

thumbup

NotNormal

2,357 posts

213 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
A friend had a decat on his Chimaera 500, the noise was stunning and indeed very loud. I drove it a number of times including a trackday at Marham, had a lot of people that day saying the noise as it went past was very impressive so I can relate to your experiences written above smile

dlc74

37 posts

174 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Nice - a great short film too... the Benz looks terrific!

Garlick

40,601 posts

239 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
wackojacko said:
the Chim makes good power for 400 if I remember correctly
smile
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyI...

Turbobanana

6,159 posts

200 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Here's an idea: just for fun, swap the engines of the two V8s around.

Amaze everybody with a near-silent TVR.
Then thunder past in an apocalyptically loud Lexus, popping on the overrun.

Surely the work of an afternoon... wink

touching cloth

11,706 posts

238 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Shameless link to the Facebook page for the movie - feel free to "like" it biggrin

http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-the-Worst/1441...

Some behind the scenes shots of the Merc is in all it's glory.

The Jolly Todger

2,742 posts

179 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
I very much enjoyed that film.

Dr Mike Oxgreen

4,101 posts

164 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Garlick said:
it's a car I genuinely feel priveliged to own
Spelling mistake aside (tsk, tsk...), that's a very good way of summing up one of the reasons for buying a TVR rather than one of the more usual sportscars. I too am enjoying the sense of stewardship in owning something that will become more and more special as the years go by - provided I look after it well. It's a new experience for me; I've only ever owned "ordinary" cars before. It's a nice feeling, knowing that in a modest way you're contributing to the future richness of the country's fleet of interesting vehicles.

Garlick

40,601 posts

239 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Spelling corrected paperbag

edo

16,699 posts

264 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
You should have popped in for a coffee on your way past Garlick!

My friend owns the garage next door to Liphook coach-works (Liphook Motors) - they serviced the RR for me. (They do the MOT's for Fernhurst too, so always a TVR in there of some sort!).

drewbagz

183 posts

163 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Garlick; Yes liphook Coachworks always do a cracking job being from Liphook myself. I remember the last time i went to see Drew @ TVR Fernhurst he was courteous enough to let me take out a Cerbera 4.5. Im assuming you know the winding uphill section just past the pub towards Midhurst followed by an arrow straight 1.5 mile downhill section into Midhurst. I'm sure you are.

Needless to say Drew and i needed to change trousers afterwards.


BrettMRC

4,037 posts

159 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Turbobanana said:
Here's an idea: just for fun, swap the engines of the two V8s around.

Amaze everybody with a near-silent TVR.
Then thunder past in an apocalyptically loud Lexus, popping on the overrun.

Surely the work of an afternoon... wink
I think you'll find, the LS lump is quite loud enough when allowed to breathe properly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAQO7XdWXao
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TcLgTLg_kU
biggrin


Never ceases to confuse the public when it rumbles through biggrin

Garlick

40,601 posts

239 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Sounds good, but I bought the Lexus to silently waft. I don't want to hear a whisper from the engine in mine, I have another car for noise.

nonuts

15,855 posts

228 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
BrettMRC said:
I think you'll find, the LS lump is quite loud enough when allowed to breathe properly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAQO7XdWXao
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TcLgTLg_kU
biggrin

Never ceases to confuse the public when it rumbles through biggrin
Bonkers, love it. clap

andy43

9,548 posts

253 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
nonuts said:
BrettMRC said:
I think you'll find, the LS lump is quite loud enough when allowed to breathe properly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAQO7XdWXao
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TcLgTLg_kU
biggrin

Never ceases to confuse the public when it rumbles through biggrin
Bonkers, love it. clap
Oh you bad bad bad man.

<goes straight to ebay for a cheap LS>

BrettMRC

4,037 posts

159 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
I aim to please.... might even remove the CAT's for giraffe biggrin

Garlick

40,601 posts

239 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
edo said:
You should have popped in for a coffee on your way past Garlick!
I had no idea you were down that way? I would have done otherwise as I had the day off.

edo

16,699 posts

264 months

Wednesday 20th July 2011
quotequote all
Garlick said:
edo said:
You should have popped in for a coffee on your way past Garlick!
I had no idea you were down that way? I would have done otherwise as I had the day off.
Haslemere! Just a moment from the Mill Tavern!

Next time, come see the trio of 4,8 and 10 cylinders!


Edited by edo on Wednesday 20th July 17:19