Who said TVR's are unreliable?
Discussion
im not bothered cos so far its been great I've just sold my Chim after 7 years of ownership. I gave the purchaser a full list of items that I had bought for the car in that time to replace items that had broken:
Two rear calipers (the first was the wrong side so really just the one), and
A boot strut.
The odd thing is that I thought I had bought more for the car. I wanted to show that I had kept on top of all troubles. Just the two items made me look like a bit of a skinflint and that was too near the truth.
A woman two doors along from me bought a Honda 2000 at the same time I bought my Chim. She asked me if I was worried as to how much it might cost me. She sold her car less than two years later and bought a 2.8 'Dallas' SL. When I asked her why, she said it was the costs.
Two rear calipers (the first was the wrong side so really just the one), and
A boot strut.
The odd thing is that I thought I had bought more for the car. I wanted to show that I had kept on top of all troubles. Just the two items made me look like a bit of a skinflint and that was too near the truth.
A woman two doors along from me bought a Honda 2000 at the same time I bought my Chim. She asked me if I was worried as to how much it might cost me. She sold her car less than two years later and bought a 2.8 'Dallas' SL. When I asked her why, she said it was the costs.
potato muncher said:
Had my Chim for nearly 2 years now and the only problem I have had is a hose above the coil made a wire come loose.
My Chim has done 140,000 miles. Drives like a new one.
I'm off to buy an auto SLK in a couple of weeks. I've got a certain budget and have knocked £2000 off it to put away for repairs 'in case'. I will expect a year's guarantee but after that I'm on my own.My Chim has done 140,000 miles. Drives like a new one.
My wife saw an SLK right at the top end of (a little over actually) the full budget, £15k less pennies, and I mentioned the £2k and she was a bit bemused, saying that we'd bought nothing for the TVR for over 4 years. I had to explain that I did not expect the Merc to be as reliable and if a starter motor blew then it would cost a fortune. She was doubtful, as only a wife can be when a car in a colour she liked is refused, and I bet a few others who don't know TVRs would be as well.
There is a certain irony. It would be delicious had I not had to get rid of the Chim.
potato muncher said:
Had my Chim for nearly 2 years now and the only problem I have had is a hose above the coil made a wire come loose.
My Chim has done 140,000 miles. Drives like a new one.
how much have you changed on the car in 140k miles? shocks, springs ect... or just simple things like hoses?My Chim has done 140,000 miles. Drives like a new one.
Ozmira said:
potato muncher said:
Had my Chim for nearly 2 years now and the only problem I have had is a hose above the coil made a wire come loose.
My Chim has done 140,000 miles. Drives like a new one.
how much have you changed on the car in 140k miles? shocks, springs ect... or just simple things like hoses?My Chim has done 140,000 miles. Drives like a new one.
I've had a rather more interesting experience with the current one, but my previous TVR was one of the most reliable cars I've owned.
At that stage the two least reliable cars I'd owned were a 205 hatchback and a BMW 320i saloon. Both mainstream cars from major manufacturers. One of them wasn't even French.
At that stage the two least reliable cars I'd owned were a 205 hatchback and a BMW 320i saloon. Both mainstream cars from major manufacturers. One of them wasn't even French.
OK. I rarely read forums and hardly ever write but now I just have to.
I got a 1996 Chimaera 400. I just returned home from my summer trip with it. I took a ferry from Finland to Sweden. Drove across Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Belgium to France. Took a ferry across the Channel, drove to Poole, took a ferry to Guernsey and Jersey and to St Malo. Then drove across France, Germany and Poland to Kaliningrad (the little piece of Russia by the Baltic Sea). And from there across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to Tallinn, where I took a ferry back to Finland.
The whole thing was over 4000 miles with hideous roads (and rain) in Kaliningrad but no problems with the car whatsoever. This was the first time I took it to Russia but I have driven four times across Europe and reliability has been 100%. So indeed people who talk about TVR unreliability are those who have never had one.
Harri
I got a 1996 Chimaera 400. I just returned home from my summer trip with it. I took a ferry from Finland to Sweden. Drove across Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Belgium to France. Took a ferry across the Channel, drove to Poole, took a ferry to Guernsey and Jersey and to St Malo. Then drove across France, Germany and Poland to Kaliningrad (the little piece of Russia by the Baltic Sea). And from there across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to Tallinn, where I took a ferry back to Finland.
The whole thing was over 4000 miles with hideous roads (and rain) in Kaliningrad but no problems with the car whatsoever. This was the first time I took it to Russia but I have driven four times across Europe and reliability has been 100%. So indeed people who talk about TVR unreliability are those who have never had one.
Harri
htuomola said:
OK. I rarely read forums and hardly ever write but now I just have to.
I got a 1996 Chimaera 400. I just returned home from my summer trip with it. I took a ferry from Finland to Sweden. Drove across Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Belgium to France. Took a ferry across the Channel, drove to Poole, took a ferry to Guernsey and Jersey and to St Malo. Then drove across France, Germany and Poland to Kaliningrad (the little piece of Russia by the Baltic Sea). And from there across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to Tallinn, where I took a ferry back to Finland.
The whole thing was over 4000 miles with hideous roads (and rain) in Kaliningrad but no problems with the car whatsoever. This was the first time I took it to Russia but I have driven four times across Europe and reliability has been 100%. So indeed people who talk about TVR unreliability are those who have never had one.
Harri
ETA Or don't store them properly or use them often enough I got a 1996 Chimaera 400. I just returned home from my summer trip with it. I took a ferry from Finland to Sweden. Drove across Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Belgium to France. Took a ferry across the Channel, drove to Poole, took a ferry to Guernsey and Jersey and to St Malo. Then drove across France, Germany and Poland to Kaliningrad (the little piece of Russia by the Baltic Sea). And from there across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to Tallinn, where I took a ferry back to Finland.
The whole thing was over 4000 miles with hideous roads (and rain) in Kaliningrad but no problems with the car whatsoever. This was the first time I took it to Russia but I have driven four times across Europe and reliability has been 100%. So indeed people who talk about TVR unreliability are those who have never had one.
Harri
I have only been a TVR owner for 10 months, bought an S2 to fettle, but as I had not finished my previous project it sat in a garage with only occasional blasts, sometimes it stretched to 5 weeks without being looked at, but every time I went to take her out started first time. After a check over took for a blast before parking back in the garage for another few weeks.
I heard all the reliability comments, but now I have her out almost every day and still no problems, so I dont know where they find the bad ones.
I have probably jinxed it now, but had to mention my experience.
I heard all the reliability comments, but now I have her out almost every day and still no problems, so I dont know where they find the bad ones.
I have probably jinxed it now, but had to mention my experience.
ChimpofDarkness said:
DaveHow the devil are you? I hope no one dented your door this time round.
Fantastic photos. Been planning my own with a couple of mates at the moment, going away in September. We should compare notes afterwards.
Hope you and Angela are well.
Speak soon!
Thanks for all your comments, my 2800 mile dash around mainland Europe continues 
UPDATE:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.391710450...
Some fun with another Chimaera in the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains.
300 miles yesterday from my mate's little car museum in Castelnaudary to La Flotte on the Ile de Re.
And my TVR continues to run faultlessly.
Just the small matter of 582 miles from La Flotte to Watford tomorrow.
It's going to be a killer
UPDATE:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.391710450...
Some fun with another Chimaera in the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains.
300 miles yesterday from my mate's little car museum in Castelnaudary to La Flotte on the Ile de Re.
And my TVR continues to run faultlessly.
Just the small matter of 582 miles from La Flotte to Watford tomorrow.
It's going to be a killer
Gassing Station | General TVR Stuff & Gossip | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff