Chimp or Chump?

[simon818]

I can't believe it, I came up against a Scooby on Sunday evening whilst out on a run in the chim. From a standing start the Scooby hung on to the gears and frankly left me! the road began its twisties and that was that. The badge had a small orange star at the side of it, is this a tuning company?. I suppose the chim is an old engine design at the side of the newer technology, wonder if this is a taste of things to come from the scoobie factory? My chim is a 4.0ltr with carbon air intake.

[greeny]

Simon - Scooby and Chim are chalk and cheese. My Business partner has a P1 with all the upgrades and would leave me for dead anywhere anytime along with a lot of much faster TVR's. But I would not swap in a million years. I enjoy mine all the time, slow or fast. Plus noise, although the scooby does sound pretty good, and when it comes to interiors - NO contest. Enjoy your Chim for what it is, cos there is a lot of 'New School" stuff out there that will embaress you if your into mixing it street racer style. Dont bother, just chill and wallow in a sea of torque

[Size Nine Elm]

Even on raw HP, a tuned scooby can be near 300, while a standard chim 4 mkaes (in reality) just over 200.

Add 4wd and various active bits and bobs and you're lost.

[greeny]

How about 340 at the wheels! He's got the Dyno Print pinned in the workshop to prove it.

>> Edited by greeny on Monday 6th June 20:49

[wizzpig]

Take solace in the fact that no matter how tuned any scooby is, it will never sound as good as a TVR Chimaera.

[kenny chim 4]

...nor look as good as a TVR.

You'd never hear anyone say "Oh, look at that blue Scooby with the gold wheels!" as they all look like that!

[wizzpig]

kenny chim 4 said:

...nor look as good as a TVR. You'd never hear anyone say "Oh, look at that blue Scooby with the gold wheels!" as they all look like that!

Absolutely

Fast they may be, and a great deal of respect I have for them performance wise, but they do look like they have fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down





Grabs asbestos coat and legs it.....

[bugsy]

wizzpig said:

Fast they may be, and a great deal of respect I have for them performance wise, but they do look like they have fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down

[saggy]

Borrow a Saggy and try and find him again

[Hoover33]

THe other prob with the Chimp/Griff... they are light rear wheel drive car... so driving them needs a lot more expertise then either a front wheel or 4 wheel drive car......

not dissing your driving capabilities... I am just so wary of losing mine on the road, not so bothered on the track...

[-bladerider-]

This was something I was asking a few of the guys at Rockingham about.

I always wanted a TVR, but now I can afford one I am kinda hoping it wont dissapoint performance wise after my skyline. Only time a TVR ever tried it on with me was a Tuscan R or S, and I very nearly ended up with it as a bonnet mascot - the performance difference really surprised me, on paper i always thought it would be an interesting challenge, but in reality it was a bit embarrassing for the poor chap. His passenger thought it was highly amusing but he was distinclty less than a happy bunny !!

J.

[wedg1e]

If your whole road-going mentality revolves around going very quickly, then buy a bike (or a Skyline).
If you can appreciate that there's more to the driving experience - a sense of occasion and all that - then buy a TVR.

My TVR 390 was once eaten by a 16v Golf. I got to talk to the owner and pointed out that the TVR uses a 40-year-old engine design and if he'd care to come back with a 40-year-old Volkswagen then the result might be different.
You could substitute Nissan or Subaru for VW if you like...

(Strictly speaking of course he could have come back with a 911, it's a VW after all )

[fire99]

wedg1e said:

If your whole road-going mentality revolves around going very quickly, then buy a bike (or a Skyline). If you can appreciate that there's more to the driving experience - a sense of occasion and all that - then buy a TVR. My TVR 390 was once eaten by a 16v Golf. I got to talk to the owner and pointed out that the TVR uses a 40-year-old engine design and if he'd care to come back with a 40-year-old Volkswagen then the result might be different. You could substitute Nissan or Subaru for VW if you like... (Strictly speaking of course he could have come back with a 911, it's a VW after all )

16v Golf?? The sums dont add up on that one.. 133bhp Golf and around 900kg against 200+ bhp and just over 1000 kg.
a 390 in good health should blitz a 16v golf!

a Corvette (not sure about current C5&6's) has been using an ancient design engine (short & Large block chevvy lump) for years and has produced huge HP..

A 427 Cobra using a Big Block Chevvy would blitz some very modern cars.

Yes these days we have VTEC engines etc. But a well Tuned V8 Rover Engine may not be the most refined or most fuel efficient but it can still produce big Horsepower.

And in a car that only weighs around 1000kg should go like stink.. Its purely physics..

So chaps, i agree you wont kill everything on the road but hey, lets not go to the other extreme and start assuming TVR's are all noise and no Go..

Methinks youre 390 needed a good Rolling Road session and tuneup.

[trinitycall]

simon818 said:

I can't believe it, I came up against a Scooby on Sunday evening whilst out on a run in the chim. From a standing start the Scooby hung on to the gears and frankly left me! the road began its twisties and that was that. The badge had a small orange star at the side of it, is this a tuning company?. I suppose the chim is an old engine design at the side of the newer technology, wonder if this is a taste of things to come from the scoobie factory? My chim is a 4.0ltr with carbon air intake.

Of course, the great thing about the chimaera is there are many upgrades available (i.e. 4 to 5 litre, Taraka conversion, NOS system) which would piss all over the plastic-jap-crap.

However, think of the hotties. If you make you're car too fast the babes won't have the time to drool over your car while sitting in the passenger seat of some japanese tin-can.

[GTvr]

Just be happy with what youve got - you havnt got to be the fastest.
There will always, no matter what you drive or do to it be a quicker car out there somwhere.

[nelly1]

Just to redress the balance a bit.....
I've 'had a go' with an EVO FQ340, tuned Skyline and P1, and none of them came close

admittedly, these were all on dry, not-that-twisty roads, and I have no doubt had this not been the case I would have been chewed up and spat out, BUT..... I bet I know who had the biggest grin.....

[tvrolet]

If, as I suspect, you're talking about having a wee race on a public road, then chump most definitely. Keep it for the track.

I suspect if you had done some track days with Scoobys you'd have been a bit more prepared for the result too.

WB

[fire99]

tvrolet said:

If, as I suspect, you're talking about having a wee race on a public road, then chump most definitely. Keep it for the track. I suspect if you had done some track days with Scoobys you'd have been a bit more prepared for the result too. WB

Well as, motoring presenters like to say, im sure it was on a private road m'lord!!

But dare i say, some Scoobys are quick but some really arent!, and 4wd really only shows a big advantage where there is lack of grip.. ie Wet, Snow, Mud etc which is where Scoobys live..

I feel a track challenge coming up!

Are some of us Scooby owners or perhaps on Subaru's payroll?

cheers,

Nick

[parrot of doom]

TVR's are very fast cars. But, there are faster ones out there

Still, nothing sounds better

[ATG]

There's no shame getting singed by a pretzle. They fully deserve their reputation for affordable super car performance. It is testament to their all-round capability that they get such excellent reviews inspite of looking so stunningly ugly. Gold wheels ... why?