Discussion
I get a car allowance from work, and do a few miles, but not like sales rep amount.
Currently have a merc E-class diesel, which is great for the M-ways, but not so fun.... well, not really fun at all.
I am getting pissed off with racking the miles up on it from new, and paying through the nose for a PCP (mileage limits and all that) and have decided to bin the idea of the single car for all purposes come change time in Dec.
I plan to get a used Mondeo (or suchlike, its no so important) oilburner to smoke the work miles, and get a toy for weekends and every spare minute I have. I've always been into TVRs, and I used to work in Blackpool, watching them screaming around with the trade plates gaffer taped to the back. This was when the Cerbera had just come out and it just looked and sounded like nothing else, and still does TBH. In fact every TVR does, and thats why I love them. They are honest, drop-jawed gorgeous, howling, screaming banshees... and obviously blisteringly quick.
Anyway, TVR was the first thing I thought about when I had this idea. Everyone I spoke to kept trying to persuade me into things like Lotus Elise or old school porkers like 968. These are all very well, but just don't set me alight like TVR.
The thing about recent TVRs is that they are all fantastic, I don't really even have a model preference, but that might be enforced on me by other factors.
I reckon a bank loan to the payment I am paying now will net me £5k for a smoker and £12k for a plaything. That looks to be good for a decent chimaera on a 98 or newer plate (I hear reliability improved a lot from this point on), or a slightly higher miles, slight lower in the market cerbera. It might even stretch to a tuscan, but probs a duff one for this money.
I have heard about tuscan and cerbera costing "around twice as much" as griff and chim, but I am not really sure if this is because they are less reliable (more electrics to go wrong etc) or because they are quicker they have more performance parts, or higher service costs etc.
Now I only have estimates for running costs, but does £500 for a yearly service plus £1k to 2k odds and sods maintenance and repairs sound accurate for a well looked after chim? Does this increase ridiculously with a cerb or tusc?
Also, I have heard a lot about engine rebuilds. Just how often does this need to happen, how much is it, and is it isolated to specific models and years?
I would be interested to know what anyone thinks really, cos I am sure there are lots of experts and owners in here, and I feel v green to it all... but excited!
Cheers
Currently have a merc E-class diesel, which is great for the M-ways, but not so fun.... well, not really fun at all.
I am getting pissed off with racking the miles up on it from new, and paying through the nose for a PCP (mileage limits and all that) and have decided to bin the idea of the single car for all purposes come change time in Dec.
I plan to get a used Mondeo (or suchlike, its no so important) oilburner to smoke the work miles, and get a toy for weekends and every spare minute I have. I've always been into TVRs, and I used to work in Blackpool, watching them screaming around with the trade plates gaffer taped to the back. This was when the Cerbera had just come out and it just looked and sounded like nothing else, and still does TBH. In fact every TVR does, and thats why I love them. They are honest, drop-jawed gorgeous, howling, screaming banshees... and obviously blisteringly quick.
Anyway, TVR was the first thing I thought about when I had this idea. Everyone I spoke to kept trying to persuade me into things like Lotus Elise or old school porkers like 968. These are all very well, but just don't set me alight like TVR.
The thing about recent TVRs is that they are all fantastic, I don't really even have a model preference, but that might be enforced on me by other factors.
I reckon a bank loan to the payment I am paying now will net me £5k for a smoker and £12k for a plaything. That looks to be good for a decent chimaera on a 98 or newer plate (I hear reliability improved a lot from this point on), or a slightly higher miles, slight lower in the market cerbera. It might even stretch to a tuscan, but probs a duff one for this money.
I have heard about tuscan and cerbera costing "around twice as much" as griff and chim, but I am not really sure if this is because they are less reliable (more electrics to go wrong etc) or because they are quicker they have more performance parts, or higher service costs etc.
Now I only have estimates for running costs, but does £500 for a yearly service plus £1k to 2k odds and sods maintenance and repairs sound accurate for a well looked after chim? Does this increase ridiculously with a cerb or tusc?
Also, I have heard a lot about engine rebuilds. Just how often does this need to happen, how much is it, and is it isolated to specific models and years?
I would be interested to know what anyone thinks really, cos I am sure there are lots of experts and owners in here, and I feel v green to it all... but excited!
Cheers
Rubbish to all the unreliabilty bollox. In three yrs of Griff and Chim ownership all thats got wrong is a failed alarm sounder (£50 ebay), leaky power steering (they all leak a bit mine was just excessive, couple of jubilee clips fixed that) and passenger seat belt retraction spring (£15 secondhand) other than that just the usual tyres, brake pads, battery etc that any car will need.
A decent late Griff or Chim will be perfectly reliable unless you are very unlucky and most things that crop up can be cured if you know your way round a spanner.
V8's Cerbs are more reliable than the S6 seems to be the common view (I can't vouch for it as I have owned neither)
Cerbs cost more to service as they have TVR own engines plus more TVR bits than the Chim's and Griff's
A decent late Griff or Chim will be perfectly reliable unless you are very unlucky and most things that crop up can be cured if you know your way round a spanner.
V8's Cerbs are more reliable than the S6 seems to be the common view (I can't vouch for it as I have owned neither)
Cerbs cost more to service as they have TVR own engines plus more TVR bits than the Chim's and Griff's
don't think you can go far wrong with a good Griff/Chim IMO.
a nice example of either model would give you a good taste of TVR motoring and provide a great introduction to the marque! the best idea is to look around at a few examples (PH classifieds have a few very nice examples of each at the moment), go on a few testdrives and go along to a few club meets and speak to a few owners then get a nice Tiv and enjoy it! as said above, the RV8 engined cars are quite simple really, and if used/serviced regularly and accordingly, should prove perfectly reliable and shouldn't set you back much at all!
as for Cerb's/Tuscan's, both are awesome cars, but V8 Cerb's have the AJP8 (basically a racing engine) unit in them and parts/servicing cost a lot more as it is a much more specialised machine. stick with a Griff or a Chim for a few years and then move onto a Cerb or Tuscan!
good luck!
a nice example of either model would give you a good taste of TVR motoring and provide a great introduction to the marque! the best idea is to look around at a few examples (PH classifieds have a few very nice examples of each at the moment), go on a few testdrives and go along to a few club meets and speak to a few owners then get a nice Tiv and enjoy it! as said above, the RV8 engined cars are quite simple really, and if used/serviced regularly and accordingly, should prove perfectly reliable and shouldn't set you back much at all!
as for Cerb's/Tuscan's, both are awesome cars, but V8 Cerb's have the AJP8 (basically a racing engine) unit in them and parts/servicing cost a lot more as it is a much more specialised machine. stick with a Griff or a Chim for a few years and then move onto a Cerb or Tuscan!
good luck!
Edited by forthright MC on Monday 21st May 11:32
stuartianmac said:
I reckon a bank loan to the payment I am paying now will net me £5k for a smoker and £12k for a plaything. That looks to be good for a decent chimaera on a 98 or newer plate (I hear reliability improved a lot from this point on), or a slightly higher miles, slight lower in the market cerbera. It might even stretch to a tuscan, but probs a duff one for this money.
Condition is the only factor - haven't heard of improved reliability after 98 for Chims or Griffs, a lot of the changes in the facelift were cosmetic. The two big mechanical changes were gear box (a T5 replacing the SD1) and the engine went thru a config change (pre-serpentine are just as reliable tho)
I have heard about tuscan and cerbera costing "around twice as much" as griff and chim, but I am not really sure if this is because they are less reliable (more electrics to go wrong etc) or because they are quicker they have more performance parts, or higher service costs etc.
Apparently so
Several Cerb owners I know have said this for their cars - best wait for a Tuscan owner to comment on their side.
Now I only have estimates for running costs, but does £500 for a yearly service plus £1k to 2k odds and sods maintenance and repairs sound accurate for a well looked after chim? Does this increase ridiculously with a cerb or tusc?
£500 should cover a service Yep. This is of course if you use a good Independent. Opinions vary on who to use - my personal recommendation is Torque RVT in Middlewich -1606831244 - ask for Ian
£1k to £2k is reasonable - not that this is a gauranteed amount that you'd be paying - however you have to factor it in as a possibility. Not to have a slush fund of some sort would be unwise
Also, I have heard a lot about engine rebuilds. Just how often does this need to happen, how much is it, and is it isolated to specific models and years?
Early Speed 6's especially the 4 litres have been the source of huge discussions on PH - however the V8 is rock solid. May need a new CAM after 50k-70k but thats only a few hundred quid
I would be interested to know what anyone thinks really, cos I am sure there are lots of experts and owners in here, and I feel v green to it all... but excited!
Do it - you only live once.
Ged
Chim owner from Congleton
All sounds good to me... TBH I am that excited about it that I would prob throw caution to the wind and do it anyway, but its reassuring to know that its nowhere near as risky as some (clearly misinformed) rumours suggest.
I am deff edging towards a Chim, probbos a 98 or newer. Don't really want to go over 50k miles, but as you say it should be condition and how well its been cared for thats important.
Any good dealers/traders/sourcers around the north west? I know there is the factory... but I don't know what state they are in now.
I am deff edging towards a Chim, probbos a 98 or newer. Don't really want to go over 50k miles, but as you say it should be condition and how well its been cared for thats important.
Any good dealers/traders/sourcers around the north west? I know there is the factory... but I don't know what state they are in now.
Welcome to the Forums.
Just a word of caution, don't buy the first one you see, go and have a look at a few first, even if you go bck to the first one.
Also give the cars a good inspection, chassis, electrics, etc BEFORE you start the engine, because once you hear the noise it makes, your heart will overrule your head, and you'll hand all the money, and your firstborn over to get the car.
Once you find the right one, just buy it, and drive it, you'll never look back.
Just a word of caution, don't buy the first one you see, go and have a look at a few first, even if you go bck to the first one.
Also give the cars a good inspection, chassis, electrics, etc BEFORE you start the engine, because once you hear the noise it makes, your heart will overrule your head, and you'll hand all the money, and your firstborn over to get the car.
Once you find the right one, just buy it, and drive it, you'll never look back.
stuartianmac said:
Yes definitely will take a look at a few... I need to see some up close in order to get a frame of reference.
What sorts of common things should I be looking for in order to avoid?
Thanks everyone for your help btw.
What sorts of common things should I be looking for in order to avoid?
Thanks everyone for your help btw.
Here you go, some buyer tips.
www.chimaerapages.com/resources_buyers.php
HTH
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