Thursday 20th March 2014

TVR Chimaera: PH Fleet

Life is so much better in the sunshine as Garlick finally gets his roof down

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Owning a convertible becomes so much more rewarding once the sun is shining. Though I love driving the car in all weathers, it just feels so good when you are out roof down, with the hot sun on your face, an earful of V8, watching the heat haze rise from the bonnet vents. Even more so when the car has been freshly cleaned and is gleaming in the sunshine. No need to go fast, just enjoy the drive, taking time to chat with pedestrians who want to ask questions and listen to the appreciative comments from other road users (normally asking about fuel consumption or making ‘funny’ comments about reliability).  

Visiting Auto Vivendi

I buck the trend of most TVR owners and actually use my roof, especially if it's cold, damp or I can't be bothered to lower it. The way I see it is I paid for a roof so why lower it when the conditions are less than perfect? And besides, I've always wanted a Cerbera...

I learnt long ago to ignore the pressure from peers to get the roof down all the time, I’m happy either way. What this means is, when the weather is finally good enough to warrant it, lowering the roof is a treat that adds a new dimension to the car I’d kind of forgotten about over winter. Let’s hope this good weather continues eh? In addition to driving my own car more, it's nice to see London full of cars that must have been stored for winter, all of a sudden there is a real (car) buzz around the city.

Mean and roofless
I’ve been getting a lot of comment on Twitter (@PaulGarlick) about how regularly I use the car (I’m always posting photos when I’m out and about) and that’s because the Chim is used as my main transport these days, coping with crawling commutes and blasts to Sunday Services without complaint. As I touch the (fake) wood of my desk I am happy to report more trouble free motoring. The last thing I did was to replace a broken window switch (next day delivery and fitted in 20 seconds) and that’s it. I still have a small tear in the rear window, but it doesn’t leak and I’ll get around to that sooner or later.

Lots of time in town

Aside from that I turn the key and drive it, day and night, for short trips and long jaunts. Fuel is the only expenditure as we start our fifth year together and the odo has just clicked over 60,000 miles. Treat the car well and it will do the same in return… speaking of which, the Chim is due a service so it will be back to Calvin as soon as time allows, and while the chassis is looking strong I do want to get that treated to ease my mind when driving on damp days. I've been promising to look at that for far too long now.

Not so quiet Sunday drive
Speaking of Sunday Service meets, last weekend I drove to Silverstone for our sunniest Sunday meet in a while. I was a little late due to laying in bed for too long and then being stopped for a roadside chat by two nice officers driving an unmarked Focus. Regrettably I'd treated them to a very close up view of how my car accelerates through second, third and fourth. It must have been my lucky day as I was let on my way with no more than a (big) flea in my ear after a few detail checks.

Commuting duties

I left the meet a little early to head to lunch with a few friends, the lunch stop being at the end of a 20-odd mile run. Our convoy consisted of a Diablo 6.0, Gallardo LP550-2, 360 Modena, 997 Turbo and SL55 AMG…and me in the ‘little’ 4.0. While I can never expect to keep pace with such armoury the TVR always amazes me with the speed it carries on B-roads. Sure I suffered a little bit when long straights appeared but it wasn’t as bad as you might expect (and never is) which only makes me respect the car more. Yes I’m changing gear more often, and working a bit harder, but I was always mingling amongst the group and credit goes to the Blackpool crew who managed to make a car that copes with slow London commutes, trips to the supermarket, schleps to Le Mans and can hustle it with genuine supercars.

Don’t knock the ‘soft’ Chimaera, it is a very capable car and we have a long time ahead of us. Even if only because I'll never tire of this noise.

Cold start vid here.

 

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FACT SHEET:
Car: 1999 TVR Chimaera 4.0
Run by: Garlick
Bought: December 2009
Purchase price: £12,995
Last month at a glance: Sunday service shenanigans, commuting continues

Previous updates:
Summer suits the TVR and Garlick has been making the most of it
Winter hacks, daily use, new exhausts and thoughts of selling
TVR pondering ... sounds expensive
Chimaera as a winter daily? What could go wrong...

[P4ROT]

It's amazing, with all the technology laden screaming engines of the present, you still can't beat the sound of a lumpy v8!

[mk1fan]

Ah, that explains the nice cars heading out of Silverstone at lunchtime on Sunday (I was heading back from North Wales after riding the weekend). I saw the Diablo and the 360 near the bottom of the M40 - either that or another Orange Diablo and 360 were out and about.

[keith2.2]

Paul you have inspired me to tweet you a pic of mine - that I still blame you for the ownership of..

[b14]

Great noise on start up, clearly it likes to fire on about 5 cylinders at first but clears around 30 secs in.

[Shnozz]

I'm surprised by what you say re the pace of a 4 litre Chim against that company. Back in the day when I had one it was dyno'ed to give a healthy figure and with about 230bhp/tonne it was way off the pace of the supercars of that era, let alone modern day. Loved the Chim and it sounded immense, but it never felt like a fast car on a country road.

[Morningside]

I miss my TVR Why oh why did I sell it

[Wills2]

Shnozz said:

I'm surprised by what you say re the pace of a 4 litre Chim against that company. Back in the day when I had one it was dyno'ed to give a healthy figure and with about 230bhp/tonne it was way off the pace of the supercars of that era, let alone modern day. Loved the Chim and it sounded immense, but it never felt like a fast car on a country road.

I would say 230/tonne is more than enough to keep up with more exotic machinery at fast road pace, unless the road is closed and you've got racing drivers in the other cars.

A few mates used to go out for hoons on a Sunday the spread of power/tonne was 170-260 and everyone always kept up as you can only go so fast before being dangerous/crashing and/or losing your licence.

Sure the faster cars will pull out a few yards on the straights but then you either hit a silly speed if you keep going or a corner.

But of course all bets are off if you're nutter!

[Shnozz]

Wills2 said:

Shnozz said:

I'm surprised by what you say re the pace of a 4 litre Chim against that company. Back in the day when I had one it was dyno'ed to give a healthy figure and with about 230bhp/tonne it was way off the pace of the supercars of that era, let alone modern day. Loved the Chim and it sounded immense, but it never felt like a fast car on a country road.

I would say 230/tonne is more than enough to keep up with more exotic machinery at fast road pace, unless the road is closed and you've got racing drivers in the other cars.

A few mates used to go out for hoons on a Sunday the spread of power/tonne was 170-260 and everyone always kept up as you can only go so fast before being dangerous/crashing and/or losing your licence.

Sure the faster cars will pull out a few yards on the straights but then you either hit a silly speed if you keep going or a corner.

But of course all bets are off if you're nutter!

Fair enough. I'll agree to disagree.

The Chim wasn't sharp enough handling to catch up in the bends and wasn't sledgehammer enough on the straights to catch up. Whereas a well driven Elise would hustle the supercars on a country road until a straight appeared, the Chim was just too old school in that it was tail out, unsophisticated fun. It did that brilliantly and gave a massive smile for it's old fashioned charm, but I never felt it would seriously present any competition to the then supercars, let alone modern day. The 4.5/5 litre on the other hand...

[nicfaz]

My experience of performance gaps is similar - a car that is an awful lot quicker flat out (e.g. Diablo vs Garlick's TVR) is probably only a second quicker between (say) 30-60 on a B-road. You don't have to be Lewis Hamilton to make that up, especially when the Diablo's a lot wider, has a lot of weight hanging out the back and forces the driver to be more conservative round the twisties... The fact that the diablo would romp away beyond 100mph is pretty much irrelevant.

[Zumbruk]

I got mine out in the sunshine last weekend;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4nvJNe7PvE

[Bargenosenti]

Was an excellent sounding convoy leaving Silverstone - the Chim more than held it's own in the sound stakes IMO (especially at idle with the twin pipes burbling)

[Dave G fsi]

Zumbruk said:

I got mine out in the sunshine last weekend;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4nvJNe7PvE

That Marshall needs to get his filthy gloves off your interior!

[BigCol]

Morningside said:

I miss my TVR Why oh why did I sell it

Me too...! loved firing up "Noisy Car" with the Mrs's BMW parked behind... it would set her alarm off!
but love my 911 and Caterham 7... but miss the V8...

[Wills2]

Shnozz said:

Fair enough. I'll agree to disagree.

The Chim wasn't sharp enough handling to catch up in the bends and wasn't sledgehammer enough on the straights to catch up. Whereas a well driven Elise would hustle the supercars on a country road until a straight appeared, the Chim was just too old school in that it was tail out, unsophisticated fun. It did that brilliantly and gave a massive smile for it's old fashioned charm, but I never felt it would seriously present any competition to the then supercars, let alone modern day. The 4.5/5 litre on the other hand...

I can't disagree with your experience and as you say more about the Chim than the power on offer.

[Evo]

Shnozz said:

Wills2 said:

Shnozz said:

I'm surprised by what you say re the pace of a 4 litre Chim against that company. Back in the day when I had one it was dyno'ed to give a healthy figure and with about 230bhp/tonne it was way off the pace of the supercars of that era, let alone modern day. Loved the Chim and it sounded immense, but it never felt like a fast car on a country road.

I would say 230/tonne is more than enough to keep up with more exotic machinery at fast road pace, unless the road is closed and you've got racing drivers in the other cars.

A few mates used to go out for hoons on a Sunday the spread of power/tonne was 170-260 and everyone always kept up as you can only go so fast before being dangerous/crashing and/or losing your licence.

Sure the faster cars will pull out a few yards on the straights but then you either hit a silly speed if you keep going or a corner.

But of course all bets are off if you're nutter!

Fair enough. I'll agree to disagree.

The Chim wasn't sharp enough handling to catch up in the bends and wasn't sledgehammer enough on the straights to catch up. Whereas a well driven Elise would hustle the supercars on a country road until a straight appeared, the Chim was just too old school in that it was tail out, unsophisticated fun. It did that brilliantly and gave a massive smile for it's old fashioned charm, but I never felt it would seriously present any competition to the then supercars, let alone modern day. The 4.5/5 litre on the other hand...

I'd also agree with this, I've had two Chimaeras now both 4.0's, fantastic cars, nothing beats that cold starting V8 noise, roof out or down but they are too softly sprung and not sharp enough in the handling department, the 400's are not slow by any means but they do leave you wanting "a bit more" that you get from a 4.5 or plenty of in a 5.0. For what they are there brilliant fun.

Still haven't decided whether I should be scratching the 911 itch next or just giving in to a TVR Tuscan.

[Zumbruk]

Dave G fsi said:

Zumbruk said:

I got mine out in the sunshine last weekend;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4nvJNe7PvE

That Marshall needs to get his filthy gloves off your interior!

I take your point, but TBH I'm not that precious about it. It needs a damn good valet anyway!

[Chris71]

Wow, 12 comments and no reference to Chimaera owners leaving the roof up. Where are all the Griff boys today?

[Evo]

tbh I had the roof out of mine as often as possible, who doesn't want to crank that V8 volume up a bit more, just keep a nice hat and coat stuffed down the back seats for the cold days.

[Zumbruk]

Chris71 said:

Wow, 12 comments and no reference to Chimaera owners leaving the roof up. Where are all the Griff boys today?

After the winter we've just had, upside down in ditches.

[Countersteer]

Very simply; one of my favourite sounds in the world...