My dilemma: Blind and the wish to own a car...
Discussion
Quite some time ago, I published my introduction on this website in which I told openly about my visual disability (I am nearly blind) and my love for classic and special/exclusive cars.
I have come to the point of seriously considering buying one to let others drive it with me as a passenger. In that way, I am not completely dependent on others, and others have to depend on me to drive it...
My wife is not passionate about cars, and doesn't really enjoy driving at all. We have owned two Pluriels and currently a white C3 family car is parked outside. With her driving license, my wife is bound to cars with an automatic gearbox. That makes my choice for a second car quite limited. I had a test run with a Pontiac Solstice and although it is quite fast, the sound did not impress me at all (GXP-version; 2 litre turbo). I also had an eye on the Jaguar X100 (XK8/XKR) convertible, but that car is so heavy (negative consequences for the tax rate) and costly to maintain, and the sound is - let me say - too civilized.
Now I have made my choice: the Chimaera is the one I am currently collecting money for. My wife is okay with it, while she is hoping once I own it I will be bored with it very soon. The idea of such a beast in my garge makes me smile, the idea of washing it makes me proud, the imagination of the sound makes me feel excited! Next week, I hope to have a test run with a Chimaera 400 to judge if it is really the one to go for.
Sometimes, it can make me a bit urcertain if this thinking is rational, even though love is never so. What is your honest opinion? I would be pleased to get some support, but feel absolutely no reserve to tell me I am stupid
.
Thank you,
Job
I have come to the point of seriously considering buying one to let others drive it with me as a passenger. In that way, I am not completely dependent on others, and others have to depend on me to drive it...
My wife is not passionate about cars, and doesn't really enjoy driving at all. We have owned two Pluriels and currently a white C3 family car is parked outside. With her driving license, my wife is bound to cars with an automatic gearbox. That makes my choice for a second car quite limited. I had a test run with a Pontiac Solstice and although it is quite fast, the sound did not impress me at all (GXP-version; 2 litre turbo). I also had an eye on the Jaguar X100 (XK8/XKR) convertible, but that car is so heavy (negative consequences for the tax rate) and costly to maintain, and the sound is - let me say - too civilized.
Now I have made my choice: the Chimaera is the one I am currently collecting money for. My wife is okay with it, while she is hoping once I own it I will be bored with it very soon. The idea of such a beast in my garge makes me smile, the idea of washing it makes me proud, the imagination of the sound makes me feel excited! Next week, I hope to have a test run with a Chimaera 400 to judge if it is really the one to go for.
Sometimes, it can make me a bit urcertain if this thinking is rational, even though love is never so. What is your honest opinion? I would be pleased to get some support, but feel absolutely no reserve to tell me I am stupid
.Thank you,
Job
It’s not just the driving, I have a couple of classics and it’s the feel of them, the tactility of them, you can feel the history, smell the interiors, the noise of the engine, the difference in the smell of a cold and hot engine, the smell of hot oil under the bonnet, I watched the crap remake of the Dukes of Hazzard, when that 440 roared and pushed the back end of that Charger out I almost teared up, and that’s not just because of Jessica Simpson’s bum, realistically it’s a combination...
Point is, it’s not all about the driving by a long way.
Do it mate.
Point is, it’s not all about the driving by a long way.
Do it mate.
When I had an MX5 one of the things I noticed and liked was whilst driving at night, top down, the sounds and smells you didn't get with a roofed car. Senses were heightened I'm guessing your remaining senses will be keener than those with no visual impairment. Wood smoke from fires, the sea, earthy damp smells, even in the darker months it was quite nice. I'm in a rural less populated area.
Not sure a TVR would be the best option, they are specialist cars and require specialist care. You would have to be pretty confident in the person who was driving the car. That could be complex, could you insure one for any driver?
What are you looking for? Engine sound, feeling of your arse scraping the ground or what? Have you had a pillion ride on a motorbike?
Whatever you do best of luck,
Not sure a TVR would be the best option, they are specialist cars and require specialist care. You would have to be pretty confident in the person who was driving the car. That could be complex, could you insure one for any driver?
What are you looking for? Engine sound, feeling of your arse scraping the ground or what? Have you had a pillion ride on a motorbike?
Whatever you do best of luck,
Go for it, all V8's sound dirty in the best possible way when the throttle is wide open if they have the right exhaust system (or better still no exhaust at all).
Not sure your wife will drive it as intended but you never know, she might get the bug and you will both be winners.
On the subject of being rational or stupid, there's no such thing when it comes to what makes us happy.
Life is too short to be sensible all the time.
Not sure your wife will drive it as intended but you never know, she might get the bug and you will both be winners.
On the subject of being rational or stupid, there's no such thing when it comes to what makes us happy.
Life is too short to be sensible all the time.
Good choice! TVRs hit quite a few of the senses - they have a certain smell, they have epic noise and they also have the vibrations that you can feel. You’ll love a Chimaera.
Couple of potential downsides; the passenger footwell is reduced in leg room due to the battery box. Shouldn’t be an issue unless you’re 6 foot or more but it is quite tight. The other is that the controls can be very heavy and for a lot of women it would genuinely be a bit too much. Sure, there are plenty of women who drive them, but my wife can’t even release the handbrake so I’ve got no idea whether she could manage the heavy steering and clutch!
Go for it though!
Couple of potential downsides; the passenger footwell is reduced in leg room due to the battery box. Shouldn’t be an issue unless you’re 6 foot or more but it is quite tight. The other is that the controls can be very heavy and for a lot of women it would genuinely be a bit too much. Sure, there are plenty of women who drive them, but my wife can’t even release the handbrake so I’ve got no idea whether she could manage the heavy steering and clutch!
Go for it though!
JagJob said:
Quite some time ago, I published my introduction on this website in which I told openly about my visual disability (I am nearly blind) and my love for classic and special/exclusive cars.
...
Sometimes, it can make me a bit urcertain if this thinking is rational, even though love is never so. What is your honest opinion? I would be pleased to get some support, but feel absolutely no reserve to tell me I am stupid.
Job
I'd say you still have vision, in a manner of speaking. Go for it....
Sometimes, it can make me a bit urcertain if this thinking is rational, even though love is never so. What is your honest opinion? I would be pleased to get some support, but feel absolutely no reserve to tell me I am stupid
.Job
Unpopular opinion here - the main part of car ownership is driving (some bloke mentioned smells and yadda yadda, all very well but you want to drive it at the end of the day not sniff it - and the poor bloke can't drive - so why bother? If his Wife enjoyed the cars then I could understand it, but she doesn't - so it's going to be money down the drain and an asset you can only look at (but you're nearly blind so you can only get limited visual enjoyment) and feel and sound, but your Wife doesn't sound like Sabine Schmitz so I doubt you'll enjoy being driven around by her in your TVR (or whatever you buy) and it will be annoying for her to drive compared to her Citroen C3...
Do you have a son or brother or a long-term close friend who's into cars and you could perhaps have them drive you around in it , in exchange for the ability for them to use it from time to time?
If not then if you just want something to wash - I think it's an expensive paper weight :/
I'm sure there are other things you could get more enjoyment day to day from?
But that's just my opinion, if you have it in your head you want a car go ahead - won't judge you negatively for it - I'm just looking at it from a more cynical POV.
I couldnt imagine being blind, especially as a car enthusiast - probably the worst sense to lose of them all. At least if you were deaf you could enjoy driving still!
Enjoy whatever you decide :-)
Do you have a son or brother or a long-term close friend who's into cars and you could perhaps have them drive you around in it , in exchange for the ability for them to use it from time to time?
If not then if you just want something to wash - I think it's an expensive paper weight :/
I'm sure there are other things you could get more enjoyment day to day from?
But that's just my opinion, if you have it in your head you want a car go ahead - won't judge you negatively for it - I'm just looking at it from a more cynical POV.
I couldnt imagine being blind, especially as a car enthusiast - probably the worst sense to lose of them all. At least if you were deaf you could enjoy driving still!
Enjoy whatever you decide :-)
As someone said, perhaps an alternative would be a simpler open top, you would get the heightening of the other senses just as well. Another point, if you have another regular driver in mind, get them to do an advanced course and learn how to give a running commentary.
Whatever you decide, enjoy!
Whatever you decide, enjoy!
loskie said:
When I had an MX5 one of the things I noticed and liked was whilst driving at night, top down, the sounds and smells you didn't get with a roofed car. Senses were heightened I'm guessing your remaining senses will be keener than those with no visual impairment. Wood smoke from fires, the sea, earthy damp smells, even in the darker months it was quite nice. I'm in a rural less populated area.
Not sure a TVR would be the best option, they are specialist cars and require specialist care. You would have to be pretty confident in the person who was driving the car. That could be complex, could you insure one for any driver?
What are you looking for? Engine sound, feeling of your arse scraping the ground or what? Have you had a pillion ride on a motorbike?
Whatever you do best of luck,
A great post. Not sure a TVR would be the best option, they are specialist cars and require specialist care. You would have to be pretty confident in the person who was driving the car. That could be complex, could you insure one for any driver?
What are you looking for? Engine sound, feeling of your arse scraping the ground or what? Have you had a pillion ride on a motorbike?
Whatever you do best of luck,
When there are thousands of cars which are never driven at all due to being 'investments', I'm sure the OP would generate plenty of enjoyment in comparison. There's plenty of things to enjoy about owning a car aside from just the driving (as above).
I wonder if a TVR is the right car for an other half who isn't driving. If she didn't get on with it (quite likely), then it becomes a burden for your to have to ask her to drive. And there's no auto.
How about a compromise like a Merc slk55 amg? A proper enthusiasts car, but one which can be driven by anyone easily. Auto as well.
My old man had an SLK320, and my mother was dead against it (has only ever driven hatchbacks) until I cleaned and polished it (he never bothered), showed her how to drive an automatic, and encouraged her to go out in in. As a non car enthusiast she started taking her friends out to coffee in it, she liked the concept that much. Not because of speed/noise (though a 320 has little of that compared to a 55', it's a lot faster than her day car), but because she loved putting the roof down and the looks!
Not that it helps here and may even be inappropriate given the thread question, but the one that popped up in reader's rides recently is in a fantastic colour (!): https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Edited by 0a on Sunday 17th May 23:59
I loved owning my Chimaera. The sound, smells, sensations, etc.
My experiences are based on the more powerful 500 version. A few things to consider -
Don't just look at the purchase price, please factor in significant running costs if you are not in the position to do a lot of the work yourself. I once spent nearly £3000 on an annual service plus a few small extras at our nearest TVR specialist. Older, cheaper Chims might also require a full chassis replacement at some point (about £5k or something).
Make sure your wife has a test drive in a Chimaera before you take the thought further. I had power steering mine (from memory, many don't) but the controls were in general harder/stiffer than a "normal" car. She might not like driving it.
These cars can bite. Decent torque and no traction control or ABS. They demand a lot of respect and thought when driving. If your chosen driver is not experienced in a TVR, then encouraging them to put their foot down could potentially put you both in a hedge. Alternatively, if they drive the car very cautiously you might not get the experience you were hoping for.
Having said all that, I still believe TVRs can offer you something unparalleled at that price point. The noise, feel,sense of occasion is just amazing.
Good luck with your decision!
My experiences are based on the more powerful 500 version. A few things to consider -
Don't just look at the purchase price, please factor in significant running costs if you are not in the position to do a lot of the work yourself. I once spent nearly £3000 on an annual service plus a few small extras at our nearest TVR specialist. Older, cheaper Chims might also require a full chassis replacement at some point (about £5k or something).
Make sure your wife has a test drive in a Chimaera before you take the thought further. I had power steering mine (from memory, many don't) but the controls were in general harder/stiffer than a "normal" car. She might not like driving it.
These cars can bite. Decent torque and no traction control or ABS. They demand a lot of respect and thought when driving. If your chosen driver is not experienced in a TVR, then encouraging them to put their foot down could potentially put you both in a hedge. Alternatively, if they drive the car very cautiously you might not get the experience you were hoping for.
Having said all that, I still believe TVRs can offer you something unparalleled at that price point. The noise, feel,sense of occasion is just amazing.
Good luck with your decision!
Edited by FreeLitres on Monday 18th May 00:11
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