What would you lot do...?
Discussion
I've got a bit of a problem at casa del Simpson. I want more vehicles than I have the means to pay for at present, and it looks like I'm going to have to sell the Chim.
On the one hand, I have had the Chim for around four and a half years now and in that time I've spent a huge amount of money and many many hours of my own time modifying, fiddling, upgrading and driving it both on the track and the road, its my only road car and I love it dearly. On the other hand the Tuscan will soon be ready, and I will need both a trailer, and a car to tow it with. The Tuscan will likely live on the trailer as well, so it will need to be a decent covered shuttle type thing.
To add to the conundrum, I'm buying a house this month, and commuting to London on the train means I really won't get to drive the Chim much, so it will spend most of its time sitting outside, so will I'm sure start to develop niggles in the typical unused TVR way.
I'm looking at buying a Nissan Navara and shuttle which would give me a decent, smart, reliable everyday car to use when I need one, but can still easily deal with moving the Tuscan around to races and track days, which seems like the sensible thing to do, but the Chim has to go to pay for it.
I'm fairly close to choosing the Navara as it seems like the sensible choice, and to prepare the Chim for sale I've sent it for a tune up, remap to smooth things out and a respray that I've been meaning to do for ages. Annoyingly though, Austec rang up last night and said that its running better than ever and is an increadibly well sorted car. This has rubbed salt in the wound a bit and I'm worried I'm making the wrong decision!
At an outside chance, I could I suppose just buy a trailer and rent a van to tow it each time I want to move the Tuscan at around, but this seems a like a lot of hasstle.
Should I just stop whining and sell the Chim or will I massively regret it in a years time?
On the one hand, I have had the Chim for around four and a half years now and in that time I've spent a huge amount of money and many many hours of my own time modifying, fiddling, upgrading and driving it both on the track and the road, its my only road car and I love it dearly. On the other hand the Tuscan will soon be ready, and I will need both a trailer, and a car to tow it with. The Tuscan will likely live on the trailer as well, so it will need to be a decent covered shuttle type thing.
To add to the conundrum, I'm buying a house this month, and commuting to London on the train means I really won't get to drive the Chim much, so it will spend most of its time sitting outside, so will I'm sure start to develop niggles in the typical unused TVR way.
I'm looking at buying a Nissan Navara and shuttle which would give me a decent, smart, reliable everyday car to use when I need one, but can still easily deal with moving the Tuscan around to races and track days, which seems like the sensible thing to do, but the Chim has to go to pay for it.
I'm fairly close to choosing the Navara as it seems like the sensible choice, and to prepare the Chim for sale I've sent it for a tune up, remap to smooth things out and a respray that I've been meaning to do for ages. Annoyingly though, Austec rang up last night and said that its running better than ever and is an increadibly well sorted car. This has rubbed salt in the wound a bit and I'm worried I'm making the wrong decision!
At an outside chance, I could I suppose just buy a trailer and rent a van to tow it each time I want to move the Tuscan at around, but this seems a like a lot of hasstle.
Should I just stop whining and sell the Chim or will I massively regret it in a years time?
Its quite difficult to hire a Van / Pickup with a tow bar, I only found one company and they only had the one, and it was fully booked.
Also not sure how many miles a year you plan on doing in the Navara, but they are quite juicy but if your used to the chim for every day then maybe not a problem, You could look at a A6 2.4 Diesel estate.
OT slightly
WTF are you buying a house without a garage
Also not sure how many miles a year you plan on doing in the Navara, but they are quite juicy but if your used to the chim for every day then maybe not a problem, You could look at a A6 2.4 Diesel estate.
OT slightly
WTF are you buying a house without a garage
TVRleigh_BBWR said:
Its quite difficult to hire a Van / Pickup with a tow bar, I only found one company and they only had the one, and it was fully booked.
Also not sure how many miles a year you plan on doing in the Navara, but they are quite juicy but if your used to the chim for every day then maybe not a problem, You could look at a A6 2.4 Diesel estate.
OT slightly
WTF are you buying a house without a garage
I know a place reasonably locally that does them and they have plenty of vehicles if you book a week or two in advance so not out of the question but I agree that it would be a PITA.Also not sure how many miles a year you plan on doing in the Navara, but they are quite juicy but if your used to the chim for every day then maybe not a problem, You could look at a A6 2.4 Diesel estate.
OT slightly
WTF are you buying a house without a garage
Fuel wise, I don't drive very much as I commute to London to work every day, so its mostly trips to the pub/friends/cinema etc so fuel economy isn't an issue. I have looked at a couple of estates and that is a possibility.
There are next to no houses around me with a garage for anything like a reasonable price, so I'm getting a place with a drive out front, and rear access garden with space for 2 cars on concrete hard standing, and possibly a garage (either brick built or I've been looking into a large prefab metal one maybe). That said, the parent's house is only 15 mins down the road and they have a big double garage with all of my tools, air comp etc so I'll probably just use that for now for the racer
Edited by 450Nick on Thursday 10th March 11:36
I had a Navara double cab with a truckman top and a trailer for my Tuscan in 2004. Did the job very well and tows far more weight than an estate car. When you add up the weight of the covered trailer, race car and two sets of wheels - plus tools etc in the vehicle - you'll exceed the limits of most cars.
I was very happy with mine. You don't worry about chucking tools, dirty wheels and broken, leaking gearboxes in the back of a pick up. You do in a carpeted Jeep. Been there, done that, never got rid of the smell....
I'm sure this is teaching you to suck eggs, but don't be tempted to leave the race car in the trailer on your drive. So many trailers are nicked - you could end up with both trailer and car gone
I was very happy with mine. You don't worry about chucking tools, dirty wheels and broken, leaking gearboxes in the back of a pick up. You do in a carpeted Jeep. Been there, done that, never got rid of the smell....
I'm sure this is teaching you to suck eggs, but don't be tempted to leave the race car in the trailer on your drive. So many trailers are nicked - you could end up with both trailer and car gone
Tim, you are a true legend. I may well take you up on that if your plans don't change, thank you very much for the offer.
Andy, yes this is one of the main reasons I would like a pickup, I can chuck all kinds of things in it without any worries, and like yours, I've only been looking at trucks with a Truckman bed cover or equivalent. I've been out in a couple of Navs over the last few weeks and have found them very impressive to drive - much better than the L200.
Regarding storing the car, I'm not sure what I'll do yet. The new place as I said has concrete hard standing within the end of the back garden and gate access so I can keep the racer pretty securely at the end of the garden, though I would want to put some sort of structure over it. I would like to avoid keeping the Tuscan on a trailer but there may be a space issue - we'll see. In any case I am going to bolt everything to the ground, put a locked building over it and electric fence around it: everything I can to keep theives away. Luckily it is a pretty nice area but you never know!
Andy, yes this is one of the main reasons I would like a pickup, I can chuck all kinds of things in it without any worries, and like yours, I've only been looking at trucks with a Truckman bed cover or equivalent. I've been out in a couple of Navs over the last few weeks and have found them very impressive to drive - much better than the L200.
Regarding storing the car, I'm not sure what I'll do yet. The new place as I said has concrete hard standing within the end of the back garden and gate access so I can keep the racer pretty securely at the end of the garden, though I would want to put some sort of structure over it. I would like to avoid keeping the Tuscan on a trailer but there may be a space issue - we'll see. In any case I am going to bolt everything to the ground, put a locked building over it and electric fence around it: everything I can to keep theives away. Luckily it is a pretty nice area but you never know!
just a thought Nick but you can store the car on my trailer at my house, very secure as my wife is in and out all day and its always blocked in overnight, and covered as you know, just pick it up pre race whenever you want, as even if i am at work i am only ever 30 mins away from helping you out with it.
Thanks guys, your offers are hugely appreciated - it never ceases to amaze me how friendly and helpful TVR owners can be! I'll get the Chim back this weekend and make a decision on what I'm going to go about getting a truck or not. Then I'll think about race car storage when its running and hopefully I'm in my new place.
Hi Nick,
Congrats on the new house! And glad to see the racer is getting there - be good to see it on track! Just a thought, but how wide is this gap to the back of your house you speak of? Wide enough to get a trailer through? If so, get something secure mocked up in your back garden and then you can put the whole rig there out of the way!
Congrats on the new house! And glad to see the racer is getting there - be good to see it on track! Just a thought, but how wide is this gap to the back of your house you speak of? Wide enough to get a trailer through? If so, get something secure mocked up in your back garden and then you can put the whole rig there out of the way!
Nick you can leave the tuscan at my place as long as you want I will look after it as if it were mine.
I will take it out for a run every now & then to keep it tickity boo,
Wash it polish it
can even send you a picture every now & then so you dont get to love sick
I can start clearing a spot in my workshop straight away
I will take it out for a run every now & then to keep it tickity boo,
Wash it polish it
can even send you a picture every now & then so you dont get to love sick
I can start clearing a spot in my workshop straight away
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