tvr chim 65,000 miles ?

[PYNEY]

hi all

i've been looking at a 98 chim 4.0 hc with 65,000 miles full service history etc

what i'd like to know is what is expected to go wrong with the car on this mileage ?
apart from service parts replaced and the odd thing nothing major has worn out

so at 65,000 miles what can i expect to go in the next 10,000 miles if at all

cheers keith

[Simon says]

It dont work like that,i have 4.0 HC also with twice that mileage with original untouched motor,gearbox,differential,driveshafts etc etc,it all depends how you treat them and more so how you maintain em,even my waterpump is original.

[theironduke]

Simon says said:

It dont work like that,i have 4.0 HC also with twice that mileage with original untouched motor,gearbox,differential,driveshafts etc etc,it all depends how you treat them and more so how you maintain em,even my waterpump is original.

Another HC owner here, mines done 84ish, still on original oily bits (has had new outriggers and wishbones in the last few years) and is going strong! If they've been loved they will last.

[Grey Ghost]

Simon says said:

It dont work like that,i have 4.0 HC also with twice that mileage with original untouched motor,gearbox,differential,driveshafts etc etc,it all depends how you treat them and more so how you maintain em ,even my waterpump is original.

^^^^^^^^^^^

This. I bought my 450 with c58,000 on the clock as the service history was good with lots of consumables replaced over recent years - discs, pads, fuel lines etc plus a new rad, swirl pot and otter switch to boot.

If the car you are looking at has a good service history with evidence of things being replaced when they are needed and not when the wallet allows I would go for it.

[peaktorque]

Mines done twice that mileage and has never let me down.

A lot has been spent on it by previous owners though (I have the invoices ) A lot of the works were not necessarily needed though as they were upgrades (such as the exhaust ), but some were.

Old cars regardless of mileage need just as much attention.

The rad is out at the moment for a refurb

[Zippee]

Hi Keith, Hope you're well. The 2 main things to look for at that mileage are Camshafts and driveshafts, though these are not always needed they are common wearables around that sort of mileage. Rest is just good service history and whatever you do get that car on a ramp and check the chassis!!

[PYNEY]

thanks guys for all your comments its good to hear some positive things on the mechanics
if the car had 40,000 on the clock i wouldn't be so concerned , i'll just have to take a view on the price of the car
and budget in some poss repairs "clutch / camshaft" at a later date

zippee with regards to the chassis is it possible to check it with just a trolley jack and screw driver ?
if i remember there not like my s , the chassis sits quite tight to the body so you cant see any rust holes on top

any tips on the best way to see / test for this ?

[Kitchski]

65k miles? Ready for the knackers yard!

[Chris71]

As others have mentioned, you can have a major bill at 25,000 miles or you can sometimes find a car that's in showroom condition at 100,000.

Condition is everything - and very much takes precedent over what I'm about to say - but I guess at a moderate mileage like 65,000 is it's possible that the car is still running on wholly original components. If it hasn't been refreshed it's possible that the suspension is starting to get a bit soggy, the cam could be getting a bit worn and you could see some wear in the clutch. Go much higher than that mileage and I suppose you could hypothesise that even a fairly lax owner is likely to have been prompted to replace those bits.

But 65k sounds about right for a weekend car from the late 90s (which is what most Chims are). The point above is largely academic. If the condition looks right and the chassis is sound go for it.

Just make sure you see a few (if you haven't already); they do vary quite a bit.

[Timja]

Make sure the outriggers are sound. Have a good poke at the outriggers, they may look good underneath but could be rotten on top.

As mentioned, Cam, clutch, valley gaskets, general oil leaks, suspension etc.

[PYNEY]

whats the best way to look at the top of the outriggers any tips ?

[Milky400]

brought my 400hc with 65k on, still running and not let me down, these engines are good for very high mileage if looked after, as probably mentioned above. condition condition condition, relative to the price, mechanically mine was spot on, out riggers very very good. just needed a little cosmetic work

[Chris71]

PYNEY said:

whats the best way to look at the top of the outriggers any tips ?

IIRC they tend to go on the top surface (which is a pain as it's the bit you can't get to). The next best thing is to look at the bits you can see (obviously) and hope the bits you can't are okay.

There are two ways I checked when I was looking. Firstly was to shine a torch down into the rear half of the front wheel arch (you may need the wheels at an angle to do this). You'll see the front tube of the outrigger running along the bottom of the body, from the chassis out to the edge of the inner wheel arch (that's really badly explained, but hopefully it'll make sense in the flesh). There's also a diagonal that goes down from the top of the engine bay to this outer corner. You can see them as the front of the grey bits in this photo:



The next check I did was to lie on the floor and follow the underside of the outriggers along their length to the back. This is probably the least likely surface to have any rust, but worth checking.

To be honest I can't remember if the rear corners of the outriggers are visible from the rear wheels arches or not (it's over a year since I've been through this routine), but if they are you want to repeat a mirror of the checks described for the front.

Also, don't be afraid to get your hands in there or even a screwdriver to check if they really are sound under any accumulated muck. Unless you're really vicious you're not going to do any damage to a decent set, but the really bad ones can crumble under finger pressure.