Chim 4.0 upgrade route
Discussion
Hi first time post in the chimera forum and I am posting on behalf of my dad who owns a prowler purple chim 4.0 (Esprit owner myself) he is a bit of a technical clutz hence me doing this. He has decided it is time to upgrade the chimera so what is the recomended route to upgrading the power of the chimera. Is there such a thing as a turbo conversion?? any help gratefully recieved
Glyn
Glyn
If you do a search for "upgrade" you'll find a wealth of info'.
One piece of advice that will come up frequently is to sell it and buy a 450 or 500.
If you really want to keep the same car then ACT sell induction upgrades which if combined with a new cam (V8Developments and others) and a Tornado chip (Mark Adams) will probably significantly increase the power and torque.
Suspension - fit Nitron shocks. Brakes - upgrade to 500 spec (or better) with fast road pads.
If you just want to drive faster then save your money on all of the above and get tuition!
HTH
One piece of advice that will come up frequently is to sell it and buy a 450 or 500.
If you really want to keep the same car then ACT sell induction upgrades which if combined with a new cam (V8Developments and others) and a Tornado chip (Mark Adams) will probably significantly increase the power and torque.
Suspension - fit Nitron shocks. Brakes - upgrade to 500 spec (or better) with fast road pads.
If you just want to drive faster then save your money on all of the above and get tuition!
HTH
Thanks for the advice so far as for selling its not an option as this car truelly is in imaculate condition (so much so that dealer just offered 20k for it), they did consider selling for cebra but decided to go the upgrade route due to liking the removable roof too much any further ideas greatfully recieved.
upgrading from a 4.0 to a 5.0 with VTR power is about 6k, to go from a 4.0 to 4.5 is about 1.5k.
They also do Nox kits and a Tarka upgrade.
Try there web site www.tvr-power.co.uk/
They also do Nox kits and a Tarka upgrade.
Try there web site www.tvr-power.co.uk/
splashout1 said:
Thanks for the advice so far as for selling its not an option as this car truelly is in imaculate condition (so much so that dealer just offered 20k for it), they did consider selling for cebra but decided to go the upgrade route due to liking the removable roof too much any further ideas greatfully recieved.
It's your call, but there are plenty of immaculate 500s out there, and an immaculate 400 upgraded to a 500 engine will be harder to insure, harder to sell, and will miss out on all the other improvements the 500 has over a 400.
I think this boils down to how fat you wallet is and how quickly you want to wave goodbye to pictures of the queen 
Lets say your paying someone else to do the work, you may as well go for a 5.3 with loads of ACT bits, then your going to need some bigger brakes, so the TVR upgrade to 5 studs and Tamora brakes seems the best deal, then your going to want to sort the suspension out so a phone call to Nitron, or if your still feeling flush Ohlins.
I'd guess that's going to set you back at least £10k and it will have added very little, if any value to your car, as is always the case, it's your money to do with whatever you wish, but the senseable route if you really feel the 4.0l is just soooooo slow, sell it and buy a 5.0l they are no more expensive 2nd hand than the 4.0l or the 4.5l and you can then spend £3k on that to get it to the same place as your 4.0l would be £10k down
Lets say your paying someone else to do the work, you may as well go for a 5.3 with loads of ACT bits, then your going to need some bigger brakes, so the TVR upgrade to 5 studs and Tamora brakes seems the best deal, then your going to want to sort the suspension out so a phone call to Nitron, or if your still feeling flush Ohlins.
I'd guess that's going to set you back at least £10k and it will have added very little, if any value to your car, as is always the case, it's your money to do with whatever you wish, but the senseable route if you really feel the 4.0l is just soooooo slow, sell it and buy a 5.0l they are no more expensive 2nd hand than the 4.0l or the 4.5l and you can then spend £3k on that to get it to the same place as your 4.0l would be £10k down
raceboy and greenv8s are entirely correct.
If you were looking to buy a Chimaera for a given budget, which would you choose? A known quanity Chimaera 500 or an unknown quantity heavily modified Chimaera 400 that may or may not have had all of its bits brought up to 500 spec and beyond? The modified 400 would have to be significantly cheaper and/or significantly better than a 500 before I'd even consider it.
Modifying a 400 or 450 is just money down the drain, in my opinion. Far better to trade up to a 500 and then start from there.
>> Edited by JonRB on Thursday 29th July 13:04
If you were looking to buy a Chimaera for a given budget, which would you choose? A known quanity Chimaera 500 or an unknown quantity heavily modified Chimaera 400 that may or may not have had all of its bits brought up to 500 spec and beyond? The modified 400 would have to be significantly cheaper and/or significantly better than a 500 before I'd even consider it.
Modifying a 400 or 450 is just money down the drain, in my opinion. Far better to trade up to a 500 and then start from there.
>> Edited by JonRB on Thursday 29th July 13:04
So in summary
1. It will cost you far more money to even bring a 400 up to the same spec as a 500 than it would to trade up to a 500.
2. It will cost you more to insure a modified 400 than an unmodified 500.
3. Your modification will add little or no value to the car, so don't expect to get any of the money you spend back again.
4. Your car will be harder to sell than an unmolested example.
Still think that trading up to a 500 isn't an option?
>> Edited by JonRB on Thursday 29th July 13:12
1. It will cost you far more money to even bring a 400 up to the same spec as a 500 than it would to trade up to a 500.
2. It will cost you more to insure a modified 400 than an unmodified 500.
3. Your modification will add little or no value to the car, so don't expect to get any of the money you spend back again.
4. Your car will be harder to sell than an unmolested example.
Still think that trading up to a 500 isn't an option?
>> Edited by JonRB on Thursday 29th July 13:12
Can I just point out that from 1996 the 4.0s and the 5.0s (when the 500 chasis began to be used on both) are exactly the same car, apart from the wheels, badge and engine.
So if you buy a standard 5.0 TVR power engine and put it in a standard post 96 4.0 car, it will be in all but name a standard 5.0.
So if you buy a standard 5.0 TVR power engine and put it in a standard post 96 4.0 car, it will be in all but name a standard 5.0.
jonnyb said:and brakes.
Can I just point out that from 1996 the 4.0s and the 5.0s (when the 500 chasis began to be used on both) are exactly the same car, apart from the wheels, badge and engine.
So if you buy a standard 5.0 TVR power engine and put it in a standard post 96 4.0 car, it will be in all but name a standard 5.0.
victormeldrew said:
Can I just point out that from 1996 the 4.0s and the 5.0s (when the 500 chasis began to be used on both) are exactly the same car, apart from the wheels, badge and engine.
So if you buy a standard 5.0 TVR power engine and put it in a standard post 96 4.0 car, it will be in all but name a standard 5.0.
and brakes.
Brakes are the same too, unless you've played with them!
I must say I'm not too convinced of the 'buy a 500' sentiment, for the following reasons:
* There's about ten times as many 4 litres on the market, making finding one that suits you at the right price a lot easier
* Decent 4.0s are plentiful in the 10-12K bracket, while I've yet to see a (any) 5 litre below 14ish
* Already have a 4.0 car? Better the devil you know than getting another one which you have to sort out again from the start
* You cannot compare the value of your 4.0 plus whatever it costs to sort the engine (a couple of grand at TVR Power gets you a fairly comprehensive rebuild/upgrade) with the cost of getting a 500 which might or might not have engine issues
* The 5.0 engine makes too much torque for the car, but is not as revvy as the 4 litre, and 'only' makes like 260-270 bhp at the top end instead of the promised 320-340.
* Evo clocked the Griff 500 at exactly the same 0-60 and 0-100 times as the pre-cat 430. So what's the poin, apart from an unusable top speed?
* Several V8 specialists declare the 4.0 the best RV8 iteration because of its favourable stroke - con rod length ratio. This means it can rev and stay smooth and reliable
-> Going up from the 4.0, which has plenty of low down grunt to keep the chassis occupied as it is, one would ideally like some real top end to compliment the experience, not an overdose of low rpm torque that only serves to send you into the next ditch or hedge.
-> With the RV8, it's ultimately the heads which determine the hp potential - with the same heads, you might get the same hp as a 5.0, only @ 6,500 instead of @ 5,250 rpm. In a Chim/Griff, the smaller, higher revving engine might give you more scope to use the power instead of just being scared silly immediately after you open the throttle. Apart from that, the Gods didn't give us five forward gears for nowt
Looking at the dyno sheets from an engine tuner I visited for work last week, a decent engine builder can get like 268 bhp from a four litre RV8 (in this case, it was an MG RV8) without going silly - just a rebuild with decent head and cam, a decat and other assorted stuff... IIRC that blue Morgan GT racing thingy of the mid nineties had a four litre RV8 with 350 bhp @ 6,750 rpm, which to me sounds a nicer set up for a light sports car than a five litre tractor engine that peaks just above the 5K rpm mark...
* There's about ten times as many 4 litres on the market, making finding one that suits you at the right price a lot easier
* Decent 4.0s are plentiful in the 10-12K bracket, while I've yet to see a (any) 5 litre below 14ish
* Already have a 4.0 car? Better the devil you know than getting another one which you have to sort out again from the start
* You cannot compare the value of your 4.0 plus whatever it costs to sort the engine (a couple of grand at TVR Power gets you a fairly comprehensive rebuild/upgrade) with the cost of getting a 500 which might or might not have engine issues
* The 5.0 engine makes too much torque for the car, but is not as revvy as the 4 litre, and 'only' makes like 260-270 bhp at the top end instead of the promised 320-340.
* Evo clocked the Griff 500 at exactly the same 0-60 and 0-100 times as the pre-cat 430. So what's the poin, apart from an unusable top speed?
* Several V8 specialists declare the 4.0 the best RV8 iteration because of its favourable stroke - con rod length ratio. This means it can rev and stay smooth and reliable
-> Going up from the 4.0, which has plenty of low down grunt to keep the chassis occupied as it is, one would ideally like some real top end to compliment the experience, not an overdose of low rpm torque that only serves to send you into the next ditch or hedge.
-> With the RV8, it's ultimately the heads which determine the hp potential - with the same heads, you might get the same hp as a 5.0, only @ 6,500 instead of @ 5,250 rpm. In a Chim/Griff, the smaller, higher revving engine might give you more scope to use the power instead of just being scared silly immediately after you open the throttle. Apart from that, the Gods didn't give us five forward gears for nowt
Looking at the dyno sheets from an engine tuner I visited for work last week, a decent engine builder can get like 268 bhp from a four litre RV8 (in this case, it was an MG RV8) without going silly - just a rebuild with decent head and cam, a decat and other assorted stuff... IIRC that blue Morgan GT racing thingy of the mid nineties had a four litre RV8 with 350 bhp @ 6,750 rpm, which to me sounds a nicer set up for a light sports car than a five litre tractor engine that peaks just above the 5K rpm mark...
personally if I had the cash and wanted more performance from the same style of car I would always trade up to the 5 litre. But thats my view, and some valid points made by 900T.
One thing I will point out was that DustyC and I put the 4 litre -v- 5 litre to the test at a recent drag racing event. We went head to head and ended up a second apart over a 1/4 of a mile. Interestingly, we both had the same terminal speed of 110mph. However, as the 1 second gap showed, there ain't no substitute for ccs.
One thing I will point out was that DustyC and I put the 4 litre -v- 5 litre to the test at a recent drag racing event. We went head to head and ended up a second apart over a 1/4 of a mile. Interestingly, we both had the same terminal speed of 110mph. However, as the 1 second gap showed, there ain't no substitute for ccs.
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