Anyone know this cheapy?

[4key]

I'm currently on the look out for a cheapish fix up project to run this summer and there's a bargain basement Chimaera that is pushing all of the right buttons for me at the moment, I was wondering whether TVR people are like most Audi nuts and know intricate details about most of the cars on the circuit.

The car is bit of a trek from me so I was wondering how much of a dog it is before I waste a day looking at something thats barely hanging on to life with camshafts smoother than the frame

Any history at all would be a great help.

J400 GCM TVR CHIMAERA 4.0 2DR STUNNING COND 500 MINIMUM PART EXCHANGE

Edited by 4key on Saturday 29th December 16:08

[jamienshelly]

Hi i believe that someone went to see it recently (there is a thread about cheap chims abouut a month ago)
and i think it is a "project in the waiting".
I know its been for sale for a while now as we were considering looking at but bought elsewhere, and the owner was prepared to take £4500 for it then. I think chassis was poor and various other items that were a concern, i may be wrong but have a look through the threads from around november.
Sorry to be negative but forwarned is forarmed as they say.
Hope this has helped

[caduceus]

I went to see it, as I too am looking for something of a project car to restore.
There is a list as long as my arm of things that are wrong with that car as it stands. Although things I was prepared to tackle. But the speedo change in the past, and the current one unreadable decided it was not worth it as those kind of discrepancies make the car almost unsellable in the future.

It's such a shame that its going to just sit there and rot. And it will, unless some unwitting soul comes along and is lured in by the prospect of owning a TVR at such a price.

[GTRene]

maybe then it could be used as a 'cheap' basis car for a LS3 conversion, also with a complete new stronger chassis as some have in the making.
update the rest and make a as 'new' TVR from it, a total make-over.

[4key]

Thanks for the info, I was wondering why no one else had picked it up for a project although I thought it was going to be rust only held together by waxoyl that was putting people off. Mileage discrepancies aren't the end of the world as I have a couple of easy engine options available if need be to make what the odometer displays irrelevant.

Caduceus, could you be so kind as to let me know a couple of the cars bigger failings so I can see how much I can beat the price down over the phone, it may still be worth the effort if I can steal it

[s5tuart]

I have just come back from looking at this one. I spent all of 2 minutes there! It is not as advertised" in outstanding condition" and was full of water inside the drivers and pass footwells. The interior could do with a lot of work to tidy it up!
The windscreen header was actually dripping water inside and this was because, according to the sales guy, it had been inside for a few days. Apparently it was outside before Xmas and ice formed inside the targa panel and caused all the water due to melting. Hmmmm.
I tapped around under the outriggers and it sounded decidedly dead, so I decided it was full of rust and walked away.
It's a shame. It will stay there and rot even more........IMHO it needs a minimum of chassis refurb and an interior refurb and thats without getting on to the mechanicals, which I would guess be in the same state of neglect.

ps. As you may have guessed I'm about to come back into the fold. Looking for a well sorted 500 in any colour but red, or biscuit interior.

Edited by s5tuart on Saturday 29th December 15:07

[4key]

Definitely glad that I asked first now.

[Prizam]

Indeed. This one has been for sale now for over a year! Probably worth around 2k in its current state. All the work it needs is going to be around 3/4k. bringing it up to 6k.

[Meths]

Prizam said:

Indeed. This one has been for sale now for over a year! Probably worth around 2k in its current state. All the work it needs is going to be around 3/4k. bringing it up to 6k.

I'll ask to swap for my rover 75.

He might take me seriously


Edit: for 2k more, this looks so much more promising: http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

Edited by Meths on Saturday 29th December 16:20

[caduceus]

Meths said:

Prizam said:

Indeed. This one has been for sale now for over a year! Probably worth around 2k in its current state. All the work it needs is going to be around 3/4k. bringing it up to 6k.

I'll ask to swap for my rover 75.

He might take me seriously

I doubt it I offered him 3k and he told me he'd 'rather burn it' than sell for that price. I'm glad he declined now, as the above poster is right. It's probably worth more like 2k.

[Meths]

caduceus said:

I doubt it I offered him 3k and he told me he'd 'rather burn it' than sell for that price. I'm glad he declined now, as the above poster is right. It's probably worth more like 2k.

I'd be doing him a favor, the rover's more sellable

[caduceus]

OP. YHM

[chris1972]

This has indeed been for sale for months on end. View the 'Depressingly Cheap' thread for some further info and a couple of indecent chassis pics!

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=121...

I never went to see the Chim you're asking about due to the fact it was a non-specialist dealer and the price was cheap, plus the fact it has been for sale for so long spoke volumes. I suspected chassis and poor history.

£3k is a reasonable offer, considering the amount of work needed. This would work for a full body lift and then popping over to V8 Developments for one of their new engines!!! Otherwise, it is wise to walk away. Not worth £4500 if it is in poor condition and it will set you back more than that to get it back up to standard.