Introducing me, Chimaera 500 owner in Japan.
Discussion
Hi all,
just thought I'd start a thread to introduce myself to you all properly as I've already found this site to be a wealth of invaluable information and friendly knowledgeable people. I need to get on your good sides as I'll no doubt be bugging you frequently for information, advice and guidance.
So, I'm Darren, originally from Gloucestershire in the UK. 18 years ago I had a vacation in Japan, discovered sunny weather and a virtually crime free society. I made up my mind, saved enough cash to survive a month in Japan, gave in my work notice and moved out here. This April will mark 17 years I've been living in Japan, and like a true Brit I still can't speak the local language
I work in IT for a multinational bank and now spend all my time trying to keep on top of more and more complex regulatory requirements while trying to explain why it leave no time to do my actual job. Beginning to dawn on me why you don't see many "old" people in bank IT departments.
Have lived in the countryside here commuting to Tokyo by motorcycle for a few years. Had a big crash, spent some time in hospital and then moved into Tokyo to carry on working. Had a Veilside 350Z for a few years (before they did Tokyo Drift movie). but got rid of it after my leg could not handle such a heavy clutch in Tokyo traffic.
Moved from that to a polar opposite, Toyota Landcruiser and then later FJ Cruiser for my commutes. The FJ is now considered my Eco car :P
About 5 years ago things really started coming together for me so tired of living in a concrete jungle I bought a piece of land outside of Tokyo in the countryside. It's unusual location as local ordinance says only western style housing is permitted. So the whole area looks like a cleaned up version of an English village, am even on the side of a golf course. Built my house there and been happy ever since.
About 18 months ago I had a settlement for my bike crash so used some of that cash to buy a car to play with, my Chimaera 500. Advertised as a 1999 model with no crashes, 35,000km on the clock, I bought this as a roughish car to spend time working on to bring back to full glory.
Car got a full service with Sanc as a starting point as probably one of only a few TVR specialists in Japan. They fixed a bunch of things to start with, replaced all the water hoses with a new set I had got from the UK. Put the car through it's equivalent of an MOT and gave me a big bill. Their verdict..... it's a good one.... goes really well. Have never been entirely comfortable with that second comment having watched Ferris Buellers Day off :P
2 days after that saw me stuck on the express way waiting for a tow truck after the crank pulley bolt sheered off and then did a ping pong in the engine bay. They took it back free of charge and got a new bolt shipped from the UK and fitted for me, some good guys there.
Since then I've replaced all the carpets as the interior was quite nasty. It looks better, but still nothing like some of the cars I've seen on this site. Will have to revisit that later. Have been stranded a second time when the HT coil failed. And most recently as some of you already know, had some over heating issues.
Love driving the car, just having some issues trusting it. Today is a case in point and am now considering to take it off the road and start to work on it properly. About 40 miles of driving, steady airflow and temp between 70-80 degrees. Now over heating, but my paranoid self decide to pop the bonnet at a service area and take a peek to see if anything amiss. I noticed some dark streaks on the heat shield on the passenger side that had not seen before. Engine was cool then so could not tell if fresh or not. Continue on home and then check again while engine is still hot. Yes the streaks are fresh, soft melted plastic from what used to be a wiring shroud.
To my mind this says the exhaust is getting too hot, dangerously hot. So should get this investigated and sorted as soon as possible.
Am torn between doing this myself, or getting a garage to do it for me and be assured it is done properly. The whole idea was for me to work on this car and bring it back to full glory. But since owning it I've found I have very little patience when it is off the road and just want to be out driving it!
Should also mention I got married a couple of years ago and would not have struggled getting the car without my wife's help. She hates the thing as she only has a license for automatic cars and does not have enough leg room on the passenger side. My 2 dogs however love to get taken out for a quick road trip when they can
Cheers!
just thought I'd start a thread to introduce myself to you all properly as I've already found this site to be a wealth of invaluable information and friendly knowledgeable people. I need to get on your good sides as I'll no doubt be bugging you frequently for information, advice and guidance.
So, I'm Darren, originally from Gloucestershire in the UK. 18 years ago I had a vacation in Japan, discovered sunny weather and a virtually crime free society. I made up my mind, saved enough cash to survive a month in Japan, gave in my work notice and moved out here. This April will mark 17 years I've been living in Japan, and like a true Brit I still can't speak the local language
I work in IT for a multinational bank and now spend all my time trying to keep on top of more and more complex regulatory requirements while trying to explain why it leave no time to do my actual job. Beginning to dawn on me why you don't see many "old" people in bank IT departments.Have lived in the countryside here commuting to Tokyo by motorcycle for a few years. Had a big crash, spent some time in hospital and then moved into Tokyo to carry on working. Had a Veilside 350Z for a few years (before they did Tokyo Drift movie). but got rid of it after my leg could not handle such a heavy clutch in Tokyo traffic.
Moved from that to a polar opposite, Toyota Landcruiser and then later FJ Cruiser for my commutes. The FJ is now considered my Eco car :P
About 5 years ago things really started coming together for me so tired of living in a concrete jungle I bought a piece of land outside of Tokyo in the countryside. It's unusual location as local ordinance says only western style housing is permitted. So the whole area looks like a cleaned up version of an English village, am even on the side of a golf course. Built my house there and been happy ever since.
About 18 months ago I had a settlement for my bike crash so used some of that cash to buy a car to play with, my Chimaera 500. Advertised as a 1999 model with no crashes, 35,000km on the clock, I bought this as a roughish car to spend time working on to bring back to full glory.
Car got a full service with Sanc as a starting point as probably one of only a few TVR specialists in Japan. They fixed a bunch of things to start with, replaced all the water hoses with a new set I had got from the UK. Put the car through it's equivalent of an MOT and gave me a big bill. Their verdict..... it's a good one.... goes really well. Have never been entirely comfortable with that second comment having watched Ferris Buellers Day off :P
2 days after that saw me stuck on the express way waiting for a tow truck after the crank pulley bolt sheered off and then did a ping pong in the engine bay. They took it back free of charge and got a new bolt shipped from the UK and fitted for me, some good guys there.
Since then I've replaced all the carpets as the interior was quite nasty. It looks better, but still nothing like some of the cars I've seen on this site. Will have to revisit that later. Have been stranded a second time when the HT coil failed. And most recently as some of you already know, had some over heating issues.
Love driving the car, just having some issues trusting it. Today is a case in point and am now considering to take it off the road and start to work on it properly. About 40 miles of driving, steady airflow and temp between 70-80 degrees. Now over heating, but my paranoid self decide to pop the bonnet at a service area and take a peek to see if anything amiss. I noticed some dark streaks on the heat shield on the passenger side that had not seen before. Engine was cool then so could not tell if fresh or not. Continue on home and then check again while engine is still hot. Yes the streaks are fresh, soft melted plastic from what used to be a wiring shroud.
To my mind this says the exhaust is getting too hot, dangerously hot. So should get this investigated and sorted as soon as possible.
Am torn between doing this myself, or getting a garage to do it for me and be assured it is done properly. The whole idea was for me to work on this car and bring it back to full glory. But since owning it I've found I have very little patience when it is off the road and just want to be out driving it!
Should also mention I got married a couple of years ago and would not have struggled getting the car without my wife's help. She hates the thing as she only has a license for automatic cars and does not have enough leg room on the passenger side. My 2 dogs however love to get taken out for a quick road trip when they can
Cheers!
My house was on the new housing there as you went from the cross roads from the Glos-Chelt road towards RAF Insworth. Got myself a speeding ticket just outside the base once. Still have family there and will be out that way next year for a visit. Sold my house there though as the area was still rough at the time and my agency managing the rental of it was very bad and just causing me stress.
As a side note, my best mate from Cheltenham came out the following year for a holiday to visit me. First night in town I introduced him to a couple of my new friends, he is now married to one of them. Also while we were partying the night away we managed to make a contact with a company that ended up hiring him to work in Japan too. He is now in his 15th year here and has never forgiven me
As a side note, my best mate from Cheltenham came out the following year for a holiday to visit me. First night in town I introduced him to a couple of my new friends, he is now married to one of them. Also while we were partying the night away we managed to make a contact with a company that ended up hiring him to work in Japan too. He is now in his 15th year here and has never forgiven me
Cool story mate, I've owned mine over two years and I still want to drive it far too much!
I took the alternator off mine last night just to stop me!
My excuse is it needs cleaning!!
I can't help with the wiring issue but lets hope someone here can shed some light.
That needs sorting ASAP.
I took the alternator off mine last night just to stop me!
My excuse is it needs cleaning!!
I can't help with the wiring issue but lets hope someone here can shed some light.
That needs sorting ASAP.
Lovely place Japan visited a few times myself, would love to re visit some day. If the other halfs problem with the car is lack of space simple solution move the battery to the boot.
Is the wire thats melted under the air intake pipe? I'm not sure if thats not a standard piece of cable fitted by factory could be wrong.
Is the wire thats melted under the air intake pipe? I'm not sure if thats not a standard piece of cable fitted by factory could be wrong.
Yep that wire is under the air intake pipe, no idea what it's for....yet. Considering the last car I wrenched on was a MK1 Capri, am finding this car a bit more complex and wishing there was a Haines manual for it The wire itself is not getting hot, just heat from the exhaust. I actually suspect the cats have failed and could be causing a partial obstruction in the pipes. Is it simple enough you think to unbolt and inspect?
I'm already half decided on getting a Cheery Bomb system anyway, if the system has failed it may be the nudge I need. One of the mechanics that worked on my car told me they should technically fail the road inspection just on the sound levels in stock form anyway, but they have friendly testers
I think I will be taking it off the road, just will eat at me not being able to drive it. Have to get my speed fix by riding....wife does not like the bike either
The wire itself is not getting hot, just heat from the exhaust. I actually suspect the cats have failed and could be causing a partial obstruction in the pipes. Is it simple enough you think to unbolt and inspect?I'm already half decided on getting a Cheery Bomb system anyway, if the system has failed it may be the nudge I need. One of the mechanics that worked on my car told me they should technically fail the road inspection just on the sound levels in stock form anyway, but they have friendly testers
I think I will be taking it off the road, just will eat at me not being able to drive it. Have to get my speed fix by riding....wife does not like the bike either
If that is the one with the spiral ring bound loose pages, I already have it. But having been out of tinkering with cars for such a long time I long for the excessive pictures and diagrams you get in a Haines book for the novice mechanic. Am also finding quite a few things that do not match my car, and as yet not sure if this is standard as TVR's were made to order and varied so much, or if my car has been butchered at some point - the 3 cooling fans a case in point.
Hi Darren. Nice write up there to introduce yourself.
Have to agree with Penno, not sure that cable is standard.
What is it for, and where does it go?
Does it have a anderson connector on the end, as it may be a battery charge point connection as per all the later TVR T cars.
Whatever it is , you need to investigate how the plastic shroud on it has melted.
Is the cable itself somehow getting hot, or more likely, is it an external heat scource, as you said, from one of the exhaust manifolds.
Best guess would be the exhaust manifold, but if its gettin that hot then somethings amiss, so i would check the pre cats in the manifolds themselves.
They break down over time and can come loose, this can create a partial blockage within the manifold, and restrict the exhaust gas flow giving you extra heat build up that you dont want.
Most owners drill/chisel them out as it helps exhaust gas flow and can help reduce the under bonnet temp.[Removal of the precats does not effect any MOT emissions test.]
You can do this "insitu" but its best to remove the manifolds so no bits of metal etc can fall back into the engine.
I would remove the Y- piece or main cat and check for any precat debris they may have been blown in there.
Could also be a problem with the main cat but my money is on the precats.
Any of the above problems are usually pretty clear to see as sometimes the blocked manifold and or main cat, can actually glow bright red! they get that hot!
As a final point what was your overheating problem? As what i describe above can cause some serious under bonnet temps, which then leads to overheating problems.
Good luck with gettin it sorted and any questions or help, just ask, Tom.
Have to agree with Penno, not sure that cable is standard.
What is it for, and where does it go?
Does it have a anderson connector on the end, as it may be a battery charge point connection as per all the later TVR T cars.
Whatever it is , you need to investigate how the plastic shroud on it has melted.
Is the cable itself somehow getting hot, or more likely, is it an external heat scource, as you said, from one of the exhaust manifolds.
Best guess would be the exhaust manifold, but if its gettin that hot then somethings amiss, so i would check the pre cats in the manifolds themselves.
They break down over time and can come loose, this can create a partial blockage within the manifold, and restrict the exhaust gas flow giving you extra heat build up that you dont want.
Most owners drill/chisel them out as it helps exhaust gas flow and can help reduce the under bonnet temp.[Removal of the precats does not effect any MOT emissions test.]
You can do this "insitu" but its best to remove the manifolds so no bits of metal etc can fall back into the engine.
I would remove the Y- piece or main cat and check for any precat debris they may have been blown in there.
Could also be a problem with the main cat but my money is on the precats.
Any of the above problems are usually pretty clear to see as sometimes the blocked manifold and or main cat, can actually glow bright red! they get that hot!
As a final point what was your overheating problem? As what i describe above can cause some serious under bonnet temps, which then leads to overheating problems.
Good luck with gettin it sorted and any questions or help, just ask, Tom.
Edited by TJC46 on Saturday 11th January 10:34
Thanks Tom. I think I will get out there tomorrow and take a look and check them if I can. The over heat issue looks to be resolved now thanks to the advice I got here http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Looks to have been an airlock and now actual engine temperature is looking good. I believe this now to be in just the exhaust and so will focus on that. This was occurring today in 8 degree temperatures and easy driving. Was very light footed today.
Looks to have been an airlock and now actual engine temperature is looking good. I believe this now to be in just the exhaust and so will focus on that. This was occurring today in 8 degree temperatures and easy driving. Was very light footed today.
Hi,
I could be heading down a slippery slope here. Now have the car up on ramps and starting into the engine bay, having some fun and finding a mass of information in these forums stopping me making some costly mistakes. Using liberal amounts of oil to free up old bolts so they don't sheer off. So far so good but is just the beginning.
Hedgehopper, it could be the remains of an attempt at that, will try and find the ends of it tomorrow. I have no override switch in the cabin, but have also seen some lose ends in the car wiring that seem to go nowhere. Car needs cleaning up in more than one area. Further up in the engine bay the wire abandons the black cable shroud and it then covered by what looks to be an aquarium tube.
Barnfind, what are the benefits of it and where can I get one. While I'm messing around in that area I'd prefer not having to redo stuff later if I can get it done first time around. Any advice on getting the existing Y piece out? Have released the clamps on it to the manifolds both sides and from the exhaust underneath. Does the rest of the exhaust need to be undone and pulled back off the end of the Y piece? Does not seem much room to pull the Y piece forwards.
Swisstoni, agreed. It is a good fun car and would do well in the UK, especially for those who like to play off road. The car is simple and can wash out the interior with a hose if you want to. Having said that, it's not for those with a family. The back doors for passengers are a pain as you need to open the front doors completely to open them. If you're in a car park, your passengers are gonna be stuck to get out. The Landcruiser 4x4 system also seems smoother and more intelligent. Fun, but overall we are waiting for Toyota to come out with a Hybrid Landcruiser and we'd trade in straight away.
Roseytvr, thanks for the link, will check it out.
Davo23, thank you. It's been a great experience and eye opener. Have never regretted it, not even during my prolonged hospital stays.
I could be heading down a slippery slope here. Now have the car up on ramps and starting into the engine bay, having some fun and finding a mass of information in these forums stopping me making some costly mistakes. Using liberal amounts of oil to free up old bolts so they don't sheer off. So far so good but is just the beginning.
Hedgehopper, it could be the remains of an attempt at that, will try and find the ends of it tomorrow. I have no override switch in the cabin, but have also seen some lose ends in the car wiring that seem to go nowhere. Car needs cleaning up in more than one area. Further up in the engine bay the wire abandons the black cable shroud and it then covered by what looks to be an aquarium tube.
Barnfind, what are the benefits of it and where can I get one. While I'm messing around in that area I'd prefer not having to redo stuff later if I can get it done first time around. Any advice on getting the existing Y piece out? Have released the clamps on it to the manifolds both sides and from the exhaust underneath. Does the rest of the exhaust need to be undone and pulled back off the end of the Y piece? Does not seem much room to pull the Y piece forwards.
Swisstoni, agreed. It is a good fun car and would do well in the UK, especially for those who like to play off road. The car is simple and can wash out the interior with a hose if you want to. Having said that, it's not for those with a family. The back doors for passengers are a pain as you need to open the front doors completely to open them. If you're in a car park, your passengers are gonna be stuck to get out. The Landcruiser 4x4 system also seems smoother and more intelligent. Fun, but overall we are waiting for Toyota to come out with a Hybrid Landcruiser and we'd trade in straight away.
Roseytvr, thanks for the link, will check it out.
Davo23, thank you. It's been a great experience and eye opener. Have never regretted it, not even during my prolonged hospital stays.
Re Y piece, although the 'Clive Y piece' is supposed to be a work of art by all accounts it is only available when Clive himself decides to take orders via PH and make up a batch. ACT sell a decat Y piece which works well and can be ordered online.
I have never done it myself but the removal and refitting of the y piece is pretty well documented on here. I have also seen a YouTube video or two with a chap fitting a y piece to a Griff. Sorry to be vague but I'm sure a bit of searching will thow it up.
Featured some judicious use of a hammer IIRC !
Incidentally I know about feeling old in IT departments. I left the field at the age of 44 and felt something of a fossil by then.
I have never done it myself but the removal and refitting of the y piece is pretty well documented on here. I have also seen a YouTube video or two with a chap fitting a y piece to a Griff. Sorry to be vague but I'm sure a bit of searching will thow it up.
Featured some judicious use of a hammer IIRC !
Incidentally I know about feeling old in IT departments. I left the field at the age of 44 and felt something of a fossil by then.
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