A little confused about my car.
Discussion
Ok it's not too difficult to confuse me, but appreciate if some of the wise members here can guide me at all about my car. Been reading a lot here about quality of the chassis depending on what year it was, where it was made etc, so eager to know a bit more about mine as so far seems clear of rust but the coating started to flake in a couple of places.
Looking at my car it seems to have the early Fiesta tail lights?
But car was advertised to me when sold as a 1999 car. Does that match the style?
But then reading the chassis number if I am correct, it is from June 2000 - (chassis VF011668)
The more I learn the more questions I have......
Looking at my car it seems to have the early Fiesta tail lights?
But car was advertised to me when sold as a 1999 car. Does that match the style?
But then reading the chassis number if I am correct, it is from June 2000 - (chassis VF011668)
The more I learn the more questions I have......
Your larger boot lip is indicative of a later car so I would guess that it came out of the factory with the clear afterburner lights. Perhaps a previous owner has switched them?
I believe that some of the earlier facelift bodies had the fiesta lights around 97 but I'm pretty sure that those ones had a smaller number plate recess? Someone who knows better than me will be along shortly though!
I believe that some of the earlier facelift bodies had the fiesta lights around 97 but I'm pretty sure that those ones had a smaller number plate recess? Someone who knows better than me will be along shortly though!
VF would be June'97.Was it ever registered in the UK ?
If your VIN starts PR and has a VIN plate like this , then it was built completely for the Far East market in Malaysia. Otherwise its an exported UK car, which could have been part built in Malaysia.
If your VIN starts PR and has a VIN plate like this , then it was built completely for the Far East market in Malaysia. Otherwise its an exported UK car, which could have been part built in Malaysia.
Edited by glow worm on Monday 3rd March 09:30
There are a lot of crossovers regarding facelift parts. I've seen 1997 P reg cars with the afterburner lamps but 1997/98 R reg vehicles with the same as yours. Rear end repairs maybe, but the Fiesta clusters are one piece whilst the afterburner type are individual glassfibre mouldings. I see you have a different number plate aperture since it is an export model so the use of parts may have been changed over at a different time.
Decoding the VIN on mine means the chassis was made in Feb 1999 but the car registered over a year later! Another thread reveals a Malaysian connection for the bodyshell (oil cooler vents on the front) so I suppose the chassis took a while to be used as well.
Decoding the VIN on mine means the chassis was made in Feb 1999 but the car registered over a year later! Another thread reveals a Malaysian connection for the bodyshell (oil cooler vents on the front) so I suppose the chassis took a while to be used as well.
Edited by ianwayne on Monday 3rd March 07:33
ianwayne said:
Another thread reveals a Malaysian connection for the bodyshell (oil cooler vents on the front)
Has anyone a piccie showing the vents?Edited by ianwayne on Monday 3rd March 07:33
Mine has vent slots in the front valance in front of the oil cooler but I assumed that these were put in by the previous owner.
The answer to the OP is that all the UK facelift rules are out the window on exported cars.
Look at most late build Chimaeras that were destined for Australia, Japan, Hong Kong ect ect, and you'll see the earlier Fiesta type lights, plunger type door buttons on the rear quarters and other features that had long since been deleted on UK market cars.
Mostly exports were very like the first UK face lift cars produced in the last few months of 1996, with cars produced in November & December 96 for the home market you got the face lifted front grill with the central separator section you also got the face lift boot lid with it's longer lip.
But these late 96 cars retained the door plungers & earlier dash with the the three separate light buttons.
For exports this short lived UK hybrid formula continued for many years, its easy to assume TVR were using up old panels and parts on these export cars but the differences to the UK cars were equally likely to be down to local market cosmetic preferences & country specific regulations.
Certainly the rear number place apertures were altered to suit local plates and you also got a high level brake light on many exports, presumably to cover country specific regulations?
Remember TVRs were hand made cars which gave the factory enormous flexibility to alter small features in order to conform with local regs & preferences.
Having seen quite a few export Chimaeras I'd say the OP's car is exactly as TVR created it for the Japanese market, so there's no reason to be confused.
Here's a 95 pre facelift Japanese export, just like a late 95 UK market car but with a Japanese spec number plate panel:
http://www.tradecarview.com/used_car/japan%20car/t...
Here's a late 96 Japanese export, just like a late 96 UK market car but again with a Japanese spec number plate panel:
http://www.eliteautoexportjapan.com/cars/1996-tvr-...
In the UK by early 97 the full facelift was in place with the addition of the updated dash & door release buttons under the mirrors, but export cars seemed to continue with the plunger type openers for a long time after they had been deleted in the home market cars, it also seems the later afterburner rear lights may never have made it onto exports.
In my opinion the OP is better off not comparing his Chimaera with the UK variants and just enjoy his car for what it is...
A delightful export TVR that's also 100% original from what I can see
Look at most late build Chimaeras that were destined for Australia, Japan, Hong Kong ect ect, and you'll see the earlier Fiesta type lights, plunger type door buttons on the rear quarters and other features that had long since been deleted on UK market cars.
Mostly exports were very like the first UK face lift cars produced in the last few months of 1996, with cars produced in November & December 96 for the home market you got the face lifted front grill with the central separator section you also got the face lift boot lid with it's longer lip.
But these late 96 cars retained the door plungers & earlier dash with the the three separate light buttons.
For exports this short lived UK hybrid formula continued for many years, its easy to assume TVR were using up old panels and parts on these export cars but the differences to the UK cars were equally likely to be down to local market cosmetic preferences & country specific regulations.
Certainly the rear number place apertures were altered to suit local plates and you also got a high level brake light on many exports, presumably to cover country specific regulations?
Remember TVRs were hand made cars which gave the factory enormous flexibility to alter small features in order to conform with local regs & preferences.
Having seen quite a few export Chimaeras I'd say the OP's car is exactly as TVR created it for the Japanese market, so there's no reason to be confused.
Here's a 95 pre facelift Japanese export, just like a late 95 UK market car but with a Japanese spec number plate panel:
http://www.tradecarview.com/used_car/japan%20car/t...
Here's a late 96 Japanese export, just like a late 96 UK market car but again with a Japanese spec number plate panel:
http://www.eliteautoexportjapan.com/cars/1996-tvr-...
In the UK by early 97 the full facelift was in place with the addition of the updated dash & door release buttons under the mirrors, but export cars seemed to continue with the plunger type openers for a long time after they had been deleted in the home market cars, it also seems the later afterburner rear lights may never have made it onto exports.
In my opinion the OP is better off not comparing his Chimaera with the UK variants and just enjoy his car for what it is...
A delightful export TVR that's also 100% original from what I can see
Edited by ChimpOnGas on Monday 3rd March 08:51
phazed said:
Exactly as mine and what I thought.
Very interesting then - are we assuming therefoire that some cars left the factory with an oil cooler.Was this standard on export cars and therefore was my old car just a spare shell?
As with so much of TVR we will probably never fully get to grips with the vagouries of the factory process!
swallet said:
Very interesting then - are we assuming therefoire that some cars left the factory with an oil cooler.
Was this standard on export cars and therefore was my old car just a spare shell?
As with so much of TVR we will probably never fully get to grips with the vagouries of the factory process!
Mine has an oil cooler with a sandwich plate.Was this standard on export cars and therefore was my old car just a spare shell?
As with so much of TVR we will probably never fully get to grips with the vagouries of the factory process!
It also has a neat mesh in front of the cooler and matching one on the rad that may be factory?
Looks like the first rule of TVR is there are no rules. 
So I was looking up in a different thread on here that the years started in 1980 for letter A in the chassis number but omitted the letter I which is how I'd got to year 2000. 1997 is also good, just like knowing exactly what it is and if I can find out some history of the car.
Am assuming this was made for the Japanese market directly and not a car that was registered in the UK and then exported, this based on the engine bay sticker for TVR Japan.
So the boot indicates a later build, as does the later style front split grill. Rear tail lights are earlier model, but mirror door release also for later cars. I do have the oil cooler slits and the actual oil cooler, but this probably either means the car was built for the hotter environments and not an indication of year. Or possibly even just an option along with the air conditioner and power steering?
Is there any further information to gain from the Engine No or Body Codes?
So I was looking up in a different thread on here that the years started in 1980 for letter A in the chassis number but omitted the letter I which is how I'd got to year 2000. 1997 is also good, just like knowing exactly what it is and if I can find out some history of the car.
Am assuming this was made for the Japanese market directly and not a car that was registered in the UK and then exported, this based on the engine bay sticker for TVR Japan.
So the boot indicates a later build, as does the later style front split grill. Rear tail lights are earlier model, but mirror door release also for later cars. I do have the oil cooler slits and the actual oil cooler, but this probably either means the car was built for the hotter environments and not an indication of year. Or possibly even just an option along with the air conditioner and power steering?
Is there any further information to gain from the Engine No or Body Codes?
si2085 said:
Your larger boot lip is indicative of a later car so I would guess that it came out of the factory with the clear afterburner lights. Perhaps a previous owner has switched them?
I believe that some of the earlier facelift bodies had the fiesta lights around 97 but I'm pretty sure that those ones had a smaller number plate recess? Someone who knows better than me will be along shortly though!
My car is a 1997. It has the later style boot lid, but the older style Fiesta lights. I believe that some of the earlier facelift bodies had the fiesta lights around 97 but I'm pretty sure that those ones had a smaller number plate recess? Someone who knows better than me will be along shortly though!
What are the first letters of your VIN ?
Going off the VIN plate in my photo...That would have been the 55th car in 2001 alone completely produced in Malaya for the Far East. Certainly more than I thought .
Those two "new" Chims that turned up in Customs compound in Cyprus had a mix of parts.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...
Going off the VIN plate in my photo...That would have been the 55th car in 2001 alone completely produced in Malaya for the Far East. Certainly more than I thought .
Those two "new" Chims that turned up in Customs compound in Cyprus had a mix of parts.
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...
Edited by glow worm on Monday 3rd March 12:11
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