Discussion
I'm looking to buy myself a little treat in a few months time, I've been clearing crap out of my life for the last 6 months and I'm down to the last few cars and a few bits left in the workshop then I can close the doors for a couple of years and start living a bit again.
We looked at a chim about 9 months ago now, both loved it but found the power delivery a bit sedate, we ended up walking away but its an itch that still needs scratching.
I've promised myself another 964 or maybe a Tuscan later on once everything is gone and moneys in but in the meantime fancied and Elise or Chim, the Elise isn't really doing it for me but the Chin does and I'll probably keep it long term. Is it possible to make a 400 livelier without spending silly money or is it a case of getting a 450 or 500 and in the real world how much difference is there? If I do keep the car I would probably end up dropping an ls in it long term so would prefer to start with a cheap 400 than chop about a more valuable car.
Next question is has anyone come across any cheapish chim projects lately, don't mind resprays and minor bodywork and don't even mind rotten chassis and body off repairs.
We looked at a chim about 9 months ago now, both loved it but found the power delivery a bit sedate, we ended up walking away but its an itch that still needs scratching.
I've promised myself another 964 or maybe a Tuscan later on once everything is gone and moneys in but in the meantime fancied and Elise or Chim, the Elise isn't really doing it for me but the Chin does and I'll probably keep it long term. Is it possible to make a 400 livelier without spending silly money or is it a case of getting a 450 or 500 and in the real world how much difference is there? If I do keep the car I would probably end up dropping an ls in it long term so would prefer to start with a cheap 400 than chop about a more valuable car.
Next question is has anyone come across any cheapish chim projects lately, don't mind resprays and minor bodywork and don't even mind rotten chassis and body off repairs.
STAND BY FOR LOTS OF OPINIONS
My own experience as follows.
Initially looked at 400, 430 and 450s.
All felt quick but I had not owned this sort of car before so I guess that was inevitable.
Ended up buying a 400 based on condition and colour...
Owned it for close on three years - great introduction.
Now have a 500.
Considerably quicker.
Driver skill, in my case, runs out long before reaching the car's limits ;-)
Engine not as smooth as the 400.
Rarity value due to limited production numbers.
Some will say the 450 is the best compromise but personally I'm glad I bought a 500.
Good luck.
My own experience as follows.
Initially looked at 400, 430 and 450s.
All felt quick but I had not owned this sort of car before so I guess that was inevitable.
Ended up buying a 400 based on condition and colour...
Owned it for close on three years - great introduction.
Now have a 500.
Considerably quicker.
Driver skill, in my case, runs out long before reaching the car's limits ;-)
Engine not as smooth as the 400.
Rarity value due to limited production numbers.
Some will say the 450 is the best compromise but personally I'm glad I bought a 500.
Good luck.
Thanks a balanced range of opinions is what I'm after. Of course its possible the one I drove was numb, but it felt a well looked after car. It felt very smooth and torquey but not lively at all, it really didn't deliver the kickin the back I crave from a drive, in fact to be honest Sarah commented it felt pedestrian next to her boxster although it was a more involving drive. What I did love was the build quality, having owned lotii in the past (sorry lotii sounds horribly pretentious) it felt very solid in comparison, I loved the roof and the general feel of the car I just want it to also feel quick.
We have a 400, Its not the fastest tvr but its not slow, I had a 911 owner drive it and his comment was, 'it makes me realise just how under-powered my 911 is'. It is really free revving, If it felt bad next to a boxter then it may have been a poor one! the boxster isn't slow but the Chim should at least feel quicker.
If you want masses of power then go for the 500 or buy a good 400 and stick a super-charger on it and then its really quick.
If you want masses of power then go for the 500 or buy a good 400 and stick a super-charger on it and then its really quick.
In the real world there all great because 95% of the time you have to drive slow! I think it's the sound of the overrun more than the power that I enjoy the most, cruising and burbling a lot is what all the variants are good at.
I'd only care about the condition of the engine not it's size.
If you fancy tinkering then get a tired 500 and do it up.
I have a re built 450 and it's fast but in real Terms I use no more power than what a 400 easily produces.
Depends if your member is small, lol
Goodluck.
I'd only care about the condition of the engine not it's size.
If you fancy tinkering then get a tired 500 and do it up.
I have a re built 450 and it's fast but in real Terms I use no more power than what a 400 easily produces.
Depends if your member is small, lol
Goodluck.
wildoliver said:
Thanks a balanced range of opinions is what I'm after. Of course its possible the one I drove was numb, but it felt a well looked after car. It felt very smooth and torquey but not lively at all, it really didn't deliver the kickin the back I crave from a drive, in fact to be honest Sarah commented it felt pedestrian next to her boxster although it was a more involving drive.
What is surprising is just how much cars with nominally the same spec vary. During the time I had my 400, a pal of mine decided to also purchase one. They were of similar mileage, around 32K miles, serviced by the same TVR specialist and, in fact, by the same engineer. The only difference was their ages, 1998 and 1996 respectively (Serp engines and T5 gearboxes).
The performance of my 400 seemed to be much more "cammy" in that at 3500 rpm there was a very noticeable extra surge in acceleration. My pal's car had none of this. Both cars running there original cams and with similar mileages, standard ECU. No idea why they were so different.
So would recommend trying more than one!
Good luck.
wildoliver said:
Thanks, am I bright in distantly remembering the rv8 has a can wear issue? I wonder if that would account for a lack of power in some?
And er thanks for the correlation between wanting power and a small member. Mine must be tiny!
Cams on 500s usually wear a lot quicker than those on 400s.And er thanks for the correlation between wanting power and a small member. Mine must be tiny!
For example, on my 500 the previous owner had replaced the cam at 31000 miles....
The camshaft wear issue was more down to how TVR made them (regrinds) and the (according to some) excessively strong valve springs.
That said, mine was as flat as a pancake on 5 lobes, with 96k on the clock, and was still lively enough to kill you for the smallest mistake.
Chances are, if you buy one with 60k miles + you will be needing a cam change soon.
That said, it can cost as little to change cam and lifters in an RV8 as it costs to have your cam belt changed on a Audi TT.
For my money, the 500 has always been the one to own.
If you love to modify, then choose a nice 400 and change the engine to keep your 'member' happy
An original 500 will always attract a premium because of it's relative rarity, but there are quite a lot of 4L cars upgraded to 4.5L and 5L engines.
The upgraded 4.5/5 cars can often produce a bit more than the original 500s dependant on who has built the engine (and the options chosen of course).
As Jim has said; try a few if you can. In my limited experience a decent 400 should still feel pretty strong and quick, even if it doesn't quite deliver the 'Oh God I am going to die' feeling induced by a healthy 500.
Interesting stable of MGs you have there.
Always loved my Midget
That said, mine was as flat as a pancake on 5 lobes, with 96k on the clock, and was still lively enough to kill you for the smallest mistake.
Chances are, if you buy one with 60k miles + you will be needing a cam change soon.
That said, it can cost as little to change cam and lifters in an RV8 as it costs to have your cam belt changed on a Audi TT.
For my money, the 500 has always been the one to own.
If you love to modify, then choose a nice 400 and change the engine to keep your 'member' happy
An original 500 will always attract a premium because of it's relative rarity, but there are quite a lot of 4L cars upgraded to 4.5L and 5L engines.
The upgraded 4.5/5 cars can often produce a bit more than the original 500s dependant on who has built the engine (and the options chosen of course).
As Jim has said; try a few if you can. In my limited experience a decent 400 should still feel pretty strong and quick, even if it doesn't quite deliver the 'Oh God I am going to die' feeling induced by a healthy 500.
Interesting stable of MGs you have there.
Always loved my Midget
Are you wanting a classic keeper or something to blast around in?
I drove a few Chims and bought a 500. It was the only one that floated my boat.
That being said, there are some very quick 450's out there, which brings me back to the original question. Although I really love my 500, if I was looking now, then I'd be thinking purely about condition and then perhaps whacking a turbo on it. Engineer1949 built a supercharged Chim 400 that is very powerful and there are plenty with turbos on. If you're not wanting any of that, then look for a well modded 450 or healthy 500.
I drove a few Chims and bought a 500. It was the only one that floated my boat.
That being said, there are some very quick 450's out there, which brings me back to the original question. Although I really love my 500, if I was looking now, then I'd be thinking purely about condition and then perhaps whacking a turbo on it. Engineer1949 built a supercharged Chim 400 that is very powerful and there are plenty with turbos on. If you're not wanting any of that, then look for a well modded 450 or healthy 500.
There are so many donkeys about, and so many different variations on what you could perceive as the 'same' car.
I find it extraordinary how different they all are, even if the spec reads the same.
I think it's hard wired into most TVR owners (And similar marques) that we want to go faster, anyway - so I don't think worrying speed too much is worth the agro - unless you are likely to get addicted to 'upgrades'
Drive as many as you can and sit in more - it's like buying a house or meeting a beloved, I think, you should just know it right
(I'm a romantic at heart and it has only ever let down my wallet)
I find it extraordinary how different they all are, even if the spec reads the same.
I think it's hard wired into most TVR owners (And similar marques) that we want to go faster, anyway - so I don't think worrying speed too much is worth the agro - unless you are likely to get addicted to 'upgrades'
Drive as many as you can and sit in more - it's like buying a house or meeting a beloved, I think, you should just know it right
(I'm a romantic at heart and it has only ever let down my wallet)
I have recently bought my chim back in March and ended up getting a 98 400 with 31k on the clock. I drove loads and I was really amazed how different they were - sure, a decent 500 will definately be more powerful and faster, but a decent 400 running properly should still be a fast car. I have owned loads of properly quick cars and I am happy with my 400 and I am confident to say that the one you drove that felt slower than a cockster must have been a right old dog to be honest.
Good luck with your search, keep us posted!
Good luck with your search, keep us posted!
I've recently bought a 450 after a few years of lusting.
I used to work at a TVR dealership and always preferred the 450 as it's got a fair bit more in it's tank than the 400, and the 500 is quicker still but can be a little snappy in my opinion only. (Not wishing to upset any of the owners of the cars, just my opinion).
To be fair, compared to anything else I've driven in 9 years in the motor trade, there really isn't much else made that will make me grin like these any of these cars will.
Whatever you buy, if it has a TVR badge it will make you smile.
I used to work at a TVR dealership and always preferred the 450 as it's got a fair bit more in it's tank than the 400, and the 500 is quicker still but can be a little snappy in my opinion only. (Not wishing to upset any of the owners of the cars, just my opinion).
To be fair, compared to anything else I've driven in 9 years in the motor trade, there really isn't much else made that will make me grin like these any of these cars will.
Whatever you buy, if it has a TVR badge it will make you smile.
shake n bake said:
I've recently bought a 450 after a few years of lusting.
I used to work at a TVR dealership and always preferred the 450 as it's got a fair bit more in it's tank than the 400, and the 500 is quicker still but can be a little snappy in my opinion only. (Not wishing to upset any of the owners of the cars, just my opinion).
To be fair, compared to anything else I've driven in 9 years in the motor trade, there really isn't much else made that will make me grin like these any of these cars will.
Whatever you buy, if it has a TVR badge it will make you smile.
Agree with the above, I am also in the motor trade and also think that there isn't much else within a realistic budget that gives the smiles per miles of a trevor, the only other car I have driven recently that is great is a mates recently bought Noble M12 - which handles like I never thought possible!I used to work at a TVR dealership and always preferred the 450 as it's got a fair bit more in it's tank than the 400, and the 500 is quicker still but can be a little snappy in my opinion only. (Not wishing to upset any of the owners of the cars, just my opinion).
To be fair, compared to anything else I've driven in 9 years in the motor trade, there really isn't much else made that will make me grin like these any of these cars will.
Whatever you buy, if it has a TVR badge it will make you smile.
Go to your local TVRCC meet and have a ride out on as many as you can. A well sorted 400/450 will be better than a standard 500. You need to decide on which you prefer and then chose a colour combo then start looking. You may need to compromise when you find the right one. Condition is key. A well looked after one iwth lots of receipts in the long term is likely to be better than one without. You'll know when it's right.
FFG
FFG
FlipFlopGriff said:
Go to your local TVRCC meet and have a ride out on as many as you can. A well sorted 400/450 will be better than a standard 500.
This old chestnut! And a well sorted 500 will blow all into the reeds!I drove many 400s, owned a 450 and convinced myself I didn't need a 500.
Bought a 500 and the difference was very noticeable. It was the first car which really scarred me with how fast it could accelerate.
Not saying for a moment a 400 or 450 is not a good car. They are superb and far better suited to low speed driving as the cams are not as peaky. Both are still very quick cars even by modern standards and either should feel quite a bit faster than a boggo boxter, my 450 would easily see off even the S variant. An awful lot of the time you will not be able to access the extra power of the 500 so a lot of it is bragging and rarity rights.
Pick a budget, buy the best you can based on condition above all else.
theyre all good
a 400 is a nice entry level, not silly quick but def fun
a 450 is a fair bit quicker, really revvy for an RV8
a 500 is (obviously) the quickest,very torquey
they can all respond well to mods and gain extra power - if yo ur willing to spend.
one thing I would say is that whilst a 500 is the quickest it doesnt feel like a traditional sports car engine.
to me all the 500's ive driven have seemed quite lazy in delivery, and that excess torque at low revs can imo upset the handling balance and catch you out.
best engine for me is the 450
it just feels right for the type of car a Chim is
a 400 is a nice entry level, not silly quick but def fun
a 450 is a fair bit quicker, really revvy for an RV8
a 500 is (obviously) the quickest,very torquey
they can all respond well to mods and gain extra power - if yo ur willing to spend.
one thing I would say is that whilst a 500 is the quickest it doesnt feel like a traditional sports car engine.
to me all the 500's ive driven have seemed quite lazy in delivery, and that excess torque at low revs can imo upset the handling balance and catch you out.
best engine for me is the 450
it just feels right for the type of car a Chim is
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