looking to buy, outrigger rot inevitable ?
Discussion
A more realistic figure for outrigger replacement is £2-£2.5k, if you are looking at a car that's had new outriggers check the quality of work very carefully.
There are two options for outrigger replacement, done with body on or with the body lifted. Personally I cant see how a proper job can be done with the body left on but I guess it all depend on what you deem as a proper job.
Remember it's not just the outriggers that rot, to me the only way to correctly restore the chassis is to separate it from the body and for all the mechanicals to be removed from the chassis.
After that you can media blast the whole thing, then and only then can you assess the condition of what you have and effect the repairs needed.
A full body off chassis restoration is going to be in the £5k plus bracket, the seller of a car that's had this work done is unlikely to recover this outlay in the sell price.
So clearly the car that's had a decent body off full chassis restoration is the one to buy, but don't get too hung up on all that as there are plenty of Chimaeras out there with perfectly serviceable original chassis'.
The earlier silver/grey finish used on cars from 1993 - 1996 is infinitely superior to the white finish that appeared in early 1997, my late 1996 car is on it's original silver/grey chassis and is still in remarkably good condition under the Dinitrol rust proofing treatment.
Chassis anxiety is a common condition amongst TVR owners and the big fear for prospective owners too, while there's no denying the chassis does rot I personally think it all gets a bit blown out of proportion.
My advice would be... "Buy wisely with a clear head and you'll have years of fun from your Chimaera before you face a big chassis bill".
There are two options for outrigger replacement, done with body on or with the body lifted. Personally I cant see how a proper job can be done with the body left on but I guess it all depend on what you deem as a proper job.
Remember it's not just the outriggers that rot, to me the only way to correctly restore the chassis is to separate it from the body and for all the mechanicals to be removed from the chassis.
After that you can media blast the whole thing, then and only then can you assess the condition of what you have and effect the repairs needed.
A full body off chassis restoration is going to be in the £5k plus bracket, the seller of a car that's had this work done is unlikely to recover this outlay in the sell price.
So clearly the car that's had a decent body off full chassis restoration is the one to buy, but don't get too hung up on all that as there are plenty of Chimaeras out there with perfectly serviceable original chassis'.
The earlier silver/grey finish used on cars from 1993 - 1996 is infinitely superior to the white finish that appeared in early 1997, my late 1996 car is on it's original silver/grey chassis and is still in remarkably good condition under the Dinitrol rust proofing treatment.
Chassis anxiety is a common condition amongst TVR owners and the big fear for prospective owners too, while there's no denying the chassis does rot I personally think it all gets a bit blown out of proportion.
My advice would be... "Buy wisely with a clear head and you'll have years of fun from your Chimaera before you face a big chassis bill".
NOT inevitable.
Some will have original and near perfect chassis condition. It largely depends on how the car has been used, cleaned and stored through its life. Many on here are disparaging about the garage queens which are never used in winter or taken out in the wet, but these cars have never seen salt and there is a strong upside to that.
My car has seen its fair share of summer rain but I'm one of those devils who SORN his car over winter. I leave it rested high on stands and I'll clean the underside with WD40 and rags, getting as deep into the nooks and crannies as possible bar dismantling (wheels are off though). Any flaking found (quite rare) will be repainted. This whole process is quite a pleasant job actually, I cannot be the only one doing this.
Some will have original and near perfect chassis condition. It largely depends on how the car has been used, cleaned and stored through its life. Many on here are disparaging about the garage queens which are never used in winter or taken out in the wet, but these cars have never seen salt and there is a strong upside to that.
My car has seen its fair share of summer rain but I'm one of those devils who SORN his car over winter. I leave it rested high on stands and I'll clean the underside with WD40 and rags, getting as deep into the nooks and crannies as possible bar dismantling (wheels are off though). Any flaking found (quite rare) will be repainted. This whole process is quite a pleasant job actually, I cannot be the only one doing this.
fausTVR said:
NOT inevitable.
Some will have original and near perfect chassis condition. It largely depends on how the car has been used, cleaned and stored through its life. Many on here are disparaging about the garage queens which are never used in winter or taken out in the wet, but these cars have never seen salt and there is a strong upside to that.
My car has seen its fair share of summer rain but I'm one of those devils who SORN his car over winter. I leave it rested high on stands and I'll clean the underside with WD40 and rags, getting as deep into the nooks and crannies as possible bar dismantling (wheels are off though). Any flaking found (quite rare) will be repainted. This whole process is quite a pleasant job actually, I cannot be the only one doing this.
Well said, this chassis stuff can't be treated as a blanket approach to all cars. Mine is a 98 with the white that falls off etc, but as you've stated, its been garaged and not seen the wet, salt etc for years and years, there are numerous receipts in there for powers having treated it and its still spot on with the original outriggers. Powers have actually used like a stone chip paint, which stays very soft and rubbery, meaning stones just bounce off it. This appears to work very well, it doesn't look nice as its a thick black coating, but wherever you scrape some off its still shiny white underneath.Some will have original and near perfect chassis condition. It largely depends on how the car has been used, cleaned and stored through its life. Many on here are disparaging about the garage queens which are never used in winter or taken out in the wet, but these cars have never seen salt and there is a strong upside to that.
My car has seen its fair share of summer rain but I'm one of those devils who SORN his car over winter. I leave it rested high on stands and I'll clean the underside with WD40 and rags, getting as deep into the nooks and crannies as possible bar dismantling (wheels are off though). Any flaking found (quite rare) will be repainted. This whole process is quite a pleasant job actually, I cannot be the only one doing this.
Just my opinion obviously, but you have look at each car as an individual and obtain the facts on how its been used, stored and treated throughout its life.
agree, with the above statment, the only way to tell is to clean off the waxoil and other residue and if the underside is showing anysigns of rust then you can almost guarantee that the parts you cant see will be rotten as these cant be treated or recoated without having a body lift.
Depends on your budget and ambitions I guess.
I'm in favour of outriggers being replaced on the cars, I'm not dripping in money and the job done on my car in the summer was very good and a hell of a lot cheaper than the figures quoted above.
I've spent the past two months tidying my chassis up, it's never going to win a concours competition but I'm not looking to impress the judges as I'll be driving it! I'm pleased with the result and it's cost me a few cans of jollop and a nice way to relax on my rare days off.
I'm in favour of outriggers being replaced on the cars, I'm not dripping in money and the job done on my car in the summer was very good and a hell of a lot cheaper than the figures quoted above.
I've spent the past two months tidying my chassis up, it's never going to win a concours competition but I'm not looking to impress the judges as I'll be driving it! I'm pleased with the result and it's cost me a few cans of jollop and a nice way to relax on my rare days off.
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