First time buyer
Discussion
Hi I would like to ask a couple of questions about owning a chim as I have been drooling over them for some time.
My first question is how easy are they to work on? By this I mean if i wanted to drop the oil, change the filters etc, I can't see any reason why i couldn't do this myself but others recommend paying £300 to £500 per service.
Another question, So far I've experienced trouble trying to get a drive in one, I am only 22 (nearly 23 :-)) and as a result no one takes me seriously when you turn up at a garage, does anyone have any advice? The cars are not exactly that expensive as a lot of my mates have spent £12-14K on normal hatchback cars, wheres the fun in that????? but I don't want to spend the money to find the car is not right for me (not that it will!!)
finally just as a random thought has anyone ever fitted a cerbera engine into a chim?
Thank you for any advice
>>> Edited by Sir_chimpalot on Tuesday 8th February 21:22
My first question is how easy are they to work on? By this I mean if i wanted to drop the oil, change the filters etc, I can't see any reason why i couldn't do this myself but others recommend paying £300 to £500 per service.
Another question, So far I've experienced trouble trying to get a drive in one, I am only 22 (nearly 23 :-)) and as a result no one takes me seriously when you turn up at a garage, does anyone have any advice? The cars are not exactly that expensive as a lot of my mates have spent £12-14K on normal hatchback cars, wheres the fun in that????? but I don't want to spend the money to find the car is not right for me (not that it will!!)
finally just as a random thought has anyone ever fitted a cerbera engine into a chim?
Thank you for any advice
>>> Edited by Sir_chimpalot on Tuesday 8th February 21:22
Don't need to apologies, we're only taking the Mick.
As for doing your own servicing. Yes you can and if you have a basic mechanical capability you shouldn't encounter too much trouble. I think the only issue you'll have is that your car will loose value far more rapidly than the rest out there. There is a glut of Chimaera's on the market and it's likely to stay that way for many years to come. You car sold without a service history will struggle to find a new owner. The fear being that less stringent services lead to significant expense further down the line
As for doing your own servicing. Yes you can and if you have a basic mechanical capability you shouldn't encounter too much trouble. I think the only issue you'll have is that your car will loose value far more rapidly than the rest out there. There is a glut of Chimaera's on the market and it's likely to stay that way for many years to come. You car sold without a service history will struggle to find a new owner. The fear being that less stringent services lead to significant expense further down the line
Well I quite handy with a spanner, almost a qualified automotive engineer (if i ever pass 
). Not really worried about re-sale value as I don't like to sell cars more collect them, well hope to start, just like the idea of knowing exactly what goes into the engine.
Only thing I would have done is the diff oil and gearbox but thats laziness.
What about actually getting a ride in one? Is there any you owners that have faced similar problems?
). Not really worried about re-sale value as I don't like to sell cars more collect them, well hope to start, just like the idea of knowing exactly what goes into the engine. Only thing I would have done is the diff oil and gearbox but thats laziness.
What about actually getting a ride in one? Is there any you owners that have faced similar problems?
Re oil changes, the issue you can face is that the oil pump drains and you have to re-prime it somehow. Servicing is pretty labour intensve, since some parts of the car are fairly inaccessible, but there is a chap in my area who services his own car without issue. He just leaves the more complex fault finding to specialists. Knowledge is plentiful here on PH and these cars are well understood now by many independents, so if you're up for it, good for you, I'm sure you'll manage just fine. My only caution is that if you buy, you do need to keep on top of maintenance and bear in mind bills can be substantial, even for just parts.
Good luck,
Steve
Good luck,
Steve
Get yourself along to your local TVR meet, there be loads of people willing to offer advice,rides and they are all friendly and not many bite.
join the TVRCC and you'll have made a good start.
www.tvrcc.com
Final point, have you investgated insurance? It's a Grp 20 supercar, so expect a load of knockbacks or sky high premiums.
join the TVRCC and you'll have made a good start.
www.tvrcc.com
Final point, have you investgated insurance? It's a Grp 20 supercar, so expect a load of knockbacks or sky high premiums.
Chimp, try this thread:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=153965&f=8&h=0
I'm in a similar situation, except I'm waiting to sell my current car before I can buy. You'll find plenty of people here who won't mind taking you out for a spin if you ask very nicely
Regarding the servicing, it depends on how long you want to keep the car. If you're going to keep if for years and put lots of miles on it, I can't really see a downside to servicing it yourself. Of course once you fancy an upgrade, you could always sell it to a friend.
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=153965&f=8&h=0
I'm in a similar situation, except I'm waiting to sell my current car before I can buy. You'll find plenty of people here who won't mind taking you out for a spin if you ask very nicely
Regarding the servicing, it depends on how long you want to keep the car. If you're going to keep if for years and put lots of miles on it, I can't really see a downside to servicing it yourself. Of course once you fancy an upgrade, you could always sell it to a friend.
If you keep your eye out on the North West Forum you'll see details of all the up and coming TVR CC meets.
We PHers do a Romper/ Airport tunnels meet every month or so where quite a few Chims turn up, including mine! You would be more than welcome there, and I'm sure a "quick spin" could be arranged
We PHers do a Romper/ Airport tunnels meet every month or so where quite a few Chims turn up, including mine! You would be more than welcome there, and I'm sure a "quick spin" could be arranged
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