New to TVR's!! Info on parts please??
Discussion
Hi to you all.
Im in the process of buying my first tvr and after some info please.
Firstly tvr parts! am i right in thinking that most of the parts are from other car manufactures and its cheaper to get them from them rather than tvr ?
If this is the case is there a list somewhere that tells you what part is what?
The other thing was is it best to buy the newest model or the lowest millage car?
The two cars im looking at this weekend are as follows :
(1) 1997 (p) chimaera 4.0 60k
(2) 1994 (L) chimaera 4.0 33k
both cars are met green with leather etc both have a few stone chips and the odd mark but i want to drive the car so this does not worry me.
So any advice would be great and i hope to join the TVR following very soon....
Many thanks
Russell
Im in the process of buying my first tvr and after some info please.
Firstly tvr parts! am i right in thinking that most of the parts are from other car manufactures and its cheaper to get them from them rather than tvr ?
If this is the case is there a list somewhere that tells you what part is what?
The other thing was is it best to buy the newest model or the lowest millage car?
The two cars im looking at this weekend are as follows :
(1) 1997 (p) chimaera 4.0 60k
(2) 1994 (L) chimaera 4.0 33k
both cars are met green with leather etc both have a few stone chips and the odd mark but i want to drive the car so this does not worry me.
So any advice would be great and i hope to join the TVR following very soon....
Many thanks
Russell
Don't buy on mileage alone, buy on condition. If unsure get an inspection done by a dealer or someone like James Agger. NOT Ingleby!!!!!!
The 97 will be a facelifted model, will have the better gearbox and engine, uprated brakes and cooling system along with better looking front end (IMO), door button entry etc.
The 97 will be a facelifted model, will have the better gearbox and engine, uprated brakes and cooling system along with better looking front end (IMO), door button entry etc.
Hi Russell, welcome 
Righ then, the first and MOST imprtant part of the car to look at is underneath. Forget the gleaming paint and take a trolley-jack with you.
You need to have a very close look at the outriggers of the chassis, basically the bits of tube that come outwards from the central spine of the chassis (behind front wheels, in front of rear wheels etc) and include the rails that run under each door sill.
If there is any significant corrosion on these, flakeyness, crumble, signs of new welding etc. Smile, thank the owner for his time and WALK AWAY... don't waste your or the sellers time in driving the thing.
Also whilst under there have a look at the front wishbones.. these things do rust for the sake of it it seems, and are basically a "service" item every 3-4 years (depending on use of course) and are replaced in pairs. If these are looking manky then it is a job that will need doing.. so either ensure the price reflects the condition, or find another car with better wishbones.
Also whilst underneath check the exhaust, tyres (wear pattern as well as tread depth), sump gasket and general condition of the rest of the chassis, rear wishbones etc plus look the springs and dampers for cracks and leaks respectively. The chassis should be covered in a white powdercoat, and ideally have been waxoyled or similar on a regular basis.
On to the engine bay, check for signs of coolant leak from the radiator pipes, water pump housing, and stat housing, also "staining" on the swirl pot (a sign of overheating) rocker gaskets for oil leaks, as you've got your head under the bonnet have another look at the wishbones from above and have a squint at the fron shocks for any leaks. General cleanliness in the engine bay is a sign of a cared for motor.
Bodywork. Have a good look at the front nosecone for signs of accident repair. get your hands inside the nose onto the back face of the fibreglass, that way any glass repairs should "feel" more obvious. Closely inspect all panels for any star crazing, or bubbles under paint for signs of a poor repair. Also with the bonnet up have a look at the bonnet hinges, if these have been re-glassed then the front has had an impact at some time.
Check the doors line up (to an extent) and the boot fits, and have a look all around the rear wings and boot area (the "floor" under the boot too).. you're looking for any marks under the paint or a change in paint colour/texture that will suggest a repair. As these cars are "spun" quite a bit, rear ends can suffer worse than fronts sometimes.
Inside, check the floor behind driver and passenger seats for moisture (indicates leaking roof) and carpet in the drivers side footwell below the pedals (indicates leak from the pedalbox holes in the wing).. Also general condition of seats, carpet, and seatbelts.
Onto the dashboard, check for cracks in the veneer, and check all gauges work/light up, and that all the indicators/lights work etc. wiggle the steering wheel lef to right, you shouldn't feel any "tapping/knocking".. just a small amount of rocking (1-2cm) if there is a "tap" it is normally a worn steering rack (manual) or rack UJ's.. if it is present use the trolleyjack and get the front wheels off the ground and investigate (could also be a trackrod end).
On to the driving.. check for an even free revving engine, good idling, a good "pull" from low revs (1500) in high gears, nice balance and poise, put the car into some corners to feel the grip/damping etc. Also importantly ensure that you can't hear the diff whining and that the gearchange is precise and easy.
Once having given it a reasonable run, stop the car, then try and start it again (checking for the "hot start" problem). Then open the bonnet and leave it running to let the car come up and over temperature.. fans should switch on, then after a few minutes should switch off. Leave the car running like this for 5-10 minutes and see how nervous the seller looks... any signs of overheating, steam, no fans coming on, or a temperature guage reading 95+ start asking questions.
That should do you for a start
Cheers,
Matt
OH.. and DON'T buy the first one you see.
>> Edited by M@H on Friday 10th June 13:45
Righ then, the first and MOST imprtant part of the car to look at is underneath. Forget the gleaming paint and take a trolley-jack with you.
You need to have a very close look at the outriggers of the chassis, basically the bits of tube that come outwards from the central spine of the chassis (behind front wheels, in front of rear wheels etc) and include the rails that run under each door sill.
If there is any significant corrosion on these, flakeyness, crumble, signs of new welding etc. Smile, thank the owner for his time and WALK AWAY... don't waste your or the sellers time in driving the thing.
Also whilst under there have a look at the front wishbones.. these things do rust for the sake of it it seems, and are basically a "service" item every 3-4 years (depending on use of course) and are replaced in pairs. If these are looking manky then it is a job that will need doing.. so either ensure the price reflects the condition, or find another car with better wishbones.
Also whilst underneath check the exhaust, tyres (wear pattern as well as tread depth), sump gasket and general condition of the rest of the chassis, rear wishbones etc plus look the springs and dampers for cracks and leaks respectively. The chassis should be covered in a white powdercoat, and ideally have been waxoyled or similar on a regular basis.
On to the engine bay, check for signs of coolant leak from the radiator pipes, water pump housing, and stat housing, also "staining" on the swirl pot (a sign of overheating) rocker gaskets for oil leaks, as you've got your head under the bonnet have another look at the wishbones from above and have a squint at the fron shocks for any leaks. General cleanliness in the engine bay is a sign of a cared for motor.
Bodywork. Have a good look at the front nosecone for signs of accident repair. get your hands inside the nose onto the back face of the fibreglass, that way any glass repairs should "feel" more obvious. Closely inspect all panels for any star crazing, or bubbles under paint for signs of a poor repair. Also with the bonnet up have a look at the bonnet hinges, if these have been re-glassed then the front has had an impact at some time.
Check the doors line up (to an extent) and the boot fits, and have a look all around the rear wings and boot area (the "floor" under the boot too).. you're looking for any marks under the paint or a change in paint colour/texture that will suggest a repair. As these cars are "spun" quite a bit, rear ends can suffer worse than fronts sometimes.
Inside, check the floor behind driver and passenger seats for moisture (indicates leaking roof) and carpet in the drivers side footwell below the pedals (indicates leak from the pedalbox holes in the wing).. Also general condition of seats, carpet, and seatbelts.
Onto the dashboard, check for cracks in the veneer, and check all gauges work/light up, and that all the indicators/lights work etc. wiggle the steering wheel lef to right, you shouldn't feel any "tapping/knocking".. just a small amount of rocking (1-2cm) if there is a "tap" it is normally a worn steering rack (manual) or rack UJ's.. if it is present use the trolleyjack and get the front wheels off the ground and investigate (could also be a trackrod end).
On to the driving.. check for an even free revving engine, good idling, a good "pull" from low revs (1500) in high gears, nice balance and poise, put the car into some corners to feel the grip/damping etc. Also importantly ensure that you can't hear the diff whining and that the gearchange is precise and easy.
Once having given it a reasonable run, stop the car, then try and start it again (checking for the "hot start" problem). Then open the bonnet and leave it running to let the car come up and over temperature.. fans should switch on, then after a few minutes should switch off. Leave the car running like this for 5-10 minutes and see how nervous the seller looks... any signs of overheating, steam, no fans coming on, or a temperature guage reading 95+ start asking questions.
That should do you for a start
Cheers,
Matt
OH.. and DON'T buy the first one you see.
>> Edited by M@H on Friday 10th June 13:45
Excellent post M@!
On that basis, if I decide to sell mine I have nothing at all to worry about. Unless the Speed 12 conversion is taken as a sign of crash damage!
You didn't mention checking to see if the carpets have been replaced though - obviously this would be indicative of a leaky car which should be avoided. And not one which had faded carpets, or carpets damaged by dumb ICE installers.
On that basis, if I decide to sell mine I have nothing at all to worry about. Unless the Speed 12 conversion is taken as a sign of crash damage!
You didn't mention checking to see if the carpets have been replaced though - obviously this would be indicative of a leaky car which should be avoided. And not one which had faded carpets, or carpets damaged by dumb ICE installers.
Tongue in cheek I said:
PS ONLY KIDDING ABOUT THE CARPETS! Both M@H and I have just replaced out carpets for the entirely legitimate reasons above!
Hello,
That's a quality response Matt!
You mention the 'Hot Start' problem. Could you please explain what might be causing this? My car is experiencing this. I have only just purchased it and didn't notice the problem at the time of test driving it. In the Cerbera it was fuel vapouristion - but it's not in the Chim as it seems totally lifeless for about 40 mins.
Any help would be appreciated.
Tony
That's a quality response Matt!
You mention the 'Hot Start' problem. Could you please explain what might be causing this? My car is experiencing this. I have only just purchased it and didn't notice the problem at the time of test driving it. In the Cerbera it was fuel vapouristion - but it's not in the Chim as it seems totally lifeless for about 40 mins.
Any help would be appreciated.
Tony
The hot start problem is caused by the wire to the starter motor literally getting too hot, and being electrically unable to deliver the correct voltage/current to the starter motor for it to turn over.
David Beer does a small kit which solves this problem, he is contactable on djbeer@btinternet.com
I haven't been able to install it in mine because the wiring differs from later cars, but its quite easy to trace the wiring and do your own install.
David Beer does a small kit which solves this problem, he is contactable on djbeer@btinternet.com
I haven't been able to install it in mine because the wiring differs from later cars, but its quite easy to trace the wiring and do your own install.
Thank you
The Hot start issue is usually heat soak from the exhaust manifold cooking the starter motor etc.. then after half an hour or so its ok again. It can be "cured" by heat sheilding the starter from the manifold with some of that exaust wrap, or I guess a shield plate could be made up (if this is indeed the problem).
Edit:
Cheers P.O.D.
>> Edited by M@H on Friday 10th June 15:04
The Hot start issue is usually heat soak from the exhaust manifold cooking the starter motor etc.. then after half an hour or so its ok again. It can be "cured" by heat sheilding the starter from the manifold with some of that exaust wrap, or I guess a shield plate could be made up (if this is indeed the problem).
Edit:
Cheers P.O.D.
>> Edited by M@H on Friday 10th June 15:04
M@H said:
Thank you
The Hot start issue is usually heat soak from the exhaust manifold cooking the starter motor etc.. then after half an hour or so its ok again. It can be "cured" by heat sheilding the starter from the manifold with some of that exaust wrap, or I guess a shield plate could be made up (if this is indeed the problem).
Edit:
Cheers P.O.D.
>> Edited by M@H on Friday 10th June 15:04
... or an uprated battery
Regarding the question on parts - I often find the TVR parts are cheaper than the original manufacturer suppliers - not sure how that works but that is my experience so I wouldn't waste too much time trying to source from elsewhere.
Exceptions to this may be things like master cylinder seals and the like where a TVR dealer may sell you a new master cylinder but a seal kit will cost a couple of quid.
Lots of parts lists around but I have never found them too much use (and TVR have been known to mess about with some of the parts).
Exceptions to this may be things like master cylinder seals and the like where a TVR dealer may sell you a new master cylinder but a seal kit will cost a couple of quid.
Lots of parts lists around but I have never found them too much use (and TVR have been known to mess about with some of the parts).
parrot of doom said:
The hot start problem is caused by the wire to the starter motor literally getting too hot, and being electrically unable to deliver the correct voltage/current to the starter motor for it to turn over.
David Beer does a small kit which solves this problem, he is contactable on djbeer@btinternet.com
I haven't been able to install it in mine because the wiring differs from later cars, but its quite easy to trace the wiring and do your own install.
I've fitted this kit, literally 5 minutes ago!
Haven't tested the hot start problem, but the starter motor appears to turn over more vigourously, (might be my imagination tho).
Welcome marshtvr05
Can't give you any advice on mechanicals i'm affraid, but I do know about paint
Now, you may hear a lot of nonsense & crazy talk on these forums about colour, but I can set you straight You see, green paint is special. Green paint actually reduces the cars drag coefficient enabling it to pass through the air with ruthless efficiency. Hense green TVR's are actually the fastest. That's a scientific fact that is
The paint thing may not actually be true.... but green ones are fastest. Everybody knows that.
Can't give you any advice on mechanicals i'm affraid, but I do know about paint
Now, you may hear a lot of nonsense & crazy talk on these forums about colour, but I can set you straight
You see, green paint is special. Green paint actually reduces the cars drag coefficient enabling it to pass through the air with ruthless efficiency. Hense green TVR's are actually the fastest. That's a scientific fact that is The paint thing may not actually be true.... but green ones are fastest. Everybody knows that.
With regard to your parts question, you might find this link of interest:
www.parkersteve.dsl.pipex.com/chimaeraparts.asp
www.parkersteve.dsl.pipex.com/chimaeraparts.asp
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