Newest Chim 400?
Discussion
Hi Ribol,
I know for a fact that mine is one of the last three 400's. The last chance to order a 400 was the last day of the Earls Court Motor Show in October '99. I actually oredered mine after that following a test drive, & I was told there were only three engine kits left at that time. Mine was registered in March 2000, before yours, but yours might still have been built earlier. The very last thing they did to 400's was add digital odometers...if yours has a mechanical odometer it's older than mine!
I know for a fact that mine is one of the last three 400's. The last chance to order a 400 was the last day of the Earls Court Motor Show in October '99. I actually oredered mine after that following a test drive, & I was told there were only three engine kits left at that time. Mine was registered in March 2000, before yours, but yours might still have been built earlier. The very last thing they did to 400's was add digital odometers...if yours has a mechanical odometer it's older than mine!
The Mighty Chimp said: Ummm, interesting. Mine is vin 2145, engine 8050, & was built December 1999. I guess your car must have been made over a year before it was registered, have you found out where it was for that time?
Thought I'd respond to this, this is my first posting reply on PH having just joined after acquiring a second hand Chim 400 from a dealership in Surrey. I don't know when the Chim was built, first registered on 01/01/00. Vin is 2070, engine 8015. Maybe ours are the last three Chim 400s? Irrespective of that, superb car
and much better than the VVC MGF it replaced, when I can keep the keys from my other half! Hugh
So, to recap:
Taking the three cars mentioned here, the higher the engine and vin numbers, the earlier the car is registered and therefore the older the car is. There is something wrong here somewhere is there not? Can we assume that TVR engine and vin numbers run the way everyone else's do, or backwards? That would seem a bit daft but is in keeping with the way TVR do things and would explain everything would it not?
I spoke to TVR today to try and clear this up but their technical dept was away on holiday.
Only TVR could come out with an answer like that, will speak to them next week and will post their comments (if they have any).
Welcome aboard Hugh, what's an MGF?
Ivan
Taking the three cars mentioned here, the higher the engine and vin numbers, the earlier the car is registered and therefore the older the car is. There is something wrong here somewhere is there not? Can we assume that TVR engine and vin numbers run the way everyone else's do, or backwards? That would seem a bit daft but is in keeping with the way TVR do things and would explain everything would it not?
I spoke to TVR today to try and clear this up but their technical dept was away on holiday.
Only TVR could come out with an answer like that, will speak to them next week and will post their comments (if they have any).
Welcome aboard Hugh, what's an MGF?
Ivan
ribol said: So, to recap:
Taking the three cars mentioned here, the higher the engine and vin numbers, the earlier the car is registered and therefore the older the car is. There is something wrong here somewhere is there not? Can we assume that TVR engine and vin numbers run the way everyone else's do, or backwards? That would seem a bit daft but is in keeping with the way TVR do things and would explain everything would it not?
I spoke to TVR today to try and clear this up but their technical dept was away on holiday.
Only TVR could come out with an answer like that, will speak to them next week and will post their comments (if they have any).
Welcome aboard Hugh, what's an MGF?
Ivan
Ivan,
I believe it is called a "sports car" by some - do not include me in that group of sad souls and Abba fans any more!
I believe I now drive a SPORTS CAR Hugh
Ivan!
There's no mystery here I don't think! The earlier the VIN, the older the car. When a car is actually registered is another matter completely! My car was built to my own special order, and subsequently registered quite soon after (I waited for 2 months to get the next plate letter, & the wait nearly killed me!) But many cars are not built specifically for customers, but for dealers & for 'off the shelf' stock, and some where backword has been given by a customer. My guess is that yours was in a show room or stored somewhere until other stock was sold, but it must have sat idle unregistered for nearly a year. Maybe you can find out why it was unregistered for so long from the supplying dealer?
There's no mystery here I don't think! The earlier the VIN, the older the car. When a car is actually registered is another matter completely! My car was built to my own special order, and subsequently registered quite soon after (I waited for 2 months to get the next plate letter, & the wait nearly killed me!) But many cars are not built specifically for customers, but for dealers & for 'off the shelf' stock, and some where backword has been given by a customer. My guess is that yours was in a show room or stored somewhere until other stock was sold, but it must have sat idle unregistered for nearly a year. Maybe you can find out why it was unregistered for so long from the supplying dealer?
I cannot see any TVR dealer having this car sitting for a year, TVR dealers do not work like the mainstream dealers. Very few TVRs are stocked by dealers and they do not replace stock until it is sold first. Once I find out from TVR when they shipped the car the rest will be relatively easy to work out. They will probably kill all the theories in one move by saying they had it parked outside and forgot they had it or something.
I suppose the bottom line is I currently have a 400 Chim which is less than two years old and may well have to settle for that.
I suppose the bottom line is I currently have a 400 Chim which is less than two years old and may well have to settle for that.
There are at least 3 or 4 dealers that I can think of local to me who have had cars for at least a year or more in some cases.
Depends on model / colour combo, took me 11 months to sell my Chimaera 400 in the end the only thing I could do was trade it !!!!!!
It was a good TVR colour combo and was very well priced, people just seemed to want 450's or 500's.
>> Edited by phib on Friday 25th October 09:21
Depends on model / colour combo, took me 11 months to sell my Chimaera 400 in the end the only thing I could do was trade it !!!!!!
It was a good TVR colour combo and was very well priced, people just seemed to want 450's or 500's.
>> Edited by phib on Friday 25th October 09:21
phib said: There are at least 3 or 4 dealers that I can think of local to me who have had cars for at least a year or more in some cases.
Depends on model / colour combo, took me 11 months to sell my Chimaera 400 in the end the only thing I could do was trade it !!!!!!
It was a good TVR colour combo and was very well priced, people just seemed to want 450's or 500's.
>> Edited by phib on Friday 25th October 09:21
I doubt you will find many new un-registered TVRs sitting in the dealers you mentioned. Selling a specialist car is always a problem for a private seller for various reasons the main one being people always trust a dealer more. I will bet you a few quid that your 400 was sold for considerably more than you could have got in a lot less time. That is why some people consider the sale or return option with a dealer, it is the only way round taking the whole knock in price.
Ivan
I know that this is the chimp site but TVR are always up to monkey business with build dates are registering dates. My 350i was built early 86 and registered 18 months later in late 87. turned that it had been at a few motor shows. I know of more than one car that went to Hong Kong, was not sold and was registered here over two years later.
Ribel
Quote
"Recently bought my Chim first registered 28/10/2000, anyone out there got a newer one - must be one of the last?"
I have a Chimaera 4500 X reg/Starmist Blue (for sale actually)
registered 26/10/00 and that is chassis number 01555 if that helps.
>> Edited by jamer on Sunday 27th October 11:31
Quote
"Recently bought my Chim first registered 28/10/2000, anyone out there got a newer one - must be one of the last?"
I have a Chimaera 4500 X reg/Starmist Blue (for sale actually)
registered 26/10/00 and that is chassis number 01555 if that helps. >> Edited by jamer on Sunday 27th October 11:31
Jamer,
Sorry my fault, I meant to say Chimaera 400. The 450s are still being sold (ish).
I think I have seen your car in the ads section, looks a treat, had I not bought mine I may well have been knocking on your door for it. If it is yours, what is the difference between early and late boot release and petrol cap?
Ivan
Sorry my fault, I meant to say Chimaera 400. The 450s are still being sold (ish).
I think I have seen your car in the ads section, looks a treat, had I not bought mine I may well have been knocking on your door for it. If it is yours, what is the difference between early and late boot release and petrol cap?
Ivan
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff