Discussion
Hi - i just wanna introduce meesel:
I am picking up a 5L Chimaera on the 1st Oct and, well, i'm crapping myself.
I currently drive a Corrado VR6 ( had her for 3 years - she's a honey ...)Now she is pretty fast - for a 'normal' car and i regularly take her up to the highlands / down to the borders for a hoss about ( i'm based in Edinburgh ), but have had very little experience in rear wheel drive cars. So why on earth am i stepping into a 5L you ask?
Well, its a sad tale which i will not go into, but i was left it in a will by a very good friend. It was his pride and joy - he bought it 'off plan', went to the factory many times to see it being built, and sorted it exactly as he wanted. After 3 or 4 years he sold it, but ended up tracking it down 2 years later and bought it back !
Now i have it. It has a brand new engine and currently, thats all i really know about it - or TVRs.
I'm sure i will have many more questions for you guys in the future, but my first is:
how do i drive it? My first drive will be 100 miles up the A68 to Edinburgh. Now, I have read as much as i can about the 5L here and other interweb sites, and all i can really gather is that if its raining, i should get the train home ! Noel at V8 said dont try to overtake anything and avoid the white lines... what have i let myself in for?
So has anyone got any tips? ( yup, i have joined tvrcc and ordered Steve Heath's bible ).I consider myself to be a reasonable sensible chap. Am i worrying too much?
Mune
I am picking up a 5L Chimaera on the 1st Oct and, well, i'm crapping myself.
I currently drive a Corrado VR6 ( had her for 3 years - she's a honey ...)Now she is pretty fast - for a 'normal' car and i regularly take her up to the highlands / down to the borders for a hoss about ( i'm based in Edinburgh ), but have had very little experience in rear wheel drive cars. So why on earth am i stepping into a 5L you ask?
Well, its a sad tale which i will not go into, but i was left it in a will by a very good friend. It was his pride and joy - he bought it 'off plan', went to the factory many times to see it being built, and sorted it exactly as he wanted. After 3 or 4 years he sold it, but ended up tracking it down 2 years later and bought it back !
Now i have it. It has a brand new engine and currently, thats all i really know about it - or TVRs.
I'm sure i will have many more questions for you guys in the future, but my first is:
how do i drive it? My first drive will be 100 miles up the A68 to Edinburgh. Now, I have read as much as i can about the 5L here and other interweb sites, and all i can really gather is that if its raining, i should get the train home ! Noel at V8 said dont try to overtake anything and avoid the white lines... what have i let myself in for?
So has anyone got any tips? ( yup, i have joined tvrcc and ordered Steve Heath's bible ).I consider myself to be a reasonable sensible chap. Am i worrying too much?
Mune
Drive it like a normal car to begin with.
They're only scary when you do silly things. You have to realise that its very powerful, and doesn't weigh much.
Therefore, if you boot it on a slippery surface, you'll go around in circles towards the nearest wall.
Treat it with respect.
If you overtake someone, even in the dry, only use as much power as you need. Don't floor it, because as you pass the dirty/gravely bit in the middle of the road you risk losing control (as the wheels lose traction and the revs rise to where your foot is).
I doubt you'll have any problems. If it rains, pfft so what just drive it like you would your average Ford Escort - and at the same speed.
They're only scary when you do silly things. You have to realise that its very powerful, and doesn't weigh much.
Therefore, if you boot it on a slippery surface, you'll go around in circles towards the nearest wall.
Treat it with respect.
If you overtake someone, even in the dry, only use as much power as you need. Don't floor it, because as you pass the dirty/gravely bit in the middle of the road you risk losing control (as the wheels lose traction and the revs rise to where your foot is).
I doubt you'll have any problems. If it rains, pfft so what just drive it like you would your average Ford Escort - and at the same speed.
Have to agree with PoD,
Don't "try to see what it can do" when you first get it. You have plenty of torque so you can afford to be a gear up on what you will think you need at first.
If you drive sensibly, feeding the throttle, you'll have no probs.
Just be careful if you "oh are getting the hang of this" and you drive on road surfaces that change rapidly (gravel, water, leafs). There you should be ready for some twitching which may need gentle correction. The main thing is to be smooth and don't try to "catch" a slide aggressively.
Oh and warn the people in advance that the grin is not because you wan the lotto!
Enjoy!
Don't "try to see what it can do" when you first get it. You have plenty of torque so you can afford to be a gear up on what you will think you need at first.
If you drive sensibly, feeding the throttle, you'll have no probs.
Just be careful if you "oh are getting the hang of this" and you drive on road surfaces that change rapidly (gravel, water, leafs). There you should be ready for some twitching which may need gentle correction. The main thing is to be smooth and don't try to "catch" a slide aggressively.
Oh and warn the people in advance that the grin is not because you wan the lotto!
Enjoy!
Don't worry yourself.........
i'm a recent newbie myself, just treat the car with respect and don't try anything silly, i've had my chimaera nearly a month now (only a 4.0 though) and i don't feel the need to drive fast or mad because i'm happy to listen to the sound of the engine burbling (you'll understand after oct 1st) that is also the reason i still don't know if the c.d player works properly (only had the radio on twice)
I have not driven mine in the wet yet and i'm pleased i've had some experience of my car in the dry before i face that challenge because i am used to the acceleration now.
happy driving.
i'm a recent newbie myself, just treat the car with respect and don't try anything silly, i've had my chimaera nearly a month now (only a 4.0 though) and i don't feel the need to drive fast or mad because i'm happy to listen to the sound of the engine burbling (you'll understand after oct 1st) that is also the reason i still don't know if the c.d player works properly (only had the radio on twice)
I have not driven mine in the wet yet and i'm pleased i've had some experience of my car in the dry before i face that challenge because i am used to the acceleration now.
happy driving.
Good advice above on wet (and dry) handling. Certainly wont be as forgiving as the VW on the edge.
But my god are you going to have some fun
. I had a G60 for a while, and drove two VR6s. Great cars, amazingly sweet steering and balanced handling. But a 500 is (or must be 'cos mine's 'only' a 450 and f***ing quick) a completely different ball game. TVRs involve you in a way no other car does, IMHO, and you've got a serious amount of shove in your car.
Hope you enjoy it...
But my god are you going to have some fun
. I had a G60 for a while, and drove two VR6s. Great cars, amazingly sweet steering and balanced handling. But a 500 is (or must be 'cos mine's 'only' a 450 and f***ing quick) a completely different ball game. TVRs involve you in a way no other car does, IMHO, and you've got a serious amount of shove in your car. Hope you enjoy it...
I echo the above advice. Just take it easy and gradually explore the power. Even driving relatively sedately you can blow past almost anything else on the road, so there is no need to take any risks.
In the wet just be a little more cautious and remember you don't have to be either going quickly or floor it for the back end to get a little twitchy. Take care and you will love the way it handles and feels 'stuck' to the road in comparison to a normal 'tin box'!
I see you are in Scotland, so plenty of cracking roads to explore! There is always Knockhill circuit if you want to do a track day and further explore the cars ability in 'relative' safety! ENJOY YOUR TVR!!
In the wet just be a little more cautious and remember you don't have to be either going quickly or floor it for the back end to get a little twitchy. Take care and you will love the way it handles and feels 'stuck' to the road in comparison to a normal 'tin box'!
I see you are in Scotland, so plenty of cracking roads to explore! There is always Knockhill circuit if you want to do a track day and further explore the cars ability in 'relative' safety! ENJOY YOUR TVR!!
I went from a Corrado VR6 to a Chim 450 and the two are like chalk and cheese. Both are great cars in their own right. The Corrado is quick and has a cracking chassis which is also forgiving. The Chim is much quicker than the Corrado, with huge amounts of torque, but the handling is very different and doesn't feel as composed as the Corrado although there is plenty of grip (I certainly haven't been brave enough to find the limits yet!)
As the others have said, just be careful with the throttle, particularly in the wet, and you won't have any problems.
Enjoy
PS. JonRB has both, and will be along soon to comment I'm sure.
As the others have said, just be careful with the throttle, particularly in the wet, and you won't have any problems.
Enjoy
PS. JonRB has both, and will be along soon to comment I'm sure.
Mune
Welcome to the world of TVR ownership. A roller-coaster ride where the highs are very high.
Agree with everthing said above, and what a cracking road you have chosen for the first drive. The A68 going North of Corbridge is a fantastic drive, you'll love it.....
Get to know your local dealer (Not sure where your local one is, but the guys at Hexham are very good), and the button above your left knee turns on and off the dash lights!!!!!
Enjoy, and let us know what you think once you've got it.
Welcome to the world of TVR ownership. A roller-coaster ride where the highs are very high.
Agree with everthing said above, and what a cracking road you have chosen for the first drive. The A68 going North of Corbridge is a fantastic drive, you'll love it.....
Get to know your local dealer (Not sure where your local one is, but the guys at Hexham are very good), and the button above your left knee turns on and off the dash lights!!!!!
Enjoy, and let us know what you think once you've got it.
I'm a similar newbie to the world of TVR - came from a Golf R32 to a 5L Chim - best trade I ever did.
Can't emphasise how relevant the tips on throttle/gears are in the first few days - I made a few schoolboy errors and got lucky!
Best thing I ever did was booking a ride drive day - makes you appreciate a great car even more and understand what they can really do!
think the grin lasted for days
enjoy - before you know it you'll wonder why you hadnt gotten one years ago!
Can't emphasise how relevant the tips on throttle/gears are in the first few days - I made a few schoolboy errors and got lucky!
Best thing I ever did was booking a ride drive day - makes you appreciate a great car even more and understand what they can really do!
think the grin lasted for days
enjoy - before you know it you'll wonder why you hadnt gotten one years ago!
Excellent advice all round here... the main issue you'll have is one of 'pride', i.e. every boy racer in his Clio with a baked bean tin exhaust will want to take you on, and in the wet you'll kill yourself if you try... resist the temptation in the knowledge that you'll get them when it's dry!
Actually, if you were a half-decent driver, which you probably are (I'm NOT) you'd probabl get them in the wet too - but who cares?
The whole point on something like a TVR is that you know it's a fast car, everyone else with half a brain knows it's a fast car, if some numpty in a Clio doesn't know that then that's his problem, he's an a*sehole.
I've had my 4.0 Chimaera for a few months now and I'm getting to enjoy just sailing past other traffic in 4th & 5th using the torque, a lovely feeling. No need to drop to 2nd/3rd unless you want to make a point.
Don't be frightened of it, treat it with a bit of respect and enjoy it.
The whole point on something like a TVR is that you know it's a fast car, everyone else with half a brain knows it's a fast car, if some numpty in a Clio doesn't know that then that's his problem, he's an a*sehole.
I've had my 4.0 Chimaera for a few months now and I'm getting to enjoy just sailing past other traffic in 4th & 5th using the torque, a lovely feeling. No need to drop to 2nd/3rd unless you want to make a point.
Don't be frightened of it, treat it with a bit of respect and enjoy it.
Don't get too paranoid. These cars will not career off the road every time you sneeze. They have lots of grip and will go round corners very quickly.
Just need to bear in mind that if you floor the throttle on a wet road (and sometimes in the dry), or mid corner you'll find that there is more power/torque than traction available. But this is the same for every powerful car with no traction control no matter how well sorted.
Just treat it with a little respect and explore the power band bit by bit, and in a straight line. Ease the power on progressively, if you poke it, it may bite. But that's part of the fun!
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the fact that you live in Edinburgh which means lots of roads on steep hills, with cold wet cobbles! Tarmac no problems, but I would be exceedingly careful on these in winter when wet or icy.
Just need to bear in mind that if you floor the throttle on a wet road (and sometimes in the dry), or mid corner you'll find that there is more power/torque than traction available. But this is the same for every powerful car with no traction control no matter how well sorted.
Just treat it with a little respect and explore the power band bit by bit, and in a straight line. Ease the power on progressively, if you poke it, it may bite. But that's part of the fun!
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is the fact that you live in Edinburgh which means lots of roads on steep hills, with cold wet cobbles! Tarmac no problems, but I would be exceedingly careful on these in winter when wet or icy.
Wow - thanks for all the advice guys. Its great to hear from so many peeps who have only recently purchased a chim. I feel like i know what to expect now. I had visions of ending up in a field on the 1st corner !
Am defo going to get on a track asap. I believe East Fortune airfield would be a good start, although i may try to get prof 1-1 tuition at Knockhill.
I have heard that driving rwd with much torque, forces you to think more like a biker - paying much more attention to road surface changes / hazards like oil & gravel. Any opinions ?
Buzsaw - good to hear a fellow vr to tvr migration ! I heard vr6s were quite rare in NI?
Couple of other noob questions:
What should i check for when i get the car. I think the wish bones were replaced about 12 months ago and as i mentioned, it has a brand new engine. Any standard parts i really need to check the condition of ?
Is there a FAQ about the Chim? i ask because one of the other threads had an amusing list of answers to questions the op hadnt asked yet - like 'its the switch above your left knee'. What were the questions?!
What is the procedure for 'catching' a slide? Hold the throttle where it is and steer into it? Add a touch more to get the back end in?
Thanks again for the advice. I will let you know how it goes.
Mune
Am defo going to get on a track asap. I believe East Fortune airfield would be a good start, although i may try to get prof 1-1 tuition at Knockhill.
I have heard that driving rwd with much torque, forces you to think more like a biker - paying much more attention to road surface changes / hazards like oil & gravel. Any opinions ?
Buzsaw - good to hear a fellow vr to tvr migration ! I heard vr6s were quite rare in NI?
Couple of other noob questions:
What should i check for when i get the car. I think the wish bones were replaced about 12 months ago and as i mentioned, it has a brand new engine. Any standard parts i really need to check the condition of ?
Is there a FAQ about the Chim? i ask because one of the other threads had an amusing list of answers to questions the op hadnt asked yet - like 'its the switch above your left knee'. What were the questions?!
What is the procedure for 'catching' a slide? Hold the throttle where it is and steer into it? Add a touch more to get the back end in?
Thanks again for the advice. I will let you know how it goes.
Mune
chimune said:
Hi - i just wanna introduce meesel:
I am picking up a 5L Chimaera on the 1st Oct and, well, i'm crapping myself.
I currently drive a Corrado VR6 ( had her for 3 years - she's a honey ...)Now she is pretty fast - for a 'normal' car and i regularly take her up to the highlands / down to the borders for a hoss about ( i'm based in Edinburgh ), but have had very little experience in rear wheel drive cars. So why on earth am i stepping into a 5L you ask?
Well, its a sad tale which i will not go into, but i was left it in a will by a very good friend. It was his pride and joy - he bought it 'off plan', went to the factory many times to see it being built, and sorted it exactly as he wanted. After 3 or 4 years he sold it, but ended up tracking it down 2 years later and bought it back !
Now i have it. It has a brand new engine and currently, thats all i really know about it - or TVRs.
I'm sure i will have many more questions for you guys in the future, but my first is:
how do i drive it? My first drive will be 100 miles up the A68 to Edinburgh. Now, I have read as much as i can about the 5L here and other interweb sites, and all i can really gather is that if its raining, i should get the train home ! Noel at V8 said dont try to overtake anything and avoid the white lines... what have i let myself in for?
So has anyone got any tips? ( yup, i have joined tvrcc and ordered Steve Heath's bible ).I consider myself to be a reasonable sensible chap. Am i worrying too much?
Mune
For the ride home - if wet - and before you get used to it. Drive it in a higher gear or 2 than you would think to normally, There is more than enough torque to do this. Might save you from a bit too right foot, in second gear on wet road, spin syndrom.
And yes I did this myself , 3 days into ownership, of a griff 4.3,
And bizarrely I also had a Corrado vr6 at the time.
JUST ALWAY be SMOOTH with your right foot. no ON/OFF accelerator action
B
B
As all the others have said you don't have to be scared, I think you will be supprised that it can easily be driven in the wet as long as you don't wear lead boots.
I test drove my car on a very wet March day and must admit I was s**tting it because of what I had heard and assumed about TVRs but I found it no problem.
If you do slow down using your gears go very easy, the bible recommends not doing it at all and using toe and heal instead, because if you are a bit heavy cogging down the rear diff can lock and ends will swap.
Never err when driving in the wet or dry the car has the ability to bite back,never get complacent, but most of all have fun.
I test drove my car on a very wet March day and must admit I was s**tting it because of what I had heard and assumed about TVRs but I found it no problem.
If you do slow down using your gears go very easy, the bible recommends not doing it at all and using toe and heal instead, because if you are a bit heavy cogging down the rear diff can lock and ends will swap.
Never err when driving in the wet or dry the car has the ability to bite back,never get complacent, but most of all have fun.
GTvr said:
As all the others have said you don't have to be scared, I think you will be supprised that it can easily be driven in the wet as long as you don't wear lead boots.
I test drove my car on a very wet March day and must admit I was s**tting it because of what I had heard and assumed about TVRs but I found it no problem.
If you do slow down using your gears go very easy, the bible recommends not doing it at all and using toe and heal instead, because if you are a bit heavy cogging down the rear diff can lock and ends will swap.
Never err when driving in the wet or dry the car has the ability to bite back,never get complacent, but most of all have fun.
JUST DON't slow down using the gears....
As you'll get used to doing it, and one day on a wet road, you'll do it automatically, maybe going a bit quick, or a bit jerkily, and you be sideways, locked up and crashed.
B
chimune said:
What is the procedure for 'catching' a slide? Hold the throttle where it is and steer into it? Add a touch more to get the back end in?
Pretty much, although if you lose it just stamp both feet on the clutch and brake until it stops. That way it travels in a straight line. If you don't lock the wheels, it will spin merrily until it regains traction, at which point it will shoot off in whatever direction it likes, usually the nearest hedge.
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