Bling v Authentic?
Discussion
I've wanted to start this thread for a while now, and poor old parrot of doom's grille has finally prompted me...
What's the most common view out there, is factory original best.. i.e. in 10 years time when these are classics (yes I know we all think they are already) will people be rushing to replace the aluminium with black plastic..
or
Is the 'Leven' (for example) aluminium stuff really the way to go?
>> Edited by stuartlynn on Saturday 1st October 22:52
What's the most common view out there, is factory original best.. i.e. in 10 years time when these are classics (yes I know we all think they are already) will people be rushing to replace the aluminium with black plastic..
or
Is the 'Leven' (for example) aluminium stuff really the way to go?
>> Edited by stuartlynn on Saturday 1st October 22:52
When I bought mine, there was a move towards front & rear light conversions, plus all the Leven bits.
I left mine as it was - mainly 'cos I didn't have the money to do otherwise and I spent my spare cash on any maintenance that was required....but I'm glad I did, as it is now coming up to ten years old and the styling has gone through the stage of looking 'dated' and is coming into it's own.
I believe it looks great left just as Mr McTaggert intended - all IMO of course!
>> Edited by chim666 on Sunday 2nd October 11:49
I left mine as it was - mainly 'cos I didn't have the money to do otherwise and I spent my spare cash on any maintenance that was required....but I'm glad I did, as it is now coming up to ten years old and the styling has gone through the stage of looking 'dated' and is coming into it's own.
I believe it looks great left just as Mr McTaggert intended - all IMO of course!
>> Edited by chim666 on Sunday 2nd October 11:49
I think that leven bits on the interior or engine bay look good, but this is just adding to the original look (by this I mean the oil and petrol caps, the engine should remain original).
The light and wheel conversions are too much, if I wanted a Tuscan I would have bought one. IMHO TVR got the Griff and Chim right first time, and they should be left alone. But I would never give some one a hard time because they modified their cars, its each to their own!
The light and wheel conversions are too much, if I wanted a Tuscan I would have bought one. IMHO TVR got the Griff and Chim right first time, and they should be left alone. But I would never give some one a hard time because they modified their cars, its each to their own!
My thoughts exactly.
The light conversions look odd if only the front or rear have been done. If you do both you may as well buy a Tuscan or Cerbera.
A few shiny bits here and there lift the interior and engine bay but any money spent beyond that would be on maintenance and performance.
The light conversions look odd if only the front or rear have been done. If you do both you may as well buy a Tuscan or Cerbera.
A few shiny bits here and there lift the interior and engine bay but any money spent beyond that would be on maintenance and performance.
The cheap black plastic tat in the interior cries out for being replaced, which is why so many have. TVR themselves went along with this trend - see how much extra alloy there is in later cars. In most cases the original trim is retrofittable, and people will probably have kept the originals in the nice little plastic cases the Leven stuff comes in - I know I have - so its a non-issue from that perspective.
Bodywork conversions are a matter of taste, but the "purists" always seem to forget that the Cerbera moved to modular lights anyway, so there is factory endorsement. Retrofit is straightforward if pods are used, but most opt for blended in. Back to the bodyshop then if the "original" dopey mock Porsche look is required. Big deal.
The bottom line though is that pretty much every single car is unique in some way. For the most part the mods and upgrades available are tasteful and make the cars more attractive, or make it work better. When you factor in that the cars came from the factory half built (that's why it was/is always a good idea to buy a sorted 2nd owner rather than new - "teething troubles"!), its no surprise that owners improve the cars in certain areas.
I'd love to see an anorak in 2040 trying to discover the exact spec for a "classic" '96 500 Chimaera restoration project! Will they for example opt to restore the car to having two fans running on one 40amp fuse? That's how they were built, but practically none remain like that because it simply didn't work. Where will they put the swirl pot? Drivers side bulkhead or up by the dizzy? Door openers on a '95? Key or no key? What about the boot hinges on a later car - visible or not? On a '97 car, what style of visible? 5 or 7 spoke wheels?
Many of the facelift mods were introduced as and when components ran out. Is the Fiesta light cluster the proper one, or the cluster one? Depends in the year you say? So which model year had which? I bet there was a bit of a mix for a while. Look at the end of production, did the cars have the same wheels fitted?
You get the idea - all the cars are different. There is no such thing as a '96 Chimaera like there would be a '63 Mustang or a '69 246 GTS Dino.
Anyways, bling is hardly the right word, not even for a headlight conversion. Possibly only a Lexus style rearlight cluster would even come close to "bling". Or maybe gold Leven badges, but my 500 came with gold badges from the factory. How many Chims are there with 23" spinners, blacked windows, pearl white paintjobs, white leather and gold plated Leven bits? That would be bling. And sh1te.
Here's one parting thought. When Tuscans came out they were so radical. They looked so unlike the Chim and Griff, they were the new wave of TVR design. A few years have passed, and now take a good look and a Chim/Griff alongside a Tuscan. They don't look so different really. This was brought home to me when the T350C was released. Compare to an early Griffith, the styling cues are all there. Plus c'est la change ...
A TVR is a TVR is a TVR. And no two are the same.
>> Edited by victormeldrew on Monday 3rd October 10:09
Bodywork conversions are a matter of taste, but the "purists" always seem to forget that the Cerbera moved to modular lights anyway, so there is factory endorsement. Retrofit is straightforward if pods are used, but most opt for blended in. Back to the bodyshop then if the "original" dopey mock Porsche look is required. Big deal.
The bottom line though is that pretty much every single car is unique in some way. For the most part the mods and upgrades available are tasteful and make the cars more attractive, or make it work better. When you factor in that the cars came from the factory half built (that's why it was/is always a good idea to buy a sorted 2nd owner rather than new - "teething troubles"!), its no surprise that owners improve the cars in certain areas.
I'd love to see an anorak in 2040 trying to discover the exact spec for a "classic" '96 500 Chimaera restoration project! Will they for example opt to restore the car to having two fans running on one 40amp fuse? That's how they were built, but practically none remain like that because it simply didn't work. Where will they put the swirl pot? Drivers side bulkhead or up by the dizzy? Door openers on a '95? Key or no key? What about the boot hinges on a later car - visible or not? On a '97 car, what style of visible? 5 or 7 spoke wheels?
Many of the facelift mods were introduced as and when components ran out. Is the Fiesta light cluster the proper one, or the cluster one? Depends in the year you say? So which model year had which? I bet there was a bit of a mix for a while. Look at the end of production, did the cars have the same wheels fitted?
You get the idea - all the cars are different. There is no such thing as a '96 Chimaera like there would be a '63 Mustang or a '69 246 GTS Dino.
Anyways, bling is hardly the right word, not even for a headlight conversion. Possibly only a Lexus style rearlight cluster would even come close to "bling". Or maybe gold Leven badges, but my 500 came with gold badges from the factory. How many Chims are there with 23" spinners, blacked windows, pearl white paintjobs, white leather and gold plated Leven bits? That would be bling. And sh1te.
Here's one parting thought. When Tuscans came out they were so radical. They looked so unlike the Chim and Griff, they were the new wave of TVR design. A few years have passed, and now take a good look and a Chim/Griff alongside a Tuscan. They don't look so different really. This was brought home to me when the T350C was released. Compare to an early Griffith, the styling cues are all there. Plus c'est la change ...
A TVR is a TVR is a TVR. And no two are the same.
>> Edited by victormeldrew on Monday 3rd October 10:09
Personally I'm not a fan of the Vauxhall plastic parts, so I chose to replace them with Leven's accessories. All air vents, stalks, handbrake handle, window switches, adjustable pedals, gear knob and gaiter, fuel filler cap, and power steering, water and oil caps on my car, as well as their cooling kit and wash / wipe system.
I prefer the ally accessories in terms of aesthetics, but also the tactility. The bonus with the caps is that they are also easier to grip than the OEM stuff.
I know some people don't like it, but each to their own...
I prefer the ally accessories in terms of aesthetics, but also the tactility. The bonus with the caps is that they are also easier to grip than the OEM stuff.
I know some people don't like it, but each to their own...
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