Just wiped her down for the first time… Few questions?
Just wiped her down for the first time… Few questions?
Author
Discussion

healandtoe

Original Poster:

71 posts

267 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
I just cleaned my new Chimaera for the first time. What a lovely shape it is to run your sponge over.

I love the car. The colour wasn’t my first choice but it has grown on me quite well.


Just a few quick question that I hope somebody could help me with please.

1. The car has been put in the rain and the cabin stayed bone dry, however the very front corner edge of the drivers foot well is a bit damp. I pulled the carpet up and its just the very front edge. Could water be coming in through the bolts in the floor? Its not much…. But I wouldn’t want to drive it in the rain too much because of it.

2. A guy that I am doing to some web work for is going to put my new toy on his rolling road (grant Motorsport) to check that it is putting out what it should, however I’m not sure what it should be putting out at the wheels? It’s a 98 4L.

healandtoe

Original Poster:

71 posts

267 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all

Nuggs

4,640 posts

264 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
healandtoe said:

1. The car has been put in the rain and the cabin stayed bone dry, however the very front corner edge of the drivers foot well is a bit damp. I pulled the carpet up and its just the very front edge. Could water be coming in through the bolts in the floor? Its not much…. But I wouldn’t want to drive it in the rain too much because of it.

It may be coming in through the clutch seal - open the bonnet and you'll see a plastic dome set into the bodywork/engine bay on the offside. It may be a simple case of using some Sikaflex to re-seal the compartment.
healandtoe said:

2. A guy that I am doing to some web work for is going to put my new toy on his rolling road (grant Motorsport) to check that it is putting out what it should, however I’m not sure what it should be putting out at the wheels? It’s a 98 4L.

Mine was on the RR a few months back and was putting out 202bhp and 280lb/ft, which Austec assured me were healthy figures for a 99 4l.

The Surveyor

7,624 posts

267 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
healandtoe said:


That colour looks great...

With the damp carpets, firstly check that it is actually water getting in, and not a brake / clutch fluid leak. If it is water, then there are loads of places it could be getting in. Have a look under the bonnet around all the grommets and especially around the brake fluid reservoir. It's just a trial end error thing, but they shouldn't leak...

jasandjules

72,607 posts

259 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
I had to pop out and make sure mine was still on the drive when I saw that !!!!

Good choice of Colour...;-)

paulathome

686 posts

248 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
Mine had the same problem, turned out to be leaking round the windscreen seal.
Sealed between body and rubber, and screen and rubber with sikaflex.
The car is now bone dry.
Cheers,
Paul

healandtoe

Original Poster:

71 posts

267 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
The colour is a little more pink on the flesh. It wasn’t my first choice of colour as I just got rid of a purple MG, but this is a more solid purple than the mg was. My mate has a blue chim one and he wouldn’t choose the purple himself, but he said it is quite P.I.M.P ! ;-) This was the very best I could find at the money I wanted to spend.

Also.. I am probably paranoid but I feel like the engine is a bit tappety??? I have read about cams and exhausts blowing. All of the chim’s that I looked at sounded a bit tappy, but I am paranoid now. At least I know a good Motorsport engineer that will trade me some work for his web site that I am fixing up for him, so maybe it wouldn’t be all bad if it needed something doing.

bga

8,134 posts

281 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
paulathome said:
Mine had the same problem, turned out to be leaking round the windscreen seal.
Sealed between body and rubber, and screen and rubber with sikaflex.
The car is now bone dry.
Cheers,
Paul


Mine had a little leak there too, likewise fixed with sikaflex.

Power wise the previous owners have a printout showing 231 bhp & 280 lb ft on the Austec Rollers (98 4L)

dc53

3,217 posts

250 months

Thursday 29th June 2006
quotequote all
the colour stunning
the car stunning
youve brought a stunner!!
dc53

That Daddy

19,454 posts

251 months

Friday 30th June 2006
quotequote all
just a quicky water may also be coming in around master cylinder resevoir to body joint mine looked ok,then found sealer not stuck to body anymore re-sealed problem gone,worth a try.

healandtoe

Original Poster:

71 posts

267 months

Friday 30th June 2006
quotequote all
Thanks... with the window seal? there is no silicon on it at the moment, its just rubber seal. Do inject silicone into the seal??

healandtoe

Original Poster:

71 posts

267 months

Friday 30th June 2006
quotequote all
paulathome said:
Mine had the same problem, turned out to be leaking round the windscreen seal.
Sealed between body and rubber, and screen and rubber with sikaflex.
The car is now bone dry.
Cheers,
Paul

ahh! sikaflex !!! thats the stuff then

aaandy

764 posts

282 months

Friday 30th June 2006
quotequote all
healandtoe said:

Also.. I am probably paranoid but I feel like the engine is a bit tappety??? I have read about cams and exhausts blowing. All of the chim’s that I looked at sounded a bit tappy, but I am paranoid now.


May be nothing but worth getting checked by a specialist who know TVRs, or pop along to a local TVR meet and see what other owners reckon.

But must also remember that there is no sound proofing, plus the fact that there are openings on the bonnet which let out the noise of the engine as well. May just be louder than you are used to.


FunkyGibbon

3,860 posts

294 months

Friday 30th June 2006
quotequote all
you can also get water coming in between the bottom of the door and the sill if driving in heavy rain

(well you can in mine )

bigdods

7,175 posts

257 months

Friday 30th June 2006
quotequote all
231 on the Austec rollers - That'll be the Flywheel figure and thats right in 450 territory for their rollers. Had my 450 tested there 12 months back and got 204 at the wheels - which they told me was bang on for an average 450. Sounds like you might have a hot cam and tornado chip in there if its a 400...

Rolling roads, can worms...Open and stand back lol

Had it tested at Surrey r/r as well a few months back , showed 205 as well so it must be true! - they also told me thats bang on the money for a 450. Ignore the flywheel figures every road is different, go for the figure at the wheels.

Last time I was at Austec I *think* (vague memory here) they were testing a 400 and getting 175/180 at the wheels was considered good, with a tornado chip installed.

bga

8,134 posts

281 months

Friday 30th June 2006
quotequote all
bigdods said:
231 on the Austec rollers - That'll be the Flywheel figure and thats right in 450 territory for their rollers. Had my 450 tested there 12 months back and got 204 at the wheels - which they told me was bang on for an average 450. Sounds like you might have a hot cam and tornado chip in there if its a 400...

Rolling roads, can worms...Open and stand back lol

Had it tested at Surrey r/r as well a few months back , showed 205 as well so it must be true! - they also told me thats bang on the money for a 450. Ignore the flywheel figures every road is different, go for the figure at the wheels.

Last time I was at Austec I *think* (vague memory here) they were testing a 400 and getting 175/180 at the wheels was considered good, with a tornado chip installed.


I've just dug out the plots & it's 179 at the wheels, with the 231 being the calc'd fly reading as you said. Not sure of any mods but the previous owners know the Austec guys very well so it's not inconceivable it's been looked after

bigdods

7,175 posts

257 months

Saturday 1st July 2006
quotequote all
To be honest my memory is crap and it was 12 months ago , that sounds like a reasonable figure for a 400, Im sure someone will come along wo knows more about 400's than me of course ;-)

vixpy1

42,699 posts

294 months

Saturday 1st July 2006
quotequote all
Anything from 160 to 190 at the wheels.